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Mar 15, 2022
THE LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS OF BLOCKCHAIN GAMING IN INDIA
Games based on blockchain technology, such as Dapper Labs’ CyrptoKitties, where each CryptoKittie is a non-fungible token. Launched in 2017 as the first ever blockchain game, CyrptoKitties now has over 1,28,000 current users worldwide.
Scope and potential of blockchain technology
About Sohrai
Santhali Sohrai Murals
About Great Andamanese
India Water Pitch-Pilot-Scale Start-up Challenge
Highlights of the Amendments
Phool Dei
Key Statistics
- With the success that CyrptoKitties has garnered, more blockchain games, such as Axie Infinity, have now been introduced in India.
Scope and potential of blockchain technology
- The popularity and success of blockchain games has been such that it has pushed close to 60% of American and UK-based online game developers to start using blockchain technology, according to Business Insider.
- Even major companies such as Ubisoft and Electronic Arts have expressed their interest in introducing elements of blockchain technology into their games in the near future.
- Closer home, several Indian companies have also commenced their foray into blockchain game development. Prominent amongst them are Avisa Ventures and NODWIN Gaming.
- Blockchain is a decentralised database that stores information. It relies on technology that allows for the storage of identical copies of this information on multiple computers in a network.
- Non-Fungible Token-NFTs: NFTs represent in-game virtual assets that can be owned by players, such as maps, armor or land.
- These NFTs act as asset tags, identifying ownership of the in-game assets, and are stored on the blockchain.
- Being on the blockchain allows the player to have a secure record of ownership of the in-game assets and also gives the assets the ability to outlive the game itself.
- Based on the manner in which the games are designed, it also allows for the in-game assets to be transferred from one game to another.
- It also creates transparency, since ownership records can independently be verified by any third party as well.
- In doing so, it makes in-game assets marketable and creates a decentralized market, where they can be bought and sold by people.
- Cryptocurrency: Cryptocurrency, such as tokens based on the Ethereum blockchain, may be used for the purchase of in-game assets. These in-game purchases usually enable gamers to buy items like extra lives, coins and so on directly from the game.
- Gaming coins: Gaming coins, such as Axie Infinity (ACS) and Enjin Coin (ENJ), are in-game cryptocurrency which may be acquired and then used for the purchase of in-game assets.
- These gaming coins may be purchased from crypto exchanges (and eventually be traded on these crypto exchanges as well) or, in certain cases, be acquired as winnings in games that have adopted the ‘play-to-earn’ model.
- In such games, gamers are rewarded for dedicating their time and skill to playing the game with gaming coins and in-game assets (and, in certain cases, with cryptocurrency as well).
- Blockchain games: They are online video games that are developed integrating blockchain technology into them. Since blockchain is merely the underlying technology, there is no express regulation of it in India.
- This renders any questions over its legality moot. It would, however, be pertinent to explore the legality of the games from the lens of existing Indian gaming regulation.
- Games of skill vs. games of chance: Most Indian states regulate gaming on the basis of a distinction in law between ‘games of skill’ and ‘games of chance’.
- While staking money or property on the outcome of a ‘game of chance’ is prohibited and subjects the guilty parties to criminal sanctions.
- On the other hand, placing any stakes on the outcome of a ‘game of skill’ is not illegal per se and may be permissible.
- As per two seminal judgments of the Supreme Court on this aspect, the Supreme Court recognized that no game is purely a ‘game of skill’ and almost all games have an element of chance.
- As such, a ‘dominant element’ test is to be utilized to determine whether chance or skill is the dominating element in determining the result of the game.
- This ‘dominant element’ may be determined by examining whether factors such as superior knowledge, training, experience, expertise or attention of a player have a material impact on the outcome of the game.
- While the outcomes of any ‘games of skill’ are affected by these factors, on the other hand outcomes of ‘games of chance’ are premised on luck and are largely independent of the skills of the players involved.
- Common gaming house: A second concept common to the gaming law in most states is the idea of a ‘common gaming house’.
- Owning, keeping, or having charge of a common gaming house or being present for the purpose of gaming in any such common gaming house is ordinarily prohibited in terms of these state gaming laws.
- A common gaming house is defined as “any house, walled enclosure, room or place in which instruments of gaming are kept or used for the profit or gain of the person owning, occupying, using or keeping such house, enclosure, room or place, whether by way of charge for the use of the instruments of gaming, or of the house, enclosure, room or place, or otherwise howsoever”.
- The legality of offering, or engaging, in gaming in terms of such state gaming laws, therefore, hinges on whether it is being offered for the profit or gain of any person organizing the game. Pertinently, courts have clarified in the past that the mere charging of an extra fee to facilitate playing the game and / or to maintain the facilities may not necessarily be seen as making a profit or gain.
- It is important to note that most of the gaming laws were brought into effect prior to the internet era and, therefore, only contemplate regulation of gaming activities taking place in physical premises.
- Other than states such as Sikkim, Nagaland, and Telangana, which recognize online gaming, in most Indian states and union territories, there is currently a lacuna in gaming law and there are lingering question marks on its interpretation and applicability to online gaming.
- That being said, as the law currently stands, each blockchain game must first pass muster as a ‘game of skill’, as against a ‘game of chance’, to legally be made available in most Indian states.
- Past: Supreme Court has rejected the notion of video games being ‘games of skill’, holding that the outcomes of these games could be manipulated by tampering with the machines used to play and, therefore, the element of skill of players could not be a dominant factor of the game.
- Further, by making in-game assets available for purchase, developers and publishers stand to earn revenue from the sale of such assets.
- They may also embed certain rules when implementing the code for in-game assets such that a fee is paid to them every time a certain action is taken, including when an item is transferred from one player to another.
- A Delhi District Court has, in the past, held that a gaming portal would be covered within the definition of a ‘common gaming house’, if it were to take commission / earn revenue from the game offered. This is because such portals merely seek to replace the brick-and-mortar common gaming houses that Indian law currently envisages and has outlawed.
- Since developers and publishers of blockchain games are likely to earn revenue / charge fee for offering such games, it does raise questions over whether they may be seen as playing a role analogous to that played by common gaming houses under Indian law.
- The Finance Ministry of the Government of India had announced in late-2021 that The Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, 2021, was to be tabled in the Parliament soon and would seek to prohibit all private cryptocurrencies.
