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Here are the topics covered for 17 August 2023: Suicide Abetment, Green Mobility, Digital India, Bank Deposit Rates, Affordability Index, Gender Stereotypes, ‘SAMUDRA’ App, A-HELP Programme, Indian Railways, Public Tech Platform.

 

Table of Contents:

GS Paper 2:

1. Suicide Abetment

 

GS Paper 3:

1. Green Mobility
2. Digital India
3. Bank Deposit Rates
4. Affordability Index

 

GS Paper 4:

1. Gender Stereotypes

 

Facts for Prelims:

1. ‘SAMUDRA’ App
2. A-HELP Programme
3. Indian Railways
4. Public Tech Platform

 

Green Mobility

Courtesy: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Femobility.araiindia.com%2F&psig=AOvVaw20C0dvvY9BT6FSI9aX8VMw&ust=1692334607257000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=2ahUKEwis4I_q8-KAAxWYmWMGHc63DXkQr4kDegQIARBy

Context:

1. In a move to promote green mobility across, the Union Cabinet approved the PM-eBus Sewa scheme for the operation of 10,000 electric buses in 100 cities, with priority to those without an organised bus service.

 

What is Green Mobility?

1. The term green mobility refers to the use of transportation methods to achieve environmentally friendly and efficient mobility. Green mobility promotes walking and cycling in the cities. It encourages transportation modes which are not dependent on fossil fuel for their operation.

 

About PM-eBus Sewa Scheme:

1. The PM-eBus Sewa scheme to deploy 10,000 electric buses across India will take electric mobility to the grassroots level and boost localisation, automobile industry players
2. Under the scheme the e-buses will be deployed on a public-private partnership (PPP) model in 169 cities.
   1. For this, infrastructure will be upgraded in 181 cities under the green urban mobility initiatives at the total estimated cost pegged at Rs 57,613 crore, out of which support of Rs 20,000 crore will be provided by the central government.
3. The scheme will support bus operations for 10 years.
4. This initiative will propel green public transportation and will aid the development and expansion of an EV ecosystem across the country.
5. The priority will be given to cities which currently do not have organised buses.
6. The initiative will make it more sustainable by reducing carbon emissions and consequently improving the air quality.
7. The scheme aims to create around 45,000 new jobs.

 

Government Initiatives for Green Mobility:

1. The need for initiating a National Electric Mobility Mission Plan was understood back in 2013, aiming to achieve national fuel security by promoting hybrid and electric vehicles in India.
2. The Government launched National Electric Mission Mobility Plan 2020 to provide subsidies for Faster Adoption and Manufacturing EV (FAME) schemes– subsidies for electric two and three-wheelers, hybrid cars, and E-cars.
3. Fiscal incentives to promote the EV industry – Road tax exemption under EV policy has been given to the 14 states.
4. Battery swapping policy – the Government will formulate a battery swapping policy considering space constraints in urban areas.

Suicide Abetment

Context:

1. Karnataka HC while hearing a criminal case against three senior executives over the death of a Dalit worker belonging to the LGBT community ruled that ‘tarnishing or destroying the self-esteem’ or ‘self-respect’ of a ‘hypersensitive person’ would amount to abetment of suicide.

 

About Suicide Abetment:

1. Under Section 306, IPC, if any person commits suicide, the person found to have abetted the commission of suicide shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to 10 years and shall also be liable to a fine.
2. The Supreme Court in multiple cases has defined the \”essential ingredients\” for an offence to qualify as abetment of suicide:
   1. There must be an allegation of either a direct or indirect act of incitement to the commission of an offence of suicide.
   2. Mere allegations of harassment of the deceased by another person would not be sufficient in itself unless there are allegations of such actions on the part of the accused which compelled the commission of suicide.
   3. To constitute an alleged abetment of suicide under section 306 IPC, there must be an allegation of either a direct or indirect act of incitement to the commission of an offence of suicide.
3. In October 2022, while acquitting a husband and mother-in-law in a suicide and dowry harassment case, the Supreme Court held that \”There has to be evidence of continuous harassment, but there should be cogent evidence to establish a positive action by the accused, which should more or less be proximate to the time of occurrence, which action can say to have led or compelled the person to commit suicide.\”
4. In a 2019 verdict, the Supreme Court upheld the conviction of a group of men who had been continually harassing an 18-year-old girl, who finally committed suicide after no action was taken despite multiple complaints.

Gender Stereotypes

Courtesy: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newslaundry.com%2F2023%2F08%2F16%2Fnot-career-woman-or-chaste-woman-just-woman-sc-handbook-combats-gender-stereotypes&psig=AOvVaw1hc9nYGWsMWF6vXfkDC5h-&ust=1692336791805000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=2ahUKEwjw9OX7–KAAxVN6KACHW3GAAoQr4kDegQIARA_

Context:

1. The Supreme Court in its recently released ‘Handbook on Combating Gender Stereotypes’ stated that it is a ‘stereotype’ that ‘women who consume alcohol or smoke cigarettes want to engage in sexual relations with men.

 

What is the handbook?

1. The SC handbook is a 30-page booklet that aims to assist judges and the legal community in identifying, understanding and combating stereotypes about women.
2. The handbook identifies common stereotypical words and phrases used about women, many of them routinely found in judgements.
3. For example, in the 2017 Supreme Court ruling awarding the death penalty for the convicts in the Delhi gang rape case, the verdict repeatedly uses the word “ravished” to say raped.

 

Why is it important for judges to use the right words?

1. The handbook argues that the language a judge uses reflects not only their interpretation of the law but their perception of society as well.
2. Even when the use of stereotypes does not alter the outcome of a case, stereotypical language may reinforce ideas contrary to our constitutional ethos.
3. Language is critical to the life of the law.
4. Words are the vehicle through which the values of the law are communicated.
5. Words transmit the ultimate intention of the lawmaker or the judge to the nation

 

Digital India

Courtesy: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FDigital_India&psig=AOvVaw1xeSZT8E7CalG7FGIOgOcr&ust=1692337888070000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=2ahUKEwikzcSGgOOAAxXL7jgGHfVaC90Qr4kDegQIARB0

Context:

1. The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved an extension of the government’s flagship Digital India scheme with an outlay of Rs 14,903 crore for five years, starting FY2021-22 to FY2025-26.

 

About the Expansion:

1. Cybersecurity has been kept as a big focus of the expansion, which includes enhancing the capabilities of the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In).
2. Under the expansion, 25 lakh IT professionals will undergo upskilling while 2.65 lakh people will be trained in cybersecurity.
3. The mobile-based Umang application will get 540 more services, up from the current 1,700.
4. A portion of the overall outlay will also be used to fund 1,200 start-ups in tier 2 and 3 cities.
5. An awareness programme for cybersecurity will be initiated, with 12 crore people being given a certificate for having undergone the programme.
6. The government’s DigiLocker platform, which allows access to digital versions of various documents including drivers’ licences, and vehicle registration certificates, will be expanded to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) as a standalone app, using which these entities can get their documents digitally verified.
7. As part of the National Supercomputing Mission, nine new supercomputers will be added, over the 18 supercomputers that are currently deployed.
8. Moreover, three centres of excellence will also be set up for research around the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare, agriculture and sustainable living.

 

About Digital India Programme

1. Digital India is a flagship programme of the Government of India with a vision to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.
2. The programme was launched on July 1, 2015, by PM Narendra Modi.
3. Digital India encompasses key vision areas of:
   1. Digital Infrastructure as a Utility to Every Citizen:
      1. Availability of high-speed internet as a core utility for the delivery of services to citizens.
      2. Cradle-to-grave digital identity that is unique, lifelong, online and authentic to every citizen.
      3. Mobile phone & bank account enabling citizen participation in digital & financial space.
      4. Easy access to a Common Service Centre.
      5. Shareable private space on a public cloud.
      6. Safe and secure cyber-space
   2. Government & Services on Demand:
      1. Seamlessly integrated services across departments or jurisdictions.
      2. Availability of services in real-time from online & mobile platforms.
      3. All citizen entitlements are to be portable and available on the cloud.
      4. Digitally transformed services for improving ease of doing business.
      5. Making financial transactions electronic & cashless.
      6. Leveraging Geospatial Information Systems (GIS) for decision support systems & development.
   3. Digital Empowerment of Citizens:
      1. Universal digital literacy
      2. Universally accessible digital resources
      3. Availability of digital resources/services in Indian languages
      4. Collaborative digital platforms for participative governance
      5. Citizens are not required to physically submit Govt. documents/certificates.

 

Banks Deposit Rates

Courtesy: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dialabank.com%2Fbanking%2Fcash-reserve-ratio%2F&psig=AOvVaw1CkUEY0syuowum_gq4suF5&ust=1692339204993000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=2ahUKEwiinr_6hOOAAxWf2zgGHaL4C9oQr4kDegQIARB7

Context:

1. With the excess liquidity in the banking system getting absorbed due to the RBI’s incremental cash reserve ratio (I-CRR) measures, banks are likely to increase deposit rates by 25-50 basis points in different buckets.

 

What is I-CRR?

1. Banks are mandated to maintain a certain proportion of their deposits and specific liabilities as liquid cash with the RBI, which is called as cash reserve ratio.
2. This serves as a mechanism for the RBI to regulate liquidity in the economy and act as a buffer during periods of financial strain.
3. The RBI possesses the authority to impose an incremental credit reserve ratio in addition to the CRR, particularly during periods of surplus liquidity in the system. This means that banks will be obligated to park a higher amount of liquid cash with the RBI.
4. The RBI outlined in its monetary policy that effective from August 12, 2023, all scheduled banks must uphold an additional CRR equating to 10% to surge in their net demand and time liabilities (NDTL).

 

Monetary Policy Transmission:

1. Monetary policy transmission is the process through which policy action of the central bank is transmitted to meet the ultimate objectives of inflation and growth.
2. In general, policy transmission is considered to be a two-stage process.
   1. In the first stage, the policy shock impacts different segments of the financial markets.
   2. In the second stage, it gets transmitted to the real economy (Mishkin, 2012).
3. The policy transmission mechanism hinges crucially on how changes in monetary policy affect household, firm and bank behaviours.
4. While households and firms are on the demand side, banks supply credit and facilitate efficient resource allocation.

