Sulina Channel

A Romanian channel known as the “Sulina Channel” offers a lifeline for Ukraine’s grain shipments as Russia threatens ships in the Black Sea.

Channel Sulina

The Sulina Channel is situated in Romania’s southeast, more especially in the Danube Delta area.

It provides a direct channel for maritime transportation by joining the Black Sea with one of Europe’s major rivers, the Danube.

The channel is a significant waterway for commerce and navigation because it is around 64 km long.

For commercial ships, cargo ships, and other nautical traffic entering or exiting the Black Sea region, it is a crucial trading route.

The construction of the Sulina Channel dates back to the 19th century when it was developed to improve the navigation of large ships and vessels in and out of the Danube Delta.

Significance for Ukraine

The Sulina Channel, the only deep and wide channel among the Danube’s branches, serves as a crucial “riverine expressway” for transporting goods from inland Ukrainian ports to the Black Sea.

Ukrainian grain ships sail from ports like Izmail and Reni on the Chilia Channel to Sulina, where the cargo is transferred to larger vessels.

These vessels proceed to Constanta, Romania’s major seaport, for further transport into the Mediterranean.

This route falls under NATO’s surveillance and protection, ensuring a degree of security against Russian aggression.

PM Vishwakarma Scheme 

The Union Cabinet has given its nod to the PM Vishwakarma Scheme, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at uplifting artisans and craftsmen in India.

What is PM Vishwakarma Scheme?

Supporting Artisans: It will be a Central Sector Scheme with twofold objective: to nurture the Guru-Shishya Parampara:

Age-old tradition of imparting skills within families, and

To uplift artisans and craftsmen engaged in manual trades.

Coverage: This comprehensive scheme encompasses 18 traditional trades in its initial phase, including blacksmiths, carpenters, potters, goldsmiths, tailors, and more, who form the bedrock of rural economies.

Key Highlights of Scheme

Financial Provision: The scheme is fortified by a budgetary outlay of ₹13,000 crore, ensuring robust financial support to artisans and craftsmen.

Recognition and ID: Artisans and craftspeople will receive recognition through the prestigious PM Vishwakarma certificate and an official ID card, validating their skills and contributions.

Credit Support: The scheme provides access to credit support, offering up to ₹1 lakh in the first tranche and ₹2 lakh in the second tranche, with an advantageous interest rate of 5%.

Skill Upgradation: To enhance expertise, the scheme includes skill upgradation programs encompassing both basic and advanced training. Participants will receive a stipend of ₹500 per day during training.

Modern Tools and Incentives: Beneficiaries will be granted up to ₹15,000 to acquire modern tools, further improving the quality and efficiency of their work.

Digital Transactions and Marketing: Embracing modern practices, the scheme encourages digital transactions and marketing support, linking artisans with broader markets.

PM E-Bus Seva Scheme: 10,000 Electric Buses to Transform Urban Mobility

The recent approval of the PM e-bus Seva scheme by the Union Cabinet is a key step toward encouraging green transportation across India and enhancing urban mobility.

PM E-Bus Seva: Overview of the Scheme

E-Bus Definition: At the center of the plan are e-buses, which are vehicles that are entirely propelled and equipped with zero-emissions electrical sources.

Cost and scope: The expected cost of the PM e-bus Sewa scheme is 57,613 crore, of which 20,000 crore will be provided by the Central government.

Operational assistance: For a 10-year period, the plan is intended to offer operational assistance to bus services.

Implementation Strategy

Two Segments: The scheme will be executed in two distinct segments:

10,000 E-Buses: In 169 cities, 10,000 e-buses will be introduced through a public-private partnership (PPP) model.

Infrastructure Upgrades: In 181 other cities, green urban mobility initiatives will focus on improving infrastructure, bus priority, charging infrastructure, multimodal interchange facilities, and automated fare collection systems.

Depot Infrastructure: For the first segment, the development and enhancement of depot infrastructure, including power substations, will be undertaken to support the new e-buses.

Job Creation: The scheme is expected to generate around 45,000 to 55,000 direct jobs, contributing to employment growth.

Coverage and Funding

Coverage: Cities with populations of three lakh and above, Union Territory capitals, as well as northeastern and hill states, are included in the scheme’s ambit.

Funding Model: States or cities will manage bus services and payments to bus operators, with the Central government providing subsidies as outlined in the scheme. This approach promotes decentralized management.

Positive Impacts

Environmental Benefits: The adoption of electric buses will significantly reduce noise and air pollution, contributing to cleaner and healthier urban environments.

Carbon Emission Reduction: Electric mobility aligns with India’s commitment to curb carbon emissions and combat climate change.

Economies of Scale: Aggregating electric bus procurement is expected to achieve economies of scale, making electric buses more financially viable and encouraging their adoption.

Bihar’s Caste-Based Survey and Challenges

Significant legal and sociopolitical discussions have been sparked by the approaching Supreme Court hearing on August 18 over the constitutionality of Bihar’s ongoing caste survey.

The caste survey’s complexities, its legal issues, the consequences for affirmative action, and worries about data privacy are all covered in this article.

Bihar Caste Survey: Legal Battles

Petitions Challenging Survey: Multiple petitions contesting the Bihar caste survey have been filed in the Supreme Court, alleging the state government’s encroachment on the Union government’s powers.

High Court Ruling: On August 1, the Patna High Court permitted the state to proceed with the survey, deeming it legally sound, initiated with due competence, and aligned with compelling public interest.

Supreme Court Involvement: The Supreme Court declined to stay the survey on August 14, clearing the way for the ongoing data collection process.

Nature of the Caste Survey

Government Initiative: Launched on January 7, the two-phase caste survey intends to collect detailed socioeconomic information to inform better government policies for marginalized groups.

Scope and Data Collection: The survey encompasses data on caste and economic status for a population of 12.70 crore in Bihar’s 38 districts.

Survey Progress: The first phase, a house listing exercise, was conducted from January 7 to January 12. The halted second phase resumed after the High Court’s verdict and aims to complete by mid-August.

Legal Contentions against the Survey

Constitutional Powers: Petitioners contend that the state lacks authority to conduct a census as it is solely within the Union government’s purview, as per the Constitution and Census Act.

Privacy Concerns: Challenges raised about data collection intruding on individuals’ right to privacy, given sensitive questions about religion, caste, and income.

Data Security: Some argue that the data collected should not be shared with political parties, as it raises concerns about privacy and potential misuse.

High Court’s Rationale for Upholding Survey

Affirmative Action: The High Court recognized the survey’s aim to identify and uplift backward classes, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes for equal opportunities.

Competence of State Government: The Court ruled that the survey aligns with the state’s authority for better administration and policy framing.

Legitimacy of Caste Identification: The Court referred to Indra Sawhney’s ruling to affirm caste identification’s validity for ameliorating social backwardness.

Expected Implications

Efficacy in Battling Discrimination: Advocates argue that caste surveys are crucial to addressing caste discrimination and mapping socio-economic deprivations for a more egalitarian society.

Potential for Expansion: A successful Bihar survey could lead to other states demanding similar surveys, which the Union government is resisting.

Social and Political Impacts: The survey has the potential to reshape social and political dynamics by addressing the invisibility of upper castes and bolstering Mandal politics.

Multidimensional Poverty Reduction in India

PM highlighted a significant milestone achieved during his government’s first 5-year term – the liberation of 13.5 crore Indians from the clutches of multidimensional poverty.

This achievement, as substantiated by the National Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) report, reflects the government’s commitment to improving the lives of millions across various dimensions of well-being.

Understanding Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI)

Holistic Evaluation: The MPI gauges deprivations across health and nutrition, education, and standard of living, offering a comprehensive assessment of poverty that extends beyond traditional monetary measures.

Three Dimensions: Health is evaluated through nutrition, child and adolescent mortality, and maternal health. Education encompasses years of schooling and school attendance. The standard of living is assessed through variables like sanitation, drinking water, and access to financial services.

Technical Collaborators: The methodology behind India’s MPI draws inspiration from the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP), with OPHI and UNDP collaborating to formulate the national index.

Notable Achievements and Data

Decline in Poverty: The poverty headcount ratio – the proportion of multidimensionally poor individuals – witnessed a remarkable drop from around 25% to under 15% between the periods of National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-4 (2015-16) and NFHS-5 (2019-21).

Significant Impact: This reduction signifies that a staggering 13.5 crore Indians liberated themselves from multidimensional poverty during this period.

Comparison with Historical Records

Historical Context: The MPI’s multidimensional nature makes direct comparisons with India’s traditional poverty estimations challenging. However, the Global MPI 2023 report underscores that 415 million Indians emerged from poverty between 2005-06 and 2019-21.

Distribution over Time: Economists elucidate that out of the 415 million, 270 million transitioned out of poverty from 2005-06 to 2015-16, with the remaining following thereafter.

Discrepancies in Ratio: The Global MPI cites India’s poverty ratio as 16.4%, while Niti Aayog’s MPI places it at 14.96%, due to variations in metrics and definitions.

Traditional Poverty Measurement

Historical Monetary Measure: Since 1901, poverty in India has been estimated using monetary measures that ascertain the income needed for subsistence or a minimum standard of living.

Creation of Poverty Line: Expert committees headed by D T Lakdawala (1993), Suresh Tendulkar (2009), and C Rangarajan (2014) established a poverty line based on consumption expenditure data.

Unresolved Data Issues: The absence of updated consumption data since 2011 has led to economists using alternative sources like NFHS data and CMIE data to estimate poverty, which has introduced uncertainty.

Conundrum of Middle-Class Definition

Ambiguity in Classification: India lacks an official middle-class definition, making it challenging to ascertain whether those emerging from poverty automatically join the middle class.

Income Disparity: Private research by PRICE categorizes the middle class based on annual income between ₹5 lakh and ₹30 lakh, a considerable jump from the income levels of individuals transitioning from poverty.

Survey Insights: As per PRICE’s survey, out of India’s population of 1,416 million, 432 million fall under the “Middle Class” category, while 732 million are classified as “Aspirers.”