The Connectivity will boost the Opportunities in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands says Prime Minister

Promoting Ease of Business and simplifying Maritime Logistics is the focus of the Government: PM Andman & Nicobar Islands is going to develop as the hub of Port Led Development: PM Andaman & Nicobar Islands to be a major port hub for international maritime trade: PM Posted On: 10 AUG 2020 12:37PM by PIB Delhi

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today launched and dedicated to the nation, the submarine Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) connecting Andaman & Nicobar Islands to the mainland through video conferencing. The foundation stone for this project was laid by the PM on 30th December 2018 at Port Blair.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi said the connectivity would now enable endless opportunities in the islands. He said the laying of the 2300 Kms submarine cable and completing it before the set target is very praise worthy.

The Prime Minister said that the service had begun today on a major chunk of the islands from Chennai to Port Blair, Port Blair to Little Andaman and Port Blair to Swaraj Island.

The Prime Minister admired the laying of cables for about 2300 kilometers under the sea as surveying in the deep sea, maintaining the quality of the cable and laying of the cable with specialised vessels is not an easy task. The project also had to overcome challenges such as high waves, storms and monsoons and the tough times owing to Corona Pandemic.

The Prime Minister said the Andaman & Nicobar Islands felt the need for years but no steps were taken to fulfil it. Shri Modi expressed his happiness for being able to deliver the project notwithstanding such major challenges.

The Prime Minister said providing better and cheap connectivity to the people of Andaman & Nicobar Islands is the responsibility of the country. He congratulated all those who were associated with the project. Shri Modi said the Submarine Cable is one such effort to prove that A & N Islands are not far away from Delhi and from the Hearts of the Mainland.

Ease of Living to every Citizen Shri Modi said that the Government is committed to provide modern facilities to every citizen and every sector so that there can be a better ease of living. He said this Optical Fibre Project which links A&N Islands with the rest of the country is an example of the commitment of the Government towards ease of living. He said the Government is committed to the speedy development of national security linked border areas and island states.

Increase Opportunities through Digital India The Prime Minister said the Submarine Cable will help A&N in getting cheaper & better connectivity and all the benefits of Digital India, especially in improving online education, tele-medicine, banking system, online trading and in boosting tourism.

PM said that the Indian Ocean has been the center of India's trade and strategic prowess for thousands of years and that Andaman & Nicobar is an important centre for India’s Economic-Strategic Cooperation. He said all the Islands of India would be playing an important role under India’s new trade strategy for Indo-Pacific region.

Shri Modi said under the Act-East policy, the role of Andaman and Nicobar in India's strong relations with East Asian countries and other countries connected to the sea is very high and is going to increase. He said that the Island Development Agency was formed 3 years ago to strengthen its role. He said that the projects which were not completed in Andaman and Nicobar for years, are now rapidly getting completed.

High Impact Projects & Better Land, Air and Water Ways PM said that High Impact Projects are being expanded in 12 islands of Andaman and Nicobar. Apart from providing for better internet & mobile connectivity, he said the effort is to further improve physical connectivity through road, air and water.

The Prime Minister referred to the work on two major bridges and the NH-4 in order to improve the road connectivity of North and Middle Andaman. He said the Port Blair Airport is being enhanced to handle a Capacity of 1200 passengers.Along with this the airports are ready for operations in Diglipur, Car Nicobar and Campbell - Bay.

Shri Modi said the Passenger Terminal in Swaraj Dweep, Shaheed Dweep and Long Island along with Water Aerodrom Infrastructure like Floating Jetty will be ready in the coming months. He said that the 4 Ships being built at Kochi Shipyard shall be delivered soon to improve the Water connectivity between the islands and the mainland.

Port Led Development He said Andaman & Nicobar will be developed as an hub of Port Led Development as it is at a Competitive Distance from many ports of the World. Prime Minister said a country which has better network of ports and their connectivity will be able to provide a boost to trade in the 21st Century.

He said that today, when India is moving forward with the resolve of self-sufficiency and is establishing itself as an important player in the Global Supply and Value Chain, it is very important to strengthen our network of Waterways and our Ports. Shri Modi said that the legal bottlenecks in the development of Port Infrastructure are also being removed continuously.

International Maritime Trade PM said that the Government's focus is also on promoting Ease of Business in the sea and simplifying Maritime Logistics. He referred to the speedy construction of the deep draft inner harbor and the proposal to construct TransShipment Port in Great Nicobar at an estimated cost of about Rs 10 thousand crores. Shri Modi said this would enable big ships to anchor and would increase India’s share in maritime trade, along with new employment opportunities.

He said that the blue economy like Fisheries, Aquaculture and SeaWeed farming in the island will accelerate in commensurate with the modern infrastructure being developed in Andaman and Nicobar. He wished that the efforts of the Government will give Andaman and Nicobar, not only new facilities but also as a prominent place on the World Tourist Map.

Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers Shri DV Sadananda Gowda has said NDA Government has taken various initiatives to boost fertilizer sector towards servicing farmers. Shri Gowda said that with a view to disseminate knowledge on optimum usage of fertilizer nutrients to sustain the agriculture productivity and to make farmers aware of new developments in the field of fertilizer usage, Department of Fertilizers, Department of Agriculture Cooperation & Farmers Welfare and Department of Agricultural Research and Education jointly organized Fertilizer Application Awareness Programme for farmers .

Shri Gowda further stated that in order to encourage research and innovation in fertilizer and fertilizer technology, CPSEs under Department of Fertilizers formed a separate think tank body called “Indian Council for Fertilizers and Fertilizer Technology Research (ICFFTR)”. The Council has been registered as society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 on 19th August 2019. The Council will undertake / promote R&D and research work in the area of fertilizer and fertilizer manufacturing technology, use of raw materials and innovation in products through partnership and collaboration with various research institutions, fertilizer industry and other stakeholders. So far, the General Council have held two meetings and the Executive Committee have held three meetings.

Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) Online Dashboard here today through video conferencing.

The online dashboard is envisaged as a one stop solution for all stakeholders looking for information on infrastructure projects in New India. The dashboard is being hosted on the India Investment Grid (IIG) (www.indiainvestmentgrid.gov.in). IIG is an interactive and dynamic online platform that showcases updated & real-time investment opportunities in the country.

The inaugural was attended by members of the High-Level Task Force on Infrastructure and Secretaries of various ministries and government departments.

Speaking at the event, Smt. Sitharaman said, “NIP will provide a boost to the vision of an Aatma Nirbhar Bharat. The availability of NIP projects on IIG will ensure easy accessibility to updated project information and attract investors for PPP projects. This is a great step in the direction of implementing NIP- giving a fillip to infrastructure development in the country”.

India Investment Grid (IIG) (www.indiainvestmentgrid.gov.in), is an interactive and dynamic online platform to showcase the best of investment opportunities in India to the global investor community. Developed and managed by Invest India, the National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency, IIG serves as the gateway to investments in India, and is also widely used by Indian missions and embassies across the world. IIG allows investors to:

Search a pan-India database for investment opportunities across sectors Track the progress of preferred projects and indicate interest Directly communicate with project promoters

In the budget speech of 2019-2020, Finance Minister Smt. Sitharaman announced an outlay of Rs 100 lakh Crore for infrastructure projects over the next 5 years. The budget announcement followed the Independence Day speech by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi, wherein he highlighted that “For development of modern infrastructure, an amount of Rs 100 lakh Crore has been earmarked for this period which will create new job opportunities besides improving the living standards”.

In furtherance to this, a high level Task Force submitted a final report on the National Infrastructure Pipeline with projected infrastructure investment of Rs 111 Lakh Crore during FY 2020-25.

NIP is a first-of-its-kind initiative to provide world-class infrastructure across the country and improve the quality of life for all citizens. NIP will improve project preparation, attract investments (both domestic & foreign) into infrastructure, and will be crucial for attaining the target of becoming a $5 trillion economy by FY 2025. NIP covers both economic and social infrastructure projects- based on the updated Harmonized Master List of Infrastructure.

Out of the total expected capital expenditure of Rs 111 lakh Crore, projects worth Rs 44 lakh Crore (40%) are under implementation, projects worth Rs 33 lakh Crore (30%) are at a conceptual stage, projects worth Rs 22 lakh Crore (20%) are under development (project identified and DPR prepared, but yet to draw-down funds) and the balance projects worth Rs 11 lakh Crore (10%) are unclassified. The entire gamut of projects will now be hosted on IIG to provide visibility to NIP and attract investments from global & domestic investors.

The NIP project database under Volume III of the Final Report of the NIP Task Force is made available on IIG in order to provide access to updated project level information for investments across infrastructure sectors. The Digital platform will provide greater visibility to projects and also achieve the mandate of the NIP to market the projects in an efficient manner. The NIP project database hosted on India Investment Grid (IIG) would provide visibility to the NIP and help in financing with prospective investors; domestic and foreign, able to access updated project level information. In addition, it is also a monitoring and evaluation tool to be used by the concerned ministries/departments and DEA to monitor the implementation and actual progress vis-à-vis initial estimates of the NIP for each and every project.

Smt. Sitharaman has asked all concerned department/ministries to immediately update the status of projects on NIP portal and keep it updated in real time. She has also asked all concerned department/ministries to show concrete progress in terms of project and reforms implementation.

Carbon outflux from Earth’s interior to the exosphere through volcanic eruptions, fault zones, and geothermal systems contribute to the global carbon cycle that effects short and long term climate of the Earth. Himalaya hosts about 600 geothermal springs having varied temperature and chemical conditions. Their role in regional and global climate, as well as the process of tectonic driven gas emission, needs to be considered while estimating emissions to the carbon cycle and thereby to global warming.

The Himalayan geothermal springs which cover about 10,000 square km in the Garhwal region of Himalaya, show a significant discharge of Carbon dioxide(CO2) rich water. This was found by Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India, which investigated and characterised the gas emissions from these springs. The estimated carbon dioxide degassing (removal of dissolved gases from liquids, especially water or aqueous solutions) flux is nearly 7.2 ×106 mol/year to the atmosphere.

