09 Jul 2023: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

A. GS 1 Related
B. GS 2 Related
GOVERNANCE
1. Coming, women-only courts for alternative dispute resolution
C. GS 3 Related
D. GS 4 Related
E. Editorials
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. Why is China limiting exports of raw materials?
2. Why are India-Russia trade payments in crisis?
F. Prelims Facts
1. Deliberations on to increase rate of permanent intake through Agnipath scheme
2. Centre adding more services to Ayushman Bharat-Health and Wellness Centres
G. Tidbits
1. About Klotho
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

A. GS 1 Related

Nothing here for today!!!

B. GS 2 Related

Category: GOVERNANCE

1. Coming, women-only courts for alternative dispute resolution

Syllabus: Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections of the population by the Centre and States and the Performance of these Schemes; Mechanisms, Laws, Institutions and Bodies constituted for the Protection and Betterment of these Vulnerable Sections.

Prelims: Nari Adalats, Nyaya Sakhis

Mains: Alternate Dispute Resolution Mechanism, Welfare Schemes, Women empowerment

Context: 

The government is launching a new initiative called Nari Adalats that are women-only courts at the village level as an alternate dispute settlement mechanism.

Read more on Alternative dispute resolution mechanism.

What are Nari Adalats?

• The courts will focus on resolving cases related to domestic violence, property rights etc
• The courts will be established in Assam and Jammu and Kashmir in the first phase.
• The Nari Adalats will be composed of seven-nine members. Half of the members will be elected members of the gram panchayat and the other half will be women of eminence such as doctors, teachers etc.
• All the women and girls within the local communities who are in need of assistance will have access to Nari Adalats.
• The courts will not have any legal status, but will focus on reconciliation, grievance redressal, and creating awareness of women’s rights. They will provide a platform for women to raise awareness about their rights and entitlements and collect feedback from women about the effectiveness of government schemes.
• The scheme will be run by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (under the Mission Shakti) in collaboration with the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, the Ministry of Rural Development, and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
  • Mission Shakti is an integrated women empowerment programme at strengthening interventions for women safety, security and empowerment.
  • The scheme will be implemented till 2025-26.
  • Mission Shakti has two sub-schemes:
    • Sambal: for safety and security of women
    • Samarthya: for empowerment of women
  • The components of Sambal sub-scheme include:
    • One Stop Centre (OSC)
    • Women Helpline (WHL)
    • Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP)
    • Nari Adalats 
  • The components of Samarthya sub-scheme include:
    • Ujjwala
    • Swadhar Greh
    • Working Women Hostel
    • National Creche Scheme for children of working mothers
    • Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY)
    • Gap Funding for Economic Empowerment

Get the List of Women Empowerment Schemes in India at the linked article.

Who are Nyaya Sakhis?

• “Nyaya Sakhis” will be nominated or selected by the gram panchayat who will act as the legal friends to women in need. 
• The head of the Nari Adalat will be called the Mukhya Nyaya Sakhi, or chief legal friend.
• The Mukhya Nyaya Sakhi will be chosen from among the Nyaya Sakhis.
• The tenure of the Mukhya Nyaya Sakhi will generally be six months, after which a new one will be selected.

Parivarik Mahila Lok Adalats(PMLA) – Case Study

• Nari Adalats takes inspiration from the Parivarik Mahila Lok Adalats(PMLA), which were run by the National Commission for Women until 2014-15.
• PMLA dealt with family affairs, matrimonial disputes, bigamy, succession, and other women issues.
• The NGOs in association with District Legal Aid and Advisory Boards, activists, advocates and other stakeholders, used to organize PMLAs.
• A total of 298 such Adalats were held until the scheme was discontinued in 2014-15.

Nut Graf: As part of the Mission Shakti program, the Government has started the Nari Adalats as an alternate dispute resolution mechanism with focus on women empowerment and access to legal services. 

F. Prelims Facts

1. Deliberations on to increase rate of permanent intake through Agnipath scheme

Syllabus: Indian Polity and Governance 

Prelims: Agnipath Scheme, Agniveer

Mains: Significance of Agnipath Scheme, Government Policies

Context: 

• The government is considering increasing the intake size per batch under the Agniveer scheme.
• This is being done to make up for the shortage in personnel that has accumulated over the last three years primarily due to the pandemic (COVID -19).

What is the Agnipath Scheme? 

• The Union Cabinet had approved a new recruitment scheme for the Indian Armed Forces called the Agnipath Scheme. The youth selected under the scheme will be known as Agniveers.
• Under the scheme, young people between the ages of 17.5 and 21 (For the year 2022, the upper age limit was lowered to 23 due to the protests) were to be recruited for a four-year term.
• After four years of service, Agniveers will receive a “Seva Nidhi” package of Rs. 11.71 lakh, which will be tax-free.
• They will also be given a non-contributory life insurance cover of Rs. 48 lakh.
• Up to 25% of Agniveers will be offered the opportunity to continue in the Armed Forces on a regular basis after four years.
• The scheme is expected to bring in a younger and more technically adept workforce into the Armed Forces. The government has said that the Agnipath scheme would bring down the average age of the armed forces from 32 to 26 years over the next few years. 

Issues with the Agnipath Scheme

• The government is also considering imposing some criteria for trainees who leave during training.
• Currently, there are no restrictions or criteria, and several trainees have left midway as they received better opportunities.

Nut graf: The Central Government is considering increasing the intake of Agniveers under the Agnipath scheme to address the shortage of armed personnel which has been developing over the last few years.

2. Centre adding more services to Ayushman Bharat-Health and Wellness Centres

Syllabus: Economic and Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector initiatives,

Prelims: Ayushman Bharat, Social Sector Schemes

Mains: Sustainable Development Goals, Development and Management of Services relating to Health, Poverty Alleviation, Impact of Ayushman Bharat

Context: India’s Ayushman Bharat-Health and Wellness Centers (AB-HWCs) programme is being expanded for additional delivery of health care services.

About Ayushman Bharat Scheme: 

• Ayushman Bharat is a flagship scheme of Government of India launched to achieve the vision of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
• It aims to undertake interventions to holistically address the healthcare system at primary, secondary and tertiary level.
• It comprises of two inter-related components:
  • Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) – To deliver Comprehensive Primary Health Care (CPHC) bringing healthcare closer to the homes of people.
  • Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) – To provide health cover of Rs. 5 lakhs per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization. The scheme covers over 12 crores poor and vulnerable families (approximately 55 crore beneficiaries) that form the bottom 40% of the Indian population.
• The cost of implementation is shared between the Central and State Governments.

Also read Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).

What are the new services being offered under the scheme?

• The expansion includes services such as screening, prevention, control & management of non-communicable diseases, care for common ophthalmic & ENT problems, basic oral health care, elderly and palliative health care services, emergency medical services, and screening and management of mental health ailments.
• Additionally, the essential list of medicines and diagnostics has been expanded at the Primary and Secondary Health Care centers. (PWC and SWC respectively)
• A new cadre of Community Health Officers has been introduced to act as clinicians as well as public health managers at the Secondary Health Care Centers. 
• The facilities are being encouraged to undergo the National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) assessment and certification to ensure consistent and quality delivery of health care services.
• Ayushman Bharat-Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs), started in 2018, is aimed at providing Comprehensive Primary Health Care (CPHC).
• The goal is to provide free essential drugs and diagnostic services, maternal care, treatments for non communicable diseases etc through AB-HWCs. 
• These centers also provide wellness activities including yoga, zumba, meditation, counseling for healthy diet and lifestyle to provide comprehensive primary health care. 
• According to Central government data, more than 122.02 crore cumulative screenings for non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and various forms of cancer have been conducted in the Ayushman Bharat-Health and Wellness Centres.

Read more on Healthcare sector in India.

Nutgraf: The ambit of services under the Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres is being increased to take a step towards comprehensive primary healthcare. Emphasis is also being placed on the Quality of the services provided under the scheme.

G. Tidbits

1. About Klotho

• Klotho is a protein that is primarily produced in the kidneys.
• It has been shown to suppress both oxidative stress and age related inflammation and hence makes it an effective anti-inflammatory and anti-aging factor.

H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions

Q1. Consider the following statements regarding 'Mission Shakti':

1. It aims to strengthen interventions for women’s safety, security, and empowerment.
2. The ‘Samarthya’ sub-scheme focuses on the safety and security of women.
3. The ‘Sambal’ sub-scheme is dedicated to the empowerment of women.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. All three
4. None

CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: a

Explanation: Statement 2 and Statement 3 are not correct. While the “Sambal” sub-scheme is for safety and security of women, the “Samarthya” sub-scheme is for empowerment of women.

Q2. Which of the following statements regarding Ayushman Bharat - Health and Wellness
Centres (AB-HWCs) is/are incorrect?

1. AB-HWCs were launched under the Ayushman Bharat Programme.
2. It offers free essential medicines and diagnostic services.
3. It also promotes wellness activities like Yoga.
4. AB-HWCs provide only curative care services.

CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: d

Explanation: AB-HWCs provide a comprehensive range of services, including preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative care, not just curative care.

Q3. Consider the following statement:

1. Gallium is a vital component in the production of semiconductors, integrated circuits, and LEDs, serving as the core substrate for these devices.
2. Germanium is used in solar cells for its heat resistance and high energy conversion efficiency.

Which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2 
4. Neither 1 nor 2

CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: c

Explanation: Both statements are correct.

Q4. Which of the following statements about Rhesus macaques is incorrect?

1. They are native to South, Central, and Southeast Asia.
2. They are the closest living relatives of humans.
3. Rhesus macaques has a least concerned status in the IUCN red list.
4. They are highly adaptable and can thrive in various habitats.

CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: b

Explanation: The chimpanzee and bonobo are humans closest living relatives.

Q5. Consider the following statements regarding the Agnipath scheme:

1. It aims to annually recruit a significant number of soldiers.
2. It applies to personnel below officer ranks in the armed forces.
3. The scheme provides permanent commission to all recruits in the armed forces.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. All three
4. None

CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: b

Explanation: The scheme aims to recruit a large number of soldiers annually and applies to personnel below officer ranks. The scheme does not provide permanent commission to all recruits.