[Mission 2024] Insights SECURE SYNOPSIS: 23 October 2023

NOTE: Please remember that following ‘answers’ are NOT ‘model answers’. They are NOT synopsis too if we go by definition of the term. What we are providing is content that both meets demand of the question and at the same

General Studies – 1

Topic: Social empowerment

1. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 marked a significant step towards inclusivity and accessibility. Yet, a holistic approach that involves government bodies, civil society, and individuals is necessary to ensure the full realization of the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all aspects of society. Analyse. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Easy

Reference: Indian Express ,Insights on India

Why the question:

The article discusses the importance of making films accessible to people with disabilities and how this can benefit everyone.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, its successes and limitations in ensuring accessibility and steps needed to overcome limitations.

Directive word: 

Analyse – When asked to analyse, you must examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts and present them in a summary.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Begin by writing about the aims and objectives of Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.

Body:

First, mention the major provisions of Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 and mention how it was a landmark step to boost inclusivity and accessibility.

Next, write about various shortcomings of Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 and also additional barriers the disabled face in India.

Conclusion:

Conclude by writing a way forward to achieve inclusivity.

Introduction

According to Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, “Person with disability” means a person with long term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairment which, in interaction with barriers, hinders his full and effective participation in society equally with others. According to Census 2011, India is home to 26.8 million people with disabilities and that is a huge underestimation.  

There is compelling global evidence that media accessibility features are useful for all, including the hearing and the sighted, albeit in different ways. The Billion Readers initiative has shown that features like Same Language Subtitles or Captions will advance the reading literacy and language skills of one billion TV viewers.

Body:

Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016: A landmark step for disabled

• It becomes the duty of the Union, states as well as Union Territories to take up the matter.
• It is also important to ensure that all government buses are disabled friendly in accordance with the harmonized guidelines.
• Disability has been defined based on an evolving and dynamic concept.
• The types of disabilities have been increased from 7 to 21. The act added mental illness, autism, spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, chronic neurological conditions, speech and language disability, thalassemia, haemophilia, sickle cell disease, multiple disabilities including deaf blindness, acid attack victims and Parkinson’s disease which were largely ignored in earlier act. In addition, the Government has been authorized to notify any other category of specified disability.
• It increases the quantum of reservationfor people suffering from disabilities from 3% to 4% in government jobs and from 3% to 5% in higher education institutes.
• Every child with benchmark disability between the age group of 6 and 18 years shall have the right to free education.
• Government funded educational institutions as well as the government recognized institutions will have to provide inclusive education.
• Stress has been given to ensure accessibility in public buildingsin a prescribed time frame along with Accessible India Campaign.
• The Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities and the State Commissioners will act as regulatory bodies and Grievance Redressal agencies, monitoring implementation of the Act.
• A separate National and State Fundbe created to provide financial support to the persons with disabilities.

Shortcomings of the act

• The Bill strangely makes the clauses on non-discrimination in employment mandatory only in government establishments.
• The Bill continues with the 1995 act’s provision of having a chief commissioner and state commissioners. Neither the commissioners nor any of the members of their advisory committees are required to be Persons with Disabilities.
• Despite a Supreme Court judgment in 2013 that reservations should be decided on the basis of the total number of vacancies in a particular cadre, rather than the posts identified by the government to be filled by persons with benchmark disabilities, the bill has stuck to the latter.
• Also, like it does for the institutions wanting to be registered as ones for PWDs, the bill does not specify the time frame for a certificate of disability to be issued. This gives PWDs no way to address the trials and tribulations they face when tackling the bureaucracy in receiving what has been their right for years now.
• The amended bill does define public buildings and public facilities and services towards making such infrastructure accessible to PWDs in a “barrier-free” manner. However, for all the benefits that this bill strives to provide, basic issues of accessibility, including to information and communication technology, and certification of disability remain a distant unfulfilled dream in the absence of any political will.

Way forward

• Although RPWD Act, 2016 is a rights-based legislation, the success of the statute will largely depend on the proactive measures taken by the respective state governments on its implementation.
• It is time to leverage this vast human capital. It is hoped that the proposed new law, a robust rights-based legislation with a strong institutional mechanism, shall ensure enjoyment of rights by persons with disabilities on an equal basis with the non-disabled citizens of India.
• Many disability certificates can now be issued by primary health care doctors after specific training, which will be a boon to many disabled patients in rural areas. However, the disability guidelines should have also given the power of certification to the private practising doctors, so that the shortage of human resources could have been taken care of, with adequate checks and balances.
• Considering the sociocultural prejudices against them, and the inability, rather the refusal, to keep in mind the needs of PWDs, this bill, as was the fate of the 1995 act, will go only so far to ensure for them the rights that should have been a given. Till they are treated as second-class citizens, and not recognised as capable individuals in their own right, India will continue to be an unjust and inequitable society.

