What’s in today’s article?

• Why in news?
• What is Quad Grouping?
• What are the objectives of the Quad?
• Evolution of Quad
• News Summary: Quad Ministerial Meeting 
• Key highlights of the joint statement issued at the end of Quad Ministerial Meeting

 

 Why in News?

• India hosted the Quad foreign ministers’ meeting, which discussed the overall situation in the Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of increasing Chinese assertiveness in the region.

 

What is Quad Grouping?

• The grouping of four democracies –India, Australia, US and Japan– is known as the quadrilateral security dialogue or quad.
• The aim of this grouping is to ensure a free and open international order based on the rule of law in the Indo- Pacific.

 

What are the objectives of the Quad?

• The group’s primary objectives include 
  • maritime security, 
  • combating the Covid-19 crisis, especially vis-à-vis vaccine diplomacy, 
  • addressing the risks of climate change, 
  • creating an ecosystem for investment in the region and 
  • boosting technological innovation.

 

Evolution of Quad

• Following the Indian Ocean tsunami, India, Japan, Australia, and the US created an informal alliance to collaborate on disaster relief efforts.
• Quad as a formal group was first mooted by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2007. 
  • However, due to Chinese resistance and reluctance shown by India, it could not move ahead.  
• Later, during the 2017 ASEAN Summits, all four former members re-joined negotiations to revive the quadrilateral alliance. 
• The Quad was upgraded to the ministerial level in September 2019.
• In March 2021, the first-ever summit of QUAD leaders took place virtually. 
  • It was participated by the PMs/Presidents of all the member countries.  The summit was hosted by US.
• Later, in September 2021, the first in-person meeting of Quad leaders was hosted by the US.

 

News Summary: Quad Ministerial Meeting 

• The meeting of the Quad Foreign Ministers was hosted by India on 03 March 2023 in New Delhi. 
• The meeting was chaired by EAM, S. Jaishankar, and saw the participation of Foreign Minsters of Australia and Japan and the Secretary of State of the USA.
• At the end of the meeting, the participating leaders issued a joint statement.

 

Key highlights of the joint statement issued at the end of Quad Ministerial Meeting

• Highlighted the situation in Ukraine
  • The joint statement underscored the need for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine in accordance with international law.
  • It called for respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, transparency and peaceful resolution of disputes.
  • This is the first reference to the Ukraine war in a joint statement of the Quad Foreign Ministers.
  • It means the grouping, which had so far been concentrating mostly on the aggressive Chinese behaviour in the Indo-Pacific, has broadened its scope to include Russia.
• Called for greater Quad collaboration
  • The statement called for greater Quad collaboration in support of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.
  • It opposed any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo or increase tensions in the area.
    • This statement is understood to indicate recent tensions over Taiwan.
• Mentioned South and East China Seas
  • The joint statement expressed serious concern at the militarization of disputed features, the dangerous use of coast guard vessels and maritime militia, and efforts to disrupt other countries’ offshore resource exploitation activities.
  • This was mentioned in reference to actions in the South and East China Seas.
  • It also hit out at China for blocking listing of terrorists at the UN.
• Criticised both Russia and China
  • India joined other Quad members in calling for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, and respect for a rules-based order in the South and East China Seas.
  • This is the first such statement by the grouping that is seen to criticise both Russia and China.
• About Quad Maritime Security Working Group
  • The statement announced that the “Quad Maritime Security Working Group” would meet in Washington later this month.
    • This working group Working Group is a collaborative effort between the members of Quad to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific region by promoting security and stability in the maritime domain. 
    • The group was established in 2020 as part of Quad.
    • It focuses on a range of issues related to maritime security, including maritime domain awareness, maritime security architecture, and interoperability among the four navies.
• New working group on counter-terrorism
  • The participating leaders also agreed to set up a new working group on counter-terrorism.
  • This working group will explore cooperation amongst the Quad, and with Indo-Pacific partners, to counter new and emerging forms of terrorism, radicalisation to violence and violent extremism.
  • Its first meeting is expected to be held in the United States in 2023.

