NavIC

Paper 3 –Science & Technology

Why You Should Know?

To promote the use of ‘NAVigation with the Indian Constellation’ (NavIC), the Indian version of GPS, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will introduce the L1 frequency in all its future satellites.

In detail –

What is the L1 frequency?

• The L1 is the oldest and most established GPS signals, which even the less sophisticated, civilian-use devices such as smartwatches are capable of receiving.
• Thus, with this band, the use of NavIC in civilian-use gadgets can go up.
• The next satellites, starting from NVS-01 onwards, will have an L1 band for civilian navigational use.
• The seven satellites in the NavIC constellation so far use two frequencies for providing positioning data — the L5 and S bands.
• The new satellites NVS-01 onwards, meant to replace these satellites, will also have L1 frequency.

What is NavIC?

• NavIC is India’s homegrown alternative to GPS.
• Developed by ISRO, the navigation satellite system was first approved in 2006 at a cost of $174 million, but became operational only by 2018.
• At present, it consists of eight satellites, covering the whole of India and up to 1,500 km from its boundaries.

Where is NavIC being used right now?

• NavIC is mainly being used in public vehicle tracking, to provide emergency warning alerts to fishermen venturing into the deep sea, and for tracking data related to natural disasters.
• The government is also pushing for its increased use in smartphones.
• In fact, in September, the government urging tech giants to make smartphones compatible with NavIC had “worried the likes of Samsung, Xiaomi and Apple, who fear elevated costs and disruptions as the move requires hardware changes.”
• According to the report, the government wanted that smartphones support NavIC as well as GPS by January 2023, which phone makers had said was a very stiff deadline to meet.

Advantages of NavIC

• The government says that India should not rely on positioning systems run by other governments, which are at the risk of suspension for civilians in times of crises.
• Also, NavIC, since it is homegrown, will be more accurate than other systems.
• With a fully operational constellation and ground stations outside of India — ISRO plans to set up ground stations in Japan and France to better triangulate the entire area under NavIC coverage – the system is likely to become more accurate than GPS.
• The satellites placed directly over India also ensure better availability of signals in varied geographical regions compared to GPS, which India receives at an angle, making it difficult to access in dense forests or valleys.
• Apart from the US-owned GPS, the other prominent navigation systems are Galileo from the European Union, Russia-owned GLONASS and China’s Beidou.
• QZSS, operated by Japan, is another regional navigation system covering Asia-Oceania region..

Sources – IE

Pradhan Mantri Adi Adarsh Gram Yojna

Paper 2 – Government Policies

Why Should You Know?

Pradhan Mantri Adi Adarsh Gram Yojna   aims at transforming villages with significant tribal population into model village.

In details –

• Ministry of Tribal Affairs has revamped the existing Scheme of ‘Special Central Assistance to Tribal Sub-Scheme (SCA to TSS) with nomenclature ‘Pradhan Mantri Adi Adarsh Gram Yojna (PMAAGY)’, for implementation during 2021-22 to 2025-26, w
• It aims at transforming villages with significant tribal population into model village (Adarsh Gram)covering about population of 4.22 crore (About 40% of the total Tribal Population).
• It is envisaged to cover 36,428 villages having at least 50% tribal population and 500 STs across States / UTs with notified STs.

Objective

• The main objective of this scheme is to achieve integrated socio-economic development of selected villages through convergence approach.
• It includes preparing Village Development Plan based on the needs, potential, and aspirations.
• It also includes maximizing the coverage of individual / family benefit schemes of the Central / State Governments and  improving the infrastructure in vital sectors like health, education, connectivity and livelihood.

Execution

• The scheme envisions to mitigate gaps prominently in 8 sectors of development viz. Road connectivity (Internal and Intervillage /block), Telecom connectivity (Mobile /internet), School, Anganwadi Centres, Health Sub-Centre, Drinking water facility, Drainage and solid waste management.
• A sum of ₹20.38 lakh per village as ‘Gap-filling’ has been provisioned for approved activities including administrative expenses under PMAAGY.
• Besides States / UTs are encouraged for convergence of resources as Central / State Scheduled Tribe Component (STC) funds and other financial resources available with them for saturation of gaps in the villages identified under PMAAGY.
• During 2021-22 and 2022-23, a total of about 16554 villages have been taken up. So far, an amount of Rs. 1927.00 Crore has already been released to the States and Village Development Plan in respect of 6264 villages have been approved for implementation.

