Context:

• The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) reported that the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) has diverted funds from the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) towards promoting its other initiatives.

More about the news: 

• The allocation under NSAP to the states/ UTs were meant for disbursal of pension under various sub-schemes of NSAP. 
• During the auditing of the CAG report on the performance audit of the NSAP from 2017-18 to 2020-21,  instances of diversion of funds by the ministry and states/ UTs out of allocated funds for NSAP were noticed.

National Social Assistance Programme(NSAP):

• About: NSAP is a social security and welfare programme to provide support to aged persons, widows, disabled persons and bereaved families on death of primary bread winner, belonging to below poverty line households.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Rural Development
• Funding Pattern: Centrally Sponsored Scheme

Objectives of NSAP:

• Provides social assistance benefits to poor households in the case of death, maternity, or old age of the breadwinner.
• Ensure minimum national standards, in addition to the benefits the States are currently providing or might provide in the future.
• Ensure uniform social protection to the beneficiaries across the country without interruption.

Scheme components:

• Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS): 
  • It is a non-contributory old age pension scheme that covers Indians who are 60 years and above and live below the poverty line. 
  • All IGNOAPS beneficiaries aged 60–79 receive a monthly pension of Rs. 300 (Rs. 200 by central government and Rs. 100 by state government). 
  • Those 80 years and above receive a monthly pension amount of Rs. 500. 
• Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS): It provides BPL widows in the age group 40 to 59 with a monthly pension of Rs. 200 per beneficiary. 
• Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS):  Individuals aged 18 years and above with more than 80% disability and living below the poverty line receive Rs. 300 per month. (₹500 for those 80 years and above).
• National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS): In the event of death of a bread-winner between 18–64 years of age in a household, the bereaved family will receive lumpsum assistance of 20,000. 
• Annapurna Scheme: It aims to provide food security to meet the requirement of Under the Annapurna Scheme, 10 kg of free rice is provided every month to those senior citizens who, though eligible, have remained uncovered under the IGNOAPS.

News Source: Indian Express 

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Context:     

Indian firms’ spending on corporate social responsibility (CSR) remained flat in 2021-22, a new analysis by primeinfobase.com showed. 

About Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR):

• Corporate Social Responsibility is a management concept whereby  companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business  operations and interactions with their stakeholders.

Sectors With Highest CSR Spends:

• Education-related sectors and healthcare segments continued to find favor with companies. These sectors received close to 60% of the CSR expenditure in 2021-22. 

State Split:

• Companies CSR payouts across states were uneven. 
• The biggest beneficiaries of CSR funds were large and industrialized states, while smaller ones received smaller amounts. 
  • Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh—some of the biggest state economies—together received nearly 50% of the funds. 

Preferred Routes  

• COMPANIES CARRY out CSR activities either on their own, or through eligible external agencies. 
• Around 29% of the companies spent directly on CSR-related activities, while 20% used an external implementing agency. The remaining 3% did not specify the route chosen by them.

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Context:

• The Assam Rifles responsible for overseeing the “buffer zones” between regions dominated by the Meitei and Kuki-Zomi communities in Manipur, is encountering opposition from the Meitei population.

More About the news:

• The Assam Rifles and the Army have been stationed in “fringe locations” where Meitei-dominated valley areas meet Kuki-Zomi-dominated hill areas. 
• This strategy aims to prevent troublemakers from crossing between these territories although members of the Meitei community are unhappy about this arrangement, believing that the Assam Rifles exhibit bias towards the Kuki-Zomi group.
• A protest was held across the valley by the Meitei women activists known as Meira Paibis. 

About Meira Paibi:

• It is a loosely structured, women’s social movement in Manipur often led by senior women, possessing a lasting presence in Manipuri civil society, embodying the role of conscience keepers without rigid hierarchy or overt political affiliations.
• It has been a symbol of civil society since its inception in 1977 in Kakching district. 
• These torch-bearing women, known as Imas or Mothers of Manipur, represent various social strata in the Imphal valley. 
• Respected and revered, they hold significant moral influence. 

What social role do the Meira Paibis play?

• Over the decades, the Meira Paibis have led numerous social and political movements in the state, including some powerful protests against alleged atrocities by Indian security forces.
• Its initial focus of fighting alcoholism and drug abuse has now expanded to countering human rights violations and the development of society at large.