 

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Q1) What is the South China Sea?

The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is located in the Pacific Ocean bordered by China to the north, Vietnam to the west, the Philippines to the east, Malaysia and Brunei to the south, and Taiwan to the north-northeast.  The sea is a major shipping route, connecting the Indian Ocean with the Western Pacific Ocean, and it is also rich in natural resources such as oil and gas deposits, fisheries, and minerals.
 

Q2) What is ASEAN?

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by the Founding Fathers of ASEAN: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

It is a regional organization that brings together disparate neighbors to address economic and security issues, but the group’s impact remains limited.

 

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Source: Quad Foreign Ministers take aim at Russia and China | Ministry of External Affairs | US Department of State | Indian Express

What’s in today’s article?

• Context
• What is Forest Certification?
• Forest Certification in India
• Significance of Forest Certification Industry w.r.t. India

 

Context

• Large-scale destruction of forests has always been a concern for the environment.
• However, with climate change, deforestation has become a critically sensitive issue globally in recent years.
  • Forests absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide that is emitted in various economic activities, keeping a check on global warming.
• At the initiative of the UK Government, more than 30 countries signed a declaration at the COP26 (26^th United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties) held in Glasgow, UK in 2021.
  • The declaration aims to stop, and start reversing, deforestation by 2030.
  • The Conference of Parties (COP) is the apex decision-making body of the United Nations Climate Change Framework Convention (UNFCCC).
• Several countries and corporates now try to ensure that they avoid consumption of any product that might be the result of deforestation or illegal logging.
• The European Union and the United States of America have passed laws that regulate the entry and sale of forest-based products in their markets.

 

What is Forest Certification?

• Forest certification is a mechanism for forest monitoring, tracing and labelling timber, wood and pulp products and non-timber forest products.
• It is a process through which quality of management from environmental, social and economic perspectives is judged against a series of agreed standards.
• It leads to the issuing of a certificate by an independent party, which verifies that an area of forest is managed to a defined standard.
• There are two major international standards for sustainable management of forests and forest-based products –
  • One has been developed by Forest Stewardship Council (FSC);
  • The other by Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certifications (PEFC).
  • FSC certification is more popular and in demand, and also more expensive.

 

Forest Certification in India

• The forest certification industry has been operating in India for the last 15 years.
• Currently, forests in only one state — Uttar Pradesh — are certified.
• Forty one divisions of the UP Forest Corporation (UPFC) are PEFC-certified, meaning they are being managed according to standards endorsed by PEFC.
• Forest certification in India is still at an early stage and therefore the nation has not been able to make use of the benefits of forest certification.

 

Significance of Forest Certification Industry w.r.t. India

• As several developed countries have put trade restrictions on import of non-certified timber, non-timber forest products and wood-based goods into their countries, getting sustainable forest management certificates has become mandatory for exports.
• India allows the export of only processed wood, not timber.
• India is the 3^rd largest exporter of wood in the world. India exports most of its wood to United States, Germany and United Kingdom.
• Forest-based industries in India, particularly those for paper, boards, plywood, medium density fibreboard, furniture and handicrafts etc, have been pushing for forest certification to enhance their market accessibility to western markets.

 

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Q1) What do you mean by Forest Management?

Forest management is the process of planning and implementing practices for the stewardship and use of forests to meet specific environmental, economic, social and cultural objectives.

 

Q2) What is Forest Degradation?

Forest management is the process of planning and implementing practices for the stewardship and use of forests to meet specific environmental, economic, social and cultural objectives.

 

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Source: Our forests are under threat — here’s how they are certified | downtoearth

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in news?
• What is the Old Pension Scheme (OPS)?
• What were the concerns with the OPS? 
• What is New Pension Scheme (NPS)?
• What is the Difference between NPS and OPS?
• News Summary: Select Central government employees can opt for Old Pension Scheme
• Key highlights of the decision
• Why government passed this order?

 

Why in News?

