29 January 2024

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS

1 – Government Policies for the PVTG Population in India: GS II – Government Policies and Interventions:

Context:

• In order to determine which 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) across 18 states and Union Territories are eligible to receive the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), the Centre has started a thorough survey and registration procedure.
• The Aawas+ app is the official web application used by the Ministry of Rural Development to determine who is eligible for the rural housing plan.
• Under the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN), 4.9 lakh dwellings are to be constructed for PVTGs.

What is the PM JANMAN, or Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan?

• Through a comprehensive plan, PM JANMAN, under the direction of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, aims to integrate tribal populations into the mainstream. The programme focuses on 11 major interventions spanning sectors, including housing, healthcare, education, and livelihood possibilities, in partnership with states and PVTG communities.
• Nine line Ministries will supervise the programme, guaranteeing that current programmes are implemented in areas where PVTGs reside.
• On November 15, 2023, the Prime Minister announced this project in honour of Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas.

What is the PMAY-G (Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin)?

About:

• It is one of the Central Government’s signature initiatives. On April 1, 2016, the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) officially opened for business.
• The programme aims to give rural impoverished people access to inexpensive housing. This involves giving people residing in run-down and kutcha dwellings basic conveniences and clean kitchens.
• Under PMAY-G, 2.95 crore dwellings must be completed by March 31, 2024.

Recipients:

• The following groups of people are excluded: ex-servicemen and retired paramilitary personnel, disabled people, minorities, widows or next of kin of defence personnel killed in action, liberated bonded labourers, SC/STs, PVTGs, and non-SC/ST categories.

Splitting the Expense:

• The Central Government and State Governments split the cost of unit support 60:40 in plain areas and 90:10 in hilly and northeastern states.

Qualities:

• In PVTGs, the cost of a PMAY-G house has been raised to Rs 2 lakh from Rs 1.2 lakh in plain areas and Rs 1.30 lakh in hilly areas.
• PMAY-G recipients are eligible to receive up to Rs 2.39 lakh in total benefits, which includes an additional Rs 12,500 for toilet building and 90 days of labour under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS).

Source The Hindu

2 – Phase II of the FAME India Scheme: GS II – Government Policies and Interventions:

Context:

• Recent recommendations addressing the expansion and improvement of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) Scheme Phase-II have been made by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Industry.
• The committee recommends that in order to accelerate the shift to electric mobility, the FAME India Phase-II Scheme’s deadline be extended by a minimum of three years.
• The current deadline is March 31, 2024, and Rs 10,000 crore has been budgeted for it.

What are the suggestions for improvement made by the committee?

Restoring the Electric Two-Wheeler Subsidy:

• The committee recommends reinstating the electric two-wheeler subsidy, which was cut in June 2023.
• After June 1, 2023, the government will no longer provide the FAME-II subsidy for electric two-wheelers.
• 15% replaced the original 40% incentive on the ex-factory price. Sales of electric two-wheelers were badly damaged by the reduction of subsidies. Relocation of subsidies was justified by budgetary restrictions.
• It also suggests forecasting increased funding allotments in order to sustain the momentum and rate of adoption of electric vehicles, if necessary.

Private Electric Four-Wheeler Inclusion:

• The ministry should promote more electric cars in the four-wheeler category and include private electric four-wheelers to the FAME-II Scheme, subject to a cap determined by the vehicle’s price and battery capacity.

Government Frameworks that Are Helpful:

• In order to establish India as a global hub for electric vehicles, the committee highlights the necessity of supportive, transparent, and consistent national, state, and local government frameworks.
• It also suggests emphasising the establishment of industrial parks and hubs specifically for the production of batteries, cells, and EV auto components.

Money for Charging Stations and BHEL:

• To help make EV mobility more widely accepted, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) should receive additional funding.
• For EV charging stations, BHEL offered Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) solutions. These consist of battery energy storage systems and solar-powered charging stations.
• Governmental organisations and public sector initiatives should also take part in the installation of charging stations on their property.

Offering Rewards for Installing Charging Stations:

• FAME-II ought to provide incentives for private investors in charging infrastructure. Government subsidies should guarantee returns to women’s self-help groups and cooperative societies so they can help establish and run charging stations.

FAME India Scheme: What is it?

Context:

• The National Electric Mobility Mission Plan includes FAME India.
• The primary goal of the programme is to promote the use of hybrid and electric vehicles by providing upfront incentives for their purchase.
• The programme encompasses electric and hybrid vehicle technologies, including battery-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, strong hybrids, and mild hybrids.

