HDFC Bank launches ‘e-Kisaan Dhan’ app for farmers
HDFC Bank launches ‘e-Kisaan Dhan’ app for farmers ‘e-Kisaan Dhan’ will provide value-added services like mandi prices, latest farming news, weather forecast, information on seed varieties, SMS advisory, e-pashuhaat, Kisan TV, and more. HDFC Bank announced the launch of ‘e-Kisaan Dhan’ app for farmers allover India. Through this app the farmers will be able to access a bouquet of services, both banking and agriculture, through their mobile phones. The app is a one stop solution for all the information needed on agriculture practices by the farmers. e-Kisaan Dhan App ‘e-Kisaan Dhan’ will provide value-added services like mandi prices, latest farming news, weather forecast, information on seed varieties, SMS advisory, e-pashuhaat, Kisan TV, and more. Users can also avail multiple banking services like procuring loans, the opening of Bank accounts, availing insurance facilities, calculate KCC loan eligibility online, and acquiring Government social security schemes at their fingertips. The app will also help with traditional banking services such as apply for loans, Fixed Deposits, Recurring Deposits, and Savings Accounts. The app, which serves as a repository of knowledge and information for any individual engaged in farming, helps meet needs of the rural ecosystem. The app will also provide value-added services, like mandi prices, latest farming news, weather forecast, information on seed varieties, SMS advisory, e-pashuhaat and Kisan TV, according to a HDFC Bank statement. Users can also avail multiple banking services, like procuring loans, opening bank accounts, insurance facilities, online calculation of KCC loan eligibility, and for acquiring government social security schemes. The app will help with traditional banking services and keep users informed about new government schemes and ways to access them. Read Also Kisan Rail Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. Join now
Retrospective Taxation
Retrospective Taxation Retrospective taxation allows a country to pass a rule on taxing certain products, items or services and deals and charge companies from a time behind the date on which the law is passed. The Income Tax authorities slapped Rs. 30,700 crore penalty on Cairn Energy, the erstwhile U.K. parent of India’s largest private sector crude oil producer, Cairn India. The tax authorities are persisting with their demands of collecting retrospective taxes from Vodafone PLC and the U.K.’s Cairn Energy. Apart from India, many countries including the US, the UK, the Netherlands, Canada, Belgium, Australia and Italy have retrospectively taxed companies, which had taken the benefit of loopholes in the previous law. Countries use this route to correct any anomalies in their taxation policies that have, in the past, allowed companies to take advantage of such loopholes. Retrospective Taxation :What is the case?: In May 2007, Vodafone had bought a 67% stake in Hutchison Whampoa for $11 billion. This included the mobile telephony business and other assets of Hutchison in India. In September that year, the India government for the first time raised a demand of Rs 7,990 crore in capital gains and withholding tax from Vodafone, saying the company should have deducted the tax at source before making a payment to Hutchison. Vodafone challenged the demand notice in the Bombay High Court, which ruled in favour of the Income Tax Department. Subsequently, Vodafone challenged the High Court judgment in the Supreme Court, which in 2012 ruled that Vodafone Group’s interpretation of the Income Tax Act of 1961 was correct and that it did not have to pay any taxes for the stake purchase. What happened after India passed the retrospective taxation law? Once Parliament passed the amendment to the Finance Act in 2012, the onus to pay the taxes fell back on Vodafone. The amendment was criticised by investors globally, who said the change in law was “perverse” in nature. Following international criticism, India tried to settle the matter amicably with Vodafone, but was unable to do so. After the new NDA government came to power, it said it would not create any fresh tax liabilities for companies using the retrospective taxation route. By 2014, all attempts by the telco and the Finance Ministry to settle the issue had failed. Vodafone Group then invoked Clause 9 of the Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) signed between India and the Netherlands in 1995. Bilateral Investment Treaty: On November 6, 1995, India and the Netherlands had signed a BIT for promotion and protection of investment by companies of each country in the other’s jurisdiction. Among the various agreements, the treaty had then stated that both countries would strive to “encourage and promote favourable conditions for investors” of the other country. The two countries would, under the BIT, ensure that companies present in each other’s jurisdictions would be “at all times be accorded fair and equitable treatment and shall enjoy full protection and security in the territory of the other”. While the treaty was between India and the Netherlands, Vodafone invoked it as its Dutch unit, Vodafone International Holdings BV, had bought the Indian business