• In a major move, a select group of central government employees have been given a one-time option to opt for old pension scheme.
• The employees who joined the central government services against posts advertised or notified before December 22, 2003, the day National Pension System (NPS) was notified, are eligible to join the old pension scheme.

 

What is the Old Pension Scheme (OPS)?

• OPS offers pensions to government employees on the basis of their last drawn salary.  50% of the last drawn salary.
• The attraction of the Old Pension Scheme lay in its promise of an assured or ‘defined’ benefit to the retiree. It was hence described as a ‘Defined Benefit Scheme’.
• E.g., if a government employee’s basic monthly salary at the time of retirement was Rs 10,000, she would be assured of a pension of Rs 5,000. 
• Also, like the salaries of government employees, the monthly pay-outs of pensioners also increased with hikes in dearness allowance or DA announced by the government for serving employees.
• The OPS was discontinued by the Central government in 2003.

 

What were the concerns with the OPS? 

• The main problem was that the pension liability remained unfunded — that is, there was no corpus specifically for pension, which would grow continuously and could be dipped into for payments.
• The Government of India budget provided for pensions every year; there was no clear plan on how to pay year after year in the future.
• The ‘pay-as-you-go’ scheme created inter-generational equity issues — meaning the present generation had to bear the continuously rising burden of pensioners.

 

What is New Pension Scheme (NPS)?

• About
  • As a substitute of OPS, the NPS was introduced by the Central government in April, 2004. 
  • This pension programme is open to employees from the public, private and even the unorganised sectors except those from the armed forces.
  • The scheme encourages people to invest in a pension account at regular intervals during the course of their employment.
  • After retirement, the subscribers can take out a certain percentage of the corpus.
    • The beneficiary receives the remaining amount as a monthly pension, post retirement.

• Nodal agency: Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA)

• Eligibility:
  • Any Indian citizen between 18 and 60 years can join NPS.
  • NRIs (Non-Residential Indians) are also eligible to apply for NPS.
• Permanent Retirement Account Number (PRAN):
  • Every NPS subscriber is issued a card with 12-digit unique number called Permanent Retirement Account Number or PRAN.

 

What is the Difference between NPS and OPS?

Image caption: OPS Vs NPS

• The Old Pension Scheme is a pension-oriented scheme. It offers regular pensions to employees during retirement. The pension amount is 50% of the last drawn salary by the employee.  
  • Thus, in OPS, the pension amount is constant.
• On the other hand, the National Pension Scheme is an investment cum pension scheme.  
• NPS contributions are invested in market-linked securities, i.e., equity and debt instruments.
  • Therefore, NPS doesn’t guarantee returns.
• However, the investments, in NPS, are volatile and hence have the potential to generate significant returns.

 

News Summary: Select Central government employees can opt for Old Pension Scheme

• In a significant decision, the government has decided to give a one-time option to select Central government employees to migrate to the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).

 

Key highlights of the decision

• The option is available to the Central government employees enrolled under the NPS as they joined the service on or after January 1, 2004, the day the NPS came into effect, even though such posts were advertised before December 22, 2003.
• The employees have time till August 31 to opt for the OPS.
• The order will be applicable to Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel and other Central government employees who joined the services in 2004 as the recruitment process was delayed due to administrative reasons.
• The employees’ contribution to the NPS will be credited to the General Provident Fund (GPF) of the individual.

 

Why government passed this order?

• There were hundreds of litigations in courts across the country, the government did not win a single case.
• Through court orders individual officials were getting benefit. Hence, the government decided to issue general instructions for the benefit of all eligible officials.

 

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Q1) What is Permanent Retirement Account Number (PRAN)?

Permanent Retirement Account Number (PRAN) is a unique identification number that is assigned to individuals who subscribe to the National Pension System (NPS) in India. It is a 12-digit number that serves as a permanent record of the subscriber's retirement account and can be used throughout their lifetime.

 

Q2) What is Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA)?

