5 August 2023

• Economy: The government elevated Oil India Limited to Maharatna public sector enterprise status, joining a select group of nine companies with the highest level of financial autonomy.
• Finance: The Vivad se Vishwas 2.0 scheme was launched by the Ministry of Finance's Department of Expenditure for settlement of government contractual disputes.
• Transport: NHAI launched the Rajmargyatra app to give highway users real-time information on tolls, fuel stations, rest areas, and emergency services.
• Technology: The government restricted imports of personal computers, laptops, tablets, and servers to manage strategic technology dependence.

GS area: Economy, Public Sector Enterprises

The government elevated Oil India Limited (OIL) to Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) status. OIL explores for and produces oil and natural gas, primarily in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

• Maharatna criteria: A CPSE must first hold Navratna status, must have listed equity on a stock exchange, and must meet three of the following: annual turnover exceeding 25,000 crore rupees, net worth exceeding 15,000 crore rupees, net profit after tax exceeding 5,000 crore rupees, or significant international presence.
• Autonomy conferred: Maharatna companies can make equity investments up to 5,000 crore rupees in a joint venture without government approval, up from the 1,000 crore limit for Navratna companies.
• Other Maharatna CPSEs: BHEL, CIL, GAIL, HPCL, IOC, NTPC, ONGC, PGCIL, SAIL, BPCL (the list at August 2023; OIL joins this group).
• OIL's profile: Headquartered in Duliajan, Assam. Produces about 3 million metric tonnes of crude oil annually.

Static linkage: Public sector enterprises, industrial policy (GS Paper 3).

GS area: Economy, Governance

The Department of Expenditure under the Ministry of Finance launched Vivad se Vishwas 2.0. This is a separate scheme from the earlier Vivad se Vishwas I, which addressed direct tax disputes.

• Scope: The scheme covers disputes related to government contracts and procurement that are pending before arbitrators or courts.
• Objective: Reduce the burden of litigation arising from government contracts on public resources and accelerate dispute resolution for contractors.
• Context: India has a large backlog of government contract disputes. Arbitration proceedings involving government entities have been a significant source of court congestion.
• Distinction from tax scheme: Vivad se Vishwas I (2020) was a tax amnesty scheme that allowed taxpayers to settle pending income tax disputes by paying the disputed amount with a waiver of penalties. Version 2.0 targets a different category of disputes.

Static linkage: Government procurement, alternative dispute resolution (GS Paper 3).

GS area: Governance, Infrastructure

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) launched the Rajmargyatra mobile application for users of India's national highway network.

• Features: Real-time information on toll plazas and toll rates, fuel stations, emergency services, wayside amenities, and the location of accidents or road closures.
• NHAI: Established in 1988 under the National Highways Authority of India Act. It plans, develops, and maintains the national highway network.
• Digital push: NHAI also operates the FASTag electronic toll collection system. FASTag penetration exceeded 95 per cent across national highway toll plazas by 2023.
• National highway network: India's national highways total approximately 1.45 lakh kilometres and carry 40 per cent of road traffic.

Static linkage: Road transport, digital governance, infrastructure (GS Paper 3).

GS area: Economy, Technology Policy

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) imposed a licensing requirement for importing personal computers, laptops, tablets, servers, and ultra-small computers. Imports require a licence from the Director General of Foreign Trade.

• Immediate exemption: Imports for research and development, testing, and repair and return were initially exempted. The restrictions were later deferred to 1 November 2023 after industry pushback.
• Objective: The restriction aims to encourage domestic manufacturing under schemes like the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) for IT hardware. It also addresses strategic concerns about technology hardware sourcing.
• PLI for IT hardware: Aims to attract manufacturing of laptops, tablets, all-in-one PCs, and servers within India. The outlay is approximately 7,325 crore rupees.
• Dependence issue: India imports the bulk of its personal computing hardware from China. The restriction is intended to change this supply chain pattern over time.

Static linkage: Import policy, digital India, manufacturing (GS Paper 3).

GS area: Polity, Governance, Technology

The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023 was passed by the Lok Sabha on 7 August 2023 (the Bill was introduced and debated around this period in August). The Rajya Sabha passed it on 9 August 2023. It received Presidential assent on 14 August 2023.

• Core framework: The Bill provides for the processing of digital personal data "in a manner that recognises both the right of individuals to protect their personal data and the need to process such data for lawful purposes."
• Data Principal: The individual whose data is being processed. They must give explicit consent.
• Data Fiduciary: The entity that determines the purpose and means of processing personal data.
• Consent Manager: A new intermediary through whom data principals can manage consents.
• Data Protection Board: Adjudicates complaints and imposes penalties. Maximum penalty is 250 crore rupees for a single violation; cumulative cap is 500 crore rupees.
• Exemptions: The government is exempt from several provisions in the interest of national security and sovereignty. Critics argue this creates an asymmetry between state and private sector obligations.
• Impact on RTI: An amendment to the Right to Information Act, 2005 exempts "personal information" from disclosure. This was a major controversy: critics say it guts Section 8(j) of RTI, which allowed disclosure of personal information when the public interest outweighed privacy.

Static linkage: Fundamental rights (privacy), data governance, technology law (GS Paper 2).

• NIDHI Program: The National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations programme under the Department of Science and Technology supports startups through Technology Business Incubators. It was launched in 2016.
• Red sanders export: The Tamil Nadu government obtained authorisation to export 900 metric tonnes of artificially propagated Red Sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus). The species is listed in CITES Appendix II. Trade in naturally felled Red Sanders is heavily restricted.
• Jagannath Temple inspection: A panel recommended the Archaeological Survey of India inspect the Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha. The temple is a Grade I protected monument.