operations of Hutchinson Telecommunicaton International Ltd. This made it a transaction between a Dutch firm and an Indian firm. The BIT between India and the Netherlands expired on September 22, 2016. Read Also Digital tax Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague: India’s retrospective demand of Rs 22,100 crore as capital gains and withholding tax imposed on the British telecommunication company for a 2007 deal was “in breach of the guarantee of fair and equitable treatment”. The court has also asked India not to pursue the tax demand any more against Vodafone Group. One of the major factors for the Court of Arbitration to rule in favour of Vodafone was the violation of the BIT and the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). In 2014, when the Vodafone Group had initiated arbitration against India at the Court of Arbitration, it had done so under Article 9 of the BIT between India and the Netherlands. Article 9 of the BIT says that any dispute between “an investor of one contracting party and the other contracting party in connection with an investment in the territory of the other contracting party” shall as far as possible be settled amicably through negotiations. The other was Article 3 of the arbitration rules of UNCITRAL, which, among other things, says that “constitution of the arbitral tribunal shall not be hindered by any controversy with respect to the sufficiency of the notice of arbitration, which shall be finally resolved by the arbitral tribunal”. In its ruling, the arbitration tribunal also said that now since it had been established that India had breached the terms of the agreement, it must now stop efforts to recover the said taxes from Vodafone. Any retrospective amendment which benefits taxpayers is welcome and non-beneficial retrospective amendment / retrospective tax which is only clarificatory in nature is acceptable. However, any unreasonable and unexpected new tax levy on a transaction which is closed in light of the then existing law would be unfair and cause disruption and validity need to be analysed. Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. Join now
Pradhan Mantri KISAN Samman Nidhi
PM KISAN Samman Nidhi PM KISAN Samman Nidhi – With a view to provide income support to all land holding eligible farmer families, the Government has launched PM-KISAN. The scheme aims to supplement the financial needs of the farmers in procuring various inputs to ensure proper crop health and appropriate yields, commensurate with the anticipated farm income. Benefits and Eligibility Pradhan Mantri KISAN Samman Nidhi All land holding eligible farmer families (subject to the prevalent exclusion criteria) are to avail of the benefits under this scheme, as per the recent cabinet decision taken during May 2019. The revised Scheme is expected to cover around 2 crore more farmers, increasing the coverage of PM-KISAN to around 14.5 crore beneficiaries, with an estimated expenditure by Central Government of Rs. 87,217.50 crores for year 2019-20. Earlier, under the scheme, financial benefit has been provided to all Small and Marginal landholder farmer families with total cultivable holding upto 2 hectares with a benefit of Rs.6000 per annum per family payable in three equal installments, every four months. The following categories of beneficiaries of higher economic status shall not be eligible for benefit under the scheme: All Institutional Land holders. Farmer families in which one or more of its members belong to following categories Former and present holders of constitutional posts Former and present Ministers/ State Ministers and former/present Members of LokSabha/ RajyaSabha/ State Legislative Assemblies/ State Legislative Councils,former and present Mayors of Municipal Corporations, former and present Chairpersons of District Panchayats. All serving or retired officers and employees of Central/ State Government Ministries /Offices/Departments and its field units Central or State PSEs and Attached offices /Autonomous Institutions under Government as well as regular employees of the Local Bodies (Excluding Multi Tasking Staff /Class IV/Group D employees) All superannuated/retired pensioners whose monthly pension is Rs.10,000/-or more (Excluding Multi Tasking Staff / Class IV/Group D employees) of above category All Persons who paid Income Tax in last assessment year Professionals like Doctors, Engineers, Lawyers, Chartered Accountants, and Architects registered with Professional bodies and carrying out profession by undertaking practices. The States shall prepare database of eligible beneficiary landholder farmer families in the villages capturing the Name, Age, Gender, Category(SC/ST), Aadhaar Number (in case Aadhaar Number has not been issued then Aadhaar Enrollment Number together with any other prescribed documents for purposes of the identification such as Driving Licence, Voters’ ID Card, NREGA Job Card, or any other identification documents issued by Central/State/UT Governments or their authorities,etc.), Bank Account Number and the Mobile Number of the beneficiaries. In case of beneficiaries in States of Assam, Meghalaya, J&K where Aadhaar number has not been issued to most of the citizens, Aadhaar number shall be collected for those beneficiaries where it is available and for others alternate prescribed documents can be collected for identity verification purposes. Responsibility of identifying the landholder farmer family eligible for benefit under the scheme shall be of the State/UT Government. Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. Join now
