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ISRO has finalized the design of a humanoid skull for testing spaceflight conditions and safety of the Gaganyaan crew module ahead of the Gaganyaan mission scheduled for 2025.

Features of the Skull Design

• The humanoid’s skull is designed at ISRO’s Thiruvananthapuram unit
• It is made from a high-strength aluminum alloy to endure pressure and vibration.
• 3D Printing Manufacturing: Additive manufacturing or 3D printing using metals was opted to make  the design.
  • 3D printing approach allowed for the reduction in weight by 20 percent of the skull. 
• Design: The skull was designed using Blender, an open source software, replicating the size and shape of a human head and the Altair Inspire and Abaqus software were used for precisely designing the skull
• Human Characteristics: The skull is covered with a prosthetic material mimicking the human skin and houses the facial actuation mechanisms to simulate human expressions and functions.
• Strength: The skull incorporates a lattice structure allowing for the required strength and rigidity to withstand the vibrations experienced during launch, while minimising weight as much as possible.

About Vyomitra

• Vyommitra, is a female humanoid half-robot that has been specifically designed for unmanned test missions preceding the Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission. 
  • Vyomitra is a half-humanoid robot due to the absence of legs, it possesses the ability to bend forward and sideways. 
• It is created by Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and derives its name from the Sanskrit words Vyoma (meaning “Space”) and Mitra (meaning “Friend”). 
• Launch: The uncrewed ‘VyomMitra’ mission  is scheduled to be launched in the year 2025
• Characteristics: 
  • Humane Features: Vyomitra will carry facial expressions, speech capabilities, and sight functions. 
  • Monitoring the Mission: It will monitor crew parameters, perform Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) functions, and mimic all crew activity like switch operations on a panel, etc.
  • Response Function: Vyomitra will serve as a companion for the astronaut, recognize his face and respond to various queries.
  • Data Collection: Vyomitra will record parameters like heat, noise, gravitational de-acceleration etc through various sensors and instrumentation present inside during the space flight, to enable scientists to make future space flight more safer for humans.
  • Its AI-enabled design, allowing it to withstand vibrations and shocks during flight. 

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In a letter to all States, the Ministry of Education (MoE) has defined ‘literacy,’ and what it means to achieve ‘full literacy’.

About Literate and Non-Literate Person

• The definition was provided in the light of the renewed push for adult literacy under the New India Literacy Programme (NILP).
• Literacy: It may be defined as the ability to read, write, and compute with comprehension, i.e. to identify, understand, interpret and create along with critical life skills such as digital literacy, financial literacy etc.
• Full Literacy (to be considered equivalent to 100% literacy): Achieving 95% literacy in a State/UT that may be considered as equivalent to fully literate.
• Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Test (FLNAT): A non-literate person may be considered as literate under the NILP, as per the aforementioned definition when she/he has been declared literate after taking the FLNAT.

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Current Status of India

• Current Literacy Landscape: India has a significant literacy challenge, with approximately 25.76 crore non-literate individuals aged 15 and above, as per the 2011 Census. This includes 9.08 crore males and 16.68 crore females.
  • Despite initiatives like Saakshar Bharat, which certified 7.64 crore individuals as literate from 2009-10 to 2017-18, around 18.12 crore adults remain non-literate.
• FLNAT Test: The pass percentage in FLNAT hovered between 89.64% to 91.27% in 2023. However in 2024 it has dropped down to 85.27%.
• Budget Allocation: For the 2024-25 period, ₹160 crore has been allocated for NILP. However, in 2022-23, only ₹76.41 crore was utilized, and in 2023-24, the budget was reduced from ₹157 crore to ₹100 crore.
• Future Goal: The MoE aims for India to achieve full literacy by 2030 through the Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society (ULLAS/NILP) initiative, addressing various life challenges faced by non-literate individuals.

