Weekly PIB Analysis | PIB News Analysis 2nd Week 9th to 15th May' 2022

Table of Contents

NMCG Organises Webinar On Waste Water Management

Context: The National Mission for Clean Ganga organized a webinar on Waste Water Management 6th Edition of the monthly ‘Webinar with Universities’ series on ‘Igniting Young Minds, Rejuvenating Rivers’ in May 2022.
What is the need for water waste management?

Water is a key natural resource and climate change is posing a great challenge to water security and creating various issues across the country.
It is the need of the hour to find an optimum solution for issues in water management so that the next generation won’t suffer.

Initiatives taken for water management:

Prime Minister launched the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in 2014 which achieved a lot of success.
In 2019, different departments dealing with the issues of water were merged into Jal Shakti Ministry for a holistic solution to the issues.
Jal Shakti Abhiyan I and Jal Shakti Abhiyan II were launched with the objectives of water conservation, rainwater harvesting, creation of assets, and awareness generation.

Steps to be taken:
Reuse of Water:

Agriculture consumes more than 80% of the water resources.
The reuse of treated water for non-potable purposes like agriculture is the need of the hour to ensure that the next generation gets water.

Treated Water:

Arth Ganga project under the Namami Gange program focuses on treated water.
Under Namami Gange, 164 Sewage Water Treatment Plants have been constructed. It helps in saving freshwater resources.

5 Rs of Circular Economy:

The focus should be on the 5 Rs of Circular Economy that is Reducing Wastage, Recycling Water, Reusing Water, Rejuvenating Rivers, and most importantly, Respecting Water.

Role of Youth:

The young generation has to take initiative to keep the water clean. Ganga not only has spiritual and cultural significance, but it also provides certain economic and social benefits.
The youth should understand this and create awareness about the importance of the Ganga and other water resources.
It is the responsibility of young leaders to make Namami Gange a people’s movement.

COP 15 of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification

Context: The Government of India has taken part in the Conference of Parties, the 15th meeting of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification which was held in Abidjan, Cote D Ivoire (Ivory Coast).
COP 15 UNCCD: An Overview

This conference intended to bring together the leaders across governments, the private sector, civil society and other key stakeholders for the sustainable management of land to tackle the emerging issues of desertification.
This offered a platform to explore links between land and other sustainability issues involving Heads of States Summit, high-level roundtables and interactive dialogue sessions along with several essential events.
Drought, land restoration, land rights, gender equality and youth empowerment, constituted the focus of discussions in COP 15 of the UNCCD and are among the primary items on the Conference agenda.
This conference has considered the findings of the Global Land Outlook and provided a response to the interconnected challenges of land degradation, climate change and biodiversity loss as the world steps into the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

India’s Role:

India has always shown its active participation in international organisations that work towards issues related to the environment, climate change and other subjects of essence and addressed their causes with commitment and determination.
The COP 14 of the UNCCD was hosted by India in 2019 and India is currently presiding over the Conference of Parties.
In the 14th session, India committed to enhancing its total area that would be restored from land degradation status, from 21 million hectares to 26 hectares within 2030.
The Government of India conveyed that it continues to combat desertification with a major emphasis on land productivity and the adoption of a landscape restoration approach.

Centre of Excellence for Khadi (CoEK)

Context: In order to expand the legacy of Khadi, the first Centre of Excellence has been established in New Delhi.
About the Centre of Excellence for Khadi:

This Centre is all set to make Khadi a universal, classic and value-driven brand.
The Centre aspires to design apparel and fashion accessories out of Khadi that appeal to the people of all generations.
The aspiration to travel with Khadi to newer places, the idea of a Centre of experimentation and innovation has been nurtured by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises to address the needs of the Khadi Village and Industries Commission to empower Khadi institutions.
With a view to making Khadi trendier by diversifying its fabrics and clothing line and upskilling the Khadi Institutions to upgrade the quality standards, a Centre of Excellence for Khadi (CoEK) was established at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in Delhi.

