03 April 2023

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS

 1 – Tourism Sector in India: GS III – Indian Economy:

Context:

• India aspires to develop a $1 trillion tourism business with 100 million foreign visitors by 2047, the 100th anniversary of its independence, according to a government declaration on April 2.
• Union Tourism Minister G. Kishan Reddy said that various government-led initiatives within the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) paradigm are being prioritised in order to achieve this while speaking at the second G-20 Tourism Working Group (TWG) conference in Siliguri.

The contribution of tourism to the economy:

• The acknowledgement of India’s historical and cultural landmarks makes more protection and preservation possible.
• Tourism has the potential to be a tool for local development because of the significant amount of money that visiting tourists spend.
• It encourages social equality while directing regions lacking in industries that stimulate growth towards more inclusive, equitable growth.
• It raises awareness of the region on a worldwide scale and draws attention to its underlying socioeconomic issues.
• It drives the service sector. Together with the tourism industry, the number of firms that will benefit from the service sector is increasing.
• The rising tourism industry, which necessitates appropriate infrastructure, fuels development. The tour buses in Uttarakhand serve as an example.
• The railway, aviation, and estate sectors all receive substantial assistance.
• The development of foreign hotel and tourism companies in India is also possible. The flood of tourists benefits small companies in tourist areas.
• It creates jobs for the travel industry and the hospitality industry.
• Given India’s allure, it strengthens ties with foreign nations and increases India’s soft power.
• Raising money for the protection and upkeep of the monuments and the area contributes to the global effort.
• It provides India with the opportunity to highlight its biological richness and valuable animals like tigers, red pandas, and wild asses.
• Also, it can support efforts to raise funds and awareness of problems with Indian wildlife on a global scale.

Problems Facing the Travel Industry:

• Due to the tourism industry’s seasonal dependence, growth rates are reduced in many areas where there is no income the rest of the year.
• Exchange rate volatility can lead to a weaker rupee and lower-than-expected foreign exchange reserves.
• The widespread rejection of international payment cards hurts tourism.
• India is a costly destination for many tourists because of the high travel and tourism taxes.
• There aren’t enough professionals, tour operators, or guides who speak English.
• There are instances when places lack basic services like urinals and tourist-friendly bathrooms.
• Due to the frequent occurrence of landslides and cloudbursts in the Himalayas and the North East, many travellers have perished in the past. As an illustration, consider the 2013 Kedarnath Cloud Burst.
• Wildlife tourism raises the risk of forest fires and puts further pressure on already-vulnerable species.
• Tourists’ reckless rubbish dumping and damage of historical sites hurt the nature and poison water systems.
• Documentation requirements, inner line permissions, and visa requirements all contribute to traveller delays.
• There are numerous attractions in northern India’s interior that require more promotion, despite the fact that tourists are concentrated in fewer states.
• Despite having excellent rankings, India ranks 34th overall for tourist competitiveness, indicating that the country has not successfully monetized or marketed the industry.

Government initiatives:

• As part of the Swadesh Darshan Plan, the Ministry of Tourism collaborates with State Governments to assist them in developing the infrastructure for 13 designated theme-based circuits.
• A recent budget commitment of Rs. 1,200 crores (US$ 171.70 million) was made as part of Swadesh Darshan for the creation of tourist circuits for eight Northeastern states.
• The Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD programmes seek to promote expansion in specialised tourism markets, such as those for religious, adventure, and wellness travel.
• The Swachh Bharat movement has started a significant cleaning drive in order to safeguard and sustain the sacredness of national historic monuments.
• In compliance with the All India Permit Regulations 2021, a tourist vehicle operator may submit an online application for an All India Tourist Authorization/Permit.
• Dekho Apna Desh: To promote India as an adventure tourist destination, a webinar series called “12 Months of Adventure Travel” is set to launch on November 28, 2020.