About Assam Rifles:

• Mandate: The Assam Rifles (AR) is a central paramilitary force responsible for border security, counter-insurgency, and maintaining law and order in Northeast India.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Home Affairs  
• Operational Control: The Indian Army 
• Mandate: To guard the Indo-Myanmar border

News Source:  Indian Express

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Context:

Recently, the two-day meeting of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) began in Belem, Brazil. 

More on News: 

• The member countries of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) failed to agree on the goal to protect the amazon rainforest.
• Colombia had proposed that 80 percent of the Amazon should be protected from deforestation and degradation by 2025 but did not find support from all the members.

About Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization:

• ACTO is an intergovernmental organization aimed at the promotion of sustainable development of the Amazon Basin.
• Member Countries: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
• ACTO  is an example of the only socio-environmental block in Latin America. 
• 2004:  ACTO was responsible for the Manaus Declaration, a treaty designed to coordinate the development of approximately 2.9 million square miles of rainforest. 

News Source: DTE

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Context:

• The Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment ) Bill, 2023 has been passed by both the Houses of the Parliament.

About the Bill:

• The Bill aims to specify that the regulation of coastal aquaculture and related activities will solely fall under the jurisdiction of the Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act, excluding any other legislations.
  • Coastal aquaculture includes the farming of marine life such as shrimp, prawn or fish in controlled conditions.  

Key Provisions of the bill:

News Source: PIB

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Context:

• The Government in Budget 2023-24 made an announcement of Pradhan Mantri PVTG Development Mission.

More about the news:

• As per the report submitted by the Officers of Ministry of Tribal Affairs, it has been observed that PVTG habitations need focused approach for improvement in Infrastructure facilities including road and internet connectivity etc. 
• There is also a need for strengthening health and Education facilities to improve school drop out rate and livelihood opportunities.

About the Pradhan Mantri PVTG Development Mission:

• Aim: To improve socio-economic conditions of the particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs) with basic facilities such as safe housing, clean drinking water and sanitation and sustainable livelihood opportunities. 
• Fund Allocation: The mission envisages availability of Rs.15,000 crore from the Development Action Plan for the Scheduled Tribes, for activities to be undertaken in the next three years under the Mission.
• Nodal Ministry: The Ministry of Tribal Affairs

Who are PVTGs?

• A particularly vulnerable tribal group or PVTG is a section of a Scheduled Tribe that is considered more vulnerable than a regular Scheduled Tribe. 
• Basic characteristics: They are mostly homogenous, with a small population, relatively physically isolated, social institutes cast in a simple mold, absence of written language, relatively simpler technology and a slower rate of change,etc.

Identification of PVTG:

• Dhebar Commission: In 1973, the Commission created Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs) as a separate category, which are less developed among the tribal groups. In 2006, the Government of India renamed the PTGs as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs). 
• Population: Accordingly 75 PTVGs have been identified in the country. PVTG of Sahariyas has the highest population while the highest number of communities categorized as PVTGs in the country is found in Odisha.

Government of India follows the following criteria for identification of PVTGs:

• Pre-agricultural level of technology
• Low level of literacy
• Economic backwardness
• A declining or stagnant population

News Source: PIB

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Context: 

Recently, the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023 was passed by Parliament.

More on News:

• Once it becomes law, it will redefine the roles of the elected government, the Lieutenant Governor (L-G), and the state’s administrative machinery. 
• The bill also hands more powers to Delhi’s bureaucrats. 

Timeline on Key Legislations and Judgements on Delhi:

Need of the Bill:

• Maintaining Democratic and Administrative Balance: The need for the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill is stated as maintaining democratic and administrative balance in governing Delhi. 
• Ensuring Corruption-Free and Pro-People Governance: The central government asserts that the aim is to ensure corruption-free and pro-people governance. 
• Preventing State Government Interference: It  seeks to prevent state government interference in central powers. 

Key Features of the Bill: 

• National Capital Civil Services Authority (NCCSA): The Bill creates the NCCSA to advise Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor on specific service-related aspects, such as transfers, vigilance, discipline, and prosecution for Group A officers of All India Services (excluding Indian Police Service) and DANICS.
• Powers of the Lieutenant Governor:  
  • The Bill empowers the LG to exercise his sole discretion on several matters including those recommended by the National Capital Civil Services Authority, and the summoning, prorogation and dissolution of the Delhi Legislative Assembly.
  • If a disagreement arises between the LG and the Authority, the LG’s decision will hold ultimate authority.
• Duties of Secretaries: 
  • It authorizes department secretaries to bring to the notice of the LG, the Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary any matter that may bring Delhi Government into controversy with the Central Government.  

Verdict of the Supreme Court (2023): GNCTD vs Union of India cases

• Power to the Elected Government: Elected governments should control administration, including officers recruited regardless of their affiliations. 
  • Civil servants are impartial professionals serving the public, not parties. 
  • The National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCTD) would not have the power to legislate on public order, police and land.
• Legislative and Executive Control over Civil Services: Legislative and executive power over services such as Indian Administrative Services or Joint Cadre services, shall lie with Delhi Government.
• Principle of Triple Chain of Collective Responsibility: The Supreme Court said a principle of “triple chain of collective responsibility” existed in the governance of the capital. 
  • This three cornered command included civil service officers being accountable to Ministers, who are in turn accountable to the Parliament/Legislature, which is ultimately answerable to the electorate.
• Interpretation of Article 239AA: The SC interpreted Article 239AA, the provision that deals with the governance structure of Delhi, as one that underlies the principles of federalism, participatory democracy, and collective responsibility.

Concern with the Bill:

• Triple Chain of Accountability Concerns: Conferring powers over the transfer and posting of officers to the Authority may break the triple chain of accountability that links the civil services, ministers, the legislature and citizens.  
  • This may violate the principle of parliamentary democracy, which is a part of the basic structure doctrine. 
• Discretion of the LG: The LG has been granted sole discretion in several matters including when the Legislative Assembly will convene.  
  • This implies that the Chief Minister may be unable to convene a session needed for essential government business. 
• Bypassing Ministerial Involvement: Department secretaries will bring certain matters directly to the LG, Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary, without consulting the concerned minister.   
  • This may go against the collective responsibility of the Cabinet, as the concerned ministers cannot provide his inputs.

Conclusion: 

In the process of resolving the situation, it’s crucial for everyone involved to show dedication to constitutional principles. This includes valuing democratic governance, the division of powers, and the rights of elected officials. Adhering to the constitutional framework will establish a strong basis for a just and clear resolution.

News Source: The Hindu

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Context: 

Recently, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) organized a webinar titled ‘The Crisis of Antibiotic Research and Development’ to discuss the issue of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).

More on the News:

• Increasing Resistance: Webinar highlights how the burden of antibiotic resistance is increasing and existing antibiotics are becoming ineffective.
• Ineffective: Most antibiotics developed over the last decade are not novel enough and insufficient to treat multidrug resistant bacteria
• Lack of R&D: The global antibiotic pipeline for new antibiotics is weak, particularly against Gram-negative priority pathogens. 
  • Small-and-medium scale antibiotic developers are trying to fill this void but are facing challenges and need support
• Reforms Needed: To stimulate the antibiotic R&D ecosystem for sustainable and equitable antibiotic access. 
  • These reforms include greater public financing, coordinated response from national governments, balanced public-private partnerships in antibiotic R&D.
• Global Public Good: Antibiotics can be considered a ‘global public good’.

About Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)

• It occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death. 
• As a result of drug resistance, antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines become ineffective and infections become increasingly difficult or impossible to treat.

Global Severity of AMR:

• WHO has declared AMR as one of the top global public health threats.
  • The United Nations has also called it a global health emergency.
• Mortality: In 2019, antibiotic-resistant infections caused 1.27 million deaths worldwide, with an overall 4.95 million deaths from associated complications.
• Financial Burden: AMR may cause a global annual GDP loss of $3.4 trillion by 2030 and it may push 24 million people into extreme poverty.

Severity of AMR in India

• AMR (Antimicrobial resistance) capital of the world: India has the highest infectious disease burden in the world, including infections due to multi-resistant pathogens. 
  • It is also the world’s largest consumer of antibiotics in terms of total volume.
  • In 2019, 2,807 million packs of anti-infectives were sold in India, of which systemic antibiotics comprised 2,165 million packs (77.1 per cent).
  • AMR adds to the burden of communicable diseases and strains the health systems of a country. 
• An Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) study in 2022 showed that the resistance level increases from 5% to 10% every year for broad-spectrum antimicrobials. 
• An Indian Network for Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance (INSAR) study indicated a high rate of resistance to commonly used drugs such as ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, co-trimoxazole, erythromycin and clindamycin.

