Daily Prelims Notes 18 May 2023

May 18, 2023
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

Daily Prelims Notes

18 May 2023

Table Of Contents

1. Global warming now more likely to breach 1.5°C threshold by 2027

Subject : Environment

Section: Climate change

Context: Partially responsible for boosting the chance of hitting 1.5°C is an El Nino weather pattern expected to develop in the coming months.

More on the News:

For the first time ever, global temperatures are now more likely than not to breach 1.5°C (2.7°F) of warming within the next five years, the World Meteorological Organization said on May 17.
But that did not necessarily mean the world would cross the long-term warming threshold of 1.5°C above preindustrial levels set out in the 2015 Paris Agreement.
Partially responsible for boosting the chance of hitting 1.5°C is an El Nino weather pattern expected to develop in the coming months. During this natural phenomenon, warmer waters in the tropical Pacific heat the atmosphere above, spiking global temperatures.
The El Nino “will combine with human-induced climate change to push global temperatures into uncharted territory”, said WMO Secretary-General
Still, the likelihood of temporarily exceeding 1.5°C has increased over time. Between 2017 and 2021, for example, scientists estimated just a 10% chance of hitting 1.5C.
Unlike the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s climate projections which are based on future greenhouse gas emissions, the WMO update provides more of a prediction-based long-range weather forecast.
The WMO also found a 98% chance that one of the next five years will be the hottest on record, surpassing 2016 which saw global temperature impacted by about 1.3°C (2.3°F) of warming.
The hottest eight years ever recorded were all between 2015 and 2022, with 2016 the warmest — but temperatures are forecast to increase further as climate change accelerates.

World Meteorological Organisation (WMO):

The WMO is an intergovernmental organizationwith a membership of 192 Member States and Territories.
India is a member of
It originated from theInternational Meteorological Organization (IMO), which was established after the 1873 Vienna International Meteorological Congress.
Established by the ratification of the WMO Convention on 23rd March 1950, WMObecame the specialized agency of the United Nations for meteorology (weather and climate), operational hydrology and related geophysical sciences.’
WMO also encourages research and training in meteorology and hydrologyand their related applications and contributes towards reducing the impact of weather- and climate-related hazards.
Predictions concerning locust swarms and the transport of pollutants(nuclear and toxic substances, volcanic ash) are also provided by WMO Members.
WMO is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
Reports:
- Greenhouse Gas Bulletin.
- Status of the World Climate.

More about Paris agreement: https://optimizeias.com/indias-updated-climate-pledge-to-paris-agreement/

2. Warming water and pollution amplify fish mortality in Kerala during summer

Subject :Environment

Section: Pollution

Context: Warming water and pollution from industries, chemicals and pesticide run offs, lead to fish kill during summer months.

More on the News:

A study published in August 2022, predicts a six-fold increase in the frequency of fish mass die-offs across the world by 2100 due to summer kills (mortalities associated with warm temperature), winterkills (mortalities associated with cold temperatures) and infectious pathogens.
In the lakes of the northern hemisphere, it has been observed that warming of water amplifies the frequency of fish mass mortality events.
In Kerala, the month of May with high temperatures has typically recorded the most fish kills – the phenomenon when a large number of fish in a particular area die and float on the surface within a short period of time.

Causes of Fish Mortality:

Low water flow and oxygen
- Rapid changes in temperature affect a wide range of fishes regardless of their thermal tolerance. Each organism has its own levels of tolerance for low dissolved oxygen, but levels under 3mg/L are largely toxic to fishes. They are often seen coming to the surface of water and gasping for air.
- Fishes are very sensitive to changes in water quality, the pH of the water, salinity and oxygen quantity. These changes can disrupt the ecological balance in the water bodies, leading to the growth of harmful algal blooms and other aquatic pathogens.
Water pollution
- Excessive amount of chemicals used in agriculture and their run-off are also a major concern. These chemicals accumulate in the water and is toxic to fish causing respiratory and reproductive disorders.
- The excessive use of chemicals in aquaculture, such as antibiotics and pesticides may also lead to fish kills.

