Context: 

The International Monetary Fund has raised its forecast for global growth this year in the July update of its World Economic Outlook.

Globally:

• Global Growth Projection: The IMF’s World Economic Outlook raised the global growth forecast for the current year to 3%, up from the previous 2.8% forecast in April.
  • Reasons: Due to reduced chances of a recession in the US, where inflation declined to 3% in June.
• US Economy Projection: The IMF projects the US economy to grow 1.8% in the calendar year 2023, an increase of 0.2 basis points from the April estimate.
• Global inflation expected to decline: IMF projects global inflation to decrease from 8.7% in 2022 to 6.8% in 2023.
• Core inflation to fall gradually: Core inflation, excluding volatile items, predicted to decrease gradually from 6.5% in 2022 to 4.7% in 2024.
• Downside Risks to Global Growth:
  • Various factors, including geopolitical tensions (e.g., war in Ukraine) and extreme weather-related events, could lead to further shocks impacting economic growth.
  • Tighter monetary policy may be implemented in response to inflationary pressures, affecting economic activity.

India’s Growth Projection:

• It has raised India’s GDP growth forecast for the current fiscal year to 6.1% from the previous prediction of 5.9% made in April 2023.
  • Reasons: Due to stronger-than-expected growth in the fourth quarter of 2022 and robust domestic investment.
  • The National Statistical Office reported an increase in investments by 8.9% during January-March, up from 8% during October-December.

Other Growth Projections for India:

News Source: The Indian Express

DOWNLOAD PDF

Context:

Recently, the Lok Sabha Speaker accepted a no confidence motion moved by the Opposition against the Government.

Image Credits: Indian Express

About No Confidence Motion:

• A no-confidence motion is a formal process in which a legislature expresses lack of confidence in government.
• Constitutional mandate: As per, Article 75 of the Constitution, the council of ministers shall be collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha. 
• Interpretation: It means that the ministry stays in office so long as it enjoys the confidence of the majority of the members of the Lok Sabha. 
  • In other words, the Lok Sabha can remove the ministry from office by passing a no-confidence motion. 
• Conditions:
  • The motion needs the support of 50 members to be admitted.
  • It can only be moved in the Lok Sabha.
  • The allotted date has to be within 10 days from the day the motion is accepted.
  • A motion of no-confidence can only be submitted six months after Parliament has rejected the previous one.
• Impact: 
  • When the Lok Sabha passes a no-confidence motion against the council of ministers, all the ministers have to resign including those ministers who are from the Rajya Sabha.
• Facts: The first motion of no confidence was moved by Acharya J B Kripalani in 1963 against the government headed by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. 

Instances of No-Confidence Motion:

Significance:

• Tool of Discussion: No confidence motion has historically been used as a strategic tool to force a discussion on a certain topic or issue.
• Accountability: It allows Members of Parliament (MPs) to hold the ruling government accountable for its actions and policies.

News Source: Times of India

DOWNLOAD PDF

Context:

• The National Coal Index  has shown a significant decline of 33.8% in May 2023 at 157.7 points compared to May 2022, where it was at 238.3 points.
  • The declining trend indicates a strong supply of coal in the market, with sufficient availability to meet the growing demands.

About National Coal Index (NCI):

• NCI is a price index that combines coal prices from all sales channels, including notified prices, auction prices and import prices. 
• Composition: It is composed of a set of five sub-indices: three for Non Coking Coal and two for Coking Coal. 
• Base Year: 2017-18
• Significance: 
  • It serves as a reliable indicator of market dynamics, providing valuable insights into coal price fluctuations.
  • It reflects the change of price level of coal in a particular month relative to the fixed base year.

Additional Information:

News Source: Livemint

DOWNLOAD PDF

Context: Recently, the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment revealed that only 508 districts out of the total 766 districts in the country have declared themselves manual-scavenging free. 

More about the News:

• Elimination: Central Government has set August, 2023 as a deadline for declaring India manual scavenging free.
• 1/3rd District yet to Declare: About 246 districts in the country have yet to declare themselves free of manual scavenging.
  • In Madhya Pradesh, 35 out of 52 districts have not submitted the report, while 21 out of 36 districts in Maharashtra are yet to declare themselves manual scavenging free.
  • State with 100% of districts free of manual scavenging: Bihar, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu etc
• Lack of State Commission: 14 states/UTs do not have state commissions for safai karamcharis.
  • Under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Rehabilitation Act, 2013, manual scavenging is banned in the country and there is a requirement of the formation of state safai karamchari commission, state monitoring committees and district vigilance committees.
• Mortality: According to government data, as many as 339 people have died while cleaning sewers and septic tanks in India in the last five years.
• UP First: Highest number of manual scavengers were identified in Uttar Pradesh, at 20,884, followed by Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Assam, Karnataka and Rajasthan. 