- If the legislature does indeed successfully place a ban on private cryptocurrencies, then, to the extent that existing blockchain games rely on cryptocurrencies, they would be considered illegal in India.
- Independent of this, the Minister of Finance, in her budget speech for 2022-2023, announced that the income from the transfer of any ‘virtual digital assets’ (which include cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens) would be subject to income tax at the rate of 30%.
- Interestingly, those who have received any such virtual digital assets by way of a gift shall be taxed at the rate of 30%.
- Policy pronouncements of this nature would need to be carefully considered by publishers of blockchain games while designing their pricing models.
About Sohrai
- The most important festival of Santals is called Sohrai. It is the Harvest Festival celebrated after the rice harvest in early January.
- The celebrations stretch over several days. The first day is Um hiloah.
- On this first day the men perform a ritual on a field outside the village to initiate the festival.
Santhali Sohrai Murals
- Sohrai paintings are beautiful tribal paintings that are usually based on natural elements of the universe, this includes forests, rivers, animals amongst others.
- These ancient paintings are made by tribal women with the use of natural substances like charcoal, clay, or soil.
- It is also interesting to note that the word ‘Sohrai’ comes from soro – translating to ‘to drive with a stick’.
- The very primitive form of the Sohrai art was in the form of cave paintings. Although, with the advancement in human civilization and technology, it was expertly implemented in houses and mud walls.
- Taking reference from the Santhal tradition, in the ancient times, Jaher ayo (goddess of the forest), Marang Buru (God of mountains), and the Santhal’s elder sister would often descend upon the Earth to meet their brothers.
- During this time precisely, the famous harvest festival was celebrated by decorating the walls of the house with Sohrai art.
- Superstitions dictate that the Sohrai paintings bring good luck upon the household and thus, this art began to be well-known all-over India.
- About five kilometers away from Oriya, in the Santhal dominated village of Purninano, in Hazaribagh district, Sohrai paintings are made mostly in the months of November and December.
- Such murals are part of a long tradition of the Santhal community that dominates Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj districts of Odisha; East Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharsawan districts of Jharkhand; and Purulia district of West Bengal.
- Santhali women usually paint the walls of their houses to mark Sohrai, a harvest festival coinciding with Diwali or Kali Puja.
- The art also adorns walls during ceremonies or special occasions, such as weddings and childbirth. Apart from the Santhals, the Bhumij community in the district also paints them.
- In 2020, Jharkhand received a Geographical Indication tag for its Sohrai art particularly for the murals painted by women in Hazaribagh district who do not belong to the Santhal tribe. However, these are quite different from the murals created by the Santhal tribe.
- The murals of Hazaribagh are more primordial with different motifs, whereas the Santhali Sohrai art features only geometric shapes.
- The women of Hazaribagh only use earth colours — red, black and white — for their murals. The north Karanpura valley of the district and its Satpahar and Sati hill ranges are rich in coal, iron and manganese deposits. Rivers flowing through these hills thus carry managanese-rich black clay, which is used for the art.
- The creamy white clay or Kaolin is obtained from places where the rivers spread out, while the red colour is sourced from haematite or iron ore deposits in the rock shelter or prehistoric caves of the valley. Women soak these deposits and wash them to obtain the desired paint.
- Santhali women use similar clay materials for black and white colour. But for red, they use gravel or morrum derived from cutting earth, instead of haematite. Morrum is thought to be termite resistant and does not fade easily with rain.
- These days, Santhali women use several other colours for their murals. Young girls prefer using synthetic shades that are easily available in the market and cost Rs 40-50 a bottle.
- Murals nowadays show off brighter (neon) shades of lime yellow, orange, pink and violet to blue, bottle green and reddish maroon. Some also create colours by mixing two or more shades.
- Back in Hariharpur village, one can see even attractively coloured doors that complement wall murals. Marandi’s door is elaborately painted blue, red and green.
- Concrete houses replacing the mud and tiled ones also have an impact on the traditional Sohrai art.
- This art form is passed down from the mother to the daughter as is tradition. This tells us about the importance given to the maintenance of harmony in a mother-daughter relationship.
- The walls are covered with Black soil; this represents the womb of a woman and her ability to reproduce.
- Following that, the white earth (known as Dudhi) which covers the black soil is symbolic of the god of light and sperm.
- After the white and black soil is applied, a red line is drawn on the wall immediately. This red line portrays procreation, fertility, and the early ancestors of the family as well.
- The red line is followed by the marking of a black line which is representative of Lord Shiva and the Shiv Ling (which is famously worshipped as a symbol of Lord Shiva all over India).
- Next, artists approach the end of the painting by drawing outer lines encompassing the entire painting. This signifies the cultural values that the people carry – protection, chastity, and fidelity.
- Finally, the last element of the painting, which is the white paint, is created by grounding old rice with milk until it is liquid. This white liquid portrays food.
- The women needed motivation to keep the art alive, besides the colours to use.
- A series of exhibitions also helped spread awareness about art.
- Alongside walls, women artists have also been encouraged to paint on handmade paper and canvas.
- The Santal or Santhal, are a Munda ethnic group native to India. Santhals are the third largest tribe in India.
- Santals are the largest tribe in the Jharkhand state of India in terms of population and are also found in the states of Assam, Tripura, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and West Bengal.
- They are the largest ethnic minority in northern Bangladesh's Rajshahi Division and Rangpur Division. They have a sizeable population in Nepal and Bhutan.
- The Santals speak Santali, the most widely spoken of the Munda languages.
- Due to the lack of significant archaeological records, the original homeland of the Santals is not known with certainty.
- The folklore of the Santals claims they came from Hihiri, which scholars have identified as Ahuri in Hazaribagh district. From there, they claim, they were pushed onto Chota Nagpur, then to Jhalda, Patkum and finally Saont, where they settled for good.
- Santhals belong to the Pre Aryan period. They were the great fighters during the British regime in India. They wagged war against the permanent settlement of Lord Cornwallis in 1855.
- During the late 1850 Santhals hero Sidhu had accumulated around 10 thousand Santhals to run parallel government against the British government.
- Baba Tilka Majhi was the first Santhal leather who raise weapons against the Britishers in 1789.
- Santhals speak Santhali, which belongs to the Austro- Asiatic language family. Santhals have their script called Olchiki, which was developed by Dr Raghunath Murmu in 1925.
