Context

Recently,  the Standing Committee on External Affairs recommended the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on soft power projection and cultural diplomacy.

About Soft Power

• It is the ability of a country to achieve foreign policy objectives through cultural attraction rather than through force, coercion or indeed large deployments of money.
• Country’s soft power, according to Nye, rests on three resources: 

1. 1. Culture: Where it is attractive to others. Ex: Hinduism, buddhism etc
   2. Political Values: When it lives up to them at home and abroad. Ex: Democratic, Communist etc
   3. Foreign Policies: When others see them as legitimate and having moral authority. Ex: Neighbourhood First Policy, Panchsheel Policy of Peaceful Coexistence.

India and it’s Soft Power

• India is globally recognized as a non-aggressor country, whose vision is inclusive and worldview rests in the idea of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – the world is one family.”
• According to a study by Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in 2019, India is endowed with enormous soft power resources in the form of:
  • Diaspora: 31 million people living in 200 countries. They act as a bridge between India and other countries.
  • Media: Largest film industry in the world.
  • Cuisine: Most popular ethnic food in the world.
  • Yoga: Yoga has become one of the most prominent Indian cultural export and is being practised widely all over the world. 
    • The United Nations declared 21 June as International Yoga Day. 
  • Art and Literature: Music (classical, folk, pop, rock), its Art (painting, sculpture, architecture), Philosophy (Vedanta, Yoga Sutras), Nobel laureates like Rabindranath Tagore and Amartya Sen), Science (space program, IT industry), sports (cricket, hockey).
  • Democracy: Largest electoral system in the world.
  • Religion: Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism etc

Significance of Soft Power for India: 

• Global influence: Soft power can help India to enhance its image and reputation in the world, especially among its neighbors and strategic partners. 
• • This can help India to counter the negative perceptions and stereotypes that may exist about it in some parts of the world.
• Advancing Foreign Policy Goals and Interest: Soft power can help in promoting regional stability, combating terrorism, expanding trade and investment, and strengthening multilateral cooperation. 
  • By using its soft power resources, such as diplomacy, cultural exchanges etc, India can build trust and goodwill with other countries and persuade them to support its positions and initiatives. 
  • This can also help India to balance the hard power of other countries that may pose challenges or threats to its security and sovereignty.
• Shape the global agenda and norms on issues that matter to it, such as climate change, human rights, democracy, peace, and development. 
  • Soft power can help India to assert its role as a responsible and constructive global actor that upholds the values of pluralism, tolerance, and cooperation.
• Economic Opportunities: A strong soft power presence can attract foreign investments, tourists, and business collaborations. 
  • India’s cultural exports, such as Bollywood films, traditional arts, and handicrafts, contribute to its economic growth by generating revenue and employment opportunities.
• Strengthening Diaspora Connections: India’s soft power connects with its vast diaspora population, creating a sense of pride and affinity towards their homeland. 
  • This bond often translates into active support for India’s interests in their adopted countries.
• Building Strategic Partnerships: Soft power can help India build strategic partnerships with other countries based on shared values and interests. 
  • These partnerships can lead to collaborations in various sectors like education, technology, healthcare, and defense. Ex: India’s outreach to Pacific Island countries, which have substantial Indian Diaspora.
• Soft Power Diplomacy: India’s government often employs soft power diplomacy to complement its traditional diplomatic efforts. 
  • For example, initiatives like the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR)  and the Ministry of External Affairs’ cultural outreach programs promote India’s soft power globally.

Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) 

• It is an autonomous organisation of the Government of India that aims to promote and strengthen cultural relations and mutual understanding between India and other countries.

Objectives of ICCR

• To actively participate in the formulation and implementation of policies and programmes pertaining to India’s external cultural relations.
• To foster and strengthen cultural relations and mutual understanding between India and other countries.
• To promote cultural exchanges with other countries and people.

