Science & Technology
India Stack Knowledge Exchange 2022
For Prelims: Digital India, Digital Schemes of India
For Mains: Role of Digitisation in economic growth, Effect of digital schemes on economy of India, Significance of platforms like India Stack Knowledge Exchange Programme
Why in News?
As a part of the Digital India week celebrations, a three day dedicated event titled ‘India Stack Knowledge Exchange’ programme was organised.
- India Stack refers to ambitious project of creating a unified software platform to bring India’s population into the digital age.
What is the India Stack Knowledge Exchange Programme (ISKE)?
- About:
- The idea behind ISKE 2022 was to get the real practitioners - the IT champions - to speak of the implementation of ground-breaking projects, the challenges faced and the road ahead for these projects.
- ISKE 2022 was also visualised to present to the global community, India Stack solutions and goods, and welcomed any nation to adopt and customize them for their own use.
- The idea behind ISKE 2022 was to get the real practitioners - the IT champions - to speak of the implementation of ground-breaking projects, the challenges faced and the road ahead for these projects.
- Significance:
- The event brought together practitioners and digital transformation leaders to share their experiences in implementing pioneering projects.
- It helped in the formation of an India Stack Knowledge Exchange.
- It served as a collaborative platform for the replication of some of the digital initiatives.
- It served as a knowledge exchange platform for India to speak of its contribution to the repository of Global Digital Public Goods.
| What were the areas covered in ISKE? | |
| Urban Stack: |
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Technology Stack for e-Commerce |
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Space Technology Stack: |
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Governance
Service Charge
For Prelims: Service Charge, Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA),National Consumer Helpline (NCH), consumer Rights
For Mains: Government Policies & intervention
Why in News?
Recently, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) issued rules to avoid unfair trade practices and protect consumer interests in hotels and restaurants that assess service charges.
What is CCPA?
- It was established under the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) of 2019.
- It is empowered to regulate abuses of consumer rights, unfair trade practises, and false or misleading marketing that are detrimental to the public's interest.
- It has authority under Section 18 of the CPA, 2019 to safeguard, promote, and, most importantly, defend consumers' rights and prevent violations of their rights under the Act.
- Further, enhances consumer rights and makes sure that no person engages in unfair trade practices, it is also empowered to issue guidelines to enforce the rights of the consumers.
What are the New Guidelines?
- About:
- According to it, hotels and restaurants prohibited from collecting extra charge in the name of service charge automatically or by default in the bill.
- They need to mention to the customers that service charges are voluntary and optional.
- Most significantly, hotels and restaurants are no longer permitted to limit admission or services based on the collection of service charges.
- Furthermore, hotels are not permitted to add service charges to their bills and collect GST on the total.
- Any Tip, Token, Donation, etc would be considered as a separate transaction between hotel staff and consumer its totally voluntary for the consumer.
- Redressal Mechanisms:
- If any hotel or restaurant is levying service charge, then the customer can ask the concerned hotel or restaurant to remove the service charge from the bill or further lodge a complaint on the NCH by calling 1915 or through the NCH mobile app.
- National consumer Helpline works as an alternative dispute redressal mechanism at the pre litigation level.
- A complaint may also be filed against unfair trade practice with the Consumer Commission electronically through edaakhil.nic.in. for its speedy and effective redressal.
- If any hotel or restaurant is levying service charge, then the customer can ask the concerned hotel or restaurant to remove the service charge from the bill or further lodge a complaint on the NCH by calling 1915 or through the NCH mobile app.
What is a Service Charge?
- It is a Tip or a direct transaction between customer and restaurant personnel, specifically wait staff.
- It is a cost charged for services related to the purchase of a core product or service.
- It is collected as a fee for serving consumers by the hospitality and food and beverage industries.
Why were these New Guidelines Issued?
- There were enormous complaints registered on the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) related to the unnecessary levying of service charges in the bill.
- This was being charged in addition to the total amount often in guise of some other charges in the bill.
- According to the new rules, charging a consumer more than the price of food items on the menu plus applicable taxes is now considered a 'unfair trade practise' under the CPA.
Way Forward
- There was a need for these new regulatory guidelines as many hotels and restaurants etc. were charging people enormous amounts of service tax coupled with predatory pricing.
- Now customers wouldn't be obliged to pay the tax and it would rather be a voluntary option, but there is a need for better implementation of these regulations around the country.