Challenges faced due to Illiteracy

• Financial Transactions: Difficulty in handling and understanding financial matters.
• Job Applications: Inability to complete job applications and engage effectively in the job market.
• Media and Technology Comprehension: Challenges in understanding and utilizing media and technology.
• Understanding Rights: Limited ability to comprehend personal rights and responsibilities.
• Participation in Productive Sectors: Restricted participation in sectors requiring higher literacy and technical skills.

Way Forward

• Expand Adult Literacy Programs: Increase reach and effectiveness of programs like the New India Literacy Programme (NILP) to onboard more adult learners.
• Leverage Technology: Use digital platforms and tools to provide accessible literacy education and resources.
• Integrate Life Skills Training: Incorporate practical skills such as financial literacy and digital literacy into educational programs.

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RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das announced that the Unified Lending Interface (ULI) will soon be introduced to facilitate frictionless credit delivery.

More About News

• Pilot Project: Continuing on the journey of digitalisation of banking services, the pilot project for a public tech platform for frictionless credit facility was announced in August last year.
• Transforming Role: ULI will play a similar role in transforming the lending space in the country, just as United Payment Interface (UPI) revolutionized the payment ecosystem.

Features of Unified Lending Interface

• Unified Platform: ULI provides a consolidated tech platform for frictionless credit delivery, akin to UPI’s role in payments.
• Standardized Application Programming Interface (APIs): It has common and standardized APIs designed for an approach to ensure digital access to information from diverse sources, i.e., information relevant to a lender giving out a loan to a potential borrower.
• Seamless Data Flow: Facilitates the seamless, consent-based flow of digital information, including land records, from various service providers to lenders.
• Enhanced Credit Appraisal: Reduces the time and complexity of credit appraisal by integrating financial and non-financial data from disparate systems like Central and State governments, account aggregators, banks, etc.
• Reduced Documentation: Enables quicker credit turnaround with minimal documentation requirements.
• Consent Based Structure: The entire system is consent-based, i.e., based on the consent of the potential borrower.

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Significance of ULI

• Improved Accessibility: Addresses large unmet credit demand, especially for agricultural and MSME sectors.
• Streamlined Processes: Enhances efficiency in credit delivery and reduces operational complexities for lenders.
• Empowers Innovation: Supports fintechs and lenders in creating tailored lending solutions by providing access to comprehensive data sources.

Challenges to the Unified Lending Interface

• Data Privacy: AI integration raises concerns about handling large volumes of personal data and potential breaches of privacy.
• Bias and Authenticity: The risk of biases in AI models and the authenticity of training data need to be carefully managed.
• Ethical Governance: Ensuring that AI models are explainable and free from biases is crucial to maintaining fairness and accountability in decision-making.
• Technical Complexity: Managing the integration of various data sources and ensuring seamless technical operations.
• Regulatory Compliance: Adhering to regulatory requirements while implementing new technologies and ensuring data integrity.

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In a recent study published by the National Institutes of Health, researchers found that brain samples taken in early 2024 contained an alarming average of 0.5% plastic by weight.

About Microplastics

• Definition: Microplastics are defined as synthetic solid particles sized ranging from 1 micrometer to 5 millimeters (mm), which are insoluble in water.
• They are a result of the fragmentation and degradation of larger plastic items, as well as the direct release of tiny plastic particles, often intentionally added to consumer products like cosmetics and cleaning agents.

Types of Microplastics: There are two categories of microplastics: primary and secondary.

• Primary microplastics:
  • These minuscule particles are intended for commercial applications, like in cosmetics, and also encompass microfibers that come off from garments and other textiles, including fishing nets.
  • They enter the environment through various means, such as during product use, accidental spills in manufacturing or transportation, or from abrasion during laundry.
  • E.g., microbeads found in personal care products, plastic pellets, and plastic fibers.
• Secondary microplastics:
  • These particles originate from the fragmentation of larger plastic objects, like water bottles.
  • This usually occurs when sizable plastics degrade due to environmental factors such as wave action, wind erosion, and UV radiation from the sun.
  • Exposure to environmental factors, primarily solar radiation and ocean waves, is the cause of this breakdown.

