EDITORIALS & ARTICLES
7th June 2021
Pran Vayu Devta Pension Scheme and Oxy Van (Oxygen Forests)
Amid the ongoing pandemic, several states including Haryana witnessed a crisis of medical oxygen that was needed for severely ill Covid-19 patients.
- Recently, the Chief Minister of Haryana Manohar Lal Khattar has announced Pran Vayu Devta Pension Scheme and Oxy Van (Oxygen Forests) on the occasion of World Environment Day.
Pran Vayu Devta Pension Scheme
- It is an initiative to honour all those trees which are of the age of 75 years and above and have served humanity throughout their life by producing oxygen, reducing pollution, providing shade and so on.
- Under the scheme, such trees will be identified throughout the state and these will be looked after by involving local people in this scheme.
- The Oxy Forests will be planted on land ranging from 5 acres to 100 acres in the cities of Haryana in order to get pure air from the environment which benefits the entire humanity.
- A “pension amount” of Rs 2,500 would be given per year in the name of PVDPS for maintenance of trees older than 75 years.
- It shall continue to increase every year, on lines similar to the Old Age Samman Pension Scheme in the state.
- The pension shall be given by the Urban Local Bodies department for the upkeep of the trees, installing plates, grilles etc.
Oxy Van (Oxygen Forest)
- They are identified pieces of land, on which as many as 3 crore trees would be planted.
- The Oxy Vans will occupy 10 per cent of the 8 lakh hectares of land across Haryana.
- Oxy Van Panchkula will be established in Bir Ghaggar over an area of 100 acres to create Mother Nature’s green lungs so that residents of Panchkula can breathe in fresh oxygen.
- Oxy Van Karnal shall come up along the Old Badshahi Canal (also known as Mughal Canal), on an area of 80 acres, covering a total length of 4.2 km.
- The park will also have an information centre and a souvenir shop, and people will be able to buy plants at subsidized rates related to their Rashi (zodiac sign) to grow in their homesteads.
Different species of trees in Oxy Van
- Chit Van will contain ornamental and flowering plants like the Orchid Tree (Kachnar), Indian Laburnum (Amaltas), Pride of India, Red silk cotton tree (Semal), Indian Coral, Sita Ashok, Java Cassia, Red Gulmohar, Golden Shower, Passion Flower, etc.
- Pakhi Van will house plants like Peepal, Banyan, Pilkhan, Neem etc.
- Antriksh Van will have “luck-boosting” plants like Flame of the Forest (Palash/Dhak), Jackfruit, Cluster Fig (Gullar), Amla, Krishan Neel, Champa, Khair, Bilwa, etc.
- Arogya Van will have medicinal plants like Tulsi, Ashwagandha, Neem, Aloe Vera, Chebulic Myrobalan (Harad), Baheda, and Amla, etc.
- Sugandh Vatika will contain fragrant plants like Sugadhraj, Chameli, Night Queen, Day King, Night-blooming Jasmine (Parijaat), Champa, Rose, Honeysuckle, Passiflora etc.
- Panchvati has cultural, mythological, and environmental significance.
- Panchvati literally means five trees which are Banyan/Barh/Bargad, Sacred Fig/Peepal, Stone Apple (Bilwa/Bil), Aonla, and Sita Ashok.
Kerala’s Smart Kitchen Project
Recently, the Kerala government’s revised budget for the current fiscal has announced the introduction of a Smart Kitchen project.
Smart Kitchen Project
- It would be implemented through the Kerala State Financial Enterprises (KSFE) which is a state-run chit fund and lending firm.
- Under the scheme, KSFE would give soft loans to women from all walks of life for purchasing household gadgets or equipment.
- The cost of household equipment can be repaid as instalments within a particular period.
- The interest of the loan/cost would be equally shared among the beneficiary, local self-government body and the state government.
Significance of Smart Kitchen project
- It is meant to modernise kitchens and ease the difficulty faced by homemakers in household chores.
- The government believes that for better participation of women in labour, the burden on household chores has to be reduced.
- The women participation in labour could be increased by enhancing mechanisation in kitchens.
Implication of G7 corporate tax deal on India
Recently, the advanced economies making up the G7 grouping have reached a “historic” deal on taxing multinational companies.
Key Highlights
- The first decision that has been ratified is to force multinationals to pay taxes where they operate.
- The second decision in the agreement commits states to a global minimum corporate tax rate of 15% to avoid countries undercutting each other.
- The G7 commit to reaching an equitable solution on the allocation of taxing rights, with market countries awarded taxing rights on at least 20% of profit exceeding a 10% margin for the largest and most profitable multinational enterprises.
- The deal will provide for appropriate coordination between the application of the new international tax rules and the removal of all Digital Services Taxes.
