Topics

1. DIGITAL PAYMENTS INDEX
2. JAN VISHWAS BILL 2023
3. INDIA AND IRAN DEAL
4. PARKACHIK GLACIER
5. RESOURCE EFFICIENCY CIRCULAR ECONOMY INDUSTRY COALITION (RECEIC)
6. SILVOPASTURE SYSTEMS FOR LOCAL CLIMATE RESILIENCE

DIGITAL PAYMENTS INDEX

What is RBI Digital Payment Index?

• The RBI Digital Payment Index (RBI-DPI) is a composite index that measures the extent of digitisation of payments across the country.

• It is based on five broad parameters:

1. Payment Enablers,
2. Payment Infrastructure – Demand-side factors,

• Payment Infrastructure – Supply-side factors,

1. Payment Performance,
2. Consumer Centricity.

• It is published on a semi-annual basis from March 2021 onwards with a lag of four months.

• It has a base value of 100 for March 2018.

What are the latest trends in RBI Digital Payment Index?

• According to the latest data released by RBI, the RBI-DPI stood at 395.57 at end-March 2023, compared to 377.46 in September 2022 and 349.30 in March 2022.
• This shows a growth of 13.24% in a year through March 2023, and a growth of 4.81% in six months from September 2022 to March 2023.

• The RBI said that the index has increased across all parameters, driven by significant growth in payment infrastructure and performance across the country over the period.

What are the benefits of RBI Digital Payment Index?

• The RBI Digital Payment Index can help to monitor the progress of digital payments in India and assess the impact of various policy interventions by the government and the regulator.
• It can also help to identify the gaps and challenges in the digital payment ecosystem and suggest measures to improve its accessibility, affordability, security and convenience.
• It can also provide insights into the consumer behavior and preferences regarding digital payments and foster innovation and competition among the service providers.

Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2022

News:

• The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha by Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on December 22, 2022 and later referred to a 31-member joint committee of Parliament for scrutiny. The report was tabled in March this year.The Lok Sabha passed the Bill on July 27, 2023 amid the din.

Introduction

• The Jan Vishwas Bill is a proposed legislation that aims to decriminalise around 180 offences across 42 laws governing various sectors such as environment, agriculture, media, industry and trade, publication, etc.

• The Bill seeks to remove or replace imprisonment clauses with monetary fines, to provide a boost to the business ecosystem and improve the well-being of the public

• The Bill also proposes compounding of offences in some provisions and periodic revision of fines and penalties for various offences in the specified Acts.

Objectives

1. • To reduce compliance burden and promote ease of living and doing business in the country by decriminalising minor offences that do not affect public interest or national security.

1. • To create a trust-based governance system that relies on self-certification, disclosure and verification rather than inspection and prosecution.
   • To simplify grievance redressal mechanisms and provide speedy resolution of disputes through adjudicating officers and appellate authorities.

1. • To harmonise and rationalise the existing laws and penalties to avoid inconsistency and ambiguity.

Key Features

• 1. The Bill removes all offences and penalties under the Indian Post Office Act, 1898.
  2. The Bill creates an Environmental Protection Fund for education, awareness and research on environmental protection.
  3. The Bill amends the Cinematograph Act, 1952 to provide for certification of films by a Board of Film Certification instead of a Central Board of Film Certification.
  4. The Bill amends the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 to provide for compounding of offences related to spurious drugs and misbranded cosmetics.
  5. The Bill amends the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 to provide for compounding of offences related to non-standard weights and measures.
  6. The Bill amends the Press Council Act, 1978 to provide for compounding of offences related to non-compliance with directions of the Press Council.
  7. The Bill amends the Trade Marks Act, 1999 to provide for compounding of offences related to infringement of registered trademarks.
  8. The Bill amends various other Acts such as the Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) Act, 1937; the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981; the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995; the Companies Act, 2013; the Competition Act, 2002; the Consumer Protection Act, 2019; the Copyright Act, 1957; etc.

INDIA AND IRAN DEAL

News:  Anticipated before the Global Maritime India Summit 2023 in October, India and Iran are set to finalize a long-term agreement aimed at developing Iran’s Chabahar Port by September.

Key Points:

1. Current Contract Status: One-Year Extensions

India and Iran have been signing one-year contract extensions for the development and operation of the terminal at Chabahar Port.

2. India’s Push for Long-Term Pact

India has been urging Iran to commit to a longer-term agreement, which would provide certainty for investment and development plans. This is crucial for India as it designed the port and seeks stability in the partnership.

3. India’s Previous Commitments

Back in 2016, India had committed $85 million for the initial development of Chabahar Port, along with a $150 million line of credit. As of 2023, India has additionally supplied six gantry cranes worth $25 million to further support the port’s development.

4. Iran’s Concerns and Dissatisfaction

Iran has expressed dissatisfaction with India’s efforts in the past, leading to complexities in the development process.

This tension dates back to 2013 when India initially pledged $100 million for the port’s development, but progress stalled after the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1 group (the Permanent Members of the UN Security Council, Germany, and the European Union).

5. Tripartite Agreement for Trade Corridor

In 2016, India, Iran, and Afghanistan signed an agreement to establish Chabahar as a trade and transport corridor, aiming to strengthen economic ties between the three nations.

6. Impact of Sanctions and Political Changes

The resumption of US sanctions in 2019 and the subsequent fall of Afghanistan in 2021 have added further complexity and slowed down the development work on the port. These geopolitical factors have posed challenges to the project’s progress.

Parkachik Glacier

News: According to a recent study, researchers have discovered that the Parkachik Glacier in Ladakh is expected to contain three lakes of varying sizes.

This phenomenon is attributed to subglacial over-deepening, which is a unique feature found in basins and valleys shaped by glacier erosion.

Location

• Parkachik Glacier is a mountain glacier in Kargil, Ladakh, India.
• It is located at Parkachik, a village on the right bank of the Suru River.
• It is about 90 km south of Kargil and 294 km east of Srinagar.

Features

• Parkachik Glacier is a mass of ice moving slowly down the Nun-Kun slopes.
• Nun and Kun are two mountain peaks that have an elevation of more than 6800 meters.
• Parkachik Glacier provides a base to climb these peaks via the difficult north face route.
• The glacier has a length of about 14 km and an average elevation of 4400 meters.

Challenges

• Parkachik Glacier is melting at an alarming rate due to global warming.
• The glacier is broken and unstable, posing risks to climbers and visitors.
• The glacier is remote and inaccessible, requiring long drives on rough roads.

RESOURCE EFFICIENCY CIRCULAR ECONOMY INDUSTRY COALITION (RECEIC)

News

• RECEIC is an industry-driven initiative conceptualized under India’s G20 Presidency.

• It was launched on July 27, 2023 by Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav at the G20 fourth Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group and Environment and Climate Ministers meeting in Chennai.

• It is designed as an autonomous body that will continue to operate beyond India’s G20 tenure.

Vision

• RECEIC aims to promote the practices of resource efficiency and circular economy globally.

• Resource efficiency and circular economy are strategies that optimize resource utilization, minimize waste, and create an inclusive and balanced approach to economic growth, social progress and environmental stewardship.

• RECEIC envisions to be a self-sustaining entity that will make a lasting impact on environmental sustainability.

Principles

• RECEIC has three guiding principles: partnerships for impact, technology cooperation and finance for scale.

• Partnerships for impact: RECEIC will foster collaboration among industry players, governments, civil society, academia and other stakeholders to create synergies and leverage best practices.

• Technology cooperation: RECEIC will facilitate the exchange of knowledge, innovation and solutions to address the challenges and opportunities of resource efficiency and circular economy.

• Finance for scale: RECEIC will enhance access to finance for resource efficiency and circular economy projects, especially for small and medium enterprises, startups and emerging markets.

Members

• About 39 companies headquartered in 11 different countries have joined the coalition as its founding members.
• They represent a diverse array of corporations, ranging from global multinational giants to startups and small and medium enterprises, covering a wide spectrum of industries, from manufacturing to waste collection, sorting, and recycling.

India Specific Policy initiatives in this regard

• India has prioritised Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy as one of the three core themes for deliberations in the G20 forum.

• India has also launched the National Resource Efficiency Policy in 2019, which provides a roadmap for achieving resource efficiency and circularity in various sectors.

• India has also implemented various policies and regulations to promote resource efficiency and circular economy, such as the

• Plastic Waste Management Rules,
• the E-Waste Management Rules,
• the Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules,
• the Solid Waste Management Rules,
• the Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules,
• the Batteries (Management and Handling) Rules.

Sectoral interventions

• India has identified four priority areas for the circular economy during its G20 presidency:

1. circularity in the steel sector, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR),
2. circular bioeconomy and

• establishing an industry-led resource efficiency and

1. circular economy industry coalition (RECEIC).

• Circularity in the steel sector: India aims to transition towards a circular steel sector by raising the recycling rates, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and fostering collaboration among G20 countries for knowledge sharing, technology co-development and technology transfer.

• Extended Producer Responsibility: India emphasises the significance of EPR framework in integrating circularity throughout the value chain, promoting the growth of recycling infrastructure, establishing a streamlined waste collection system, and incentivising producers to adopt eco-friendly designs.

• Circular bioeconomy: India recognises the potential of bio-based materials, products and processes to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, enhance resource efficiency, create new value chains, and generate employment opportunities.

• Resource efficiency and circular economy industry coalition: India has launched RECEIC as an industry-driven initiative with a global focus on promoting resource efficiency and circular economy practices through partnerships for impact, technology cooperation and finance for scale.

Innovation and best practices

India has also showcased its innovation and best practices in resource efficiency and circular economy, such as:

1. The Swachh Bharat Mission, which aims to achieve universal sanitation coverage, improve solid waste management, and promote behavioural change towards cleanliness.

2. The Jal Jeevan Mission, which aims to provide safe and adequate drinking water to every rural household through functional household tap connections by 2024.

3. The National Mission for Clean Ganga, which aims to rejuvenate the Ganga River by abating pollution, restoring ecology, enhancing biodiversity, and involving stakeholders.

4. The Perform Achieve Trade (PAT) scheme, which aims to improve energy efficiency in energy-intensive industries through a market-based mechanism that allows trading of energy saving certificates.

5. The Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) scheme, which aims to promote efficient lighting by distributing LED bulbs at affordable prices.
6. The FAME India scheme, which aims to promote faster adoption and manufacturing of electric vehicles by providing incentives for purchase and infrastructure development.

Silvopasture Systems

What are Silvopasture systems?

• Silvopasture systems are a sustainable land management approach that combines trees, livestock grazing, and forage production on the same land, providing ecological and economic benefits.

• Silvopasture is an ancient and proven practice that harmoniously integrates these elements, bringing numerous environmental advantages, including improved local climate resilience.

Why are silvopasture systems important?

• Silvopasture systems can play a vital role in reversing the negative trend of deforestation for pasture land, which is driven by an increased demand for livestock products.
• Silvopasture systems act as natural carbon sinks, sequestering significantly more carbon than pastures without trees, while maintaining or enhancing productivity.

• Project Drawdown estimates that silvopasture systems can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 26-42 gigatonnes by 2050.
•  Silvopasture systems also regulate local climatic conditions, buffering against temperature and wind extremes, providing a favourable living environment for livestock.
•  This can improve animal welfare and reduce heat stress during warm weather.
• Silvopasture systems enhance soil quality and stability by increasing nutrient cycling, water infiltration, and erosion control.
• The extensive root systems of trees within silvopasture plots contribute to these benefits.

How can silvopasture systems be implemented?

•  Silvopasture systems require careful design and management to balance the needs and interactions of trees, livestock, and forage.
• It can be established by introducing trees into existing pastures, or by introducing livestock and forage into existing woodlands.
• It can be adapted to different agroecological zones, climates, and species of trees and livestock.
• Silvopasture systems can be integrated with other agroforestry practices, such as multistrata agroforestry and tree intercropping, to diversify production and income sources.

UPSC Prelims 2022