Technological revolution Covid19
Technological revolution Covid19 The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented public health crisis that has led to staggering losses in economic activity and jobs. Even as the world grapples with containing the virus and stemming the economic haemorrhage, it is becoming clear that the pandemic is contributing to the accelerated deployment of Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) automation technologies. The global labour market was already going through radical changes over the last few decades. According to World Economic Forum(WEF) the coronavirus pandemic has further accelerated the labour market’s transformation, which is going to take away 85 million jobs due to workforce automation but creates 97 million more. The technology revolution at the same time will generate 97 million new jobs in areas like artificial intelligence, content creation, cloud computing and green economy. Factors: The process of industrial relocation in Western countries. The so-called technological revolution. So, the real need right now is to evaluate how the COVID-19 crisis will affect this ongoing transformation. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the International Labour Organization (ILO) estimated that 1,400 million workers in the world (around 37.5% of the total workers) worked in vulnerable employment. Pre-Pandemic Factors for 4IR Automation: Labour Costs Innovation in the Market Capital Expenditure. Occupation and Task Post-Pandemic Factors for 4IR Automation: Firm-Level Reorganisation Constrained Labour Supply and Productivity. Constrained Working Conditions for Women: Elderly and Vulnerable Populations Retreat from the Workforce: Change in Workers’ Preferences over Safety: Low Interest Rates Public Stimulus Packages That Support Business’ Adoption of Digital Solutions Employment Limited to COVID-19 Immune Workers Restrictions on Labour Mobility Policy Implications: Expand Social Safety Nets Monitor Automation Trends Carefully Support Workforce Upskilling and Retraining Promote Human-Centred 4IR Ecosystems. Regional Cooperation Towards Resilient, Innovative Economies Way forward: APEC economies should recognise that 4IR technologies – when managed effectively – can help economies reach higher levels of productivity at lower input costs while making entirely new industries and jobs possible. The pressures of the COVID -19 crisis is an opportunity for APEC to rebuild better for the future in ways that will create new space for business dynamism and innovation while ensuring that economic growth is inclusive, sustainable, and resilient . The real impact of AI and robotics on the labour market, strong changes are expected to disrupt our societies. Without employment providing a structure in the people’s lives and with technology replacing many human activities, our societies will likely shift towards more individualistic entities with less human interaction. For this reason, human fulfilment should be considered a fundamental factor in the upcoming industrial revolution. After all, if technology was created to make our lives easier and more efficient in terms of time and resources, we should wonder where the time saved goes to and even whether it is making us happier. Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. Join now
IndARC
IndARC IndARC is India’s first underwater moored observatory was deployed on 23 July 2014 at 78o 56′ N and 12o E in the inner Kongsfjorden where the depth is ~180 m. The Ministry of Earth Sciences evolved a unique moored observatory ‘IndARC’ with suite of sensors for Physico-chemical and oceanographic in situ long-term data collection. The Arctic Ocean plays an important role in governing the earth’s climate and also faithfully records its past climatic history and represents a significant gap in ocean observations. Half way between Norway (1100km away from Norway) and the North Pole at a depth of 192 metre. Arctic: The Earth’s climate is already changing, and the changes are particularly marked in the Arctic. The Arctic is undergoing significant transformation as a result of climate change and increased human use including marine transportation, tourism and resource development. The highly uncertain sensitivity of the carbon cycle of the Arctic to the projected climate change is a major issue of global concern. Arctic has been a sink for atmospheric CO2. The impacts of climate change in the Arctic will be felt throughout the world because changes in physical processes here influence the climate on a global scale. Processes of change in the Arctic can therefore provide a unique insight into the climate change that is already taking place and also act as a forewarning of the future regional and global impacts of these changes. Challenges: The region is not well covered by satellites, and heavy cloud cover often limits their use. Knowledge gap. The lack of long-term, multidisciplinary inter-annual data spanning both the summer and ice-covered winter seasons. The data provided by IndARC helps to understand the Arctic processes and their influence on the Indian monsoon system through climate modelling studies; and the response of the Arctic to climatic variability. Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now
Issues of Conventional Energy Sources
