Daily Prelims Notes 8 July 2023

Daily Prelims Notes

8 July 2023

Table Of Contents

1. Time to step up credit to small farmers, micro enterprises: FM to PSBs
2. Delhi HC dismisses PepsiCo’s plea against revocation order on its IPR certificate for potato variety
3. United Nations International Maritime Organization agrees to reach net zero “by or around” 2050
4. How Amazon deforestation rates have fallen since Bolsonaro
5. Words like fake, false, misleading in IT Rules problematic
6. Government to share PM Gati Shakti data
7. Playing of the national anthem and laws
8. AIIB says internal review found ‘no evidence’ of China influence
9. Selective ban of messaging apps may be looked at: TRAI
10. Delhi-Faridabad road to host test run of hydrogen fuel-cell buses this year
11. GST registered firms must geocode their addresses
12. US is planning to send controversial cluster munitions to Ukraine

1. Time to step up credit to small farmers, micro enterprises: FM to PSBs

Subject :Economy

Section: Monetary Policy

Context: Underlining that public sector bank balance-sheets are in good shape, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday advised PSB chief executives to step up credit to small and marginal farmers and micro enterprises besides taking measures to meet the credit targets set for street-vendors under PMSVANidhi scheme.

Priority Sector Lending

Priority Sector Lending means lending credit by the banks to those sectors which are considered  important for the development of the basic needs of the country by the Government and the RBI. The banks are mandated to encourage the growth of such sectors with adequate and timely credit.

Background:

• At a meeting of the National Credit Council held in July 1968, it was emphasized that commercial banks should increase their involvement in the financing of priority sectors, viz., agriculture and small scale industries.
• The description of the priority sectors was later formalized in 1972 on the basis of the report submitted by the Informal Study Group on Statistics relating to advances to the Priority Sectors constituted by the Reserve Bank in May 1971.
• Although initially there was no specific target fixed in respect of priority sector lending, in November 1974 the banks were advised to raise the share of these sectors in their aggregate advances to the level of 33.3% by March 1979.Later revised to 40% by March 1985.
• Subsequently, on the basis of the recommendations of the Working Group on the Modalities of Implementation of Priority Sector Lending and the Twenty Point Economic Programme by Banks (Chairman: Dr. K. S. Krishnaswamy), all commercial banks were advised to achieve the target of priority sector lending at 40 percent of aggregate bank advances by 1985. Sub-targets were also specified for lending to agriculture and the weaker sections within the priority sector. Since then, there have been several changes in the scope of priority sector lending and the targets and sub-targets applicable to various bank groups.

What are the Different Categories of the Priority Sector?

• Agriculture-It essentially consists of Farm Credit which will include short-term crop loans and medium/long-term credit to farmers, agriculture Infrastructure and ancillary activities, loans to distressed farmers, loans under Kisan Credit Card Scheme, Loans to corporate farmers, farmers’ producer organizations/companies of individual farmers, partnership firms and co-operatives of farmers directly engaged in agriculture and allied activities, etc..
• Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises-This includes loans to Khadi and Village industries, outstanding deposits with Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and Micro Units Development Refinance Agency Bank etc
• Export Credit-loans for export subject to a sanctioned limit of up to ₹ 25 crore per borrower to units having turnover of up to ₹ 100 crore
• Education-Loans to individuals for educational purposes, including vocational courses, not exceeding Rs 20 lakh will be considered as eligible for priority sector classification. Loans currently classified as priority sector will continue till maturity.
• Housing-Loans to individuals up to Rs 35 lakh in metropolitan centres (with population of ten lakh and above) and loans up to Rs 25 lakh in other centres for purchase/construction of a dwelling unit per family provided the overall cost of the dwelling unit in the metropolitan centre and at other centres should not exceed Rs 45 lakh and Rs 30 lakh respectively etc
• Social Infrastructure-Bank credit to Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs) extended for on-lending to individuals and also to members of Self Help Group (SHGs)/Joint Liability Groups (JLGs) for water and sanitation facilities etc.
• Renewable Energy-loans up to a limit of ₹ 15 crore to borrowers for purposes like solar based power generators, biomass based power generators, wind mills, micro-hydel plants and for non-conventional energy based public utilities viz. street lighting systems, and remote village electrification. For individual households, the loan limit will be ₹ 10 lakh per borrower.
• Advances to weaker sections
• Others
  • Loans not exceeding Rs 1.00 lakh per borrower provided directly by banks to individuals and individual members of SHG/JLG, provided the individual borrower’s household annual income in rural areas does not exceed ₹1.00 lakh and for non-rural areas it does not exceed Rs 1.60 lakh, and loans not exceeding Rs 2.00 lakh provided directly by banks to SHG/JLG for activities other than agriculture or MSME, viz., loans for meeting social needs, construction or repair of house, construction of toilets or any viable common activity started by the SHGs.
  • Loans to distressed persons not exceeding Rs 1,00,000/- per borrower to prepay their debt to non-institutional lenders.
  • Loans sanctioned to State Sponsored Organisations for Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes for the specific purpose of purchase and supply of inputs and/or the marketing of the outputs of the beneficiaries of these organisations.