Conclusion

                Until each of us is firmly committed to the idea of implementing the two fundamental changes sketched above, we will continue to live in an environment in which, even as we sing praises of the disabled who achieve success despite the obstacles placed on their path, we do not pause to reflect on what it is that makes it so hard for them to succeed in the first place and what we can do to reverse this state of affairs.

Value addition

Major provisions of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016:

• Disabilities covered:
  • Disability has been defined based on an evolving and dynamic concept.
  • The types of disabilities have been increased from existing 7 to 21 and the Central Government will have the power to add more types of disabilities.
  • Persons with “benchmark disabilities” are defined as those certified to have at least 40 per cent of the disabilities specified above.
• Rights and entitlements
  • Responsibility has been cast upon the appropriate governments to take effective measures to ensure that the persons with disabilities enjoy their rights equally with others.
  • Additional benefits such as reservation in higher education (not less than 5%), government jobs (not less than 4 %), reservation in allocation of land, poverty alleviation schemes (5% allotment) etc. have been provided for persons with benchmark disabilities and those with high support needs.
  • Every child with benchmark disability between the age group of 6 and 18 years shall have the right to free education.
  • Government funded educational institutions as well as the government recognized institutions will have to provide inclusive education to the children with disabilities.
  • For strengthening the Prime Minister’s Accessible India Campaign, stress has been given to ensure accessibility in public buildings (both Government and private) in a prescribed time-frame.
• Guardianship
  • The Act provides for grant of guardianship by District Court under which there will be joint decision – making between the guardian and the persons with disabilities.
• Establishment of Authorities
  • Broad based Central & State Advisory Boards on Disability are to be set up to serve as apex policy making bodies at the Central and State level.
  • Office of Chief Commissioner of Persons with Disabilities has been strengthened who will now be assisted by 2 Commissioners and an Advisory Committee comprising of not more than 11 members drawn from experts in various disabilities.
  • Similarly, the office of State Commissioners of Disabilities has been strengthened who will be assisted by an Advisory Committee comprising of not more than 5 members drawn from experts in various disabilities.
  • The Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities and the State Commissioners will act as regulatory bodies and Grievance Redressal agencies and also monitor implementation of the Act.
  • District level committees will be constituted by the State Governments to address local concerns of PwDs. Details of their constitution and the functions of such committees would be prescribed by the State Governments in the rules.
  • Creation of National and State Fund will be created to provide financial support to the persons with disabilities. The existing National Fund for Persons with Disabilities and the Trust Fund for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities will be subsumed with the National Fund.
• Penalties for offences
  • The Act provides for penalties for offences committed against persons with disabilities and also violation of the provisions of the new law.
  • Any person who violates provisions of the Act, or any rule or regulation made under it, shall be punishable with imprisonment up to six months and/ or a fine of Rs 10,000, or both. For any subsequent violation, imprisonment of up to two years and/or a fine of Rs 50,000 to Rs five lakh can be awarded.
  • Whoever intentionally insults or intimidates a person with disability, or sexually exploits a woman or child with disability, shall be punishable with imprisonment between six months to five years and fine.
  • Special Courts will be designated in each district to handle cases concerning violation of rights of PwDs.

Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

2. Evaluate the various challenges and concerns associated with the Dam Safety Act of 2021 to ensure the protection and safety of dams across the country. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Tough

Reference: The Hindu , Insights on India.

Why the question:

The article discusses the Dam Safety Act and whether India needs to reevaluate its provisions.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about the potential of Dam Safety Act, 2021 in improving Dam Safety and issues regarding the act.

Directive word: 

Evaluate – When you are asked to evaluate, you have to pass a sound judgement about the truth of the given statement in the question or the topic based on evidence.  You must appraise the worth of the statement in question. There is scope for forming an opinion here.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Begin by writing the aims and objectives of the Dam Safety Act, 2021.

Body:

First, mention the various features of the Damn safety act – National Committee on Dam Safety (NCDS), National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA), State Dam Safety Organization (SDSO) and State Dam Safety Committee (SDSC) etc.

Next, write about the ways in which the above will improve safety of the dams.

Next, write about the various issues in the act which have acted as hindrance with regards to dam safety. Cite examples to substantiate.

Conclusion:

Conclude with a way forward.

Introduction

The Dam Safety Act, 2021 provides for the surveillance, inspection, operation and maintenance of all specified dams across the country. It aims to interfere and regulate the entire functioning of dams including its safety.

Body

Extra information: Provisions of the bill

• Surveillance of dams: 
  • The Bill provides for the surveillance, inspection, operation, and maintenance of all specified dams across the country. 
  • These are dams with height more than 15 metres, or height between 10 metres to 15 metres with certain design and structural conditions.
• The National Committee on Dam Safety (NCDS):
  • Its functions include evolving policies and recommending regulations regarding dam safety standards; 
  • It will be chaired by the National Water Commissioner.
• The National Dam Safety Authority:
  • Its functions include implementing policies of the National Committee, providing technical assistance to State Dam Safety Organisations (SDSOs), and resolving matters between SDSOs of states or between a SDSO and any dam owner in that state.
• A State Committee on Dam Safety & State Dam Safety Organisation.  
  • These bodies will be responsible for the surveillance, inspection, and monitoring the operation and maintenance of dams within their jurisdiction.
• Hazard classification
  • The Bill provides for regular inspection and hazard classification of dams. It also provides for drawing up emergency action plans and comprehensive dam safety reviews by an independent panel of experts. There is provision for an emergency flood warning system to address the safety concerns of downstream inhabitants.
• Obligation of Dam Owners:
  • Dam owners are required to provide resources for timely repair and maintenance of the dam structure along with related machinery.
• Penal Provisions:
  • The Bill has penal provisions involving offences and penalties, for ensuring compliance with the provisions.