Issues of Conventional Energy Sources The consumption of energy in petajoules from Coal and Lignite was highest which accounted for about 46.8% of the total consumption during 2018-19 followed by Crude Oil (33.2%) and Electricity (12.9%).While percapita consumption of energy has consistently increased during the years 2011-12 to 2018-19 with a CAGR of 2.30%, energy consumed for producing one unit of Gross Domestic Product has decreased during the period (CAGR (-) 1.92%). Coal: India is the world’s second-largest producer of coal after the People’s Republic of China. The share of coal in both the energy mix and the power mix in India has been increasing since the 1970s and in 2017 coal provided 44% of the total primary energy supply (TPES) and 74% of electricity generation. Coal is the most abundant fossil fuel resource in India, although Indian coal is generally of poor quality, with high ash content and low calorific value. Oil Oil remains an essential energy source for India. It is the second-largest source in the country’s total primary energy supply (TPES) and the largest in its total final consumption (TFC). Oil demand has increased rapidly over the last several decades and India is now the third-largest oil-consuming country in the world. Natural Gas: India’s natural gas consumption is small but increasing. Most gas is used in the industrial sector and in power generation. Residential gas consumption is small, but India is expanding its gas distribution networks rapidly, an area where major growth is expected. India aims to increase the share of natural gas to 15% of the energy mix by 2030 (PNGRB, 2013), which suggests a doubling of current demand and infrastructure needs, as part of a gas trading hub. This will require the availability of transport capacity across India, which will enable all market players to access LNG supplies. Under the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) Act 2006, gas pipelines were declared common carriers/contract, and non-discriminatory third-party access is mandatory. Challenges of conventional energy: Ozone depletion Global warming Acid rain Accessibility Challenge Policy Challenges Lack of skilled manpower Lacks transportation infrastructure Economic challenges Way Forward The INDIA ENERGY SECURITY SCENARIOS, 2047(IESS) Augment refining and distribution of oil and gas. Improve India’s Energy diplomacy Promot Renewable Energy Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP) Tax structure should be rationalized National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE) should conduct a thorough cost-benefit analysis of the available energy-efficient technologies and products across all sectors, especially agriculture, housing and transportation. Increasing accessibility to clean energy Enroll today with the best civils service academy in Trivandrum and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now
National Green Tribunal
National Green Tribunal The National Green Tribunal has been established on 18.10.2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010 for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources. Including enforcement of any legal right relating to the environment and giving relief and compensation for damages to persons and property and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. India is the third country in the world – after Australia and New Zealand – to set up such a body to deal with environmental cases. Objectives of National Green Tribunal It is a specialized body equipped with the necessary expertise to handle environmental disputes involving multi-disciplinary issues. The Tribunal shall not be bound by the procedure laid down under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, but shall be guided by principles of natural justice. The Tribunal’s dedicated jurisdiction in environmental matters shall provide speedy environmental justice and help reduce the burden of litigation in the higher courts. The Tribunal is mandated to make and endeavour for disposal of applications or appeals finally within 6 months of filing of the same. Initially, the NGT is proposed to be set up at five places of sittings and will follow the circuit procedure for making itself more accessible. New Delhi is the Principal Place of Sitting of the Tribunal and Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata, and Chennai shall be the other four place of sitting of the Tribunal. To achieve the objective of Article 21, 47 and 51A (g) of the Constitution of India by means of fair, fast, and satisfactory judicial procedure. Structure of NGT The Tribunal comprises of the Chairperson, the Judicial Members and Expert Members. They shall hold office for a term of five years and are not eligible for reappointment. The Chairperson is appointed by the Central Government in consultation with Chief Justice of India (CJI). A Selection Committee shall be formed by central government to appoint the Judicial Members and Expert Members. There are to be least 10 and maximum 20 full time Judicial members and Expert Members in the tribunal. Powers of NGT NGT provides a way for the evolution of environmental jurisprudence through the development of an alternative dispute resolution mechanism. It helps in the reduction of the litigation burden on environmental matters in the higher courts. NGT provides a faster solution for various environment-related disputes that are less formal and less expensive. It curbs environment-damaging activities. NGT ensures the strict observation of the Environment Impact Assessment process. NGT provides reliefs and compensations for any damages caused to persons and properties. The National Green Tribunal resolves various civil cases