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Applications of Microplastics

• Cosmetics: Used in exfoliating scrubs, shampoos, and toothpaste (e.g., polyethylene beads).
• Cleaning Products: Found in abrasive cleaners and detergents (e.g., microbeads in cleaning powders).
• Industrial Processes: Employed as abrasives in sandblasting and polishing (e.g., glass beads).
• Agriculture: Used in soil conditioning and controlled release fertilizers (e.g., microplastics in some fertilizers).
• Medical and Pharmaceutical Uses: Used in targeted drug delivery due to the capacity to absorb and release chemicals effectively.

Risks Posed by Usage of Microplastics

• Environmental Impact:
  • Ecosystem Disruption: Ingestion by marine and terrestrial organisms can lead to physical harm and disruption of food chains.
  • Pollution: Accumulation in water bodies, soil, and sediments leads to long-term environmental contamination.
  • Bioaccumulation risks: Microplastics have now been found in lungs, placentas, and other critical organs through gradual accumulation of microplastics.
• Health Risks:
  • Human Exposure: Inhalation and ingestion of microplastics can pose potential health risks, including respiratory issues and gastrointestinal problems.
  • Toxicity: Microplastics may carry harmful chemicals and pollutants, which can be transferred into the food chain.
  • Non-Biodegradable: Microplastics are particularly harmful to the oceans as they don’t break down into harmless molecules and adversely affect the health of marine organisms, which mistake plastic for food.
• Economic Costs:
  • Damage to Marine Life: Affects fishing industries due to impact on fish stocks and marine biodiversity.
  • Cleaning and Management: Increased costs for environmental cleanup and waste management efforts.
• Aesthetic and Recreational Impact: Polluted Beaches and Waterways affects tourism and recreational activities due to unsightly pollution and contaminated water.
• Degradation of Materials: Microplastics in soil can affect the quality of construction materials and agricultural productivity.

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Initiatives Taken to tackle microplastics

• Global Initiatives:
  • Global Partnership on Marine Litter (GPML): A global initiative aimed at reducing marine litter and microplastics through international cooperation and partnerships.
  • GloLitter Partnerships Project: Project focused on reducing marine litter and microplastics by improving knowledge and promoting best practices globally.
  • London Convention, 1972: An international agreement that regulates the disposal of wastes, including plastics, into the marine environment to prevent pollution.
• India-Specific Initiatives:
• • Elimination of Single Use Plastic: A national effort to ban and reduce single-use plastics to minimize plastic waste and microplastic pollution
  • Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016: Regulations aimed at managing plastic waste through extended producer responsibility and promoting recycling.
  • Un-Plastic Collective: A collaborative initiative to tackle plastic pollution through community engagement, education, and policy advocacy.

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A recent report by the Central Water Commission (CWC) highlights the alarming levels of heavy metal contamination in Indian rivers.

Heavy Metal Contamination in 81 Indian Rivers

• Toxic Metals Detected: Metals beyond safe limits include arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, mercury, and nickel.
• Rivers Affected: A total of 81 rivers and tributaries in India have high concentrations of one or more toxic heavy metals.
• Extent of the Problem
  • Monitoring Data: 141 out of 328 monitoring stations (43%) across 81 rivers showed toxic metal levels beyond acceptable limits.
  • Geographical Spread: These stations span 13 states and 99 districts, with Uttar Pradesh having the highest arsenic levels, particularly in the Ganga and Gomti rivers.

What is Heavy metal?

• It typically refers to dense metals that are toxic, even at low concentrations.
• Typical Features of Heavy Metals
  • High Atomic Weight: Heavy metals usually have a high atomic number and atomic weight.
  • Specific Gravity: These metals often have a specific gravity greater than 5.0, meaning they are very dense.
  • Diverse Groups: Heavy metals include different categories like metalloids, transition metals, basic metals, lanthanides, and actinides.

