26-Feb-2024
#GS2 –01. India-Armenia Relations
Our relations are mature enough to be defined as a strategic partnership. I hope our ministers of foreign affairs will have discussions on this issue. We are looking to make our cooperation in defence much deeper.
– Armenia’s labour minister Narek Mkrtchyan
Note: After a brief but intense conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020, resulting in significant military losses for Armenia,India increased arms sales and strategic support to the South Caucasus nation. Since then, defence ties with India have strengthened. In 2020,Armenia purchased the Swathi weapon- locating radar system from India, followed by an agreement with New Delhi for purchasing ammunition, and Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers, as well as anti-tanmunitions. It is also keen to see Indian firms bid for tenders to construct infrastructure, particularly for key projects,such as the North-SouthRoad,that connects Armenia’s southern Border with Iran and northern border with Georgia.
Key Terms/Issues : Nagarno Karbakh, Strategic Partnership, Swathi, Pinaka, North-South Road
#GS4 — 02. Work-Life Balance
The productivity gains of the past century have not translated into increased leisure time for all. To be sure, the economically disadvantaged work less now, both because there are fewer jobs and because life is less precarious than it used to be. But the wealthy, driven by a culture of competitive greed, find themselves working more than ever.
Moreover, work-leisure balance varies across regions and countries. The average American, for example, works 100 hours more annually than the average British worker and 300 hours more than the average French employee. US workers also take fewer vacation days than their European counterparts,who are legally entitled to at least four weeks of paid vacation per year.
– Former CEA Kaushik Basu
#GS3 -03. Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) 2022-23
India’s poorest households and those at the bottom of socio-economic standing have seen their per-capita spending grow faster than better-off households in the last decade, although on a lower base, the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) 2022-23
Discretionary items now account for a larger share of household spending than in 2011-12 when the survey was last released.
The average rural spending jumped 2.64 times between 2011-12 and 2022-23 with the bottom 50% of the households increasing their spending at a slightly faster clip, by 2.69 times compared with 2.63 times growth for the top 50%.
In urban areas, the bottom 50% of households witnessed 2.77 times rise in spending compared with 2.41 times increase for the top 50% of households.
The relative spending gap between top 5% households and bottom 5% households in urban areas reduced to 10.4 times in 2022-23 from 14.7 times in 2011-12 while in rural areas, this gap came down to 7.6 times in 2022-23 from
8.6 times in 2011-12. Households in the middle of the spending bracket closed the gap much faster in rural areas.
The bottom 5% of households survived at ₹46 per day in rural areas and ₹67 per day in urban centres.
spending of scheduled caste, scheduled tribes and other backward classes grew faster than the rest in both urban and rural areas.
Similarly, spending of casual labourers and self-employed went up more than those of regular salaried workers in urban areas.
In the case of rural areas, casual labourers and self-employed people spent more than regular wage earners. However, those self-employed in non-agricultural areas witnessed a faster increase in spending than self-employed people in agriculture.
The average spending of the bottom 10% in rural areas increased by nearly 5% after accounting for social welfare programmes, home-grown stock and barter exchanges, whereas the difference at the top was a mere 1%.
In the case of urban areas, the difference in spending post imputation was 4% for the bottom 10% and 0.2% for the top 10%.
This was also evident for social categories where the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and OBCs derived more from social welfare programmes.
- HCES 2022-23
Key Terms/Issues : HCES 2022-23
#GS3 — 04.DRDO
Recognising that organisational reforms were overdue in the Defence Research and Development Organisation, the government of India had set up a high-powered committee under the chairmanship of K Vijay Raghavan, former principal scientific advisor to the government, to make recommendations for revamping it.
The committee’s recommendations include setting up a Defence Technology Council (DTC) under the chairmanship of the prime minister, implying an oversight role for the PMO, giving a larger role to the armed forces, creating a new independent Department of Defence Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), a deeper involvement of the private sector in defence research and prototype development, flexibility in recruitment to attract talent and cutting organisational flab by reducing the number of Labs to 10.
-Commentary in News
#GS1 – 05. Nuclear Power
India will add 18 more nuclear power reactors with a cumulative capacity to generate 13,800 MWe of electricity, taking the total share of atomic power in the energy mix to 22,480 MWe by 2031-32.
Presently, the NPCIL operates 24 reactors with a total capacity of 8,180 MWe. Kakrapar Atomic Power Station (KAPS 3 & 4)(2 X 700 MW) are the largest indigenous Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) with advanced safety features comparable to the best in the world.
– NPCIL
Key Terms/Issues : NPCIL, PHWR
#GS2 06. Arbitration
Several changes to the current regime, like disposal of cases within 60 days, specialised arbitration benches in courts and arbitral institutions in special economic zones, and setting up an investment court to settle cases involving bilateral investment treaties are required.
There is need to update the law to reflect best global practices to make India an international hub for commercial arbitration and contribute to the realisation of the government’s vision of a $5 trillion economy by 2024-25.
The government to go slow on the use of artificial intelligence technologies, which are impacting and gaining traction within the legal sector. It suggested that the government await further developments in the area as various nations are still studying the likely impact of AI on areas of governance and decision-making including in the judicial process.
Insertion of a new section to provide a definition of ‘court’ under the arbitration regulations is required. To further incentivise institutional arbitration, it is proposed that for arbitrations having a specified value of ₹50 crore or higher, the court under Section 2(1)(e) be the jurisdictional high court.
The committee is nevertheless of the opinion that in the longer term a separate law for domestic arbitration is necessary which can be finalised after consultation with all stakeholders.
Amendment to Section 6 to include techno-legal utilities as a suitable institution to provide administrative assistance to ad hoc as well as institutional arbitrations. Techno-legal services will also include secure online platforms for efficient document sharing, technological support for transcription, recordings and virtual hearings and cybersecurity measures.
-Expert Panel on Arbitration
#GS3 –07.Food Security
The vast majority of the G-33 Members recognize the critical importance of public stockholding for food security purposes for developing country members… in meeting our food and livelihood security, as well as our rural development imperative, including supporting low income or resource poor producers. The WTO deliver a “meaningful outcome” on agriculture at MC13.