India Lifted 271 Million People Out of Poverty

Why in News

According to India’s Voluntary National Review (VNR) of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) at least 271 million people were lifted out of multi-dimensional poverty between 2005-06 and 2016-17.

• The VNR of SDGs has been presented by the Niti Ayog at the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.

Key Points

• Related Data:
  
  • The estimates presented were drawn from the 2019 global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) released in July 2019.
  • Over 640 million people across India were in multidimensional poverty in 2005-2006.
  • The number of people living under poverty decreased to around 369.55 million by 2016-2017.
  • However, 27.9% of India’s population was still poor in 2016-17
• Poverty Reduction: In rural areas poverty reduction has outpaced that in urban areas.

Way Forward

• As the Covid-19 feared to make the country poorer, India would need to recount its poor.
• Therefore, measuring and monitoring progress under the goal to reach ‘zero poverty by 2030-Goal 1 of the SDGs’, needs a reality check on India’s poor.
• While consumption surveys provide important indicators required to estimate poverty, the all-India survey on household consumption expenditure for the period July 2017-June 2018 was scrapped by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation citing “data discrepancies”.
• Hence, there is a need to incorporate data quality refinements in the survey process for conducting the next Consumer Expenditure Survey in 2020-2021 and 2021-22.

Source: DTE

Grant in Aid for Rural Local Bodies

Why in News

Recently, the Ministry of Finance has released a part of grants-in-aid of Rs. 15187.50 crore for around 2.63 lakh Rural Local Bodies (RLBs) of 28 States.

• This has been made on the recommendations of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti.
• This forms part of the Tied Grant as recommended by the 15^th Finance Commission (FC) for the Financial Year (FY) 2020-2021.

Key Points

• Recommendation of 15^th FC: It recommended the grant in aid of Rs. 60,750 crore for (FY 2020-21) the RLBs which is the highest ever allocation made by the Finance Commission in any single year.
• Allocation: It will be allocated in two parts, namely Basic Grant and Tied Grant in 50:50% mode.
  
  • Basic Grant: These grants are untied and can be used by RLBs for location-specific needs, except for salary or other establishment expenditure
    
    • Untied funds are utilised for the works of emergent nature which are normally not covered under the schemes decentralized at the district level.
  • Tied Grants: These are used for the basic services of:
    
    • Sanitation and maintenance of Open-Defecation Free (ODF) status.
    • Supply of drinking water, rain water harvesting and water recycling.
    • The RLBs shall, as far as possible, earmark one half of these grants each to these two critical services.
    • However, if any RLB has fully saturated the needs of one category it can utilize the funds for the other category.
• Distribution: The State Governments will be distributing the grants to all the tiers of of the Panchayati Raj -village, block and district including the traditional bodies of 5^th and 6^th Schedule areas based on the accepted recommendations of the latest State Finance Commission (SFC) and in conformity with the recommendations of the 15^th FC.
• Assistance: The Ministry of Panchayati Raj would support the states in effective utilization of the grants by providing Web/IT enabled platforms for planning, monitoring, accounting / auditing of the works and funds flow at the level of each of the RLBs.
• Significance:
  
  • Fighting Covid 19: It would help RLBs in providing employment. E.g. migrant laborers who have returned to their native places owing to Covid-19 pandemic situation.
  • Delivery of Basic Services: Availability of this fund will boost RLBs effectiveness in delivery of basic services to the rural citizens.
  • Rural Infrastructure: It will augment the rural infrastructure in a constructive way e.g construction of roads, supply of water etc.

Source: PIB

Dichotomy in Animal Sacrifice: SC

Why in News

Recently, the Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Kerala government on a plea challenging the Kerala Animals and Birds Sacrifices Prohibition Act, 1968.

• The Act prohibits sacrifice of animals and birds in temples to ‘please’ the deity.
• It also criminalises the intent behind the animal sacrifice and not animal sacrifice per se.
  
  • If the sacrifice is not for pleasing any deity but for personal consumption even in the precincts of the temple, it is not forbidden.

