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Current Affairs 20.02.2024

/ Current Affairs Today, UPSC / By

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  1. Indian Heritage
  • Culture
  • Modern Indian history
  • The Freedom Struggle
  • Post-independence
  • Indian Society

A. population and associated issues

B. poverty and developmental issues

C.urbanization

   7. Geographical features

8.Indian Constitution

9. Polity

10. Governance

A. institutions

B. regulatory

C. Government policies

D. role of NGOs

E. measures

National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA

  • The NeSDA framework is a tool developed by DARPG (under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions) to evaluate the quality and impact of e-Governance services from the point of view of the citizens.
    • The framework is adapted from the UN eGovernment Survey’s Online Service Index (OSI) to suit the Indian context of federalism and e-Governance diversity among States and UTs.
  • DARPG conducts the NeSDA study every two years to measure the performance of States, UTs and selected Central Ministries in delivering e-Governance services to the citizens.
  • The study helps the governments to identify the gaps and challenges in their service delivery and to learn from the best practices of other States, UTs, and Central Ministries.
  • This dimension evaluates the official portals of the Central Ministries, States, UTs, and Cities that provide information and services to the citizens and other stakeholders.
  • The NeSDA 2023 framework will include the assessment of City portals for the first time, as they are becoming more important for urban residents who need local public services.

Focus Sectors and Mandatory Services Coverage

  • This dimension covers the online services provided by the government in nine sectors, namely Finance, Labour Employment, Education, Local Governance Utility Services, Social Welfare (including Health, Agriculture, Home Security), Environment (including Fire), Tourism, Transport and Public Grievance.
  • The NeSDA 2023 framework will add two new sectors (Transport and Public Grievance) and increase the number of mandatory services to be assessed for each sector. The framework will assess 59 mandatory services for States and UTs and 37 mandatory services for Central Ministries.

Assessment Parameters

  • This dimension measures the performance of government portals and services based on various criteria, such as usability, content, security, service delivery, feedback mechanism, etc.
  • The NeSDA 2023 framework will introduce three new parameters to reflect the latest trends in digital government, namely Open Government Data (OGD), E-Participation, and Leveraging Emerging Technologies

11. Social Justice

A. Welfare schemes

B Health

C. Education

D. Human Resources

All-India Consumer Price Index Numbers for Agricultural and Rural Labourers – January, 2024

The All-India Consumer Price Index Number for Agricultural Labourers and Rural Labourers (Base: 1986-87=100) for the month of January, 2024 increased by 1 point each to stand at 1258 and 1268 points respectively. The major contribution towards rise in the general index of Agricultural Labourers and Rural Labourers came from miscellaneous group to the extent of 1.57 and 1.55 points and fuel and light group to the extent of 1.16 and 1.10 points respectively mainly due to increase in prices of medicines, doctors’ fees, barber charges, washing soap, cinema tickets, firewood, etc.

There had been a mixed trend in the indices of constituent States. For both CPI-AL and CPI-RL, ten states experienced a decrease in index while one state saw no change in index.

In the case of Agricultural Labourers, it recorded an increase of 1 to 10 points in 9 States, a decrease of 1 to 5 points in 10 states and remained same for 1 state. Tamil Nadu with 1470 points topped the index table whereas Himachal Pradesh with 970 points stood at the bottom.

In the case of Rural Labourers, it recorded an increase of 1 to 10 points in 9 states, a decrease of 1 to 5 points in 10 states and remained same in 1 state. Andhra Pradesh with 1454 points topped the index table whereas Himachal Pradesh with 1020 points stood at the bottom.

Among states, the maximum increase in CPI-AL was experienced by Himachal Pradesh of 9 points which was mainly driven by the increased prices of garlic, guava, plastic chappal, medicines etc. For CPI-RL, Madhya Pradesh experienced the maximum increase of 10 points due to rise in prices of wheat atta, jowar, maize, vegetables & fruits, garlic, mixed spices, leather and plastic shoes etc. Three states namely Assam, Bihar and West Bengal saw a fall of 5 points each in CPI-AL mainly driven by fall in prices of rice, mustard oil, fish fresh, onion, chilies green, vegetables & fruits etc. For CPI-RL, Tripura experienced the maximum decrease of 5 points due to decrease in prices of meat, fish & eggs, spices, vegetables & fruits etc.

E. poverty and hunger

12. International relations

A. India and its neighbourhood

B. groupings and agreements

Japan commits Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan of Japanese Yen (JPY) 232.209 billion for nine projects in various sectors in India

The Govt. of Japan has committed Official Development Assistance loan of an amount of JPY 232.209 billion for nine (09) projects in various sectors. The Notes were exchanged today between Mr. Vikas Sheel, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India, and Mr. Suzuki Hiroshi, Ambassador of Japan to India.

The ODA loan assistance has been committed to:

  • The North East Road Network Connectivity Improvement Project (Phase 3) (Tranche II): Dhubri-Phulbari bridge (JPY 34.54 billion)
  • The North East Road Network Connectivity Improvement Project (Phase 7): NH 127B (Phulbari-Goeragre section) (JPY 15.56 billion)
  • The Project for Promoting Start-up and Innovation in Telangana (JPY 23.7 billion)
  • The Project for the Construction of Chennai Peripheral Ring Road (Phase 2) (JPY 49.85 billion)
  • The Project for Promoting Sustainable Horticulture in Haryana (Tranche I) (JPY 16.21 billion)
  • The Project for Climate Change Response and ecosystem Services Enhancement in Rajasthan (JPY 26.13 billion)
  • The Project for the Establishment of the Medical College Hospital at Nagaland Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Kohima (JPY 10 billion)
  • The Project for the Improvement of Urban Water Supply System in Uttarakhand  (JPY 16.21 billion); and
  • The Dedicated Freight Corridor Project (Phase 1) (Tranche V) (JPY 40 billion)