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Key findings of the report

• Heavy Metal Presence

• • Key Metals: Arsenic, mercury, and chromium were detected across many rivers. For example:
    • Arsenic: Exceeded limits at 30 stations.
    • Mercury: Found above safe levels in 18 stations.
    • Chromium: Exceeded limits at 16 stations.
  • Specific Areas:
    • In Uttarkashi (Bhagirathi river), arsenic, lead, and iron were detected.
    • In Karnataka’s Honnali (Tungabhadra river), chromium, mercury, and lead exceeded safe limits.
    • Kerala’s Madamon station had iron, mercury, lead, and nickel above the permissible limits.
• Sources of Contamination
  • Human Activities: Heavy metals are introduced into rivers due to:
    • Metal mining and smelting industries.
    • Agricultural runoff, including fertilizers and animal waste.
    • Urban runoff, industrial waste, and landfill leachates.
  • Natural Sources: Natural deposits and erosion also contribute to metal levels.
• Impact on Flora and Fauna
  • Non-Biodegradable Metals: Heavy metals, once present in water, do not break down easily. This poses significant threats to plants and animals.
  • Crop Contamination: Crops such as grains and vegetables, grown in contaminated soil and water, can absorb these metals, leading to harmful effects.
  • Health Risks to Humans
    • Essential and Toxic Metals: Metals like copper are necessary for human health in trace amounts but can become toxic in higher concentrations. Others, like mercury, cadmium, and lead, are directly harmful even in small amounts.
    • Toxicity and Bioaccumulation: Heavy metals are toxic and do not decompose, accumulating in organisms and leading to severe health problems for both humans and animals.
  • Examples of Health Effects
    • Arsenic Exposure: Drinking water contaminated with arsenic over time can cause skin lesions and a chronic illness known as arsenicosis.
    • Cadmium Exposure: Even low exposure to cadmium can weaken bones and increase the risk of fractures and osteoporosis.
    • Mercury Exposure: High levels of mercury can damage the nerves, brain, and kidneys, and cause symptoms like lung irritation, skin rashes, vomiting, and diarrhea.

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Mitigation and Solutions

• Need for Action: The report stresses the importance of addressing metal contamination through proactive measures.
• Stricter Regulations: Implement stricter regulations for industries and agricultural practices to reduce heavy metal discharge into water bodies.
• Environmental Impact Assessments: Require thorough environmental impact assessments for new industrial projects, especially those involving metals.
• Sustainable Practices: Promote sustainable agricultural practices that minimize the use of chemicals and fertilizers containing heavy metals.
• Technological Advancements
• • Membrane Filtration: Employ advanced membrane filtration technologies to remove heavy metals from water.
  • Nanotechnology: Utilize nanomaterials for efficient heavy metal removal and recovery

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Developed countries generally exhibit greater governmental trust than developing countries. 

• The shift towards trust-based governance is increasingly seen as essential for modern societies including India.
• Developed countries generally exhibit greater governmental trust than developing countries.

About Trust-based Governance Model

A trust-based governance model represents a transformative approach to how governments interact with citizens, businesses, and institutions. 

• Definition: A trust-based governance model is an approach to governing that prioritizes mutual respect, transparency, and accountability between the government and its stakeholders—citizens, businesses, and institutions. 
• Traditional Governance Models: It often operates on the assumption that stringent oversight and control are necessary to prevent misuse and ensure compliance.
• Trust-based Governance Model: It starts with the belief that most actors will act in good faith when given the right environment and support.

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Significance of Trust-based Governance Model

The significance of a trust-based governance model lies in its ability to create a more effective, responsive, and sustainable relationship between the government, citizens, businesses, and institutions.  Here are key aspects that highlight its importance:

• Enhanced Efficiency: Trust enhances efficiency, reduces regulatory burdens, and improves societal well-being. 
• Encourages entrepreneurship and Attracts investment: Trust-based systems cut down on paperwork, oversight layers, and red tape, lowering administrative costs and allowing governments to invest in growth and innovation. 
  • A trust-based environment encourages entrepreneurship and attracts investment, driving economic expansion.
• Boost Competitiveness: With fewer regulatory hurdles, businesses can respond more swiftly to market changes, enhancing their global competitiveness and fostering a vibrant, innovation-driven economy.
• Improving the quality of services : Trusting public institutions reduces the need for constant oversight and micromanagement, streamlining service delivery and improving the quality of services provided to citizens
• Foster Risk Taking & Innovation: Trust encourages voluntary compliance and calculated risk taking, fostering innovation and adherence to regulations through a fair and transparent system.
  • A governance model that encourages businesses to innovate without the constant fear of punitive action would foster a culture of experimentation and risk-taking.
• Improves Participation: Trust encourages broader participation in democratic processes, from voting to engaging in policy debates, which strengthens the overall democratic framework.
• Integrate India with Global Standards: India can align itself with global standards, making it a more attractive destination for international businesses and investors. 
  • This would enhance India’s global standing and contribute to its economic integration with the rest of the world.

History & Current Policy Showcasing “Mistrust” in the System

Policies that showcase “mistrust” in the system often reflect a governance approach that assumes individuals, businesses, or institutions may not act responsibly without stringent oversight. Following are the reason and examples:

• Historical Experiences: After independence, when Indians took control, they brought with them a mindset shaped by two centuries of colonial rule. Acculturated to distrust, they perpetuated and amplified this mistrust. 
  • This legacy led to an environment where procedural compliance often overshadowed genuine outcomes, even at senior leadership and bureaucratic levels.
• Multiple Layers of Oversightment: It reflects distrust in employees’ ability to perform duties honestly and competently. 
  • As a result of Historical Experience: Cumbersome regulatory frameworks, extensive paperwork, and multiple layers of oversight have emerged. 
  • These layers include internal and external audits, vigilance cells, anti-corruption bureaus, parliamentary committees, Central Vigilance Commission, Central Bureau of Investigation, Lokpal, Lokayukta  and more. 
  • AIM: These layers, aimed at accountability, reflect deep-seated distrust, in the employees and even in the over-sight mechanisms. 
  • This distrust has further made noticeable the prioritisation of procedures over outcomes.
• Mandatory Document Attestation: In a paper-based bureaucratic system, this requirement adds significant drudgery and cost, especially for the small and the poor, making every transaction cumbersome. 
• OverInformation Asked: Extensive, often irrelevant information asked during applications, based on the presumption that applicants may be hiding something. 
• Processes over outcomes: The emphasis on processes over outcomes is rooted in a belief that individuals cannot act ethically and effectively without strict guidance and supervision.

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Significant Step Towards Trust-based Governance

A significant step towards trust-based governance involves implementing policies and reforms that shift the focus from stringent control and oversight to fostering transparency, accountability, and collaboration:  

• 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments of 1992: It decentralised power to local bodies like panchayats and municipalities. 
  • Decentralisation exemplifies trust in local officials’ ability to manage resources and make decisions independently. 
  • Concern: However, the governance culture imbibed by the local bodies was that of distrust seen at central and state levels
• Recent Initiatives: 
  • Affidavits were replaced with self-certification, and many attestations by Gazetted officers or notaries were eliminated. 
  • Streamlining: Application forms were streamlined to one page, and the India-stack’s Open API architecture reduced redundant data requests. 
  • Decriminalization :Over the years, 3,400 legal provisions were decriminalised and over 39,000 compliances were cut. 
  • Green Clearances: Government proposed to expand the scope of single window portal, PARIVESH to provide information to the applicants. 
    • Based on the location of units, information about specific approvals will be provided. 
    • It will enable application for all four approvals through a single form, and tracking of the process through Centralized Processing Centre-Green (CPC-Green). 
    • It has been instrumental in reducing the time required for approvals significantly.
  • Land Records Management: Government proposed that States will be encouraged to adopt Unique Land Parcel Identification Number to facilitate IT-based management of land records as efficient use of land resources is a strong imperative. 
  • Government Procurement: As a further step to enhance transparency and to reduce delays in payments, the Government proposed  a completely paperless, end-to-end online e-Bill System to be launched for use by all Central ministries for their procurements. 
    • The system will enable the suppliers and contractors to submit online their digitally signed bills and claims and track their status from anywhere.
    • To reduce indirect cost for suppliers and work-contractors: The use of surety bonds as a substitute for bank guarantee will be made acceptable in government procurements,
  • Accelerated Corporate Exit: Government proposed Centre for Processing Accelerated Corporate Exit (C-PACE) with process re-engineering
    • It will be established to facilitate and speed up the voluntary winding-up of these companies from the currently required 2 years to less than 6 months. T
  • 5G Production-Linked Incentive Scheme (PLI): As part of the Ease of Doing Business (EODB) a scheme for design-led manufacturing to be launched to build a strong ecosystem for 5G as part of the Production Linked Incentive Scheme.
  • AatmaNirbharta in Defence: Defence R&D will be opened up for industry, startups and academia with 25 per cent of defence R&D budget earmarked. 
    • Private industry will be encouraged to take up design and development of military platforms and equipment in collaboration with DRDO and other organisations
  • An independent nodal umbrella body will be set up for meeting wide ranging testing and certification requirements