Key Points

• Background:
  
  • The plea challenged the 16^th June 2020 Kerala High Court order upholding the 1968 Act.
  • Essential Practice: The petitioners, who are Shakthi worshippers, appealed that animal sacrifice is an integral part of the worship and an essential religious practice.
    
    • They are unable to perform “Bali” rituals after the ban which they believe is diminishing the family deity’s power.
    • Shaktism or Shakthi tantric practice is a major tradition of Hinduism and as per its scriptures and practices, animal sacrifice is essential and unavoidable.
  • Discriminatory: It was also argued that the Act applies only to Hindus but does not stop other religions from practising it which is arbitrary and violative of Article 14 (Right to Equality before the Law) of the Constitution.
    
    • Petitioners referred to bird sacrifice at a Church in Kochi and the festival of Bakrid which have not been banned.
    • According to the state assembly, killing animals in other religious practices cannot be considered as a sacrifice because the animals are later cooked and consumed.
  • Enforce Blanket Prohibition: They held that if the killing of animals and birds was to be prohibited, it should be for all purposes, religious or otherwise.
• Supreme Court’s Reaction:
  
  • The SC highlighted the dichotomy in animal protection law which allows the killing of animals for food but does not permit the killing of animals as an offering to a deity.
  • The court raised an important question of “Is killing, not cruelty?” and highlighted the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 which allows the killing of animals but prohibits cruelty to animals.
    
    • According to the SC, there may be a point in saying that taking lives is permissible in certain circumstances but cruelty is not.

Source: TH

India - Iran

Why in News

Recently, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has confirmed that India is no longer involved in the Farzad-B gas field project of Iran.

• Further, it said that India has not received any response from Iran since December 2019 on the future of the Chabahar-Zahedan railway project as well.
• It cited policy changes by the Iranian government, Iran’s uncertain finances, and the USA sanctions situation as the reasons behind the decisions on Indian infrastructure projects in Iran.

Key Points

• Farzad-B Gas Field:
  
  • It is located in Persian Gulf (Iran).
  • The contract for exploration of the field was signed in 2002 by Indian consortium comprising ONGC Videsh, Indian Oil Corporation and Oil India.
  • The contract expired in 2009 after declaration of commerciality of the field, based on the gas discovery.
    
    • It has gas reserves of more than 19 trillion cubic feet.
    • ONGC has invested approximately USD 100 million.
  • Since then, the consortium has been trying to secure the contract for development of the field.
    
    • The major dispute between India and Iran was over setting up of two pipelines, and also over money to be quoted on the development plan.
    • Around 75% of the deal was finalised by May 2018, when the USA unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal and announced sanctions on Iran.
  • In January 2020, India was informed that in the immediate future, Iran would develop the field on its own and would like to involve India appropriately at a later stage.
• Chabahar-Zahedan Railway Project:
  
  • In the ‘New Delhi Declaration’ signed in 2003, both countries had decided to jointly develop the Chabahar Port complex.
    
    • The Port development was exempted from the sanctions.
    • India’s main investment in the Chabahar Port where it has taken over operations of one terminal, had progressed well in the last few years, handling 82 ships with 12 lakh tonnes of bulk cargo in 8200 containers since December 2018.
  • A contract to develop the 628-km railway line (Chabahar-Zahedan) along the Iran-Afghanistan border was signed in 2016.
    
    • IRCON was appointed by the Government of India to assess the feasibility of the project. It was working with CDTIC, an Iranian company.
    • It had completed the site inspection and review of the feasibility report. The Iranian side was to nominate an authorised entity to finalise outstanding technical and financial issues. India waited for the same.
    • However, Iran started work on the railway project in July 2020.
    • India is not part of this project as of now since there is lack of clarity on whether it will attract the USA sanctions. However, it has conveyed to Iran that it is open to joining the project later.
• Concerns for India:
  
  • Iran’s growing proximity to China.
  • Further, Iran seems to be sceptical of India’s diplomatic ties with the USA.
  • Farzad-B gas Field:
    
    • India needs gas and Iran remains one of the best options as geographically, Iran is closest to India of all the countries in the Persian gulf region.
    • Further, it could have improved India-Iran ties as the crude oil import from Iran remains impacted due to the USA sanctions.
  • Chabahar is not only a key to maritime relations between both the countries, but also provides an opportunity to India to reach Russia and Central Asia.
    