Association of Asian Election Authorities (AAEA)

Context: India was elected as Chair of the Association of Asian Election Authorities (AAEA) for 2022-24.
Details

India was unanimously elected as the new Chair of the AAEA for 2022-2024 at the meeting of the Executive Board and General Assembly held in Manila, Philippines.
Manila was the previous chair of AAEA.
The new members of the Executive Board include Russia, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Taiwan and the Philippines.

Association of Asian Election Authorities (AAEA)

The Association of Asian Election Authorities (AAEA) was established in 1998.
The AAEA held its first meeting of the executive board in March 1999 in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Mission: To provide a non-partisan forum in the Asian region for sharing experiences and best practices among election authorities to discuss and act upon ways to promote open and transparent elections with the objective of supporting good governance and democracy.

Objectives of AAEA:

- To promote and institutionalise open and transparent elections with independent and impartial election authorities.
- Professionalisation of Asian election authorities, citizen participation in the electoral and civic process.
- Information sharing and the development of resources for election-related information and research.
Members – Currently there are 20 Asian Election Management Bodies as members which include India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nepal, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Taiwan, Indonesia, Philippines, etc.
AAEA is also an Associate Member of the 118 member Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB).

Ethanol Blending

Ethanol blending in India

In 2021-22, India achieved 9.90% ethanol blending, consuming 186 Crore Liters of ethanol, saving over 9000 Crores of foreign exchange.
The Government has advanced the target of achieving 20% blended ethanol by 2025, which is commonly known as the E20 target.
- The major challenge is the deficit of ethanol to achieve this target.
- To achieve the E20 target, India requires about 1,016 crore litres of ethanol by 2025-26.
Ethanol blended petrol is significant in facilitating a cleaner environment as it produces 38% lesser carbon dioxide emission. It also plays a crucial role in supporting the rural economy and employment generation.

Mission Amrit Sarovar

Context: The Prime Minister launched a new Mission on Amrit Sarovar in April 2022.
Mission on Amrit Sarovar

The mission has been launched with a view to conserving water for the future.
The Mission aims to develop and rejuvenate 75 water bodies in each district of the country as a part of the celebration of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
As a result, it would lead to the creation of over 50,000 water bodies across the country.
The Mission is to be completed by 15th August 2023.
This Mission has been launched with the participation of –
- Department of Rural Development
- Department of Land Resources
- Department of Water Resources
- Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation
- Ministry of Panchayati Raj
- Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change
Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Application and Geo-informatics (BISAG-N) will work as a technical partner for the Mission.
The Mission works through the refocusing of various schemes such as MGNREGA, 15th Finance Commission Grants and PMKSY schemes.

Breed-Wise Report of Livestock and Poultry

Context: The Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying released the Breed-Wise Report on Livestock And Poultry.
Breed-Wise Report Of Livestock And Poultry

The report is based on the 20th Livestock Census conducted in 2019.
This marks the first time in the country that breed wise data was collected by using tablet computers instead of paper mode.
The livestock and the poultry birds were counted based on their breeds as recognized by the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR).
Considering the significance of the Livestock Sector, it has become important for policymakers and researchers to ascertain the various breeds of livestock species to genetically upgrade the livestock species to realise their maximum potential.
According to the report, the Exotic and Crossbred animals account for nearly 26.5% of the total cattle population whereas 73.5% are indigenous cattle.
As per the report, the total number of indigenous cattle reduced by 6% to 14.21 crores in 2019 from 15.12 crores in 2012. during the same period, their share in the total cattle population fell from 79% to 73%.

Intersolar Europe 2022

Context: The Union Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy attended the Intersolar Europe 2022.
Intersolar Europe 2022

Intersolar Europe is the world’s leading exhibition for the solar industry and takes place annually.
Intersolar 2022 will take place in Munich, Germany.
Motto: Connecting solar businesses, manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, service providers and project planners and developers from around the world.
The exhibition is a part of the smarter E Europe, which in total comprises four exhibitions, an extensive accompanying program and parallel conferences.

