Public infrastructure has been a cornerstone of human progress, but it has plagued the previous generation, making it imperative for the third type of public infrastructure called Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), with more open and democratic principles built in it.

What is DPI?

v  Digital public infrastructure (DPI) refers to blocks or platforms such as digital identification, payment infrastructure and data exchange solutions that help countries deliver essential services to their people, empowering citizens and improving lives by enabling digital inclusion.

v  DPIs mediate the flow of people, money and information. First, the flow of people through a digital ID System. Second, the flow of money through a real-time fast payment system. And third, the flow of personal information through a consent-based data sharing system to actualize the benefits of DPIs and to empower the citizen with a real ability to control data.

v  These three sets become the foundation for developing an effective DPI ecosystem.

v  Each DPI layer fills a clear need and generates considerable value across sectors.

v  India, through India Stack, became the first country to develop all three foundational DPIs, Digital identity (Aadhar), Real-time fast payment (UPI) and Account Aggregator built on the Data Empowerment Protection Architecture (DEPA).

v  DEPA creates a digital framework that allows users to share their data on their own terms through a third-party entity, who are known as Consent Mangers.

What are the Pillars of India’s DPI Ecosystem?

Aadhaar:

Aadhaar is a strategic policy tool for social and financial inclusion, public sector delivery reforms, managing fiscal budgets, increasing convenience and promoting hassle-free people-centric governance.

Aadhaar holders can voluntarily use their Aadhaar for private sector purposes, and private sector entities need not seek special permission for such usage.

DigiYatra:

DigiYatra is a Biometric Enabled Seamless Travel (BEST) experience based on a Facial Recognition System (FRS).

Air passenger traffic in India was estimated to be over 188 million in airports across India in the financial year 2022, out of whom over 22 million were international passengers.

DigiLocker:

DigiLocker has 150 million users, six billion stored documents, and done with a tiny budget of RS 50 crore over seven years.

The users can store their documents such as insurance, medical reports, PAN card, passport, marriage certificate, school certificate and other documents in the digital format.

UPI:

UPI (Unified Payment Interface) has crossed eight billion transactions per month and transacts a value of USD 180 billion a month, or about a staggering 65% of India’s GDP per annum.

UPI is currently the biggest among the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) operated systems including National Automated Clearing House (NACH), Immediate Payment Service (IMPS), Aadhaar enabled Payment System (AePS), Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS), RuPay etc.

How can DPI help Boost India’s Digital Infrastructure?

Independent Steward Institutions:

A multiparty governance process through independent DPI institutions will be accountable to a broad range of stakeholders rather than be controlled by a single entity or group. This can build trust and confidence in DPI.

Global Standards:

There is a need to develop global standards through a multilateral dialogue led by India.

If standards originating from developed nations were transplanted to an emerging economies’ context smaller countries would simply be captive to dominant technology players.

Sustainable Financing Models:

There is a need to develop sustainable financing models for developing DPI for the world.

Currently backed by philanthropic funding, such models are at risk of becoming a tool of philanthropic competition and positioning.

New Playbook for Digital Infrastructure:

The world needs a new playbook for digital infrastructure that mediates the flow of people, money and information.

This will facilitate countries looking to digitally empower their citizens.

They can then rapidly build platforms that address the specific needs of people, while ensuring people are able to trust and use the platform – without fear of exclusion or exploitation.

Recently, in the Parliament House, various aspects of India's health and agriculture sectors, as well as their most recent updates, were discussed.

What are the Updates in Indian Health Sector?

Leprosy:

India has eliminated Leprosy as a public health problem, according to the World Health Organization criterion, there must be less than one case per 10,000 population at the national level, the criterion set in 2005 stated.

With several interventions introduced under the National Leprosy Eradication Programme in the last few years, the number of new leprosy cases detected have come down to 75,394 in 2021-22 from 125,785 in 2014-15.

Menstrual Hygiene Scheme:

v  Currently, 26 states and Union Territories implemented the Menstrual Hygiene Scheme with either the National Health Mission (NHM) budget or combined budget of NHM and the state

v  In 2021-22, approximately 3.49 million adolescent girls were provided sanitary napkin packs every month as per “Health Management Information System” (HMIS) data.

v  The Department of Pharmaceuticals under the Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers implements the Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janausadhi Pariyojna, which is an important step in ensuring the health security for women.

v  Under the project, over 8,800 Janaushidhi Kendras have been set up across the country that provide Oxo-biodegradable sanitary napkins named ‘Suvidha’ at Rs 1 per pad.

Lifestyle Diseases:

The proportion of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) have increased in India from 30.5 % in 1990 to 55.4 % in 2016.

The figures were quoted from 2017 Indian Council of Medical Research study report, India: Health of the Nation’s States — The India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative (2017).

Gender Gap in India:

v  India’s rank has improved on the Global Gender Gap Index in 2022 compared with 2021.

v  The Global Gender Gap Report 2022 was released by the World Economic Forum.

v  The Global Gender Gap Report 2022 ranks India at 135 out of 146 countries on the Global Gender Gap Index with a score of 0.629 out of 1.

High Blood Lead Levels:

Research by government think tank NITI Aayog and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, found that 275 million children under 19 years of age in India have blood lead levels that are abnormally high that is, greater than five micrograms per deciliter.

Cancer due to Arsenic Contamination in Assam and Bihar:

v  Assam had an estimated 39,787 cancer cases and Bihar had 109,274 in 2022, according to the ICMR National Cancer Registry Programme.

v  Prolonged use of arsenic contaminated water for drinking causes several diseases, predominantly skin pigmentation, thickening, hard patches on the palms and soles of the feet (hyperkeratosis)

v  These occur after a minimum exposure of approximately five years and may be a precursor to skin cancer. In addition, long-term exposure to arsenic may also cause cancers of the bladder and lungs.

What are the Updates in Indian Agriculture Sector?

v  The cultivable land area in India has declined 1,79,993 thousand hectares in 2019-20 from 1,80,624 thousand hectares in 2018-19, according to the latest Land Use Statistics-at a Glance 2010-11 to 2019-20.

v  The marginal decline in agricultural/cultivable land has been mainly due to the diversion of land for non-agricultural purposes such as urbanization, creation of infrastructure viz roads, airports, housing, etc.,

v  While there is shift in agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes, non-agricultural land is also being brought under agricultural uses through various schemes implemented by the government.

What are the Updates in Aquaculture?

India is the third largest fish-producing country, contributing 8% to global fish production, and ranks second in aquaculture production.

Fish production in 2021-22 was 16.24 million Tonnes comprising marine fish production of 4.12 million Tonnes and 12.12 million Tonnes from aquaculture.

Recently, the Bangla Sahitya Sabha, Assam (BSSA) felicitated guests at a function with “hybrid gamosas” made up of Assamese Gamocha and Bengali Gamchas cut in half and sewn together. The organization issued an apology after a controversy erupted.

The BSSA is a newly formed literary and cultural society with the aim of serving as a meeting point for Bengalis of Assam.

What is Assamse Gamocha?

Assamese Gamocha is a traditional handwoven cotton towel, which is an integral part of Assamese culture and tradition.

It is a rectangular piece of cloth. The towel comes in various colors and designs, and the most popular among them are the red and white ones with a Phulam known as the ‘Gamocha design’.

The word ‘Gamocha’ is derived from the Assamese word ‘Ga’ (body) and ‘Mocha’ (wipe), which means a towel to wipe the body. The weavers use a traditional loom called the ‘Taat Xaal’ to weave the towel.

Recognition:

The Assamese Gamocha has gained national and international recognition for its unique design and cultural significance. It was granted the Geographical Indication (GI) tag, which is a recognition of its origin and unique characteristics.

The GI tag ensures that the Gamocha is protected from imitations and helps to promote the local weavers and their traditional weaving techniques.

Cultural Significance:

The Assamese Gamocha is a symbol of Assamese culture and tradition. The towel is used in various ways in daily life, and each use has a specific cultural significance.

It is used as a headscarf by women during traditional ceremonies and functions, and it is a sign of respect and honor when it is presented to someone as a gift.

The Gamocha is also used during the Bihu festival, which is the most important festival of Assam. It is draped around the neck of the Bihu dancers, and it is an essential part of their costume. The towel is also used as a symbol of unity and brotherhood during the Bihu festival.

What is Bengali Gamcha?

Bengali Gamcha traditional handwoven cotton towel, which is an integral part of Assamese culture and tradition. It is a rectangular piece of cloth. It comes in a red-and-white chequered pattern.

Recently, scientists have reported evidence of the Piezoelectric effect in liquids.

The effect has been known for 143 years and in this time has been observed only in solids.

What is the Piezoelectric Effect?

ü  The piezoelectric effect is a phenomenon in which certain materials produce an electrical charge in response to mechanical stress or pressure. This effect occurs when the material is subjected to a force that causes its molecules to become polarized, meaning that the positive and negative charges within the material are separated from each other.

ü  When this polarization occurs, an electric potential is generated across the material, and if the material is connected to a circuit, a current can flow.

ü  The reverse is also true: if an electric potential is applied to the material, it can cause a mechanical deformation.

ü  Piezoelectric materials are used in a variety of applications, such as in sensors, actuators, and energy harvesting devices. Some examples of common piezoelectric materials include quartz, ceramics, and certain types of crystals.

ü  Example: Quartz is the most famous piezoelectric crystal: it is used in this capacity in analog wristwatches and clocks.

ü  The Piezoelectric effect was discovered in 1880, in quartz, by Jacques and Pierre Curie.

What are the Implications of Discovery?

Ø  The discovery opens the door to applications that have previously not been accessible with solid-state materials and are more readily recyclable and in many instances pose fewer environmental issues than many currently used piezoelectric materials.

Ø  The liquids also displayed the inverse piezoelectric effect: they became distorted when an electric charge was applied, this fact could be used to control how the liquids bent light passing through them by passing different currents through them.

Ø  That is, using this simple control mechanism, vials of these liquids could be lenses with dynamic focusing abilities.

Ø  The new finding challenges the theory that describes this effect as well as opens the door to previously unanticipated applications in electronic and mechanical systems.

They are annual crops that yield between one and 12 grains or seeds.

The term “pulses” is limited to crops harvested solely as dry grains, which differentiates them from other vegetable crops that are harvested while still green.

Significance of Pulses:

Ø  They are high in protein, fibre, and various vitamins, provide amino acids, and are hearty crops

Ø  They are one of the most sustainable crops a farmer can grow.

Ø  They also contribute to soil quality by fixing nitrogen in the soil.

Ø  Pulse crops help decrease greenhouse gases and use less water than other crops.

Sowing Area Coverage of Summer Crops:

They are as follows:

Ø  Rice: About 34.80 lakh ha area coverage under summer rice as compared to 25.26 lakh ha during the corresponding period of last year.

Ø  Pulses: About 8.77 lakh ha area coverage under pulses as compared to 5.44 lakh ha. during the corresponding period of last year.

Ø  Course Cereals: About 9.12 lakh ha area coverage under coarse cereals as compared to 5.49 lakh ha. during the corresponding period of last year.

Ø  Oilseeds: About 8.87 lakh ha area coverage under oilseeds as compared to 7.00 lakh ha. during the corresponding period of last year.

Agriculture Trade:

Ø  India occupies a leading position in global trade of agricultural products. However, its total agricultural export basket accounts for a little over 2.15 per cent of the world agricultural trade.

Ø  The major export destinations are USA, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Nepal and Bangladesh. India has remained consistently a net exporter of agri-products since the economic reforms in 1991, touching Rs.2.7 lakh crore exports and imports at Rs.1.37 lakh crore in 2018-19.

Ø  A number of trade policy measures have been undertaken by the Government over the past few years to protect the domestic farmers in the country, which include:

Ø  Import duty has been raised on several imports (from 0 to 10% on tur, 0 to 50% on peas, 0 to 60 %on gram (chana) and 0 to 30%on lentils).

Ø  Imposition of Quantitative restrictions on imports (4 lakh tonnes per year on tur and 1.5 lakh tonnes on peas, urad & moong per year).

Ø  Exports of all varieties of pulses have been allowed with effect from 22.11.2017 to ensure the greater choice in marketing as well as the better remuneration for farmers’ produces.

Ø  Restriction on export of all types of edible oils (except mustard oil) has been lifted on 06.04.2018 to encourage export of indigenous edible oils and their industries.

Ø  Government has imposed Minimum Import Price (MIP) on pepper and arecanut to protect the domestic growers and their livelihood from cheap import of the commodity as well as to save the domestic industries of pepper and arecanut.

Ø  Under Foreign Trade Policy 2015- 20, rates of reward under merchandise exports from India (MEIS) were enhanced on export of various agriculture items on 1st November, 2017 to offset high transit cost.

Ø  Government has recently initiated a comprehensive “Agriculture Export Policy” aimed at doubling the agricultural exports and integrating Indian farmers and agricultural products with the global value chains.

Ø  Created Agri cells in many Indian embassies abroad to take care of agricultural trade related issues.