Current Affairs 16th June 2023 for UPSC Prelims Exam

Human Development Index (HDI)

Context: The Indian government plans to develop a human development index (HDI) for 75 particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs) to measure the impact of economic activities and initiatives on their development.

About the Human Development Index (HDI)

The HDI is a statistical tool used to measure and compare the average achievements in human development across different countries.
It was created by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and was first published in 1990.
The index allows for comparisons among countries, aiding policymakers and researchers to understand the overall development status of a country and to identify areas for improvement.

Methodology of HDI

HDI uses three key dimensions to assess and track human development. They are:
- Health: This dimension is measured by life expectancy at birth, which reflects the overall health and well-being of the population.
- Education: This dimension is measured by the average number of years of schooling received by adults aged 25 and older, as well as the expected years of schooling for children of school age.
- Standard of living: This dimension is measured by the Gross National Income (GNI) per capita, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP), which reflects the economic well-being of individuals in a country.
The HDI is then calculated as the geometric mean (equally-weighted) of life expectancy, education, and GNI per capita.
The education dimension is the arithmetic mean of the two education indices (mean years of schooling and expected years of schooling).
The HDI combines these three dimensions into a single composite index, which ranges from 0 to 1. A higher HDI value indicates a higher level of human development.

Limitations of HDI

Not comprehensive: HDI does not consider other important aspects of development, such as income inequality, gender disparities, political freedoms, and environmental sustainability etc.
Regional and Sub-national Variation: The HDI provides a national-level overview but may not capture regional or sub-national disparities within a country.
Reliability of Data: Gathering accurate and consistent data across countries, especially in areas with limited resources and capacity, may be difficult, potentially affecting the accuracy of HDI scores.
Misleading GNI Index: Economic activities that contribute to GNI, such as increased vehicle use, may have negative externalities and not necessarily reflect improved economic welfare.
Slow Response to Policy Changes: The HDI takes time to reflect changes in policies and interventions. For example, improvements in healthcare or education may take years or even decades to influence life expectancy or education indicators.
Arbitrary Weight Allocation: The HDI assigns equal weights to its three dimensions, which may not capture the full complexity and nuances of each dimension.

About Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)

PVTGs are more vulnerable among the tribal groups in India.
Government of India follows the following criteria for identification of PVTGs:
- Pre-agricultural level of technology.
- Low level of literacy.
- Economic backwardness.
- A declining or stagnant population.
The categorization of PVTGs is done by the Ministry of Home Affairs and not by the Ministry of Tribal affairs.
Origin of PVTGs:
- In 1973, the Dhebar Commission created Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs) as a separate category, who are less developed among the tribal groups.
- In 1975, the Government of India declared 52 such groups, while in 1993 an additional 23 groups were added to the category, making it a total of 75 PVTGs.
- In 2006, the Government of India renamed the PTGs as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
Among the 75 listed PVTG’s the highest number are found in Odisha.

Current Affairs 15th June 2023 for UPSC Prelims Exam

Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)

Context: A former executive has claimed that China’s ruling Communist Party dominates the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and uses it to further its interests.

What is AIIB?

Origin: The idea of a China-led multilateral financial institution was first floated at Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Indonesia in 2013.
- The main intention of setting up such an institution was to counter Western dominance of lending funds such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
- Operations of AIIB began in January 2016.
Initial fund: AIIB started with an initial capital of US$100 billion, equivalent to 2⁄3 of the capital of the Asian Development Bank and about half that of the World Bank.
Membership: The AIIB had 57 founding members, with large number of western countries joining the institution. It currently has 106 members.
- Currently, 16 of the G20 members are AIIB members or prospective ones.
Focus: AIIB provides funding to build dams, ports and other vital infrastructure around the region.
Shareholding: China is the largest shareholder with 27% voting rights, followed by India at 8%. Russia is the 3rd largest shareholder.
- Germany, South Korea, Australia, France, Indonesia, the United Kingdom and Turkey are next in the list.
Criticism of AIIB:
- AIIB is used by China to further its own economic interests and political influence.
- Many critics allege that AIIB investments are associated with high environmental and social risks, as well as corruption and high levels of debt.

AIIB and India:

The AIIB has funded 28 projects in India worth $6.7 billion in total. These projects spread across sectors like energy, transport, water and others.
AIIB has signed a $455 million loan agreement with India to finance Andhra Pradesh Rural Roads Project.

MQ-9 Reaper UAVs

Context: The Defence Acquisition Council has approved the acquisition of 31 armed MQ-9 Reaper Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) from USA.

More on the news:

Out of the 31 procured UAVs, 15 are meant for the Navy and eight each for the Army and Air Force. The total cost of the deal is estimated at more than $3 billion.
The turbo-propeller engines powering the MQ-9 would be supported by HAL’s engine division for the Indian market.

