In News

The Union government is working on a “Right to Repair” framework to cut down restrictive practices introduced by some manufacturers.

About the News

• The government aims to enable people can get goods such as consumer durables, phones and cars fixed on their own.
• The sectors identified by a government committee, include Farming Equipment, Mobile Phones/ Tablets, Consumer Durables and Automobiles/Automobile Equipment.

Aim of the “Right To Repair” law:

• The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution said that the aim of developing a framework for RTR in India is to empower consumers and product buyers in the local market.
• It is to harmonize trade between the original equipment manufacturers and third-party buyers and sellers, emphasize developing sustainable consumption of products, and e-waste reduction.
• Once the law is rolled out in India, it will be a huge step towards the sustainability of the products. It will also serve in employment generation by allowing third-party repairs.

What is Right to Repair?

• Right to repair is the legal concept that allows consumers to repair the products they buy or choose their own service providers instead of going through the manufacturer.

Need for Right to Repair

• As your device grows older, issues start to crop up — your smartphone may slow down to a point where it is almost unusable, or your gaming console may require one too many hard resets.
  • When this happens, more often than not, you are left at the mercy of manufacturers who make repairs inaccessible for most, by dictating who can fix your device and making it an inordinately expensive affair.
• Resource Misuse: Manufacturers happen to encourage a culture of ‘planned obsolescence’ — which means that devices are designed specifically to last a limited amount of time and to be replaced. This, they claim, leads to immense pressure on the environment and wasted natural resources.
• Pollution Rise: Manufacturing an electronic device is a highly polluting process. It makes use of polluting sources of energy, such as fossil fuel, which has an adverse impact on the environment.
• Boost Local Economy: Right to repair advocates also argue that this will help boost business for small repair shops, which are an important part of local economies.
• Break Monopoly: If a manufacturer has monopoly on repairs, then prices rise exponentially and quality tends to drop, they say. Price is a major factor propounded by these activists. As there is a lack of competition in the repair market in the west, consumers are not able to hunt for the best deal.

Which countries have implemented the right-to-repair law?

• The US has Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act, 2012. As per this act, manufacturers must provide manuals and necessary documents for consumers to repair their vehicles. The UK introduced the “Right To Repair” law in 2021, in which manufacturing companies are legally bound to make spare parts available to their consumers.
• European Union also passed legislation in 2019 that after 2021, the manufacturers will have to supply the spare parts of the appliances to professional repairmen for 10 years. EU introduced a new draft, “Circular Economy Action Plan,” again in 2020, including the electronic right to repair for its citizens.
• Australia doesn’t have a specific right-to-repair law, but it has free meeting places named repair cafes with volunteer repairmen who share their repairing skills.

Sources:

• What is the soon-to-be-implemented “Right To Repair” law in India?
• Explained: What is the ‘right to repair’ movement?
• Govt plans ‘Right to Repair’ framework to help consumers get products fixed independently:

In News

Iran and Belarus could soon become the newest members of the China and Russia-backed Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

The suggested expansion would exhibit the collective’s rising international influence and its principles being widely accepted.

What is the SCO?

• Members: The grouping comprises eight member states — India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The SCO also has four observer states — Afghanistan, Iran, Belarus and Mongolia — of which Iran and Belarus are now moving towards full membership.
• Origin as 'Shanghai Five’: Founded in June 2001, it was built on the ‘Shanghai Five’, the grouping which consisted of Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
  • The parties came together in the post-Soviet era in 1996, in order to work on regional security, reduction of border troops and terrorism.
  • They endowed particular focus on ‘conflict resolution’, given its early success between China and Russia, and then within the Central Asian Republics.
• In 2001, the ‘Shanghai Five’ inducted Uzbekistan into its fold and named it the SCO, outlining its principles in a charter that promoted what was called the “Shanghai spirit” of cooperation.
  • The charter, adopted in St. Petersburg in 2002, enlists its main goals as strengthening mutual trust and neighbourliness among the member states; promoting their effective cooperation in politics, trade, economy, research and technology, and culture.
  • Its focus areas include education, energy, transport, tourism and environmental protection.
• Vision: It also calls for joint efforts to maintain and ensure peace, security and stability in the region; and the establishment of a democratic, fair and rational new international political and economic order.
  • The precise assertion, combined with some of the member states’ profiles, of building a “new international political and economic order” has often led to it being placed as a counter to treaties and groupings of the West, particularly North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).
• Major Outcomes: Some of their prominent outcomes are an ‘Agreement on Confidence-Building in the Military Field Along the Border Areas’ (in 1996) between China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, which led to an agreement on the mutual reduction of military forces on their common borders in 1997.
• It would also pitch in to help the Central Asian countries resolve some of their boundary disputes.

How is SCO relevant to India?