G7 corporate tax deal
- The finance ministers meeting in London agreed to counter tax avoidance through measures to make companies pay in the countries where they do business.
- They also agreed in principle to ratify a global minimum corporate tax rate to counter the possibility of countries undercutting each other to attract investments.
- The deal announced involving the US, the UK, Germany, France, Canada, Italy and Japan, is likely to be put before a G20 meeting in July.
Reasons for minimum corporate tax rate
- The decision to ratify a 15% floor rate follows from a declaration of war on low-tax jurisdictions around the globe announced by US Treasury Secretary.
- She had urged the world’s 20 advanced nations to move in the direction of adopting a minimum global corporate income tax.
- The move to put a minimum rate in place attempted to reverse a “30-year race to the bottom” in which countries have resorted to slashing corporate tax rates to attract multinational corporations.
Concerns associated with G7 corporate tax deal
- It impinges on the right of the sovereign to decide a nation’s tax policy apart from the challenges of getting all major nations on the same page.
- A global minimum rate would essentially take away a tool that countries use to push policies that suit them.
- The IMF and World Bank data suggest that developing countries with less ability to offer mega stimulus packages may experience a longer economic hangover than developed nations.
- A lower tax rate is a tool they can use to alternatively push economic activity and a global minimum tax rate will do little to tackle tax evasion.
India’s position on G7 corporate tax deal
- In 2019, the finance minister announced a sharp cut in corporate taxes for domestic companies to 22% and for new domestic manufacturing companies to 15%.
- The Taxation Laws (Amendment) Act, 2019 resulted in the insertion of a section (115BAA) to the Income-Tax Act, 1961.
- It aims to provide for the concessional tax rate of 22% for existing domestic companies subject to certain conditions including that they do not avail of any specified incentive or deductions.
- The cuts effectively brought India’s headline corporate tax rate broadly at par with the average 23% rate in Asian countries.
Jahan Vote Wahan Vaccine Campaign
Recently, the Chief Minister of Delhi Shri Arvind Kejriwal has launched a COVID-19 Vaccine Campaign ‘Jahan Vote, Wahan Vaccine’.
Jahan Vote Wahan Vaccine Campaign
- It is a campaign to vaccinate all above the age of 45 within 4 weeks.
- Under the campaign, everyone in this age group will get at least one dose of the vaccine.
- Delhi is the first state to announce a mass vaccination drive to cover a large part of its population by directing people to get their dose at their voting booth.
- Under the Jahan Vote Wahan Vaccine Campaign, people will be able to get vaccinated in the same place where they go to cast their vote during an election.
- There are 280 wards in the city, and each week, the campaign will be carried out in 70 wards, covering 280 wards in 4 weeks.
- The booth-level officers will be responsible for the campaign.
- The administration is also making arrangements for e-rickshaws to help people reach the polling centres from their homes.
Factors that Drive Successful Large-Scale Vaccine Distribution
Reducing supply variability at each level and prevent “over-buffering”
- The better flow of information about supply and inventory across the different levels of government builds greater confidence in supply, and reduces “over-buffering”.
Scheduling, pre-registration and other ways to decrease demand variability
- The appointment scheduling and registration systems are important levers to reduce the variability of demand at the vaccination clinic.
Larger cohorts in each priority tier, and simultaneous start of more than one tier
- With scarce supplies, prioritisation is important, but if the choice of priority tiers is such that the number of beneficiaries in each tier is large and the rules are simple, then the task of matching supply and demand becomes easier.
Structure and design of distribution
- A more direct distribution system helps in terms of information flow, better accountability and reduced needs for cold chain points, especially for vaccines requiring ultra-cold chain.
New mass vaccination sites or existing sites only
- The challenge for mass vaccination sites is operational design, as even small sub-optimalities in operational design get amplified and can create highly visible challenges.
- The governments may have to adopt a slightly more realistic expectation of the number of people they can vaccinate quickly when they take overall global access into consideration.
Van Dhan Vikas Yojana in Ladakh
Recently, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs has called for expanding implementation of the Van Dhan Vikas Yojana in the Union Territory of Ladakh.
- The National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) is the implementing agency for the UT of Ladakh.
- It was agreed to formulate and implement the five-step plan for each Van Dhan Vikas Kendra Clusters (VDVKCs).
- Step 1: It involves the identification of items for Procurement of MFPS in each VDVKC and strengthening it with a planned development of infrastructure including Procurement Sheds and godowns.
- Step 2: It entails the appointment of Local NGOs or NRLM Officials as Mentors for each Cluster as per guidelines issued.
- It will ensure release of money to each Cluster by Transferring Rs 10 lacs to each cluster account.
- Step 3: It will require the preparation of a Business Plan for each cluster for taking up Value addition and other formalities including opening of bank account and setting up of signages and Boards for identification of each VDVK Cluster and VDVK.
