15 June 2023

• Economy: A review of 14 Production-Linked Incentive schemes found 733 applications approved, 3.25 lakh jobs created, and exports boosted by 2.56 lakh crore rupees.
• Polity: Cyclone Biparjoy made landfall near Jakhau Port in Gujarat's Kutch district.
• Governance: Child trafficking averaged 8 cases per day in India in 2021. The Trafficking in Persons Bill 2021 remained pending in Parliament.
• Health: The chikungunya vaccine VLA1553 showed strong immune response in trials. The single-dose vaccine targets Aedes mosquito-transmitted chikungunya virus.

GS area: Economy (industry), Governance

Five years after PLI schemes were launched in 2019, the government released a comprehensive review of all 14 sectors.

• Approved applications: 733 across 14 sectors.
• Investment committed: Expected to reach 3.65 lakh crore rupees.
• Employment: Approximately 3.25 lakh direct jobs generated.
• Exports: 2.56 lakh crore rupees in additional exports, from electronics, pharmaceuticals, and food processing sectors in particular.
• FDI increase: 76 per cent increase in manufacturing FDI linked to PLI.
• Challenge: Low disbursement rates in several sectors because targets were set without adequate market analysis. Six sectors had insufficient actual investment despite commitments. Documentation requirements were cumbersome.
• Mobile phones: The sector saw 20 per cent value addition domestically (up from negligible), driven by Apple and Samsung relocating some production.

The PLI scheme provides financial incentives of 1 to 20 per cent on incremental sales from domestic manufacturing, paid over 4 to 6 years.

Static linkage: Indian economy; Make in India; foreign direct investment.

GS area: Geography, Disaster Management

Cyclone Biparjoy made landfall near Jakhau Port in Kutch district, Gujarat, with wind speeds of approximately 125-135 km/h, on 15 June 2023.

• Impact: Extensive property damage in Kutch and Saurashtra coastal districts. Storm surge flooded low-lying coastal areas. Mangroves in the Rann area absorbed much of the storm's energy.
• Evacuation: Over 1.5 lakh people were evacuated before landfall. This was India's largest pre-cyclone evacuation in the Arabian Sea in years. Mortality was remarkably low given the storm's intensity.
• NDRF: 33 NDRF teams were pre-positioned in coastal districts. The Disaster Management Act, 2005 makes the NDRF the specialised federal force for such events.
• Mangrove shield: Mangroves in the Kutch coastline and the creeks of the Gulf of Kutch acted as a natural buffer. Mangrove coverage in Gujarat has increased by over 50 per cent in the last two decades.
• Monsoon disruption: Biparjoy's track delayed the monsoon onset over parts of northwest India by approximately a week.

Static linkage: Indian geography; disaster management; environment.

GS area: Social Justice, Governance

A government report found that about 8 children were trafficked per day in India in 2021.

• Scale: 95 per cent of reported cases are internal trafficking. Girls aged 15 to 18 are the most vulnerable group.
• States with high caseload: West Bengal, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana.
• Root causes: Poverty, marginalisation, displacement, bonded labour systems, weak social protection.
• Anti-Human Trafficking Units: 768 AHTUs were operational as of 2022, set up at the district level.
• Conviction rate: Below 10 per cent in reported cases. Most cases are settled or end in acquittal.
• Laws:
  • Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956: Penalises organised prostitution.
  • Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 (amended 2016): Bans employment of children below 14 in any occupation.
  • POCSO Act, 2012: Protection of Children from Sexual Offences.
  • Juvenile Justice Act, 2015: Provides for care and rehabilitation of victims.
• Pending: Trafficking in Persons (Prevention, Care and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2021 was pending in Parliament as of June 2023. It had wider scope than previous laws and included transgender persons.

Static linkage: Social justice; polity (Fundamental Rights); governance.

GS area: Economy (digital), Governance

The government expanded the e-RUPI voucher system's features.

• What e-RUPI is: A contactless, digital voucher delivered via SMS or QR code. It is a pre-paid instrument redeemable only for a specific purpose at a specific location.
• Limit: Raised to 1 lakh rupees per voucher. The voucher can be used in multiple transactions until exhausted (reusable).
• Advantage: No bank account needed for beneficiaries. This makes it ideal for targeted welfare delivery (health, nutrition, education subsidies).
• Non-bank PPIs: Non-bank Prepaid Payment Instruments were permitted to issue e-RUPI.

Static linkage: Indian economy (digital payments); governance.

• Vienna Declaration (1993): The World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna adopted the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action. It affirmed that human rights are universal, indivisible, and interdependent. India ratified the ICCPR and ICESCR (but not their Optional Protocols on individual complaint mechanisms).
• Navy ships launched: INS Sanshodhak (4th survey vessel, South Western Naval Command) and INS Anjadip (3rd Anti-Submarine Warfare shallow water craft) launched, both with over 80 per cent indigenous content.
• Mount Mayon (Philippines): Active volcano on the island of Luzon, Philippines. It sits at the convergence of the Eurasian, Philippine Sea, and Indo-Australian tectonic plates. It erupted in June 2023, forcing thousands to evacuate.