Prevention of fish kills:

Adopt sustainable practices in aquaculture, reduce pollution and promote conservation of water bodies.
Increasing green cover is very important strategy to prevent fish kills.
The dams should release enough water into the rivers in summer to allow at least a minimum flow.
An oxygen diffuser should be used in fish farms and ponds

3. ASTR: How govt’s AI and face recognition tool will detect phone frauds

Subject : Science and Technology

Section: Awareness in IT and Computers

Context: The DoT claims the tool — called Artificial Intelligence and Facial Recognition powered Solution for Telecom SIM Subscriber Verification (ASTR) — can potentially bring down cyber frauds by detecting and blocking possible fraudulent mobile connections

What is ASTR?

Its acronym is ‘Artificial Intelligence and Facial Recognition Powered Solution for Telecom Sim Subscriber Verification – ASTR
Created specifically to address problems of SIM-card fraud
ASTR was conceptualised and implemented by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) Haryana LSA unit “to carry out 100% mobile subscriber verification”.

How does it work?

The system uses subscriber images provided by the Telecom Subscriber Providers (TSPs) and compares the same to groups of similar images using facial recognition.
It also compares other details available in the database to confirm any cases of forged documents or duplication of SIM card registrations under different names, guardian name, date of birth or any other KYC parameter
It runs all subscriber images through ASTR’s facial recognition mechanism until you get a match
It Use fuzzy logic for finding a unique set of names (fuzzy logic is a science of approximate string matching).
Using this, authorities can identify two entries that are approximately similar and so find a set of subscriber names
ASTR conducts unique mapping of the subscriber image with names
ASTR comes across individual subscribers that have over nine SIMs in their name because the DoT allows an individual to take nine legitimate mobile phone connections using a single identity proof.

Success using ASTR

In first phase, analysis of more than 87 crore mobile connections was carried out.
For such a large data processing, Param-Sidhhi Supercomputer was used.
Multiple cases were detected where one photograph was used to obtain hundreds of connections.
A total of 40.87 Lakh suspected mobile connections were detected.
After due verification 36.61 Lakh connections have already been disconnected. Remaining are under process.
40,123 Point of Sales (PoS) involved in selling such mobile connections, have been blacklisted by the service providers and more than 150 FIRs have been lodged across India.
The details of disconnected numbers have been shared with banks, payment wallets and social media platforms for disengaging these numbers with their accounts.

Related Information:

Sanchar Saathi portal:

It is a citizen centric initiative of Department of Telecommunications to empower mobile subscribers, strengthen their security and increase awareness about citizen centric initiatives of the Government
It empowers citizens by allowing them to know the mobile connections issued in their name, get disconnected the connections not required by them, block/trace lost mobile phones and check genuineness of devices while buying a new/old mobile phone.

4. In remote J&K national park, camera traps snap elusive snow leopard, read out a success story

Subject :Environment

Section: Species in news

Context: The Jammu and Kashmir Wildlife Protection Department’s confirmation on the presence of at least half-a-dozen snow leopards at high-altitude Kishtwar National Park

Concept:

The Snow Leopard (also known as Ghost of the mountains) acts as an indicator of the health of the mountain ecosystem in which they live, due to their position as the top predator in the food web.
The Snow Leopard lives at high altitudes in the steep mountains of Central and Southern Asia, and in an extremely cold climate.
They inhabit the higher Himalayan and trans-Himalayan landscape in the states/union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh.
India is a unique country to have a good presence of 5 big cats, including Snow Leopard. The other 4 are, Lion, Tiger, Common Leopard, and Clouded Leopard.
The snow leopard’s habitat range extends across the mountainous regions of 12 countries across Asia: Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan
Out of the total range covers an area, 60% of the habitat found in China.

Threat: Factors that have contributed to the decline in the snow leopard populations include, reduction in prey populations, illegal poaching and increased human population infiltration into the species habitat and illegal trade of wildlife parts and products among others.

