EDITORIALS & ARTICLES
21st March 2021
The legacy of Tomar king Anangpal II and his connection with Delhi
Recently, a seminar highlighted the legacy of the long-forgotten Tomar king - Anangpal II.
- Anangpal II, popularly known as Anangpal Tomar, belonged to the Tomar dynasty.
- He was the founder of Dhillika Puri, which eventually became Delhi.
- Evidence about the early history of Delhi is inscribed on the iron pillar of Masjid Quwaatul Islam, adjacent to Qutub Minar.
- Multiple inscriptions and coins suggest Anangpal Tomar was the ruler of present-day Delhi and Haryana in between the 8th-12th centuries.
- He had built the city from ruins and under his supervision, Anang Tal Baoli and Lal Kot were constructed.
- Anangpal Tomar II was succeeded by his grandson Prithviraj Chauhan.
- Delhi Sultanate was established in 1192 after Prithviraj Chauhan’s defeat in the Battle of Tarain (present-day Haryana) by the Ghurid forces.
- Tomar Dynasty:
- Tomara dynasty is one of the minor early medieval ruling houses of northern India.
- Puranic evidence (writings of the Puranas) gives its early location in the Himalayan region. According to bardic tradition, the dynasty was one of the 36 Rajput tribes.
- The history of the family spans the period between the reign of Anangpal, who founded the city of Delhi in the 11th century CE, and the incorporation of Delhi within the Chauhan (Chahamana) kingdom in 1164.
- Although Delhi subsequently became decisively a part of the Chauhan kingdom, numismatic and comparatively late literary evidence indicates that Tomara kings such as Anangapala and Madanapala continued to rule as feudatories, presumably until the final conquest of Delhi by the Muslims in 1192–93.
What is Demand for Grants?
Demand for Grants definition: It is a well established principle among modern democracies that no money can be withdrawn from the exchequer of the country without the authority of law. Put simply, this means that any withdrawal or disbursement from the Consolidated Fund of India can only be done by passing a bill in the Lok Sabha, the house of people.
What are Grants in Parliament?
Article 113 of the Constitution requires that any proposal or estimate seeking withdrawal of money from the Consolidated Fund of India should be presented to the Lok Sabha in the form of a demand for grants.
Demand for Grants are proposed by Ministry
Therefore, every ministry prepares a demand for grants for the expenditure to be incurred in the next financial year. These demands are collectively presented in the Lok Sabha as part of the Union Budget.
Demand for Grants: What does it include?
The demand for grants include both charged and voted expenditure. Charged expenditures are considered liabilities of the government of India such as payment of interest and are not put to vote in the Lok Sabha.
The other category of expenditure is voted expenditure that includes revenue and capital expenditure to be incurred on a government scheme in the next financial year. Usually, there is a demand for grant for each ministry, but large ministries like Finance and Defence have more than one demand for grants.
Demand for Grants: How it is prepared
Each demand for grant is prepared in two ways:
- First, it clearly distinguishes the charged expenditure and the voted expenditure
- It also classifies expenditure as capital expenditure and revenue expenditure
- While capital expenditure results in the creation of some kind of assets for the government, revenue expenditures are operational in nature
In addition to giving the break-up of charged and voted expenditure and revenue and capital expenditure, a demand for grants also gives a gross estimate of the total expenditure to be incurred.
A demand for grants also gives the following:
- Break-up of expenditure under different heads of account and
- Lists out the recoveries to be made from the scheme.
- The net amount of expenditure after deducting the recoveries is also shown.
Note that each demand for grants also includes:
- The total provisions required for a service or scheme, basically both revenue and capital expenditure
- Any assistance to be given to states and UTs
- Loans and advances related to that service or scheme
Demand for Grants: Powers of Lok Sabha
Under Article 113, the Lok Sabha has the power to give or refuse its assent to a demand for grants or it can reduce the amount specified in the demand.
How Demand for Grants are Presented
Article 113 (iii) prescribes that no demand for grants can be presented in the Lok Sabha without the President of India’s prior approval.
Under Articles 117 and 274 of the Indian Constitution, a Presidential recommendation is also required for tabling a Money Bill in the Lok Sabha. The Finance Bill, accompanying the annual financial statement which is called the Union Budget, also carries a certificate issued by the President.
The Lok Sabha has passed supplementary demand for grants for the second batch (2020-2021).
- It is needed when the amount authorised by the Parliament through the appropriation act for a particular service for the current financial year is found to be insufficient for that year.
- This grant is presented and passed by the Parliament before the end of the financial year.
- Constitutional Provisions: Article 115 pertains to supplementary, additional or excess grants.
- Other Grants:
- Additional Grant: It is granted when a need has arisen during the current financial year for additional expenditure upon some new service not contemplated in the budget for that year.