Priority sector loans to the following borrowers are treated under the Weaker Sections category

• Small and Marginal Farmers.
• Artisans, village and cottage industries where individual credit limits do not exceed Rs 1 lakh.
• Beneficiaries under Government Sponsored Schemes such as National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM), National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM) and Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS)
• Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
• Beneficiaries of the Differential Rate of Interest (DRI) scheme.
• Self Help Groups.
• Distressed farmers are indebted to non-institutional lenders.
• Distressed persons other than farmers, with loan amounts not exceeding Rs 1 lakh per borrower to prepay their debt to non-institutional lenders.
• Individual women beneficiaries up to Rs 1 lakh per borrower.
• Persons with disabilities.
• Minority communities may be notified by the Government of India from time to time
• Overdraft availed by PMJDY account holders as per limits and conditions prescribed by the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance from time to time may be classified under Weaker Sections.
• In States, where one of the minority communities notified is found to be in majority, the above covers only the other notified minorities.
• These States,  Union Territories are Punjab, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Lakshadweep and Jammu & Kashmir.

The targets set under priority sector lending:

Non-compliance

Non-achievement of priority sector targets and sub-targets will be taken into account while granting regulatory clearances/approvals for various purposes.

To the extent of shortfall in the achievement of target, banks may be required to invest

• Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) established with National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)
• Other Funds with NABARD or National Housing Bank (NHB) or Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) or Micro Units Development Refinance Agency Bank (MUDRA Ltd)., as decided by the Reserve Bank from time to time,

Purchase priority sector lending certificates (PSLC)-Priority Sector Lending Certificates (PSLCs) are a mechanism to enable banks to achieve the priority sector lending target and sub-targets by purchase of these instruments in the event of a shortfall. This also incentivizes surplus banks as it allows them to sell their excess achievement over targets thereby enhancing lending to the categories under priority sector

PMSVANidhi scheme.

• It is a special micro-credit facility scheme for providing affordable loan to street vendors.
• The scheme is aimed at enabling the street vendors to resume their livelihoods that have been adversely affected due to COVID-19 lockdown.
• Under the scheme, each of these streets vendors will be given a credit loan of Rs 10,000, which they can return as monthly installments within a year.
• Those who repay their loans on time will get 7 percent annual interest as subsidy which will be transferred in their bank accounts. There is no provision for penalty
• The scheme targets to benefit over 50 lakh street vendors, who had been vending on or before 24th March this year, in urban areas. The duration of the scheme is till March 2022. The street vendors belonging to the surrounding peri-urban or rural areas are being included as beneficiaries under the urban livelihoods programme for the first time.
• The lending institutions under the Scheme include Scheduled Commercial Banks, Regional Rural Banks, Small Finance Banks, Cooperative Banks, NBFCs, Micro Finance institutions and Self Help Group banks.

2. Delhi HC dismisses PepsiCo’s plea against revocation order on its IPR certificate for potato variety

Subject :Science and Technology

Section: IPR

Context:

• The Delhi High Court on July 5, 2023, dismissed an appeal filed by PepsiCo India Holdings (PIH) against a 2021 order that had revoked the PVP (plant variety protection) certificate granted to the company for a potato variety (FL-2027).

Details:

• The three proceedings include:
  • PepsiCo being forced to withdraw its cases against Gujarat farmers in May 2019 unconditionally through a public campaign
  • The certificate of registration being revoked in December 2021
  • The current judgement that dismissed PIH’s appeal
• The provisions in the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV&FR) Act offer seed freedoms for farmers, entitling them with saving, using, sowing, resowing, exchanging, sharing or selling the farm produce including a particular variety of seed protected under the Act in an unbranded manner.
• The court observed that PIH had ticked the variety as ‘New variety’ instead of ‘extant variety’ which is a crop variety that exists in a country.
• It also noted the incorrect information provided by the company regarding the mention of date of first sale which was informed as 2009 in India, against 2002 in Chile.
• The judgement was also upheld on the grounds of ineligible registrant and failure to provide necessary documents under various provisions of the Act.
• The order also mentioned that ‘any person interested’ in applying for the revocation of a certificate granted would fall within the scope of a “public-spirited person”.

About the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV&FR) Act 2001:

• Enacted by India in 2001 adopting sui generis system.
• It is in conformity with International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV), 1978.
• The aim of the act is the establishment of an effective system for the protection of plant varieties, the rights of farmers and plant breeders and to encourage the development of new varieties of plant.
• The act also establishes the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
• The major function of Authority includes:
  • Registration of new plant varieties;
  • Documentation of varieties registered;
  • Preservation of plant genetic resources;
  • Maintenance of the National Register of Plant Varieties and
  • Maintenance of National Gene Bank (for conserving seeds of registered varieties).
• The legislation recognizes the contributions of both commercial plant breeders and farmers in plant breeding activity and also provides to implement TRIPs in a way that supports the specific socio-economic interests of all the stakeholders including private, public sectors and research institutions, as well as resource-constrained farmers.
• Rights under the Act:
  • Breeders’ Rights: Breeders (Seed Producers) will have exclusive rights to produce, sell, market, distribute, import or export the protected variety.
    • A breeder can exercise civil remedy in case of infringement of rights
  • Researchers’ Rights: Researchers can use any of the registered varieties under the Act for conducting an experiment or research.
    • Researchers can use the initial source of variety for the purpose of developing another variety but repeated use needs the prior permission of the registered breeder.
  • Farmers’ Rights: A farmer who has evolved or developed a new variety is entitled to registration and protection in like manner as a breeder of a variety.
    • A farmer can save, use, sow, re-sow, exchange, share or sell his farm produce including seed of a variety protected under the PPV&FR Act, 2001
    • However, the farmer shall not be entitled to sell branded seeds of a variety protected under the PPV&FR Act, 2001.
    • There is also a provision for compensation to the farmers for non-performance of variety.
    • The farmer shall not be liable to pay any fee in any proceeding before the Authority or Registrar or the Tribunal or the High Court under the Act.
    • Farmers are eligible for recognition and rewards for the conservation of Plant Genetic Resources of landraces and wild relatives of economic plants.

Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS):

• About:
  • The TRIPS agreement is part of the international legal order on trade enshrined in the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
• Year:
  • It was negotiated in 1995 at the WTO.
  • The WTO adopted the Doha Declaration in 2001, which clarified that in the event of a public health emergency, governments could compel companies to licence their patents to manufacturers even if they did not think the offered price was acceptable.
• Aim: 
  • To guarantee minimum standards of IP protection
  • Provide legal consistency that enables innovators to monetize their intellectual property in multiple countries.
• Areas covered:
  • The areas of intellectual property that it covers are: 
    • copyright and related rights (i.e. the rights of performers, producers of sound recordings and broadcasting organizations);
    • trademarks including service marks;
    • geographical indications including appellations of origin;
    • industrial designs;
    • patents including the protection of new varieties of plants;
    • the layout-designs of integrated circuits;
    • undisclosed information including trade secrets and test data.
• Role:
  • It plays a central role in facilitating trade in knowledge and creativity, in resolving trade disputes over IP, and in assuring WTO members the latitude to achieve their domestic policy objectives.
• Benefits: 
  • Under the TRIPS agreement, the Governments can compel companies to license their patents to other manufacturers, (even if companied think the offered price is not acceptable) in case of a public health emergency.
• Latest Proposal:
  • The core idea behind the proposal is that intellectual property (IP) rights such as patents should not become a barrier in scaling up the production of medical products like vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics essential to combat Covid-19.