- According to the census their population is around 49,000. They are generally Bilingual. Apart from Santhali they also speak Bengali, Oriya and Hindi. Santhals have long head and flat nose. Their complexion varies from dark brown to black in colour. Santhals usually have curly hair.
- The livelihood of the Santhals revolve around the forests they live in. They fulfil their basic needs from the trees and plants of the forests.
- Apart from this they are also engaged in hunting, fishing and cultivation for their livelihood. Santhals possess unique skills in making musical equipment, mats and baskets out of plants. This talent is safely passed on from one generation to the other.
- Santhals love dancing. It is in their blood. Dance is an important part of the Santhals fairs and festivals. After a long day of hard work, Santhals relax with light music and dance. Santhal women dress in the red bordered white sari and dance in the line sequence.
- Apart from dance Santhals play great music using Tirio (bamboo flute with the seven holes), Dhodro banam (which consists of belly called lac covered with an animal skin on which rests the bridge (sadam, lit, horse), an open chest( korom), a short neck(hotok)and a head( bohok), Phet banam (a fretless stringed instrument with three or four strings), Tumdak, Tamak, Junko and Singa.
- Santhals have no temples of their own. They do not even worship any idols. Santhals follow the Sarna religion.
- The God and Goddess of Santhal are Marangburu, Jaheraera, and Manjhi. Santhals pay respect to the ghosts and spirits like Kal Sing, Lakchera, Beudarang etc.
- They have village priests known as the Naiki and shaman Ujha. Animal sacrifices to the Gods is the common practice common practice among the Santhals to appease the Gods and Goddess.
- Santhals mainly celebrate the Karam festival which falls in the months of September and October.
- They celebrate this festival to plaes the God to increase their wealth and free them from all the enemies. It is the tradition among the Santhals to grow the Karam tree outside their house after the purification process.
- Other festivals of the Santhal community include Maghe, Baba Bonga, Sahrai, Ero, Asaria and Namah. They also celebrate a haunting festival called Disum sendra on the eve of Baishakhi Purnima.
About Great Andamanese
- Anthropologists classify the Great Andamanese as part of the Negrito tribes that inhabit isolated parts of Southeast Asia and the Andaman Islands. The Great Andamanese tribe is settled presently on the Strait Island by the Andaman & Nicobar Administration.
- Originally, the Great Andamanese were ten distinct tribes, including the Jeru, Bea, Bo, Khora, and Pockiwar, each with its own separate language. This was the largest tribe earlier before the establishment of Penal Settlement in Andaman Islands.
- Various diseases including influenza etc. took a large toll and the population was reduced to present 43 individuals only.
- The Great Andamanese is also known for their brave History in the past where they fought with bows and arrows with the English men who tried to occupy their land.
- In 1788, when the British first tried to colonise the islands, the Great Andamanese numbered between 5,000 and 8,000. However, several members of the tribe were killed in encounters with the British to protect their territories. Later, many were wiped out in epidemics brought in by the colonisers, such as measles, syphilis and influenza.
- After the 1857 mutiny, the British government sent thousands of mutineers for life imprisonment in the Andamans. A penal colony was established for the purpose. The new phase of settlement caused the death of many Great Andamanese as they succumbed to diseases and imperialist policies.
- In the 1860s, the British established an ‘Andaman Home’ where they kept captured Great Andamanese. Hundreds of the tribe died from the disease and abuse in the home, and of 150 babies born there, none survived beyond the age of two.
- By 1901, the population of the Great Andamanese was down to 625. By the 1930s, the number had further gone below 100. In 1970, the Indian government removed the remaining Great Andamanese to the Strait Island. At present, only about 59 members of the community survive — 34 live in the Strait Island, the rest are in Port Blair.
- However, they do sometime go for hunting and fishing.
- The Andaman Government set up a statue for these Brave Soldiers in the Sea Shore of Marina Park as a memorial as it brings the spark of the first freedom movement in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The population of great Andamanese is only 43 as per the census 2001.
- The Great Andamanese, are actually further divided into 10 sub-tribes — four in North Andaman, four in Middle Andaman and two in South Andaman. Each tribe had their own language but they were “mutually intelligible” or understood by the other tribes.
- However, the central and southern varieties became extinct in the 1930s. The speakers of the four remaining northern varieties — Bo, Jeru, Khosa and Sare tribes—were forcibly located by the Indian government to Strait Island in 1970. The speakers intermarried and the result was a type of “Koine” or lingua franca known as Present-day Great Andamanese (PGA).
- The language of the Great Andamanese, Sare, has largely been lost, with the last surviving speaker dying earlier this year. The tribe now speaks mostly Hindi.
- Contagious diseases as a result of contact with city dwellers, and a high mortality rate assisted by addictions to alcohol, tobacco and opium.
- In some cases, people who became sick were killed by other tribe members in an attempt to stop contagion.
- The migration of Indian settlers to the islands accelerated this decline.
- Unlike the other PVTGs in the Andamans, the Great Andamanese are in contact with the general population since they visit Port Blair frequently, thereby making them more vulnerable to Covid-19.
- The Andaman authorities must act urgently to prevent infection in the other tribes.
- The waters around North Sentinel must be properly policed and no outsiders should enter the territories of any of the Andaman tribes without their consent.
- In order to be sensitive to the needs of 150,000 mainlanders, a different approach toward development involving wildlife and resource management must be evolved to replace the present exploitative and detrimental approach.
- The Administration has provided houses and raised Coconut Plantation for the upliftment of Andamanese.
- Further free ration, including cloths is also being provided to them. As such, Andamanese are no longer a nomadic tribe.
- There should be awareness campaigns
- Onges are one of the most primitive tribes in India. The Onges are inhabiting Little Andaman Island.
- This Hunting and Gathering tribe have also been settled by the Andaman & Nicobar Administration at Dugong Creek and South Bay on Little Andaman Island.
- Coconut plantation has been raised for the benefit of Onges Medical care, free ration etc. are being provided t by the Administration. Onges go for hunting and fishing occasionally.
- The present population of Onges is 96 as per the census 2001.
- The Jarawas are inhabiting presently the Western coast of Middle Andaman and South Andaman Islands.
- They are hostile and, at times, enter into areas where the Bengali and other people have been settled by the Government. The Andaman & Nicobar Administration have started the Contact Expeditions periodically to Jarawas to befriend them.
- The first friendly contact was made in 1974 and since then the Jarawas have not been hostile to the Contact Team which goes with gifts like Coconut, Banana and other fruits.