Causes of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in India:

• Overuse and misuse of antibiotics: According to Lancet Infectious Diseases journal, India is the world’s largest consumer of antibiotics, with a 62% increase in consumption between 2000 and 2015. 
  • This overuse and misuse of antibiotics has contributed significantly to the development of AMR in India.
• Inadequate sanitation and hygiene: Poor sanitation and hygiene practices can lead to the spread of infections that require antibiotics. 
  • According to the latest WHO-UNICEF data, at least one-sixth of India’s rural population still defecate in the open and a quarter doesn’t have even basic sanitation access, which can lead to the spread of diseases like cholera, typhoid, and diarrhea.
• Over the Counter Sale of Drugs:Antibiotics are easily available in India without a prescription, and there are no regulations on their sale. 
  • This has led to their inappropriate use, with people using them for viral infections like colds and flu, which do not require antibiotics.
• Emergence of new strains of bacteria: The emergence of new strains of bacteria that are resistant to multiple antibiotics is a growing concern in India. 
  • A total of 378 new microbial species were discovered in India between 2008 and 2019, in places ranging from pristine glaciers to grimy mobile phone screens.
• Poultry and veterinary use of antibiotics: Antibiotics are commonly used in the poultry and veterinary industry in India to prevent and treat infections. 
  • However, this has led to the development of AMR in animals, which can then be transmitted to humans through food or direct contact.
• Antibiotic use in agriculture: The antibiotic colistin is widely used as a growth promoter in livestock. 
  • At least one in ten top producers of colistin for agricultural use is in India.
  • This has led to the development of AMR in bacteria found in soil and water, which can then be transmitted to humans through food or water.
• Wastewater contamination: Wastewater from hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and other sources can contain high levels of antibiotics and resistant bacteria. 
  • According to Lancet, antibiotic residues in wastewater and wastewater treatment plants (WTP) serve as “potential hotspots for the development of AMR.
  • Antibiotic residues from water are likely to sweep into groundwater. It can pollute the environment during the production, consumption and disposal of drugs.
  • Some studies have reported bacteria with high levels of resistance to broad-spectrum antibiotics in specific river locations and potable water sources.
• Lack of effective regulations: India does not have an effective drug quality surveillance system. 
  • Existing regulations are obsolete and many times allow different standards and quality systems for drugs that get exported, versus drugs consumed domestically.

Steps Taken by India to Prevent AMR:

• India’s National Action Plan on AMR (NAP-AMR) for 2017-2021: It  addresses six critical issues:
  1. Creating awareness and understanding of AMR through effective communication, education and training.
  2. Strengthening knowledge and evidence through surveillance.
  3. Reducing the incidence of infection through effective infection prevention and control.
  4. Optimising the use of antimicrobial agents in health, animals and food.
  5. Promoting investments for AMR activities, research and innovations.
  6. Strengthening India’s leadership on AMR. 
• In the line with NAP-AMR three states have launched their state action plan:
  • Kerala has launched KARSAP.
  • Madhya Pradesh has launched MP-SAPCAR.
  • Delhi has launched SAPCARD.
• Delhi Declaration on the AMR: An inter-ministerial consensus was signed at the launch of NAP-AMR, by the ministers of the ministries concerned pledging their whole-hearted support in AMR containment.
• AMRSN: ICMR has established AMR surveillance and research network (AMRSN) comprising 30 tertiary care hospitals, both private and government, to generate evidence and capture trends and patterns of drug resistant infections in the country.

Way Forward

• One Health Approach: AMR requires a united multisectoral approach, which can be achieved through the One Health approach. 
  • It brings together multiple sectors and stakeholders to work together in designing and implementing programmes, policies, legislation and research to attain better public health outcomes.
• 3C approach to R&D: Coordination, collaboration and communication are important because they help to ensure that efforts are not duplicated, resources are used efficiently, and stakeholders are aware of progress and challenges in the development of new antibiotics.
• Improve WASH (water, sanitation, hygiene) services: In large cities, waste management and proper WASH can be difficult, and metropolitan areas have been linked to numerous outbreaks of infectious diseases, notably those transmitted through the fecal-oral route. 
• Other Steps to be taken:

News Source: DTE

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