The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)

The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is a group of nuclear supplier countries that seeks to contribute to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons through the implementation of two sets of Guidelines for nuclear exports and nuclear-related exports. It was brought in 1974– in response to the Indian nuclear test (smiling Buddha). It is a multilateral export control regime. The NSG first met on November 1975 in London, and is thus popularly referred to as the “London Club”. It is not a formal organization, and its guidelines are not binding. Decisions, including on membership, are made by consensus. Overall responsibility for activities lies within NSG Plenary meetings that are held once a year. A rotating Chair has the overall responsibility for the coordination of work and outreach activities. There are currently 48 Participating Governments (PGs) of the NSG. The NSG Chair Country (2019-20) is Kazakhstan and the European Commission and the Chair of the Zangger Committee participate as observers. The NSG Guidelines also contain the so-called “Non-Proliferation Principle,” adopted in 1994, whereby a supplier, notwithstanding other provisions in the NSG Guidelines, authorizes a transfer only when satisfied that the transfer would not contribute to the proliferation of nuclear weapons. The Non-Proliferation Principle seeks to cover the rare but important cases where adherence to the NPT or to a Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Treaty may not by itself be a guarantee that a State will consistently share the objectives of the Treaty or that it will remain in compliance with its Treaty obligations. The NSG Guidelines are implemented by each Participating Government (PG) in accordance with its national laws and practices. Decisions on export applications are taken at the national level in accordance with national export licensing requirements. Read Also Terrorism Financing Factors are taken into account for participation  Be able to supply items (includes transit items) covered by the Annexes to Parts 1 and 2 of the Guidelines; Adhere to and act in accordance with the Guidelines; Have in force a legally -based domestic export control system that gives effect to the commitment to act in accordance with the Guidelines; Be a party to the NPT, the Treaties of Tlatelolco, Rarotonga, Pelindaba, Bangkok, or Semipalatinsk, or an equivalent international nuclear non-proliferation agreement, and in full compliance with the obligations of such agreement(s), and, as appropriate, have in force a full-scope safeguards agreement with the IAEA; Be supportive of international efforts towards the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and of their delivery vehicles. India and NSG India and Pakistan are non-signatories to NPT (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty). China has been objecting to India’s participation in the grouping since May 2016 when India applied for the membership of the NSG. China has been firm on its stand that only those countries which have signed the NPT should be allowed to enter the organization. China wants to block the entry of India in any way while other remaining countries like New Zealand, Ireland and Austria said that they are opposing Indian entry because India did not sign on Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Majority of the NSG member states including the US, Russia, Iceland, Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Norway back for India’s membership in the grouping considering its non-proliferation record. The benefit of India’s NSG membership India is keen to become a member of NSG as it seeks to significantly expand its nuclear power generation and also enter the export market in the coming years. Access to technology will boost the economic growth of India. If India becomes the member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group; it will have greater access to uranium than it does currently under its 2008 agreement with the USA. In addition to this India will be able to import uranium from other countries to boost up its energy security. India will get an opportunity to voice its concern if in case of a change in the provision of the NSG guidelines. Factors in favour of India’s membership France got membership in the elite group without signing the NPT. Commitment to nonproliferation: India’s commitment to bifurcate its civilian and military nuclear programs along with its nonproliferation record ensured indigenously developed technology is not shared with other countries. Transparency: India has also ratified an Additional Protocol with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) which means that its civilian reactors are under IAEA safeguards and open for inspections. UPSC Mains 2019  General Studies Paper 1  Question Conclusion The recently framed draft proposal for accepting new members into the Nuclear Suppliers Group increases India’s chances of entry into NSG. It’s a welcome development for India as NSG membership would definitely boost the economic and strategic development in the future. Therefore, India should take up this opportunity to aggressively pursue the development of nuclear energy while providing the essential emphasis on safety and addressing concerns of the public. It will also pave the way for clean energy initiatives and continued focus to achieve our commitments to reduce the carbon footprint pledged       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