Pros of the act

• The Bill will help all the States and Union Territories of India to adopt uniform dam safety procedures. These procedures will not only protect the dams but also human life, livestock and property.
• Dam owners will have to provide a dam safety unit in each dam.
• The dam safety unit will be required to inspect the dam before and after the monsoon session, and also during and after natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods.
• The bill requires dam owners to prepare emergency action plans. Risk-assessment studies will also have to be undertaken by owners, regularly.
• At specified, regular intervals, and in the event of either a modification to the dam’s structure or a natural event that may impact the structure, dam owners will have to produce a comprehensive safety evaluation by experts.

Issues in the act

• Huge workload: National Dam Safety Authority will have to look after more than 5,000 dams across all over India. So it will face a huge workload.
• Water is a state subject: Many states view the Dam safety bill as encroaching upon the States domain to manage their dams, and violating the principles of federalism enshrined in the Constitution.
• Against federalism: Act is a legislation passed by the Union through brute majority to blatantly usurp the States’ power.
• Centre’s control: Act usurped the power of the State governments and placed the operation of specified dams under the control of the Centre.
• Specified dam: Certain terms including the word ‘dam’ in the Act, had been deliberately defined vaguely to give unbridled power to the Centre to treat any dam as a ‘specified dam’. If this definitions were followed, almost all dams in the country would fall under the purview of the Act.
• Entry 56 of Union list: The power of the Centre under Entry 56 of Union list was only with respect to inter-State rivers or river valleys and nothing more. Entry 56 cannot be stretched to include dams and embankments exclusively within the control of the States.
• Power over the subject ‘interstate river and river valley’ cannot be confused with the control over dams.

Way Forward

• Dam safety is dependent on many external factors. So, the government has to consult environmentalists and take the environmental angle for the Dam Safety Bill.
• The government should consider the selection of a dam on the basis of age, as this is the major issue.
• The government has to strengthen the functioning and coordination of state irrigation departments and the Central Water Commission.
• Considering climate change, the government has to think about the issue of water carefully and proactively. So, local factors, such as climate and catchment areas, need to be taken into consideration. Further, there is a need to integrate urban-rural planning with dam safety.
• A Standing Committee recommended a penal provision for dam failures on authorities. The government has to incorporate this into law. Along with that, the government has to increase the capacity building of locals and associated institutions.

General Studies – 2

Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

3. Critically examine the performance of Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) in achieving its stated objectives. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Reference: Indian Express

Why the question:

The article highlights the need for reforms India’s Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) health insurance scheme.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about the successes and limitations PM-JAY

Directive word: 

Critically examine – When asked to ‘Examine’, we have to look into the topic (content words) in detail, inspect it, investigate it and establish the key facts and issues related to the topic in question. While doing so we should explain why these facts and issues are important and their implications. When ‘critically’ is suffixed or prefixed to a directive, one needs to look at the good and bad of the topic and give a fair judgment.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Begin by citing the aims and objectives Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).

Body:

First, write about the Salient features of Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).

Next, write about the successes of the above – Reducing Out-of-Pocket Expenditure, Technology Integration, Coverage etc.

Next, write about the limitations of the same including – Misidentification of beneficiaries, leaks, lack of quality treatment etc.

Conclusion:

Conclude by writing a way forward.

Introduction

The Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission touted as “India’s largest scheme to scale-up health infrastructure” was launched by Prime Minister recently. It is aimed at ensuring a robust public health infrastructure in both urban and rural areas, capable of responding to public health emergencies or disease outbreak.

The “Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana” (AB-PMJAY) has marked five years of success in providing accessible healthcare to economically vulnerable populations.