Limitations Hindering India’s Soft Power Projection:

• Inadequate financing: India spends much less on its cultural diplomacy than other countries like China, France, and the UK. 
  • Budget allocation for ICCR is insufficient and erratic, which affects its ability to plan and execute its activities.
• Lack of coordination: There is no clear division of roles and responsibilities among various institutions involved in India’s soft power diplomacy, such as MEA, ICCR, Indian missions abroad, and other line ministries. 
  • Lack of synergy and communication between these institutions, which leads to duplication of efforts and wastage of resources.
• Shortage of skilled manpower: India faces a dearth of qualified and trained professionals who can effectively manage and implement its soft power initiatives. 
  • There is a lack of incentives and recognition for those who work in this field, which affects their motivation and performance.
• Lack of clarity on the mandate of ICCR:  ICCR, which is the apex body for India’s cultural diplomacy, does not have a clear vision and mission statement that defines its objectives and functions. 
• Lack of a comprehensive soft power strategy: India’s diplomats and government agencies have not been able to develop a matrix to assess the effectiveness of India’s cultural diplomacy efforts.
  • According to the Global Soft Power Index, India’s soft power potential is underutilized due to lack of coordination, resources, and strategy.

Global Soft Power Index

• India has jumped a spot from rank 29 in 2022 to 28 in 2023.
• Index is released by Brand Finance, the world’s top independent brand valuation and strategy consultancy.
• It is the world’s most extensive research study on impressions of nation brands, polling over 100,000 respondents from 121 countries.

Recommendation by Standing Committee on Soft Power and Cultural Diplomacy: 

• Policy Clarity: The MEA should create a policy document on India’s soft power projections, outlining its tools and how it is projected abroad, along with a vision statement for the future.
• Restructuring ICCR: ICCR should be reformed to make it more autonomous, accountable, and efficient, with a clear mandate and vision statement that reflects its goals and strategies.
  • Central government should increase ICCR’s budgetary allocation by Rs 500 crore so that it can conduct India’s soft power and cultural diplomacy in a robust manner.
• Body for Coordination: The article advocates that there should be a central body that can coordinate and monitor the soft power initiatives of various ministries and agencies, such as tourism, education, sports, science and technology, etc. 
  • It should have representatives from MEA, ICCR, Ministry of Culture and other stakeholders who can ensure synergy and alignment of policies and programs.
• Yoga certification board: India should establish a yoga certification board that can standardize and regulate the quality and authenticity of yoga teachers and institutions across the world. 
  • India should organize more yoga festivals and events to showcase its diversity and expertise in this field.
• Interact with Indian diaspora: India should create a mechanism to engage with the diaspora more effectively and regularly, such as through online platforms, cultural exchanges, scholarships, awards, etc. 
  • Ex: Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) has been celebrated on 9th January every year since 2003 to mark the contribution of the Overseas Indian community in the development of India.
• Promoting tourism: India should invest more in developing its tourism infrastructure, facilities, and services. 
  • India should launch more campaigns and initiatives to attract more tourists from different regions and segments.
  • MEA should open more AYUSH centres overseas strategically and in a planned manner.

Conclusion

• India’s soft power derives not only from its cultural heritage (music, dance, arts, etc.) and economic strength but also from its rich history of philosophical and wisdom traditions that have influenced people globally for centuries, to discover healing, solace and transformation and learn to peacefully coexist.

News Source: The Print

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Context:

The Parliamentary standing committee has called for addressing wage disparity under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA). 

About MGNREGA:

• MGNREGA was enacted in 2005 as a social welfare program by the Ministry of Rural development.
• Objective: To guarantee 100 days of employment in every financial year to adult members of any rural household willing to do public work-related unskilled manual work.

Why was  MGNREGA launched?

• To improve the purchasing power of the rural people, primarily semi or unskilled work to people living below poverty line in rural India.
• It attempts to bridge the gap between the rich and poor in the country.