The study published in the scientific journal Environmental Science and Pollution Research suggested that CO2 in these thermal springs are sourced from metamorphic decarbonation of carbonate rocks present deep in the Himalayan core along with magmatism and oxidation of graphite. Most of the geothermal water is dominated by evaporation followed by weathering of silicate rocks. Isotopic analyses further point towards a meteoric source for geothermal water.

The team of scientists carried out detailed chemical and stable isotope analysis of water samples collected from 20 geothermal springs from major fault zones of Garhwal Himalaya. Isotopic measurements (identification of the abundance of certain stable isotopes and chemical elements within organic and inorganic compounds) such as Dissolved Inorganic Carbon (δ13CDIC ), and Oxygen (δ18O) along with major ions were analysed for all the samples.

They found that the geothermal spring water contains high Dissolved Inorganic Carbon δ13CDIC ratio (− 8.5‰to + 4.0‰VPDB), and among the major ions, bicarbonate (HCO3−) varied between 1697 to 21,553 μEq/L; chloride and sodium ranged between 90 to 19,171 μEq/L and 436 to 23181 μEq/L. A high concentration of Cl− and Na+ in geothermal spring waters indicated its deeper source.

Simulation studies done by the WIHG team suggest that these geothermal springs have the potential to degas~7.2 × 106 mol of CO2 per year to the atmosphere. Estimated flux from this study is comparable to release of CO2 during the uplift of the Himalaya (~1011 mol/year) and

sub-aerial volcanism (1012 mol/year) in the atmosphere. Such CO2 degassing should be taken into account to assess global carbon outflux in the earth’s atmosphere.

Law cannot change the nature of politics. Political parties will always find a way of bypassing the intent of the best of laws. So, in 1985, when the anti-defection law was made to end the malaise of defections, it was destined for failure. The law punishes Members of Parliament (MPs)/Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) for defecting from their party by taking away their membership of the legislature. It gives the Speaker of the legislature the power to decide the outcome of defection proceedings.

Under the law, defection can take place in two ways. First, when a party’s legislator “voluntarily gives up” membership of their political party. The law does not define this phrase, which is essentially a euphemism for anti-party activities. Courts have held that the actions of MLAs can be used to determine whether they have given up their party’s membership. But this case-by-case interpretation gives political parties a wide ambit in initiating action against both errant and dissenting members of their organisations. It also means that many of these cases get caught up in legal proceedings. To bypass this provision now, MLAs resign from the legislature, as it happened in Madhya Pradesh earlier this year.

The second mechanism for dissuading MPs/MLAs from shifting their loyalties is by punishing them for voting, contrary to the party’s direction in the legislature. On the face of it, this is a more objective criterion for determining defection. But political parties don’t like it. Because, in this case, the punishment comes after defecting MLAs have already caused damage by either toppling or saving a government against the party’s wishes. Political parties want certainty in numbers before a vote deciding the fate of a government takes place on the floor of the legislature. Therefore, at the first hint of defections, parties start cloistering members loyal to them in hotels and resorts.

Over the last 35 years, the anti-defection law has had zero success. But it has been successful in severely damaging the legislative framework of the country. It has had a negative effect on the deliberations in the legislature. Our legislators are now afraid of expressing their viewpoints on laws and policy issues for fear of reprisal by their political parties. And since the office of the Speaker is the decision-making authority in anti-defection proceedings, the non-partisan constitutional office has been dragged into party politics. Last year, while hearing a case related to defections in the Karnataka legislature, the apex court observed: “There is a growing trend of Speakers acting against the constitutional duty of being neutral”.

Take, for example, the cases of defection in Tamil Nadu. The chair of the Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly has an interesting history. Lord Willingdon, the then Governor of Madras (who went on to become the Governor-General of India) presented it to the Madras Legislative Council in 1922. His grandfather was Henry Brand, who presided over the House of Commons for over a decade. During the presentation ceremony, Lord Willingdon hoped that those who sit in the Speakers Chair conduct the affairs of the legislature with “good judgement and tact”.

It is the good judgment and tact of Tamil Nadu (and other states) that speakers have been questioned on multiple occasions. More recently, the Tamil Nadu Speaker’s three-year delay in deciding the defection petitions of 11 ruling party MLAs has been challenged before the Supreme Court (SC). The last Andhra Pradesh Speaker sat on the defection petitions of opposition MLAs, some of who went on to become ministers in the government. Their defection petitions remained undecided till the end of the term of the assembly in 2019.

Long delays in deciding defection petitions allow two things. One, it ensures the loyalty of the defecting MLAs to the party they defected to, as the sword of losing their seat in the assembly keeps hanging over their head. Second, until recently, this tactic prevented the judiciary from interfering in defection cases. Vice-President V Naidu has called for timely disposal of defection cases, a stand that the Supreme Court also took earlier this year by stripping a Manipur minister of his office as the Speaker did not decide the defection proceedings against the minister in the last three years. After the Manipur ruling, the Goa Speaker has also been taken to court for delaying the decision on defection proceedings.