How to Proceed:

• In the interior regions that lack them, new roadways, trains, and tourist attractions must be built. It will lead to the development of infrastructure in these places.
• Encourage private sector involvement in the construction of tourist facilities in isolated and interior locations.
• The government can establish a National Tourism Authority & Advisory Council to handle current and upcoming projects related to tourism.
• Tourism with a special purpose, such medical tourism, Buddhist circuits, ecotourism, and historical circuits, needs to be promoted.
• Promotion of tourism and preservation of the destinations’ social, cultural, and ecological systems must coexist peacefully. To solve concerns with the water crisis, pollution, waste management, and other associated challenges, the government should promote eco-friendly and sustainable tourism.
• utilising social media to promote Indian travel destinations online to domestic and international travellers.
• In order to facilitate entry for foreign tourists, inner line permits must be rationalised, and visa on arrival and visa requirements must be expanded to other nations.
• Focus on underserved populations in order to realise the region’s immense potential. for instance, the North Eastern region.
• Through improved state and local level cooperation, India’s rural tourism sector will grow and boost local revenue.
• If continuous tourist movement is to be fully ensured, all motorway road tolls must be synchronised.
• India’s industry has a tonne of unrealized potential. The tourism sector’s multiplier impact can help increase income levels and ensure inclusive growth. For India to successfully make the shift to a high-income economy, a robust tourism industry might prove to be crucial. To make the sector more resilient to shocks in the future, the entire industry needs to be restructured. Growth must be encouraged, but it also needs to be sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Source The Hindu

2 – ICCR: GS II – Statutory and Non-Statutory Bodies:

Context:

• The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) draws on the insights of current international students who are studying here in order to increase India’s cultural and creative influence on the global stage. More than 48,000 foreign students are enrolled here, and the government wants them to serve as brand ambassadors for India’s history, tourist attractions, textiles, yoga, ayurveda, and handicrafts.
• This year, beginning three to four months before their courses are ended, a number of Central and State universities, institutions like the National Institutes of Technology, and agricultural colleges across the nation will provide Exit Engagement Evenings, or E-3, to international students. Trips to well-known locations across the nation would also be included in the events.

The Indian Council for Cultural Relations’s history is as follows:

• The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), a separate entity of the Indian government, promotes cultural interchange with other nations and their citizens as part of India’s international cultural links (cultural diplomacy).
• Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the nation’s first Minister of Education in an independent India, founded it in 1950.
• From 2015, Indian posts and consulates abroad have entrusted ICCR with the duty of arranging the International Day of Yoga observance.
• As part of its mission to improve ties between India and the rest of the world, the ICCR has established a number of awards that are given to foreign people for their achievements in a variety of sectors. These recognitions include:
• Distinguished Indologist Award—In 2015, at the first International Indology Conference held in India, the “ICCR Distinguished Indologist Award” was established as an annual honour. An international academic is honoured for his services to Indian Studies research, instruction, and study.
• World Sanskrit Award: It was announced that a yearly “World Sanskrit Award” would be established in June 2015 at the 16th International Sanskrit Conference in Bangkok to recognise the achievements made by foreign academics to the progress of Sanskrit studies.
• The Distinguished Alumni Award honours the accomplishments of international students who attended Indian universities and comes with a plaque and citation. It went into effect in 2015.
• The ICCR established the Gisela Bonn Prize in 1996 to honour the distinguished German journalist, author, environmentalist, and indologist Giesela Bonn’s efforts to advancing Indo-German ties.

Source The Hindu

 3 – Bharat 6G Vision Document: GS III – Indian Economy:

Context:

• The business and decision-makers can start preparing for the next generation of telecoms using the Bharat 6G Vision Paper, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi released on March 22. While 5G networks are still being developed, 4G service is currently unavailable in more than 45,000 locations.
• So why is the government working on 6G now?
• In the approaching years, the government has made it plain that it wants to increase India’s lead in wireless data consumption and take the initiative in developing 6G standards. This might involve anything from supporting Indian engineers and firms in international discussions on standardisation to increasing homegrown manufacturing of telecom equipment. Influence in the latter is essential because telecommunications standards are often adopted globally.