It claims the title of being Europe’s largest platform for the energy industry with more than 1,450 exhibitors.

The Indian minister expressed that India offers a great opportunity for EV manufacturers to invest in India.

National Data & Analytics Platform (NDAP)

Context: The National Data & Analytics Platform has been launched by the NITI Aayog and has been made available for public use.
Exploring further:

The NDAP is a flagship initiative of the NITI Aayog that provides free and easy access to government data.
It further intends to democratise access to public government data by making data interoperable, interactive, accessible and available on a user-friendly platform.
It gathers and compiles foundational datasets from various government agencies and presents them in a single platform with the tools for analytics and visualisation.
Prior to the public launch, NDAP underwent a beta release that offered access to limited users for testing and feedback.
A use-case based approach is maintained to address the needs of data users from government, academia, journalism, civil society and the private sector. All datasets are standardised to a common schema, which results in the ease of cross-sectoral analytics.
Overall, this platform will create a progressive way for better decision making and research contributing towards the governance of this country with transparency and accountability.
NDAP will be a milestone to reap the benefits of India’s data-rich ecosystem enabling better tracking of last-mile delivery of services.

NABH Certificates

Context: The National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) Certificates have been distributed among five Ayurveda hospitals by the Ministry of Ayush.
About the NABH Certificates:

NABH is a constituent board of the Quality Council of India, established to operate accreditation programmes for healthcare organisations.
These certificates ensure the maintenance of compliance and quality of Ayurveda hospitals.
This is a welcoming move to promote trust among people regarding Ayurvedic treatments and medicines as India aspires to lead the world with AYUSH as an alternative discipline of medicine.

Incredible India International Cruise Conference 2022

Context: The first-ever Incredible India International Cruise Conference was inaugurated by the Union Minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, in Mumbai.

Details:

The Conference has been jointly organized by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Government of India and FICCI.
Strategies for developing India as a cruise hub, policy initiatives and port infrastructure and the potential of river cruise tourism are some of the key issues being taken up for discussion at the conference.

Potential of the Indian cruise market:

Speaking at the conference, the Union Minister asserted that the Indian cruise market had the potential to grow 10 folds over the next decade, attributable mainly to rising disposable income and demand.
Post pandemic, cruise tourism in India has registered a 35% year-on-year growth.
The vast coastline and the extensive systems provide ample potential for cruise tourism in India.
The economic potential of cruise tourism is expected to go up from USD 110 million to USD 5.5 billion in the years to come.

Government initiatives:

To boost the cruise tourism industry in the country, Government of India has taken several initiatives including infrastructure up-gradation at seven major ports, rationalisation of port fees, removing ousting charges, granting priority berthing to cruise ships, providing e-visa facilities, etc.
The government is working towards creating state-of-art infrastructure for both ocean and river cruises. The development of ports is an important step in this direction. A New International Cruise terminal is coming up in Mumbai.
The Government had previously set up a Task Force for the development of cruise tourism. In a follow-up move, the Minister announced the setting up of a high-level Advisory Committee, comprising national and international experts, to guide the Task Force.
Four theme-based coastal destination circuits – Gujarat Pilgrimage tours, West Coast – Cultural and scenic tours, South Coast – Ayurvedic wellness tours and East Coast – Heritage tourism have been developed. Lighthouse and Island development is also being undertaken.
The Maritime Vision Document 2030 focuses on heritage tourism, Ayurveda tourism, coastal tourism, river cruise tourism, etc.

GatiShakti Sanchar Portal

Context: The Union Minister for Communications, Electronics & IT, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, recently launched the “GatiShakti Sanchar” portal.
Details:

The “GatiShakti Sanchar” Portal aims to provide for Centralised Right of Way (RoW) approvals.
The portal will enable applicants from various Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) as well as Infrastructure providers (IPs) to apply at a common single portal for Right of Way permissions to lay down Optical Fibre Cable and for erecting mobile towers to State/UT Governments and local bodies.