But the blame does not always lie at the Speaker’s doorstep. The nature of defection proceedings is such that their ruling will impact the continuity of a government in power. Irrespective of their conduct, the neutrality of their office will be questioned and their decisions challenged in court. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla along with Speakers of state legislative assemblies have been discussing measures to uphold the prestige and dignity of the office of the Speaker.

In the political drama of defections, two fundamental questions are missed out. Can a law find solutions to issues of debate, dissent and ambition within a political party? And if not, shouldn’t the anti-defection law be scrapped before it does more damage to the legislative institutions and democracy?

Chakshu Roy is the head of legislative and civic engagement, PRS Legislative Research The views expressed are personal

It is time the Narendra Modi government called the monsoon session of Parliament. The Indian Parliament was in session when the country was in war with China in 1962 and when our armed forces were liberating Bangladesh in 1971. It met the very next day after a cowardly terrorist attack in 2001 on the Parliament building while the two Houses were in session. Parliament sessions are crucial for deliberation, exchange of ideas and consensus-building. Its decisions are vital for directing the country in these challenging times brought about by the coronavirus pandemic and an aggressive China.

And yet, the monsoon session of Parliament is nowhere in sight, even as rains have come to Delhi. The second session of the legislative calendar usually begins in the third week of July and goes on till August. But there is still no news about the starting date of the monsoon session. The responsibility for deciding the calendar of parliamentary sittings rests with the government. The cabinet committee on parliamentary affairs, currently comprising 9 ministers — including those of defence, home, finance, and law — decides the date and duration of a legislative session.

In the last 20 years, excluding election years, 12 monsoon sessions started in July. On three occasions during the UPA 2 and once during UPA 1, they began in August. It has been now 119 days since the last Parliament session. The last time there was this long a gap between a budget and monsoon session was in 2011 — of 128 days. Assuming Parliament meets in the first week of August, it will be the most prolonged absence for Parliament between a budget and monsoon session in the last two decades.

In most mature democracies, the power to decide the parliamentary calendar rests with the legislative institution. However, India’s Constitution gives this power to the executive. It only requires that six months should not elapse between two sessions of Parliament. Since the curtailed budget session ended in the last week of March, the Modi government has until the end of September to call a meeting of the two houses of Parliament.

Importance of a session But the purpose of convening a session of Parliament is not to fulfil a constitutional requirement. MPs from all over the country come together to highlight the plight of their people. They point out the successes and shortcomings of the government’s machinery and its measures. They suggest ways for utilisation of the country’s finances and deliberate on legislative proposals for addressing the policy hurdles before the nation.

And there is a lot for MPs to discuss in Parliament. The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the gaps in India’s social security measures and policies related to daily wage labourers. The boundary dispute with China and the sovereignty of our territory in Ladakh are other vital issues that require an extensive deliberation in Parliament.

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A session of Parliament is an opportunity for MPs to bring the voices of their constituents to a national forum. Every day, using the mechanism of Zero Hour, they draw the attention of the central government to the peculiar issues facing their region or state. In Lok Sabha, the government responded to approximately 80 per cent of the issues raised by MPs during the Zero Hour. In the upcoming session, MPs would also want to question ministers on their ministry’s handling of the pandemic and their future course of action.

Finances have gone for a toss At the time of the passing of India’s budget in March, the government’s earnings were pegged at Rs 30 lakh crore. About Rs 22 lakh crore were to come from taxes and other income and the rest from borrowings. The government was planning to spend this money for the benefit of farmers, rural employment, education, health and infrastructure.

But the pandemic has resulted in a new economic reality for the country. Job losses, shrinking demand, impact on the industry will temper the Modi government’s earning potential. It has also pumped in money for fighting the pandemic and providing relief to different sections of society, which will further limit its pre-pandemic plans for social sector spending.

State governments are also haemorrhaging money to the extent that some of them had to delay salaries to their employees. They will also be looking to the Centre for help. In the monsoon session of Parliament, the government will have to bring in a supplementary budget and seek Parliament’s approval for new allocation and spending.

The bills are pending But this is not all. There is a backlog of legislation before Parliament. Some 40 bills are awaiting deliberation and passage by one or both Houses. Out of these, five are pending before parliamentary committees. These bills, including the ones on DNA technology, social security, personal data protection, can’t be taken up by Parliament until the respective committees finalise their reports. Adding to the backlog of legislation are 11 ordinances that have been promulgated by the Modi government during the intersession period. These new laws deal with issues ranging from agricultural markets to insolvency proceedings and economic measures necessitated by the pandemic.

The secretariat of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have been hard-pressed to find options for the safe holding of Parliament session. Using larger seating spaces, such as the central hall, and repurposing the galleries of the two Houses were considered but ruled out because this solution does not allow for physical distancing by all MPs. Media reports said that a “hybrid” solution where some MPs are physically present in Parliament and others join proceedings through video conference had to be abandoned as well.

Apparently, the government’s video conferencing platform can only accommodate 600 people at one time. For a country that has successfully sent space missions to Mars and Moon, and can identify a billion people by their biometrics, this should be an easy problem to solve, especially when such a solution is critical for our deliberative democracy.