The aims of the Bharat 6G project are:

• The objective is to establish India as a major global provider of competitive 6G telecommunications solutions, goods, and intellectual property. Also, based on India’s comparative advantages, it seeks to identify the most significant 6G research areas.
• Modern technologies like terahertz communication, radio interfaces, tactile internet, artificial intelligence for connected intelligence, cutting-edge encoding techniques, and waveform chipsets for 6G devices would be given top attention by the project’s apex council, which was appointed to govern it.

The purpose of the Bharat 6G project is to:

• The Bharat 6G Mission’s objective of enabling every Indian to live independently is precisely in line with the Atmanirbhar Bharat national vision of India. Additionally, it intends to secure India’s rightful status as a leading provider of advanced, cost-effective telecoms technology and solutions that benefit the entire world.

The project’s development:

• The two phases of the Bharat 6G project are anticipated to be finished in 2023 and 2025, respectively, and 2025 and 2030, respectively.
• The inaugural round of funding will support experimental hypotheses, proof-of-concept investigations, and high-risk methods. Ideas and techniques will be given enough support to see them through to completion if they show promise of being embraced by the global peer community.
• In the second phase, which ultimately leads to commercialization, testbed development, implementational intellectual property generation, use cases, and benefits will all take place.

The Task Force’s primary recommendations for the Bharat 6G Mission Project are listed below:

• New funding methods to support national laboratories, industry, entrepreneurs, and academics in their R&D endeavours.
• startups that focus on vital industries like transportation, water, renewable energy and the power grid, healthcare, education, digital twins, and smart cities using cutting-edge 6G technologies.
• utilisation of the spectrum together, especially at higher frequencies where light-like propagation is more common.
• To ensure the interoperability and scope of our idea, participation in and contribution to international standard-setting bodies is required.
• a fiber-optic and dense wireless network that is integrated, with wireless communications primarily supporting mobile users.
• combining terrestrial and space technologies for worldwide coverage.
• Sensing and communication are coupled in (Sub-) Terahertz wavelengths.

About 6G:

• The current 5G generation is expected to be replaced by the sixth wireless communication generation, or 6G. While it is still at the conceptual stage, numerous companies and organisations throughout the world are performing research and development on it.
• Much faster internet speeds, lower latency, and more reliable connections are projected with 6G compared to 5G. It is projected that new applications will be made possible, such as seamless virtual and augmented reality, all-around sensing, and machine learning-based communication systems.
• The Bharat 6G Project is also expected to improve connectivity in remote and rural areas and provide solutions for a wide range of industries, including healthcare, transportation, and manufacturing.

Benefits of 6G technology:

The projected benefits of 6G technology include:

• Faster Internet: Up to 1 terabyte per second, or around 100 times faster than 5G, is predicted for 6G internet speeds.
• Reduced Latency: 6G is anticipated to have ultra-low latency, or the capacity to transport data with a remarkably minimal delay. This will enable smooth interactions, particularly for real-time applications like remote surgery and driverless cars.
• More Reliable and Secure Connectivity: 6G is predicted to provide more reliable and secure connectivity, especially in remote and rural areas where internet access is currently limited.
• New Applications: It is projected that 6G will make it possible for new applications such as seamless augmented and virtual reality, all-around sensing, and machine learning-based communication systems.
• Economic Development: By promoting innovation across a number of industries, including as manufacturing, transportation, and healthcare, 6G is expected to hasten economic development. In addition, it might slow urbanisation that is being driven by metros and migration from rural areas.

The following list of potential 6G technological obstacles includes:

• Technical Complexity: 6G technology is expected to be significantly more advanced and contain many more parts and subsystems than its predecessor. Its intricacy could make creating and deploying 6G more challenging.
• Infrastructure Deployment: To realise the potential of 6G, significant investments in infrastructure development are required. As a result, problems with financing, legislation, and deployment may occur.
• Spectrum Allocation: The spectrum’s availability is a key factor in the creation and adoption of 6G technology. However, as the spectrum is a finite resource, it may be challenging to allot enough spectrum for 6G due to the needs of other new technologies.
• Security: Like with any new technology, 6G is likely to suffer security problems. Due to their high speeds and amount of data transfer, 6G networks may be more vulnerable to cyberattacks. The security of 6G networks will be key to their success.
• Standardization: The creation of 6G standards is necessary to guarantee the compatibility and interoperability of diverse networks and devices. However, the development and implementation of standards may be a protracted and challenging process, and disagreements among stakeholders might block the deployment of 6G technology.