Sources – PIB

 

M1 satellite

Paper 3 –Science & Technology

Why You Should Know?

On December 11, 2022, a lunar lander is carried by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, known as the M1, from a small Japanese company, Ispace.

In detail –

• The payloads on M1 include a rover from the United Arab Emirates and a small two-wheeled Transformers-like robot for the Japanese space agency.

About  Ispace

• The company started as one of the competitors for the Google Lunar X Prize, a competition that offered a $20 million prize for the first private spacecraft to land on the moon, travel 500 meters and send back video from the lunar surface.
• At the time, the Japanese group, known as Team Hakuto, focused on developing a rover, and it was to rely on a competing team from India for the ride to the surface of the moon.
• If that had worked, the two rovers would have been racing to see which could travel the 500 meters first.
• However, the Lunar X Prize expired before any of the teams made it to the launchpad.
• An Israeli competitor, SpaceIL, launched its craft in 2019, but its moon lander crashed on the lunar surface.
• The group known as Team Hakuto evolved into Ispace, attracting sizable investment, and the company plans to launch a series of commercial moon landers in the coming years.
• For Sunday’s mission, the payloads include
• the Rashid lunar rover from the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center in Dubai;
• a two-wheeled “transformable lunar robot” from JAXA, the Japanese space agency;
• a test module for a solid-state battery from NGK Spark Plug Co.;
• an artificial intelligence flight computer; and 360-degree cameras from Canadensys Aerospace.
• As a vestige of its Lunar X Prize heritage, it is also carrying a panel engraved with the names of people who provided crowdfunding support and a music disc with a song performed by Japanese rock band Sakanaction.
• The Japanese company’s lander is not the only passenger on the flight. A secondary payload on the Falcon 9 is a small NASA mission, Lunar Flashlight, which is to enter an elliptical orbit around the moon and use an infrared laser to probe the deep, dark craters at the moon’s polar regions.
• Much like some other recent moon missions, M1 is taking a circuitous, energy-efficient trip to the moon and will not land, in the Atlas Crater in the Northern Hemisphere of the moon, until late April.
• The fuel-efficient trajectory allows the mission to pack in more payload and carry less fuel.

Moon’s other recent visitors

• As part of the Artemis I mission, NASA’s Orion spacecraft traveled to, then orbited, the moon. It returned to Earth on dec 11, 2022  with a splashdown into the Pacific Ocean.
• A small NASA-financed mission called CAPSTONE also arrived recently to explore an orbit in which NASA plans to build a lunar outpost where astronauts will stop on the way to the moon.
• And while it hasn’t arrived yet, the moon will get a third new visitor next month. Danuri, a South Korean space probe, was launched in August and is due to enter lunar orbit Dec. 16.
• The spacecraft will help the development of technology for future Korean missions, and it also carries scientific instruments to study the moon’s chemical composition and magnetic field.

Other companies

• A NASA program called Commercial Lunar Payload Services, or CLPS, has been looking to send experiments to the surface of the moon.
• The first two missions, from Intuitive Machines of Houston and Astrobotic Technology of Pittsburgh, plan to launch next year after considerable delays.
• Intuitive Machines’ lander, which could be launched as early as March, could even beat Ispace to the moon because it’s using a quick six-day trajectory.
• Because it is not an American company, Ispace could not directly participate in the NASA program.
• However, it is part of a team led by Draper Technologies of Cambridge, Massachusetts, that has won a CLPS mission from NASA. That mission is scheduled to be launched in 2025.

Source – IE

 

The Multi-State Cooperative Societies (MSCS) Act, 2002

Paper 3 – Economy

Why You Should Know?

The Bill to amend the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (MSCS) Act, 2002, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on the first day of the Winter Session on December 7, 2022.