The author is the Head of legislative and civic engagement, PRS Legislative Research. Views are personal.

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 was released on July 30, 2020. It will replace the National Policy on Education, 1986. Key recommendations of the NEP include: (i) redesigning the structure of school curriculum to incorporate early childhood care and education, (ii) curtailing dropouts for ensuring universal access to education, (iii) increasing gross enrolment in higher education to 50% by 2035, and (iv) improving research in higher education institutes by setting up a Research Foundation. In this blog, we examine the current status of education in the country in view of some of these recommendations made by the NEP.

Universal access to Education The NEP states that the Right to Education Act, 2009 has been successful in achieving near universal enrolment in elementary education, however retaining children remains a challenge for the schooling system. As of 2015-16, Gross Enrolment Ratio was 56.2% at senior secondary level as compared to 99.2% at primary level. GER denotes enrolment as a percent of the population of corresponding age group. Further, it noted that the decline in GER is higher for certain socio-economically disadvantaged groups, based on: (i) gender identities (female, transgender persons), (ii) socio-cultural identities (scheduled castes, scheduled tribes), (iii) geographical identities (students from small villages and small towns), (iv) socio-economic identities (migrant communities and low income households), and (v) disabilities. In the table below, we detail the GER in school education across: (i) gender, and (ii) socio-cultural identities.

Data for all groups indicates decline in GER as we move from primary to senior secondary for all groups. This decline is particularly high in case of Scheduled Tribes. Further, we analyse the reason for dropping out from school education. Data suggests that the most prominent reason for dropping out was: engagement in domestic activities (for girls) and engagement in economic activities (for boys).

Note: Other reasons include: (i) timings of educational Institution not suitable, (ii) language/medium of Instruction used unfamiliar, (iii) inadequate number of teachers, (iv) quality of teachers not satisfactory, (v) unfriendly atmosphere at school. For girl students, other reasons also include: (i) non-availability of female teachers, (ii) non-availability of girl’s toilet.

Sources: Educational Statistics at Glance 2018, MHRD; PRS. The NEP recommends strengthening of existing schemes and policies which are targeted for such socio-economically disadvantaged groups (for instance, schemes for free bicycles for girls or scholarships) to tackle dropouts. Further, it recommends setting up special education zones in areas with significant proportion of such disadvantaged groups. A gender inclusion fund should also be setup to assist female and transgender students in getting access to education.

Increasing GER in Higher Education to 50% by 2035 The NEP aims to increase the GER in higher education to 50% by 2035. As of 2018-19, the GER in higher education in the country stood at 26.3%. Figure 2 shows the trend of GER in higher education over the last few years. Note that the annual growth rate of GER in higher education in the last few years has been around 2%.

The NEP recommends that for increasing GER, capacity of existing higher education institutes will have to be improved by restructuring and expanding existing institutes. It recommends that all institutes should aim to be large multidisciplinary institutes (with enrolments in thousands), and there should be one such institution in or near every district by 2030. Further, institutions should have the option to run open distance learning and online programmes to improve access to higher education.

Foundational literacy and numeracy The NEP states that a large proportion of the students currently enrolled in elementary school have not attained foundational literacy and numeracy (the ability to read and understand basic text, and carry out basic addition and subtraction). It recommends that every child should attain foundational literacy and numeracy by grade three.

Table 4 highlights the results of the National Achievement Survey 2017 on the learning levels of students at Grade 3 in language and mathematics. The results of the survey suggest that only 57% students in Grade 3 are able to solve basic numeracy skills related to addition and subtraction.

To achieve universal foundational literacy and numeracy, the Policy recommends setting up a National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy under the MHRD. All state governments must prepare implementation plans to achieve these goals by 2025. A national repository of high-quality resources on foundational literacy and numeracy will be made available on government’s e-learning platform (DIKSHA). Other measures to be taken in this regard include: (i) filling teacher vacancies at the earliest, (ii) ensuring a pupil to teacher ratio of 30:1 for effective teaching, and (iii) training teachers to impart foundational literacy and numeracy.

Effective governance of schools The Policy states that establishing primary schools in every habitation across the country has helped increase access to education. However, it has led to the development of schools with low number of students. The small size of schools makes it operationally and economically challenging to deploy teachers and critical physical resources (such as library books, sports equipment).

With respect to this observation, the distribution of schools by enrolment size can be seen in the table below. Note that, as of September 2016, more than 55% of primary schools in the country had an enrolment below 60 students.

While nearly 80% primary schools had a library, only 1.5% schools had a librarian (as of September 2016). The availability of facilities is better in higher senior secondary schools as compared to primary or upper primary schools.

To overcome the challenges associated with development of small schools, the NEP recommends grouping schools together to form a school complex. The school complex will consist of one secondary school and other schools, aanganwadis in a 5-10 km radius. This will ensure: (i) adequate number of teachers for all subjects in a school complex, (ii) adequate infrastructural resources, and (iii) effective governance of schools.