Key Features:

• Legal Right to Work: The Act grants a legal right to employment for adult members of rural households, with at least one-third of beneficiaries being women. 
• Wage Provision: Wages must be paid according to the wages specified for agricultural laborers in the state under the  Minimum Wages Act, 1948, unless the central government notifies a wage rate (this should not be less than Rs 60 per day). 
• Time bound guarantee of work and unemployment allowance: Employment must be provided with 15 days of being demanded failing which an ‘unemployment allowance’ must be given.
• Decentralized Planning: Gram sabhas must recommend the works that are to be undertaken and at least 50% of the works must be executed by them.  
  • Panchayati Raj Institutions are primarily responsible for planning, implementation and monitoring of the works that are undertaken.
• Work Site Facilities: All work sites should have facilities such as crèches, drinking water and first aid.
• Funding:  Funding is shared between the centre and the states.  
  • The central government bears 100% of the cost of unskilled labour, 75% of the cost of semi-skilled and skilled labour, 75% of the cost of materials and 6% of the administrative costs.
• Transparency and accountability: Social audits are conducted by gram sabhas to enable the community to monitor the implementation of the scheme.
• Appointment of ombudsperson: Under the Act, there should be an ombudsperson for each district who will receive grievances, conduct enquiries, and pass awards. 

.What types of works are taken up under MGNREGA ?

• Water conservation and water harvesting structures to augment and improve groundwater like underground dykes, earthen dams.
• Renovation of traditional water bodies including desilting of irrigation tanks and other water bodies
• Improving livelihoods through horticulture, sericulture, plantation, and farm forestry
• Providing all-weather rural road connectivity to unconnected villages and to connect identified rural production centers to the existing pucca road network.

Key Achievements of MGNREGA:

• Under MGNREGA a total of 11.37 Crore households availed employment and a total of 289.24 crore person-days employment has been generated (till 15th December, 2022).
• During the first COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, it provided a critical lifeline for a record 11 crore workers. 
• Studies gave empirical evidence that wages earned under MGNREGA helped compensate for somewhere between 20% to 80% of the income loss incurred because of the lockdown. 
• About 8.55 crore households demanded MGNREGA work in 2020-21, followed by 8.05 crore in 2021-22, compared to a total of 6.16 core households asking for work in the pre-pandemic year 2019-20.

Significance of  MGNREGA:

• Transparency: Under the MGNREGA, 99% wage seekers are receiving their wage directly into their Bank/Post Office accounts. It is a big step towards transparency and timely release of wages.
• Demand Driven Programme: Unlike the earlier wage employment programmes that were allocation-based, MGNREGA is demand driven and resource transfer from Centre to States is based on the demand for employment in each State.
• Upskilling Workers: Under MGNREGA, the project “UNNATI” intends to upgrade the skill-base of the workers, and thereby improve their livelihoods.
  • As on 15th December 2022, 27,383 candidates have been trained.

Challenges:

• Fabrication of Job Cards:There are several issues related to the existence of fake job cards, the inclusion of fictitious names, missing entries and delays in making entries in job cards.
• Increase in wages commensurate with inflation: The nominal wages under MGNREGA discourage beneficiaries and propel them to either seek more remunerative work or migrate to urban areas.  
  • This is reflected by the fact that while 755 lakh households were provided employment in 2020-21, only 72 lakh households completed 100 days of employment.
• Delay in Payment by Centre: As per data released by the Centre, owed ₹4,700 crore in MGNREGA wages to 18 States as of December 14, 2022. 
• Non Payment of unemployment allowances: Most states do not pay an unemployment allowance when work is not given on demand.  
• Reduced Share in Union Budget: Government reduced allocation by 30% for the scheme in the Union Budget, from 2.14% of overall outlay in FY23 to 1.33% in FY24.
• Red Tapism: There is much evidence that Aadhaar­ based payments have neither reduced corruption nor reduced wage payment delays while creating hurdles for officials and workers during implementation.
• Ineffective Role of Panchayati Raj Institutions: With very little autonomy, gram panchayats are not able to implement this act in an effective and efficient manner.
• Large Number of Incomplete works: There has been a delay in the completion of works. Also, there is an issue of quality of work and asset creation under MGNREGA.