Protection:

IUCN Red List- Vulnerable
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)- Appendix I
Convention on Migratory Species (CMS)- Appendix I
Appendix I includes species threatened with extinction.
Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972- Schedule I
Schedule I provides absolute protection and offences under this have the highest penalties.

Kishtwar National Park

It is located in Jammu and Kashmir
It is bounded to the north by Rinnay river, south by Kibar Nala catchment, east by main divide of Great Himalaya and west by Marwah river
It was declared a national park on February 4, 1981.
It has an altitude range of 1700 to 4800 Metres.
The National Park encompasses the catchment area of Kiber, Nanth and Kiyar Nallas, all of which drain south-west into Marwah river locally called Mariv Sudir which joins Chenab
The national park in Kishtwar attracts wildlife lovers with its rich flora & fauna which comprises musk deer and Himalayan brown bear.

5. India helping west meet it’s energy demand

Subject : International Relations

Concept :

The European Union’s (EU) foreign and security policy chief said the EU should crack down on India reselling Russian oil into Europe as refined fuel.

Import from Russia

Since Russian invasion of Ukraine, India has emerged as one of the biggest buyers of Russian oil.
India’s imports of Russian oil rose tenfold last year.
In 2021 Russian oil accounted for just 2% of India’s annual crude imports. That figure now stands at almost 20%.

Export to the west

The access to cheap crude oil has allowed the country’s refiners to register massive profits and export record-level refined petroleum products to Europe and the USA.
Indian refiners exported an average of around 284,000 barrels per day (bpd) of refined petroleum products to Europe in the December-April period, up from about 170,000 bpd in the year-ago period.

India’s defence

India has defended its purchase of oil by saying that given its huge reliance on energy imports and with millions living in poverty, it isn’t in a position to pay higher prices.
Further, Russian crude, if substantially transformed in a third country, is not treated as Russian anymore.

Sanctions against Russian oil

Soon after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the West started to curtail their dependency on Moscow’s energy imports in a bid to squeeze its economy.
Germany : It suspended the launch of the new Nord Stream natural gas pipeline.
Canada and the US : Banned the import of Russian crude oil.
Group of seven (G7) :
They enforced a “price cap” on Russian crude.
They believed the price cap imposition would cripple Moscow’s economy and severely impact its ability to fund its battle against Ukraine.
However, Russia responded by increasing its oil exports to India and China.

How India is helping the West meet its energy demand?

As the sanctions imposed on the import of Russian oil aren’t applicable to India, the amount of fuel from Moscow entering the country has reached a record high.
This has allowed India to not only easily meet its own energy demands but also that of other countries.
A Bloomberg report noted that India is importing more and more oil from Moscow and refining it into fuel, which is being supplied to Europe and the US.
India’s diesel exports to the Europe rose 12-16% to 1,50,000-1,67,000 bpd in the last fiscal year.
India boosted its vacuum gas oil (VGO) shipments to the US.

Surge of prices

Currently, four factors are leading to a surge in the price of oil, coal, and other energy sources. These are:
the disruption of oil supply chains due to the US sanctions on Russia post the Russian invasion of Ukraine,
the weakening of the US-Saudi Arabia 1970s deal that led to the dollar becoming the world’s reserve currency and leading to the sale of oil and currencies other than the dollar,
high inflation in developed countries, including the US, Canada, Germany, and the UK, and
the US effort to create alternate supply chains excluding China.

6. United States Debt Ceiling Crisis

Subject :Economy

Section: Fiscal Policy

Concept :

With the ongoing U.S. debt ceiling crisis, finance leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) nations warned for further global economic uncertainty

Background

On January 19, 2023, the United States hit its debt ceiling limit of $31.4 trillion, leading to a debt-ceiling crisis.
Recently, the U. Treasury Secretary has notified the U.S. Congress that the country could default on its debt as early as June 1, 2023 if the White House does not reach a consensus to raise or suspend the debt ceiling.

What is the ‘US Debt Ceiling’?

It refers to the maximum amount of money that the United States government is authorized to borrow to fund its operations and meet its financial obligations.
It is a legal limit set by Congress on the total amount of outstanding debt that the government can accumulate.
The debt ceiling was established by the US Congress in 1917 during World War I to make the federal government fiscally responsible.

What happens when the Government reaches Debt Ceiling?

When the government reaches the debt ceiling, it cannot legally borrow any more funds to cover its expenses.
At that point, the Treasury Department must employ various measures, known as “extraordinary measures,” to continue financing the government’s operations without surpassing the debt limit.
These measures can include reallocating funds from other areas, suspending certain government investments, or using accounting techniques to create additional headroom.
If the debt ceiling is not raised or suspended by Congress, the government may face difficulties in meeting its financial obligations, potentially leading to a default.

What happens if the debt ceiling isn’t raised?

The most severe consequence of not raising the debt ceiling is the risk of a default by the United States government.
When the government reaches the debt ceiling, it means it can no longer borrow money to meet its financial obligations, such as paying its debts, Social Security benefits, government salaries, and other critical expenses.
A default on these obligations would have severe consequences for the economy and financial markets, both domestically and globally.

Implications of US’ defaults on its debt

Domestic implications for US:

Higher borrowing costs: Following a default, the United States would face higher borrowing costs to finance its debt. Higher borrowing costs can dampen investment, discourage borrowing, and hinder economic growth.
Economic recession: The uncertainty and disruptions caused by a default would undermine consumer and business confidence, leading to reduced spending and investment. Government spending would need to be drastically cut, potentially resulting in layoffs, reduced public services, and a contraction in economic activity.
Social and political consequences: The cuts in government spending could affect healthcare, education, and social welfare. This could lead to public dissatisfaction and political tensions.

Global implications

Economic slowdown: A US default would have ripple effects on the global economy. Export-oriented countries heavily reliant on US demand would be particularly affected.
Financial market contagion: A US default would send shockwaves through global financial markets. Financial institutions around the world that hold US Treasury bonds would suffer losses, affecting their balance sheets and potentially leading to financial instability globally.
Currency implications: A US default could undermine confidence in the US dollar as the global reserve currency. This could encourage global de-dollarization efforts.
Geopolitical repercussions: It could diminish the United States’ credibility and influence in international affairs, while other countries and blocs may seek to assert themselves on the global stage.

Past Instances of US Debt Ceiling Crisis

The US government debt has increased under every single president since 1929, resulting in the debt ceiling being raised over 100 times, with occasional instances of suspension that have contributed to crisis-like situations.
In 2011: The US reached a crisis point of near default on public debt and suspended the rise in the limit. The delay in raising the debt ceiling led to its first downgrade in the US credit rating, a sharp drop in the stock market, and an increase in borrowing costs.
Another one in 2013: This time when the ceiling was reached again, the Treasury adopted extraordinary measures to delay a default. These measures included suspending investments in individual retirement funds of federal employees, the Civil Service Retiree’s and Disability Fund, the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund, etc.
That apart, the debt ceiling was suspended in 2015, 2017, and 2019, but in all these years it was upwardly revised post a few months of suspension.

Does India have a Debt Ceiling Mechanism?

India does not have a formal debt ceiling mechanism similar to the one in the United States.
The Indian government manages its borrowing and debt obligations through various measures, including fiscal discipline, budgetary controls, and oversight by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
In India, the government’s borrowing activities are governed by the provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act, which sets targets for fiscal deficits and debt-to-GDP ratios. The FRBM Act aims to ensure prudent fiscal management and fiscal discipline by the government.

7. Centre writes to States to curb trend of unnecessary hysterectomies

Subject :Schemes

Concept :

Worried that poor, less-educated women, particularly in the rural areas, continue to be at higher risk of undergoing unnecessary and often unjustified hysterectomies, the Health Ministry has written to all stakeholders to work towards plugging “such hysterectomies performed by certain medical institutions”.
The Centre has asked states to provide data on hysterectomies conducted in private as well as public hospitals with an aim to prevent certain medical institutions from carrying out the procedure even when it is unnecessary and unjustified.

Hysterectomy

Hysterectomy is a surgical procedure to remove the uterus, and sometimes surrounding organs and tissues.
It can be classified as a partial hysterectomy (removal of the uterus), total hysterectomy (removal of the uterus and cervix), or radical hysterectomy (removal of the uterus, cervix, part of the vagina, and surrounding tissues).
The procedure can be performed through the vagina or through an incision in the abdomen.

Issues with such surgery

Overuse and unnecessary procedures: Hysterectomy can be performed without exploring alternative treatments.
Psychological and emotional impact: The procedure may lead to feelings of loss and changes in body image.
Surgical risks and complications: Hysterectomy carries risks such as infection and damage to surrounding organs.
Long-term health effects: Removal of the uterus may have impacts on hormones and bone health.
Patient autonomy and informed consent: Patients should be fully informed about the procedure and involved in decision-making.
Access and equity: Disparities in access to healthcare may contribute to overuse, particularly among marginalized communities.

Concerns and Petition

A public interest litigation (PIL) highlighted the occurrence of unnecessary hysterectomies in the states of Bihar, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan under government healthcare schemes.

Government action and guidelines

The Health Ministry has closely monitored the issue of hysterectomies and requested States to share data on hysterectomy cases before and after the implementation of guidelines.
Compulsory audits for all hysterectomies are advised, similar to those conducted for maternal mortality, in both public and private healthcare institutions.
In 2022, the Health Ministry issued guidelines to prevent unnecessary hysterectomies and urged States to comply with them.

8. London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR)

Subject : Economy

Section: Monetary Policy

Concept :

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has asked the banks and financial institutions to facilitate a complete transition away from the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) by the 1st of July 2023.

London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR)

LIBOR is a globally accepted benchmark interest rate at which major global banks may borrow from one another in the international (London) interbank market for short-term loans.
LIBOR is used as a benchmark to settle trades in futures, options, swaps and other derivative financial instruments in over-the-counter markets and on exchanges.
Furthermore, LIBOR is also used as a benchmark rate for consumer lending products such as credit cards, mortgages, student loans, corporate debt, etc.
Every business day before 11 a.m. (London time), banks on the LIBOR panel make their submissions to Thomson Reuters, which is a news and financial data company.
This LIBOR panel comprises commercial bankers such as J.P. Morgan Chase (London branch), Lloyds Bank, Bank of America (London branch), Royal Bank of Canada, UBS AG, etc.
The contributed rates are then ranked based on the LIBOR submission.
During the ranking process, extreme quartiles are excluded and the middle quartiles are averaged to derive the LIBOR.
This is in line with the idea of being as close to the median as possible.

Controversy surrounding LIBOR

Recently, there have been efforts to phase out LIBOR because of its role in worsening the Financial Crisis of 2008 and also due to the scandals involving LIBOR manipulation among rate-setting banks.
Critics have pointed out that the mechanism adopted by LIBOR relied heavily on banks to be honest with their reporting disregarding their commercial interests.
Investigations have revealed a long-lasting scheme among various banks to manipulate rates in order to acquire more profit.

Other alternatives to LIBOR

The U.S. Federal Reserve in 2017, announced the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) as an alternative to LIBOR.
Post the introduction of SOFR, new transactions in India were to be undertaken using the SOFR and the Modified Mumbai Interbank Forward Outright Rate (MMIFOR), replacing LIBOR and its corresponding domestic Mumbai Interbank Forward Outright Rate (MIFOR).
SOFR is a rate produced by the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank based on transaction data (observable repo rates which are collateralised by U.S. Treasury securities) and is not based on estimates by experts as in LIBOR.
Thus, SOFR is considered to be more accurate and less prone to market manipulation.
RBI had asked banks in India to assess their LIBOR exposures and initiate their preparations to adopt alternative reference rates.
Contracts that were signed after December 31, 2021, were told not to use the LIBOR as a reference rate and the contracts that were entered before the date were to have fallback clauses for revised considerations when the LIBOR is completely phased out.