UPSC Civil Services Examination Previous Year Question (PYQ)
Q. With reference to ‘consumers’ rights/privileges under the provisions of law in India, which of the following statements is/are correct ? (2012)
- Consumers are empowered to take samples for food testing.
- When a consumer files a complaint in any consumer forum, no fee is required to be paid.
- In case of death of consumer, his/her legal heir can file a complaint in the consumer forum on his/ her behalf.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Ans: (c)
Exp:
- Under the Food Safety and Standards Act passed by Parliament, buyers have been empowered to take food samples, get those tested and lodge complaints for prosecution of accused. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
- A consumer does not need a lawyer to file a complaint or to fight his case in the consumer court. He can file the complaint himself. A consumer is not required to pay any court fee, but just a nominal fee depending on the type of court and the claim amount. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
- Under the consumer protection act it has been provided that in case of death of a consumer, his legal heir or representative can file complaint in the consumer court. Hence, statement 3 is correct. Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.
Governance
Mission Shakti
For Prelims: Important Schemes for Women Empowerment and Security
For Mains: Umbrella Scheme of Mission Shakti, Effects of Government Intervention on Society, Significance of Women in Society, Related Governement Schemes
Why in News?
Recently, the Ministry of Women and Child Development has issued detailed guidelines for the ‘Mission Shakti' scheme.
- The norms of ‘Mission Shakti’ will be applicable with effect from 1st April 2022.
What do we need to know about Mission Shakti?
- About:
- 'Mission Shakti' was launched during the 15th Finance Commission period 2021-22 to 2025-26.
- Mission Shakti is an integrated women empowerment programme is launched as an umbrella scheme for the safety, security and empowerment of women for implementation.
- 'Mission Shakti' was launched during the 15th Finance Commission period 2021-22 to 2025-26.
- Components:
- Sambal:
- It is for Safety and Security of Women.
- It consists of schemes of One Stop Centre (OSC), Women Helpline (WHL), Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP), with a new component of Nari Adalats - women's collectives to promote and facilitate alternative dispute resolution and gender justice in society and within families.
- Samarthya:
- It is for Empowerment of Women.
- It consists of erstwhile schemes of Ujjwala, Swadhar Greh and Working Women Hostel have been included with modifications.
- In addition, the existing schemes of National Creche Scheme for children of working mothers and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) under umbrella Integrated Child Development Services ICDS have now been included in Samarthya.
- A new component of Gap Funding for Economic Empowerment has also been added in the Samarthya Scheme.
- Sambal:
What are the Services & Activities Involved?
- Emergency/ Immediate services & short-term care:
- National toll-free number and integrated services such as temporary shelter, legal aid, psycho-social counselling, medical assistance, police facilitation and link them with existing services etc. through One Stop Centres.
- Institutional Care for long term support:
- Taking care of the needs of women right from the conception stage till the time they need such care and support.
- SakhiNiwas or Working Women Hostel will provide a safe and secure place for the working women.
- Behaviour Change Communication for dignity and prevention of crime and violence against women:
- This would include large scale awareness programs and community engagement for gender sensitisation.
- In addition, engaging with men and boys would be done to partner for countering violence against women and Gender stereotypes.
What are the Objectives of Mission Shakti?
- Provide immediate and comprehensive continuum of care, support and assistance to women affected by violence and for those in distress.
- To put in place quality mechanisms for rescue, protection and rehabilitation of women in need of assistance and victims of crime and violence.
- To improve accessibility to various government services available for women at various levels.
- Making people aware about Government schemes and programmes as well as legal provisions to fight social evils like dowry, domestic violence, Sexual Harassment at Workplace and to promote gender equality etc.
- Collaboration with partner Ministries/ Departments/ States/ UTs for convergence of policies, programmes/ schemes and to create an enabling environment for public private partnership for safety and empowerment of women across sectors.
- To prevent gender-biased sex selective elimination; to ensure survival, protection,education and development of the girl child.
- It also seeks to reduce the care burden on women and increase female labour force participation by promoting skill development, capacity building, financial literacy, access to microcredit etc.
Governance
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme
For Prelims: Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme, One-Stop Centres
For Mains: Rights of the girl child, related issues and steps needs to be taken
Why in News?
According to recent guidelines issued by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) Scheme will be extended to all Districts.
What are the Guidelines?