First Phase:

• began in 2015 and, at a cost of Rs 895 crore, was finished on March 31, 2019.
• The first phase of the FAME programme was focused on four areas: charging infrastructure, demand creation, technology development, and trial projects.

Successes:

• Approximately 2.78 lakh xEVs were supported with total demand incentives during the scheme’s first phase. Additionally, 465 buses were approved for usage in a number of states and cities under this programme.

Phase II of FAME India:

• The plan, which has a total budget of Rs. 10,000 crore, is being implemented by the Ministry of Heavy Industries for a period of five years, beginning on April 1, 2019.
• This phase intends to assist eBuses, e-3 Wheelers, e-4 Wheeler Passenger Cars and e-2 Wheelers through demand incentives, with a primary focus on boosting the electrification of public and shared transport.
• In addition, the Scheme provides help for the development of charging infrastructure.

Source The Hindu

3 – Tribunals: GS II – Judiciary-related issues:

Context:

• Union of India (UoI) & Ors. is a recent case heard by the Supreme Court (SC). v. AIR Commodore NK Sharma (2023) has made it clear that tribunals operating within the stringent confines of the laws that regulate them are not authorised to give directives to the government about policy.
• The SC was debating whether the government may have been ordered to create a policy to appoint people to the position of Judge Advocate General (Air) by the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT).

What is the ruling in UoI & Ors. by the SC? v. The Case of Air Chief NK Sharma?

• Tribunals, such as the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT), lack the power to order the government to adopt particular laws.
• Making policy is beyond the purview of the judiciary, including AFT and other quasi-judicial organisations.
• The AFT does not have the same authority as the Supreme Court or the High Courts, although having powers similar to those of a civil court. Furthermore, in carrying out their constitutionally granted authority, the High Courts are unable to order the government or any of its agencies to adopt any specific policy.
• If any citizen’s rights or liberties are infringed upon, Article 226 gives the High Courts the power to sue the government. According to Article 226 of the Indian Constitution, the High Court has extensive authority to issue writs and directions to any person or body.
• It is exclusively the government’s power to formulate or approve policies pertaining to the regularisation or service of defence personnel.
• A tribunal operating under the provisions of its governing laws is not authorised to order the formulation of a policy.

A tribunal: what is it?

About:

• Tribunals are quasi-judicial organisations created to handle issues like settling tax or administrative disputes. It carries out several tasks, including resolving conflicts, establishing rights between parties in conflict, issuing administrative decisions, examining previously issued administrative decisions, and more.

Articles of the Constitution:

• Tribunals were added to the Indian Constitution by the 42nd Amendment Act of 1976; they were not included in the original document.
• A section of Article 323-A addresses Administrative Tribunals.
• Other disputes are handled by tribunals under Article 323-B.

Article 323 B grants the Parliament and state legislatures the authority to establish tribunals to settle disputes pertaining to the following areas:

• Levy
• Foreign exchange, as well as import and export
• Labour and industry
• Reforms to the land
• Urban property ceiling
• State legislature and Parliamentary elections
• Food items
• Tenant rights and rent

The following three factors between Articles 323 A and 323 B:

• Article 323 B considers the establishment of tribunals for some other subjects (discussed above), while Article 323 A solely considers the creation of tribunals for matters pertaining to public service.
• Tribunals under Article 323 B may be constituted by both Parliament and state legislatures with regard to subjects coming under their respective legislative purview, but tribunals under Article 323 A may only be established by Parliament.
• Only one tribunal may be constituted under Article 323 A, one for the Centre, and one for each of the two or more states. The hierarchy of tribunals remains unaddressed, even though Article 323 B permits the creation of such a system.
• Article 262: The Indian Constitution assigns the Central government the authority to resolve disputes between state and regional administrations over interstate rivers.

What Kinds of Indian Tribunals Are There?

Tribunals for Administration:

• Article 323 A of the Constitution established administrative tribunals, which were established by the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985. They function as specialised quasi-judicial authorities entrusted with resolving complaints and disputes pertaining to the selection process and employment conditions of candidates for public office under Union and State governance.
• These tribunals consist of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), joint tribunals for many states, and state-specific tribunals upon request.