The road network connectivity projects aim to improve infrastructure development in India’s North East region, while the Chennai peripheral ring road project aims to alleviate traffic congestion and strengthen connections to the southern part of the state. The project in Nagaland will help develop tertiary level medical service delivery by developing a Medical College Hospital contributing towards universal health coverage. A unique project in Telangana will help discover entrepreneurial skills with focus on women and rural population and support business expansion of MSMEs. In Haryana, the project will promote sustainable horticulture and improve farmer’s income by promoting crop diversification and infrastructure development. The forestry project in Rajasthan will enhance ecosystem services through afforestation, forest and biodiversity conservation. In the mountainous state of Uttarakhand, the project aims to provide stable water supply to urban towns. The fifth tranche of the Dedicated Freight Corridor project will help in construction of new dedicated freight railway system and bring about modernisation of intermodal logistics system enabling handling of increase freight traffic.

C.Indian diaspora

13. Economic Development

A. Government Budgeting

B. industrial

E.issues

14. Technology

National Quantum Mission (NQM)

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, approved the National Quantum Mission (NQM) on 19th April 2023 at a total cost of Rs.6003.65 crore from 2023-24 to 2030-31, aiming to seed, nurture and scale up scientific and industrial R&D and create a vibrant & innovative ecosystem in Quantum Technology (QT). This will accelerate QT led economic growth, nurture the ecosystem in the country and make India one of the leading nations in the development of Quantum Technologies & Applications (QTA).

The Mission objectives include developing intermediate-scale quantum computers with 50-1000 physical qubits in 8 years in various platforms like superconducting and photonic technology. Satellite-based secure quantum communications between ground stations over a range of 2000 kilometers within India, long-distance secure quantum communications with other countries, inter-city quantum key distribution over 2000 km as well as multi-node Quantum networks with quantum memories are also some of the deliverables of the Mission.

The National Quantum Mission will focus on developing magnetometers with high sensitivity in atomic systems and Atomic Clocks for precision timing, communications, and navigation. It will also support the design and synthesis of quantum materials such as superconductors, novel semiconductor structures, and topological materials for the fabrication of quantum devices. Single photon sources/detectors, and entangled photon sources will also be developed for quantum communications, sensing, and metrological applications.

Mission Implementation includes setting up of four Thematic Hubs (T-Hubs) in top academic and National R&D institutes in the domains – Quantum Computing, Quantum Communication, Quantum Sensing & Metrology and Quantum Materials & Devices. The hubs which will focus on generation of new knowledge through basic and applied research as well as promote R&D in areas that are mandated to them.

NQM has the potential to elevate the country’s Technology Development ecosystem to a level of global competitiveness. The Mission would greatly benefit various sectors including communication, health, financial, energy with applications in drug design, space, banking, security etc. The Mission will also provide a huge boost to National priorities like Digital India, Make in India, Skill India and Stand-up India, Start-up India, Self-reliant India and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

15. Environment

The Problem of Greenwashing in India

Greenwashing is the practice of making misleading or false environmental claims about a product or service to make it appear more environmentally friendly than it actually is. The consequences of greenwashing can be detrimental to both the environment and consumers. Greenwashing has become a prevalent issue in India, particularly in sectors such as FMCG, textiles, and home appliances. In this paper, we aim to discuss the implications of greenwashing and the need for stakeholders to take action to combat it. The prevalence of greenwashing in India can undermine the efforts of genuine sustainability initiatives and can mislead consumers, making it difficult for them to make informed purchasing decisions.

To make informed decisions, it is crucial for consumers to know about greenwashing practices and for companies to be transparent about their environmental impact and sustainability practices to promote genuine sustainability efforts. So let’s look at why the practice of greenwashing is so prevalent.

There are several contributing factors/causes of this complex issue in India:

1. Lack of regulations: The absence of strict regulations on environmental claims and eco-labeling allows companies to make false or misleading claims about the environmental benefits of their products.

2. Pressure to be seen as ”Green/ Eco-Friendly” / Consumer demand for green products: Consumers in India are increasingly demanding eco-friendly and sustainable products, which has led companies to make exaggerated or false claims about the environmental benefits of their products to meet this demand.

3. Complex supply chains: The complexity of supply chains in many industries makes it difficult for companies to accurately assess the environmental impact of their products. This can lead to companies making false or misleading claims about their environmental impact.

4. Cost considerations: Genuine sustainability practices can be expensive to implement, and companies may be tempted to engage in greenwashing as a cheaper alternative.

5. Lack of consumer awareness: Many consumers in India may not be aware of greenwashing and how to identify it. This lack of awareness can make it easier for companies to engage in greenwashing practices without facing consequences.

6. Limited enforcement: While regulations and guidelines exist in India to address greenwashing, enforcement can be limited. This lack of enforcement can make it easier for companies to engage in greenwashing practices without facing consequences.

  • his deceptive practice can have negative consequences for both the environment and consumers. It is important for companies to be transparent and honest about their environmental practices and impacts to build trust with consumers and promote sustainability.
  • Greenwashing creates an unfair advantage for companies that engage in greenwashing over companies that are genuinely committed to sustainability, as consumers may be more likely to choose the former based on misleading information.
  • Greenwashing can also erode consumer trust and confidence in environmental claims made by companies, which can undermine efforts to promote sustainability and reduce environmental impact. Furthermore, it can also lead to regulatory and legal action, as there are laws and regulations in many countries that prohibit false or misleading advertising claims.

16. Security

17. Disaster Management

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