- The ministry has now targeted improvement in the Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) by 2 points every year, improvement in the percentage of institutional deliveries at 95% or above.
- Increasing girls’ participation in sports by identifying talent and linking them with appropriate authorities under ‘Khelo India’.
- Promoting self-defence camps, construction of girls’ toilets, making available sanitary napkin vending machines and sanitary pads, especially in educational institutions, awareness about PC-PNDT (Pre-Conception & Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques) Act 1994, etc.
- PC-PNDT act aims to ban the use of sex selection techniques before or after conception and prevent the misuse of a prenatal diagnostic technique for sex-selective abortion.
- Zero-budget advertising and encouraging greater spend on activities that have on-ground impact.
- In 2021 parliamentary committee on empowerment of women in its report stated that nearly 80 % funds for the BBBP scheme has been used for advertising, and not on sectoral interventions such as women’s health and education.
- Strengthen One-Stop Centres (OSCs), set up to help women facing violence, including domestic violence and trafficking, by adding 300 OSCs in districts which either have a high rate of crimes against women or are geographically large, preferably in aspirational districts.
What is BBBP?
- About:
- It was launched in January 2015 with the aim to address sex selective abortion and the declining child sex ratio which was at 918 girls for every 1,000 boys in 2011.
- This is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Human Resource Development.
- The programme is being implemented across 405 districts in the country.
- Main Objectives:
- Prevention of gender-biased sex-selective elimination.
- Ensuring survival & protection of the girl child.
- Ensuring education and participation of the girl child.
- Protecting rights of Girl children.
- Performance Analysis:
- Sex Ratio at Birth:
- Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) has improved by 16 points from 918 (2014-15) to 934 (2019-20), as per the Health Management Information System (HMIS) data.
- Notable Examples (Districts):
- Mau (Uttar Pradesh) from 694 (2014-15) to 951 (2019-20),
- Karnal (Haryana) from 758 (2014-15) to 898 (2019-20),
- Mahendergarh (Haryana) from 791 (2014-15) to 919 (2019-20), etc.
- Health:
- ANC Registration: Percentage of 1st Trimester ANC (AnteNatal Care) Registration has shown an improving trend from 61% in 2014-15 to 71% in 2019-20.
- Institutional Deliveries: Percentage of Institutional Deliveries has shown an improving trend from 87% in 2014-15 to 94% in 2019-20.
- Education:
- Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER): GER of girls in the schools at secondary level has improved from 77.45 (2014-15) to 81.32 (2018-19) as per Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) provisional data.
- Toilet for girls: Percentage of schools with functional separate toilets for girls has shown improvement from 92.1% in 2014-15 to 95.1% in 2018-19.
- Attitudinal Change:
- The BBBP scheme has been able to bring the focus on important issue of female infanticide, lack of education amongst girls and deprivation of their rights on a life cycle continuum.
- BetiJanmotsav is one of the key programmes celebrated in each district.
- Sex Ratio at Birth:
What are the Related Initiatives?
International Relations
I2U2 Summit and Food Security
For Prelims: I2U2, West Asian Quad, Food Security, Abraham Accords, Maritime Security
For Mains: Significance of I2U2 for India
Why in News?
Recently, first I2U2 (India, Israel, United States and the United Arab Emirates) leaders' Summit was held virtually.
What is I2U2?
- About:
- I2U2 stands for India, Israel, the UAE, and the US, and was also referred to as the ‘West Asian Quad’.
- I2U2 was initially formed in October, 2021 following the Abraham Accords, to deal with issues concerning maritime security, infrastructure and transport.
- The Abraham Accord is the first Arab-Israeli peace deal in 26 years mediated by the USA.
- Objectives:
- Its stated aim is to discuss “common areas of mutual interest, to strengthen the economic partnership in trade and investment in our respective regions and beyond”.
- Six areas of cooperation have been identified by the countries mutually, and the aim is to encourage joint investments in water, energy, transportation, space, health, and food security.
What are the Key Highlights of the Summit?
- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced to invest USD 2 billion in India to develop Food Parks across the country.
- India will provide appropriate land for the project and will facilitate farmers’ integration into the Food Parks.
- The Grouping declared to support a "hybrid renewable energy project" in Gujarat, consisting of 300 megawatts (MW) of wind and solar capacity.
- The project is expected to be another step in India's quest for "500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030".