Tribunal for Disputed Waters:

• For the purpose of resolving disputes pertaining to the waters of interstate rivers and their river valleys, the Parliament passed the Inter-State River Water Disputes (ISRWD) Act, 1956, which established several Water Disputes Tribunals.
• Standalone Tribunal: The Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was approved by Parliament in order to amend the current ISRWD Act, 1956 and create a standalone tribunal. This will eliminate the need for the time-consuming and necessary process of establishing a separate tribunal for each water dispute.

Armed Forces Tribinal (AFT):

• It’s an Indian military tribunal. It was founded in accordance with the 2007 Armed Forces Tribunal Act.
• It has given AFT the authority to decide cases involving commissions, appointments, enrollments, and terms of service for individuals covered by the Army Act of 1950, the Navy Act of 1957, and the Air Force Act of 1950, or to try cases involving these issues.
• Retired High Court judges make up the Judicial Members, while retired members of the Armed Forces who have held the rank of Major General or above for three years or longer qualify as Administrative Members. Judge Advocate Generals (JAGs) who have been appointed for at least a year are also eligible to be appointed as Administrative Members.

The NGT, or National Green Tribunal:

• The National Green Tribunal Act of 2010 created the National Green Tribunal (NGT), an organisation tasked with expeditiously settling environmental disputes.
• It expedites proceedings concerning compensation for damages and natural conservation because its members include judges and environmental specialists.\

Tribunal for Income Tax Appellation:

• According to Section 252 of the Income Tax Act of 1961, the Central Government may establish an Appellate Tribunal with as many members who are judges and accountants as it deems necessary in order to carry out the duties and authorities granted to the Tribunal by the Act.

Source The Hindu

4 – Skill India Report 2024: GS II – Government Policies and Interventions:

Context:

• The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Confederation of Indian Industry, Association of Indian Universities, and Wheebox recently released the India Skills Report 2024, which highlights the country’s skill landscape and the effects of artificial intelligence (AI) on the labour market.

How AI Will Affect Mobility, Skill, and Work in the Future:

• The evaluation of 3.88 lakh applicants who took the Wheebox National Employability Test (WNET) across Indian academic institutions produced the conclusions in this research.
• With its headquarters located in India and operations throughout the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Wheebox is a prominent provider of remote proctored examinations and consulting services. The company has completed millions of tests for businesses, organisations, and governments worldwide.

Which aspects of the India Skills Report 2024 stand out the most?

Leadership in AI and Talent Mapping:

• With a large pool of skilled AI workers, India is a leader in the world for both talent concentration and skill penetration.
• There were 4.16 lakh AI specialists as of August 2023, ready to satisfy the growing need that is predicted to reach 1 million by 2026.
• Key roles like ML engineer, data scientist, DevOps engineer, and data architect have a 60%–73% demand-supply imbalance in India.

Trends in Employability:

• India’s young employability rate has improved overall, standing at 51.25%. States like as Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Haryana,
• Telangana and Kerala show a large proportion of young people who are highly employable.
• Haryana has the highest concentration of young people who are employable, with 76.47% of test takers in this area receiving a score of 60% or more on the WNET.

Age-Related Employment:

• The degree of employability varies between age groups. For example, states like Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra stand out with strong talent concentrations in the 22–25 age group.
• With 85.45% of its 18–21 year old population deemed employable, Telangana has the largest concentration of marketable talent in this age range. Kerala comes in second with 74.93% of employable resources.
• Gujarat has been discovered to have the greatest percentage of employable resources (78.24%) among the age range of 26–29.

Cities with Skilled Workforce:

• Pune topped the list of top cities with highly employable talent in the 18–21 age bracket, with 80.82% of individuals deemed highly employable. Bengaluru, Trivandrum, and Pune were the next three most employable cities.
• Lucknow leads the list of top cities for employment in the 22–25 age range (88.89%), followed by Mumbai and Bengaluru.

Most Desired State for Employment:

• For both male and female exam takers, Kerala is the most desirable state in which to work, and for female test takers, Cochin is the most desirable location.

AI Integration for Education:

• One of the main differentiators is the incorporation of AI into learning science, which makes personalised, analytics-driven, and actionable insights possible. It is believed that this integration is necessary for efficient professional development.

Readiness for Industry:

• Businesses are expected to increase their investments in upskilling programmes, emphasising early career initiatives. The analysis predicts that early career segments will receive a large share of hiring.

Cooperation Attempts:

• The paper underscores the necessity of cooperative endeavours between governmental entities, corporations, and academic establishments to tackle obstacles and concentrate on comprehensive upskilling programmes in order to effectively navigate the revolutionary path accelerated by artificial intelligence.

Source The Hindu