- Jarawas continue to hunt and gather nomadic tribes. They hunt wild pigs, monitor lizards with bows and arrows. Tips of the arrow are made of Iron.
- Unlike Onges and Andamanese, Jarawas do not use dogs for hunting. Men fish with bows and arrows in the coastal waters while women catch fish with basket. Molluscus constitutes a major part of their Pisces food.
- Jarawas collect fruits and roots including honey from the forest. They build temporary huts in their camps. They use crude rafts to cross creeks and streams. The population of Jarawas is 240 as per the census 2001.
- The Sentinelese tribe inhabits the small North Sentinel Island. They also are hostile like Jarawas to outsiders.
- The Contact Expeditions of Andaman and Nicobar Administration go to the North Sentinel Island periodically.
- A break through was achieved when the Contact team of the Administration led by Shri S.A.Awaradi, former Director of Tribal Welfare could establish the first ever friendly contact with the Sentinelese on 4th January 1991.
- Since then, the Sentinelese have accepted gifts from the Contact Party. However, the Sentinelese continue to be skeptical about the outsiders including the Contact Expedition Team.
- Sentinelese are the hunting, fishing and gathering tribe. They fish in the coastal waters with bows and arrows and hunt wild pigs available on North Sentinel Island.
- Sentinelese have dug – out Canoe which is used to move in the shallow coastal waters. They do not have the oars and therefore Canoes are propelled with long poles.
- Sentinelese also build temporary huts in their camps. Sentinelese, both men and women do not wear cloths. The population of Sentinelese is 39 as per the 2001 census.
- PVTGs are more vulnerable among tribal groups. Due to this factor, more developed and assertive tribal groups take a major chunk of the tribal development funds, because of which PVTGs need more funds directed for their development.
- In this context, in 1975, the Government of India initiated to identify the most vulnerable tribal groups as a separate category called PVTGs and declared 52 such groups, while in 1993 an additional 23 groups were added to the category, making it a total of 75 PVTGs out of 705 Scheduled Tribes, spread over 17 states and one Union Territory (UT), in the country (2011 census).
- Pre-agricultural level of technology
- Low level of literacy
- Economic backwardness
- A declining or stagnant population.
- Accordingly, 75 PTVGs have been identified in the country.
- Shimla was made the summer capital of India in 1864 during British rule. It has always been among the top tourist destinations in India owing to its cool climate and scenic vistas.
- At the time of it being made the capital of British India, the city could meet the needs of a population of only 16,000 people.
- Its population was only 13,960 people in 1901, which increased to 169,572 in 2011 and is expected to rise to 210,277 people in 2022. The population has grown more than 15 times in the last 120 years.
- A counter-magnet town is proposed to be set up near Shimla airport and four satellite towns will come up near Ghandal, Naldehra, Fagu and Chamiyana.
- Counter-magnet towns are those that can be developed as alternative hubs of development and have the potential to attract more people / immigrants from a larger city in the area.
- Satellite towns are small municipalities that are adjacent to a larger city and serve as part of the larger city and provide housing and other amenities for the people working in the larger city.
- With the rapidly growing population in Shimla, people there are facing problems like an increase in traffic congestion and high house rents and expensive land for houses.
- The Himachal Pradesh government has been depleting its natural resources through various development programmes in the recent past in the name of economic development.
- The city does not even have enough parking space for its residents.
- On average, one person dies every year within a radius of 100 square kilometers in the Himalayan region as a result of land sliding.
- When forests are cut down and mountains are blown up with explosives to construct roads, this results in sliding downhills that cause great loss of life and property.
- Apart from landslides, the incidence of monsoon cloudbursts in Himachal Pradesh has increased by 121 percent in 2021 over the previous year.
- Flash floods in Himachal Pradesh have been on the rise due to the melting of glaciers, cloudbursts, and rising global temperatures.
- According to the Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Plan, the temperature in the state of Himachal Pradesh has risen by 1.6 degrees Celsius in the last century, which is changing the trends of rainfall.
- Earlier pleasant rain used to continue for a week, but now rainy days have decreased and the intensity of rain has increased, causing flash floods, cloudbursts, heavy and unseasonal snowfall, landslides, droughts, melting of glaciers, and forest fires.
- The pro-capitalist/corporate economic growth model adopted in India is also responsible for the increase in average local temperature which results in the increasing number of natural disasters in the mountainous states of India.
- It also makes clear that in the name of economic development, roads have been built in the Himalayan states (Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand) to promote tourism, dams have been constructed on rivers for clean energy, and cutting of forests for horticulture have also increased the local temperature as well as the number of natural calamities and the damage caused by them.
- Apart from the road and other construction works, deforestation is also done in the state for hydropower projects. Hydropower projects are considered an important part of India’s clean energy plans.
- There is a need to think about planning counter magnets areas, secondary cities, satellite cities, etc. for redistributing population, reducing the influx, controlling migration and bringing a sustainable and a balanced development of the region as a whole.
- The counter magnet city acts as a substitute in reducing the existing augmented pressure on the metropolitan area. It creates an opening within the city with superior social and physical infrastructure and also a regional linkage to other areas.
- The counter magnet city came into existence to diminish the weight of infrastructure, giving a stimulus to devolution of economic activities and a balanced growth to boost the regional economy.
- The counter magnet acts as an interceptor of migratory flows which help in reducing the migration from the surroundings on the core city while the regional growth centers offer conveniences and services to the local people and boost the regional economy.
- A powerful magnet will pull people, activities, services, businesses towards it which will in turn result in an overall development of the city with respect to economy and physical and social infrastructure.
- Shimla is situated in a mountainous region. Mountainous areas cannot bear the weight of population and any kind of infrastructure beyond their capacity.
- The more cities in the mountains, the more they will be exposed to natural disasters.
- Shimla falls in a seismically-active zone. In the event of an earthquake, the growing number and population of cities could cause further loss of life and property.
- The government is destroying Shimla’s green belts and forests just to promote Shimla as a tourist destination.
- If the government cares about the interests and rights of landowners, then the easiest way is to save the green belts by Payment for Environmental Services.
- This model is being widely used in many countries of the world. This programme has been very successful in protecting the environment in Rome, England, Costa Rica and Scandinavian countries, as well as in Palampur in Himachal and Mumbai in Maharashtra.
- Using this model will protect the interests of landowners and also save the environment.
