1. GREENWASHING (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 - Economy)

Context: Recently, Dutch airline KLM found itself in a legal dispute with environmentalists in an Amsterdam court, as they question whether the airline's advertisements misled customers in a suspected case of "greenwashing."

Greenwashing

• About: Greenwashing is when firms or governments give a false impression that all of their products or activities are climate-friendly or help in reducing emissions.
• Strategies and Tactics: It may manifest when a company emphasizes the sustainable aspects of a product to divert attention from its environmentally harmful activities.
• Concept of Greenwashing: As defined by Investopedia, greenwashing involves the use of environmental imagery, misleading labels, and concealed tradeoffs to present a false picture of a company's commitment to sustainability.
• Volkswagen Scandal: The infamous 2015 Volkswagen scandal serves as a classic example of greenwashing, where the German car company was caught cheating in emissions testing for its supposedly eco-friendly diesel vehicles.

Scenario in India

• Greenwashing, the practice of promoting misleading or false environmental claims to portray a company or product as environmentally friendly deceptively, is also a prevalent issue in India. 
• Unlike the USA, EU, etc., India lacks specific laws regulating environmental claims made by companies. 
• Laws in India: The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) plays a regulatory role in monitoring advertising practices and holds some jurisdiction over allegations of greenwashing.

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2. DISINFLATION Syllabus GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: Recently, central bank officials noted that a slowdown in the rate of inflation could potentially lead to a reduction in global interest rates, foreseeing a possibility of further global growth deceleration and disinflation in 2024.

Disinflation

• About: Disinflation refers to a temporary deceleration in price inflation, indicating a slight decrease in the inflation rate over a brief timeframe.
• Measuring Disinflation: Unlike inflation and deflation, which signify the direction of prices, disinflation focuses on the rate of change in the inflation rate.
• Economic Stability: A controlled level of disinflation is essential to prevent the economy from overheating, ensuring a moderate and sustainable economic environment.
• Causes of Disinflation: Increases in the supply of money available for use in a nation's economy. 
• Inflation can also occur when the economy 'overheats' because of excess aggregate demand (this is called demand-pull inflation).

Difference between Disinflation and Deflation

• Disinflation and deflation differ, with the former signifying a reduction in the inflation rate, while the latter indicates negative inflation.

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3. PM-MITRA MEGA TEXTILE PARKS (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: The Government approved setting up of 7 (Seven) PM Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) Parks in Greenfield/Brownfield sites with world class infrastructure including plug and play facility with an outlay of Rs. 4,445 cr.

PM-MITRA Mega Textile Parks

• Accordingly, the Government of India approved 7 PM MITRA Parks for the Textile industry.

oTamil Nadu, Telangana, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra

• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Textiles
• Launched: 2021   
• Developed by: Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV)
• Capital Support: Up to Rs. 500 crores per park to the Park SPV.                                                                             
• Inspired by: 5F vision i.e. Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign.
• Eligibility: Minimum area of 1000 acres.
• Objective: PM MITRA Parks will help in creating world-class industrial infrastructure that would attract large-scale investment including foreign direct investment (FDI) and encourage innovation and job creation within the sector.
• Aim: To strengthen the Indian textile industry by way of enabling scale of operations, reduce logistics cost by housing entire value chain at one location, attract investment, generate employment and augment export potential.
• MITRA parks can be either Greenfield or Brownfield.

oGreenfield Sites: New independent sites will be developed under this category.

oBrownfield Sites: Sites with partly developed industrial trunk infrastructure and other intended facilities will be taken up for completing the development.

India’s Textile Industry

• Global Textile Production: India holds the second position in textile production.

oChina is a global leader in textiles.

• Exporting Textile Goods: India is also the world's second-largest textile exporter.
• Employment Generation: Second-largest job provider, following agriculture.

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4. HOMICIDE REPORT 2023 (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Reports and Indices)

Context: Recently, the 4th edition of Global Study on Homicide Report was released.

Global Study on Homicide Report 2023

• About: It emphasizes regional and sub-regional patterns, demographics, age, and gender characteristics of victims, taking into account the effects of major trends such as climate change and even the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Published by: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
• Objective: To reveal into the facts behind the violence, to try and identify notable trends and to inform policies and solutions.
• 3 Categories: Criminal activities, interpersonal homicides, and socio-politically motivated homicides.

Key Findings of the Report

• Escalation in Violence: The rise in violence is attributed to conflicts arising from issues such as water access disputes, exacerbated by challenges associated with population growth, economic expansion, and the impacts of climate change.
• Alarming Global Homicide Statistics: The year 2021 witnessed an exceptionally deadly trend, with an estimated 458,000 intentional homicides worldwide, equating to an average of 52 killings every hour.
• India's Homicide Trends: In the period from 2019 to 2021, 16.8% of all murders in India were linked to disputes over natural resources or property, highlighting that approximately every sixth murder falls into this category.
• Water-Related Conflicts in India: Within the same timeframe, about 0.5% of these murders (300 incidents) in India were specifically attributed to conflicts related to water resources.

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

• About: It stands as a prominent global figure in combatting illegal drugs and international crime, while also overseeing the execution of the primary United Nations initiative on counterterrorism.
• Establishment: In 1997.
• Headquarters: Vienna, Austria.

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5. FAME INDIA SCHEME (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Industry recommended a slew of measures to boost the adoption of electric vehicles in the country and recommended the extension of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME-II) India Scheme by three years.

FAME India Scheme

• About: FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles) India is a part of the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan.

oThe main thrust of FAME is to encourage electric vehicles by providing subsidies.

• Implementing agency: The Department of Heavy Industry has been administering the FAME India scheme since 01st April 2015.
• Objective: Promotion of Electric and hybrid vehicles in the country by offering upfront Incentives on the purchase of Electric vehicles and by establishing charging Infrastructure for electric vehicles.

Salient Features of the FAME Scheme – 2

• This scheme is the expanded version of the present scheme titled ‘FAME India-1 which was launched on 1st April 2015, with a total outlay of Rs. 895 crores.
• The target is to support 10 Lakhs e-2Wheeler, 5 Lakhs e-3 Wheelers, 55000 4 Wheelers, and 7000 Buses.
• Under the scheme of FAME-II, the demand incentive for e-2W has been increased to Rs. 15,000/KWh from Rs. 10,000/KWh with an increase in cap from 20% to almost 40% of the cost of the vehicle to increase the adoption of e-2W.
• The phase II of the FAME-India Scheme has been extended for a period of two years after 31st March 2022.
• Benefits: The scheme will help in addressing the issue of environmental pollution and fuel security.

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6. USBRL PROJECT (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Infrastructure)

Context: The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, described as the most challenging post-independence railway project in India, involves tunnelling through the young Himalayas. Of the total 272 km, 161 km has been commissioned. The Katra-Banihal section, with 87% in tunnels, includes the longest transportation railway tunnel.

Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) Project

• About: The USBRL Project aims to construct a railway line from Udhampur to Baramulla, linking the Kashmir valley to the Indian Railways network.
• Aim: To establish connectivity between Kashmir and the rest of the country, fostering development in the Valley.
• Total Length: 272 km.

oDeclared as a "National Project" in 2002.

• Terrain Challenges: The alignment of USBRL involves navigating highly rugged and mountainous terrain with complex Himalayan geology.
• Tunnel Construction: The project includes the construction of 38 tunnels with a combined length of 119 km.
• The longest tunnel (T-49) spans 12.75 km, making it the country's longest transportation tunnel.
• Bridge Construction: 927 bridges are part of the project, with a combined length of 13 km.

oThe iconic Chenab Bridge, with an overall length of 1315 m, an arch span of 467 m, and a height of 359 m above the Chenab river bed, will be the world's highest railway bridge.

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7. PROVISIONAL COLLECTION OF TAXES BILL (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Polity)

Context: Parliament has passed the  Provisional Collection of Taxes Bill, 2023 with Rajya Sabha returning it to Lok Sabha.

Provisional Collection of Taxes Bill, 2023

• It repeals: The Provisional Collection of Taxes Act, 1931. 
• Interim collection of taxes: The Act allows for the immediate imposition or increase in customs or excise duty through a declaration.  This declaration may be included in the government bill seeking to impose or increase such duties introduced in Parliament.  The imposition or increase will come into effect from the day after the date of introduction of the Bill.  

oIt will cease to have effect once: (i) the Bill is enacted, (ii) the central government directs so in pursuance of a motion passed by Parliament, or (iii) after the 75th day after the date of the introduction of the Bill. 

oIt also clarifies that these provisions will be applicable regardless of whether the tariff classification has changed. 

• Refund: The Act requires that refunds be issued in certain cases.  Refunds must be issued if the declaration was enacted in an amended form, or it ceased to apply.  Refunds will be made on the difference under the declaration and the enacted provision.  

oIf the declared provision is not enacted, duties and taxes collected will be refunded in entirety. 

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8. DRUG CONTROLLER GENERAL OF INDIA (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Governance)

Context: Recently, the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has instructed the manufacturers of well-known anti-flu and anti-cold combination drugs to include a warning on these formulations, cautioning against their use in infants and children under four years of age.

Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI)

• About: DCGI is the head of department of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization of the Government of India. It is responsible for approval of licences of specified categories of drugs such as blood and blood products, IV fluids, vaccines, and sera in India.
• Ministry: Ministry of Health & Family Welfare

Functions

• Preparation and maintenance of national reference standard.
• To bring about the uniformity in the enforcement of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
• Training of Drug Analysts deputed by State Drug Control Laboratories and other Institutions
• Analysis of Cosmetics received as survey samples from CDSCO.

Drugs Related Regulations in India

• The Drugs and Cosmetics Act: The primary purpose of these regulations is to oversee and regulate drugs and cosmetics within the country.
• Scope: These guidelines pertain to the issuance of licenses for the production of Ayurvedic, Siddha, and Unani medicines.
• Mandatory Compliance: Manufacturers are obligated to conform to specified criteria for both licensing manufacturing units and medicines. This includes providing evidence of safety and efficacy and adhering to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).

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9. SAHITYA AKADEMI AWARDS (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – Art and Culture)

Context: Tamil author Rajasekaran (Devibharathi), Telugu writer T. Patanjali Sastry and Malayalam writer E.V. Ramakrishnan are among those named for the Sahitya Akademi awards for 2023. 

oNine books of poetry, six novels, five short story collections, three essays and one literary study have won the awards.

Sahitya Akademi

• Establishment: Instituted in 1954, 
• Purpose: It is an annual literary honor presented by Sahitya Akademi, India’s National Academy of Letters.
• Recognition and Awards: Annually, Sahitya Akademi bestows 24 awards on literary works in acknowledged languages, including an equal number for literary translations to and from Indian languages.
• Inclusive Language Recognition: In addition to the 22 languages outlined in the Indian Constitution, Sahitya Akademi acknowledges English and Rajasthani for the implementation of its programs.
• Significance and Ranking: The Sahitya Akademi award holds the distinction of being the second-highest literary honor conferred by the Government of India, following the Jnanpith award.

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10. AMRIT BHARAT STATION SCHEME (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Govt Schemes)

Context: Recently, Railways Minister announced that a total of 1309 railway stations have been selected for development under the Amrit Bharat Station scheme.

Amrit Bharat Station Scheme

• Aim: To enhance and modernize railway stations throughout the Indian Railways network.
• Implemented by: Ministry of Railways
• Based on: Master Planning for long term and implementation of the elements of Master Plan as per the needs and patronage of the station.
• Status: Presently, the scheme envisages to take-up 1275 stations for upgradation/modernisation over Indian Railway.

o18 stations of Sonpur Division and 20 stations of Samastipur Division have been identified.

• Objective of Scheme

oThe scheme aims at preparation of Master Plans of the Railway stations and implementation of the Master Plan in phases to enhance the facilities including and beyond the Minimum Essential Amenities (MEA) and aiming for creation of Roof Plazas and city centres at the station in long run.

oThe scheme shall aim to meet the needs of the stakeholders, station usage studies as far as possible based on availability of funds and inter-se priority.

oThe scheme shall cater for introduction of new amenities as well as upgradation and replacement of existing amenities.

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