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Building Trust Between The Government And The Businesses Remains A Challenge

Building trust between the government and businesses is more challenging than fostering trust with citizens due to several factors:

• There’s a widespread perception of corruption, which complicates trust-building. 
  • High-profile scams: Some businesses have exacerbated this distrust, leading to a complex and burdensome regulatory environment.
  • India’s regulatory framework: It encompasses 1,536 laws with 69,233 compliances across various levels of government, with new requirements being added frequently.
  • Compliances: Indian businesses, including micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), are subject to numerous compliance requirements under a variety of statutes
    • For Example: Companies Act 2013, the Income Tax Act 1961, the Banking Regulation Act 1949, the Foreign Exchange Management Act 1999, the Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1952, the Payment of Bonus Act 1965, the Factories Act 1948 etc.
• Addressing Diverse Need: Businesses involve numerous stake-holders with diverse needs, making uniform trust difficult to achieve. 
• Complexity Involved: Not all compliances can be done away with. Some regulatory compliances are essential for societal welfare, necessitating distinction between critical and peripheral requirements, which is complex. 
• Cost of Compliance: Businesses in India often spend considerable resources on meeting compliance requirements, ranging from tax filings to environmental regulations. 
  • This not only increases operational costs but also diverts attention from core business activities.

Way Forward

Following Steps must be implemented to ensure a better transitions towards trust-based governance:

• Transparency: It is fundamental in bridging the trust gap between governments and businesses. Embracing technology-based governance: It can facilitate this shift. 
• Leverage Digital Transactions: It can create an audit trail that discourages unethical behaviour and allows real-time identi- fication of misconduct, reducing the need for extensive regulatory procedures. 
• A comprehensive review of compliance requirements is essential: This review should focus on distinguishing necessary from unnecessary requirements, promote self-certification, simplify processes, and leverage digitisation. 
• Reduce Non-necessary Inspections: Inspections and third-party certifications, wherever possible, should be done away with. 
• Redundant and Ambiguous Requirements: Such requirements should be eliminated and the  information already held by government agencies should not be repeatedly requested. 
• Compliance Costs: It should be minimised, and penalties should be swift and effective. 
  • Establishing an online facility, supported by artificial intelligence, would enable businesses to readily check and fulfill compliance requirements specific to them.

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Conclusion

India has made notable progress in trust-based governance, particularly with citizens. It’s time to extend this trust to businesses. By building and maintaining trust, governments can create a foundation for long-term stability, sustainable development, and a stronger, more cohesive society. 

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New-age gateway devices once marketed as safer alternatives to smoking, are now causing a public health crisis

What Are The New-Age Gateway Devices?

New-age gateway devices like e-cigarettes and vaping pens, Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems, or ENDS, heat-not-burn (HNB) devices and other heated tobacco products (HTPs) are modern alternatives to traditional smoking.