Kisan Rail
Kisan Rail To build a seamless national cold supply chain for perishables, inclusive of milk, meat and fish, the Indian Railways will set up a “Kisan Rail”- through PPP arrangements. There shall be refrigerated coaches in Express and Freight trains as well.” India’s second and South India’s first Kisan Train commenced its inaugural run from Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh to Adarsh Nagar in New Delhi. Anantapur is fast becoming the Fruit Bowl of Andhra Pradesh. South India’s 1st Kisan Rail train service between Anantapur – New Delhi will cover a distance of 2150 kms in 40 hours. This train is a step towards realising the goal of doubling farmers’ incomes by 2022 (Ashok Dalwai committee on Doubling of Farmers’ Income.) Kisan Rail – Major initiatives Refrigerated Parcel Vans: New design of Refrigerated Parcel Vans (VPR, carrying capacity of 17 tonnes) for transportation of highly perishable parcel traffic was developed, and procured through Rail Coach Factory Kapurthala. At present, Indian Railway has a fleet of nine (09) Refrigerated Parcel Vans available. These Refrigerated Parcel Vans are booked on round-trip basis, and are charged at 1.5 times the freight of normal VP as per category of train. Reefer (Ventilated Insulated) Rail Containers: 98 Ventilated Insulated Containers (Carrying capacity 12 Tonnes per container, rake composition 80 containers) have been procured, through CONCOR, for movement of fruits and vegetables to different parts of the country. Cold Storage Facilities for Perishables: ‘Temperature controlled perishable cargo centres’ have been commissioned at Ghazipur Ghat (U.P), New Azadpur (Adarsh Nagar, Delhi) and Raja ka Talab (U.P) as a pilot project under Kisan Vision Project by CONCOR under CSR initiative. Another project is under construction at Lasalgaon, Nasik (Maharashtra). Read Also Kisan Suryodaya Yojana Approval has been granted to Central Railside Warehousing Corporation (CRWC) to develop temperature controlled storages at Fatuha and Mancheswar. Cold storage facility has also been developed at Dadri. Fresh & Healthy Enterprise Ltd. (FHEL) has been redeveloped as Agriculture Logistic Center at Rai, Sonepat. This facility is CONCOR’s 100% own subsidiary developed in an area of 16.40 acres of land. The first service of the “multi-commodity” Kisan service was launched between Maharashtra’s Devlali and Danapur in Bihar and was later expanded to Muzaffarpur in the eastern state following a good response. Also, it was made a weekly service instead of the initial thrice a week frequency. Since its launch, the Kisan Rail service has transported 27,000 tonnes of agro-services. The Centre has also extended a subsidy of 50% on the transportation of fruits and vegetables. The 100th ‘Kisan Rail’ will run between Sangola in Maharashtra and West Bengal’s Shalimar and, it will carry vegetables such as cauliflower, capsicum, cabbage, drumsticks, chillies, onions, and fruits like grapes, oranges, pomegranate, bananas, custard apples etc. Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. Join now
Triratna of Jainism
Triratna of Jainism Triratna of Jainism – Triratna, (Sanskrit: “Three Jewels”) Pali Ti-ratana, also called Threefold Refuge, in Buddhism the Triratna comprises the Buddha, the dharma (doctrine, or teaching), and the sangha (the monastic order, or community). One becomes a Buddhist by saying the words “I go to the Buddha for refuge, I go to the Doctrine for refuge, I go to the Order for refuge.” In Jainism the three jewels (also referred to as ratnatraya) are understood as samyagdarshana (“right faith”), samyagjnana (“right knowledge”), and samyakcharitra (“right conduct”). One of the three cannot exist exclusive of the others, and all are required for spiritual liberation. The Triratna is symbolized frequently in art as a trident. The Three Jewels of Jainism The aim of Jain life is to achieve liberation of the soul. This is done by following the Jain ethical code, or to put it simply, living rightly by following the three jewels of Jain ethics. There are three parts to this: right faith, right knowledge and right conduct. The first two are very closely connected. Right faith – Samyak darshana This doesn’t mean believing what you’re told, but means seeing (hearing, feeling, etc.) things properly, and avoiding preconceptions and superstitions that get in the way of seeing clearly. Some books call samyak darshana “right perception”. You can’t achieve this unless you are determined to find the truth, and distinguish it from untruth. Right knowledge – Samyak jnana This means having an accurate and sufficient knowledge of the real universe – this requires a true knowledge of the five (or six) substances and nine truths of the universe – and having that knowledge with the right mental attitude. “if our character is flawed and our conscience is not clear, knowledge