International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV):

• The International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) is an intergovernmental organization with headquarters in Geneva (Switzerland).
• UPOV was established by the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants. The Convention was adopted in Paris in 1961 and it was revised in 1972, 1978 and 1991.
• UPOV’s mission is to provide and promote an effective system of plant variety protection, with the aim of encouraging the development of new varieties of plants, for the benefit of society.
• The UPOV Convention provides the basis for members to encourage plant breeding by granting breeders of new plant varieties an intellectual property right: the breeder’s right.
• In the case of a variety protected by a breeder’s right, the authorization of the breeder is required to propagate the variety for commercial purposes. The breeder’s right is granted by the individual UPOV member
• Only the breeder of a new plant variety can protect that new plant variety. It is not permitted for someone other than the breeder to obtain the protection of a variety.
• There are no restrictions on who can be considered to be a breeder under the UPOV system: a breeder might be an individual, a farmer, a researcher, a public institute, a private company etc.
• India is not a member.

3. United Nations International Maritime Organization agrees to reach net zero “by or around” 2050

Subject :Environment

Section: Climate Change

Context:

• Maritime countries upgraded their Greenhouse House Gas (GHG) emissions strategy to reach net zero “by or around” 2050 without specifying a definite year and taking into account different national circumstances, at the conclusion of the summit of the United Nations International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London on July 7, 2023.
• The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) — 80th session was held at the IMO headquarters (London) from July 3-7.

IMO Greenhouse Gas Strategy 2023:

• The 2023 IMO GHG Strategy adopted calls for the international shipping industry “to reduce the total annual GHG emissions from international shipping by at least 20%, striving for 30%, by 2030, compared to 2008.”
• The draft document agreed upon by member nations says to peak GHG emissions from international shipping “as soon as possible.”
• This is to limit the global temperature increase to well below 2 degrees Celsius as outlined in the 2015 Paris Agreement.
• It also urged the industry “to reduce the total annual GHG emissions from international shipping by at least 70%, striving for 80%, by 2040, compared to 2008.”
• The near-zero emission technologies, fuels, and energy sources should “represent at least 5%, striving for 10%, of the energy used by international shipping by 2030.”
• Biofuels:
  • The IMO adopted interim guidance which said that internationally certified biofuel and bio-blends can be used in the shipping industry. This resolution was backed aggressively by India at the conference.
• The carbon intensity of international shipping should decline to reduce CO2 emissions “per transport work”, on average by at least 40 per cent by 2030, compared to 2008 baseline levels.
• Just transition:
  • The IMO document, for the first time, spoke about implementing measures to b and other maritime workforce “that leaves no one behind.”
• Carbon emission from maritime shipping sector:
  • Maritime shipping is responsible for three per cent of global anthropogenic GHG emissions and these emissions are continuing to grow rapidly.
  • A business-as-usual scenario would see shipping emissions increase more than five-fold by 2050 if the shipping industry fails to act now.

About International Maritime Organisation (IMO):

• It is the United Nations specialized agency and the global standard-setting authority for the safety, security and environmental performance of international shipping.
• It was established through the UN Convention in Geneva in 1948 having its headquarters in London.
• It currently has 174 Member States constituting its Assembly which meets biennially.
• The Assembly elects 40 Member States to constitute the Council which acts as a governing body.
• Roles :
  • Its main role is to create a regulatory framework for the shipping industry that is fair and effective, universally adopted and universally implemented.
  • It does not have an implementation mechanism.
  • It is also involved in legal matters, including liability and compensation issues and the facilitation of international maritime traffic.
  • IMO has adopted measures to reduce air pollution from ships as well as energy efficiency measures including the Energy Efficiency Design Index, which is mandatory for new ships, and the requirement for a Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan, for all ships.
• Key IMO Conventions:
  • SOLAS(1974)- International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea.
  • MARPOL(1973)- International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships.
  • STCW- International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers.

Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC):

• The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) addresses environmental issues under IMO’s remit.
• This includes the control and prevention of ship-source pollution covered by the MARPOL treaty, including oil, chemicals carried in bulk, sewage, garbage and emissions from ships, including air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions.
• Other matters covered include ballast water management, anti-fouling systems, ship recycling, pollution preparedness and response, and identification of special areas and particularly sensitive sea areas.

4. How Amazon deforestation rates have fallen since Bolsonaro

Subject :Environment

Section: Climate Change

Context:

• After four years of rising destruction in Brazil’s Amazon, deforestation dropped by 33.6 per cent during the first six months of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s term, according to government satellite data.

Details:

• From January to June the rainforest had alerts for possible deforestation covering 2,650 square kilometres, down from 4,000 square kilometres during the same period last year.
• This year’s data includes a 41 per cent plunge in alerts for June, which marks the start of the dry season when deforestation tends to jump.