    • Further, it allows India to bypass Pakistan which had blocked Indian aid to Afghanistan and all trade over land.

Way Forward

• India needs to play a balancing act between the USA and Iran.
• Further, India needs to closely watch the space created by its exit.
• In a world where connectivity is seen as the new currency, India’s loss on account of these projects can become gain for some other country, especially China.

Source: IE

Agreement on Scientific Cooperation Between India and EU

Why in News

Recently, India and the European Union (EU) agreed to renew the Agreement on Scientific Cooperation for the next five years (2020-2025) during the virtual 15^th India-EU Summit.

Key Points

• Renewal of Agreement on Scientific Cooperation:
  
  • India and the EU have agreed to further collaborate in research and innovation based on the principles of mutual benefit and reciprocity, as established in the India-EU Agreement on Science and Technology (2001) which expired on 17^th May 2020.
  • Both parties are also committed to launch the renewal procedure for the above agreement and acknowledge 20 years of cooperation on research and innovation.
• Significance:
  
  • It is expected to enhance research and innovation cooperation in different fields like Water, Energy, Healthcare, Agritech & Bioeconomy, Integrated Cyber-Physical Systems, Information and Communication Technologies, Nanotechnology, and clean technologies, etc.
  • It will also strengthen the institutional linkages in research, exchange of researchers, students, startups and attract co-investment of resources for co-generation of knowledge.
• India-EU Science and Technology Cooperation:
  
  • Science and Technology: India-EU Science & Technology Steering Committee meets annually to review scientific cooperation.
    
    • The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) and the European Commission (EC) have established a Co-Funding Mechanism (CFM) to support joint research projects selected under European Research & Innovation Framework Program ‘Horizon 2020’ related to climate change and polar research.
  • Space Technology: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has had a long standing cooperation with the European Union, since the 1970s.
    
    • ISRO and the European Space Agency are working towards enhancing cooperation in earth observation. It also involves the Copernicus programme signed in 2018.
    • Copernicus is the European Union's Earth observation programme.

India-EU Relations

• Evolution of Diplomatic Relations:
  
  • India being amongst the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with the European Economic Community in 1962.
  • The first India-EU Summit was held in Lisbon (Portugal) in 2000. Since then, fifteen annual bilateral Summits have been held between India and the EU.
  • The relationship was upgraded to a ‘Strategic Partnership’ during the 5^th India-EU Summit held at the Hague (Netherlands) in 2004.
    
    • The bilateral Strategic Partnership encompasses dialogue mechanisms covering a wide range of issues including trade, energy security, science & research, non-proliferation and disarmament, counter terrorism, cyber security, counter-piracy, migration and mobility, etc.
• Trade and Investment:
  
  • The EU as a whole was India’s largest trading partner while India was EU’s 9^th largest trading partner in 2018.
  • India is also the fourth largest service exporter to the EU and the sixth largest destination for service exports from the EU.
  • EU is the largest source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into India.
    
    • Over the period April 2000 to June 2018, FDI equity flows from the EU countries into $ 90.7 billion, which is about 24% of the total FDI inflows to India.
    • Among countries, Singapore is the largest source of FDI in India during 2019 with $ 14.67 billion investment followed by Mauritius ($ 8.24 billion).
  • India and the EU are in the process of negotiating a bilateral Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA) since 2007.

Way Forward

• India and the EU are ideal partners to make a difference in an international environment that is increasingly shaped by strategic rivalry between the USA and China.
• They have a common interest in avoiding a bipolarised world and developing the rules-based international order.
• The effort has to be to make the India-EU partnership rise to its potential and provide a new model for international relations today.

Source:PIB

Decline in Maternal Mortality Ratio

Why in News

Recently, the Office of the Registrar General’s Sample Registration System (SRS) has released a special bulletin on Maternal Mortality in India 2016-18.

• As per the World Health Organization, maternal death is the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management.

Key Points

• Maternal Mortality Ratio of the Country:
  
  • MMR has declined to 113 in 2016-18 from 122 in 2015-17 and 130 in 2014-2016.
  • MMR is defined as the number of maternal deaths during a given time period per 1,00,000 live births during the same time period.
  • The target 3.1 of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations aims at reducing the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 1,00,000 live births.
• MMR of Various States:
  
  • Assam (215), Uttar Pradesh (197), Madhya Pradesh (173), Rajasthan (164), Chhattisgarh (159), Odisha (150), Bihar (149), and Uttarakhand (99).
  • The southern States registered a lower MMR — Karnataka (92), Andhra Pradesh (65), Tamil Nadu (60), Telangana (63) and Kerala (43).
• Government Initiatives:
  
  • Janani Suraksha Yojana under the National Health Mission to link cash assistance to institutional deliveries.
  • The Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) provides a fixed day for assured, comprehensive and quality antenatal care free of cost to pregnant women on 9^th of every month.
  • Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana and LaQshya Guidelines.

Way Forward

• Maternal mortality in a region is a measure of reproductive health of women in the area.
• The WHO has already appreciated India’s efforts in reducing the maternal mortality rate. India needs to give a special focus to states with higher maternal mortality ratio.

Source: TH

Delimitation in North-east Illegal: Former EC Expert

Why in News

Recently, a former legal advisor to the Election Commission (EC) has held that the Centre’s order for setting up a Delimitation Commission for Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Assam and Nagaland is “unconstitutional” and “illegal”.

• The government constituted a Delimitation Commission to redraw Lok Sabha and assembly constituencies of the Union Territory Jammu and Kashmir and the four northeastern states on 6^th March 2020.
• It is headed by the former Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai.

Key Points

• Background:
  
  • Last delimitation exercise (2002-08) kept out Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur and Nagaland because the data used for it from 2001 Census was challenged for being defective.
  • The tribal communities in the four states feared that the delimitation exercise would change the composition of seats reserved for them, hurting their electoral interests.
  • The Delimitation Act of 2002 was amended on 14^th January 2008, to empower the President to postpone the exercise in these states after violence erupted.
  • Subsequently, Parliament decided that EC would carry out the delimitation exercise in the four states and introduced the Section 8A of the Representation of the People (RP) Act 1950 for this purpose.
    
    • The decision of Parliament was based on earlier precedence of the EC being vested with the authority to redraw boundaries of constituencies including when Delhi was delimited into 70 seats in 1991-92 and Uttarakhand into 70 seats in 2000.
• Issue:
  
  • The Centre's order for setting up a Delimitation Commission is illegal because it violates the Representation of the People Act 1950.
  • Section 8A of the RP Act 1950, introduced by Parliament in 2008, states that delimitation in the four northeastern states would fall within the EC’s remit.
  • Hence, any delimitation exercise by the new Delimitation Commission would be declared void and result in wastage of huge public funds.

Source: IE

Clinical Trial of Covid-19 Vaccine: ZyCoV-D

Why in News

Recently, India has started phase I/II clinical trials of Covid-19 vaccine - ZyCoV-D, designed and developed by Zydus (a pharmaceutical company) with support from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT).

• The adaptive phase I/II clinical trials will assess the safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of the vaccine.
• The other indigenously developed vaccine - Covaxin - produced by Hyderabad based Bharat Biotech is also underway to start clinical trials.

Key Points

• Description: ZyCoV-D, a plasmid DNA vaccine, comes under the Vaccine Discovery Programme supported by the Department of Biotechnology under the National Biopharma Mission.
  • Plasmids are circular deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) vectors that can be used as vaccines to prevent various types of diseases.
• Pre-Clinical Phase: It was found to initiate a strong immune response in multiple animal species like mice, rats, guinea pigs and rabbits.
  