- Excess Grant : It is granted when money has been spent on any service during a financial year in excess of the amount granted for that service in the budget for that year. It is voted by the Lok Sabha after the financial year. Before the demands for excess grants are submitted to the Lok Sabha for voting, they must be approved by the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament.
- Vote of Credit: It is granted for meeting an unexpected demand upon the resources of India, when on account of the magnitude or the indefinite character of the service, the demand cannot be stated with the details ordinarily given in a budget. Hence, it is like a blank cheque given to the Executive by the Lok Sabha.
- Exceptional Grant: It is granted for a special purpose and forms no part of the current service of any financial year.
- Token Grant: It is granted when funds to meet the proposed expenditure on a new service can be made available by reappropriation. A demand for the grant of a token sum (of Re 1) is submitted to the vote of the Lok Sabha and if assented, funds are made available.
- Reappropriation involves transfer of funds from one head to another. It does not involve any additional expenditure.
- Article 116 of the Constitution pertains to Votes on account, votes of credit and exceptional grants.
- Supplementary, additional, excess and exceptional grants and vote of credit are regulated by the same procedure which is applicable in the case of a regular budget.
Refrigeration System Pusa-FSF
Scientists from the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) have developed an on-farm green energy refrigeration system (Pusa-FSF) and a technology for extraction of gluten from wheat dough and its regeneration in bajra (pearl-millet) and makka (maize) flour.
- Pusa-FSF:
- Pusa Farm Sun Fridge (Pusa-FSF) is a 100% solar-powered battery-less cold store that can preserve around 2 tonnes of freshly-harvested produce at 3-4°C during the day and 8-12°C at nighttime.
- It has rooftop solar panels that generate 5 kilowatt (KW) power, which helps in running air conditioning.
- The panels also power a 105-watt submersible pump circulating about 1,000 litres of water from a tank through overhead PVC pipes.
- At night, there is only passive evaporative cooling, with the water chilled during the day acting as a natural heat sink.
- All farmers with solar pumps are a potential market for the Pusa-FSF. India has an estimated four lakh-plus installed solar water pumps.
- An average 5-horsepower pump costing Rs. 2.5 lakh attracts 70-90% subsidy.
- Benefits:
- Farmers can store and preserve their own produce. It can avoid distress sales and help improve prices.
- It will help minimise post harvest losses.
- More room to grow perishable items such as tomatoes, fruits, other than Paddy and Maize.
- Technology for Extraction of Gluten from Wheat Dough:
- Need: Bajra, maize, jowar (sorghum), ragi and other millets contain comparable levels of protein and more vitamins, minerals, crude fibre and other nutrients than wheat. But they don’t have any gluten proteins, which results in poor dough quality.
- About the Technology: The technology imparts elasticity and structural strength to bajra and maize dough, making their chapattis as soft as from regular wheat atta flour.
- The proteins extracted and dried into powder have the capacity for regeneration or forming gluten networks in non-wheat dough.
- Scientists have developed gluten based ‘Hallur’ soft bajra flour, with the help of technology.
- Other Technological Developments in the Field of Agriculture:
- Happy Seeder - machine for in-situ management of paddy stubble (straw).
- Precision Agriculture Technologies - Precision Agriculture (PA) is an approach to farm management that uses information technology to ensure that crops and soil receive exactly what they need for optimum health and productivity.
Gluten
- Gluten is a family of storage proteins — formally known as prolamins — that are naturally found in certain cereal grains, such as wheat, barley etc.
- The two main proteins in gluten are glutenin and gliadin.
- Gluten offers a variety of functional culinary benefits and is responsible for the soft, chewy texture that is characteristic of many gluten-containing, grain based foods.
- When heated, gluten proteins form an elastic network that can stretch and trap gas, allowing for optimal leavening or rising and maintenance of moisture in breads, pasta, and other similar products.
- Celiac disease, also spelled as coeliac disease, is the most severe form of gluten intolerance.
US India Artificial Intelligence Initiative
Recently, US India Artificial Intelligence (USIAI) initiative has been launched to scale up the science and technology relationship between India and the United States.
- US India Artificial Intelligence (USIAI) is an initiative of Indo-US Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF) which was established in March 2000.
- The Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India, and the U.S. Department of State are respective nodal departments for IUSSTF.
- The USIAI will focus on AI cooperation in critical areas that are priorities for both countries.
- Example: Healthcare, smart cities, materials, agriculture, energy, and manufacturing.
- It will bring together key stakeholders from India and the United States to create synergies that address challenges and opportunities at the interface of science, technology, and society.
- This will provide an opportunity to discuss the emerging AI landscape, and address the challenges of developing an AI workforce.
- Related Recent Initiative:
- India has launched National AI Strategy (NITI Aayog) and National AI Portal (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology) and has also started leveraging AI across various sectors such as education, agriculture, healthcare, e-commerce, finance, telecommunications, etc.
- Recently MyGov Corona Helpdesk Chatbot bagged two awards under categories (1) “Best Innovation for Covid-19 – Society” and (2) “People’s Choice Covid-19 Overall Winner” at the recently held CogX 2020. CogX is a prestigious Global Leadership Summit and Festival of Artificial Intelligence & Emerging Technology held annually in London.
- Recently, India joined the 'Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI)' as a founding member to support the responsible and human-centric development and use of AI.
- As per a recent report, India reported a 45% increase in the use of Artificial Intelligence, the highest among all countries, because of shift in buying behaviour and new business challenges (owing to Covid-19 pandemic).
- RAISE 2020 – ‘Responsible AI for Social Empowerment 2020’ was jointly organised by the NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
- Vaishwik Bhartiya Vaigyanik (VAIBHAV) Summit was organised in 2020 to discuss key areas like quantum technologies, artificial intelligence among others.
Artificial Intelligence
- It describes the action of machines accomplishing tasks that have historically required human intelligence.
- It includes technologies like machine learning, pattern recognition, big data, neural networks, self algorithms etc.
- AI is different from hardware driven robotic automation. Instead of automating manual tasks, AI performs frequent high volume computerised tasks reliably.
- AI is often misunderstood for machine learning. AI is a broader concept with a bunch of technologies that include machine learning and other technologies like natural language processing, inference algorithms, neutron networks etc.
- AI techniques now have become an essential part of the technology industry helping to solve many challenging problems in computer-science. From Apple Siri to self driving cars, AI is progressing rapidly.
Stop TB Partnership Board
Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, has been appointed Chairman of the Stop TB Partnership Board.
- He will serve a three year term, commencing July 2021, as the Chair of the Board of Stop TB Partnership.
- Stop TB Partnership Board:
- It was established in 2001 and is mandated to eliminate Tuberculosis as a public health problem.
- The organization was conceived following the meeting of the First Session of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Tuberculosis Epidemic held in London in March 1998.
- In its inaugural year itself, the Stop TB Partnership through the Amsterdam Declaration gave a call for collaborative action from ministerial delegations from 20 countries that bear the highest burden of TB.
- In 2019, it launched the updated Global Plan to End TB 2018-2022.
- The Kochon Prize is awarded annually by Stop TB Partnership to individuals and/or organizations that have made a significant contribution to combating TB.
- The Kochon Prize, which is endowed by the Kochon Foundation, a non-profit foundation registered in the Republic of Korea, consists of a USD 65,000 award.
- Its secretariat is based at Geneva, Switzerland.
- High TB Burden Countries:
- In 2019, the 30 high TB burden countries accounted for 87% of new TB cases.
- Eight countries account for two thirds of the total, with India leading the count, followed by Indonesia, China, the Philippines, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh and South Africa (Global Tuberculosis Report: WHO)
- Scenario in India:
- With an estimated 2.64 million TB patients, India has the largest burden of TB globally in terms of absolute numbers.
- Recently, the “Step Up for TB 2020” report by the Stop TB Partnership and Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has highlighted India’s conservative approach regarding the new medicines for Drug Resistant TB, putting lives of patients including children in danger.
- Steps Taken by India:
- India has committed to eliminating TB in the country by 2025.
- Five years ahead of the global deadline of 2030.
- National Strategy Plan for TB Elimination 2017-2025:
- The requirements for moving towards TB elimination in India have been arranged in four strategic areas of Detect, Treat, Prevent & Build.
- There is also across all four areas, an overarching theme of the Private Sector. Another overarching theme is that of Key Populations.
- TB Harega Desh Jeetega Campaign, Nikshay Poshan Yojana, etc.
- Global Efforts:
- The End TB Strategy of WHO.
- World Tuberculosis (TB) Day is observed on 24th March to raise public awareness about the devastating health, social and economic consequences of TB.
Tuberculosis
- Tuberculosis is caused by bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) that most often affect the lungs.
- Transmission: TB is spread from person to person through the air. When people with lung TB cough, sneeze or spit, they propel the TB germs into the air.
- Symptoms: Cough with sputum and blood at times, chest pains, weakness, weight loss, fever and night sweats.
- Treatment: TB is treatable and curable disease. It is treated with a standard 6 month course of 4 antimicrobial drugs that are provided with information, supervision and support to the patient by a health worker or trained volunteer.
- Multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) is a form of TB caused by bacteria that do not respond to isoniazid and rifampicin, the 2 most powerful, first-line anti-TB drugs. MDR-TB is treatable and curable by using second-line drugs.
- Extensively drug resistant TB (XDR TB) is a rare type of MDR TB that is resistant to isoniazid and rifampin, plus any fluoroquinolone and at least one of three injectable second-line drugs (i.e., amikacin, kanamycin, or capreomycin).
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