MQ-9 Reaper

Also known as Predator B, MQ-9 Reaper was primarily developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) for the United States Air Force (USAF).
MQ-9 Reaper was designed for long-endurance, high-altitude surveillance, and controlled through ground-based humans.
Components of the system: A MQ-9 Reaper system consists of multiple unmanned aircraft, ground control station, communications equipment, maintenance spares, and personnel.
- The flight crew includes a remotely operating pilot, sensor operator, and Mission Intelligence Coordinator.
Features:
- Speed: The aircraft is powered by a 950-horsepowerturboprop engine, with a maximum speed of 300 mph and a cruising speed of 170–200 mph.
- Arsenal: It can carry a variety of weaponry, including Hellfire missiles and 230 kg laser-guided bomb units.
- Range: It has maximum endurance of 30 hours during survey missions and 23 hours for offensive mission.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV)

Commonly known as drones, UAVs are flying aircrafts without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board.
Applications of drones/UAVs
- Monitoring climate change by capturing data from skies
- UAVs can be used in agriculture for spraying pesticides and also surveying operations.
- Geo mapping of the area, which can be used in navigation softwares.
- Can be used to transport goods during disaster relief and also look for survivors.
- Photography and filming
- Delivering essential goods to inaccessible areas or those areas that are far by road.
- Surveillance activities at the border as well as during large gatherings.

Government of India’s Initiatives for Promoting Drone Technology

Liberalised Drones Rules, 2021: These provide the necessary regulatory framework for commercial use of drones.
Drone Response and Outreach in Northeast (i-Drone) Initiative: It facilitates vaccine delivery to tough and hard-to-reach terrains of India. The i-DRONE was first used during the COVID-19 pandemic by the ICMR for distributing vaccines to remote areas.
Drone Shakti initiative: It aims to promote and facilitate drones as a service through start-ups.
Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Drones: The objective of this scheme is to incentivize the manufacturing of drones and drone components in India with a focus to make the indigenous’ industries globally competitive.
Drone Import Policy: The Indian Government has banned the import of drones except for R&D, defence and security purposes. The move is aimed at giving a boost to domestic manufacturing of drones.
Make in India: The Government’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (Make-in-India) drive is going all out to support domestic enterprises by fine-tuning policies and regulations so that more and more products are manufactured within the country.

IIPDF Scheme

Context: The Infrastructure Finance Secretariat (IFS), which comes under Ministry of Finance, has launched the IIPDF portal for implementing IIPDF scheme.

More on the news:

The portal is expected to reduce the time for processing, will have less paperwork and help the project sponsoring authorities (PSAs) to obtain fast and time-bound approvals for the submitted project.
The portal will also bring together government entities, private companies, investors and entrepreneurs ensuring collaboration and innovation for sustainable growth.
The corpus of the IIPDF shall include initial budgetary outlay of Rs. 100 Crore by the Ministry of Finance.
IIPDF Scheme is an addition to the already existing Scheme for Financial Support to PPPs in Infrastructure (VGF Scheme).

IIPDF scheme

India Infrastructure Project Development Fund Scheme is a central sector scheme that provides support to PSAs in both Central and State Governments, by extending financial assistance in meeting the cost of transaction advisors and consultants involved in the development of PPP projects.
- This will ensure that the quality of PPP projects is of high value, thus achieving the vision of modern infrastructure for the country.
The scheme encourages PSAs to bring private capital and efficiency in execution and operation of infrastructure projects under PPP model.

BIMSTEC

Context: The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) summit at end of this year will adopt a Bangkok vision 2030.

About the BIMSTEC

The BIMSTEC is a regional organization comprising seven countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The member countries of BIMSTEC are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
Its members lie in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal constituting a contiguous regional unity.
Establishment:
- In June 1997, a new sub-regional grouping was formed in Bangkok under the name BIST-EC (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand Economic Cooperation) through the Bangkok Declaration.
- Following the inclusion of Myanmar in December 1997, the Group was renamed ‘BIMST-EC’ (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation).
- In 1998, Nepal became an observer.
- In February 2004, Nepal and Bhutan became full members.
Headquarters: Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Objectives:
- The primary objective of BIMSTEC is to promote regional cooperation and integration among its member states.
- It mainly aims to create an enabling environment for rapid economic development; accelerate social progress; and promote collaboration on matters of common interest in the region.

Significance of BIMSTEC for India

Allows India to pursue three core policies:
- Neighborhood First – primacy to the country’s immediate periphery;
- Act East – connect India with Southeast Asia; and
- Economic development of India’s northeastern states – by linking them to the Bay of Bengal region via Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Allows India to counter China’s creeping influence in countries around the Bay of Bengal due to the spread of its Belt and Road Initiative.
A new platform for India to engage with its neighbors with South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) becoming dysfunctional because of differences between India and Pakistan.