• India acquired the observer status in the grouping in 2005 and was admitted as a full member in 2017.
• Through the years, the SCO hosts have encouraged members to use the platform to discuss differences with other members on the sidelines. It was on such an occasion that Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in 2015 in Ufa, and Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar negotiated a five-point agreement with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Moscow conference in 2020.
• India is also a part of the ‘Quadrilateral’ grouping with the U.S., Japan and Australia. Its association with the grouping of a rather different nature is part of its foreign policy that emphasises on principles of “strategic autonomy and multi-alignment”.

Source:

• The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and its stature in the modern world:

In News

The US House of Representatives has recently approved an amendment to the National Defence Authorization Act (NDAA), proposing India-specific waiver under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).

About the News

• The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is legislation that Congress passes each year to make changes to the policies and organization of United States defence agencies and provide guidance on how military funding can be spent.
• This move to amend the NDAA willallow India to freely purchase S-400 missile defence system from Russia without fearing American sanctions.

Proposed Amendment

• The amendment urges the US administration to use its authority to provide India with a CAATSA waiver to help deter aggressors like China.
• The legislation says that theUnited States-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (ICET) is a welcome and essential step to developing closer partnerships between governments, academia, and industry in the two countries to address the latest advances in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, biotechnology, aerospace, and semiconductor manufacturing.

Implications of CAATSA Waiver on India-US Relations

• The NDAA amendment has also urged the US to take more steps to assist India’s pivot away from its reliance on Russia-made arms.
• The amendment is in sync with the tenor of the recent bilateral strategic relations.
  • The watershed year was 2008 and since then cumulative US defence contracts with India have added up to at least USD 20 billion which was only USD 500 million in the period prior to 2008.
  • Added to this, the US recognised India as a major defence partner in 2016.
  • Strategic ties have also been strengthened through groupings such as Quad and now I2U2.
• For India, atransition away from Russian platforms is in its strategic interests.
  • Russia’s dependence on China has increased significantly following its invasion of Ukraine, a situation that’s unlikely to change in future.
  • China is next only to India as the second largest recipient of Russia’s arms exports.
  • Given the unravelling of India’s longstanding border management protocols with China, dependence on Russian arms platforms is unwise.

Source:

• Explained: US exempts India from CAATSA, what is it?
• What now as US House votes for CAATSA waiver to India? Long road ahead, final call with President

On July 19, 1969, when then prime minister Indira Gandhi announced the nationalisation of 14 commercial Indian banks with deposits of over Rs 50 crores. The government decided to nationalise banks to encourage businesses in order to serve better the needs of the country's economy. Nationalisation of banks was implemented under the Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Act of 1970. The ordinance came into force on 19 July 1969, " to serve better the needs of development of the economy in conformity with national policy objectives."

Sources:

• July 19, 1969: Fifty years ago, India nationalised 14 private banks. This is how it was done:
• Nationalisation of banks in India: History and what was the need? Explained:

• Context: Only four Female Great Indian Bustards (GIB) are found to be left in Gujarat.
• The Great Indian Bustard (GIB),the State bird of Rajasthan, is considered India’s most critically endangered bird.

• It is one of the heaviest birds that can fly
• It is considered theflagship grassland species, representing the health of the grassland ecology.
• Its population is confined mostly to Rajasthan and Gujarat and small populations occur in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
• The bird is under constant threats due to collision/electrocutionwith power transmission lines, hunting, habitat loss
• It is categorised as Critically Endangered under IUCN Red List and is listed under Appendix 1 of both CITES and Convention on Migratory Species (CMS).
• It is also protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Source:

• Great Indian Bye: Bustard on dodo track in Gujarat
• great Indian bustard

Image source:

• Great Indian Bye: Bustard on dodo track in Gujarat

• Context: The Defence Minister of India has recently launched Y- 3023 Dunagiri, a Project 17A frigate built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders Limited (GRSE) in Kolkata.
• ‘Dunagiri’is the fourth ship of Project 17A Frigates, named after a mountain range in Uttarakhand.

• Project 17A frigates arefollow-on of the P17 Frigates (Shivalik Class) with improved stealth features, advanced weapons and sensors and platform management systems.
• The main advanced stealth featuresof P-17A pertain to the smaller Radar cross-section of the ship achieved through the use of a special super structure shape which reduces radar wave reflections.
• The P17A frigates incorporate new design concepts for improved survivability, sea keeping, stealth and ship manoeuvrability.
• The ship is also characterized bylow acoustic noise emanating from propellers, operating machinery like Diesel Generators etc., which helps sonars on other ships to detect its presence.
• The first three ships under Project 17A are INS Nilgiri, INS Himgiri and INS Udayagiri.

Source:

• Raksha Mantri launches Y- 3023 Dunagiri, Project 17A frigate at GRSE Ltd, Kolkata
• Defence minister Rajnath Singh launches Y-3023 Dunagiri, Project 17A frigate

Image source:

• Project 17A frigate

• Context: The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has recentlylaunched the Platform of Platforms (PoP) under the National Agriculture Market (e-NAM).
• The Platform of Platforms under e-NAM intends to promote trade & marketing of agricultural produce wherein farmers will be facilitated to sell the produce outside their state borders.
• This will increase farmers’ digital access to multiple markets, buyers and service providers and bring transparency in business transactions with the aim of improving price search mechanism and quality commensurate price realisation.