In detail –

History of India’s cooperative movement

• India’s cooperative movement originated in the agriculture and related sectors as a means for farmers to pool their resources to prevent exploitation by money lenders.
• According to the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), cooperatives are people-centred enterprises jointly owned and democratically controlled by and for their members to realise their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations.
• Article 43B of the Constitution inserted by the 97th Amendment says that “states shall endeavour to promote voluntary formation, autonomous functioning, democratic control and professional management of cooperative societies”.
• Cooperatives in India range from those providing credit to those producing, procuring, or marketing products like fertilisers, milk, sugar, and fish. Indian Farmers Fertilisers Cooperative (IFFCO) has around a third of the market share in fertilizers, while Gujarat’s Amul is a highly profitable dairy cooperative.
• According to the Ministry of Cooperation, there are around 8.5 lakh cooperatives in India, with about 1.3 crore people directly attached to them.
• As per NCUI data from 2018, the percentage of cooperative members in proportion to the total population increased from 3.8% in 1950-51 to 22.2% in 2016-17.
• India’s cooperative movement was formalised at the end of the 19th century, inspired by the German model of agricultural credit banks.
• In 1904, the British government in India enacted the Cooperative Credit Societies Act. While this Act dealt solely with the extension of credit, the sector was opened up to other activities in 1912. Administrative reforms in 1919 transferred cooperatives to provincial control.
• After Independence, the framers of the Constitution placed cooperatives in the State list. They came to be considered instruments of socio-economic development and became an essential focus of the initial Five-Year Plans.
• States made their own laws to regulate cooperatives within their jurisdiction, but in 1984, the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act (amended in 2002) was enacted by Parliament to consolidate different laws at the central level.
• Multi-State cooperatives are societies that have operations in more than one state- for instance, a farmer-producers organisation which procures grains from farmers from multiple States.
• Such MSCSs are registered under the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act 2002, and their regulation lies with the Central Registrar.
• The board of directors are from all the States these collectives operate in and controls all finances and administration function.
• There are close to 1,500 MSCSs registered in India, the highest number being in Maharashtra.
• A large number of MSCSs are credit societies, while agro-based societies, dairies and banks are also sizeable in number

Issues with the cooperative sector

• As envisioned by the European Cooperative movement and the Indian constitution, the independent and autonomous character of cooperative societies was crucial to their functioning.
• Studies point out that as government and legislative control of cooperatives increased over the years, there were increasing reports of mismanagement and corruption.
• H.S. Shylendra, professor at the Institute of Rural Management, Anand (IRMA) pointed out in a 2021 paper that their inclusion in the planning process as development instruments made the sector an avenue for dispensing patronage to the supporters of ruling political parties, either by way of nomination to governing boards or sanctioning schemes specific to the cooperatives.
• Moreover,contributing to the share capital of cooperatives and providing various forms of financial assistance enabled State governments, “in the name of public interest,” to directly intervene in the working of cooperatives which are legally autonomous.
• The potency of cooperatives as an apparatus of political control can be seen in Maharashtra, Kerala, Gujarat, parts of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal.
• MSCSs were formed to ease the operation of collectives throughout the country. But IRMA researcher Indranil De points out that MSCSs are facing issues regarding trust, which is the very basis of cooperation.
• MSCSs were, therefore, brought under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 in 2018, and all urban and MSCS banks were brought under the radar of the Reserve Bank of India in 2020.
• These developments have brought MSCSs under multiple controls from the Centre, giving rise to fears that monitoring would take a top-down approach as opposed to a grassroots one.
• In 1991, the Choudhary Brahm Perkash Committee of the planning commission made far-reaching recommendations to reorganise MSCSs, but the Act has not been modified as per the report.
• Andhra Pradesh was the first to apply the recommendations and form a new model of cooperative societies.
• The Andhra government‘s Mutually-Aided Co-operative Societies Act, 1995, aimed to restore autonomy to co-operatives wherever they are not dependent on the government for equity. Other states soon enacted new laws.
• However, despite this, cooperative societies have struggled to be successful and financially viableand the cooperative movement remains unevenly spread in the country.

