24 June 2023

• Diplomacy: PM Modi concluded his US state visit. Key sectoral outcomes: GE F414 engine, Micron semiconductor, MQ-9B drones, Artemis Accords.
• Finance: Manipur invoked the RBI Riot Provisions for loan restructuring and KYC relaxation for conflict-affected residents.
• Environment: Researchers found evidence that seaweed cultivation at scale in India's EEZ could support 50 million jobs and sequester significant carbon.
• Science: India's first paper-based supercapacitor derived from seaweed was developed by GERMI.

GS area: International Relations

PM Modi's 21-24 June 2023 US state visit concluded. A comprehensive joint statement summarised outcomes across defence, technology, energy, space, and trade.

• Defence: GE F414 engine co-production deal with HAL (80 per cent technology transfer); 31 MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones approved; INDUS-X defence innovation ecosystem launched.
• Semiconductors: Micron Technology: 2.75 billion dollars for a semiconductor assembly and test facility near Ahmedabad. Applied Materials: semiconductor commercialisation centre. Lam Research: 60,000 Indian engineers to be trained in semiconductor fabrication.
• Space: India signed the Artemis Accords; NASA-ISRO joint ISS mission planned for 2024.
• Quantum and AI: Indo-US Quantum Coordination Mechanism established.
• Critical minerals: India joined the Minerals Security Partnership.
• Clean energy: Co-leadership of the Hydrogen Breakthrough Agenda under Mission Innovation.
• Trade: India-US bilateral trade at 191 billion dollars in 2022.

Static linkage: International relations (India-US, Indo-Pacific).

GS area: Economy (financial regulation), Internal Security

The Manipur government invoked the RBI's special provisions for areas affected by riots and civil disturbances.

• RBI Directions 2018 (Chapter 7): Allow banks in riot-affected areas to restructure loans, waive penalties, and relax KYC requirements for those who lost documents.
• Loan restructuring:
  • Short-term agricultural and non-agricultural loans eligible for moratorium of at least 1 year.
  • For crop loan losses of 33-50 per cent: 2-year repayment; for over 50 per cent loss: 5-year repayment.
• Fresh loans: Collateral-free consumption loans up to 10,000 rupees, with credit evaluation.
• KYC relaxation: New bank accounts can be opened for those who lost identity documents. Balance cap: 50,000 rupees. Total credit: 1 lakh rupees.
• Scope: Applies to Scheduled Commercial Banks including Small Finance Banks. Does not include Regional Rural Banks.

Static linkage: Economy (banking); internal security.

GS area: Science and Technology, Environment

The Gujarat Energy Research and Management Institute (GERMI) developed a paper-based supercapacitor derived from seaweed cellulose nanofibers.

• Supercapacitor: An energy storage device that charges and discharges much faster than a battery. Unlike batteries, it stores energy electrostatically rather than chemically.
• The innovation: Lightweight, biodegradable paper supercapacitor from seaweed cellulose nanofibers. Full device charging in 10 seconds.
• Applications: Consumer electronics, memory backup, airbags, electric vehicles, heavy machinery.
• Seaweed at scale: If India cultivates seaweed on just 5 per cent of its Exclusive Economic Zone, it could support approximately 50 million jobs; produce 6.6 billion litres of bioethanol; and sequester significant CO2.
• India's EEZ: India has an Exclusive Economic Zone of approximately 2.37 million square kilometres.
• Global seaweed production: 32 million tonnes of fresh weight globally. China produces 57 per cent, Indonesia 28 per cent. India's share is negligible.

Static linkage: Science and technology; environment; ocean economy.

GS area: Government Schemes, Technology

The PM-Kisan scheme introduced face authentication using iris data from the UIDAI Aadhaar database.

• PM-Kisan basics: A Central Sector scheme (100 per cent centrally funded). Provides 6,000 rupees per year in three equal instalments to landholding farmer families. Launched in February 2019.
• Beneficiaries: Over 11 crore farmers; 3 crore women farmers included.
• Authentication problem: Many beneficiaries in remote areas struggled with fingerprint-based Aadhaar authentication. Elderly farmers and those with worn fingerprints were disproportionately affected.
• Face authentication: Uses the UIDAI facial recognition system instead of fingerprints, enabling verification without requiring a mobile-Aadhaar link or physical biometric scanner.
• Bhashini platform: Integrated to provide PM-Kisan information in native languages.

Static linkage: Government schemes; technology; agriculture.

• Biodegradable utensils BIS standard: The Bureau of Indian Standards issued standard IS 18267:2023 for biodegradable utensils made from agricultural by-products. This supports the push to replace single-use plastic with sustainable alternatives.
• Kalasa Banduri project: A Karnataka project to divert water from the Kalasa and Banduri tributaries of the Mahadayi River to the Malaprabha River, improving drinking water for Belagavi, Dharwad, Bagalkot, and Gadag districts. It remains mired in inter-state dispute with Goa and is awaiting forest and environmental clearances.
• Assam floods: Incessant rainfall caused the Beki River (tributary of the Brahmaputra, originating in Bhutan) to rise above the danger mark, flooding 20 districts.