Other countries focusing on 6G networks:

• In a number of countries, including South Korea, Europe, and Japan, the 6G network is being developed.
• The South Korean government has made public its plan to spend Rs 1,200 crore on 6G research and development by 2025. All around the country, specialised research institutes have been established, and they work closely with the Korean Intellectual Property Office.
• The research project Hexa-X, which the European 6G Vision is now working on and which is expected to be completed this year, has identified the key qualities of this network in Europe.
• The white paper on 6G Vision 2030, which details the key technology trends for the evolution of infrastructure in four areas: cognitive capability, responsiveness, scalability, and energy efficiency, was issued by the Integrated Optical and Wireless Network (IOWN) Conference in Japan.

Conclusion:

• With the implementation of 6G technology by the Bharat 6G project, the digital divide between urban and rural populations is expected to be bridged, enabling the achievement of the UN’s SDGs and significantly boosting standard of life. With the advent of cutting-edge technology created expressly for India’s unique needs, productivity will grow, especially for individuals residing in rural areas who depend on telecommunications to traverse geographical boundaries. Furthermore, this technology will provide entrepreneurs in India the possibility to develop novel products and intellectual property, propelling the country to the top of the global market for game-changing goods.

Source The Hindu

4 – Eravikulam National Park: GS III – Environmental Conservation:

 Context:

• In Eravikulam National Park (ENP), the Nilgiri tahr’s natural habitat in Munnar, a Fernarium has been built. According to officials, this is the first time a group of ferns of this kind has grown in the hill town.

About:

• It is located in the Southern Western Ghats High Mountains, in Kerala’s Idukki District’s Devikulam Taluk (Kannan Devan Hills).
• Its largest peak, Anamudi (2695 m), is the tallest in South India, and it is 97 square kilometres in area.
• Tourists can access the park’s Rajamalai section.
• The main portion of the park is a high undulating plateau with a base elevation of around 2000 metres above sea level (a plateau with varying elevations or heights).
• The grasslands, shrublands, and shola woodlands are the park’s three primary plant kinds (mosaic of montane evergreen forests and grasslands).
• In the Western Ghats, the park protects the endangered Montane Shola-Grassland vegetation’s longest and least-damaged section.
• It serves as a catchment basin for rivers (Pambar tributaries) that flow both eastward and westward (tributaries of the Periyar and Chalakkudy).
• Locally, it is crucial for preserving the climate as well as for giving the neighbouring estates access to irrigation and drinking water.
• The park is surrounded by the Anamudi Shola National Park, the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, the Pampadum Shola National Park, the Kurinjimala Sanctuary, and the Anamalai Tiger Reserve.
• The park is home to 26 different species of animals, including the biggest remaining population of Nilgiri tahr, estimated to be around 750 animals.
• In addition, lion-tailed macaques, Indian muntjac, gaurs, and sambar deer can be seen in the national park. The principal predators are the golden jackal, wild dog, jungle cat, dhole, leopard, and tiger.
• The Nilgiri langur, Indian porcupine, stripe-necked mongoose, Nilgiri marten, reddish mongoose, little clawed otter, and dusky palm squirrel are a few of the less well-known animals that call this place home. Elephants frequent the park frequently.
• The 132 bird species found include the black-and-orange flycatcher, Kerala laughingthrush, Nilgiri pipit, Nilgiri wood pigeon, white-bellied shortwing, and Nilgiri flycatcher.
• The park is home to 101 species of native butterflies, including the red disc bushbrown and Palni fourring, which are exclusive to the shola-grassland habitat.
• The three major plant types found in the park are grasslands, shrublands, and forests. The area above 2000 metres is largely covered with grasslands.
• Around the bottoms of the cliffs, you may see shrublands. Shola forests can be found in the lowlands and mountain folds. Turner’s Valley, the park’s deepest valley, divides it nearly in half from northwest to southeast.

Source The Hindu