About Manual Scavengers:

• Manual Scavengers: A person who has been employed to handle the manual cleaning, disposing, carrying of human excreta from a railway track, insanitary latrine, open drain or pit is considered to be a manual scavenger.
• Manual scavenging refers to the practice of manually cleaning, carrying, disposing or handling in any manner, human excreta. 

Interventions to Prevent Manual Scavenging in India:

• Human Right Violation: Manual scavenging is a grave social socio-legal problem which violates basic human dignity and Right to Life under Article 21 of Indian Constitution.
  • It also represents some of the worst surviving forms of both caste discrimination and dehumanizing forms of work.
• Employment of Manual Scavenging and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993: It was passed to prohibit manual scavenging and to ensure that the people who are indulged in this practice are not deprived of their right to live with human dignity. 
  • It prohibits the employment of the manual scavengers and also the building of the insanitary latrines. 
• Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavenging, 2007 (SRMS): To help and provide assistance to the manual scavengers and their family members for their rehabilitation in some alternative occupations.
• Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013: It bans the use of any individual for manually cleaning, carrying, disposing of or otherwise handling in any manner, human excreta till its disposal.
• Judiciary: Supreme Court mandated a compensation of Rs 10 lakh by the State government to the family of any person who dies while engaging in scavenging work.
• Budget 2023 Target: Finance Minister said that all cities and towns would switch to 100 per cent mechanical de-sludging of septic tanks and sewers, putting an end to manual scavenging.
  • Around 58,000 identified manual scavengers were being rehabilitated under government schemes for compensations, capital subsidies and other benefits.  

Challenges in Eliminating the Menace of Manual Scavenging in India:

• Lack of watery Restrooms: The most common restroom in cities is the dry restroom, which is a key contributor to manual scavenging. 
  • Majority of toilets in our country, nearly 60 per cent, are not linked to sewer lines. Their septic tanks require manual cleaning.
• Caste Bias: Manual scavenging has been linked to specific castes and communities, which has led to societal stigmatisation and prejudice against those who indulge in it.
  • Over 90% of manual scavengers identified in the surveys till 2018, were from Scheduled Caste communities. 
• Failure of laws: While laws and regulations have been put in place to prohibit manual scavenging, their implementation has been poor in many areas.
  • According to a report by WaterAid India, manual scavenging undermines the achievement of several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as clean water and sanitation (Goal 6), decent work and economic growth (Goal 8), and reduced inequalities (Goal 10).
• Indifferent Attitude: Several independent studies have discussed the state governments’ ongoing reluctance to acknowledge that the practice persists under their supervision.
  In the Lok Sabha, the Union Ministry of Social Justice stated that ‘there is no report of deaths due to manual scavenging’. However, according to the ministry in 2022, there were about 58,000 manual scavengers and 330 of them had died while cleaning sewers and septic tanks between 2017 and 2021.
• Ineffective Rehabilitation Strategies: People have had difficulty locating other sources of income since many rehabilitation plans have not been successfully implemented.

Way Forward:

• Use of Technology: Promoting cutting-edge sewage management technologies, to  lessen the need for manual scavenging and make the workplace safer for sanitation personnel.
  • Deployment of Bandicoot Robot: It is the world’s first robotic scavenger, developed as a Make in India and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan initiative by startup Genrobotics.
• Skill Development: Education and employment, manual scavengers need education and job opportunities from the government to quit..
• Changing societal attitudes: The government must attempt to combat the stigma attached to manual scavengers and influence how society views these workers.
• National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in 2021, made recommendation to the Centre to eradicate manual scavenging:
  • Bringing a new Act on “hazardous cleaning” and taking strict action against local authorities who employ people as manual scavengers.
  • Expand the meaning of “manual scavenging” to include other categories of “hazardous cleaning,” or create a new legal framework for it. 
  • To stop the harassment and prejudice experienced by women manual scavengers and the children of manual scavengers, a penal clause may be added to the law.
  • The rehabilitation process for manual scavengers may be connected to programmes like MNREGA that allow them to start earning money right away and check in periodically to see how they and their families are doing;
  • Compensation: The one-time cash assistance provided to compensate manual scavengers may be increased from Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 1 lakh.
  • National Crime Research Bureau (NCRB) to keep track of the data in its report and the sewer deaths;
  • Financial Aid: For each State, the Union Finance Ministry may nominate a certain nationalised bank to assume the obligation of providing loans to manual scavengers and their dependents in the amount of up to Rs. 10,00,000 in order for them to start a business activity;
  • Training: Manual scavengers may receive training and financial aid from the National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC) to help them begin working in the sanitation sector.