alone will not help us achieve composure and happiness”. Today this means having a proper knowledge of the Jain scriptures. Some writers describe right knowledge as meaning having a pure soul; a soul that is free from attachment and desire… others say that a person who has right knowledge will naturally free themselves from attachment and desire, and so achieve peace of mind. Right conduct – Samyak charitra This means living your life according to Jain ethical rules, to avoid doing harm to living things and freeing yourself from attachment and other impure attitudes and thoughts. Jains believe that a person who has right faith and right knowledge will be motivated and able to achieve right conduct. Many Jains believe that a person without right faith and right knowledge cannot achieve right conduct – so it’s no use following scripture and ritual for the wrong reasons (e.g. so that other people will think you are a good person). Not all Jains hold this view. Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. Join now
PMJAY SEHAT scheme for Jammu and Kashmir residents
PMJAY SEHAT scheme for Jammu and Kashmir residents Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) SEHAT scheme for the residents of Jammu and Kashmir. The key features of the scheme is listed below Free treatment up to 5 lakh rupees under this scheme would improve the ease of living. About 6 lakh families of the state are getting the benefit of Ayushman Bharat Scheme. All 21 lakh families will now get the same benefits after the SEHAT scheme. Another benefit of this scheme would be that treatment is not limited to government and private hospitals in Jammu and Kashmir only. Rather, treatment can be availed from thousands of hospitals empanelled under this scheme in the country. Nearly 229 govt hospitals and 35 private hospitals have been listed under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. Under this scheme, people of Jammu and Kashmir will be able to avail free medical facilities up to Rs 5 lakh.
Nanomicelles
Nanomicelles Nanomicelles are ultramicrosopic globular structures that consist of exterior hydrophilic polar heads and an interior hydrophobic fatty acyl chain. In a recent pharmacology study, it was discovered that nanomicelles are capable of delivering poorly water-soluble drugs as well as the protection of drug molecules. Formulation of nanomicelles: They are typically spherical, but can sometimes take other shapes, such as cylinders and ellipsoids. The small size and shape of nanomicelles is only possible due to the molecular geometry of the particle. The shapes formed also depend on the ionic strength, surfactant concentration, and pH strength of the solutions they are placed in. In addition, the following factors were empirically-found to influence the formulation and development of nanomicelles: Chain length of surfactant molecules – nanomicelles with lower concentrations will form when a molecule’s chain length is longer Presence of dissolved salts in the solution lowers critical micelle concentration (CMC) Addition of alcohol to water – CMC increases relative to the type of alcohol (ranging from methanol to butanol) that is added to water Increase in temperature also increases CMC Number of surfactants in the solution, where the overall CMC depends on the nature of each individual surfactant and the surfactant with the highest CMC behaves like an electrolyte Significance: They are formed when amphiphilic molecules assemble themselves to create a globular structure that is only around 5 to 100nm in diameter. The particles may be formed in aqueous or non-aqueous solutions where the nonpolar region forms the interior and the polar region forms the exterior. Because of this, nanomicelles are able to take on both hydrophilic and hydrophobic agents. Different agents are used to createnanomicelles, however, they are usually made through surfactant molecules that may be non-ionic, ionic, and cationic detergents. Some nanomicelles may also be developed from a mixture of lipids and detergents. The critical micelle concentration and the typical number of detergent molecules are dependent on the amount of lipids and proteins in the micelles. Uses: Micelles are used primarily as solutions for membrane proteins. Research shows that nanomicelles are more effective in studying the capabilities of such proteins, than bilayer vesicles because of their relatively smaller size. Apart from this, empirical evidences also show that nanomicelles could be used as therapeutic interventions involving protein and peptide delivery. For instance, in the optometric industry, the need for stable solutions in ocular medicine targeting anterior- and posterior-segment diseases is on the rise. The current form of drug delivery through intravitreal injections are not patient-compliant and therefore poses a challenge on patient care and treatment. Researches on bioengineering have found the use of nanomicelles as a smart and efficient drug-delivery system. Advantages and disadvantages of nanomicelles: The primary advantage is its core-shell structure. The hydrophobic contents within the nanomicelle shell facilitates the solubilization of hydrophobic drugs in water. At the same time, the hydrophilic shell itself acts as a protection for the drug by eliminating the MPS that enables prolonged circulation. Another advantage of nanomicelles are their quality as an efficient pharmaceutical content because of their low toxicity, ability to minimize drug degradation, ability to permeate tissues easily for drug delivery, and lower adverse drug side effects. While nanomicelles have been found to be an effective solution in many therapeutic, medical, and bioengineering problems, studies also found the disadvantages of using nanomicelles in treatment. The structures have inefficient drug-loading capabilities (smaller than liposomes), poor physical stability in vivo, and insufficient cellular interactions with neutral micelles. Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. Join now
Treaty of Amritsar 1809
Treaty of Amritsar 1809 The Treaty of Amritsar of 1809 was an agreement between the British East India Company and Ranjit Singh, the Sikh leader who founded the Sikh empire. Significance of Treaty of Amritsar: Kashmiris protesting the security lockdown and snapping of communications links in the state have on multiple occasions referred to 1846, the year in which, as a National Conference leader put it, “Kashmiris were sold, along with their land, water and sky over their heads”. It was in that year that the back-to-back Treaties of Lahore and Amritsar were signed. These treaties may be considered the starting point of the modern history of Kashmir under the Hindu Dogra rulers of Jammu. The princely state of Jammu and Kashmir came into existence on March 16, 1846, the day the Treaty of Amritsar was signed between the British East India Company and the Dogra ruler Maharaja Gulab Singh. The Treaty of Amritsar was a formalisation of the proposals of the Treaty of Lahore, signed to conclude the First Anglo-Sikh War of 1845-46 between the East India Company and the Sikh Empire. Provision of treaty: For strategic and diplomatic reasons, Lord Minto concluded a treaty with Ranjit Singh at Amritsar in 1809 through Metcalf in order to check the Sikh advance beyond Sutlej. By this treaty, the Sutlej was fixed as the boundry between the British East India Company and Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Read Also Triratna of Jainism Formation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir: The forces of Maharaja Ranjit Singh ran over the Kashmir Valley in 1819. The following year, Ranjit Singh made his Dogra general, Gulab Singh, the Raja of the State of Jammu. Gulab Singh ventured out to expand the boundaries of his empire, conquering Ladakh in the 1830s and Baltistan (in Pakistan) in the 1840s. Gulab Singh also advanced towards Tibet in 1841, but could not progress. At the same time that Gulab Singh was made the Raja of the State of Jammu, Maharaja Ranjit Singh gave to Dhyan Singh (Gulab Singh’s brother), as a jagir, the district of Poonch (located in the Jammu and Kashmir). Therefore, Poonch too became a separate state, different from Gulab Singh’s Jammu. However, Dhyan Singh faced a series of rebellions from his majority Muslim subjects. The Valley remained with the Sikhs until a little after Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s death in 1839. After the defeat in the Anglo-Sikh War, the Sikh Empire had to cede Kashmir to the English East India Company through the Treaty of Lahore, which was signed on March 9, 1846. Due to Gulab Singh’s neutrality during the Anglo-Sikh War, the British granted him dominion over Jammu and Kashmir through a sale deed, which was formalised through the Treaty of Amritsar. This treaty was signed a week after the Treaty of Lahore, on March 16, 1846. Gulab Singh ‘bought’ the state from the East India Company for a sum of Rs 75 lakh. The state of Jammu and Kashmir was thus formed, a Muslim-majority state with a Hindu Dogra ruler. The last ruling Maharaja of the Dogra dynasty was Maharaja Hari Singh, the son of Raja Amar Singh Jamwal and the nephew of his predecessor in the Dogra dynasty, Maharaja Pratap Singh. Hari Singh acceded to India in 1947. Treaty of Amritsar, (April 25, 1809), pact concluded between Charles T. Metcalfe, representing the British East India Company, and Ranjit Singh, head of the Sikh kingdom of Punjab. The treaty settled Indo-Sikh relations for a generation. The immediate occasion was the French threat to northwestern India, following Napoleon’s Treaty of Tilsit with Russia (1807) and Ranjit’s attempt to bring the Cis-Sutlej states under his control. The British wanted a defensive treaty against the French and control of Punjab to the Sutlej River. Although this was not a defensive treaty, it did fix the frontier of lands controlled by Ranjit broadly along the line of the Sutlej River. Metcalfe’s mission gave Ranjit much respect for the company’s disciplined troops as well as the determination never to cross swords with the British troops. Ranjit’s further conquests were to the west and north. Practice UPSC Prelims Mock Test Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. Join now
International River Governance
