25 Jan 2024

#GS3 01. Underpinnings of India’s growth

The last decade has seen significant structural shift in India’s economy underpinned by 4 major pillars :
1) To improve productivity /efficiency in economy, major investments have happened in physical and digital infrastructure. In FY24, India is investing USD 120 in infrastructure. An investment in infrastructure of USD 100, economic activity is of USD 350. It impacts 240 industries. On digital side, from 600,000 we have reached 2.4 mn telecom towers in a decade. More than 600,000 Km of optical fiber cable has been laid.
2) Entire growth is inclusive with focus on people at bottom of pyramid. In last decade, 510 mn bank accounts have been opened; 40 mn houses have been constructed for urban & rural poor; 110 mn gas connections given changing cooking from wood based to gas based.
3) Focus on manufacturing – electronics, defence, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, textiles etc. Today, 1.5 mn formal job opportunties every month
4) Huge simplification on laws : More than 30,000 compliances removed, archaic laws removed and simplified. 10 years back time taken to set up a telecom tower was 230 days on average, today it is 7 days.
–Minister for Railways Ashwani Vaishnav
Key Terms/Issues : Structural shift

#GS2 – 02. Digital Technologies & Inclusion

945 million Indians are eligible to vote, each with a digital identity. We look how to use digital growth to implement social justice. In past 9 years, 240 million Indians have been taken out of multi-dimensional poverty.
– MoWCD Smriti Irani

A woman street vendor in tier-2 & 3 city uses QR code for payment receipt. Livelihoods and lives are impacted by technology at the last mile in India. Technology has to be at population scale which can happen only if it’s open and eco-system led. Promise of AI is productivity and that can happen only if it scales unlike what is happening now. Crucial to success is talent and is India’s advantage due to young population we have. India has one of the largest PPP on skilling. We are building technology to solve problems.
-NASSCOM Debjani Ghosh

#GS2 03. On India-Maldives relation

We are Indian ocean country with India a few miles away. We read the same books, watch same movies, eat same food and listen to same music. People to people contact runs far back in history. Our relation with someone else (China) can’t be at cost of relation with India. Chinese loans at high price are the main part of relations and as we are unable to pay back they ask for equity which is like relinquishing sovereignty.
-Former Maldives President Mohammed Nasheed

#GS3 04. Biofuels

Biofuels save on import bill but we are also boosting our agricultural sector. We saved 41,000 Cr through 10% ethanol blended petrol.
-MoPNG Hardeep Singh Puri

#GS3: ——05. Direct Tax

Direct tax revenue as a share of gross domestic product(GDP) touched a record 6.1% in FY23 amid a strong growth in mop-ups and an increase in the number of taxpayers. The number of income tax returns filed in FY23, at 77.8 million was more than double the 38 million returns filed in FY14. The cost of direct tax collection decreased from 0.57% of total tax collection in FY14 to 0.51% in FY23 amid increased use of data analytics and technology in tax administration.
–CBDT

#GS3: ——-06. Doomsday Clock

The symbolic “Doomsday Clock” was reset to 90seconds to mid-night, reflecting existential threats to humanity posed by potential nuclear escalation from the Ukraine conflict and the multiplying impacts of the climate crisis following Earth’s hottest recorded year. Set by top scientists and security experts, the timing of the clock remains the same as last year and the closest it has ever been to midnight in its more than 75-year-history. The clock was originally set at seven minutes to midnight.
–Commentary in news
Key Terms/Issues : Doomsday Clock

#GS3 –07. Ulfa Disbands

The decision to disband and dissolve the outfit was taken at the meeting today as stipulated by the settlement signed in Delhi. With this, the cases of sedition on the outfit will be lifted.
-Ulfa Chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa

The settlement promises a lump sum ex-gratia payment to the cadres, funding of economic activities by them, and vocational training and government jobs depending on their eligibility. Criminal cases registered against Ulfa cadres for non-heinous crimes will be withdrawn.
–Commentary in news
Key Terms/Issues : Ulfa