Body

PM-JAY: Features and Significance

• PM-JAY is theworld’s largest health insurance/ assurance scheme fully financed by the government.
  • Launched in February 2018,it offers a sum insured of5 lakh per family for secondary care (which doesn’t involve a super specialist) as well as tertiary care (which involves a super specialist).
  • Under PMJAY, cashless and paperless access to services are provided to the beneficiaries at the point of service, that is, hospital.
  • Health Benefit Packages coverssurgery, medical and day care treatments, cost of medicines and diagnostics.
  • Packaged rates (Rates that include everything so that each product or service is not charged for separately).
  • These are flexible but the hospitals can’t charge the beneficiary more once fixed.
• Beneficiaries: It is an entitlement-based scheme that targets the beneficiaries as identified by latest Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) data.
• Once identified by the database, the beneficiary is considered insured and can walk into any empaneled hospital.
• Funding: The funding for the scheme is shared – 60:40 for all states and UTs with their own legislature, 90:10 in Northeast states and Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal and Uttarakhand and 100% Central funding for UTs without legislature.
• Nodal Agency: TheNational Health Authority (NHA) has been constituted as an autonomous entity under the Society Registration Act, 1860 for effective implementation of PM-JAY in alliance with state governments.
  • The State Health Agency (SHA) is the apex body of the State Government responsible for the implementation of AB PM-JAY in the State.
• Beneficial for Poor: In around the first 200 days of implementation, PM-JAY has benefitted more than 20.8 lakh poor and deprived people who received free treatment worth more than Rs. 5,000 crores.
• During Covid-19: A key design feature of PM-JAY from the beginning of the scheme is portability, which helps to ensure that a PM-JAY-eligible migrant worker can access the scheme’s services in any empanelled hospital across the country, irrespective of their state of residence.

Impact of the Scheme:

• Out of Pocket Expenditure:It provides support to more than 12 crore families, aiming to encompass 50% of India’s population.
  • By doing so, it reduces out-of-pocket healthcare expensesand has saved over Rs 1 lakh crore in treatment costs.
• Gender Equality:The scheme promotes gender equality, with 48% of treatments benefiting women, ensuring equitable healthcare access.
• Universal Health Coverage:AB-PMJAY aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 3.8 by moving India closer to universal health coverage, guaranteeing quality healthcare regardless of economic status.
• Easy Access:With over 27,000 hospitals accepting the Ayushman Card for free treatment, patients can access care in any state with AB-PMJAY, particularly benefiting migrants.
• Fraud Prevention: The scheme employs the National Anti-Fraud Unit (NAFU)and state-level units, along with Aadhaar-based authentication, AI, and ML technologies to detect and prevent fraud.
  • It has de-empaneled over 210 hospitals for violations.
• Feedback System:Patients receive post-treatment calls to assess the quality of services, enhancing accountability and service improvement.

Challenges in implementing the scheme:

Issues identified as per the latest CAG Report:

Improvements:

• Communication and Verification: The National Health Authority (NHA) aims to rectify inconsistencies through BIS 2.0,disallowing the use of the same mobile number for multiple families.
• The NHA is also developing a policy to disable the ‘Add Member’ functionalityin case of any beneficiary family with more than 15 members

Recommendations: 

• Implement robust validation checks to enhance the accuracy and reliability of the provided data
• Promote the participation of additional private hospitals in the scheme
• Establish effective oversight of claim processing and payment
• Establish District Implementing Units for efficient scheme implementation at the local level.

Conclusion

Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) has made significant strides in expanding healthcare accessibility and reducing out-of-pocket expenditure. Addressing these challenges will be crucial to ensuring the continued success and effectiveness of PMJAY in providing quality healthcare to millions of beneficiaries across India.

Making good use of technology and innovation can further reduce the overall cost of healthcare. AI-powered mobile applications can provide high-quality, low-cost, patient-centric, smart wellness solutions. The scalable and inter-operable IT platform for the Ayushman Bharat is a positive step in this direction.

General Studies – 3

Topic: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.

4. Explain the PPP model of investment. What are the limitations of this model? Suggest measures to streamline PPP model for improving investment and reducing bottlenecks. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Easy

Reference: Insights on India

Why the question:

The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 3 and mentioned as part of Mission-2024 Secure timetable.

Key Demand of the question:

Directive word: 

Directive word: 

Explain – Clarify the topic by giving a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the context. You must be defining key terms wherever appropriate and substantiate with relevant associated facts.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Start by defining PPP model of investment.

Body:

First, explain the various features of the PPP model and its various types.

Next, write about the various bottlenecks in PPP model – Regulatory hurdles related to Land Acquisition, crony capitalism, wrongful risk allocation, delays and stalled projects and conflicts between the government and the contractor etc.

Suggest steps as to how to overcome them.

Conclusion:

Conclude with a way forward.

Introduction

Public Private Partnership means an arrangement between a government/statutory entity/government owned entity on one side and a private sector entity on the other. It is often done for the provision of public assets or public services, through investments being made and/or management being undertaken by the private sector entity, for a specified period of time. There is well defined allocation of risk between the private sector and the public entity. The private entity who is chosen on the basis of open competitive bidding, receives performance linked payments that conform (or are benchmarked) to specified and pre-determined performance standards, measurable by the public entity or its representative.

Body

Challenges faced by PPP in India

• Construction/implementation risk, arising from delay in project clearance; contractor default; environmental damage.
• Market risk, arising from insufficient demand; insufficient demand.
• Finance risk, arising from inflation; changes in interest rates; increase in taxes, Change in exchange rates.
• Operation and maintenance risk, arising from the termination of the contract; technology risk; labor risk.
• Legal risk, arising from changes in law; changes in title/lease rights; insolvency of developer/service provider; change in security structure.

Way Forward

• The success of Public-Private Partnership PPP to a large extent depends on optimal risk allocation among stakeholders, the environment of trust among stakeholders, robust institutional capacity to undertake grooming and implementation of PPP projects.
• Further to foster the successful implementation of a PPP project, a robust PPP enabling ecosystem including liquid and diversified financial institutions; sound regulatory and arbitration framework; mature developers and experienced consultants etc. is essential.
• To develop the PPP projects in India, the Kelkar Committee proposed some changes. Some of them are:

• The PPP model requires the involvement of a private partner to leverage financing and improve operational efficiencies. Therefore, state-owned enterprises or public sector undertakings should not be allowed to bid for PPP projects.
• PPPs should not be used by the government to evade its responsibility for service delivery to citizens. This model should be adopted only after checking its viability for a project, in terms of costs and risks.
• Further, PPP structures should not be adopted for very small projects, since the benefits are not commensurate with the costs.
• Risk allocation and management: Public-Private Partnership PPP contracts should ensure optimal risk allocation across all stakeholders by ensuring that it is allocated to the entity that is best suited to manage the risk. A generic risk monitoring and evaluation framework should be developed covering all aspects of a project’s lifecycle.
• Strengthening policy and governance: The Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 should be amended to distinguish between genuine errors in decision making and acts of corruption by public servants.
• Strengthening institutional capacity: A national-level institution should be set up to support institutional capacity building activities and encouraging private investments with regard to PPPs. Independent regulators must be set up in sectors that are going for PPPs.
• An Infrastructure PPP Project Review Committee may be set up to evaluate PPP projects. An Infrastructure PPP Adjudication Tribunal should also be constituted. A quick, efficient, and enforceable dispute resolution mechanism must be developed for PPP projects
• The government should notify guidelines for auditing of Public-Private Partnership PPPs, only enabling the review of government internal systems. Special Purpose Vehicles (private partners) should follow norms of corporate governance and financial disclosures as per the Companies Act, 2013.
• Strengthening contracts: The private sector must be protected against such loss of bargaining power. This could be ensured by amending the terms of the Public-Private Partnership PPP contracts to allow for renegotiations.
• PPP must not be a short cut only to save money or bridge fiscal gaps or transfer risks; it should be used to improve service quality or bring efficiency improvements.

Value addition

Need for PPPs in nation building:

• Better infrastructure: It is a fact that most governments face the problem that public financing is not enough to bridge the gap between infrastructure need and available funds. In this respect, infrastructure development has to rely increasingly on private markets to leverage and mobilize capital.
• Risk sharing: The private sector is considered to be more proficient in resource acquisition and utilities deliverance than the government, and, therefore, it is further bolstering government’s good fortune to impart the related risks to the private segment.
• Optimum allocation of resources: PPPs can help in the optimum allocation of public resources for the development of infrastructure. Though conventional models of public acquirement concentrate on accomplishing the most reduced forthright expenses in conveying infrastructural ventures infrastructural projects, PPPs concentrate on delivering cost-effectiveness over the duration.
• Innovations: Development is another imperative idea that the private segment can convey to public utilities. As a rule, people in the public sector may not be as inventive similar to the private area. The private division is constantly hunting down new items and utilities to expand its aggressive edge and to save costs.
• Aid in growth of other sectors: To the government, PPP frees up fiscal funds for other areas of public service and improves cash flow management as high upfront capital expenditure is replaced by periodic service payments and provides cost certainty in place of uncertain calls for asset maintenance and replacement.
• The catalyst for the economy: To the private sector participants, PPP provides access to public sector markets. If priced accurately and costs managed effectively, the projects can provide reasonable profits and investment returns on a long-term basis.
• More employment generation: Development of infrastructure will need manpower at various levels and hence it will generate more employment opportunities for the people.
• Improves the image of the country: There will be more development of better physical infrastructure and services through PPP and it will create a good impact on tourism and other enthusiast investors.
• Attract FDI: Scope for investment by the private sector in infrastructure will also provide the opportunities to foreign investors to participate and the financial crunch can be meted out easily. The better infrastructure is also a major boost to foreign direct investment (FDI).

Topic: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.

5.The informal economy plays a pivotal role in the context of developing countries like India. Recognizing its importance, while addressing the vulnerabilities and challenges faced by its workers, is essential for balanced and inclusive economic growth and development in the country. Examine. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Reference: Insights on India

Why the question:

The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 3 and mentioned as part of Mission-2024 Secure timetable.

Key Demand of the question:

To analyse the informal sector in India, its importance and the necessary measures to protect the employees in the informal sector.

Directive word: 

Examine – When asked to ‘Examine’, we must investigate the topic (content words) in detail, inspect it, investigate it and establish the key facts and issues related to the topic in question. While doing so we should explain why these facts and issues are important and their implications.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Begin by giving context.

Body:

First, write about the importance of the informal sector.

Next, write about the various issues in the informal sector. write about the impact of the above issues. Cite statistics and examples to substantiate.

Next, mention that are needed to address the above mentioned issues.

Conclusion:

Conclude by writing a way forward.

Introduction

According to the ILO, the informal sector can be characterized as a range of economic units which are mainly owned and operated by individuals and employ one or more employees on a continuous basis. Informal sector includes farmers, agricultural labourers, owners of small enterprises and people working in those enterprises and also the self-employed who do not have any hired workers.

As per OECD, employees are considered to have informal jobs if their employment relationship is, in law or in practice, not subject to national labour legislation, income taxation, social protection or entitlement to certain employment benefits (advance notice of dismissal, severance pay, paid annual or sick leave, etc.)

Body

State of Informal economy in India

• While the informal sector produces almost half of the country’s GDP,more than 90% of the overall workforce is employed in the informal economy.
• According to e-Shram portal, over 94% of the informal sector workers enrolled on the e-Shram platform earn less than Rs 10,000 per month.
• Agricultureranks first, accounting for11% of all enrolments, followed by domestic and household employees and construction workers.
• The social-security benefitsremain available to only around half of people working for a salary.

Challenges faced in Informal sector

• Inadequate safety and health standards: Most industries, especially mining, have inadequate safety and health standards. Environmental hazards are evident in the case of the informal sector.
• Irregularities in Minimum Wages: Most of the studies on conditions of employment in the unorganised sector have examined the wage levels and earnings of workers are identified that the daily wages are below the minimum rate of wages.
• Long Hours of work:Long hours work in the unorganised sector beyond the labour and regulatory norms are common in India. The long working hours have a severe repercussion on the social and family life of labourers in general and women labourers in particular.
• Poverty and Indebtedness:Workers in the unorganised sector had a much higher incidence of poverty than their counterparts in the organised sector. Due to low level of income and uncertain employment in the unorganised sector make the workers unable to meet their basic necessities and other social and other cultural responsibilities.
• Non-Applicability of Social Security Measures:There are many times when a worker cannot be economically active. For instance, due to biological circumstances such as sickness or old age, on account of personal calamities such as an accident or unemployment. There are no social security measures to provide risks coverage and ensure maintenance of basic living standards at times of crises such as unemployment or health issues.
• Lack of Proper Physical Environment:Lack of sanitation facilities has an impact on health of the workers. But, sanitary conditions are precarious in most of the industries in the unorganised sector due to lack of proper toilet facilities. The facilities such as washing, urinal and toilet facilities at work are found to be low standard.

Steps taken by the government to improve workers’ condition in the informal sector:

• Directive principles:A number of directive principles of state policy relating to aspects of social security were incorporated in the Indian constitution. The legal initiatives like the Employees State Insurance Act (1948), the Minimum Wages Act (1948), the Coal Mines Provident Funds Act (1948), The Employees Provident Fund Act (1952), the Maternity Benefit Act (1961) and the Contract Labour Act (1970) etc. are important for labour welfare.
• National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector:India is perhaps the first country to set up, a commission named National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector (NCEUS) in 2004 to study the problems and challenges being faced by the informal economy.
• Poverty related development schemes:The Government of India initiated several poverty related development schemes which indirectly benefited the urban informal sector since independence. Schemes like the Nehru Rozgar Yojana, MGNREGA and the Swarna Jayanti Shahri Rozgar Yojana were launched to provide support to the poor who constitute bulk of the informal sector.
• Social security: To provide social security benefits, the Parliament enacted the Unorgnaised Workers’ Social Security Act, 2008. The government has also launched Atal Pension Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana etc.
• Skill development: To take care of the need for skills of workers in the informal economy, the government has started various programs such as the Skill India Mission, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Grameen Kaushal Yojana, recognition of prior learning etc.

Way forward

• Overhauling labour laws: Labour, as well as tax policies, are key to improving the business environment. Labour regulations have to allow for more flexible work arrangements. Moreover, the right to associate freely should be vigorously protected.
• Preventing occupational hazards: Innovative means to prevent occupational accidents and diseases and environmental hazards need to be developed through cost-effective and sustainable measures at the work-site level to allow for capacity-building within the informal sector itself.
• Local support: Building-on local institutional support to progressively extend social protection will be critical.
• Sensitization:Special attention should be paid to the sensitization of policy makers, municipal authorities and labour inspection services to change their traditional role towards a preventive and promotional approach.
• Health protection: The extension of occupational health care to workers in the informal sector should be promoted incorporating occupational health into public health care services at district and local levels and establishing a link between first aid and prevention at the work-site’s level.

Conclusion

India’s informal sector is the backbone of the economy. The nation’s quality of life hinges on things becoming better for masses of informally employed people.Improving the conditions of workers in the informal sector assumes significance from the perspective of inclusive growth. Keeping in mind the low incomes of informal works, the Government should take steps to prescribe minimum wages for the informal sector.

Topic: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.

