26 Mar 2024: PIB Summary for UPSC

26 Mar 2024 PIB
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. NCCF and NAFED to directly procure onions from farmers
2. Nimmu-Padam-Darcha Road
3. Machine-to-Machine Communications

1. NCCF and NAFED to directly procure onions from farmers

Syllabus: GS-3, Economy

Prelims: NCCF, NAFED

Context:

The Government has directed NCCF and NAFED to initiate procurement of 5 lakh tonnes of onion for the buffer requirement directly from the farmers.

Details:

• The Government has directed NCCF and NAFED to initiate procurement of 5 lakh tonnes of onion for the buffer requirement directly from the farmers as the Rabi-2024 harvest started arriving in the market. 
• For the procurement, NAFED and NCCF are to pre-register the onion farmers to ensure that payments to the farmers are transferred to their bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer.
• Significance of Rabi onion: 
  • Rabi onion is critical for India’s onion availability as it contributes to 72 -75% of the annual production. 
  • The Rabi onion is also crucial for ensuring the year-round availability of onions. It has a better shelf life than the Kharif onion and can be stored for supplies until November – December.
• Measures taken by the government to regulate onion exports during FY 2023-24:
  • 40% duty on onion exports – imposed in August 2023.
  • Imposition of Minimum Export Price (MEP) of USD 800 per MT with effect from Oct 2023.
  • Export prohibition w.e.f. December 2023.
  • The government had taken these measures owing to the global supply scenario and dry spell induced by El Niño.
• The recent decision to extend onion export prohibition has been necessitated by the overall domestic availability against the prevailing international prices and global availability concerns.
• However, the government has allowed the export of onions to countries such as Bhutan, Mauritius, Bahrain, Bangladesh and the UAE since they rely on India for their domestic consumption requirement.

2. Nimmu-Padam-Darcha Road

Syllabus: GS-3, Infrastructure

Prelims: Nimmu-Padam-Darcha Road, BRO

Context:

BRO connects the strategic Nimmu-Padam-Darcha road in Ladakh.

Details:

• This is a 298-km road that will connect Manali to Leh through Darcha and Nimmu on the Kargil – Leh Highway. 
• The road is now the third axis apart from Manali-Leh and Srinagar-Leh which connects Ladakh to the hinterland.
• The strategic importance of this road can be understood by the fact that it is not only shorter vis-a-vis the other two axes, but crosses only one pass; Shinkun La (16,558 feet) on which tunnel work is about to be started by the BRO. 
• Significance: 
  • This will result in the road having all-weather connectivity to the Ladakh region. 
  • The connectivity will strengthen the defence preparedness and boost the economic development in the Zanskar Valley.

3. Machine-to-Machine Communications

Syllabus: GS-3, Science & Technology

Mains: Machine-to-Machine Communications

Prelims: TRAI

Context:

TRAI released recommendations on the ‘Usage of Embedded SIM for Machine-to-Machine (M2M) Communications’.

Background:

• With the rolling out of 5G services in the country, the opportunities for the M2M ecosystem have expanded greatly, offering increased scope for applications in various sectors of the economy such as agriculture, transportation, healthcare and industrial automation. 
• These TRAI recommendations are aimed at streamlining the regulatory landscape of M2M embedded SIM (eSIM) in India. 

The recommendations:

• The recommendations emphasize ensuring security through proper Know Your Customer (KYC), which is essential for ensuring network security, mitigating fraud risks and enhancing the overall integrity of the M2M eSIM ecosystem.
• TRAI has also recommended a framework for profile switching of eSIMs and swapping of SM-SR which will provide significant flexibility to the M2M eSIM users and will promote healthy competition in the sector.

Significance of the recommendations:

• Their implementation will promote orderly growth in the M2M eSIM segment of the telecom sector in India.
• They will stimulate the development of a homegrown M2M eSIM ecosystem in the country.
• And ultimately, they will enable the growth of modern M2M communication.

Salient features of the recommendations:

• All communication profiles on any M2M eSIM fitted in an imported device on international roaming in India should be mandatorily converted/reconfigured into communication profiles of Indian telecom service providers (TSPs) within six months from the date of activation of international roaming.
• Unified Access Service License holder, Unified License (Access Service Authorization) holder, Unified License (Machine-to-Machine Authorization) holder, Unified License for VNO (Access Service Authorization) holder, Unified License for VNO (Machine-to Machine Authorization) holder and the companies holding M2M Service Providers (M2MSP) Registration with specific permission to own and manage Subscription Manager-Secure Routing (SM-SR) in India should be permitted to own and manage SM-SRs in the country.
• For installation of profiles of Indian TSPs on M2M eSIMs fitted in the devices imported in India, the concerned Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and M2MSP should be given the flexibility to choose between (i) profile download from the Subscription Manager-Data Preparation (SM-DP) of the Indian TSP to the M2M eSIMs through the existing (foreign) SM-SR, or (ii) profile download from the SM-DP of the Indian TSP to the M2M eSIMs through the new (Indian) SM-SR, after SM-SR switch from foreign to Indian.
• The M2MSP registrant/telecommunication service licensee, whose SM-SR controls M2M eSIMs in India, should not refuse integration of its SM-SR with the SM-DP of the licensed telecom service provider, whose profiles are to be added in such M2M eSIMs, upon the request of the concerned OEM/ M2MSP. The integration of SM-SR with SM-DP should be carried out following the GSMA’s specifications and should be completed within three months from the date of receipt of the formal request from the concerned OEM/ M2MSP.
• The M2MSP registrant/ telecommunication service licensee, whose SM-SR controls M2M eSIMs in India, should mandatorily facilitate switching of its SM-SR with the SM-SR of another entity, eligible to hold SM-SR in India, upon the request of the concerned OEM/ M2MSP. Such SM-SR switching should be carried out as per the GSMA’s specifications and should be completed within six months from the date of receipt of a formal request from the concerned OEM/ M2MSP.
• Keeping in view the challenges in its implementation, the use of 901.XX IMSI series allocated by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to Indian entities should not be permitted to provide M2M services in India, at this stage.

Read previous PIB articles here.