1 July 2023

• Rankings: NIRF India Rankings 2023 released. IIT Madras tops engineering; IIM Ahmedabad leads management.
• Energy: India's first draft Resource Adequacy Planning Framework notified under the Electricity (Amendment) Rules 2022.
• Food security: Centre suspended Open Market Sale Scheme grain sales to state governments, triggering protests from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
• Semiconductors: India's strategic pivot toward chip manufacturing continues amid the US-China technology rivalry.
• Space: CDRI received formal recognition as an international organisation through a Headquarters Agreement with India.

GS area: Governance, Education

The Ministry of Education released the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) India Rankings 2023. The framework was launched in September 2015 and evaluates higher education institutions across five weighted parameters.

• NIRF parameters and weights: Teaching, Learning and Resources (30 per cent); Research and Professional Practice (30 per cent); Graduation Outcomes (20 per cent); Outreach and Inclusivity (10 per cent); Perception (10 per cent).
• Engineering top three: IIT Madras, IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay.
• Management top three: IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Kozhikode.
• Law: National Law School of India University, Bengaluru holds first place.
• Colleges category: Miranda House, Delhi University, ranks first.
• Participation growth: Institutes submitting data rose from 3,565 in 2016 to 8,686 in 2023.
• Participation gap: Only about 12 per cent of the country's higher education institutions participate. Urban institutions dominate.

Critics flag methodological reliance on bibliometrics, which disadvantages institutions in applied and vocational fields, and documented instances of data manipulation by some private universities.

Static linkage: Higher education and institutional quality (Education section, Indian polity and governance).

GS area: Economy, Infrastructure (Energy)

The Ministry of Power released draft guidelines for a Resource Adequacy Planning Framework under the Electricity (Amendment) Rules 2022. The framework addresses the gap between peak electricity demand and reliably available generation capacity.

• Planning horizon: 10 continuous years, updated annually.
• Obligation on DISCOMs: Distribution companies must report expected demand, projected growth rates, contracted generation capacity, and quantities procured through the power exchange.
• Core objective: Ensure sufficient generation and demand response to cover peak demand at least cost, while meeting renewable purchase obligations.
• Implementation window: A two-to-three-year grace period was recommended before full mandatory compliance for DISCOMs, to allow methodology development.

Static linkage: Energy sector, electricity infrastructure, regulatory bodies.

GS area: Economy, Agriculture, Governance

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) typically sells surplus foodgrains from the central pool to traders, bulk consumers, and retail chains through e-auctions. This mechanism is called the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS). The Centre stopped grain sales under OMSS to state governments, affecting welfare programmes in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

• FCI background: Statutory body created under the Food Corporations Act 1964 to manage price support operations and maintain operational and buffer stocks.
• What changed on limits: The single-bidder purchase ceiling was cut from 3,000 metric tonnes to 10-100 metric tonnes per auction lot, to accommodate smaller buyers and reduce retail price pressure.
• State programme impact: Karnataka's Anna Bhagya and Tamil Nadu's expanded public distribution system both relied on OMSS grain to supplement central allocations.
• Centre's rationale: Managing inflationary pressure by redirecting grain to open market buyers rather than locking it into state schemes.

Static linkage: Food security, public distribution system, federalism and Centre-state relations.

GS area: International Relations, Science and Technology, Economy

Semiconductors have become the centrepiece of the US-China technology rivalry. India is positioning itself as an alternative manufacturing destination.

• India's semiconductor allocation: The government has committed approximately 76,000 crore rupees (about 10 billion US dollars) under its semiconductor incentive scheme.
• India-US iCET: The Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies framework, signed in 2022, covers semiconductor cooperation and included a Micron investment announcement during the PM's recent US visit.
• Global chip concentration: Taiwan produces over 60 per cent of all semiconductors and 90 per cent of the world's most advanced chips.
• US alliance structure: The Chip 4 Alliance includes the US, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan to coordinate supply-chain resilience.
• India's gap: India is estimated to be at least two decades behind leading chip manufacturers in fabrication capability and ecosystem depth.

Static linkage: Technology and economy, international organisations and groupings.

GS area: Environment, Disaster Management, International Relations

The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) signed a Headquarters Agreement with India, formally recognising it as an international organisation based in New Delhi.

• Launch: PM Modi launched CDRI at the UN Climate Action Summit in September 2019.
• Membership: 31 countries, 6 international organisations, and 2 private sector entities.
• Mandate: Help countries build infrastructure that is resilient to climate and disaster risk.

Static linkage: Disaster management, India and multilateral institutions.

GS area: Economy, Government schemes

The Mahila Samman Savings Certificate scheme, available at post offices, is relevant for prelims because of its precise parameters.

• Launch date: April 1, 2023.
• Tenure: Two years.
• Interest rate: 7.5 per cent per annum, compounded quarterly.
• Investment limits: Minimum 1,000 rupees; maximum 2,00,000 rupees per account.
• Eligibility: Women may open an account for themselves or for a minor girl.
• Partial withdrawal: Up to 40 per cent of the balance is withdrawable after one year.

Static linkage: Small savings schemes, financial inclusion.

• Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project: A 2,000 MW project on the Subansiri River at the Arunachal Pradesh-Assam border reached elevation level 210 metres, a construction milestone. The Subansiri is a trans-Himalayan tributary of the Brahmaputra.
• National Maritime Heritage Complex, Lothal: Under the Sagarmala programme, the complex at Lothal in Gujarat is designed to include the world's highest lighthouse museum and India's largest naval museum.
• India-CDRI HQA: The Headquarters Agreement designates New Delhi as the official seat of the CDRI secretariat, a first for a multilateral climate-resilience body headquartered in India.
• Statistics Day (June 29): Celebrated on June 29 every year to honour Prof. Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis (1893-1972), founder of the Indian Statistical Institute and a founding member of the Planning Commission.