under the following seven laws that are related to the environment: Water Act (Prevention and Control of Pollution), 1974 Water Cess Act (Prevention and Control of Pollution), 1977 Forest Act (Conservation), 1980 Air Act (Prevention and Control of Pollution), 1981 Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991 Biological Diversity Act, 2002 Important Landmark Judgments of NGT: The NGT has delivered a number of high-profile judgments. Most recently, it made it illegal for diesel vehicles over 15 years old from plying on the roads of Delhi, in a bid to tackle heavy air pollution. The body has also issued the cancellation of clearance to coal blocks in the Hasdeo-Arand forests of Chhattisgarh. In 2012, POSCO a steelmaker company signed a MoU with the Odisha government to set up steel project. NGT suspended order and this was considered a radical step in favour of the local communities and forests. In 2013 in Uttarakhand floods case, the Alaknanda Hydro Power Co. Ltd. was ordered to compensate to the petitioner – here, the NGT directly relied on the principle of ‘polluter pays’. In 2015, the NGT ordered that all diesel vehicles over 10 years old will not be permitted to ply in Delhi-NCR. The NGT, in 2017, imposed an interim ban on plastic bags of less than 50-micron thickness in Delhi because “they were causing animal deaths, clogging sewers and harming the environment”. Challenges: For a tribal trying to stop pollution from an iron ore mine in Bastar, this means filing and fighting a case in Bhopal. This is neither easy nor affordable. Conflicts are brewing between NGT and the high courts. As per the NGT Act, appeals from NGT can only go to the Supreme Court, thus by-passing the high courts.Backlog of cases in NGT as another reason for the institution’s failure to address environmental matters. Two important acts – Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 have been kept out of NGT’s jurisdiction. This restricts the jurisdiction area of NGT and at times hampers its functioning as crucial forest rights issue is linked directly to environment. Way forward System of Larger Bench in NGT Judicial review is an important power that must be given to NGT We should include other environment-related laws within NGT’S ambit. We must strengthen it by giving it more powers and by investing in strengthening its infrastructure Collaborative Approach Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now
Liberalised Remittance Scheme
Liberalised Remittance Scheme The Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) allows resident individuals to remit a certain amount of money during a financial year to another country for investment and expenditure. According to the prevailing regulations, resident individuals may remit up to $250,000 per financial year. This money can be used to pay expenses related to traveling (private or for business), medical treatment, studying, gifts and donations, maintenance of close relatives and so on. The remitted amount can also be invested in shares, debt instruments, and be used to buy immovable properties in overseas market. Individuals can also open, maintain and hold foreign currency accounts with banks outside India for carrying out transactions permitted under the scheme. LRS restricts buying and selling of foreign exchange abroad, or purchase of lottery tickets or sweep stakes, proscribed magazines and so on, or any items that are restricted under Schedule II of Foreign Exchange Management (Current Account Transactions) Rules, 2000. Can’t make remittances directly or indirectly to countries identified by the Financial Action Task Force as “non co-operative countries and territories”. Read Pradhan Mantri KISAN Samman Nidhi Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now
Parliamentary Committee System
Parliamentary Committee System A Parliamentary Committee means a Committee which is appointed or elected by the House or nominated by the Speaker and which works under the direction of the Speaker and presents its report to the House or to the Speaker and the Secretariat for which is provided by the Lok Sabha Secretariat. Parliamentary Committees are of two types: Standing Committees and Ad hoc Committees. The origin of the Committee system in India can be traced back to the Constitutional Reforms of 1919. Important Committees of Indian Parliament: Business Advisory Committees: The main business of this Committee is to control the timetable of the House. The Committee may also make recommendations as to how much time should be given for the discussion of the various stages of a bill. The Business Advisory Committee submits a unanimous report to the House which the latter also adopts in tote. Select Committees: These Committees are constituted when a motion that the said Bill be referred to a Select Committee is passed by the House. The Committee examines the bill clause by clause. It may make substantial amendments to the bill. The Committee then submits its report to the House. Joint Committees: These Committees help the House to perform the business of legislation smoothly. It avoids duplication of legislation and thereby saves the time of Parliament. Committees on Private Member’s bill: The main function of the Committee is to examine those bills which are introduced by the Private Members of the House. Further, the Committee sorts out such bills according to their contents, urgency, and importance. Committee on Petitions: It is formed at the commencement of the House. The Committee examines the