• So far, 41 service providers from different platforms are covered under POP that facilitate various value chain services like trading, quality checks, warehousing, fintech, market information, transportation etc.
• The platform creates a digital ecosystem for farmers who will benefit from the expertise of different platforms in different segments of the agricultural value chain.
• e-NAMintegrates the platform of Service Providers as "Platform of Platforms" which includes:
  • Composite Service Providers
  • Logistics Service Provider, Quality Assurance Service Provider, Technology Enabled Finance & Insurance Service Provider
  • Information Dissemination Portal (Advisory Services, crop forecasting, weather updates, capacity building for farmers etc.) and
  • Other platforms (e-commerce, international agri-business platforms, barter, private market platforms etc.).

Source:

• Platform of Platforms (POP)
• Agriculture Minister launches eNAM Platform of Platforms (PoP) to promote trade & marketing of agricultural produce

Image source:

• Agriculture Minister launches eNAM Platform of Platforms (PoP) to promote trade & marketing of agricultural produce

• Context: The Ministry of Women and Child Development has recently issued detailed guidelines for the ‘Mission Shakti' scheme which will be applicable with effect from 1^stApril 2022.

• 'Mission Shakti'is an integrated women empowerment programme is launched as an umbrella scheme for the safety, security and empowerment of women for implementation.
• It was launched during the 15^th Finance Commission period 2021-22 to 2025-26.
• The main objectives of the mission include:
  • Providing immediate and comprehensivecontinuum of care, support and assistance to women affected by violence and for those in distress.
  • To put in place quality mechanismsfor rescue, protection and rehabilitation of women in need of assistance and victims of crime and violence.
  • To improveaccessibility to various government services available for women at various levels.
  • Making people awareabout Government schemes and programmes, legal provisions to fight social evils like dowry, sexual harassment at workplace, etc.
  • To prevent gender-biased sex selective elimination;to ensure survival, protection, education and development of the girl child.
  • It also seeks toreduce the care burden on women and increase female labour force participation by promoting skill development, capacity building, financial literacy, access to microcredit etc.

Source:

• Ministry of Women and Child Development issues Detailed Guidelines for ‘Mission Shakti’ aimed at Strengthening Interventions for Women Safety, Security and Empowerment
• Detailed Guidelines for ‘Mission Shakti’ aimed at Strengthening Interventions for Women Safety, Security and Empowerment

Image source:

• https://tathya.in/5k-cr-for-mission-shakti/

Essence: A new breed of international institutions was developed following World Wars I and II to stop the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Through the Security Council, IMF, and World Bank, the victorious parties maintained control over these organisations. Recent power struggles in and around Ukraine demonstrate the failure of the global governance institutions that were intended to ensure peace. New concepts for global governance are so needed. For major change, centralised coordination seems to be necessary. Since universal, "one size" solutions are impossible, To undo the harm such technologies have done to the environment, new solutions to complicated global issues must be discovered. A more just global order requires a transfer of power between generations.

Such issues cannot be resolved by organisations with central management. The approach to tackle problems is through local system solutions that are jointly implemented within their communities by old and young people.

Why should you read this article?

• To comprehend why global governance structures that were designed to ensure peace have failed.
• To be aware of potential remedies for the problem.

Source:

• Sharing power with the next generations:

Essence: India and Africa share a long and rich relationship and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) provides an opportunity to deepen it further. If India and Africa will be able to leverage this opportunity, it may lift 30 million people out of extreme poverty.

Indian industry can play a significant role in development cooperation and leverage the new opportunities presented by the AfCFTA. India’s expertise on information technology, health and pharmaceuticals among many others can be a catalyst in Africa's growth story.

Why should you read this article?

• To understand the current status of India-Africa trade and development relationship and steps which should be taken to deepen it further.

Source:

• The win-win potential of India’s partnership with African nations

Background

• Reports estimate that over 3.3 million metric tonnes of plastic wound up in landfills across India.
• TO reduce the burden on the environment, Aditya Banger (17) a resident of Bhilwara, Rajasthan has started recycling plastic bottles, wrappers and covers to make fabric.

About the Initiative

• Aditya Banger, a resident of Bhilwara, Rajasthan, launched Trash to Treasure which recycles plastic bottles, wrappers and covers into fabric for clothes.
• The process takes one or two days but the fabric produced is stronger than regular cotton and is more durable.
• His company, Trash to Treasure, was launched in January 2021 and every day they recycle up to 10 tonnes of plastic to make fabric.
• To date, Aditya claims to have recycled 10 tonnes of plastic every day.

Source:

• 17-YO’s Startup Recycles 10 Tonnes of Plastic Everyday, Turning it into Fabric: