A. GS 1 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
Context:
The Union Environment Ministry had convened a meeting with representatives from Delhi and neighbouring States on measures to be taken to tackle the air pollution levels that soar during winter.
The meeting was convened under the ambit of the Commission for Air Quality Improvement in NCR and Adjoining Areas.
The Commission for Air Quality Improvement is an executive body gaining its authority through an Act of Parliament.
Background:
Air pollution in NCR:
Emissions from vehicles, thermal plants and the rice stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh ahead of the winter sowing of wheat are key reasons contributors to air pollution in the National Capital Region during winters
The meteorological conditions only further exacerbate the air pollution scenario.
Details:
The following measures have been proposed.
The Haryana government will be spending Rs. 200 crore to dissuade farmers from burning the rice stubble. It will be used to incentivize farmers and dissuade them from stubble burning.
Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab states will be deploying an organic chemical decomposer to decompose the stubble and turn it into manure.
The use of bio-mass with 50% paddy straw as a supplement fuel in coal plants has been mandated in the National Capital Region (NCR).
A committee would be set up to look into ways to repurpose the rice stubble as fodder for cattle in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
Promoting the use of cleaner fuels like natural gas in industries.
Context:
To attract bidders for a 374-km stretch between Sonnagar (Bihar) and Andal (West Bengal), the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL) has reworked the proposal for the public private participation (PPP) project.
Background:
PPP model:
Public-Private Partnership Model is an arrangement between government and private sector for the provision of public assets and/or public services. It involves collaboration between a government agency and a private-sector company that can be used to finance, build, and operate projects.
The involvement of the private sector brings in the much needed private investments, technology and innovation and efficiency associated with the private sector.
There is a well defined allocation of risk between the private sector and the public entity in such a model of infrastructure development.
Details:
The project is now proposed to be developed via a design, finance, build, operate and maintain and transfer (DFBOT) model wherein the payment will not be based on traffic volumes but on the services of the rail system developed by the private entity. The payment will be based on the uptime offered by the private concessionaire.
BOT is the conventional PPP modelin which private partner is responsible to design, build, operate (during the contracted period) and transfer back the facility to the public sector. Private sector partner has to bring in the required finance. The government will allow the private sector partner to collect revenue from the users. Ex- toll charges on the highways. The tenure of the contracted period will be based on the projected traffic volume on the highway.
This new proposal would help de-risk the private concessionaire given that in the earlier proposed PPP model, stakeholders had expressed apprehension over risks related to finance and revenues.
The article talks about the significance of E-governance in improving local governance.
Details:
As Urbanization in India is accelerating, the importance of effective governance and service delivery by city governments becomes central to the well-being of Indians.
The country plans to design smart cities, where digital systems enable the use of data generated by people living and working in the city itself, in order to continuously improve the functioning of the city.
A smart city requires good data for informed decision-making.
The only reliable way to get good data is to design ‘smart systems’ that generate such data by default.
A smart city is a network of smart functions and departments. Given the complexity of Indian cities, and the various entities that are involved in their governance, this should be done one step at a time. More precisely, one function at a time, then one department a time, finally building up to the city as a whole.
Digitisation:
There is a five-level framework for assessing where a given function, department, or city stands in its journey of e-governance.
The framework sees how the department has been able to apply digital technologies across three domains in order to work more smartly. The three domains are
Processes
human resources
citizen-centricity
Even the most advanced e-governance systems stand on the foundation of a simple behavioural change, i.e, going digital.
Records kept on papers instead of being stored digitally creates scope for errors and manipulation.
Way Forward:
To ensure digitisation, a combination of expectation-setting and incentives must be introduced.
The time saved and ease of work when digital tools automate record creation and retrieval can be demonstrated in order to gain confidence.
In Andhra Pradesh, for instance, ULB employees reported saving an average of 11 hours every week after a digital system was adopted.
Phased targets can be set for adoption of the new tools.
Adequate technical support and education for employees is necessary during the transition.
In implementing such changes administrators must ensure that e-governance is not reduced to an exercise in performance management alone.
The framework incorporates a ‘citizen centricity’ lever to emphasise that urban local bodies are service delivery organisations, and that internal reforms have to reflect in better experience and empowerment for citizens.
Conclusion:
Digitisation leads to the richer datasets that will bring various departments in a city to collaborate with each other to create a virtuous cycle of co-creation, learning, and efficiency.
Thereby, smart cities emerge from organic collaboration between departments, employees, and citizens, who are simply looking to do their own jobs more effectively.
The article talks about the challenges and opportunities that AUKUS presents to India as a group member.
Context:
Tamil Nadu government has passed a bill to do away with the requirement for candidates to qualify in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to undergraduate medical courses in the State.
F. Prelims Facts
MBT Mk-1A:
The Main Battle Tank Mk-1A is a new variant of Arjun tank designed to enhance fire power, mobility and survivability.
It involves new features and more indigenous content from the Mk-1 variant.
The MBT Arjun Mk-1A was designed and developed by the Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE), along with the other laboratories of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
Context:
The Defence Ministry has placed an order with the Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF), Avadi, Tamil Nadu for the supply of 118 indigenous Arjun Mk-1A main battle tanks for the Army.
G. Tidbits
The formal negotiations for the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) have begun and are expected to be finalized by March 2022.
Also a high-level joint task force on investments has been set up to address the barriers to free flow of investments between the two countries.
The CEPA, combined with easier investment flows, will enable the two countries’ businesses to tap global opportunities together, given their synergies and complementarities in different sectors.
SEIS scheme:
Under the framework of the SEIS Scheme, service exporters for eligible service categories, are granted benefits in the nature of transferable Duty Credit Scrips as a percentage of Net Foreign Exchange earned on export of the eligible services in a financial year.
Duty Credit Scrips (DCS) is an export promotion benefit offered by the Government of India under the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2015-20.
The Duty Credit Scrips can be used for payment of Basic Customs Duty and certain other duties.
Context:
The government has notified the benefits to be given under the Service Exports from India Scheme (SEIS) for exports undertaken in 2019-20.
The SEIS incentives will ease the credit burden of service export firms, especially for players in the travel, tourism and hospitality sectors that have been hit hardest in the pandemic
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
To be updated shortly!!!
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
To be updated shortly!!!
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