- Step 4: It envisages the Planning and facilitating of each Cluster into Production, Branding, Packaging and Sale of its selected products as per the Business Plan.
- Step 5: The ESDP, SFURTI and TRIFOOD schemes will be converged with respective clusters gradually to expand the scope of programme.
Van Dhan Tribal Startup
- It is an initiative implemented by TRIFED towards income and livelihood generation of the tribal population.
- It is a programme for value addition, branding & marketing of Minor Forest Produces.
- It aims to provide remunerative and fair prices to tribal gatherers of forest produces, almost three times higher than would be available to them from middle men, trebling their incomes.
Van Dhan Vikas Yojana
- It is an initiative of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
- The TRIFED (Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India) is the nodal agency at National level.
- Under the scheme, a large number of tribal community owned Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs) have been set up in predominantly forested tribal districts.
- It is a Mechanism for Marketing of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) through Minimum Support Price (MSP) & Development of Value Chain.
Objectives of Van Dhan Vikas Yojana
- It aims to tap into traditional knowledge & skill sets of tribals by adding technology & IT to upgrade it at each stage and to convert the tribal wisdom into a viable economic activity.
- It is aimed at the economic development of tribals by helping them in optimum utilisation of natural resources.
- The Van Dhan Vikas Kendras are providing skill up-gradation and capacity building training, and set up primary processing and value addition facilities in the tribal regions.
Significance of Van Dhan Vikas Yojana
- It is an initiative targeting livelihood generation for tribals by harnessing the wealth of forest.
- It has proved to be successful within a year of its implementation, with the establishment of 1,205 tribal enterprises.
- It has provided employment opportunities to 3.6 lakh tribal gatherers and 18,000 self-help groups in 22 States.
TRIFED
- The Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) came into existence in 1987.
- It is a national-level apex organization functioning under the administrative control of Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
- The ultimate objective of TRIFED is socio-economic development of tribal people in the country by way of marketing development of the tribal products on which the lives of tribals depends heavily.
- It plays the dual role of both a market developer and a service provider.
- It is involved actively in capacity building of the tribal people through sensitisation and the formation of Self Help Groups (SHGs).
Niclosamide for treatment of Covid-19
Recently, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in collaboration with Laxai Life Sciences began the phase-II clinical trials of the Niclosamide drug for treatment of Covid-19.
Niclosamide
- It is an orally bioavailable chlorinated salicylanilide, with anthelmintic and potential antineoplastic activity.
- It is an antihelminthic used for the treatment of tapeworm infections.
- It has been extensively used in past for treatment of tapeworm’s infection in adults as well as children.
- It is also used as a molluscicide in the control of schistosomiasis.
- It appears to be minimally absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract because neither the drug nor its metabolites have been recovered from the blood or urine.
Tapeworm infection
- It is caused by ingesting food or water contaminated with tapeworm eggs or larvae.
- If certain tapeworm eggs are ingested, they can migrate outside intestines and form larval cysts in body tissues and organs (invasive infection).
- An adult tapeworm consists of a head, neck and chain of segments called proglottids.
- Intestinal tapeworm infections are usually mild, with only one or two adult tapeworms but invasive larval infections can cause serious complications.
Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2019-20
Recently, the Union Minister of Education has released the Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2019-20 for states and union territories.
Performance Grading Index (PGI)
- It is a set of 70 parameters to catalyse transformational change in the field of school education.
- It was first published in 2019 with reference year 2017-18.
- It is designed by Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL).
Significance of Performance Grading Index (PGI)
- It envisages that the index would propel States and UTs towards undertaking multi-pronged interventions that will bring about the much-desired optimal education outcomes.
- It helps the States/UTs to pinpoint the gaps and accordingly prioritise areas for intervention to ensure that the school education system is robust at every level.
- It is expected to act as a good source of information for best practices followed by States and UTs which can be shared.
Key Highlights of Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2019-20
- Punjab, Chandigarh, Tamil Nadu, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Kerala occupy the highest grade (Grade A++) for 2019-20.
- Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Puducherry, Punjab and Tamil Nadu have improved overall PGI score by 10%, i.e., 100 or more points.
- Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep and Punjab have shown improvement by 10% (8 points) or more in the PGI domain of ‘Access’.
- As many as thirteen States and UTs have shown improvement by 10% (15 points) or more in the PGI domain of ‘Infrastructure and Facilities’.
- Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Odisha have shown improvement by 20% or more.
- Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Odisha have shown more than 10% improvement in the PGI domain of ‘Equity’.
- Nineteen States and UTs have shown improvement by 10% (36 points) or more in the PGI domain of ‘Governance Process’.
- Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Punjab, Rajasthan and West Bengal have shown improvement by at least 20% (72 points or more).
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