- The US and Israeli private sectors will be invited to lend their expertise and offer innovative solutions that contribute to the overall sustainability of the projects under the Grouping.
What is Food Park?
- Food Park is a concept that aims at establishing the direct linkages from the farm to processing to consumer markets.
- It comprises Collection Centres (CCs) and Primary Processing Centres (PPCs) linked to a Central Processing Centre.
What is the Significance of Food Parks?
- Tackles Food Insecurity:
- Investments in Food Parks will help maximize crop yields and, in turn, help tackle food insecurity in South Asia and the Middle East.
- They are aimed at cutting down "food waste and spoilage".
- India is a major, major food producer in the world.
- The focus on food and energy security has acquired urgency in the backdrop of the current military situation in Ukraine that has unleashed cascading negative effects on food, energy and other sectors.
- Increase in Income:
- Farmers' income will multiply and they will come on board.
- Streamline Agricultural Supply Chains:
- India was chosen as the location for the food project because of its proximity to Israel and the UAE that will help in creating a smooth agriculture supply chain.
Way Forward
- Only partnership can overcome today's conflicts and overlapping challenges, the most important of which are food and energy security, climate change and healthcare.
- India also has very longstanding ties to and engagement in the Middle East, and relationships not just with the Gulf countries but relationships — a relationship over the years with Israel.
- And so just as the United States can play a critical and central role in helping deepen Israel’s integration into the region, India has a role to play in that as well.
- India “plays a critical role” in the Indo-Pacific, adding that it is “one of the largest, most significant, most strategically consequential countries in the Indo-Pacific, and so it should play a central role in our strategy, including through the Quad.
Important Facts For Prelims
Platform of Platforms (POP)
Why in News?
Recently, the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare launched the Platform of Platforms (PoP) under the National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) on the side-lines of the State Agriculture and Horticulture Ministers' Conference in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
What do we need to know about Platform of Platforms (PoP)?
- About:
- e-NAM integrates the platform of Service Providers as "Platform of Platforms" which includes:
- Composite Service Providers (Service Providers who provide holistic services for trading of agricultural produce including quality analysis, trading, payment systems and logistics)
- Logistics Service Provider, Quality Assurance Service Provider, Cleaning, Grading, Sorting & Packaging Service Provider, Warehousing Facility Service Provider, Agricultural Input Service Provider, Technology Enabled Finance & Insurance Service Provider
- Information Dissemination Portal (Advisory Services, crop forecasting, weather updates, capacity building for farmers etc.)
- Other platforms (e-commerce, international agri-business platforms, barter, private market platforms etc.).
- e-NAM integrates the platform of Service Providers as "Platform of Platforms" which includes:
What are the Benefits of PoP?
- Digital Benefits:
- This will increase farmers' digital access to multiple markets, buyers and service providers and bring transparency in business transactions with the aim of improving price search mechanism and quality commensurate price realisation.
- The PoP will create a digital ecosystem, which will benefit from the expertise of different platforms in different segments of the agricultural value chain.
- Ease of Operation:
- 41 service providers from different platforms are covered under POP facilitating various value chain services like trading, quality checks, warehousing, fintech, market information, transportation etc.
- It enables farmers, FPOs, traders and other stakeholders to access a wide variety of goods and services across the agricultural value chain through a single window, thereby giving more options to the stakeholders.
- Farmers will be facilitated to sell the produce outside their state borders.
- The inclusion of various service providers not only adds to the value of the e-NAM platform, but also gives the users of the platform options to avail services from different service providers.
- Moreover, while selecting a good quality Goods/Service Provider, it saves the time and labour of the stakeholders.
- 41 service providers from different platforms are covered under POP facilitating various value chain services like trading, quality checks, warehousing, fintech, market information, transportation etc.
What is e-NAM Portal?
- National Agriculture Market (eNAM) is a pan-India electronic trading portal which networks the existing APMC mandis to create a unified national market for agricultural commodities.
- Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) is the lead agency for implementing eNAM under the aegis of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India.
- Vision:
- To promote uniformity in agriculture marketing by streamlining of procedures across the integrated markets, removing information asymmetry between buyers and sellers and promoting real time price discovery based on actual demand and supply.
- Mission:
- Integration of APMCs across the country through a common online market platform to facilitate pan-India trade in agriculture commodities, providing better price discovery through transparent auction process based on quality of produce along with timely online payment.
- Vision:
What are the other Initiatives for Agriculture?
- AgriStack
- Digital Agriculture Mission
- Unified Farmer Service Platform (UFSP)
- National e-Governance Plan in Agriculture (NeGP-A)
- Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM)
- Kisan Suvidha App
- Soil Health Card (SHC) Portal
UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Questions (PYQs)
Q. What is/are the advantage/advantages of implementing the ‘National Agriculture Market’ scheme? (2017)
- It is a pan-India electronic trading portal for agricultural commodities.
- It provides the farmers access to nationwide market, with prices commensurate with the quality of their produce.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans: (c)
Explanation:
- National Agriculture Market (NAM) is a pan-India electronic trading portal which networks the existing Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) mandis to create a unified national market for agricultural commodities. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
- The NAM portal provides a single window service for all APMC related information and services. This includes commodity arrivals and prices, buy and sell trade offers, provision to respond to trade offers, among other services.
- Agriculture marketing is administered by the States as per their agri-marketing regulations, under which, the State is divided into several market areas, each of which is administered by a separate APMC which imposes its own marketing regulation (including fees).
- This fragmentation of markets, even within the State, hinders the free flow of agri commodities from one market area to another and multiple handling of agriproduce and multiple levels of mandi charges ends up escalating the prices for the consumers without commensurate benefit to the farmer.
- NAM addresses these challenges by creating a unified market through online trading platform, both, at State and National level and promotes uniformity, streamlining of procedures across the integrated markets; removes information asymmetry between buyers and sellers and promotes real time price discovery, based on actual demand and supply; promotes transparency in auction process, and access to a nationwide market for the farmer, with prices commensurate with quality of his produce and online payment and availability of better quality produce and at more reasonable prices to the consumer. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
- Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.
Important Facts For Prelims
BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting 2022
Why in News?
Recently, the Union Minister for Labour & Employment attended the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting held under the Chinese Presidency.
What is BRICS?
- About:
- BRICS is an acronym for the grouping of the world’s leading emerging economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
- In 2001, the British Economist Jim O’Neill coined the term BRIC to describe the four emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China.
- The grouping was formalised during the first meeting of BRIC Foreign Ministers in 2006.
- South Africa was invited to join BRIC in December 2010, after which the group adopted the acronym BRICS.
- Share of BRICS:
- The BRICS brings together five of the largest developing countries of the world, representing 41% of the global population, 24% of the global GDP and 16% of the global trade.
- Chairmanship:
- The chairmanship of the forum is rotated annually among the members, in accordance with the acronym B-R-I-C-S.
- China is the chair for 2022.
What are the Key Highlights?
- Discussed Three Priority Areas:
- Promoting Green Jobs for Sustainable Development
- Developing Skills for Resilient Recovery
- Protecting Workers’ Right in New Forms of Employment.
What are ‘green jobs’?
- ‘Green jobs’ refer to a class of jobs that directly have a positive impact on the planet, and contribute to the overall environmental welfare.
- Jobs involving renewable energy, conservation of resources, ensuring energy efficient means are categorised under the same.
- In all, they’re aimed at reducing the negative environmental impact of economic sectors and furthering the process of creating a low-carbon economy.
- The idea behind a low-carbon economy or decarbonisation is fairly simple — it is about maintaining a sustainable economy, one that doesn’t lead to vast emissions of greenhouse gasses, especially carbon dioxide.
- Indian Stand:
- India elucidated the steps taken by India to provide relief to workers during the pandemic.
- Highlighted various initiatives taken towards providing free ration, enhancing the number of days of assured employment under MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme), collateral free loans provided to 2.9 million street vendors to help them resume their businesses under PMSVANidhi Yojana during the Covid-19 pandemic.
- The Climate change is necessitating a shift towards more sustainable development and green jobs.
- A Sector Council for Green Jobs has been set up in India to develop strategy and implement programs for Skill development in green sector.
- India elucidated the steps taken by India to provide relief to workers during the pandemic.
- Declaration Adopted:
- One of the significant outcomes of the aforesaid meeting was the adoption of the BRICS Labour & Employment Ministers’ Declaration.
- The Declaration recognized the need for promoting green jobs for sustainable development, strengthening of cooperation in skills development and; protection of workers’ rights in new forms of employment.
What are the Other Related Initiatives?