Significance:

The portal shall act as an enabler to the objective of “Ease of doing business” for telecommunications infrastructure works.
The centralized system will help streamline the process of Right of Way (RoW) applications and permissions across the Country. This will help facilitate smooth and efficient deployment of Digital Communications Infrastructure in the country, which in turn will help ensure universal and equitable access to Broadband services, especially in the rural areas. This portal will go a long way in envisioning the goals set forth in the National Broadband Mission (NBM).
National Broadband Mission set up in 2019 aims to facilitate universal and equitable access to broadband services across the country, especially in rural and remote areas. It envisions the provision of broadband infrastructure as a core utility to every citizen, Governance and services on demand and digital empowerment of the citizens.

Visit of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to Lumbini, Nepal

Details:

The Indian Prime Minister is scheduled to visit Lumbini in Nepal.

Lumbini is the holy place where according to Buddhist tradition, Queen Mahamayadevi gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama at around 623 B.C.
Emperor Ashoka is believed to have visited Lumbini. To commemorate his visit to Lumbini, a sandstone pillar (minor pillar edict) has been erected. The pillar has a Pali inscription in Brahmi script.
Lumbini is home to excavated remains of Buddhist viharas (monasteries) of the 3rd century BC to the 5th century AD and the remains of Buddhist stupas (memorial shrines) from the 3rd century BC to the 15th century AD.
Lumbini is a major Buddhist pilgrimage centre, where the archaeological remains associated with the birth of the Lord Buddha form a central feature.
Lumbini was included in the list of World Heritage areas by UNESCO in 1997.

The Prime Minister will be visiting the Mayadevi Temple and participating in the “Shilanyas” ceremony of the India International Centre for Buddhist Culture & Heritage in the Lumbini Monastic Zone during his official visit to Lumbini on Vaishakha Buddha Purnima.

Vaishakha Buddha Purnima day is recognized as the thrice blessed day that marks the Birth, Enlightenment and Mahaparinirvana of Lord Buddha.
While Buddha was born in Lumbini in Nepal, he attained enlightenment in Bodhgaya in Bihar, preached his first sermon at Sarnath and attained Nirvana in Kushinagar, in Uttar Pradesh.

The Prime Minister will also attend celebrations to mark the occasion of Buddha Jayanti organised by the Government of Nepal.
The visit apart from its cultural significance also offers an opportunity for deepening of the India-Nepal bilateral ties in multiple areas, including in hydropower, development, and connectivity.

Shri Rajiv Kumar assumes charge as the 25th CEC of India

Context: Shri Rajiv Kumar has assumed charge as the 25th Chief Election Commissioner of India.
Details:

Rajiv Kumar would be succeeding Sushil Chandra, who retired recently. Rajiv Kumar will preside over the 2024 Lok Sabha election as his tenure as the CEC is till February 2025.

The Chief Election Commissioner have a tenure of six years, or up to the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.

Notably, Shri Rajiv Kumar has been serving in ECI as Election Commissioner and is also a former Finance Secretary.

As per the Constitution of India, the Election Commission shall consist of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and such number of other election commissioners, if any, as the President may from time to time fix. Presently, it consists of the CEC and two Election Commissioners.
Neither the Constitution nor the Election Commission (Conditions of Service of Election Commissioners and Transaction of Business)] Act, 1991have any explicit prescriptions regarding the qualifications for the appointment of a person as the Chief Election Commissioner.

The new CEC stated that technology would be used further to simplify processes and to bring about transparency and ease of voter services for better election management and operations.

Thomas Cup

The Indian men’s badminton team has created history by winning the coveted Thomas Cup for the first time with a 3-0 victory over 14-time champion Indonesia in the final in Bangkok.
The Thomas Cup is an international badminton competition among teams representing member nations of the Badminton World Federation (BWF), the sport’s global governing body. It is also referred to as the World Men’s Team Championships for Badminton.