PFRDA is is a statutory body established by the Indian government in 2003, under the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 2013. PFRDA is responsible for regulating, promoting and ensuring the orderly growth of the National Pension System (NPS) and other pension schemes in India. The authority is mandated to protect the interests of subscribers to the NPS, develop and promote pension products, and encourage the development of a pension industry in India.

 

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Source: Select Central government employees can opt for Old Pension Scheme | Times of India

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in News?
• What is PM-ABHIM?
• What is PHSPP and EHSDP?
• News Summary Regarding WB Lending

 

Why in News?

• The World Bank (WB) is lending up to $1 billion (divided into two complementary loans of $500 million under PHSPP and EHSDP each) to help India with preparedness for future pandemics as well as to strengthen its health infrastructure.
• Through this combined financing, the bank will support India’s flagship Pradhan Mantri-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM).

 

What is PM-ABHIM?

• The PM Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana (PMASBY), which has now been renamed as PM-ABHIM, was announced in the Union Budget 2021-22 with an outlay of ₹64,180 crore.
• The PM-ABHIM scheme was launched in October 2021 by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and will run in addition to the National Health Mission (NHM).
• It is one of the largest Pan-India health schemes for strengthening healthcare infrastructure to accomplish the vision of comprehensive healthcare across the country.
• Objectives:
  • To strengthen grass root public health institutions.
  • To expand and build an IT enabled disease surveillance system.
  • To expand research on COVID-19 and other infectious diseases and to develop the core capacity to deliver the One Health Approach.
• Components: It consists of Centrally Sponsored Scheme Components [like Ayushman Bharat - Health & Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs) in rural and urban areas] and some Central Sector Components (like Critical Care Hospital Blocks).

 

What is PHSPP and EHSDP?

• The $500-million Public Health Systems for Pandemic Preparedness Program (PHSPP) will support the government’s efforts to prepare India’s surveillance system to detect and report epidemics of potential international concern.
• Another $500 million Enhanced Health Service Delivery Program (EHSDP) will support government’s efforts to strengthen service delivery through a redesigned primary healthcare model, which includes -
  • Improved household access to primary healthcare facilities,
  • Stronger links between each household and its primary care facility through regular household visits and
  • Risk assessment of noncommunicable diseases.
• Both the PHSPP and the EHSDP utilise the Program-for-Results financing instrument that focuses on achievement of results rather than inputs.
• Both the PHSPP and EHSDP loans from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) of WB have a final maturity of 18.5 years including a grace period of five years.
• The PHSPP and EHSDP will leverage the unique strengths of both the Center and the States to support the development of more accessible, high-quality, and affordable health services.
• This strengthening of health systems, combined with attention to strong disease response, will improve preparedness and response to future disease outbreaks.

 

News Summary Regarding WB Lending

• India’s performance in health has improved over time.
  • According to WB, India’s life expectancy has increased from 58 in 1990 to 69.8 in 2020.
  • The under-five mortality rate (36 per 1,000 live births), infant mortality rate (30 per 1,000 live births), and maternal mortality ratio (103 per 100,000 live births) are all close to the average for India’s income level.
• This reflects significant achievements in access to skilled birth attendance, immunisations, and other priority services.
• Despite these advances in the health of the Indian population, COVID-19 brought to the fore the urgent need for pandemic preparedness (a global public good) and health system strengthening around the world.
• The current WB loans loans will prioritise health service delivery in seven States including Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Meghalaya, Odisha, Punjab, TN and UP.

 

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Q1) What are the components of PM-ABHIM?

The Pradhan Mantri-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) was launched in 2021 for strengthening healthcare infrastructure. It consists of Centrally Sponsored Scheme Components [like AB-HWCs in rural and urban areas] and some Central Sector Components (like Critical Care Hospital Blocks).

 

Q2) How will PHSPP and EHSDP loans help India?

Both the loans from the IBRD of WB have a final maturity of 18.5 years including a grace period of five years. These will leverage the unique strengths of both the Center and the States to support the development of more accessible, high-quality, and affordable health services.

 

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Source: World Bank to lend $1 billion to support India’s health sector | NHP.gov.in | Worldbank.org