• Marketed as Safer Alternatives: These devices have gained popularity as they offer a perceived safer or more socially acceptable way to consume nicotine or other substances. 
• Concerns Raised: However, they have instead caused a public health crisis. These devices are harming both the physical and mental health of children, making the problem worse.

An overview of these devices

• E-Cigarettes: E-cigarettes are the most common form of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS). 
  • These are basically devices that do not burn or use tobacco leaves. Instead, they vaporise a solution using a battery. This vapour is then inhaled by the user.
  • Working: When the user inhales, the battery powers a heating element (atomizer) that turns the e-liquid into vapor, which is then inhaled.
• Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS): ENDS is a broad category that includes all electronic devices used to deliver nicotine or other substances to the user through inhalation of aerosolized liquid. 
  • This category encompasses e-cigarettes, vape pens, and similar devices.
• Heat-Not-Burn (HNB) Devices: HNB devices are tobacco products that heat tobacco rather than burning it, producing an aerosol containing nicotine and other chemicals for inhalation.

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Concern with the New Age Gateway Devices

• Misleading Health Claims: All these devices were portrayed to offer a healthier alternative to smoking that would make it easier to quit tobacco. However, they have caused a public health crisis, causing physical harm and affecting the mental well-being of children.

• Youth Addiction Epidemic:
  • Targeting Youth as a Market: Targeted Marketing to lure Children from Early Age: Children have been lured into trying and becoming addicted to e-cigarettes and vaping devices through a targeted marketing of flavors such as strawberry, cotton candy, pop rocks, and lemonade. 
    • New Pandemic: This has led to a surge in youth vaping, creating a new pandemic. 
    • For example: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2023, e-cigarettes were the most commonly used tobacco product among middle and high school students in United States
      • With 2.1 million (7.7%) students using e-cigarettes, including 5,50,000 (4.6%) middle school students. 
• Impacting Physical and mental well-being of children:
• • The use of such devices Impacts lung damage and the spread of e-cigarette or vaping use-associated lung injury (EVALI).
    • A 2018 study found the use of electronic cigarettes daily was associated with a 79% increase in heart attack risk after other variables were taken into account.
  • Mental health challenges: Challenges such as depressive symptoms, anxiety, perceived stress, and suicide-related behaviours among adolescents are associated with such new-age gateway devices
    • Loneliness & Social Isolation: Those who vape are more likely to experience feelings of loneliness and social isolation when compared to their peers who abstain from these.
• Highly Addictive: E-cigarettes are highly addictive, particularly for individuals up to around the age of 25. 
  • American Medical Association, revealed that more adolescent e-cigarette users reported using their first tobacco product within five minutes of waking when compared to users of cigarettes and other tobacco products combined.
• Substances to Sustain Addiction: E-cigarettes are highly engineered drug delivery devices designed to create and sustain addiction. 
  • The addition of benzoic acid to the nicotine e-liquid produces protonated nicotine, which enhances the addictive potential by making it easier for users to inhale significant quantities of nicotine 
• Gateway to Harder Substance Abuse: These new-age gateway devices are also being used to experiment with harder substances such as cannabis, and even cocaine and heroin. 

Regulation of e-Cigarettes in India: Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2019

The Act seeks to prohibit the production, trade, storage, and advertisement of electronic cigarettes.

• Electronic cigarettes Definition: The Act defines electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) as electronic devices that heat a substance, which may contain nicotine and other chemicals, to create vapour for inhalation. 
  • These e-cigarettes can also contain different flavours and include all forms of electronic nicotine delivery systems, heat-not-burn products, e-hookahs, and other similar devices.
• Banning of e-cigarettes: Act prohibits the production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution and advertisement of e-cigarettes in India.   
• Storage of e-cigarettes: No person is allowed to use any place for the storage of any stock of e-cigarettes.  
  • If any person stores any stock of e-cigarettes, he will be punishable with an imprisonment of up to six months, or a fine of up to Rs 50,000 or both. 
• Powers of Authorized Officers: If an authorized officer believes that any provision of the act has been contravened, he can search any place where trade, production, storage or advertising of e-cigarettes is being undertaken.  