- It should fix the number of tourists visiting Shimla and their vehicles or the government should provide convenient public transport for tourists so that there is no need to build multi-storey parking spaces for vehicles.
- Reducing the number of vehicles and fixing the number of tourists will save the environment of Shimla from excess greenhouse gases and particulate matter which rapidly increase the temperature here.
- Instead of widening the roads, the government should repair the old ones and make them more efficient. More trees should be planted in vacant lots.
- The means of public transport in the city should also be made efficient.
- Instead of constructing multi-storied buildings for tourists in Shimla, the government of Himachal Pradesh can save the environment as well as increase the income of the people by following the slogan Har Ghar Kuchh Kehta Hai (Every home says something).
- A recent India State of Forests Report-2021, reveals that the area under forests in Himachal Pradesh has increased, but the Government of Himachal Pradesh’s plan to ignore the forests does not confirm the increased forest area figures. It is pertinent to mention here that the India State of Forests Report 2021 clearly states that the area under dense forests in Himachal Pradesh is declining.
- The natural beauty of the state of Uttarakhand has been the victim of various misleading economic development schemes of the government. If the Himachal Pradesh government does not change its economic development plans, Shimla could face similar tragedies as Uttarakhand is already facing. Thus, the government should rethink the implications before implementing such projects. It just doesn’t cost in terms of money only but these projects will develop at the cost of humanity.
India Water Pitch-Pilot-Scale Start-up Challenge
- The ‘India Water Pitch-Pilot-Scale Startup Challenge’, the initiative is the brainchild of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
- Under the programme, the selected startups will get a grant of INR 20 Lakhs. In addition, the Ministry will also provide funding support and mentorship to the selected startups.
- For the success of the Mission, startups will have to play a meaningful role by bringing in innovative ideas and technology.
- The initiative aims at empowering startups in the water sector to grow through innovation and design that will drive sustainable economic growth and generate employment opportunities.
- The scheme will ensure water security in the country, reduce its transportation costs, reduce groundwater contamination, and increase water utilisation capacity.
- AMRUT was launched as the first water – focused Mission in 2015, with a total Mission outlay of ?1,00,000 crore. The Mission caters to 500 major cities covering 60% of the urban population.
- Projects worth more than Rs 80,000 crore have been grounded and more than funds allocated for project implementation are worth Rs 77,640 crore. Work worth Rs 56,000 crore has been carried out and Rs 48,000 crore expanded.
- Under the Mission, 1.14 crore water tap connections have been provided taking total connections to 4.14 crore in AMRUT cities. 85 lakh sewer connections including households covered under septage facilities have been provided, taking coverage to 2.32 crore.
- 6,000 MLD of Sewage Treatment capacity is to be developed through AMRUT, of which 1,800 MLD of treatment capacity has been developed. Further, 907 MLD capacity is created for recycle/reuse of treated used water.
- Through green spaces projects, 3,850 acres of permeable green spaces have been added and another 1,600 acres of green area will be added. 2,200 water logging points have been eliminated & another 1,500 water logging points through ongoing projects will be eliminated. Rejuvenation of 106 water bodies has been taken up.
- Providing basic services (e.g., water supply, sewage, urban transport) to households and building amenities in cities which will improve the quality of life for all, especially the poor and the disadvantaged is a national priority.
- The purpose of Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) is to
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- Ensure that every household has access to a tap with an assured supply of water and a sewage connection.
- Increase the amenity value of cities by developing greenery and well-maintained open spaces (e.g., parks) and
- Reduce pollution by switching to public transport or constructing facilities for non-motorized transport (e.g., walking and cycling).
- All these outcomes are valued by citizens, particularly women, and indicators and standards have been prescribed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA ) in the form of Service Level Benchmarks (SLBs).
- The Priority zone of the Mission is water supply followed by sewage.
- However, the pursuit of better outcomes will not stop with the provision of taps and sewage connections to all (universal coverage).
- Other benchmarks will be targeted following a step-by-step process after achieving the benchmark of universal coverage. Such a gradual process of achieving benchmarks is called “incrementalism”.
- This does not mean that other SLBs are less important, but that in the incremental process SLBs are achieved gradually according to National Priorities.
- Earlier, the MoHUA used to give project-by-project sanctions. In the AMRUT this has been replaced by approval of the State Annual Action Plan once a year by the MoHUA and the States have to give project sanctions and approval at their end.
- In this way, the AMRUT makes States equal partners in planning and implementation of projects, thus actualizing the spirit of cooperative federalism. A sound institutional structure is a foundation to make Missions successful.
- Therefore, Capacity Building and a set of Reforms have been included in the Mission. The components of the AMRUT consist of capacity building, reform implementation, water supply, sewage and septage management, storm water drainage, urban transport and development of green spaces and parks.
- During the process of planning, the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) will strive to include some smart features in the physical infrastructure components.
- AMRUT2.0 aims to make around 4,700 towns / cities ‘water secure’. It will build upon the progress of AMRUT to address water needs, rejuvenate water bodies, better manage aquifers, reuse treated wastewater, thereby promoting circular economy of water.
- The total outlay of AMRUT 2.0 is ?2,97,000 crores, including central share of Rs 76,760 crores. This includes Rs 10,000 crores Central share and another Rs 10,000 crores states’ share for continuing financial support to AMRUT Mission up to March 2023.
- The Objective of AMRUT 2.0 is to provide100% coverage of water supply to all households in around 4,700 ULBs, by providing 2.68 crore urban household tap connections, thereby benefitting around 10.7 crores people. This Mission will be run as people’s program i.e., Jan Aandolan.
- It will provide 100% coverage of sewerage and septage in 500 AMRUT cities, by providing 2.64 crore sewer connections/ septage connections, thereby benefitting around 10.6 crores people. Rejuvenation of water bodies and urban aquifer management will be undertaken to augment sustainable fresh water supply.
- Recycle and reuse of treated wastewater is expected to cater to 20% of total water needs of the cities and 40% of industrial demand. Under the Mission, fresh water bodies will be protected from getting polluted to make natural resources sustainable.
- There will be several defining features of AMRUT-2.0. These include upscaling from 500 cities covered under AMRUT with 1 lakh+ population to all 4,372 cities, covering 100% urban India.
- Pey Jal Survekshan will be conducted in cities to ascertain equitable distribution of water, reuse of wastewater and mapping of water bodies w.r.t. quantity and quality of water through a challenging process. Technology Sub-Mission for water will leverage the latest global technologies in the field of water.
- Urban Water Information System through NRSC will be developed, leading to Aquifer Management system. Information, Education and Communication campaign will spread awareness among masses about conservation of water.
- Target based capacity building program will be conducted for all stakeholders including contractors, plumbers, plant operators, students, women and other stakeholders.
- Major reforms include rejuvenation of water bodies, rain water harvesting, reducing Non-Revenue Water (NRW), meeting 40% industrial water demand through recycled used water, dual piping system for bulk users through building bye-laws, unlocking value & improving land use efficiency through proper master planning, improving credit rating & accessing market finance including issuance of municipal bonds and implementation Online Building Permission System under EoDB.
- Notification on property tax related to circle rates & increasing periodically, and user charges related to O&M costs is a mandatory reform under AMRUT 2.0. Second instalment of central share will be released only on implementing mandatory reforms.
- Incentive based reforms will be Rejuvenation of water bodies in cities; Reducing non-revenue water to 20%; Rain water harvesting in all institutional buildings; Reuse of 20%treated waste water; Reuse of waste water to meet 40% industrial water demand; Development of green spaces & parks; Improving credit rating & access to market finance by ULBs; and Improving land use efficiency, through GIS based master planning & efficient town planning
- The AMRUT-2.0 Mission will promote Public Private Partnership (PPP). It has been mandated for cities having million plus population to take up PPP projects worth minimum of 10 percent of their total project fund allocation which could be on Annuity/ Hybrid Annuity / BOT Model.
- 4798 ULBs have already signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Central Government, outlining the role and commitments of all the stakeholders in both the Missions.
- Mission has a reform agenda, with focus on strengthening of urban local bodies and water security of the cities.
- The Mission seeks to promote AatmaNirbhar Bharat through encouraging Startups and Entrepreneurs. It will lead to promotion of GIG economy and on-boarding of youth & women.
- It will promote circular economy of water through formulation of City Water Balance Plan for each city, focusing on recycle/reuse of treated sewage, rejuvenation of water bodies and water conservation. Digital economy will be promoted through being a Paperless Mission.
- Reforms will lead to improvement in service delivery, mobilization of resources and making municipal functioning more transparent and functionaries more accountable, while Capacity Building will empower municipal functionaries and lead to timely completion of projects.
- In the case of urban transport, the benchmark will be to reduce pollution in cities while construction and maintenance of storm water drains are expected to reduce, and ultimately eliminate, flooding in cities, thereby making cities resilient.
Highlights of the Amendments
- Provision for vehicle owners to apply digitally for vehicle scrapping. All applications for vehicle scrapping shall be submitted digitally. RVSFs will act as facilitation centres to help vehicle owners apply digitally to scrap their vehicles.
- Necessary checks to be done from "Vahan " database before submission of application by vehicle owner have been specified. These checks include surrender of hire-purchase, lease or hypothecation agreement of the vehicle, no criminal record against the vehicle in records of the National Crime Records Bureau, no pending dues on the vehicle, and no record of blacklisting of the vehicle by regional transport authorities. Application for vehicles failing any of these checks shall not be submitted.
- Introduction of undertakings by vehicle owner and RVSF operators at the time of vehicle submission to ensure that there is transparency in the responsibility of the vehicle before and after submission for scrapping.
- Inclusion of more details in the Certificate of Deposit pertaining to the vehicle submitted for scrapping to enable transparency in trading of the said certificate. The said certificate will be available to the vehicle owners digitally and shall be valid for a period of 2 years.
- Introduction of Transfer Certificate of Deposit to ensure that consumers obtaining the certificate of deposit through electronic trading have a digital proof of the transaction.
- The launch of India’s vehicle scrapping policy, or the “Voluntary Vehicle-Fleet Modernisation Programme”, seeks to usher in a new age of what it means to own and use an automobile in India.
- It would help phase out unfit and polluting vehicles in an environmentally-friendly manner. The aim is to create a viable circular economy and bring value for all stakeholders while being environmentally responsible.
- The policy dictates that all automobiles over a certain age should be off the roads in the interest of better pollution control and safety, which new vehicles ensure.
- Commercial vehicles over 15 years old and personal vehicles over 20 years old are marked for scrapping — it doesn’t matter if they run on diesel or petrol — if they fail an automated fitness test.
- These will be deregistered; the owner can choose to scrap them, but cannot use them on the road.
- It will give India Inc time to come up with an ecosystem wherein testing and subsequent scrapping can happen organically without the consumer facing duress.
- A circular economy depends on reuse, sharing, repair, refurbishment, remanufacturing and recycling of resources to create a closed-loop system, minimising the use of resources, generation of waste, pollution and carbon emissions.
- When a car is scrapped, apart from metals including iron and steel, many other parts may emerge that can be refurbished and ploughed back into use.
- Recycled steel from scrap, even seats and plastic parts, have value in the scrap economy. It is similar to the economic activity of scrappage of old ships, like in Alang shipbreaking yard in Gujarat.
- In a circular economy, products, materials, equipment and infrastructure are kept in use for longer, thus improving productivity.
- Motor Vehicles (Registration and Functions of Vehicle Scrapping Facility) Rules, 2021 were released on March 15, 2021 by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH).
- Provisions under the rules lay down the procedure of establishing Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facility (RVSF).
- Provisions will be applicable to all vehicles and their last registered owners, recyclers, Automotive Dismantling, Automobile collection centres and Scrapping & Recycling Facilities.
- As per rules, RVSF will provide connectivity and access to the VAHAN database of vehicle registration with password protected user ID.
- RVSF will be authorized to make suitable entries for scrapping the vehicle and for issuing Certificate of Deposit & Certificate of Scrapping.
- State Government or Union Territory Governments will take into account the eligibility criteria while granting authorization to any RVSF.
- Ministry will set up a “Single Clearance Portal” to register or renew the registration of such facilities. The entire process will be completed within 60 days.
- Registration of RVSF will be valid for 10 years and can be renewed for 10 more years, at a time.
- RVSFs will also get the access of National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) to check of any stolen vehicle was bought for scrapping.
- Vehicle registered in any state can be scrapped at any of the registered facilities in other states.
- India has 51 lakh light motor vehicles that are more than 20 years old and 34 lakhs over 15 years old.
- Around 17 lakh medium and heavy commercial vehicles are older than 15 years without valid fitness certificates, according to data with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
- This does not mean that vehicle owners need to rush to scrap their old vehicles. India is still not ready with the infrastructure to either test or scrap vehicles in such large numbers.
- The investor summit seeks to sensitise India’s industry about the scope and profitability of the scrappage industry. The resultant ecosystem can attract investment worth Rs 10,000 crore and create 35,000 new jobs.
- To help vehicle owners find a reason to retire old vehicles, the government envisages that the scrappage certificate will entitle the owner with something extra, such as a tax rebate, sops, and a discount on the new car.
- The certificate is tradable, which means it can be used by anyone and not necessarily by the owner of the scrapped vehicle.
- The Vehicle Scrappage Policy’s aim is to gradually phase out and recycle older cars through a methodical procedure.
- The policy’s ultimate objective is to decrease environmental pollution produced by older cars that have exceeded their useful life and continue to operate without a valid fitness certificate.
- Recycling obsolete cars contributes to the reuse of critical resources such as steel, plastic, and copper. This will result in a decrease in production costs.
- Additionally, the programme attempts to increase vehicle sales in the country by offering incentives for purchasing a new vehicle.
- It aims to gradually replace obsolete vehicles, starting with commercial vehicles and gradually spreading to individual four-wheeled cars.
- Importantly, a vehicle should be scrapped at the end of its life cycle so that it can no longer be driven on the road. This policy of removing older vehicles will free up room for new automobiles, boosting sales in the otherwise damaged Indian auto industry.
- Globally, a scrappage policy has been followed by a boost in demand in the auto manufacturing sector, especially in Europe and the US.
- This has also been a tool to deal with economic slowdown in the manufacturing sector and consumption due to recession.
- Besides, there are spelt-out benefits vis-à-vis environment since newer cars come with better emission standards and better fuel efficiency.
- The first benefit is that when the old car is scrapped, a certificate will be issued. Anyone who holds this certificate will not be required to pay any registration fees when purchasing a new vehicle. In addition, he will be excused from paying some road taxes.
- The second advantage is that the old vehicle’s maintenance, repair, and fuel efficiency costs will be reduced.
- The third advantage is directly tied to living. The significant danger of road accidents caused by obsolete vehicles and outdated technology would be alleviated.
- Fourth, it will lessen pollution’s negative impact on our health.
- In that case, the owner can continue to use it, but the charges for re-registration will be much steeper.
- In a draft notification, registration charges of all vehicles have been proposed to be hiked from eight to around 20 times, depending on the type of vehicle.
- Personal vehicles, for instance, are up for re-registration after they have completed 15 years.
- Automated Fitness Centres will have tracks and equipment suitable to test for various criteria such as emission norms, braking and other parameters, without human intervention.
- The Ministry has requested states to consider providing land for free for these centres.
- Market demand will drive the number and concentration of fitness centres in an urban area. For example, Delhi with its huge vehicle fleet may have more fitness centres than a city with much fewer cars.
- But the government wants at least 718, or one in each district. The Centre is promoting model Inspection and Certification Centres worth Rs 17 crore in all states.
- It has sanctioned 26 such model centres. The Centre does not want these facilities too far from city centres, so that vehicle owners do not have to travel great distances.
- When comparing well-kept vehicles versus badly maintained vehicles, vehicle exhaust emission measurements demonstrate that most vehicles contribute relatively little to pollution. Regulatory policies based on a computer model that target all vehicles equally without recognising the overriding importance of individual maintenance may not be cost-effective or ineffective because of this factor.
- Although poor maintenance correlates with increasing vehicle age, different states of maintenance among vehicles or within a given model year far outweigh the average effect of age.
- The government’s vehicle scrappage policy is in line with several other initiatives aimed at reducing vehicular pollution, including the promotion of alternative fuels, the FAME (Faster Adoption of BSVI Stage Emission Standards for Vehicles) scheme, and the advancement of the adoption of BSVI stage emission standards for vehicles. To balance public interest, the strategy aims to replace 20-year-old automobiles by 2020. This dilutes the intended goal and must be corrected.
Phool Dei
- Known as the harvest festival of the state Uttarakhand, Phool Dei is an auspicious folk festival which welcomes the spring season in the state.
- The festival is celebrated on the first day of the Hindu month, Chaitra. Young girls are the most enthusiastic ones to participate in the festival. Phool Dei is all about flowers and springtime.
- The festival is celebrated in Garhwal, Kumaun regions to teach children to cherish & nurture nature.
- In some places, the festival is celebrated as carnival and the celebration goes on for a month.
- The term 'Dei' refers to a ceremonial pudding which is the key food in this festival that is made from jaggery. White flour and curd are also offered to everyone.
- Young girls gather together and go to every house in their village/towns with plates full of rice, jaggery, coconut, green leaves, and flowers.
- Moreover, these girls put forward their wishes for the prosperity and wellbeing of households while singing "Phool Dei, Chamma Dei, Deno Dwar, Bhur Bhakar, Vo Dei Sei Namashkar, Puje Dwar." In return, they are presented with blessings and gifts like sweets, jaggery, and money.
- The wishing and blessing part also includes placing flowers and rice on the doorsteps of the houses by the young girls.
- People of the village sing and dance to their folk songs to celebrate the festival of spring along with exchanging wishes for wellbeing and prosperity of their family and relatives.
- The local belief is that placing flowers at the doorsteps of houses for the gods will bring prosperity and blessings. The groups of children, known as Phoolyari, bring flowers daily to the households and receive money and sweets in return from each family on the last day of spring.
- This is the month when the entire Uttarakhand is covered with a blanket of colourful flowers, mainly from peach, plum, apricot, cherry, almond, pear and apple trees.
- The red rhododendron flowers, locally called buransh (the state tree of Uttarakhand), are a spectacle in the season. The yellow flowers of pheonly, scientifically known as Reinwardtia indica, are also common and used widely during the occasion, as are mustard flowers.
- The celebration of Phool Dei indirectly rooted a sense of affection and protection towards nature, especially locals' flowers and trees, in our minds.
- A pudding made from jaggery is the key dish of the festival.
- This festival shows the inner connection between the communities who are all living in the hills.
- Young girls of the villages/towns pluck the first flowers of the season and scatter these flowers on the threshold of their home and other houses of their village/town.
- Folk singers welcome the spring with their music and are given rice and gifts.