Affordability Index

Context:

1. The real estate consultant Knight Frank India has recently released its Affordability Index showing the data for the first six months of 2023. The index tracks if the Equated Monthly Instalment (EMI) to income ratio has increased or decreased for an average household and then delivers the results.

 

Highlights of the Index:

1. The list of most affordable major cities in India (in terms of EMI to income ratio):
   1. Ahmedabad — 23 per cent ratio
   2. Pune — 26 per cent ratio
   3. Kolkata — 26 per cent ratio
   4. Bengaluru — 28 per cent ratio
   5. Chennai — 28 per cent ratio
   6. Delhi-NCR — 30 per cent ratio
   7. Hyderabad — 31 per cent ratio
   8. Mumbai — 55 per cent ratio
2. The demand in the residential segment has been at a multi-year high and office demand has been resilient despite the global scenario.
3. The mid and premium segments in the residential market have been consistently outperforming and point to a significant shift in the market’s underlying fabric.
4. However, the 250-bps increase in policy rates has reduced affordability across markets by 2.5% on average.
5. And, while the market has remained strong thus far, further interest rate increases could put pressure on homebuyer ability and sentiments.

 

Facts for Prelims

‘SAMUDRA’ mobile app

Courtesy: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fincois.gov.in%2Fsamudra%2F&psig=AOvVaw33d99yychU0cl7Xy6PZGF6&ust=1692342094337000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=2ahUKEwiw457cj-OAAxXlzaACHWavAfgQr4kDegQIARBZ

1. The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), a division of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, has introduced a new mobile application called ‘SAMUDRA’ – Smart Access to Marine Users for Ocean Data Resources and Advisories.
2. This app offers comprehensive ocean-related information, benefiting seafarers and the fishing community.
3. It provides real-time updates and critical alerts on oceanic disasters like tsunamis, storm surges, high waves, and swell surge alerts.
4. It features interactive maps, charts, and animations to explain complex oceanic phenomena.
5. The app is particularly valuable for fishermen as it offers Potential Fishing Zone (PFZ) advisories, guiding them to potential fish aggregation locations.
6. The app also serves various public and private entities like the Indian Coast Guard, the Navy, and shipping industries.
7. The app aligns with INCOIS’s mission to serve the nation with ocean data and advisory services, contributing to sustainable ocean activities and the Blue Economy.

A-HELP Programme

Courtesy: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsarkaripariksha.com%2Fcurrent-affairs%2Fa-help-program-launched-in-the-state-of-uttarakhand%2F&psig=AOvVaw0hyb2ttEQYh1-OIKA_XGmQ&ust=1692342134882000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=2ahUKEwiTwsnvj-OAAxVCmmMGHRZiCDkQr4kDegQIARBY

1. Under the auspices of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the Union Minister for Animal Husbandry and Dairying, has unveiled the \’A-HELP\’ (Accredited Agent for Health and Extension of Livestock Production) programme along with an Infertility Camp in the State of Gujarat.
2. The \’A-HELP\’ programme aims to empower women by engaging them as trained agents who contribute significantly to disease control, artificial insemination under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM), animal tagging, and livestock insurance.
3. Pashudhan Jagrati Abhiyaan focuses on critical aspects of livestock health, disease management, and animal infertility.
4. The \’A-HELP\’ programme enlists trained women agents for disease control, artificial insemination, animal tagging, and livestock insurance.
5. Focuses on critical areas of livestock health, disease management, and animal infertility.
6. By empowering women and enhancing livestock, the \’A-HELP\’ program contributes to the socio-economic progress of rural communities.

Indian Railways

Courtesy: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.livemint.com%2Fnews%2Findia%2Findian-railways-to-introduce-new-measures-for-female-travelers-here-s-a-look-11639881202112.html&psig=AOvVaw0X48XWJN349rvPM86B2ZRH&ust=1692342182129000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=2ahUKEwi1no2GkOOAAxWSzaACHdCBBhUQr4kDegQIARB3

1. The Cabinet, chaired by PM Narendra Modi approved seven multi-tracking projects targeted at Indian railways with an outlay of Rs 32, 500 crores
2. The said projects, which will be built completely on Engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) mode, will add 2,339 kilometres to the existing network of Indian Railways
3. The projects will receive 100% funding from the central government.

 

Public Tech Platform

Courtesy: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fm.economictimes.com%2Fmarkets%2Fstocks%2Fnews%2Frbi-to-pilot-public-tech-platform-to-aid-lenders%2Farticleshow%2F102739311.cms&psig=AOvVaw0DD6WEzVCDsoDBHXMkec6X&ust=1692342213053000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=2ahUKEwjU0OyUkOOAAxXC7jgGHSgnBNwQr4kDegQIARBO

1. The Reserve Bank of India has announced the development of a Public Tech Platform for Frictionless Credit by the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH), a wholly-owned subsidiary of RBI.
2. Currently, data needed for credit appraisal are available with different entities like Central and State governments, account aggregators, banks, credit information companies, and digital identity authorities.