16 November 2024

• Tribal welfare: The Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan was launched with 79,156 crore rupees for 63,843 tribal villages.
• Governance: CAG found Urban Local Bodies across 18 states can only collect 56 per cent of property tax demand, with a 42 per cent resource-expenditure gap.
• Economy: India's cooperative sector, with over 1 billion members globally via ICA, formalized further with computerisation of 63,000 PACS.
• Barak River: Originates in Manipur Hills and drains into Bangladesh as the Surma and Kushiyara rivers.

GS area: Social Justice, Government Schemes

The Union government launched the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan in October 2024 to saturate tribal villages with basic services.

• Budget: 79,156 crore rupees.
• Coverage: 63,843 tribal villages across India.
• Focus areas: Housing, water supply, roads, health facilities, schools and livelihoods for tribal communities.
• Tribal population: 104.2 million (8.6 per cent of India's population). Identified under Article 366(25) of the Constitution.
• PVTGs: Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups. 75 groups across 17 states and one Union Territory. The most marginalised subset of tribal communities.
• PM-JANMAN: Launched November 2023. Specifically targets PVTG housing, water and education.
• Eklavya Model Residential Schools: 728 approved. 2,800 crore rupees invested in 2024.

Static linkage: Scheduled Tribes, welfare schemes, constitutional provisions.

GS area: Governance, Polity

The CAG released a performance audit of 393 Urban Local Bodies across 18 states.

• Resource-expenditure gap: 42 per cent. ULBs spend significantly less than what they need to run effectively.
• Own revenue: Only 32 per cent of total revenue. The remaining 68 per cent comes from grants and transfers.
• Property tax: Only 56 per cent of property tax demand is collected. Property tax is the primary own-revenue source for ULBs.
• Programmatic spending: Only 29 per cent of budget goes to programmatic expenditure (actual service delivery).
• Staff vacancies: Average 37 per cent vacancy rate across ULBs.
• 74th Constitutional Amendment: Mandated devolution of 18 functions to ULBs. On average, 17 of 18 have been devolved on paper, but actual financial and administrative capacity remains limited.

Static linkage: Urban governance, 74th Amendment, federalism.

GS area: Economy, Governance

India's cooperative movement received renewed attention following the formation of the Ministry of Cooperation in 2021.

• Definition: Cooperative societies are voluntary associations where members with shared needs cooperate for economic benefit.
• Types: Consumer cooperatives, producer cooperatives, marketing cooperatives, credit cooperatives, farming cooperatives and housing cooperatives.
• History: 1904 Cooperative Credit Societies Act was the first legal framework. NCDC (National Cooperative Development Corporation) established 1963.
• PACS: Primary Agricultural Credit Societies. 63,000 of them are being computerised under a 2,516 crore rupee project.
• Jan Aushadhi: 2,475 PACS approved to run PM Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendras (affordable generic medicine outlets).
• Ministry of Cooperation: Formed July 2021. First dedicated ministry for the cooperative sector.

Static linkage: Rural economy, financial inclusion, cooperative law.

GS area: Governance, Science and Technology

The Department of Science and Technology launched Operation Dronagiri under the National Geospatial Policy 2022.

• Objective: Democratise access to high-resolution geospatial data for agriculture, logistics, transport and livelihoods.
• Framework: National Geospatial Policy 2022 liberalised the use of geospatial data in India, removing many restrictions on mapping data that had been classified.
• First phase states: Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Assam, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.
• Implementation model: Public-Private Partnership.
• Technology: Drone surveys mapped cadastral boundaries and agricultural land use at village level.

Static linkage: Technology and governance, digital governance, National Geospatial Policy.

GS area: Economy, Labour

The EPFO's data on formal sector membership provided a window into economic formalisation.

• Definition: Formalisation is the shift of economic activity from the unregistered, unregulated informal sector to the formal sector.
• EPFO data: 6.91 crore (69.1 million) new members joined EPFO between September 2017 and July 2024. A record 20 lakh new registrations in July 2024 alone.
• PMRPY: Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Protsahan Yojana. Employer's EPF contribution paid by the government for three years for new hires.
• ABRY: Aatmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana. Launched post-COVID to subsidise employment in formal sector.
• Challenge: Adding to EPFO rolls captures formal employment. But large-scale informal work in construction, domestic services and gig work remains uncounted.

Static linkage: Labour market, formal sector, employment schemes.

• Barak River: Originates in the Manipur Hills. Flows into Assam and then enters Bangladesh as two rivers: the Surma and the Kushiyara. These join the Meghna (which receives flows from both the Ganga and Brahmaputra). Total drainage area: 41,723 square kilometres.
• e-Tarang system: Developed by Integrated Defence Staff and BISAG-N. An AI-enabled spectrum planning and management system for defence. Improves joint electronic warfare operations across the Army, Navy and Air Force.
• Norway's apology: The Norwegian Parliament formally apologised for forced "Norwegianisation" (assimilation) of the Sami, Kven and Forest Finn peoples between the 18th century and the 1980s. The Sami are indigenous to Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia and are known for reindeer herding.