International River Governance International River Governance – Transboundary water politics in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna basin are affected not only by inter-government relations between India, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh, but also by dynamics on different scales, including the hydropolitics between Indian states within the basin. At the same time, the disputed issues, and the patterns of power dynamics between actors, are similar in transboundary interactions in the basin as well as in inter-state interactions within India Both transboundary water disputes and India’s inter-state ones are subject to intense politicking. Within the Indian polity, however, domestic water issues divert political attention away from transboundary ones. Indian states also have significant influence over transboundary water governance, and at times this is at odds with India’s central government. Significance of Trans-Boundary River Cooperation : Understanding how water resources are governed within India should provide insights into the management of transboundary waters. There are three reasons for this. First, water disputes within India are more conflictual than transboundaryindeed, hydropolitics between India, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh are highly cooperative in comparison to water interactions between some Indian states. This means that domestic disputes attract more political attention within India than do international ones. Second, Indian states have significant influence over transboundary water governance, and at times this is at odds with India’s central government. Third, the principles that underpin domestic water governance and water conflict resolution between states are reflected in India’s approach to transboundary water issues. The Zero-sum attitude to water sharing prevails.At inter-state levels there is a lack of integrative thinking among all parties concerned. This is also a feature of transboundary water interactions in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna basin. A zero-sum water resource atmosphere is clearly building up in Himalayan Asia. Recognition of the importance of transboundary cooperation is a prerequisite for realising the water-related SDG targets and the broader Sustainable Development Goals. Transboundary water cooperation can, directly or indirectly, act as a catalyst to improve international trade, economic development, navigation, energy generation, wildlife conservation, and broader regional integration. Challenges International River Governance The decentralised authority over India’s rivers becomes increasingly problematic as the growing demand for water directly contributes to the politics of federalism; the movement towards economic liberalisation in the 2000s has increased federalist competition, as each state has become more responsible for attracting investment and funding its own development efforts. Competition is thus one of the causes of inter-state water conflicts in India. The issue of ownership is another cause. The question of ownership is posed at different scales: Between the state and communities in general, between the central government and respective states, and between 5 local and state governments. Water ownership, then, is the source of disputes. The Indian Constitution does provide for the establishment of tribunals for the resolution of inter-state river water disputes, but in practice this gives the central government no real advantage or manoeuvrability over the states, as it is still constricted by the influence of interest groups and voters. These tribunals have been largely ineffective in resolving disputes betweenthe contesting states. Without an effective oversight and arbitration mechanism, the interstate water disputes within India are left in a similar position to transboundary water disputes which, because of the anarchic nature of international law, cannot be adjudicated by a higher authority (especially not in the GangesBrahmaputra-Meghna basin, where no River Basin Organisation exists). Building dams in the Himalayan region will result in emerging risks like extreme events (floods, droughts), landslides, forest fires and many other ecological threats pose new governance challenges. 60% of transboundary river basins worldwide still lack any cooperative arrangement. Existing transboundary water treaties and institutions are often weak in terms of their mandate, design, resources, and enforcement mechanisms. Read Also Mukurthi National Park Conclusion: The influence of Indian states in transboundary water negotiations cannot be ignored. Secondly, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh must all deal with Indian states in addition to the central government. The Indian states are, on the whole, opposed to the creation of a River Basin Organisation in the Ganges-BrahmaputraMeghna basin, and this is a further hurdle for policy-makers interested in this institutional approach to transboundary water governance. Zero-sum attitudes are deeply ingrained at both the transboundary and state scales, and policy-makers should focus on enabling positivesum negotiations in addition to taking a water justice approach. Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now
e-Kranti – Electronic delivery of service