6. Gaganyaan mission would mark a historic achievement for India. Despite the technical and financial challenges associated with human spaceflight, it underscores the importance of India’s endeavours in advancing its space capabilities. Discuss (250 words)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Reference: The Hindu , Insights on India

Why the question:

The editorial discusses the progress of India’s human spaceflight mission, highlighting that the nation is moving forward with its ambitious project.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about the Gaganyaan mission, challenges in it and its relevance.

Directive word: 

Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you must debate on paper by going through the details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You must give reasons for both for and against arguments.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Begin by giving context of Gaganyaan mission as first manned space mission of India.

Body:

First, write the major aims and objectives of Gaganyaan mission.

Next, write about the relevance of manned spaced mission for India – Boost to industries, Technological development, Spurs research and development, National Prestige and economic opportunities etc.

Next, write about the challenges in the mission and steps that are needed to overcome them

Conclusion:

Conclude by summarising.

Introduction

Mission Gaganyaan is India’s first Human Space Flight Programme which aims to make India the fourth nation in the world to launch a Human Spaceflight Mission. So far, only the USA, Russia and China have launched human spaceflight missions.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) commenced the first uncrewed developmental flight of its ‘Gaganyaan’ human spaceflight mission from Sriharikota, designated TV-D1. The launch vehicle, a single-stage rocket, carried a crew module fit with a crew-escape system (CES) to an altitude of 12 km. There, the CES detached itself with the crew module from the rocket and climbed up to 17 km. In response to a command, the CES separated from the crew module, leaving the module to reorient itself before dropping over the Bay of Bengal. Its descent was slowed first by drogue parachutes and then by the main parachutes. Finally, the module splashed into the Bay a short distance from Sriharikota, where the Indian Navy hauled it out..

Body

Aims & Objectives of the Mission:

• Enhancement of science and technology levels in the country
• A national project involving several institutes, academia and industry
• Improvement of industrial growth
• Inspiring youth
• Development of technology for social benefits
• Improving international collaboration

Relevance of a Manned Space Mission for India:

• Boost to industries: The Indian industry will find large opportunities through participation in the highly demanding Space missions. Gaganyaan Mission is expected will source nearly 60% of its equipment from the Indian private sector.
• Employment: According to the ISRO chief, the Gaganyaan mission would create 15,000 new employment opportunities, 13,000 of them in private industry and the space organisation would need an additional manpower of 900.
• Technological development: Human Space flights are frontier field in the science and technology. The challenges the Human Space Flights provide to India, and the benefits accruing from taking up those missions will be very high and will lead to further thrust for technological developments in India
• Spurs research and development: It will boost good research and technology development. With a large number of researchers with proper equipment involved, HSF will thrust significant research in areas such as materials processing, astro-biology, resources mining, planetary chemistry, planetary orbital calculus and many other areas
• Motivation: Human space flight will provide that inspiration to the youth and also the national public mainstream. It would inspire young generation into notable achievements and enable them to play their legitimate role in challenging future activities
• Prestige: India will be the fourth country to launch human space mission. The Gaganyaan will not only bring about prestige to the nation but also establish India’s role as a key player in the space industry

Challenges:

• For a manned mission, the key distinguishing capabilities that ISRO has had to develop include the ability
  • to bring the spacecraft back to Earth after flight
  • to build a spacecraft in which astronauts can live in Earth-like conditions in space
• India is yet to perfect fool-proof launch vehicle technology, the basic requirement for a manned space mission.
• The Polar Satellite launch vehicle and the Geosynchronous Launch vehicle, the two Indian spacecraft deployed to launch satellites and modules into space, are yet to be man-rated.
• India does not even have the facilities to train astronauts.
• ISRO has not been able to put in place India’s own Global Positioning System in spite of completing the NavIC due to dysfunctional atomic clocks in the satellites, rendering the fleet a dud.
• The launchpad at the Sriharikota spaceport, the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, will have to be enhanced for the human mission.
• While the launch vehicle, crew module, re-entry technology, crew escape system are in place, monitoring and tracking systems, Environmental Control & Life Support System (ELCSS), space suit and crew support systems are still in the developmental phase.

Way forward

• It is important to ensure engagements at political level to obtain long term commitment for India’s human space flight missions
• Financial implications of a long-term human space-flight programme development should be assessed and the returns and benefits should be clearly articulated
• It is important to overcome the technological challenges to ensure a safe, successful manned space mission. International collaboration in this domain can help India ensure a robust technology for its HSF programme.
• Selection of Indians for astronauts will be an important step. Procedures and specifications for astronauts and a rigorous selection process is suggested.

Topic: determinants and consequences of Ethics in-human actions.

7. The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in contemporary society has brought about a multitude of ethical concerns. Examine.

Difficulty level: Moderate

Why the question:

The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4.

Directive word: 

Examine – When asked to ‘Examine’, we must investigate the topic (content words) in detail, inspect it, investigate it and establish the key facts and issues related to the topic in question. While doing so we should explain why these facts and issues are important and their implications.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Begin by giving context growth of A.I as well growing ethical concerns regarding it.

Body:

First, write about the technological potential of A.I and by taking examples highlight the ethical concern associated with A.I.

Next, suggest ways to address the above concerns in an equitable and efficient manner without stifling the growth of technology.

Conclusion:

Conclude by summarising that technology has to grow within ethical boundaries of modern societies.

Introduction

We often see technology as a helping hand or better yet, a path to a better world. But before any of that, we have to lay down the ethics with in it so we can have a moral underground on where to start. This is especially true with Artificial intelligence.

Body

Techno ethics views technology and ethics as socially embedded enterprises and focuses on discovering the ethical use of technology, protecting against the misuse of technology, and devising common principles to guide new advances in technological development and application to benefit society.

Background: Rapid development of AI

• In just the last decade, AI has evolved with unprecedented velocity — from beating human champions at Jeopardy (a game) in 2011, to vanquishing the world’s number one player of Go, to decoding proteins.
• Already, AI has helped increase crop yields, raised business productivity, improved access to credit and made cancer detection faster and more precise.
• It could contribute more than $15 trillion to the world economy by 2030, adding 14% to global GDP. Google has identified over 2,600 use cases of “AI for good” worldwide.
• As AI is evolving, it is raising some new ethical and legal questions. AI works by analysing data that is fed into it and draws conclusions based on what it has learned or been trained to do.
• Though it has many benefits, it may pose a threat to humans, data privacy, and the potential outcomes of the decisions. To curb the chances of such outcomes, organisations and policymakers are crafting recommendations about ensuring the responsible and ethical use of AI.

Significant advances and applications of Artificial intelligence

• It has the potential to overcome the physical limitations of capital and labour and open up new sources of value and growth.
  • It has the potential to drive growth by enabling
  • Intelligent automation ability to automate complex physical world tasks.
  • Innovation diffusion propelling innovations through the economy.
• Heavy Industries & Space: Through AI an entire manufacturing process can be made totally automated, controlled & maintained by computer system.
  • Example: car manufacturing machine tool production, computer chip production. Etc.
  • They carry out dangerous tasks like handling hazardous radioactive materials.
• Finance: Banks use intelligent software application to screen & analyse financial data.
  • Software that can predict trends in stock market have been created which have been known to beat humans in predictive power.
• Aviation: Air lines use expert system in planes to monitor atmospheric condition & system status.
• Role in social development and inclusive growth: Access to quality health facilities, addressing location barriers, providing real-time advisory to farmers and help in increasing productivity, building smart and efficient cities etc.
  • The exponential growth of data is constantly feeding AI improvements.
  • AI has varied applications in fields like Healthcare, Education, Smart Cities, Environment, Agriculture, smart Mobility etc.
• Examples of AI use in India: A Statement of Intent has been signed between NITI Aayog and IBM to develop Precision Agriculture using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Aspirational Districts.
  • National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) launched Pai which is an AI based chatbot, to create awareness around NPCI’s products like FASTag, RuPay, UPI, AePS on a real time basis.

Need for value-based global AI governance framework

• First, algorithms, whether static or of the machine-learning sort, are not value-free. The data underlying them and the formulae that make them function, think, and transform over time embody the biases of history and that of their designers.
• This means that algorithms should be subordinated to the same kind of universal ethics regime that governs human and state behaviour: something similar to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
• Artificial intelligence will make human lives more efficient.
  • But here we must not mistake efficiency for morality – just because something is more efficient does not mean that it is morally better.
  • For example, people can make more efficient weapons – more efficient at killing people and destroying things – but that does not mean they are good or will be used for good. Weapons always reflect a form of damage to the common good.
  • As the realms of unexplored areas of AI progresses, existing regulation will become obsolete.
• The challenge today is that several AI applications have been used by consumers or organisations only for them to later realise that the project was not ethically fit. An example is the development of a fully autonomous AI-controlled weapon system which is drawing criticism from various nations across the globe and the UN itself.
• Another challenge arises from a data protection perspective because AI models are fed with data sets for their training and learning. This data is often obtained from usage history and data tracking that may compromise an individual’s identity
• Another example, for instance are self-driving cars.It executes as per the algorithm it has been fed. Now, in a hypothetical situation the car has to decide whether to swerve left or right. But in either case there is collateral damage, say of a school bus with students or a pedestrian.
  • Can this decision be taken in a rational manner? It is not possible to choose whom to save or put a price on whose life as being more precious.

Conclusion

Any new technology that changes our businesses or society for the better often has a potential dark side that is viewed with suspicion and mistrust. The disruptive potential of AI poses looming risks around ethics, transparency, and security, hence the need for greater governance. AI will be used safely only once governance and policies have been framed, mandating its use.

Join our Official Telegram Channel HERE

Please subscribe to Our podcast channel HERE

Subscribe to our YouTube ChannelHERE

Follow our Twitter Account HERE

Follow our Instagram ID HERE

Follow us on LinkedIn : HERE