News Source: The Hindu

DOWNLOAD PDF

Context:

• The Lok Sabha has recently passed the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill 2023.

About the News: 

• Amendment to FCA 1980: It seeks to amend the Forest Conservation Act (FCA), 1980 which regulates the extraction of forest resources including timber and other minerals by industries and local communities.
  • Modifies the criteria for including and excluding forest land from the purview of the Act. 
  • Expands the list of forest activities that will be permitted on forest land.   
• Aim: It seeks to broaden the horizons of the Act to boost the country’s forest cover to create a carbon sink of additional 2.5-3.0 billion tons of CO2 equivalent by 2030.

Need For Amendment bill:

• Varied Interpretations of the act: The act’s applicability in different types of lands has changed, resulting in different interpretations of its provisions, especially in recorded forest lands, private forest lands, plantations, etc.
• Afforestation and plantation of trees outside forests: Afforestation and tree planting outside forests are lagging due to concerns that the FCA will target private landowners.
• Fast tracking of strategic and security related projects: Projects of national importance need to be fast-tracked to ensure development of vital security infrastructures, especially along the international border areas.. 
• Connecting remote habitations to public utilities: Small  habitations along roads/railways need access to main arterial roads and other public utilities.

Features of the Bill:

1. Land under the purview of the Act:
   • Land covered:
     • Land that has been declared or notified as a forest under the Indian Forest Act, 1927, or any other law.
     • Land that was not initially classified as a forest but was later notified as one on or after October 25, 1980, in a government record. 
   • Excluded land: Land that was converted from forest use to non-forest use on or before December 12, 1996, by any authority authorized by a state or union territory (UT).
2. Exempted categories of land for constructing strategic linear projects: 
   • Forest land along a railway line or public road maintained by the government.
   • Forest land within 100 km from international borders, Line of Control, or Line of Actual Control.
   • Land for Security related infrastructure.
   • Assignment/leasing of forest land:   The Act requires prior approval from the central government for the leasing of forest land to any entity, whether government-owned or not.

Redefining the ambit of “non-forest purpose” exemptions:

• • Non forest land: Non-forest purposes include using the land for cultivation of horticultural crops or any purpose other than reafforestation. 
  • Exclusion from Non forest land: The Bill proposes to expand the list of excluded activities from non forest land to include:
    • Zoos and safaris under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972
    • Ecotourism facilities
    • Silvicultural operations to enhance forest growth
    • Survey and investigation in the forest areas

3. Power to issue directions:  

• • The Bill grants the central government the authority to issue directions for the implementation of the Act to any authority or organization under or recognized by the central, state, or union territory government.

4. Insertion of Preamble: 

• • • Preamble has been inserted changing the name of the Act as Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980.

Significance of bill: 

• Facilitating non forestry use of forest land: Elimination of ambiguities in the applicability of Act, will facilitate the decisions making process on the proposals involving non-forestry use of forest land by the authorities. 
• Quick Response to Hazards: Inclusion of more forestry activities in the Bill such as infrastructure for the frontline will help to secure quick response to natural hazards in the forests. 
• Improved productivity and ecosystem services: It will pave the way for better management of forest for improved productivity and flow of ecosystem goods and services, and will also  mitigate the impact of climate change on conservation of forests.
• Encouragement to private forests and agroforestry projects:  Farmers or owners of private forests can harvest their lands, for commercial or other uses, without the need for acquiring forest clearance.
• Livelihood sources to local communities: Mainstreaming protection of forest  and enabling local communities by providing livelihood sources through establishment of zoos and safari.

Issues with the bill:

1. Certain types of forest land which are excluded from the purview of the Act which will lead to degradation of forest and loss of biodiversity. 
2. Exemptions near border areas would cover large parts of the north-eastern region: 
   • Further Decline: Shifting cultivation, felling of trees, natural calamities, anthropogenic pressure, and developmental activities has led to decrease in forest cover and  exemption will exacerbate it .
   • Habitat and biodiversity loss: Linear projects which fragments habitat can reduce biodiversity in an area greater than their own footprint.
3. Poor Identification of the problem: Delay in forest clearance exemption for security related projects is caused mostly by state delays , however the bill reduces the compliance by central government.
4. Blanket exemption to security projects :Security projects may harm forest cover and biodiversity, so a blanket exemption may not be appropriate.  