Source of the data:

• The deforestation data comes from a system called Deter, managed by the National Institute for Space Research, a federal agency.
• It is an initiative mainly focused on detecting real-time deforestation. The most accurate deforestation calculations come from another system called Prodes, with data released only annually.

Why has deforestation increased in Amazon?

• The former far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro weakened environmental authorities while his insistence on the development of the Amazon region resonated with landgrabbers and farmers who had long felt maligned by environmental laws.
• Many Ibama agents retired and weren’t replaced during Bolsonaro’s administration.
• Ibama is a Brazilian authority that takes on tasks comparable to those of the German Federal Environment Agency.
• Thousands of illegally raised cattle within embargoed areas.
• Bolsonaro openly criticized Ibama and advocated for the legalization of deforested areas.
• Experts say the mere expectation that a land-grabbed area will eventually be regularized has historically been one of deforestation’s biggest drivers.
• They were emboldened, and Amazon deforestation surged to a 15-year high.

Forest fires in Amazon:

• According to satellite monitoring, there were 3,075 fires in the Amazon in June alone, which marks the beginning of the dry season — the most since 2007.
• The jump is due to the clearing of areas deforested in the second half of 2022.
• In the Amazon, fires are mostly man-made and occur after clear-cutting of the forest.
• With El Niño looming, which typically brings less rain and higher temperatures to the Amazon, Ibama has doubled its budget for fighting forest fires and increased the scope of its fire squads by 17 per cent for the most critical period, typically July to October.
• Approximately half of the 2,117 temporary firefighters are Indigenous peoples.

Steps taken by the present government to restore the Amazon forests:

• The Amazon rainforest covers an area twice the size of India and holds tremendous stores of carbon, serving as a crucial buffer against climate change. Two-thirds of it is located in Brazil.
• Lula has promised to end net deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon by 2030. His four-year mandate, his third term, ends two years earlier.
• Lula (present President of Brazil) campaigned last year with pledges to rein in illegal logging and undo the environmental devastation during Bolsonaro’s term.
• Whereas Bolsonaro openly criticized Ibama and advocated for the legalization of deforested areas, Lula has said he will rebuild law enforcement and promised to expel invaders from protected areas.
• Lula has committed to restoring the workforce in Ibama.
• Working of Ibama:
  • Ibama has strengthened remote surveillance, where deforestation is detected through satellite imagery.
  • By cross-referencing with land records, it is possible to identify the owner of the area in many cases, leading to an embargo that restricts access to financial loans and imposes other sanctions.
  • Another strategy has been to seize thousands of illegally raised cattle within embargoed areas. It is effective because it inflicts immediate punishment, whereas fines are rarely paid in Brazil due to a slow appeals process.

What more is needed?

• It is necessary to invest in sustainable productive chains under community management, such as managed pirarucu (arapaima) fishing, Brazil nuts, vegetable oils, and açai.
• This will help revitalize and expand these chains, generating decent income for those engaged in conservation efforts within their territories.
• Ibama’s Agostinho also stressed his agency’s efforts within Indigenous territories, particularly the land of the Yanomami people where thousands of illegal gold miners — seeking to carve out a living — invaded during Bolsonaro’s term.
• Their activities contaminated waterways and sickened local people, and Lula’s government has spent months expelling most of them.
• Some remain, however, working at night to avoid being caught.

About Amazon rainforest:

• The Amazon rainforests cover about 80 per cent of the basin and as per NASA’s Earth observatory, they are home to nearly a fifth of the world’s land species and is also home to about 30 million people including indigenous groups and several isolated tribes.
• The Amazon basin is huge with an area covering over 6 million square kilometres, it is nearly twice the size of India.
• The Amazon forests have absorbed CO2 from the atmosphere, helping to moderate the global climate
• The basin produces about 20 per cent of the world’s flow of freshwater into the oceans. Over the last few years, the forest has been under threat due to deforestation and burning.
• Forest fires, have doubled since 2013.

5. Words like fake, false, misleading in IT Rules problematic

Subject : Polity

Section: Constitution

Concept :

• Constitutional validity of the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2023 is being questioned in the Bombay High Court.