e-Kranti – Electronic delivery of service e-Kranti is an essential pillar of the Digital India initiative. Considering the critical need for e-Governance, mobile Governance and Good Governance in the country, the approach and key components of e-Kranti have been approved by the Union Cabinet with the vision of “Transforming e-Governance for Transforming Governance”. The e-Kranti framework addresses the electronic delivery of services through a portfolio of mission mode projects that cut across several Government Departments. Mission: The mission of e – Kranti is to ensure a Government wide transformation by delivering all Government services electronically to the citizens through integrated and interoperable systems via multiple modes while ensuring efficiency, transparency and reliability of such services at affordable costs. Objectives The objectives of ‘e-Kranti’ are as follows: To redefine NeGP with transformational and outcome-oriented e-Governance initiatives To enhance the portfolio of citizen centric services To ensure optimum usage of core Information & Communication Technology (ICT) To promote rapid replication and integration of e-Governance applications To leverage emerging technologies To make use of more agile implementation models Key principles of e-Kranti Transformation and not Translation – All project proposals in e – Kranti must involve a substantial transformation in the quality, quantity and manner of delivery of services and significant enhancement in productivity and competitiveness. Integrated Services and not Individual Services – A common middleware and integration of the back-end processes and processing systems are required to facilitate integrated service delivery to citizens. Government Process Reengineering (GPR) – To mandate GPR as the essential first step in all new MMPs without which a project may not be sanctioned. The degree of GPR should be assessed and enhanced for the existing MMPs. ICT Infrastructure on Demand – Government departments should be provided with ICT infrastructures, such as connectivity, cloud and mobile platform on demand. In this regard, National Information Infrastructure (NII), which is at an advanced stage of project formulation, would be fast-tracked by DeitY. Cloud by Default – The flexibility, agility and cost-effectiveness offered by cloud technologies would be fully leveraged while designing and hosting applications. Government Cloud shall be the default cloud for Government Departments. Mobile First – All applications are designed/ redesigned to enable delivery of services through mobile. Fast Tracking Approvals – To establish a fast – track approval mechanism for MMPs, once the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of a project is approved by the Competent Authority, empowered committees may be constituted with delegated powers to take all subsequent decisions Mandating Standards and Protocols – Use of e-Governance standards and protocols as notified by DeitY be mandated in all e-governance projects Language Localization – It is imperative that all information and services in e-Governance projects are available in Indian languages as well. National GIS (Geo-Spatial Information System) – NGIS to be leveraged as a platform and as a service in e-Governance projects. Security and Electronic Data Preservation – All online applications and e-services to adhere to prescribed security measures including cyber security. The National Cyber Security Policy 2013 notified by DeitY must be followed. Thrust areas of e-Kranti outlined in Digital India: Technology for Education – e-Education – All schools will be connected to broadband. Free WiFi will be provided in all secondary and higher secondary schools (coverage would be around 250,000 schools). A programme on digital literacy would be taken up at the national level. Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) shall be developed and leveraged for e-Education. Technology for Health – e-Healthcare – e-Healthcare would cover online medical consultation, online medical records, online medicine supply, pan-India exchange for patient information, etc. Technology for Farmers – This would facilitate farmers to get real-time price information, online ordering of inputs and online cash, loan, and relief payment with mobile banking. Technology for Security – Mobile based emergency services and disaster-related services would be provided to citizens on a real-time basis so as to take precautionary measures well in time and minimize loss of lives and properties. Technology for Financial Inclusion – Financial inclusion shall be strengthened using mobile banking, Micro-ATM program and CSCs/ Post Offices. Technology for Justice – Interoperable Criminal Justice System shall be strengthened by leveraging several related applications, i.e. e-Courts, e-Police, e-Jails and e-Prosecution. Technology for Planning – National GIS Mission Mode Project would be implemented to facilitate GIS based decision making for project planning, conceptualization, design and development. Technology for Cyber Security – National Cyber Security Co-ordination Centre would be set up to ensure safe and secure cyber-space within the country. Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. 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