9. SEBI allows direct access for FPIs in commodity derivatives

Subject : Economy

Section: Capital Market

What is Direct Market Access?

Direct market access (DMA) is a way of placing trades directly onto the order books of exchanges.

10. Investment towards 4G almost over: Airtel

Subject : Science and Technology

Section: Awareness in IT

Evolution from First Generation to Fifth Generation

1G was launched in the 1980s and worked on analog radio signals and supported only voice calls.
2G was Launched in the 1990s which uses digital radio signals and supported both voice and data transmission with a Bandwidth of 64 Kbps.
3G was launched in the 2000s with a speed of 1 Mbps to 2 Mbps and it has the ability to transmit telephone signal including digitised voice, video calls and conferencing.
4G was launched in 2009 with a peak speed of 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps and it also enables 3D virtual reality.

5G or fifth generation is the latest upgrade in the long term evolution (LTE) mobile broadband networks.
The first generation of networks allowed only mobile voice calls to be made, while the second generation allowed mobile voice calls as well as sending of short text messages.
It was the third generation or 3G network which allowed web browsing on mobile devices, the speed and latency of which improved with fourth-generation or 4G networks.
The 5G networks will have even faster speeds with latency down to between 1-10 milliseconds.
Note: Latency is the time a device takes to communicate with the network, which stands at an average of up to 50 milliseconds for 4G networks across the world.

How does 5G work?

All 5G networks chiefly operate on three spectrum bands.
The low-band spectrum has been proven to have great coverage and works fast even in underground conditions. However, the maximum speed limit on this band is 100 Mbps (Megabits per second).
In the mid-band spectrum, though the speeds are higher, telcos across the world have registered limitations when it comes to coverage area and penetration of telephone signals into buildings.
The high-band spectrum offers the highest speed but has extremely limited network coverage area and penetration capabilities.
The telcos using this band rely on the existing LTE networks and will need to install a number of smaller towers to ensure adequate coverage and high-speed performance.

Where does India stand on the deployment of 5G?

Companies, both telecom service providers and their equipment vendors, have completed lab trials of 5G network components but are yet to commence field trials, which were initially scheduled to happen last year.
For the same, telecom companies are awaiting allocation of test spectrum from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
The service providers have already tied up with equipment makers like Nokia, Ericsson, etc for deploying their 5G networks

11. Cong freebies come with heavy price tag for exchequer

Subject : Economy

Section: Fiscal Policy

Freebies that are usually distributed include goods like bicycles, smart phones, TVs, Laptops and waivers on bills (water, electricity, etc.).Freebies and poll promises are different from subsidies which are required for the proper functioning of a government to fulfill peoples’ needs and may not be a part of government poll promises. However, it is sometimes confused with freebies.

Why?

Political parties promise to offer free electricity/water supply, monthly allowance to unemployed, daily wage workers and women as well as gadgets like laptops, smartphones etc. in order to secure the vote of the people.

Impact:

Arguments in Favor of Freebies: The model is neither sustainable nor economically viable.

Essential for Fulfilling Expectations- helps win election
Balanced regional growth -With the states that have comparatively lower level of development with a larger share of the population suffering from poverty, such kind of freebies become need/demand-based and it becomes essential to offer the people such subsidies for their own upliftment.
Reduce inequality of income and wealth
Increase consumption and thus standard of living of masses
Reduction in poverty
Economic Push: They help increase the demand that prevents the rate of growth from declining further. Free education and health are anyway justified because they are cases of ‘merit wants’ and increase productivity of labor.

Associated Issues with ‘Freebies’:

Rise in fiscal deficit: This places a huge economic burden on the exchequer of the state as well as centre.
Rise in inflation-demand exceed the supply
Unproductive expenditure-no multiplier effect to increase producive capacity of the economy
Against Free and Fair Election: The promise of irrational freebies from public funds before elections unduly influences the voters, disturbs the level playing field and vitiates the purity of the poll process.
It amounts to an unethical practice that is just like giving bribes to the electorate.
Against Equality Principle: Distribution of private goods or services, which are not for public purposes, from public funds before the election violates several articles of the Constitution, including Article 14 (equality before law).
Burden of financing-increase tax or debt.
Distort market determined pricing system
Wastage of resources/Inefficient allocation of scarce resources.

At present no law prohibit political parties from announcing freebies.

Such programmes further the Directive Principles of State Policy under Part IV of the Constitution.

Article 36 of the Constitution encourages the state to secure a just social order.
Article 39 says that the state shall make efforts to reduce the concentration of wealth and promote the common good

Directive Principles of State Policy

DPSP (Directive Principles of State Policy) enumerated in Part IV of the constitution. It covers the Articles from 36 to 51.

The framers of the constitution borrowed this idea from the Irish Constitution.

The state should keep in mind all the DPSP before formulating any policy or law for the country.

DPSPs are non-justiciable.
DPSPs embody welfare state.
DPSPs seek to establish social and economic democracy
Article 38 to 51 contains all the different DPSP’s.

12. Land record digitisation

Subject: Schemes

Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP)

Keeping this in view, the government revamped the existing National Land Record Modernization Programme (NLRMP) by bringing into force, the Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP) w.e.f April 1, 2016, as a Central scheme with 100 per cent funding.
Two Centrally sponsored schemes of Computerization of Land Records (CLR)and Strengthening of Revenue Administration and updating of Land Records (SRA&ULR) were merged.
The programme is slated to be fully implemented by March 2026, with completion of basic digitisation of Record of Rights (RoRs) and Cadastral Maps and integration of the the two, computerisation of Sub Registrar Offices (SROs), and integration of SROs and Revenue Offices by March 2024.
The DILRMP scheme was launched with a view to attain commonalities that exist in the arena of land records in various States, develop an integrated system which will, among other things, provide real-time information on land, optimise use of land resources, assist in policy and planning, reduce land disputes, check fraudulent/ benamitransactions, obviate the need for physical visits to Revenue/Registration offices and enable sharing of information with various organisations/agencies.
It attempts to build upon the commonalities that exist in the arena of land records in various States to develop an appropriate Integrated Land Information Management System (ILIMS) across the country, on which different States can also add State-specific needs as they may deem relevant and appropriate.

Identification number

Firstly, a Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN) or Bhu-Aadhaar number has been assigned for a land parcel, which is a 14 digit alphanumeric unique ID based on geo-coordinates. It will serve as a pan-India number for obtaining ownership details of a plot along with its size and geolocation. This will result in standardisation of land records data across the country which will serve multiple purposes, including seamless sharing and cross-validation of land data across sectors/agencies/authorities and preventing duplication of land records.

Secondly, a uniform system called National Generic Document Registration System (NGDRS) has been developed for addressing the diversity prevailing across States with regards to registration of deeds/documents. The major benefits of this system include citizen empowerment through online entry of deed, online payment, online pre-appointment, document search and certified copy generation, decrease in time and cost at Sub-Registrar level, accommodation of all variations/gaps prevailing across the States, SMS and email alerts related to transactions on property as well as rule based transparent online valuation with accurate calculation of property cost.

Thirdly, the Records of Rights have been transliterated in all the 22 scheduled languages mentioned in the Constitution to address the problem of linguistic barriers in land governance in the country. This will enable the government to make informed policy decisions for the benefit of its citizens and will also benefit citizens and stakeholders, especially potential start-ups, investors and industry.

The DILRMP scheme will also facilitate various services such as providing caste, income and domicile certificates, and online information on crop profile, crop insurance and e-linkages to credit facilities/banks.

A comprehensive land record management system will also help resolve long pending arbitration cases and boundary-related disputes amicably, thus reducing the burden on the judiciary and the administration.