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Tobacco Epidemic in India

New-Age Gateway Devices users reported getting addicted to the tobacco products which led to the more tobacco consumption leading to Tobacco Epidemic in India

• Tobacco Consumers: According to WHO, India is the second largest consumer and producer of tobacco after China. 
• Risks Employees Health: Additionally, the health of more than 60 lakh people employed in the tobacco industry is also placed at risk because of the absorption of tobacco through the skin, which can cause various diseases.
• Impact on Soil: Tobacco’s deleterious influence extends beyond human health. It is a highly erosive crop that rapidly depletes soil nutrients.
  • This requires more fertilizers to be used which further worsens soil quality. The plant is also a major contributor to deforestation.
• Waste Generation: Up to 5.4 kg of wood is required to process 1 kg of tobacco. The production and consumption of tobacco generates nearly 1.7 lakh tonnes of waste every year in India.
• Heavy Economic Burden on India: A 2021 study estimated that the country incurred a loss exceeding ₹1.7 lakh crore as a result of tobacco’s effects on the health of its consumers in the fiscal year 2017-2018.
  • To compare, the Union Budget allocated for health in the same year was ₹48,000 crore. 
  • In addition, cleaning up tobacco waste has been estimated to cost close to ₹6,367 crore a year.
  • These estimates exclude the costs due to soil erosion and deforestation.

Tobacco Awareness and Control Programmes

Various Tobacco Awareness and Control Programmes has been implemented by Government: 

• WHO FCTC: India is one of the 168 signatories of the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), launched in 2005.
  • It aims to reduce tobacco usage worldwide by helping countries develop demand and supply reduction strategies.
• Legislation to Govern Tobacco: A law to govern tobacco sales in India has existed since 1975 and was amended in 2003.
  • The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply, and Distribution) Act (COTPA) 2003 has 33 sections governing the production, advertisement, distribution, and consumption of tobacco.
• National Tobacco Control Program (NTCP): India also launched the NTCP in 2007. NTCP is designed to improve the implementation of COTPA and FCTC, improve awareness about the harms of tobacco use, and help people quit it.
• Tobacco Taxation: Apart from these interventions, tobacco taxation is a globally accepted method to effectively control tobacco use and it is also applied in India.
  • However, existing measures are poorly implemented.
• Tobacco Regulation: Smokeless tobacco products (SLTs) have predominantly been non-compliant with COTPA packaging guidelines.
  • Smuggled tobacco products – both smoked and smokeless forms – have also been badly regulated.
  • To make matters worse, the fines for violating COTPA regulations have not been updated since 2003. For instance, a tobacco company is fined a maximum of only ₹5,000 for violating packaging restrictions for the first time.
• Rise in Surrogate Advertisements: While the COTPA bans direct advertisements, the position on indirect advertisements is unclear, which has allowed surrogate advertisements.
  • Surrogate advertisements popularise the brand using a proxy product like elaichi, to promote tobacco manufactured by the same brand.

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Way Forward

• Clarify and Expand COTPA: Amend the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) to explicitly ban surrogate advertisements. 
  • This should include clear definitions and guidelines on what constitutes a surrogate advertisement, ensuring that all forms of indirect promotion are covered.
• Strong Implementation: СОТРА and NTCP provide a strong framework to successfully control tobacco production and use in India. But they need to be implemented more stringently.
• Increase Taxes: In addition, the tax on tobacco products also needs to be increased in line with the recommendations of the FCTC, inflation, and GDP growth.
• Promoting Alternate Crops: With government support, it is also possible to help tobacco farmers switch to farming alternate crops, avoiding loss of livelihood, as shown by multiple studies conducted by the Central Tobacco Research Institute.
  • In fact, for large-scale tobacco farmers, the net return per rupee of investment in jowar cultivation (1.84) is higher than tobacco (1.48).
• Latest Data Generation: There is also a need for up-to-date data to understand trends in tobacco use to tackle the tobacco industry, which modifies its sales strategies based on readily available sales trends. 

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