About the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2022

• To plug the “loopholes” in the MSCS Act, the Centre introduced a Bill seeking to amend the 2002 law for more “transparency” and increase the “ease of doing business”.
• The amendments have been introduced to improve governance, reform the electoral process, strengthen monitoring mechanisms and enhance transparency and accountability.
• The Bill also seeks to improve the composition of the board and ensure financial discipline, besides enabling the raising of funds in MCSCs.
• The Bill provides for the creation of a central Co-operative Election Authority to supervise the electoral functions of the MSCSs.
• The Authority will have a chairperson, vice-chairperson, and up to three members appointed by the Centre.
• Another provision makes it possible to override the board of directors of the society and the appointment of an administrator, not necessarily a member of the collective.
• Notably, the constitutional domain of States in regulating cooperative societies was upheld by the Supreme Court last year when it struck down a part of the 97th Constitution Amendment.
• The court held that the Centre required the ratification of the Amendment by 50% of the state legislatures as it sought to give a framework forState legislation on cooperative societies.
• The top court upheld only the part of the amendment that related to MSCSs, for which Parliament was competent to enact laws.
• The Bill seeks to amend Section 17 of the principal act to allow the merger of any State cooperative society with an existing MSCS. Opposition members argued that this was beyond the Centre’s legislative competency as State cooperatives are not its domain.
• It envisages the creation of a Co-operative Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Development Fund for the revival of sick MSCSs , financed by existing profitable MSCSs which will have to deposit either Rs. 1 crore or 1% of their net profit.
• In order to make the governance of these societies more democratic, transparent and accountable, the Bill has provisions for appointing a Cooperative Information Officer and a Cooperative Ombudsman.
• To promote equity and inclusiveness, provisions relating to the representation of women and Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe members on MSCS boards have been included.
• The Bill makes only members eligible to be elected to the board or as office bearers of the cooperative society. 
• Active members have been defined as those who are availing a minimum level of services from the society or have attended at least three consecutive general meetings.
• The Bill also increases the penalty amount for violation of the law to Rs. 1 lakh and potential imprisonment from six months to a year.

Source – TH

Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)

Paper 3 – Economy

Why You Should Know?

Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the National Standard Body of India, has published an Indian Standard, IS 19000:2022, ‘Online Consumer Reviews – Principles and Requirements for their Collection, Moderation and Publication’.

In detail –

• This standard provides requirements and recommendations for the principles and methods for review administrators to apply in their collection, moderation and publication of online consumer reviews.
• The standard prescribes specific responsibilities for the review author and the review administrator.
• This standard is applicable to any organization that publishes consumer reviews online, including suppliers/sellers of products and services that collect reviews from their own customers, a third-party contracted by the suppliers/sellers or an independent third party.
• It lays down the process which demonstrates the commitment of consumer review sites that they value their customers and provide reviews that can be trusted.
• It would help building confidence among consumers to purchase goods online and help them take better purchase decisions.
• The standard is expected to benefit all stakeholders in the e-commerce ecosystem, i.e. consumers, e-commerce platforms, sellers etc.

Background

• Over the last few years, there has been a steady rise in e-commerce transactions across the country.
• Reviews posted online play a significant role in making purchase decisions and consumers exceedingly rely on reviews posted on e-commerce platforms to see the opinion and experience of users who have already purchased the goods or services
• As online reviews are increasingly influential to consumers’ purchasing decisions, it is important to both consumers and suppliers/sellers that the same are managed effectively to build confidence in the quality, integrity, accuracy and transparency of reviews.

About Bureau of India Standards –

• The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the National Standards Body of India under Department of Consumer affairs,Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Government of India.
• It is established by the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016 which came into effect on 12 October 2017.
• Earlier its name was ‘Indian Standards Institution -ISI’ which was established in the year 1947.
• A new Bureau of Indian standards (BIS) Act 2016 which was notified on 22 March 2016, has been brought into force with effect from 12 October 2017.
• The Act (BIS Act-2016) establishes the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) as the National Standards Body of India.
• BIS was established for the harmonized development of standardization, marking and quality certification activities of goods and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

Sources – PIB

MoUbetween KVIC & Assam Rifles

Paper 3 – Economy

Why You Should Know?

The Khadi and Village Industries Commission(KVIC) has taken another big step towards making India “Aatmanirbhar” by joining hands with Assam Rifles to supply mustard oil.On dec 12, 2022, KVIC and Assam Rifles signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to this effect.

In detail –

• The development comes in wake of the instructions of  Home Minister Shri Amit Shah to the paramilitary forces, to encourage local products in a bid to support the “Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan” initiated by GOI. 
• Shri Amit Shah had also made it mandatory to sell only “Swadeshi” products through the CAPF canteens across India.
• The Assam Rifles will soon place an order for supply of 458 quintals of high quality kachhi ghani mustard oil, worth about Rs. 2.71 Crores, which will be supplied by KVIC during 2022-23.

FSSAIStandards

• Supplies of Mustard oil by the KVIC shall conform to the relevant FSSAI Standards.
• The quality of Mustard oil will be checked at consignee’s door step by a Board of Officers detailed by the DG, Assam Rifles.
• Mustard oil proposed to be supplied will carry “Shelf Life’’ of approx. nine (09) months from the date of supply at Assam Rifles for soundness, wholesomeness and fitness for human consumption.
• Supply will be provisioned by KVIC within 45 days from the date of issue of supply order by Assam Rifles.
• Stores are required to be dispatched by road/rail transport only up to five destinations (1) Shillong, 2) Dimapur, 3) Mantripukhri (Imphal), 4) Silchar and 5) Jorhat, all MGARs locations of Assam Rifles) on freight paid basis.