Restructuring of Higher Education Institutes The NEP notes that the higher education ecosystem in the country is severely fragmented. The present complex nomenclature of higher education institutes (HEIs) in the country such as ‘deemed to be university’, ‘affiliating university’, ‘affiliating technical university', ‘unitary university’ shall be replaced simply by 'university'.

According to the All India Survey on Higher Education 2018-19, India has 993 universities, 39,931 colleges, and 10,725 stand-alone institutions (technical institutes such as polytechnics or teacher training institutes).

The NEP recommends that all HEIs should be restructured into three categories: (i) research universities focusing equally on research and teaching, (ii) teaching universities focusing primarily on teaching, and (iii) degree granting colleges primarily focused on undergraduate teaching. All such institutions will gradually move towards full autonomy - academic, administrative, and financial.

Setting up a National Research Foundation to boost research The NEP states that investment on research and innovation in India, at only 0.69% of GDP, lags behind several other countries. India’s expenditure on research and development (R&D) in the last few years can be seen in the figure below. Note that the total investment on R&D in India as a proportion of GDP has been stagnant at around 0.7% of GDP. In 2018-19, the total expenditure on R&D in India was Rs 1,23,848 crore. Of this, Rs 72,732 crore (58%) of expenditure was by government, and the remaining (42%) was by private industry.

To boost research, the NEP recommends setting up an independent National Research Foundation (NRF) for funding and facilitating quality research in India. The Foundation will act as a liaison between researchers and relevant branches of government as well as industry. Specialised institutions which currently fund research, such as the Department of Science and Technology, and the Indian Council of Medical Research, will continue to fund independent projects. The Foundation will collaborate with such agencies to avoid duplication.

Digital education The NEP states that alternative modes of quality education should be developed when in-person education is not possible, as observed during the recent pandemic. Several interventions must be taken to ensure inclusive digital education such as: (i) developing two-way audio and video interfaces for holding online classes, and (ii) use of other channels such as television, radio, mass media in multiple languages to ensure reach of digital content where digital infrastructure is lacking.

In this context, we analyse: (i) the availability of computer and internet across households in India, and (ii) ability to use computer or internet by persons in the age group of 5-14. As of 2017-18, the access to internet and computer was relatively poor in rural areas. Only 4.4% of rural households have access to a computer (excludes smartphones), and nearly 15% have access to internet facility. Amongst urban households, 42% have access to internet.

Note: Ability to use computer means to be able to carry out any of the tasks such as: (i) copying or moving a file/folder, (ii) sending emails, (iii) transferring files between a computer and other devices, among others. Ability to use internet means to be able to use the internet browser for website navigation, using e-mail or social networking applications.

Sources: Household Social Consumption on Education (2017-18), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, July 2020; PRS.

Public spending on education to be increased to 6% of GDP The recommendation of increasing public spending on Education to 6% of GDP was first made by the National Policy on Education 1968 and reiterated by the 1986 Policy. NEP 2020 reaffirms the recommendation of increasing public spending on education to 6% of GDP. In 2017-18, the public spending on education (includes spending by centre and states) was budgeted at 4.43% of GDP.

In the figure below, we look at the disparities within states in education spending. In 2020-21, states in India have allocated 15.7% of their budgeted expenditure towards education. States such as Delhi, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra have allocated more than 18% of their expenditure on Education for the year 2020-21. On the other hand, Telangana (7.4%), Andhra Pradesh (12.1%) and Punjab (12.3%) lack in spending on education, as compared to the average of states.

Context: 78th anniversary of Quit India movement was observed on August 8th, 2020. Every year 8 August is celebrated in India as August Kranti Din.

What is Quit India Movement? Why was it launched? The Second World War had started in 1939 and Japan, which was part of the Axis Powers that were opposed to the British in the war were gaining onto the north-eastern frontiers of India.

The British had abandoned their territories in South-East Asia and had left their population in the lurch. This act did not garner much faith among the Indian population who had doubts about the British ability to defend India against Axis aggression.

Gandhi also believed that if the British left India, Japan would not have enough reason to invade India. Apart from hearing news about British setbacks in the war, the war-time difficulties such as high prices of essential commodities fostered resentment against the British government.

The failure of the Cripps Mission to guarantee any kind of a constitutional remedy to India’s problems also led to the INC calling for a mass civil disobedience movement.

After the failure of the Cripps Mission, Gandhiji gave the call “Do or Die”’ in his speech delivered at the Gowalia Tank Maidan. The quit India resolution stated the provisions of the movement as: An immediate end to British rule over India. Declaration of the commitment of free India to defend itself against all kinds of imperialism and fascism.

Formation of a provisional government of India after British withdrawal. Sanctioning a civil disobedience movement against British rule.

Gandhi’s instructions to various sections of the public: Government servants: do not resign your job but proclaim loyalty to the INC. Soldiers: be with the army but refrain from firing on compatriots. Peasants: pay the agreed-upon rent if the landlords/Zamindars are anti-government; if they are pro-government, do not pay the rent.

Students: can leave studies if they are confident enough. Princes: support the people and accept the sovereignty of them. People of the princely states:support the ruler only if he is anti-government; declare themselves as part of the Indian nation.