Other initiatives undertaken by the Department are as below:

I) National Generic Document Registration System (NGDRS)

To provide, one Nation one software for registration of documents & properties to ’empower citizens’, Department developed and field-tested a National Generic Document Registration System (NGDRS) through NIC/NICSI under the broad aegis of Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme (DILRMP) a central sector scheme to include requirements of all the States and the same has been launched/under implementation in 10 states/Union Territories namely Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Manipur, Mizoram and Punjab, benefiting 10.47 crore population.

The benefits are the reduction of land disputes, check on fraudulent transactions; Reduced process, time of document registration at Sub Registrar level as per reports from two state governments; processes and time taken in document registration has reduced from 9 to 6 processes and from 3-4 hours to 15-20 minutes respectively; presentation for document registration anywhere within concurrent jurisdiction is possible; SMS and email enabled alerts related to transactions on a property, a dashboard for senior authorities for monitoring the outcomes and analyzing the performance or challenges faced by SROs; data shared and used by important government authorities/stakeholders like the Revenue Department (Income Tax) with a data policy and standards in place; and external system integrations can be provided as required (i.e. eSign, eKYC, Payment Gateways, PAN Verification, ROR to fetch party names for data standardization)

NGDRS software is expected to improve the ranking of the country in ease of doing business in a world level forum and provide ease of living to the people.

II) Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN):

The Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN) System will have 14 digits – Alpha-numeric unique ID for each land parcel. The Unique IDs based on Geo reference coordinate of vertices of the parcel would be of international standard and compliance of the Electronic Commerce Code Management Association (ECCMA) standard and Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) standards and it will provide compatibility so that all states can adopt it easily. Proper land statistics and land accounting through ULPIN will help develop land bank and lead towards Integrated Land Information Management System (ILIMS).

Benefits are to ensure uniqueness in all transactions and keep the land records always up-to-date; a link of all property transactions get established; delivery of citizen services of land records through the single window; sharing of land records data across departments, financial institutions and all stakeholders; and standardization at data and application-level would bring in effective integration and interoperability across departments.

13. Regulatory Barriers to Trade

Subject :Economy

Section: External Sector

It is a type of Technical Barrier to Trade that countries use to restrict imports from other countries. Broadly trade barriers are tariff and non-tariff. Non-tariff barriers include subsidies, anti-dumping duties, regulatory barriers and voluntary export restraints.

Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreement aims to address this problem by ensuring that any technical barrier is backed by legitimate policy objective and is not used just for purpose of making trade difficult. For example, in name of consumer interest or environment countries will have complex requirements of labeling or testing thereby discouraging trade. India and Japan signed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in 2011 giving free/low duty market access to most products but India has been unable to take advantage due to TBTs.

14. Overseas use of international credit card now part of Liberalized Remittance Scheme limit

Subject: Economy

Section: External Sector

Finance ministry’s changed rule on overseas use of international credit card kicks in from May 16, 2023

What is new change in rules?

If you are paying through an international credit card abroad, you need to be cautious as such expenditure will now be treated as part of the limit under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS), according to the changed rules notified by the Finance Ministry.

What is Liberalized Remittance Scheme?

This is the scheme of the Reserve Bank of India, introduced in the year 2004.
All resident individuals, including minors, are allowed to freely remit up to $250,000 per financial year (April–March) for any permissible current or capital account transaction or a combination of both.
Not Eligible: The Scheme is not available to corporations, partnership firms, Hindu Undivided Family (HUF), Trusts etc.
Though there are no restrictions on the frequency of remittances under LRS, once a remittance is made for an amount up to USD 2,50,000 during the financial year, a resident individual would not be eligible to make any further remittances under this scheme.
Remitted Money can be used for:
- Expenses related to travelling (private or for business), medical treatment, study, gifts and donations, maintenance of close relatives and so on.
- Investment in shares, debt instruments, and buy immovable properties in the overseas market.
- Individuals can also open, maintain and hold foreign currency accounts with banks outside India for carrying out transactions permitted under the scheme.
Requirements: It is mandatory for the resident individual to provide his/her Permanent Account Number (PAN) for all transactions under LRS made through Authorized Persons.