Way Forward: 

• Enhance Budgetary Allocation: The Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj in 2022 had recommended increased budgetary allocation and increased person-days to MGNREGA. 
• Training of functionaries: Training and capacity building of elected representatives and other functionaries of PRIs must be done regularly as it will facilitate their involvement in the implementation of MGNREGA.
• Strengthening Panchayati Raj Institutions: Gram panchayats need to be provided with adequate resources, powers, and responsibilities to sanction works, provide work on demand, and authorize wage payments to ensure there are no delays in payments.
• Regulation of job cards: Offences such as not recording employment related information in job cards and unlawful possession of job cards with elected PRI representatives and MGNREGA functionaries should be made punishable under the Act.
• Utilization of funds:  The Department of Rural Development should analyze reasons for poor utilization of funds and take steps to improve the same.
  • For example, in 2010-11, 27.31% of the funds remained unutilised.  
• Context specific projects and convergence: Since states are at various stages of socio-economic development, they have varied requirements for development. 
  • Therefore, state governments should be allowed to undertake works that are pertinent to their context under MGNREGA.
• Uniform wage rate: Wage rates notified under MGNREGA range from Rs 193 to Rs 318 in different states/UTs. The wages should be unified across the country.

News Source: The Print

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The Union Minister for Power and New & Renewable Energy has informed about the status of repayment of the bonds issued by the State Governments and the DISCOMs under the UDAY scheme. 

About UDAY SCHEME:

• The Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY) was launched by the Ministry of Power in November 2015.
• Aim: To improve the financial health and operational efficiency of state-owned distribution companies (discoms) across the country.  
• State Issuance of non-SLR Bonds: State will issue non-SLR (Statutory Liquidity Ratio) including SDL (State Development Loans) bonds in the market or directly to the respective bank/ financial Institution holding the DISCOM debts to the appropriate extent. 
• Transfer of Proceeds to DISCOMs: The funds realized from the bond issuance will be entirely transferred by the state to the respective DISCOMs.

Objectives of Scheme:

• Financial turnaround
• Operational improvement
• Reduction of cost of generation of power
• Development of Renewable Energy
• Energy efficiency & conservation

Key benefits for the states participating in UDAY: 

• Reduction in Cost of power through Central Support
  • Increased supply of domestic coal
  • Allocation of coal linkages at notified prices
  • Coal price rationalization
  • Coal linkage rationalization & allowing coal swaps
  • Supply of washed & crushed coal
  • Additional coal at notified prices
  • Faster completion of Interstate Transmission lines
  • Power purchase through transparent competitive bidding
• Additional priority funding under schemes like Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana(DDUGJY), Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS), etc.

Targets to be met by states under UDAY:

• Deb Takeover: 
  • States to take over 75% of the outstanding debt of their discoms (accumulated till 2015) over two years (50% in 2015-16 and 25% in 2016-17).
• Progressive Funding of DISCOM Losses: 
  • They were also required to progressively fund a greater share in losses of discoms from their budgetary resources (10% in 2018-19, 25% in 2019-20, and 50% in 2020-21).  
• Operational Targets: 
  • In addition, UDAY specified certain operational targets such as achieving 15% AT&C losses by 2018-19 at the national level.

News Source: PIB

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The Union Minister for Power and New & Renewable Energy has informed about the status of implementation and coverage of the SAUBHAGYA Scheme in the country.

About Saubhagya(Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana) Scheme:

• It was launched  in October, 2017 focusing on last mile connectivity and electricity connections to all the unelectrified households in the country. 
• It is a concurrent program to Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti.

Objectives of Scheme:

• Provide last mile connectivity and electricity connection to all un-electrified households in rural areas;
• Extend electricity connection to all remaining economically poor un electrified households in urban areas. Non-poor urban households are excluded from this scheme.
• Implement Solar Photovoltaic (SPV) based standalone system for un-electrified households located in remote and inaccessible villages/habitations, where grid extension is not feasible or cost effective.

Salient features:

• Free metered connection for economically poor households and a charge of Rs. 500 (adjusted in electricity bills in 10 monthly instalments) for households other than poor, only after release of connection.
• Establishing camps in villages/ cluster of villages for on spot registration
• Use of Mobile App for identification of beneficiaries and electronic registration including requisite documentation
• Web based near real-time monitoring and updating of progress
• Flexibility to States in mode of implementation

News Source: PIB

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Recently, the Government has set a deadline for mandatory implementation of the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), to bring them on par with World Health Organisation (WHO) standards.

More about the news:

• These revised practices align with the World Health Organisation (WHO) standards.
  • WHO-GMP certification is valid for three years
• Objective: To bring in better quality management that will help Indian pharmaceutical manufacturers grow their business nationally and internationally.
  • Currently, only 2,000 of the 10,500 manufacturing units in the country were found to be compliant with the global WHO-GMP standards.
• Requirement: Companies with a turnover of over Rs 250 crore will have to implement the revised GMP within six months, while medium and small-scale enterprises with turnover of less than Rs 250 crore will have to implement it within a year.
  • Those who do not comply with the direction will face suspension of licence and/ or penalty.

Good Manufacturing Practice:

• GMP refers to the Good Manufacturing Practice regulations promulgated by the US Food and Drug Administration under the authority of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
• They are also referred to as ‘cGMP’ or ‘current Good Manufacturing Practice
• These regulations require that manufacturers, processors, and packagers of drugs, medical devices, some food, and blood take proactive steps to ensure that their products are safe, pure, and effective.
• In India, GMP system was first incorporated in 1988 in Schedule M of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945, and the last amended in 2018

News Source: The Indian Express

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Recently, an earthquake of 4.3 magnitude hit Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Reason for earthquake in Andaman and Nicobar:

• Andaman and Nicobar Islands region is an earthquake hotspot, caused by ‘subduction’ of the Indian plate beneath the Burmese plate.
• Indo-Australian plate subducts beneath the Burmese microplate resulting in the formation of a major island arc-trench system.
• Andaman-Nicobar-Sumatra subduction zone is an active oblique subduction zone in the northeast Indian Ocean. 
• Previous Earthquake in Region:
  • Tsunami 2004: Great Nicobar is not far from Banda Aceh in Indonesia, which was the epicentre of the December 2004 earthquake and tsunami that caused unprecedented damage. 
  • The coastline of Great Nicobar saw permanent subsidence of nearly four metres as evidenced by the fact that the lighthouse at Indira Point now stands surrounded by water. 

About Tectonic Plate:

• Tectonic plates are gigantic pieces of the Earth’s crust and uppermost mantle. 
  • They are made up of oceanic crust and continental crust. 
  • Earthquakes occur around mid-ocean ridges and the large faults which mark the edges of the plates.
• According to theory of plate tectonics, Earth’s outermost layer, or lithosphere—made up of the crust and upper mantle—is broken into large rocky plates. 
  • These plates lie on top of a partially molten layer of rock called the asthenosphere. 
  • Due to the convection of the asthenosphere and lithosphere, the plates move relative to each other at different rates, from two to 15 centimeters (one to six inches) per year. 
  • This interaction of tectonic plates is responsible for many different geological formations such as the Himalaya mountain range in Asia, the East African Rift, and the San Andreas Fault in California, United States.

News Source: The Hindu

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Contect: 

Recently, South Korean researchers claimed that a lead-based compound they had developed, had shown superconducting properties at room temperature, under normal pressure conditions.

About Superconductivity:

• Superconductivity refers to a state in which a material offers zero, or near-zero, resistance to electric current. 
• While resistance is a property that restricts the flow of electricity, superconductivity allows unhindered electric flow.
  • Electricity is essentially the movement of free electrons in a conducting material like copper. 
  • While the movement of electrons is in one particular direction, it is random and haphazard. 
  • They frequently collide with one another, and with other particles in the material, thus offering resistance to the flow of current.
• As of now, superconductivity can be achieved only at very low temperatures, more than 250 degree Celsius below zero, very close to absolute zero which is – 273 degree Celsius.
• In some cases, materials can exhibit superconductivity at slightly higher temperatures as well, but under increased pressure conditions.

Significance of Superconductivity:

• Zero Electrical Resistance: Conduct electricity with zero resistance leading to efficient current transmission without energy loss as heat. 
• High Magnetic Fields: Generate very high magnetic fields, which makes them useful in a variety of applications such as MRI machines and particle accelerators.
• Efficient Energy Storage: Store energy very efficiently, which makes them useful for energy storage applications such as in batteries and power grids.
• Faster Computing: Enable faster and more efficient computing devices, which could revolutionize the field of computing.
• New Innovation: Advance the field of quantum computing, as superconducting qubits can store and process quantum information with high coherence and fidelity.

News Source: Indian Express

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