Impact of the movement: Several national leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Abdul Kalam Azad, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel were arrested. The Congress was declared an unlawful association, leaders were arrested and its offices all over the country were raided and their funds were frozen.

The first half of the movement was peaceful with demonstrations and processions. The peaceful protest was carried till Mahatma Gandhi’s release. The second half of the movement was violent with raids and setting fire at post offices, government buildings and railway stations. Lord Linlithgow adopted the policy of violence.

The Viceroy’s Council of Muslims, Communist Party and Americans supported Britishers.

Some of the drawbacks were: Use of violent methods by the volunteers and participants. The movement was crushed in a relatively short period of time by the British. Lack of leadership did not lead to well-coordinated guidance and progress of the movement, with the intensity restricted to a few pockets. Some parties did not support the movement. There was opposition from the Muslim League, the Communist Party of India (the government revoked the ban on the party then) and the Hindu Mahasabha.

Meanwhile, Subhas Chandra Bose, organised the Indian National Army and the Azad Hind government from outside the country. As, C Rajagopalachari was not in favour of complete independence he resigned from the INC.

Conclusion: Quit India Movement was a watershed movement in the sense, that it prepared the ground for future politics in India. It is in the Quit India Movement that freedom struggle was owned by ’We the People’ who fought for India’s freedom.

quit_india_moment Insta Facts: Aruna Asaf Alipopularly known as the ‘Grand Old Lady’ of the Independence Movement is known for hoisting the Indian flag at the Gowalia Tank Maidan in Mumbai during the Quit India Movement. Female leaders like Usha Mehta has helped set up an underground radio station which led to the awakening about the movement.

Context: Educationist Professor Pradeep Kumar Joshi has been appointed as the chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

Joshi is currently a member in the Commission. He will succeed Arvind Saxena.

Who appoints chairman and other members? Article-316– Appointment and term of office of members: The Chairman and other members of a Public Service Commission shall be appointed, in the case of the Union Commission or a Joint Commission, by the President, and in the case of a State Commission, by the Governor of the State.

Term: A member of a Public Service Commission shall hold office for a term of six years from the date on which he enters upon his office or until he attains, in the case of the Union Commission, the age of sixty-five years, and in the case of a State Commission or a Joint Commission, the age of sixty-two years, whichever is earlier.

Reappointment: A person who holds office as a member of a Public Service Commission shall, on the expiration of his term of office, be ineligible for reappointment to that office.

But, a member other than the Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission shall be eligible for appointment as the Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission, or as the Chairman of a State Public Service Commission, but not for any other employment either under the Government of India or under the Government of a State. Also, the Chairman of a State Public Service Commission shall be eligible for appointment as the Chairman or any other member of the Union Public Service Commission.

Article-317- Removal and suspension of a member of a Public Service Commission: Chairman or any other member of a Public Service Commission shall only be removed from his office by order of the President on the ground of misbehaviour after the Supreme Court, on reference being made to it by the President, has, on inquiry held in accordance with the procedure prescribed in that behalf under article 145, reported that the Chairman or such other member, as the case may be, ought on any such ground to be removed.

Besides, President may by order remove from office the Chairman or any other member of a Public Service Commission if the Chairman or such other member, as the case may be,—

is adjudged an insolvent; or engages during his term of office in any paid employment outside the duties of his office; or is, in the opinion of the President, unfit to continue in office by reason of infirmity of mind or body.

Guilty of Misbehaviour: If the Chairman or any other member of a Public Service Commission is or becomes in any way concerned or interested in any contract or agreement made by or on behalf of the Government of India or the Government of a State or participates in any way in the profit thereof or in any benefit or emolument arising therefrom otherwise than as a member and in common with the other members of an incorporated company, he shall, for the purposes of clause (1), be deemed to be guilty of misbehaviour.

Context: In a first of its kind in the country, the Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) recently organized the e-lok Adalat to facilitate mediation between the parties, who are willing to get their matters settled amicably, in all the District Courts Complexes of Delhi.

How it was conducted? In the e-Lok Adalat, an online link would be sent by SAMA (an Online Dispute Resolution platform recognized by Department of Justice for resolving disputes through video conferencing) to the concerned parties and a judge would preside over the mediation process.

Following the settlement, an OTP would be sent to them and on confirmation, the dispute would be settled.

Outcomes: 77 Benches were constituted wherein total 5838 cases were disposed of pertaining to various categories in which settlement amount was approx Rs 46.28 crores.

What is a Lok Adalat? Lok Adalat is one of the alternative dispute redressal mechanisms, it is a forum where disputes/cases pending in the court of law or at pre-litigation stage are settled/ compromised amicably.

The Lok Adalats are formed to fulfil the promise given by the preamble of the Indian Constitution– securing Justice – social, economic and political of every citizen of India.

Constitutional basis: Article 39A of the Constitution provides for free legal aid to the deprived and weaker sections of the society and to promote justice on the base of equal opportunity.

Articles 14 and 22(1) of the Constitution also make it compulsory for the State to guarantee equality before the law.

Statutory provisions: Under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 Lok Adalats have been given statutory status.