Information Technology Amendment Rules, 2023

• Online gaming intermediaries must make efforts to not give a platform or advertise any online game that can cause the user harm or that has not been verified as a permissible online game by an online gaming self-regulatory body.
• Online gaming intermediaries in relation to online games involving real money must display a mark of verification by the self-regulatory body on such games.
• The government can choose to designate multiple self-regulating bodies for the online gaming industry. These bodies will represent the industry, but they will operate independently from the members of the industry.
• The new rules require online platforms to not post, share, or host any information that is fake, false, or misleading about the Central Government’s work.
• This fake, false, or misleading information will be identified by the notified Fact Check Unit of the Central Government.
• Failure to comply with the guidelines of the Fact-Checking Unit might result in losing the safe harbour protection which safeguards the intermediaries from litigation.

Safe Harbour Priniciple

• The safe harbour principle of the IT Act, 2000 relieves the internet intermediaries from responsibility for third-party content on their platforms. This provision ensures that social media platforms are not liable for posts published by users.

6. Government to share PM Gati Shakti data

Subject : Schemes

Concept :

• The government is working out a mechanism to share data with industry and potential investors about multi-modal connectivity as well as other physical and social infrastructure captured on the PM Gati Shakti platform.

Details

• The Network Planning Group (NPG) under PM Gati Shakti, has recommended five projects worth Rs 15,683 crore from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, in its 51st meeting.
• These projects — located in Mizoram, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, and Kanpur — aim to improve connectivity to industrial clusters and social sector assets.
• They also aim to enhance logistics efficiency by streamlining freight traffic movement and reducing congestion in cities.

GIS platform

• The GIS platform integrates the geospatial data related to the infrastructure in the country and planning portals of various ministries and departments.
• The portal offers access to over 1,460 layers of data, covering various aspects such as land, ports, forest, and highways.

PM Gati Shakti NMP

• The PM Gati Shakti NMP was launched in October 2021.
• Objective: Holistic integration of various ministries and to address the gaps to ensure infrastructure for seamless movement of people, goods and services.
• The PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan is driven by seven engines – roads, railways, airports, ports, mass transport, waterways, and logistics infrastructure.
• Composition: The NPG is composed of representatives from various connectivity infrastructure ministries and departments.
• These representatives include the heads of the network planning division, and their purpose is to ensure unified planning and integration of the proposals
• Development this fiscal: As of this fiscal year, a total of 85 major infrastructure projects worth Rs 5.4 lakh crore from various ministries have been recommended for approval under the initiative.
• All logistics and connectivity infrastructure projects requiring investments of over Rs 500 crore are directed through the NPG.

Infrastructure as nation’s growth engine: Budget 2023

• In the budget, the government took a bold step and increased the capital investment outlay to Rs 7.5 lakh crores.
• The budget 2023 increased the capital expenditures on Indian Railways by nine times more than the sum for the fiscal year 2013–14.

7. Playing of the national anthem and laws

Subject : Polity

Section: Constitution

Concept :

• In a recent incident, an executive magistrate in Srinagar sent 11 men to jail after they were detained for allegedly not rising for the National Anthem at an event.
• The magistrate said that the men had violated the law and could cause public disorder if released.

Sections of the Law

• These are some sections of the law that deal with preventing or arresting people who may cause public disorder or commit crimes.
• They are part of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, which is the main law governing criminal justice in India.

Section 107

• This section empowers an Executive Magistrate to order a person to sign a bond for keeping the peace if the Magistrate thinks that the person is likely to disturb the public peace or can do something wrong that may lead to violence or unrest.
• The bond can be valid for up to one year and can have conditions attached to it, such as not visiting certain places or not associating with certain people.
• Bond is a legal term that means that a person has to appear before the police or the court on a specified date as part of an investigation or a trial.
• The person may have to give a surety or a personal guarantee that they will show up, or else they may face legal consequences. The term is often used in court orders to indicate that an accused person has to follow certain rules or restrictions while they are out on bail or parole.

Section 151

• This section allows a police officer to arrest a person without a warrant or a Magistrate’s order if the officer has reason to believe that the person is planning to commit a cognizable offence, which is an offence that can be investigated and prosecuted without a Magistrate’s permission.
• The officer can arrest the person to prevent the commission of the offence or to secure evidence against the person.

What are the laws related to ‘disrespect’ to the National Anthem?

• Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, (1971): Section 3 of the Act prescribes jail up to three years and/ or a fine for “intentionally preventing the singing of the National Anthem or causing disturbance to any assembly engaged in such singing”.
• Article 51-A(a) of the Constitution makes it every citizen’s duty to “abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the national flag and the national anthem”.

