Economy
Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan ( 4^th Tranche)

Relevance IN - Prelims ( all about Self-Reliant India economic package ) + Mains ( GS III economic development + GS II Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation)
What's the NEWS

• The Finance Minister announced following policy reforms to fast track investment in an effort towards Aatma Nirbhar Bharat:

a. There will be fast tracking of investment clearance through Empowered Group of Secretaries.
b. Project Development Cell will be constituted in each Ministry to prepare investible projects, coordinate with investors and Central/State Governments.
c. There will be ranking of States on investment attractiveness to compete for new investment.
d. Incentive schemes for promotion of new champion sectors will be launched in sectors such as solar PV manufacturing; advanced cell battery storage etc.

a. A revenue sharing mechanism instead of regime of fixed Rupee/tonne. Any party can bid for a coal block and sell in the open market.
b. Entry norms will be liberalised. Nearly 50 Blocks will be offered immediately. There will not be any eligibility conditions, only upfront payment with a ceiling will be provided.
c. There will be exploration-cum-production regime for partially explored blocks against earlier provision of auction of fully explored coal blocks. This will allow private sector participation in exploration.

• Coal Gasification / Liquefication will be incentivised through rebate in revenue share.
• Infrastructure development of Rs. 50,000 crore will be done for evacuation of enhanced Coal India Limited's (CIL) target of 1 billion tons coal production by 2023-24 plus coal production from private blocks.

• Coal Bed Methane (CBM) extraction rights will be auctioned from Coal India Limited's (CIL) coal mines.
• Ease of Doing Business measures, such as Mining Plan simplification

Enhancing Private Investments in the Mineral Sector

• Introduction of a seamless composite exploration-cum-mining-cum-production regime.
• 500 mining blocks would be offered through an open and transparent auction process.

• The distinction between captive and non-captive mines to allow transfer of mining leases and sale of surplus unused minerals, leading to better efficiency in mining and production shall be removed.
• Ministry of Mines is in the process of developing a Mineral Index for different minerals.
• There will be rationalisation of stamp duty payable at the time of award of mining leases.

Enhancing Self Reliance in Defence Production

• Make in India for Self-Reliance in Defence Production will be promoted by notifying a list of weapons/platforms for ban on import with year wise timelines
•  Indigenisation of imported spares, and separate budget provisioning for domestic capital procurement. This will help reduce huge Defence import bill.
• Improve autonomy, accountability and efficiency in Ordnance Supplies by Corporatisation of Ordnance Factory Board.

• FDI limit in the Defence manufacturing under automatic route will be raised from 49% to 74%.
• There will be time-bound defence procurement process and faster decision making will be ushered in by setting up of a Project Management Unit (PMU)
• Realistic setting of General Staff Qualitative Requirements (GSQRs) of weapons/platforms and overhauling Trial and Testing procedures.

Efficient Airspace Management for Civil Aviation

• Restrictions on utilisation of the Indian Air Space will be eased so that civilian flying becomes more efficient.
• This will lead to optimal utilization of airspace; reduction in fuel use, time and will have positive environmental impact.

• Aircraft component repairs and airframe maintenance to increase from Rs 800 crore to Rs 2,000 crore in three years.
• It is expected that major engine manufacturers in the world would set up engine repair facilities in India in the coming year.
•  Convergence between Defence sector and the civil MROs will be established to create economies of scale. This will lead to maintenance cost of airlines to come down.

Tariff Policy laying out the following reforms will be released:
(i) Consumer Rights

• DISCOM inefficiencies not to burden consumers
• Standards of Service and associated penalties for DISCOMs
• DISCOMs to ensure adequate power; load-shedding to be penalized

(ii) Promote Industry

• Progressive reduction in cross subsidies
• Time bound grant of open access
• Generation and transmission project developers to be selected competitively

(iii) Sustainability of Sector

• No Regulatory Assets
• Timely payment of Gencos
• DBT for subsidy; Smart prepaid meters

• Power Departments / Utilities in Union Territories will be privatised.
• This will lead to better service to consumers and improvement in operational and financial efficiency in Distribution.

• The Government will enhance the quantum of Viability Gap Funding (VGF) upto 30% each of Total Project Cost as VGF by the Centre and State/Statutory Bodies.
• For other sectors, VGF existing support of 20 % each from Government of India and States/Statutory Bodies shall continue.
• Projects shall be proposed by Central Ministries/ State Government/ Statutory entities.

• Private sector will be allowed to use ISRO facilities and other relevant assets to improve their capacities.
• Future projects for planetary exploration, outer space travel etc shall also be open for private sector.
• There will be liberal geo-spatial data policy for providing remote-sensing data to tech-entrepreneurs.

• Research reactor in PPP mode for production of medical isotopes shall be established to promote welfare of humanity through affordable treatment for cancer and other diseases.
• Facilities in PPP mode to use irradiation technology for food preservation - to compliment agricultural reforms and assist farmers shall also be established.
• India's robust start-up ecosystem will be linked to nuclear sector and for this, Technology Development-cum-Incubation Centres will be set up for fostering synergy between research facilities and tech-entrepreneurs.

Relevance IN - Prelims ( all about Self-Reliant India economic package ) + Mains ( GS III economic development + GS II Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation)
What's the NEWS

• The 5^th and last Tranche of measures towards Government Reforms and Enablers
• Seven measures for providing employment, support to businesses, Ease of Doing Business, and State Governments as well sectors such as Education and Health.
  

1. Rs 40,000 crore increase in allocation for MGNREGS to provide employment boost
2. Health Reforms & Initiatives

2. Health Reforms & Initiatives

• Public Expenditure on Health will be increased by investing in grass root health institutions and ramping up Health and Wellness Centres in rural and urban areas.
• Setting up of Infectious Diseases Hospital Blocks in all districts and strengthening of lab network and surveillance by Integrated Public Health Labs in all districts & block level Labs & Public Health Unit to manage pandemics.
• National Institutional Platform for One health by ICMR will encourage research.
• Implementation of National Digital Health Blueprint under the National Digital Health Mission.

3. Technology Driven Education with Equity post-COVID

• PM eVIDYA, a programme for multi-mode access to digital/online education to be launched immediately.
• Manodarpan, an initiative for psycho-social support for students, teachers and families for mental health and emotional well-being to be launched immediately as well.
• New National Curriculum and Pedagogical framework for school, early childhood and teachers will also be launched.
• National Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Mission for ensuring that every child attains Learning levels and outcomes in grade 5 by 2025 will be launched by December 2020.

4. Further enhancement of Ease of Doing Business through IBC related measures

• Minimum threshold to initiate insolvency proceedings has been raised to Rs. 1 crore (from Rs. 1 lakh, which largely insulates MSMEs).
• Special insolvency resolution framework for MSMEs
• Suspension of fresh initiation of insolvency proceedings up to one year, depending upon the pandemic situation.
• Empowering Central Government to exclude COVID 19 related debt from the definition of "default" under the Code for the purpose of triggering insolvency proceedings.

5. Decriminalisation of Companies Act defaults

• Decriminalisation of Companies Act violations involving minor technical and procedural defaults such as shortcomings in CSR reporting, inadequacies in Board report, filing defaults

6. Ease of Doing Business for Corporates
Key reforms include:

• Direct listing of securities by Indian public companies in permissible foreign jurisdictions.
• Private companies which list NCDs on stock exchanges not to be regarded as listed companies.
• Including the provisions of Part IXA (Producer Companies) of Companies Act, 1956 in Companies Act, 2013.
• Power to create additional/ specialized benches for NCLAT
• Lower penalties for all defaults for Small Companies, One-person Companies, Producer Companies & Start Ups.

7. Public Sector Enterprise Policy for a New, Self-reliant India

Government will announce a new policy whereby -

• List of strategic sectors requiring presence of PSEs in public interest will be notified
• In strategic sectors, at least one enterprise will remain in the public sector but private sector will also be allowed
• In other sectors, PSEs will be privatized (timing to be based on feasibility etc.)
• To minimise wasteful administrative costs, number of enterprises in strategic sectors will ordinarily be only one to four; others will be privatised/ merged/ brought under holding companies

8. Support to State Governments

• Centre has decided to increase borrowing limits of States from 3% to 5% for 2020-21 only.
• This will give States extra resources of Rs. 4.28 lakh crore.
• Part of the borrowing will be linked to specific reforms (including recommendations of the Finance Commission).
• Reform linkage will be in four areas: universalisation of ‘One Nation One Ration card', Ease of Doing Business, Power distribution and Urban Local Body revenues.

Science & Technology
NIF's Challenge COVID-19 Competition (C3)
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about NIF and C3)
What's the NEWS

• The National Innovation Foundation - India (NIF), an autonomous body of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) has identified several S&T based innovative solutions through the Challenge COVID-19 Competition (C3), a campaign which was running from 31st March to 10th May 2020 for engaging innovative citizens to come up with ideas and innovations to tackle the pandemic.
• NIF is providing incubation and mentoring support for further dissemination to the generator of the ideas.
• A foot-operated device for hand sanitization and washing and an innovative sprayer for sanitizationare the two recently supported innovations under the campaign.
• A large number of citizens have participated in the Challenge COVID-19 Competition (C3) and helping the country come out of this crisis through Science and Technology based innovative solutions.

Know! about Challenge Covid-19 Competition (C3).

• National Innovation Foundation - India (NIF), an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India has come up with a call inviting innovative citizens to participate in its Challenge Covid-19 Competition (C3).
• All interested innovators participated with their creative ideas and innovations for problems or issues like reducing transmission of Corona virus through original creative ideas, innovations, which can supplement the efforts of the government in slowing or eliminating the spread further.

Governance
National Migrant Information System (NMIS)

Relevance IN - Prelims (about NMIS) +Mains GS II (governance)
What's the NEWS

• In order to capture the information regarding movement of migrants and facilitate the smooth movement of stranded persons across States, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has developed an online Dashboard - National Migrant Information System (NMIS).

Know! about NMIS

• The online portal would maintain a central repository on migrant workers and help in speedy inter-State communication/co-ordinationto facilitate their smooth movement to native places. It has additional advantages like contact tracing, which may be useful in overall COVID-19 response work.
• The key data pertaining to the persons migrating has been standardized for uploading such as name, age, mobile no., originating and destination district, date of travel etc., which States are already collecting.
• States will be able to visualize how many people are going out from where and how many are reaching destination States.
• The mobile numbers of people can be used for contact tracing and movement monitoring during COVID-19.

Defence
Indian Coast Guard Ship ‘Sachet' and two interceptor boats commissioned

Relevance IN - Prelims( about ICGS and IBs + role of ICG)
What's the NEWS

• Defence Minister commissioned Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Sachet and two interceptor boats (IBs) C-450 and C-451 in Goa via video conference
• The ICGS Sachet, the first in the series of five offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) has been designed & built indigenously by Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) and is fitted with state-of-the-art navigation and communication equipment.
• It is for the first time in Indian maritime history that a ship was commissioned through digital medium.

Know! about Sachet

• The 105 metre long ship ‘Sachet' displaces approximately 2,350 tons and is propelled by two 9,100 KW diesel engines designed to attain a maximum speed of 26 knots, with an endurance of 6,000 nautical miles.
• It has the capability to perform the role of a command platform and undertake tasks to fulfill the ICG charter.
• The ship is designed to carry a twin-engine helicopter and four high speed boats and one inflatable boat for swift boarding and search & rescue operations.
• The ship is also capable of carrying limited pollution response equipment to undertake oil spill pollution response at sea.

Know! about interceptor boats (IBs)

• The IBs C-450 and C-451 are indigenously designed & built by Larsen & Toubro Shipyard Hazira, and fitted with latest navigation and communication equipment.
• The two 30 metre long boats are capable of achieving speeds in excess of 45 knots and designed for high speed interception, close coast patrol and low intensity maritime operations.
• The quick response capability of the IBs makes it an ideal platform to respond and thwart any emerging maritime situation.
• The ships, on joining the Coast Guard fleet, will be deployed extensively for Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) surveillance, coastal security and other duties

Role of ICG guarding the coastline

• As the fourth largest Coast Guard in the world, it has established itself as a reliable force.
• It not only protects our coastline and coastal community, but also protects economic activities, and maritime environment in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Prelims Factoids
COVID JAGRATHA PORTAL
Relevance IN - Prelims( about the objective of the Covid-Jagratha portal.)
What's the NEWS

• Kerala has made it mandatory for those coming into the state on special trains starting to apply for digital passes on the Covid-Jagratha portal.

Know! about Covid-Jagratha Portal

• Covid19jagratha is a comprehensive solution for effective daily monitoring of the quarantine and health status of the people under surveillance and provision of health service through tele consultation and referral based on the reports available in the system.
• This portal is designed for disseminating information related to Covid 19 for public and provisions for accessing emergency services for public.
• This platform can be used to generate simplified daily report on welfare measures initiated by the District Administration for public who are provided with support during lock down like support to elderly people, migrant labourers, Public Distribution system.
• This is also a one stop platform for the public to avail emergency services and information related to Covid19 and ensures transparency and quality in public service and welfare measures.
  
  

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