Conclusion: 

• The amendment presented in the Bill aims to rejuvenate the essence of the Act focused on forest conservation and growth. These proposed changes will significantly improve forest productivity, encourage afforestation beyond existing forest areas, and bolster regulatory measures. 
• Additionally, the amendments aim to address the livelihood needs of local communities, making them a crucial milestone in the advancement of forest management and sustainability.

News Source: PIB

DOWNLOAD PDF

Context: 

Recently, ‘India AI,’ and Meta India signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to promote collaboration in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies.

MoU Between ‘India AI’ and Meta India:

• Objective: To foster collaboration and cooperation between ‘India AI’ and Meta India in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies.
• Sharing of Open-Source AI Models: Meta India will make its open-source AI models, including LlaMA, Massively Multilingual Speech, and No Language Left Behind, available for use by the Indian AI ecosystem.
• Centre of Excellence for AI and Emerging Technologies: The organizations may consider establishing a Centre of Excellence to nurture the start-up ecosystem and promote innovation in AI and other emerging technologies.
• Building Datasets in Indian Languages: It aims to enable translation and large language models, with a priority on low-resource languages.
• Enhancing AI Compute Resources: The collaboration aims to enhance accessibility to AI compute resources for researchers, start-ups, and organizations with limited resources.
• Knowledge Sharing and Skill Development: The MoU will facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration in AI and emerging technologies through workshops, seminars, conferences, and similar platforms.

Significance:

• Foster social inclusion and improve government service delivery through AI-driven innovation.
• Spur innovation using large language models, Generative AI, cognitive systems, and translation models.
• Strengthen India’s digital leadership and ensure AI tools are tailored to India’s unique needs.
• Boost AI talent development, contributing to the growth of AI expertise in India.

News Source: PIB

DOWNLOAD PDF

Context: 

Recently, the Minister of Earth Sciences provided information on the ACROSS scheme in Lok Sabha.

About ACROSS Scheme:

• It is a central sector scheme under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) for atmospheric science programs.
  • Aims: To address various aspects related to weather and climate prediction through a comprehensive approach.
• Sub-Schemes:
  • Each of these aspects is incorporated as eight sub-schemes under the umbrella scheme “ACROSS”.
  • Each sub-scheme focuses on a specific aspect of atmospheric science and is implemented by different institutions under MoES.
• Implementing Institutions:
  • India Meteorological Department (IMD)
  • National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF)
  • Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM)
  • Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS)
• Benefits:
  • Improved accuracy and reliability of weather and climate forecasts.
  • Enhanced disaster preparedness and response capabilities.
  • Facilitation of sustainable development through better climate information.
  • Beneficial for various sectors, including agriculture, transportation, and disaster management.

News Source: PIB

DOWNLOAD PDF

Context:

Recently, the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In)  issued “Guidelines on Information Security Practices” for government entities for a safe and trusted Internet.

About: Guidelines on Information Security Practices: CERT-In

• Aim: To ensure an open, safe and trusted and accountable Internet for its users.
• Need: India’s digital landscape has witnessed tremendous growth, with over 80 crore Indians (Digital Nagriks) actively utilizing the Internet and cyberspace.
• Applicability: 
  • All Ministries, Departments, Secretariats, and Offices specified in the First Schedule to the Government of India (allocation of business) Rules, 1961, along with their attached and subordinate offices.
  • Public sector enterprises
• Appointment of Chief Information Security Officer: Government organizations should appoint a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) along with a dedicated cybersecurity team, independent of the IT operations team.
• Password Management and Browser Security Guidelines: The guidelines recommend the use of complex passwords with a minimum length of 8 characters.
• Comprehensive Security Domains Covered: The guidelines include various security domains such as network security, identity and access management, application security, data security, third-party outsourcing, hardening procedures, security monitoring, incident management, and security auditing.
• Data Encryption and Protection: Organizations should identify and encrypt sensitive data during transmission and storage.
• Threat Analysis and Mitigation: Organizations must analyze potential threats and adopt strategies to counter them.
• Vulnerability Assessment: Conducting vulnerability assessments helps identify weaknesses in devices, systems, and potential threats related to specific ports and services.
• Mandatory Cybersecurity Incident Reporting: All government and private agencies, including internet service providers, social media platforms, and data centers, must report cybersecurity breaches to the appropriate authority within six hours of detection.

Significance: 

• Roadmap for Government and Industry: These guidelines are a roadmap for government entities and industry to reduce cyber risk, protect citizen data, and continue to improve the cyber security ecosystem in the country. 
• Facilitating Audits for Security Assessment: They will serve as a fundamental document for audit teams, including internal, external, and third-party auditors, to assess an organization’s security posture against the specified cybersecurity requirements.

News Source: Times of India

DOWNLOAD PDF