Syllabus: GS-III, Subject: Economy, Topic: Taxation, Issue: Hybrid vehicles and Taxation

Why in the News: the importance of hybrid vehicles in India’s efforts to become self-reliant in energy and reduce pollution.

Key Takeaways :

• Top of Formoutdated tax criteria unfairly burden hybrid vehicles, deterring consumers despite their environmental advantages
• Suggestions:
  • GST based on carbon to streamline taxation and promote the adoption of eco-friendly technologies.
  • immediate measures like cess adjustments to achieve tax parity for hybrids
• Hybrids are complementary, not transitory, to Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) and hydrogen fuel cell cars.
• They can expedite sustainable tech adoption without disrupting current infrastructure.

Prelims connect:

Source: Indian Express

Syllabus: GS-I, Subject: Geography, Topic: Resources – World and India, Issue: Critical Minerals

Context: The Ministry of Mines discuss opportunities for the mining of critical minerals by Indian companies in Sri Lanka and Australia.

Sri Lanka:

• Significant reserves of vein graphite, a highly pure form of natural graphite.
• Graphite is a critical mineral that is extensively used as the anode material in lithium-ion batteries.
• Graphite in India is largely concentrated in Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Jharkhand

Australia :

• Produces almost half of the world’s lithium and is the second-largest producer of cobalt.
• Both lithium and cobalt are used in Electric Vehicles and consumer electronics.

Prelims Connect: Lithium Triangle:

Source: Indian Express

Syllabus: GS-III, Subject: Current Affairs, Topic: Schemes/Policies/Programmes, Issue: Bharat Tex

Context: The mega textile exhibition, Bharat Tex will be held every year in the country.

Bharat Tex:

• Event organised aiming to showcase India’s capabilities across the entire textile value chain.
• and position the country as a global powerhouse in textiles.
• Organised by: Export Promotion Councils and Ministry of Textiles, Government of India.
• Inspired by PM’s 5F Vision ( farm to foreign via fibre, fabric and fashion)

Prelims Connect (Institutions)

Source: Mint

Syllabus: GS-I, Subject: Geography, Topic: Resources – World and India, Issue: Offshore mineral auctions

Context: The first tranche of off- shore minerals auctions is likely to start this year.

Offshore mineral auctions:

• Offshore minerals are located deep in the earth’s crust and are more difficult to extract than onshore minerals.
• India’s offshore mineral reserves include gold, diamond, copper, nickel, cobalt, copper, manganese, and rare earth elements.

Source: The Hindu

Syllabus:GS-III, Subject:Current Affairs, Topic: Schemes/Policies/Programmes, Issue: Food inflation

Context: Dismal sales of the government’s Bharat rice. Only 7.2% of Bharat rice lifted from government warehouses was sold.

Solution:

• Targeting the regions where the consumption of rice and wheat is higher.
  • For rice – focus on southern and eastern states
  • For wheat – northern states

Bharat Rice

• Objective: To control prices and provide relief to consumers and check inflationary trends in the food economy.
• Bharat Rice will be made available in 5 kg and 10 kg packs through the NAFED,NCCF and Kendriya Bhandar.

Bharat Atta:

• Pilot sale of Bharat Atta in February 2023 to offload about 300,000 tonnes of wheat from the warehouses of the Food Corporation of India (FCI)
• The price was slashed from ₹50 per kg to ₹27.5 per kg amid poor offtake and sales.

Source: Mint

Syllabus: GS-III, Subject: Economy, Topic: Fiscal policy and Budgeting, Issue: Non-lapsable Modernisation Fund for Defence

Context: Non-lapsable Defence Modernisation Fund off government agenda for now.

Non-lapsable Modernisation Fund for Defence:

• The 15th Finance Commission had recommended the constitution of a dedicated non-lapsable Modernisation Fund for Defence and Internal Security (MFDIS).
• The government in 2021 had said it has “in-principle” accepted the creation of such a fund in the Public Account of India.
• Reason for hold: Creating a non-lapsable pool has drawbacks as it affects parliamentary scrutiny and accountability.

Related Important Articles:

Source: The Hindu

Syllabus: GS-III, Subject: Internal Security, Topic: Current affairs, Issue: Terms in news

Context: during Raisina Dialogue, India’s Chief of Defense Staff General said that “grey zone warfare” is the latest in informal warfare.

Grey zone warfare:

• A middle ground between direct conflict and peace in international relations,
• Involves activities like cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, and proxy wars.
• Has historical roots but became more prevalent during the Cold War era due to nuclear deterrence.
• Less powerful actors to gain advantage over stronger adversaries often use grey zone tactics.
• Examples include Chinese military presence in the South China Sea and Chinese military actions against Taiwan.
• The US has also engaged in grey zone tactics, such as economic sanctions against China.
• Grey zone warfare poses unique challenges, as responses must be tailored to covert or indirect actions, avoiding escalation.

Syllabus: GS-III, Subject: Economy, Topic: Agriculture and allied sector, Issue: Animal Husbandry

Why in news:

• Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) for 2022-23 shows milk emerging as India’s top food spend item, both in rural and urban areas.
• The excess demand for milk has created the concern of inflation in milk price and availability of fodder.

      The availability of the milk can be increased by:

• Genetic improvement and new breeding technologies.
• Farmers cultivating high-yielding protein-rich green fodder grasses and reducing reliance on expensive compound cattle feed and oil-meal concentrates.

Syllabus: GS- I, Subject: Society and Social justice, Topic: Issues of women, Issue: Increasing women employment Rate

Context: Women’s Urban Employment Guarantee Act

• Women empowerment is essential for reducing gender gap and achieving Sustainable Development Goals.
• MGNREGA has given financial autonomy to rural women.
• Poor employment rate in urban women (22.9%) and high unemployment rate (9%) in urban women comparision to their rural counterpart (4%): Periodic Labour Force Survey.

Women’s Urban Employment Guarantee Act (WUEGA) addressing concerns:

• At least 50% female representation in program management staff.
• Offer essential facilities including childcare, and work must be available within a 5-km radius.
• Free public transportation for women and incentives like automatic inclusion in welfare boards are suggested.
• Apprenticeships for women college students and Information Facilitation Centers for those who completed Class 10.
• Include a social audit unit with at least 50% female staff for independent monitoring.
• Women led initiative can play a key role in social sectors such as Swachh Bharat etc.

Syllabus: GS-II, Subject: Polity, Topic: Elections and RPA, Issue: Political Party system

Why in news:

• Recent defection issues in states like Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar have raised concerns about the sanctity of political parties.

Key issues:

• Maharashtra’s incident was termed as intra-party dissent and exempted from the Anti-Defection Law.
• As under Tenth Schedule split exemption has been removed in 2003.
• Only mergers with two-thirds majority are exempt from disqualification under the law.
• So to avoid merger Intra-party dissent was used as an excuse.

Conclusion:

• Defections highlight the lack of intra-party democracy.
• A thorough study of party structures and statutory regulations are needed to ensure greater democracy within parties.
• Implement recommendations from the Law Commission (255^th report) with respect to political part system.

Syllabus: GS-III, Subject: Ecology and Environment, Topic: Waste Management, Issue: Plastic waste management

Plastic Pollution:

• Plastic pollution has become an all-pervasive phenomenon.
• Concerns with plastic pollution-
  • Entering food web,
  • affecting biodiversity.
• Reasons–
  • Rapid and unplanned urbanization ,
  • changing production and consumption patterns,
  • High tourist footfalls,
  • Poor plastic waste management
• Legal mechanisms–
  • Solid Waste Management Rules 2016,
  • Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016
  • Extended Producer Responsibility 2022
  • Special law by Himalayan states empower local bodies for waste management.

Suggestions:

• Devolve power to local bodies, Public education campaigns.
• Ensure collaboration between local bodies and PIBOs ( producers, importers and brand owners)
• Include traditional institutions within the definition of local bodies
• Use Swachh Bharat Kosh Trust and corporate social responsibility fund
• Collaboration between schemes like AMRUT and Smart Cities.

Source: The Hindu