Scheduled Tribes

Scheduled Tribes The Constitution of India does not define Scheduled Tribes as such. Article 366(25) refers to ST as those communities who are scheduled in accordance with Article 342 of the Constitution. According to Article 342 of the Constitution, the ST are the tribes or tribal communities or part of or groups within these tribes and tribal communities which have been declared as such by the President through a public notification. As per the 1991 Census, the Scheduled Tribes account for 67.76 million representing 8.08 percent of the country’s population. ST are spread across the country mainly in forest and hilly regions.The essential characteristics of these communities are: Primitive Traits Geographical isolation Distinct culture Shy of contact with the community at large Economically backwards Distribution The Scheduled Tribes are notified in 30 States/UTs and the number of individual ethnic groups notified as ST are 705. Broadly the STs inhabit two distinct geographical areas – Central India and the North- Eastern Area. More than half of the Scheduled Tribe population is concentrated in Central India, i.e., Madhya Pradesh (14.69%), Chhattisgarh (7.5%), Jharkhand (8.29%), Andhra Pradesh (5.7%), Maharashtra (10.08%), Orissa (9.2%), Gujarat (8.55%) and Rajasthan (8.86%). The other distinct area is the North East (Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh). Read Also  Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups Scheduled Tribes – Constitutional provisions Article 46: The State shall promote with special care, the educational and economic interests of the weaker sections of the society and in particular, of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and shall protect them from social injustice and all forms of exploitation. Reservation in the educational institution has been provided in Article 15(4) while reservation in posts and services has been provided in Article 16(4), 16(4A) and 16(4B) of the Constitution. Article 23: prohibits traffic in human beings and the beggar and other similar forms of forced labour have a special significance for Scheduled Tribes. In pursuance of this Article, Parliament has enacted the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976. Article 24: prohibits employment of children below the age of 14 years in any factory or mine or in any other hazards activity is also significant for Scheduled Tribes as a substantial portion of child labour engaged in these jobs belong to Scheduled Tribes. Article 243D: reservation of Seats for ST in Panchayats. Article 330: reservation of seats for ST in the House of the People. Article 332: reservation of seats for Scheduled Tribes in Legislative Assemblies of the States. Article 334: reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the Lok Sabha and the State Vidhan Sabhas (and the representation of the Anglo-Indian Community in the Lok Sabha and the State Vidhan Sabhas by nomination) would continue up to January 2020. Acts and rules Forest rights act 2006: The Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFDs) (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 is being implemented to recognize and vest the forest rights and occupation in forest land to forest-dwelling Scheduled Tribes Protection of civil rights act: An Act to prescribe punishment for the preaching and practice of – “Untouchability” for the enforcement of any disability arising therefore for matters connected therewith SC/ST Prevention of atrocities act: An Act to prevent the commission of offences of atrocities against the members of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, to provide for Special Courts for the trial of such offences and for the relief and rehabilitation of the victims of such offences and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. Provision of panchayats act 1996: It mandates that the Gram Sabha or the Panchayats at the appropriate level shall be consulted before making the acquisition of land in the Scheduled Areas or development projects and before resettling or rehabilitating persons affected by such projects in the Scheduled Areas. National Commission for Scheduled Tribe NCST was established by amending Article 338 and inserting a new Article 338A in the Constitution through the Constitution (89th Amendment) Act, 2003. By this amendment, the erstwhile National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes was replaced by two separate Commissions namely- (i) the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), and (ii) the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST).  NCST is empowered to investigate and monitor matters relating to safeguards provided for STs under the Constitution or under other laws or under Govt. order. The Commission is also authorized to inquire into specific complaints relating to rights and safeguards of STs and to participate and advise on the Planning Process relating to the socio-economic development of STs and to evaluate the progress of their development under the Union and States. Read Also  Agroecology The Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) strategy The Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) strategy is a Government of India initiative aimed for the rapid socio-economic development of tribal people. The funds provided under the Tribal Sub Plan of the State have to be at least equal in proportion to the ST population of each State or UTs. Similarly, Central Ministries/Departments are also required to earmark funds out of their budget for the Tribal Sub-Plan. As per guidelines issued by the Planning Commission, the Tribal Sub Plan funds are to be non-divertible and non-lapsable. The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes is vested with the duty to participate and advise in the planning process of socio-economic development of STs, and to evaluate the progress of their development under the Union and any State. Enroll today with the best civils service academy in Trivandrum 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

National Nutrition Mission ( Poshan Abhiyaan )

National Nutrition Mission / Poshan Abhiyaan National Nutrition Mission (renamed as POSHAN Abhiyaan) was set up in December 2017. It is a flagship program of the Ministry of Women and Child Development. This mission is aimed at improving the nutritional status of children from 0-6 years, Adolescent girls, Pregnant women and lactating mothers in a time-bound manner during a three year period starting from 2017-2018.  Key proposals The NNM, as an apex body, will monitor, supervise, fix targets and guide the nutrition-related interventions across the Ministries. Mapping of various Schemes contributing towards addressing malnutrition. Introducing a very robust convergence mechanism. ICT based Real-Time Monitoring system. Incentivizing states/UTs for meeting the targets. Incentivizing Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) for using IT-based tools. Eliminating registers used by AWWs. Introducing measurement of the height of children at the Anganwadi Centres (AWCs). Social Audits. Setting-up Nutrition Resource Centres, involving masses through Jan Andolan for their participation in nutrition through various activities, among others. Key facts POSHAN ABHIYAAN will address three aspects—the food that should be given to rein in stunting, undernourishment, low birth weight and anaemia; the delivery system required for it; and monitoring of the entire process. Under the mission, the government is targeting a reduction of 2% a year in stunting, under-nutrition and low birth weight among 100 million people. Also, it aims to reduce anaemia among young children, women and adolescent girls by 3% a year. The mission would include several components like an ICT (information and communications technology)-based real-time monitoring system, incentivizing of states and Union territories to meet their targets, social audits, and setting up of nutrition resource centres.  Implementation Under the National Nutrition Mission, the ministries of women and child development, health and family welfare, and water and sanitation work together. The implementation strategy for the National Nutrition Mission was based on intense monitoring and a convergence action plan up to the grass-roots level. The programme is undertaken in a phased manner, covering 315 districts in 2017-18, 235 districts in 2018-19 and the remaining districts in 2019-20. National Nutrition Mission is implemented using information technology as the basic tool. Read Also  Shanta Kumar Committee Recommendations The Progress and achievements till date All districts of 36 States/UTs have been covered for roll-out. State, District and Block level Convergence meetings are held regularly in most of the States/UTs. 17,477 Master Trainers have been trained. States/UTs are at various stages of procurement of smartphones. 3.2 lakh Smart Phones have been procured by the States/UTs. The guidelines /manuals of POSHAN Abhiyaan covering all aspects of the ICDS-CAS software, implementation, etc. have been formalized, printed and distributed up to district level. A ‘Call Centre’ has been established for interventions and beneficiary feedback. A comprehensive Jan Andolan Guidelines have been prepared in consultation with all partners and released to States/UTs and has been implemented by the States/UTs. Mass Media Campaign has also been rolled out through Television and Radio. September 2018 was celebrated as the Rashtriya Poshan Maah(Month) across the country. Under Incremental Learning Approach (ILA), functionaries have been trained on thematic modules following the cascade mode of training of State Resource Group (SRG), District Resource Groups (DRGs) and Block Resource Groups (BRGs  Community-Based Events (CBEs) are organized in a converged manner in Anganwadi Centres with the field functionaries.  Conclusion It is very important to invest in nutrition in India because a balanced diet and healthy nutrition play a pivotal role in the overall development of women and children. Healthy women deliver healthy children and nurture a good society, and healthy and nourished children are the country’s future. Therefore, to tackle under-nutrition problem in the country, various ministries need to work in convergence and not silos and  POSHAN ABHIYAAN is a platform to do so. POSHAN ABHIYAAN will ensure convergence and lead to better results. Read Also Paris Climate Agreement 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

UPSC Mains 2019 Question, English Compulsory Paper

UPSC Mains 2019 Question, English Compulsory Paper Maximum Marks: 300 Time Allowed: Three Hours Question Paper Specific Instructions Please read each of the following instructions carefully before attempting questions. All questions are to be attempted. The number of marks carried by a question is indicated against it. Answers must be written in ENGLISH only. Word limit in questions, wherever specified, should be adhered to and if answered in much longer or shorter than the prescribed length, marks will be deducted. Any page or portion of the page left blank in the Question-cum-Answer Booklet must be clearly struck off. English (Compulsory)  Questions  Download Here Read Also  UPSC Mains 2019 Questions   GS1     GS2    GS3   GS4

Green Crackers and Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation

Green Crackers and Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation Introduction Apart from human activities like mining, construction, transportation, industry, etc. and natural phenomena like volcanic eruptions, wildfires etc., Firecrackers during festivities add to the air pollution which is one of the most serious environmental issues. The Supreme Court of India, in 2018, ruled out complete ban of firecrackers and allowed the use of green crackers. A network of CSIR labs has developed the idea of green crackers since. Why is there a need for Green Crackers? Traditional firecrackers cause air pollution and noise pollution. They contain harmful chemicals such as lead, chromium, cadmium, magnesium, aluminium, nitrates, carbon monoxide, copper, potassium, sodium, manganese dioxide, zinc oxide etc. which can bioaccumulate and damage health. They cause severe health effects like heart diseases, respiratory or nervous system disorders. It also aggravates lesser conditions such as the common cold and coughs. Noise pollution causes restlessness, temporary or permanent hearing loss, high blood pressure; sleep disturbance and even poor cognitive development in kids. Supreme Court Directive The Supreme Court has imposed a ban on the use of five harmful heavy metals like lithium, antimony, mercury, arsenic and lead in the manufacturing of firecrackers as they cause air pollution. The apex court held that it is the responsibility of the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) to ensure compliance of ban order particularly in Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu where there are large numbers of firecracker manufacturers. It also asked CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board) and PESO to make collaborative efforts for setting up of standards with regard to air pollution caused by the bursting of fire-crackers. PESO Suggested that Improved formulation for manufacturing green crackers would reduce the emission of pollutants by 25-30 per cent. What are Green Crackers? Green crackers are crackers devoid of harmful chemicals and within the permitted decibel range. They cause fewer emissions than conventional firecrackers. Hence, they cause reduced air pollution and sound pollution. Components in firecrackers are replaced with others that are less dangerous and less harmful to the atmosphere. It avoids the use of ash or filler materials and uses charcoal as per specifications of Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO). Commonly used polluting chemicals like aluminium, barium, potassium nitrate and carbon have either been removed or sharply reduced to slow down the emissions by 15 to 30%. Read Also Project 75 I SWAS, STAR and SAFAL The research teams of CSIR labs have come up with 3-4 formulations and tried to reduce 30-40% of active materials which reduce particulate matter. Several crackers such as Bijli (electric) crackers devoid of ash and sound-emitting functional prototypes that do not emit sulphur dioxide are in the testing stage. SWAS is Safe Water Releaser, STAR is Safe Thermite Cracker and SAFAL is Safe Minimal Aluminium. The particulate matter will be reduced by 30-35 per cent in SWAS and 35 to 40 per cent in SAFAL and STAR. These crackers release water vapour, have air as a dust suppressant and diluents for gaseous emissions and are on par with traditional conventional crackers in sound. Several crackers are now in a testing stage at the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation. Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation Petroleum And Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) is a non-statutory body that controls and administers the usage of explosives, petrol stations in India. The agency issues licenses for Operation of Petrol Stations, Licenses to operate Petroleum Product Transportation vehicles, Licenses for Refineries, Petrochemical Complexes, etc. The Department is headed by Chief Controller of Explosives and is headquartered at Nagpur. It is responsible for the administration of a host of laws pertaining to the regulation of explosives. These include the Explosives Act, 1884; the Inflammable Substances Act, 1952 and the Explosives Rules, 2008. Objectives: PESO is a subordinate office under the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP). The organization is serving the nation since 1898 as a nodal agency for regulating the safety of substances such as explosives, compressed gases and petroleum. Over the years, the role and responsibilities of PESO have increased manifold and expanded into diverse fields. Today, the organization deals with a wide range of subjects related to explosives, petroleum, compressed gases, pressure vessels, gas cylinders, cross-country pipelines, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), Auto Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Auto LPG) etc. The increase in workload is manifested in the quantum jump in the number of licensed premises and other activities. Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards yours Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. JOIN NOW

UPSC Mains 2019 Question Paper, Indian Language ( Malayalam )

UPSC Mains 2019 Question Paper, Indian Language ( Malayalam ) Maximum Marks: 300  Time 3Hr. Download UPSC PYQ UPSC Mains 2019 Question Paper, Indian Language ( Malayalam ) DOWNLOAD  Read Also, UPSC Mains 2019 Questions   GS1     GS2     GS3     GS4     English (compulsory) 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

Methods used by the Farmers Organisations to Influence Policymakers in India

Methods used by the Farmers Organisations to Influence Policymakers in India What are the methods used by the farmers’ organisations to influence policymakers in India and how effective are these methods? Approach It is a direct question. The candidate is expected to enumerate protest and pressuring methods used by farmer organisations to showcase their case and get policy concessions from the government. The answer may be either divided into two parts to explain the effectiveness of the methods as a whole later or the effectiveness of a particular method explained together with the method itself. The candidates are expected to write examples and link current situations to enrich their answer. Content for Answer Methods used by farmer’s organizations Prayers and Petitions The organisations send letters and petitions to the ministries and other executives of the government to argue their case and get concessions. For example, the representatives may meet ministers and civil servants and submit their demands at the stage of policy formulation or release of the budget. Read Also Project 75 I Protests and Demonstrations Protests may take any form – from a peaceful gathering to competing elections against some unpopular politician or even bandhs and hartals. Such methods help get media attention as well as the government’s attention. For eg, recently above 70 farmers filed nominations against a politician to pressure the party to include their demands in the manifesto. Vote Bank and Pressure group Farmers form a very big part of our population. They form several homogenous voting groups and pressure groups to put forward their case. For Eg, Kisan Sabhas Electoral Politics Often farmers’ organisations directly fight the elections and enter the Parliament and State Assemblies. They try to influence the government policies either supporting the government or pressuring it with the opposition. Ex: Political outfits such as Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, Swabhimani Shetkari Sangathan in Maharashtra Read Also National Nutrition Mission / Poshan Abhiyaan Effectiveness These methods have only been partially successful and helped the farmers to gain some concessions such as loan waivers and raising of minimum support prices. Since agriculture still remains the major economic activity in India, any government cannot totally ignore farmers needs. But structural reforms are long overdue in the sector. Such major policy decisions have not been achieved through these methods. The loan waivers and assurances normally coincide with elections and later farmer demands are not properly followed up and goes into cold storage. For example, the governments of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan waived loans off immediately after coming to power but failed to follow up it with any real structural reforms in the agriculture sector of the states 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

Q & A : Do you think that the Constitution of India does not accept the principle of strict separation of powers

Do you think that the Constitution of India does not accept the principle of strict separation of powers rather it is based on the principle of ‘checks and balance’? Explain India, the land of diversity has its Governance mechanism designed in a way to protect and promote its Unity and Diversity hand in hand. The constitutional supremacy through checks and balances ensures that neither of organs of governance viz. The legislature, Judiciary or Executive doesn’t become authoritative. Executive and Legislature The Constitution of India states that the Executive branch of the State (Council of Ministers) shall be collectively responsible to the Legislature (House of the People). This implies that Parliament should oversee the work of the government and hold it responsible for its actions and omissions. Members of Parliament also have the responsibility of passing laws, authorising the expenditure of the government, and representing the interests of their constituencies. While the legislature holds the Executive accountable through parliamentary proceedings, the executive which holds the majority ensures the parliament doesn’t become an obstacle for the Governance. The executive can even recommend the dissolution of the legislature. Checks and Balances were also one of the primary reasons for India to adopt a Parliamentary system rather than a presidential system of governance. Legislature and Judiciary The doctrine of separation of powers implies that each pillar of democracy – the executive, legislature and the judiciary – perform separate functions and act as separate entities.  The executive is vested with the power to make policy decisions and implement laws.  The legislature is empowered to issue enactments.  The judiciary is responsible for adjudicating disputes.  The doctrine is a part of the basic structure of the Indian Constitution, Even though it is not specifically mentioned in its text.  Thus, no law may be passed and no amendment may be made to the Constitution deviating from the doctrine. Different agencies impose checks and balances upon each other but may not transgress upon each other’s functions. Thus, the judiciary exercises judicial review over executive and legislative action, and the legislature reviews the functioning of the executive. There have been some cases where the courts have issued laws and policy related orders through their judgements. Eg: The order of the Court directing the Centre to distribute food grains (2010). The appointment of the Special Investigation Team to replace the High-Level Committee established by the Centre for investigating black money deposits in Swiss Banks. Concerns: To see that judicial activism does not become judicial adventurism the courts must act with caution and proper restraint. The judiciary should act only as an alarm bell. There has been some discussion on the issue of activism by the judiciary, Also it must be noted that there are also instances of the legislature using its law-making powers to reverse the outcome of some judgements. ( eg: Issues regarding Customs Amendment and Validation Bill, 2011 issue) Join   MainSure 2022   Mains Answer Writing Practice Executive and Judiciary The extra-constitutional measures of the executive can be quashed by the judiciary as ultra vires. Through the principle of Separation of powers enshrined under Directive Principles of State Policy under Article 50, a great emphasis has been laid down on separating judiciary and executive. The higher judiciary also has the power to strike down laws and actions of the Executive as invalid, if they violate the Constitution. This is called the power of judicial review. Though there is no clear delineation, The Constitution provides for a separation of powers between Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary by demarcating their roles and responsibilities. It also lays down various ways by which (i) the Judiciary may guard against the unconstitutional exercise of power by Parliament, and (ii) Parliament may legislate on or act as a check-in matter related to the Judiciary. So  Each institution acts as a check and balance on the others’ powers

Gig Economy

Gig Economy A gig economy is a free market system in which temporary, flexible jobs are commonplace and companies tend toward hiring independent contractors and freelancers instead of full-time employees. A gig economy undermines the traditional economy of full-time workers who rarely change positions and instead focus on a lifetime career. The gig economy can benefit workers, businesses, and consumers by making work more adaptable to the needs of the moment and demand for flexible lifestyles. At the same time, the gig economy can have downsides due to the erosion of traditional economic relationships between workers, businesses, and clients. Benefits Competition and efficiency among workers improved. Increase in operational efficiencies and reduction in project cost saved training time in organizations. There is a wide range of choices for the employment seeker as well as the job provider as proximity to the workplace does not matter here. People also change jobs several times. No fixed working hours hence women have more flexible working hours. Retired people can also stay active after retirement as this will keep them engaged. The travel costs and energy to travel to the workplace is reduced since work at home is possible. Employers hire people for specific projects and pay them. This is more economical for them. Factors promoting Gig Economy In this digital age, the workforce is highly mobile and work can be done from anywhere. Short term contract will be safe for the firms, as it avoids long term obligations. Software and technological changes taking away human efforts contributed to the gig economy. The uncertain business climate also tempted companies to go for short-term labours. Challenges faced in Gig economy There are no labour welfare emoluments like pension, gratuity etc for the workers. Gig workers may face unfair termination. They may also attain minimum wages and less paid leave. Workers do not have the bargaining power to negotiate a fair deal with their employers. Banks and other financial service providers resist extending lines of credit when steady income is not assured in situations where teamwork is essential and gig worker teams will likely produce tardy, inconsistent and poor output. Unionization of workers will be difficult. Confidentiality of documents etc of the workplace is not guaranteed The gig economy is not accessible for people in many rural areas where internet connectivity and electricity is unavailable. The social welfare objectives can be neglected if business and profitable avenues of freelancing are prioritized. Read Also, Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Gig Economy in India Companies hire gig workers on a project-to-project basis. In India, freelancing as an employment option has not yet reached the rural landscape. The gig economy in India is being fuelled by start-ups. India can learn from developed countries like the US and basic training and courses on freelancing, etc. India can engage with the European Union and the United States and the discussion on the protection of the gig economy is already underway. In India, the Union government hired freelancers to digitization of documents as part of the Digital India initiative. Conclusion Gig workers control their employment with respect to the type of job they want to undertake and the time they wish to put in towards such a job. An estimated 56% of new employment in India is being generated by the gig economy companies across both the blue-collar and white-collar workforce. The labour legislation in India has been enacted to ensure that the employees and certain eligible workers, including contract workers, are entitled to all the benefits they require to sustain themselves. Hence in India, minimum wages, paid leave provisions and maternity benefits should also be available to workers. Companies should also introduce peer-to-peer mentoring and establish sharing platforms, both offline and online, to enable workers to connect among themselves 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

Self Help Group (SHG)

Self-help group Self Help Groups (SHGs) are small groups of poor people. The members of an SHG face similar problems. They help each other, to solve their problems.  SHGs promote small savings among their members. The savings are kept with the bank. This is the common fund in the name of the SHG.  SHG is an informal group and registration under any Societies Act, State cooperative Act or a partnership firm   A Self Help Group is defined as a “self-governed, peer controlled information group of people with a similar socio-economic background and having a desire to collectively perform a common purpose.” Objectives To inculcate the savings and banking habits among members. To secure them from financial, technical and moral strengths. To enable availing of loan for productive purposes. To gain economic prosperity through loan/credit. To gain from collective wisdom in organising and managing their own finance and distributing the benefits among themselves. To sensitize women of the target area for the need of SHG and its relevance in their empowerment. To enhance the confidence and capabilities of women. To motivate women taking up social responsibilities particularly related to women development. It acts as the forum discussion. SHG movement in India Formation of SHGs for savings and credit and their linkage to commercial banks was initiated in India by MYRADA (Mysore Resettlement and Development Agency), an NGO, in the mid-1980s. However, SHGs as a tool to address poverty became significant only when the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued a circular in 1992 to link about 500 groups under the NABARD-SHG bank linkage pilot program. This success has led to mainstreaming of SHGs into the financial landscape and especially the Indian banking system, with about 94 million poor linked with banks through 7.5 Million SHGs, availing them of collateral-free credit. As a part of the poverty alleviation measures, the Government of India launched the Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojna (SGSY) in April 1999 where the major emphasis is on SHG formation, social mobilization and economic activation through micro-credit finance This success led to the genesis of a massive community mobilization initiative by the Government of India as National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) in 2011 Benefit of SHGs Social and financial inclusion Women empowerment and Gender Equity – SHGs empowers women and inculcates leadership skills among them. Empowered women participate more actively in gram sabha and elections. Pressure Groups – their participation in the governance process enables them to highlight issues such as dowry, alcoholism, the menace of open defecation, primary health care etc and impact policy decisions. Voice to marginalized section of the society. Improving the efficiency of government schemes and reducing corruption through social audits. Alternate source of employment – it eases dependency on agriculture by providing support in setting up micro-enterprises e.g. personalised business ventures like tailoring, grocery, and tool repair shops. Impact on Housing & Health – The financial inclusion attained through SHGs has led to reduced child mortality, improved maternal health and the ability of the poor to combat disease through better nutrition, housing and health – especially among women and children. Read Also Poshan Abhiyaan Challenges Lack of knowledge and proper training. Lack of supporting infrastructure and supporting facilities like credit, marketing facilities, etc Poor repayment of loans affecting making banks reluctant to lend further. Patriarchal mindset and Social stigma on women engaging in the public sphere Diversion of money for unproductive purposes Poor penetration of SFGs in high poverty states like UP, Bihar, etc Case studies Kudumbasree in Kerala: Since 1998 kudumbasree has played a crucial role in the socio-economic-political development of the state.  Pramila bisoi, a SHG worker from Odisha has won the 17th Lok sabha election. 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. jon now