  • The antibodies produced by the vaccine were able to neutralize the wild type virus indicating the protective potential of the vaccine candidate.
  • No safety concerns were observed in repeat dose by both intramuscular (directly into muscles) and intradermal (superficial injection into skin) routes of administration.
• DNA Vaccine Platform: The development of ZyCov-D has established the DNA vaccine platform in the country which is simple to deploy, temperature stable, and consistently manufacturable- thus lowering costs and enhancing the effectiveness of a vaccine.
  
  • It provides ease of manufacturing the vaccine with minimal biosafety requirements.
  • It has shown much improved vaccine stability and lower cold chain requirements making it easy for transportation to remote regions of the country.
  • Furthermore, the platform can be rapidly used to modify the vaccine in a couple of weeks in case the virus mutates.

Source: PIB

Online NISHTHA Programme

Why in News

Recently, the National Initiative for School Heads and Teachers Holistic Advancement (NISHTHA) programme has been launched for the first time in online mode in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

Key Points

• Initially, the NISHTHA programme was launched in 2019 through face-to-face mode to improve learning outcomes at the elementary level in the country.
• Covid-19 pandemic situation and lockdown has affected the conduct of this programme in face-to-face mode. Therefore, NISHTHA has been customized for online mode to be conducted through Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing (DIKSHA) and NISHTHA portals.
• Aim:
  
  • National Initiative for School Heads’ and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement (NISHTHA) is a capacity building programme for improving the quality of school education through integrated teacher training.
  • It aims to build competencies among all the teachers and school principals at the elementary stage.
• Implementation:
  
  • The functionaries (at the state, district, block level) will be trained in an integrated manner on learning outcomes, school based assessment, learner – centred pedagogy, new initiatives in education, addressing diverse needs of children through multiple pedagogies, etc.
  • It is being organized by constituting National Resource Groups (NRGs) and State Resource Groups (SRGs) at the National and the State level who will be training 42 lakhs teachers subsequently.

Source:PIB

National Thermal Power Corporation Limited

Why in News

Recently, the National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC Ltd.) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), acting through the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Limited (NIIFL).

• It will explore opportunities for investments in areas like renewable energy (RE), power distribution among other areas of mutual interest in India.

Key Points

• NTPC Ltd. is a central Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the Ministry of Power.
• It is India’s largest energy conglomerate with roots planted way back in 1975 to accelerate power development in India.
• Aim: To provide reliable power and related solutions in an economical, efficient and environment-friendly manner, driven by innovation and agility.
• It became a Maharatna company in May 2010.
• It is located in New Delhi.
• Few Recent Initiatives:
  
  • Creation of public charging infrastructure in various cities and battery charging and swapping stations for electric 3-wheelers have been commissioned.
  • Providing electric buses to state/city transport undertakings. For example, e-bus solutions for Andaman and Nicobar Administration are under implementation.
  • Launch of its new project involving hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV) to run in Delhi and Leh.

Source: PIB

Indian Council of Agricultural Research

Why in News

Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) celebrated its 92^nd foundation day on 16^th July 2020.

Key Points

• The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) was established on 16 July 1929 as a registered society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
• It is an autonomous organisation under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India.
• It is headquartered at New Delhi. With 102 ICAR institutes and 71 agricultural universities spread across the country this is one of the largest national agricultural systems in the world.
• It is the apex body for coordinating, guiding and managing research and education in agriculture including horticulture, fisheries and animal sciences in the entire country.
• The ICAR has played a pioneering role in ushering Green Revolution and subsequent developments in agriculture in India through its research and technology development that has enabled the country to increase the production of foodgrains by 5.6 times, horticultural crops by 10.5 times, fish by 16.8 times, milk by 10.4 times and eggs by 52.9 times since 1950-51 to 2017-18.

Source: PIB