Final award: The decision made by the Lok Adalats is considered to be a verdict of a civil court and is ultimate and binding on all parties.

No appeal: There is no provision for an appeal against the verdict made by Lok Adalat. But, they are free to initiate litigation by approaching the court of appropriate jurisdiction by filing a case by following the required procedure, in exercise of their right to litigate.

Court fee: There is no court fee payable when a matter is filed in a Lok Adalat. If a matter pending in the court of law is referred to the Lok Adalat and is settled subsequently, the court fee originally paid in the court on the complaints/petition is also refunded back to the parties.

Nature of Cases to be Referred to Lok Adalat: Any case pending before any court. Any dispute which has not been brought before any court and is likely to be filed before the court.

Provided that any matter relating to an offence not compoundable under the law shall not be settled in Lok Adalat.

Context: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh recently announced a list of 101 items that the Defence Ministry will stop importing.

It essentially means that the Armed Forces—Army, Navy and Air Force—will only procure all of these 101 items from domestic manufacturers. The manufacturers could be private sector players or defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs).

Why was this policy needed? What will be the impacts? As per Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, India has been the second largest importer between 2014 and 2019 with US$ 16.75 billion worth of imports during this period.

The government wants to reduce the dependence on imported items in defence and give a shot in the arm to the domestic defence manufacturing industry.

By denying the possibility of importing the items on the negative list, the domestic industry is given the opportunity to step up and manufacture them for the needs of the forces.

Context: India has refused a request by Pakistan to hold a meeting on issues around the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) at the Attari checkpost near the India-Pakistan border.

Background: In March India had suggested a virtual conference but Pakistan had insisted on a physical meeting. But, India said because of restrictions on movement in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, travelling to the border for a meeting isn’t advisable.

What are IWT meetings? When they are held? The practice at the IWT meetings is that they are led by Indus Water Commissioners from both countries and a range of issues on construction of dams and hydropower projects concerning the Indus river system are discussed.

The last such meeting between the two countries was in October in Islamabad, and, as per the agreement in the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), a meeting was to be scheduled in India before March 31.

What’s the latest dispute? Evolving a procedure to solve differences on technical aspects governing the construction of the Ratle run-of-the-river (RoR) project on the Chenab in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir.

India has called for the appointment of a ‘neutral’ party while Pakistan favours a Court of Arbitration to agree upon a final resolution on the design parameters of this hydropower project.

About the Indus Water Treaty: It is a Water-Distribution Treaty, signed in Karachi on 1960, between India (Pm Jawaharlal Nehru) and Pakistan (President Ayub Khan), brokered by the World Bank .

Under the treaty, India has control over water flowing in the eastern rivers– Beas, Ravi and Sutlej. Pakistan has control over the western rivers– Indus, Chenab and Jhelum. As per the treaty, the water commissioners of Pakistan and India are required to meet twice a year and arrange technical visits to projects’ sites and critical river head works.

Both the sides share details of the water flow and the quantum of water being used under the treaty.

The treaty sets out a mechanism for cooperation and information exchange between the two countries regarding their use of the rivers.

Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently launched the financing facility of Rs 1 lakh crore under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund via video conferencing. The fund has been launched as part of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India) to make farmers self-reliant.

About the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund: It is a new pan India Central Sector Scheme. The scheme shall provide a medium – long term debt financing facility for investment in viable projects for post-harvest management Infrastructure and community farming assets through interest subvention and financial support. The duration of the Scheme shall be from FY2020 to FY2029 (10 years).

Eligibility: Under the scheme, Rs. One Lakh Crore will be provided by banks and financial institutions as loans to Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), Marketing Cooperative Societies, farmer producer organisations (FPOs), SHGs, Farmers, Joint Liability Groups (JLG), Multipurpose Cooperative Societies, Startups etc.

Interest subvention: All loans under this financing facility will have interest subvention of 3% per annum up to a limit of Rs. 2 crore. This subvention will be available for a maximum period of seven years.

Credit guarantee: Credit guarantee coverage will be available for eligible borrowers from this financing facility under Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) scheme for a loan up to Rs. 2 crore. The fee for this coverage will be paid by the Government.

In case of FPOs the credit guarantee may be availed from the facility created under FPO promotion scheme of Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare (DACFW).

Management of the fund: It will be managed and monitored through an online Management Information System (MIS) platform.

The National, State and District level Monitoring Committees will be set up to ensure real-time monitoring and effective feed-back.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently launched “Gandagi Mukt Bharat”, a week-long campaign for ‘swachhata’ in the run-up to Independence Day.

During this week, each day till August 15 will have special ‘swachhata’ initiatives in urban and rural India to re-enforce the ‘jan andolan’ for ‘swachhata’.

Context: Minister for Industries, IT and Urban Development K.T. Rama Rao has stated that Telangana’s cordial relations with Andhra Pradesh would not hinder its fight for the rightful share of people in Krishna water.

The said there would be no compromise on the State’s interests and the government had already filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court.

Note: This was just a statement given by a state minister and there has been no significant development on the issue. Hence, please go through the following article to understand all about the dispute: