India Skills Report 2023
GS Paper: 2- Government Policies and Interventions
Important for
Prelims exam: India Skills Report
Mains exam: Employment in India
Why in News?
India’s employable talent has risen in the past one year, according to The Wheebox India Skills Report 2023.
What is India Skills Report?
- The report was released by Wheebox in partnership with All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and others.
- The report examines the strategic overview of India’s Skills and Talent Economy by 2030.
Key highlights
- According to the report, India’s employable workforce has increased from 46.2 per cent to 50.3 per cent which means that 50.3 per cent people were found to be employable as compared to the last year’s data.
- The percentage of women who were found to be employable has increased to 52.8 per cent, compared to 47.2 per cent for men. “The consistent rise in women’s employability over the past ten years is a positive sign of radical changes in India’s developing labour market.
- Increased participation of women at work will give industries an edge with key roles already being occupied by women as we go into 2023,” the report states.
- The report also mentioned that 89 per cent of graduates were looking for internship opportunities.
- Among the states, candidates from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Delhi were most employable, while in professional courses, candidates who have pursued B. Tech, MBA and B. Com were the most employable talent.
- However, the report states that the gap between the skills the graduates have and the ones required by the industry remains.
- “There is an urgent need across the country for multiple stakeholders to remedy the industry and higher education gap.
- In Indian cities, most employable talent was found in Mumbai, Lucknow and Mangalore.
Government Initiatives for skill development
- National Policy on Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, 2015.
- Skill India Mission 2015.
- PM Kaushal Vikas Yojana for recognition and standardisation of Skills.
- SANKALP and STRIVE initiatives to boost Skill India Mission.
Drug Menace
GS Paper: 2- Government Policies and interventions
Important for
Prelims exam: World Drug Report 2022, Drug Menace
Mains exam: World Drug Report 2022, Problem of Drug addiction in India
Why in News?
- Kerala’s Excise department has established clubs near college campuses and hostels as a means of combating the drug problem.
- Students are encouraged to participate in sports, but awareness sessions are also held and substance misuse knowledge is disseminated.
Status of Drug Menace in India
- The menace of drug addiction has rapidly spread among Indian youngsters.
- India is surrounded by the Golden Triangle on one side and the Golden Crescent on the other, which are the two greatest opium-producing regions in the world.
- The golden triangle comprises Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos.
- Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran are all part of the “golden crescent” region.
- India is one of the top opiate consumer markets in the world, making it susceptible to an increase in supply.
- This is due to the increase in opiate trafficking from Afghanistan, which may now be moving not only south and west along the traditional Balkan route, but also eastward.
- India had the fourth-largest amount of opium confiscated in 2020, at 5.2 tonnes, and the third-largest amount of morphine, at 0.7 tonnes, according to the World Drug Report 2022.
- The World Drug Report 2021 claims that India, the biggest producer of generic medications worldwide, is seeing an increase in the diversion of prescription drugs and their ingredients, or “precursors”, for recreational use.
- India is connected to the shipping of drugs sold on the 19 significant darknet markets examined between 2011 and 2020.
Initiatives to Cope with Drug Menace
- Narco-Coordination Centre: In November 2016, the “Financial Assistance to States for Narcotics Control” plan was reinstituted along with the creation of the Narco-Coordination Centre (NCORD).
- Seizure Information Management System (SIMS): The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) developed SIMS, an e-portal, to build a comprehensive online database of drug offences and offenders.
- National Drug Abuse Survey: With assistance from the National Drug Dependence Treatment Center of AIIMS, the government is also carrying out a National Drug Abuse Survey to measure trends in drug abuse in India.
- Project Sunrise: It was started in 2016 by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to combat the rising HIV prevalence in India’s northeastern states, particularly among drug injectors.
- Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act: A person is not allowed to make, have in their possession, sell, buy, transport, store, use, or consume any type of narcotic or psychotropic substance. Three amendments to the NDPS Act have since been made: in 1988, 2001, and 2014.
- Three amendments to the NDPS Act have since been made: in 1988, 2001, and 2014.
- The Act covers the whole of India and it is also applicable to all Indian citizens outside India and to all persons on ships and aircraft registered in India.
- Nasha Mukt Bharat: The “Nasha Mukt Bharat” or Drug-Free India Campaign, which focuses on community outreach initiatives, has also been officially launched by the government.