petitions submitted to the House by the People. The Committee takes proper evidence in each case and can suggest remedies to the House. Committee on Privileges: The Committee examines all cases of breach of privileges of the House. It then submits its report to the House. Rules Committee: According to the Constitution of India, each House of Parliament makes rules for regulating one conduct of its business. The Committee examines those rules and can also make recommendations for changes in them. Committee on Subordinate Legislation: The main function of the Committee is to examine whether the delegated legislation is properly exercised in accordance with the rules and regulations conferred by the Constitution. Estimates Committee: The chief function of the Committee is to consider the estimates or expenditure submitted to the Lok Sabha. It carefully examines the estimates of the different departments of Government. It can suggest recommendations for the economy. However, the Committee does not deal with the general policy of the Government, relating to the proposed expenditure. The Committee then submits recommendations to the House. Committee on Government Assurance: The math business of the Committee is to see whether the assurances given by the ministers from time to time have been implemented. It also submits its report to the House. Committee on Absence of Members from the sitting of House: The main function of the Committee is to examine the leave applications of those members of the House who have been absent for 60 days or more. Public Accounts Committee: “The Public Accounts Committee is the twin brother of the Estimates Committee.” The Committee must have to satisfy itself that the public money has been spent by the different departments in accordance with the laws of Parliament. It also examines the report of the Comptroller and Auditor-General. The Committee in its report to the Lok Sabha points out the irregularities of different ministers and suggests remedial measures. Significance of Parliamentary Committee System: The idea behind the committee system in Parliament is to provide a specialized forum for deliberation on policy issues. This ensures that the deliberations are not constrained by the limited number of sitting days as in the case of Parliament. Debates in committees are more technical and so, the deliberations require time and stretch for a few months. The purpose is to strengthen the administration by investing it with more meaningful parliamentary support. Committee meetings also provide a forum where members can engage with domain experts as well as senior-most officials of the concerned ministries. A considerable amount of legislative work gets done in these smaller units of MPs from both Houses, across political parties The work done by the Parliament in modern times is not only varied in nature but considerable in volume. Committees relieve the Parliament of its burden. They also, save time and give an expert opinion on the subject. Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now
Lieutenant Governor issues in Delhi
Lieutenant Governor issues in Delhi The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is likely to introduce legislation in the ongoing Parliament session to amend a 1991 Act pertaining to the powers and function of the Delhi government and the Lieutenant Governor. The Union Territory of Delhi with a Legislative Assembly came into being in 1991 under Article 239 AA of the Constitution inserted by ‘the Constitution (Sixty-ninth Amendment) Act, 1991’, It said that the UT of Delhi shall be called the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Controversy Between LG & Delhi Government The LG vs Delhi Government’s jurisdiction debate that the Supreme Court sought to address in NCT of Delhi vs. Union of India (2018).This special set up worked well mainly because the same party held office at the Centre as well as in Delhi for much of the time.Presently, SC is looking into two main issues: Whether the elected government is the final authority in respect of matters assigned to it by the constitution & Whether the LG has primacy when a difference of opinion arises between him and his council of ministers on matters of governance Salient points in the SC verdict LG is only an administrator. Council of Ministers led by CM will convey all decisions to the LG. But that does not mean Council of Ministers needs his concurrence or permission to take any decision. Normally, LG will have to go by the “aid and advise” of the Council of Ministers headed by the CM. Delhi is not a state but enjoys a special status as it has an elected govt. Central government cannot be given full control over NCT. Elected government accountable to people supreme in all areas of governance except three — land, police and pu public order which are with the centre. Legislative Assembly will have similar powers. All other discordant issues such as control over officers, appointments etc will be decided by a regular bench as per this five-judge bench ruling. Article 239 AA As per Article 239 AA (3) (a), the Delhi assembly can legislate on all those matters listed in the State List and Concurrent List as are applicable to union territories. The public order, police and land are reserved for the LG Article 239 AA was incorporated in the Constitution in 1992. It creates a “special” constitutional set up for Delhi. Under Article 239 AA (4), the council of ministers has the executive power to execute all matters in respect of which the assembly has the power to make laws. Article 239 AA (b) says that the council of ministers shall be collectively responsible to the assembly. Article 239 AA virtually nullifies the executive power vested in the council of ministers. Challenges The court did not very clearly delineate the issues in respect of which the LG can refer a decision taken by the Council of Ministers to the President in the event of a difference of opinion between the LG and the State government. Overlapping Areas Lt. Governor should not emerge as an adversary having a hostile attitude towards the Council of Ministers of Delhi; rather, he should act as a facilitator. Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now
Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile (QRSAM)
Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile (QRSAM) QRSAM has been developed to replace the ‘Akash’ missile defence system, and has 360-degree coverage. It is developed by DRDO and has been tested from the Odisha coast, Chandipur. It uses solid fuel propellant and has a strike range of 25-30 km with capability of hitting multiple targets. A number of range instruments like Radar, Telemetry and Electro Optical Sensors were deployed which captured the complete flight data and verified the performance of the missile. It is predominantly developed for the Indian Army and is in possession of State-of-the-art technology like array radar, radio frequency seeker and so on. It is capable of hitting the low flying objects. The QRSAM weapon system, which operates on the move, comprises fully automated command and control, active array battery surveillance radar, active array battery multifunction radar and launcher. Radars acquired the target from a long range and tracked it till the mission computer automatically launched the missile. Continuous guidance was provided through Radar data link. Missile entered the terminal active homing guidance and reached the target close enough for proximity operation of warhead activation.
Gas Authority Of India Ltd. – GAIL
Gas Authority Of India Ltd. – GAIL In 1984, GAIL India was established by the Indian government as a PSU (Public Sector Undertaking) underneath the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry. It is the largest natural gas refining and handling business in India. In the definition, GAIL is included in NSE (National Stock Exchange) and BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange). To accelerate and optimize the effective and economic use of Natural Gas in Industries and CGD to the benefit of the National Economy Objectives og GAIL Distribution & Marketing of Natural Gas Piped Natural Gas for Domestic/ Commercial/ Industrial purposes Setting up of facilities for compression of Natural Gas, laying of the pipelines from City Gate Station(s) to the consumption areas and associated facilities, distribution points/retail outlets for CNG/Auto LPG, transportation of gas through mobile cascades/lorries in the various cities of India and along the national highways for building CNG corridors Building gas business opportunities through participation with Gas Producers/ Strategic partners for the implementation of the downstream distribution projects Development of City Gas Distribution projects Secondary distribution of NG/ RLNG to end consumers GAIL Gas is pursuing City Gas Business in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Vadodara (Gujarat), Haridwar (Uttarakhand), North Goa and Assam through its Joint Ventures. It is also identifying various industrial clusters along the pipeline corridor for distribution of Natural Gas in various states.
Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA)
Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) It was established by the Government of India under the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority Act passed by the Parliament in December 1985. The Authority replaced the Processed Food Export Promotion Council (PFEPC). Functions of APEDA In accordance with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority Act, 1985, (2 of 1986) the following functions have been assigned to the Authority. Development of industries relating to the scheduled products for export by way of providing financial assistance or otherwise for undertaking surveys and feasibility studies, participation in enquiry capital through joint ventures and other reliefs and subsidy schemes; Registration of persons as exporters of the scheduled products on payment of such fees as may be prescribed; Fixing of standards and specifications for the scheduled products for the purpose of exports; Carrying out inspection of meat and meat products in slaughterhouses, processing plants, storage premises, conveyances or other places where such products are kept or handled for the purpose of ensuring the quality of such products; Improving of packaging of the Scheduled products; Improving of marketing of the Scheduled products outside India; Promotion of export-oriented production and development of the Scheduled products; Collection of statistics from the owners of factories or establishments engaged in the production, processing, packaging, marketing or export of the scheduled products or from such other persons as may be prescribed on any matter relating to the scheduled products and publication of the statistics so collected or of any portions thereof or extracts therefrom; Read Also Maritime domain awareness Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. contact us