AboutKVIC

• The Khadii and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is a statutory body formed in April 1957 by the Government of India, under the Act of Parliament, ‘Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act of 1956’.
• It is an apex organisation under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, with regard to khadi and village industries within India.
• It seeks to – “plan, promote, facilitate, organise and assist in the establishment and development of khadi and village industries in the rural areas in coordination with other agencies engaged in rural development wherever necessary.”
• In April 1957, it took over the work of former All India Khadi and Village Industries Board.
• Its head office is in Mumbai, whereas its six zonal offices in Delhi, Bhopal, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Mumbai and Guwahati. Other than its zonal offices, it has offices in 28 states for the implementation of its various programmes.
• Khadi and Village Industries Commission holds the exclusive rights to use the trademark ”Khadi” and “Khadi India”.

Objectives of the Commission

The commission has three main objectives which guide its functioning. These are –

1. The Social Objective – Providing employment in rural areas
2. The Economic Objective – Providing saleable articles
3. The Wider Objective – Creating self-reliance amongst people and building up a strong rural community spirit.
4. The commission seeks to achieve these objectives by implementing and monitoring various schemes and programs.

About Assam Rifles

• The Assam Rifles (AR) is a central paramilitary forceresponsible for border security, counter-insurgency, and maintaining law and order in Northeast India.
• It guards the Indo-Myanmar border.
• Its comes under the administration of the Ministry of Home Affairs, while its operational control is maintained by the Indian Army.
• Being a police force, its recruitment, perks, promotions, and retirement policies are governed by CAPF rules.
• The AR is also dubbed as “Sentinels of North East” and “Friends of the Hill People”.
• It is the oldest paramilitary force in India, originally raised in 1835 as Cachar Levy, a militia to protect tea gardens and fertile plains of Assam against unruly tribes.

Sources – AIR

G20 Development Working Group

Paper 2 – International Relations

Why You Should Know?

First Meeting of the G20 Development Working Group to Be Held in Mumbai from December 13-16, 2022.

In detail –

• Guest countries and invited International Organizations would be attending the meeting in person.
• On December 13, 2022, the Indian Presidency will hold two side events – on “Data for Development: Role of G20 in advancing the 2030 Agenda” and “Infusing new LiFE into Green Development” – before the official meeting of the Working Group.
• The Development working meeting will be held on December 14-15, 2022, with a focus on India’s key priorities relating to accelerating progress on the SDGs, Lifestyle for environment and data for development.

Area of discussion

• India’s G20 Presidency lies at a crucial midpoint of the 2030 Agendafor Sustainable Development, adopted in 2015.
• Review of SDG progress and G20’s efforts to achieving the SDG targets would be discussed at the DWG meeting.
• In the context of Green Development, focus areas would include climate finance and technology, as well as just energy transitions for developing countries.
• Understanding that the issue of climate change cuts across industry, society, and sectors, the concept of LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), a behaviour-based movement that draws from our country’s rich, ancient and sustainable traditions, to nudge consumers, and in-turn markets, to adopt environmentally-conscious practices, would be deliberated upon.
• LiFE ties closely with India’s G20 motto ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ and theme “One Earth One Family One Future”. With our human-centric approach to technology, tech-enabled development in sectors ranging from agriculture to education would also be discussed.
• Women empowerment and representation, including efforts to bring women to the fore, and in leading positions, in order to boost socio-economic development and achievement of SDGs, would be highlighted.

About LiFE Initative

• Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, on Sunday, June 5,  launched the ‘Environment-Fair Lifestyle Movement’ (LIFE)  through video conferencing on the occasion of World Environment Day.
• This idea of the  LiFE  campaign was mooted by the Prime Minister of India  during  the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) held in Glasgow in 2021.
• It will expand measures to promote an environmentally conscious lifestyle and  focus on ‘careful and proper use’, rather than “spending resources and spending money without thinking”.
• LiFE’s approach is to adopt a lifestyle that suits our planet and does not harm it.
• “Mission LiFE, drawing inspiration from the past, taking action in the present, focuses on the future.”  ‘Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’ are the basic concepts of our lives. The cyclical economy has been an integral part of our culture and lifestyle.
• The mission has been launched by the Government of India in partnership with the United Nations, The World Resources Institute, the Centre for Social and Behavioural Change (CSBC) and the Bill and Malinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).

The objective –

• The aim of the LiFE Movement is to harness the power of collective action and to inspire individuals around the world to take simple climate-friendly actions in their daily lives.
• In addition, under the LiFE  movement,  there will also be an effort to take advantage of the strength of the social network to influence the social norms around the climate.
• The mission plans to create a global network  of individuals, called ‘Pro-Planet People’ (P3),  which will be a shared commitment to adopt and promote an eco-friendly lifestyle.
• Through this movement,  an attempt will be made to transform the non-responsible ‘use-and-settlement’ economy, which is currently in force, into a circular economy, thereby expanding cautious and sustainable use.

Sources – LM

 

Zonal Cultural Centers

Paper 1–Art & Culture

Why You Should Know?

Ministry of Culture has set up seven Zonal Cultural Centers for the development Of Arts, Culture and Craft across the country.

In detail –

• The Ministry of Culture, Government of India has set up seven Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs) with headquarters at Patiala, Nagpur, Udaipur, Prayagraj, Kolkata, Dimapur and Thanjavur.
• These ZCCs organize various cultural activities and programmes on regular basis in their member States throughout the year.
• For conducting various activities/ programmes, ZCCs are provided regular annual grant-in-aid by the Government. However, no State/UT-wise funds are released by the Ministry of Culture for the purpose.
• Further, for preservation and development of art, culture and crafts across the country, Ministry of Culture also organizes Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsavs (RSMs) through these ZCCs where a large number of artists from all over India are engaged to showcase their talents.
• From November, 2015 onwards, twelve (12) RSMs have been organized by Ministry of Culture across the country.
• These ZCCs also organize minimum 42 Regional Festivals for promotion of art and culture every year as per their programme calendar.
• For proper storage of the treasure of knowledge for posterity, several art forms including the vanishing ones are being documented by these ZCCs. Number of arts forms have been documented in digital format (both audio and video formats).
• Further, for preservation and promotion of various folk arts & culture of the country, these ZCCs also implement a number of schemes viz. Award to Young Talented Artists, Guru Shishya Parampara, Theatre Rejuvenation, Research and Documentation, Shilpgram, OCTAVE and National Cultural Exchange Programme.

Sources – AIR

 

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)

Paper 3 – Infrastructure

Why You Should Know?

Recently The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released recommendations on Improving Telecom Connectivity/ Infrastructure in remote and far-flung districts of Himachal Pradesh.

In detail –

• Considering the poor telecom connectivity situation in some parts of hilly state of Himachal Pradesh and the need for addressing the digital divide in the state, the Authority had suo-motu initiated consultation with relevant stakeholders viz Department of Information Technology (DIT) of the Govt. of HP, Local State Government Officials, Telecom Service Providers, Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL) and local consumer representatives.
• To assess the present status of telecom infrastructure gap and to also bridge the extant digital divide in the state, TRAI identified four worst affected revenue districts in the state namely Lahaul & Spiti, Chamba, Kullu and Mandi respectively.
• TRAI went on to obtain the current status of available telecom network infrastructure in these four worst affected districts of Himachal Pradesh from operating TSPs, BBNL, USOF, Power generation/ transmission companies operating the state, for gap analysis.
• Based on the gap analysis, the Authority made its recommendations suggesting improvement in telecom connectivity in above mentioned districts of Himachal Pradesh.

What is TRAI?

• The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is a regulatory body set up by the Government of India under section 3 of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997.
• It was established on 20 February 1997 to regulate telecom services and tariffs in India. Earlier regulation of telecom services and tariffs was overseen by the Central Government.
• It consists of a Chairperson and not more than two full-time members and not more than two part-time members.
• The TRAI Act was amended by an ordinance, effective from 24 January 2000, establishing a Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) to take over the adjudicatory and disputes functions from TRAI.

Mission and Objective

• TRAI’s mission is to create and nurture conditions for the growth of telecommunications in India to enable the country to have a leading role in the emerging global information society.
• One of its main objectives is to provide a fair and transparent environment that promotes a level playing field and facilitates fair competition in the market.
• TRAI regularly issues orders and directions on various subjects such as tariffs, interconnections, quality of service, Direct To Home (DTH) services and mobile number portability.

Sources – PIB