Bijoe Emmanuel v State of Kerala (1986)

• The law around alleged disrespect to the National Anthem was laid down by the Supreme Court in its 1986 judgment in Bijoe Emmanuel & Ors vs State Of Kerala & Ors.
• The court granted protection to three children (in school), who did not join in the singing of the National Anthem at their school.
• The court held that forcing them to sing the Anthem violated their fundamental right to religion under Article 25 of the Constitution.
• Standing up respectfully when the National Anthem is sung but not singing oneself “does not either prevent the singing of the National Anthem or cause disturbance to an assembly engaged in such singing so as to constitute the offence”.

Shyam Narayan Chouksey vs Union of India (2018)

• The Supreme Court of India had to deal with the issue of playing the National Anthem in cinema halls in the case of Shyam Narayan Chouksey vs Union of India (2018).
• The court had initially passed an interim order in November 2016, which made it mandatory for all cinema halls to play the National Anthem before the start of the movie and for all the audience to stand up as a mark of respect.
• The court had also directed that the doors of the cinema halls should be closed during the playing of the Anthem and that the National Flag should be displayed on the screen.
• However, the court changed its stance in its final verdict in January 2018, the court said that its earlier order was only an interim measure and that playing the National Anthem in cinema halls was not compulsory.

8. AIIB says internal review found ‘no evidence’ of China influence

Subject : International Relations

Section: International Organisations

Concept :

• The China-based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) said Friday there was “no evidence” it was dominated by Beijing’s ruling Communist Party, as it released a review into explosive claims made by a former executive.

Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

• The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a multilateral development bank with a mission to improve social and economic outcomes in Asia.
• Headquartered in Beijing, it began operations in January 2016 and have now grown to 102 approved members worldwide.
• It invests in sustainable infrastructure and other productive sectors in Asia and beyond.
• Membership in the AIIB is open to all members of the World Bank or the Asian Development Bank and is divided into regional and non-regional members.
• Regional members are those located within areas classified as Asia and Oceania by the United Nations.
• Unlike other MDBs (multilateral development bank), the AIIB allows for non-sovereign entities to apply for AIIB membership, assuming their home country is a member.
• Thus, sovereign wealth funds (such as the China Investment Corporation) or state-owned enterprises of member countries could potentially join the Bank.
• China is the largest contributor to the Bank, contributing USD 50 billion, half of the initial subscribed capital.
• India is the second-largest shareholder in the bank.

9. Selective ban of messaging apps may be looked at: TRAI

Subject : Polity

Section: National Body

Concept :

• The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) put out a consultation paper asking if it would be possible for messaging apps such as WhatsApp to be brought under a licensing framework, and whether such apps can be banned “selectively” in places where an Internet shutdown would otherwise have been imposed.
• TRAI’s questions on selective shutdowns appear to be along these lines, without reference to VPNs. Instead, the regulator has hinted at the possibility of a “collaborative framework” between telcos and OTTs.
• The regulator asked what challenges would be encountered in such a collaboration, including with respect to Net neutrality, the concept that all traffic on a network should be treated without discrimination in speed or pricing.
• When the Electronics and Information Technology Ministry notified the IT Rules, 2021, with a requirement that messaging apps provide for “traceability” of the original sender of a forwarded message, WhatsApp approached the Delhi High Court to strike down the requirement, arguing that compliance would require it to weaken its encryption.
• The case, which may also have wider repercussions for how online communications are regulated, is still ongoing.

For further notes on IT Rules 2021 , refer – https://optimizeias.com/new-it-rules/

10. Delhi-Faridabad road to host test run of hydrogen fuel-cell buses this year

Subject : Science and technology

Section: Msc

Concept :

• Later this year, the first test runs of hydrogen-powered buses will likely be under way in Delhi followed by other States.
• The buses, developed under a joint venture involving Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. and Tata Motors, will ply — as part of a scientific test experiment — between Delhi and Faridabad, and thereafter on some “iconic” routes, according to S.S.V. Ramakumar, Director (R&D), Indian Oil.
• The hydrogen buses in this experiment are like an electric bus, in that hydrogen interacts with a ‘fuel cell’ battery producing electricity and no carbon emissions.
• Though they produce electricity like batteries, fuel cells do not deteriorate and can keep running as long they have a steady supply of fuel, in this case hydrogen.

Hydrogen Fuel Cells (HFC)

• A hydrogen fuel cell is an electrochemical device that converts hydrogen into electrical energy.
• Fuel cells work in a similar manner to conventional batteries found in electric vehicles, but they do not run out of charge and don’t need to be recharged with electricity.
• They continue to produce electricity as long as there is a supply of hydrogen.
• One of the most successful fuel cells uses the reaction of hydrogen with oxygen to form water.

Advantages of HFC Powered Vehicles:

• They produce no tailpipe emissions (emission of gaseous and particulate pollutants) and only emit water vapour and warm air.
• They are more efficient than internal combustion engine vehicles.
• Hydrogen FCEVs have an advantage over battery powered EVs in terms of refuelling time, hydrogen can be refilled in a fuel cell vehicle in a matter of minutes, nearly as fast as an internal combustion engine can be refilled with fossil fuels.

National Hydrogen Energy Mission

• The Union Budget for 2021-22 announced a National Hydrogen Energy Mission (NHM) to draw up a road map for using hydrogen as an energy source.
• It will capitalise on one of the most abundant elements on earth (Hydrogen) for a cleaner alternative fuel option.
• The initiative has the potential of transforming transportation.
• It will:
  • Focus on generation of hydrogen from green power resources.
  • Link India’s growing renewable capacity with the hydrogen economy.
  • The usage of hydrogen will not only help India in achieving its emission goals under the Paris Agreement, but will also reduce import dependency on fossil fuels.

11. GST registered firms must geocode their addresses

Subject : Economy

Section: Fiscal Policy

Concept :

• Amid concerns over fake registrations and fraudulent availment of input tax credit under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, the GST Network (GSTN) on Friday made the geocoding functionality live for all states and union territories.
• Geocoding, which converts an address or description of a location into geographic coordinates, has been introduced to ensure the accuracy of address details in GSTN records and streamline the address location and verification process, it said in an update posted on its portal.
• GST Network has already geocoded 1.8 crore principal places of businesses. The functionality is available for normal, composition, SEZ units, SEZ developers, input service distributor and casual taxpayers who are active, cancelled, and suspended.
• The GSTN said submission of geocoding will be a one-time activity.

About GST Network:

• The GST Network(GSTN) is a non-profit organization.
• It has been established to manage the entire IT system of the GST portal.
• This portal is used by the government to track every financial transaction and it also provides taxpayers with all services from registration to filing taxes and maintaining all tax details.
• The GSTN was initially held by the Central Government with 24.5% of shares while the state government held 24.5%.The remaining 51% were held by non-Government financial institutions.
• However, later it was made a wholly owned government company having equal shares of state and central government.

12. US is planning to send controversial cluster munitions to Ukraine

Subject : International Relations

Section: International Conventions

Concept :

Cluster Munition

• Cluster munitions, also called cluster bombs, are canisters that carry tens to hundreds of smaller bomblets, also known as submunitions.
• The canisters can be dropped from aircraft, launched from missiles, or fired from artillery, naval guns or rocket launchers.
• The canisters break open at a prescribed height, depending upon the area of the intended target, and the bomblets inside spread out over that area. They are fused by a timer to explode closer to or on the ground, spreading shrapnel that is designed to kill troops or take out armored vehicles such as tanks.
• Cluster munitions contain multiple explosives that are released over an area up to the size of several football fields. They can be dropped from a plane or launched from the ground or sea.

Definition under “Convention on Cluster Munitions”

• Under the Convention on Cluster Munitions, cluster munitions are defined and prohibited as a category of weapons.
• The definition of a cluster munition under Article 2 is “a conventional munition that is designed to disperse or release explosive submunitions each weighing less than 20 kilograms, and includes those explosive submunitions.”

Why are cluster munitions more controversial than other bombs?

• As the bomblets fall over a wide area, they can endanger non-combatants.
• In addition, somewhere between 10% to 40% of the munitions fail, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross. The unexploded munitions can then be detonated by civilian activity years or even decades later.
• Cluster munitions remain one of the world’s most treacherous weapons.
• They kill and maim indiscriminately and cause widespread human suffering.

Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM)

• Much of the world has banned the use of these weapons through the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM), which also prohibits the stockpiling, production and transfer of them.
• Though 123 nations have joined that convention, the United States, Ukraine, Russia and 71 other countries have not.
• Using the munitions to attack enemy troops or vehicles is not illegal under international law, but striking civilians with the weapons could amount to a war crime, according to Human Rights Watch.