- It is one of those times when everyone exchanges wishes of prosperity. This festival of flowers is unique to the hill state and has a dimension of colour and love.
- Phool Dei is a festival that showcases the inner bonding between the communities who all are residing in the hills.
- The Phool Dei festival has a relation with nature and people pray for a rise in agricultural output and general wellbeing of their dear ones. “Badi’ community sings songs for the wellbeing of the families in their villages. Married girls get gifts from their parents. This tradition is known as ‘Bhitola’.
- Cultural experts have linked this festival to that of Romans in which people used to mark the festival of flowers in the name of their deity Flora. The celebration of Phool Dei in the Kumaon region has been linked to the ancient Romans’ festival of flowers.
- This folk harvest festival celebrates prosperity and well-being and people pray for peace and joy.
- The purity of the celebrations brings happiness to all and an atmosphere of calm and rejoicing prevails all around.
- Uttarakhand was formed on the 9th November 2000 as the 27th State of India, when it was carved out of northern Uttar Pradesh.
- Located at the foothills of the Himalayan Mountain ranges, it is largely a hilly State, having international boundaries with China (Tibet) in the north and Nepal in the east. On its north-west lies Himachal Pradesh, while on the south is Uttar Pradesh.
- It is rich in natural resources, especially water and forests with many glaciers, rivers, dense forests and snow-clad mountain peaks.
- The State is rich in mineral deposits like limestone, marble, rock phosphate, dolomite, magnesite, copper, gypsum, etc.
- With levels of literacy higher than the national average, the State has abundant availability of quality human resources.
- Within a short span of its existence, Uttarakhand has emerged as a significant destination for investments in manufacturing industry, tourism and infrastructure.
- Emphasis is on stimulating all three sectors of its economy (agriculture, industry and services), to their fullest potential in tandem with the geographic profile of the state.
- The Government of Uttarakhand has undertaken several policy measures and incentives in order to encourage inflow of investment into the various sectors of its economy.
- The state hosts the Bengal tiger in Jim Corbett National Park, the oldest national park of the Indian subcontinent. The Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the upper expanses of Bhyundar Ganga near Joshimath in Gharwal region, is known for the variety and rarity of its flowers and plants.
Key Statistics
- Globally, between 13,865 and 38,940 lives are lost yearly due to the failure to provide safe abortion. Developing countries bear the burden of 97 per cent of unsafe abortions, according to the WHO’s website.
- The proportion of abortions that are unsafe is also significantly higher in countries with highly restrictive abortion laws than in those with less restrictive laws.
- Over half (53.8 per cent) of all unsafe abortions occur in Asia, the majority of those in south and central Asia. A quarter (24.8 per cent) occurs in Africa, mainly in eastern and western Africa and a fifth (19.5 per cent) in Latin America and the Caribbean.
- Abortion rates were highest in low-income countries with the most legal restrictions to abortion care. There was also an increase of 12 per cent in the number of abortions in countries with legal restrictions on the procedure, while it declined slightly in countries where abortion is broadly legal.
- While most countries allow abortion under certain circumstances, about 20 countries do not provide any legal basis for abortion.
- More than three out of four countries have legal penalties for abortion, which may include long-term imprisonment or heavy fines for people who perform or assist with the procedure.
- Evidence shows that restricting access to abortions does not reduce the number of abortions that take place. In fact, restrictions are more likely to push women and girls into unsafe practices.
- In countries where abortion is most restricted, only one in four abortions are safe, compared to almost nine out of 10 in countries where the procedure is mostly legal.
- It includes clinical practice, health care delivery and law and policy interventions to support quality abortion care.
- The new guidelines include recommendations on many simple interventions at the primary care level that improve the quality of abortion care provided to women and girls.
- These include task sharing by a wider range of health workers; ensuring access to medical abortion pills, which mean more women can obtain safe abortion services and making sure that accurate information on care is available to all those who need it.
- The guidelines also include recommendations for the use of telemedicine, which helped support access to abortion and family planning services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The guidelines also recommend removing medically unnecessary political barriers to safe abortion, such as criminalisation, mandatory waiting periods before receiving a requested abortion, third-party authorisation for abortion, restrictions on which health workers can provide abortion services.
- Such barriers can lead to critical delays in accessing treatment and put women and girls at greater risk of unsafe abortion, stigma and health complications, while increasing barriers to education and their ability to work.
- In a historic move to provide universal access reproductive health services, India amended the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act 1971 to further empower women by providing comprehensive abortion care to all.
- The new Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Act 2021 expands the access to safe and legal abortion services on therapeutic, eugenic, humanitarian and social grounds to ensure universal access to comprehensive care.
- The new law, which came into force from 25 March 2021, will contribute towards ending preventable maternal mortality to help meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3.1, 3.7 and 5.6.
- The amendments have increased the ambit and access of women to safe and legal abortion services.
- The changes consider the advances in medical technology, simplify requirement of providers, increase upper gestation limit for termination of pregnancy under specific conditions, and remove the gestation limit for cases that could burden the health system.
- The goal is to strengthen access to comprehensive abortion care without compromising dignity, autonomy, confidentiality, and justice for women who need safe and quality services.
- Increasing the upper gestation limit from 20 to 24 weeks for special categories of women, including survivors of rape, victims of incest and other vulnerable women (differently abled women, minors, among others).
- The opinion of one provider needed for the termination of pregnancy up to 20 weeks of gestation. Requirement of the opinion of two providers for the termination of pregnancy from 20-24 weeks of gestation.
- Upper gestation limit to not apply in cases of substantial foetal abnormalities diagnosed by a Medical Board.
- Confidentiality clause. The name and other particulars of a woman whose pregnancy has been terminated cannot be revealed except to a person authorised by law.
- Extended MTP services under the failure of contraceptive clause to unmarried women to provide access to safe abortion based on a woman’s choice, irrespective of marital status.
- In collaboration with WHO India, the MoHFW through the SAMARTH initiative (Sustain-Accelerate-Mainstream Access to Reproductive-health Through Health-system) is supporting the dissemination of this evidence-based information to accelerate achievement of ‘universal reproductive health’ in India.
- The new guidelines will support interested countries to implement and strengthen national policies and programmes related to contraception, family planning and abortion services, helping them to provide the highest standard of care for women and girls.
POSTED ON 15-03-2022 BY ADMIN
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General Studies
Political Science and International Relations
Some Reference Essays
List of previous year essay topics (1997-2019)
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