International Treaties and Conventions to Combat Drug Menace:
India has ratified the following international agreements and conventions to fight the drug abuse problem:
- United Nations (UN) Convention on Narcotic Drugs (1961)
- UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances (1971).
- UN Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (1988)
- UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) 2000.
Way forward
- India must deal with the issue on the demand side in addition to taking action to reduce supply by cracking down on cross-border trafficking, enacting stiffer punishments under the NDPS Act, or strengthening drug enforcement.
- Instead than considering addiction a character fault, consider it a disease that anyone might be dealing with. Therefore, it’s important to lessen the stigma attached to drug use. The general public must comprehend that drug addicts are victims, not criminals.
- There needs to be control over certain agricultural medications that contain more than 50% alcohol and opioids. To stop the drug menace in the nation, strict action is needed from the police, excise, and narcotics departments.
- Chapters on drug addiction, its effects, and de-addiction should be included in the curriculum. Another option is proper counselling.
INDIAN CRACKS 2500 YEAR OLD PANINI CODE
GS Paper: 3- Science and technology
Important for
Prelims exam: Panini Code, Metarule
Why in News?
A grammatical problem that has defeated Sanskrit scholars since the 5th Century BC has finally been solved by an Indian PhD student at the University of Cambridge, it emerged as his thesis was published.
Metarule
- Panini taught a “metarule” in the event of a conflict between two rules of equal strength.
- Traditionally, scholars interpreted it in terms of using the rule that comes later in the grammar’s serial order; which often led to grammatically incorrect results.
- The new research argues that in such conflicts, Panini wanted us to choose the rule applicable to the right side over the left side of a word.
Significance: It could revolutionise Sanskrit study and allow Sanskrit grammar to be taught to computers.
About Panini and Ashtadhyayi
- Panini was a Sanskrit grammarian who gave a comprehensive and scientific theory of phonetics, phonology, and morphology.
- Panini is also referred to as an Informatician as he used language to decode information.
- Panini’s grammar, known as the Astadhyayi (or Astaka, given in 6th or 5th century BCE) contains 4000 sutras to explain the science behind Sanskrit.
- It relies on a system that functions like an algorithm to turn the base and suffix of a word into grammatically correct words and sentences.
- It is compared to the Turing Machine of Alan M Turing due to its complex set of rules for creating words.
AGNI-V
GS Paper 3: Developments in Science and Technology
Important for
Prelims exam: About Agni V
Mains exam: Significance of Agni V
Why in News?
A successful flight test of India’s long-range surface-to-surface nuclear capable ballistic missile, Agni-5, was undertaken on (December 15).
Key Points
- The Strategic Forces Command (SFC), which operates the Agni-5, carried out the test from A P J Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha.
- Agni-5 was earlier tested last year in October by the SFC independently for the first time, a few months after China had tested its hypersonic missile.
- The latest test comes a few days after Chinese and Indian troops clashed at the Line of Actual Control in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh.
- Agni-5 can strike targets at ranges of 5,000 to 5,500 km, which puts major cities in China, including the capital Beijing, within its range.
What is the Agni-5 missile?
- The nuclear-capable missile, which uses a three-stage solid-fuelled engine, has been developed by India’s Defence Research and Development organisation (DRDO).
- The development of Agni missiles started in early 1980 under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme spearheaded by scientist and former President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, who was also a central figure in India’s missile and space programmes.
- Medium to Intercontinental versions of Agni missile systems 1 to 5 have varying ranges starting from 700 km for Agni-1 to 5000 km and above for Agni-5.
- In June 2021, DRDO successfully tested Agni P, a canisterised missile with a range capability between 1,000 and 2,000 km.
- This means that the missile can be launched from road and rail platforms, making it easier for it to be deployed and launched at a quicker pace.
- Agni-6 is also said to be under development, with a range starting at 8000 km.
What’s New in Recent test?
- Agni-5 has been successfully tested multiple times since 2012. Defence Ministry sources said the latest test was carried out primarily to validate various new technologies on board the missile. The flight performance of the missile was tracked and monitored by radars, range stations and tracking systems all through the mission including by the assets deployed in the sea.
- At the time of the previous test in October 2021, the Ministry of Defence in its statement had highlighted the posture of ‘credible minimum deterrence’ and ‘No First Use’ which are pivotal points of India’s nuclear doctrine, first published in 2003.
- This basically means India would never use nuclear weapons first in a conflict situation but only as retaliation, and the arsenal maintained is to only deter the possibility of an attack on India.
Who undertook the test?
- The SFC, which carried out the test, is a key tri-services formation that manages and administers all the strategic assets and falls under the purview of the Nuclear Command Authority of India.
- The Nuclear Command Authority is the sole body which can authorize the use of nuclear weapons. It comprises a Political Council and an Executive Council. The Political Council is chaired by the Prime Minister. The Executive Council, chaired by the National Security Advisor, provides inputs for decision-making by the Nuclear Command Authority and executes the directives given to it by the Political Council
The Agni-V ICBM
- The nuclear-capable surface-to-surface missile Agni-V has been designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
- The missile, with the capability to hit targets beyond the range of 5000 km, uses a three-stage solid-fuelled engine.
- With its long-range capability, the Agni-V ballistic missile can supposedly cover almost all of Asia including some regions in Europe.
- The missile can also be carried by a road-mobile truck, allowing the mobilization of missiles across the country easily.
- The ICBM missile’s first user launch was conducted in October last year from APJ Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha. The test fire of Agni-5 was in line with India’s stated policy to have ‘credible minimum deterrence’ that underpins the commitment to ‘No First Use’.
Five agricultural products of Kerala get GI tag
Geographical Indication Tag
Important for
Prelims exam: About Five Agricultural Products which gets GI Tag
Mains exam: Significance of GI Tag
Why in News?
Five agricultural products of Kerala have been granted Geographical Indication (GI) status.
Key Points
Attappady Attukombu Avara (beans), Attappady Thuvara (red gram), Onattukara Ellu (sesame), Kan thalloor-Vattavada Veluthulli (garlic), and Kodungalloor Pottuvellari (snap melon) are the latest Geographical Indications that have been registered.
Five Agricultural Products
- Attappady Attukombu Avara, cultivated in the Attappady region of Palakkad, is curved like a goat’s horn as its name indicates. Its higher anthocyanin content compared to other dolichos beans imparts violet colour in the stem and fruits. Anthocyanin is helpful against cardiovascular diseases along with its antidiabetic properties. Other than this, calcium, protein, and fibre content are also high. The higher phenolic content of Attappady Attukombu Avara imparts resistance against pest and diseases, making the crop suitable for organic cultivation.
- Attappady Thuvara is having seeds with white coat. Compared to other red grams, Attappady Thuvara seeds are bigger and have higher seed weight. This delicious red gram, which is used as vegetable and dal, is rich in protein, carbohydrate, fibre, calcium and magnesium.
- Compared to the garlic produced in other areas, the garlic from the Kanthalloor-Vattavada area of Devikulam block panchayat in Idukki contains higher amount of sulphides, flavonoids, and proteins. It is rich in allicin, which is effective against microbial infections, blood sugar, cancer, cholesterol, heart diseases, and damages to blood vessels. The garlic cultivated in this area is also rich in essential oil.
- Onattukara Ellu and its oil are famous for its unique health benefits. Relatively higher antioxidant content in Onattukara Ellu helps in fighting the free radicals, which destroy the body cells. Also, the high content of unsaturated fat makes it beneficial for heart patients.
- Kodungalloor Pottuvellari cultivated in Kodungalloor and parts of Ernakulam is consumed as juice and in other forms. This snap melon, which is harvested in summer, is an excellent for quenching thirst. It contains high amount of Vitamin C. Compared to other cucurbits, nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, fibre and fat content are also high in Kodungalloor Pottuvellari.
About Geographical Indication Tag
- Geographical Indications of Goods are defined as that aspect of industrial property which refer to the geographical indication referring to a country or to a place situated therein as being the country or place of origin of that product.
- Such a name conveys an assurance of quality and distinctiveness which is essentially attributable to the fact of its origin in that defined geographical locality, region or country.
- Under Articles 1 (2) and 10 of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, geographical indications are covered as an element of IPRs. They are also covered under Articles 22 to 24 of the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement, which was part of the Agreements concluding the Uruguay Round of GATT negotiations.
- India, as a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), enacted the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration & Protection) Act, 1999 has come into force with effect from 15th September 2003.