Government to roll out big push for infrastructure  

News Important for: GS – 3 I Economic Development, Infrastructure

Context

The central government is working in the direction to invite investment in Infrastructure development.

About

The Government is expecting infrastructure investment upto 1.5 lakh core upto next five years.

The government is planning for Organization of Annual Global Investor Summit in 2019 hosted by National Infrastructure Investment Fund.

National Infrastructure Investment Fund   ●       National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) is a fund created by the Government of India for enhancing infrastructure financing in the country. ●       This is different from the National Investment Fund. ●       NIIF was proposed to be set up as a Trust, to raise debt to invest in the equity of infrastructure finance companies such as Indian Rail Finance Corporation (IRFC) and National Housing Bank (NHB). ●       The idea is that these infrastructure finance companies can then leverage this extra equity, manifold. In that sense. ●       NIIF is a banker of the banker of the banker. ●       NIIF is envisaged as a fund of funds with the ability to make direct investments as required. ●       As a fund of fund it may invest in other SEBI registered funds. ●       Its creation was announced in the Union Budget 2015-16.

 

Objective of National Infrastructure Investment Fund

●       The objective of NIIF would be to maximize economic impact mainly through infrastructure development in commercially viable projects, both Greenfield and Brownfield, including stalled projects.

●       It could also consider other nationally important projects, for example, in manufacturing, if commercially viable.

Functions of National Infrastructure Investment Fund

●       Fundraising through suitable instruments including off-shore credit enhanced bonds.

●       Attracting anchor investors to participate as partners in NIIF

●       Servicing of the investors of NIIF.

●       Considering and approving candidate companies/institutions/ projects (including state entities) for investments and periodic monitoring of investments.

●       Investing in the corpus created by Asset Management Companies (AMCs) for investing in private equity.

●       Preparing a shelf of infrastructure projects and providing advisory services.

 

 

 

Challenges to Infrastructure Development

●       Land acquisition has been the single largest roadblock for the development of infrastructure.

●       Several projects have been stalled or delayed due to land acquisition issues

●       Delay in regulatory and environmental clearance

●       Funding constraints- Funding is another major roadblock in the implementation of infrastructure projects

Overcoming the Challenges to Infrastructure Development

●       Fast-track policy and regulation reforms for enhanced implementation

●       Comprehensive dispute resolution

●       Facilitate funding for infrastructure projects

●       Public private partnership (PPP)- Allowing the private sector into some former fully government-owned infrastructure sectors, such as telecommunications and domestic civil aviation

 

Source link:

 https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/government-to-roll-out-big-push-for-infrastructure/article28628983.ece

 

 

 

The recent NITI Aayog health index reported to be irregular and unbalanced 

News Important for: GS – 3 I Health issue, Governance

Context

The researchers have detected faults in recent NITI Aayog health index called Healthy States, Progressive India.

 

 

Analysis

●       The think tank has used estimated data to calculate the score of states instead of the reported data.

●       The score from both sets of data highly varies.

●       The score calculated from reported data in Health Management and Information System, a statistical arm of Ministry of Health and Family welfare varies significantly for few states.

●       The think tank has used several indicators among which two indicators as “full immunisation coverage” and “proportion of institutional deliveries have specifically used estimated data for score calculation.

●       It is necessary to use the estimated number of births to determine the level of registration of births. However, the same cannot be said about full immunisation coverage and proportion of institutional deliveries.

Healthy States and Progressing India

●       The report was released jointly by the CEO, NITI Aayog, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and World Bank India Country Director.

●       It is the first attempt to establish an annual systematic tool to measure and understand the heterogeneity and complexity of the nation’s performance in Health.

●       The report has been developed by NITI Aayog, with technical assistance from the World Bank, and in consultation with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).

 

 

Ranked in 3 categories

●       States and UTs have been ranked in three categories namely, Larger States, Smaller States, and Union Territories (UTs), to ensure comparison among similar entities.

●       The Health Index is a weighted composite Index, which for the larger States, is based on indicators in three domains: (a) Health Outcomes (70%); (b) Governance and Information (12%); and (c) Key Inputs and Processes (18%), with each domain assigned a weight based on its importance.

 

Source link:

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/final-index-score-of-niti-aayog-report-on-states-adversely-impacted/article28628740.ece

 

 

According to election commission the participation of service voter turnout at 60.14%

News Important for: GS – 3 I Important data, Constitutional bodies

Context

The election commission reported that one-way electronic transmission had enabled 60.14% turnout of voters.

 

 

Analysis

●       It was the first time when postal ballots were sent electronically to service voters.

●       The figures are in comparison, an EC to the service voter turnout in the 2014 General Elections which was just 4%.

●       The facility was enabled for the first time through the dedicated portal by election commission for online registration.

●       The service voters were sent postal ballots electronically one way to save processing time, resources and avoid human errors,

●       The Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System has two layers of security, with the use of a one-time password, PIN and unique QR code on the portal.

Who are service voters   ●       Service voter is a voter having service qualification. According to the provisions of sub – section (8) of Section 20 of Representation of the People Act, 1950, service qualification means: ●       Being a member of the armed Forces of the Union ; or ●       Being a member of a force to which provisions of the Army Act, 1950 (46 of 1950), have been made applicable whether with or without modification ; ●       Being a member of an Armed Police Force of a State, and serving outside that state; or ●       Being a person who is employed under the Government of India, in a post outside India.

 

 

Source link:

 https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/6014-turnout-of-service-voters-says-ec/article28628643.ece

 

 

 

 

Under representation of SC/ST scientists in biotech bodies and labs

News Important for: GS – 2 I Issues Relating to Development and Management of Social Sector/Services, Functions and Responsibilities of the Union and the States

Context

There has been an under representation of SC/ST candidates in scientific institution.

 

 

Analysis

●       According to an RTI enquiry  it was observed that Scientists from Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) are grossly under-represented in scientific institutions funded by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT)

●       Several of such institutions just about meet the government prescribed criteria for reservation — 15% for SC and 7.5% for ST.

●       However a RTI response clarifies that posts of scientists and technical grade staff (where reservation rules are not mandatory) see only single-digit representation from the reserved categories (excluding the Other Backward Classes category).

●       For example: In the National Institute of Immunology (NII), an organization funded by the DBT, 34 out of 208 permanent employees belong to the SC/ST category.

●       However, only two from the SC category were scientists (Group A scientists in the pay grade level 10 and above, where SC/ST reservations don’t apply).

●       There was no scientist from the ST category.

Conclusion

●       Representation of SC/ST in higher posts ensures an overall development and bottom to top approach which must be ensured for attainment of Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

Source link:

 https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/little-room-for-scst-scientists-in-biotech-bodies/article28628964.ece

 

 

ITI students in Berhampur build a giant guitar with metal scrap

News Important for: GS – 3 I Innovation

 

 

About

●       The government Industrial Training Institute (ITI), Berhampur  has installed a 68-feet high, giant guitar in the campus

●       The guitar that has a 25-foot base and weighs over 300 kilograms was built by the ITI students using building and automobile scrap.

●       The giant guitar is now a part of an open air museum of “art from waste”

●       According to the Golden Book of World Records It is the world’s largest scrap sculpture.

●       The institute has also set up a scrap museum, where the students have made several other structures and sculptures.

●       The ITI Berhampur had received the Prakruti Mitra award from the state government for its use of waste material and environment protection this year at a function in Bhubaneswar.

Other Scrap Sculpture

●       The sculpture of a lion depicting the logo of ‘Make in India’ installed at the Urkura Raipur railway station.

●       The 32-feet high, 65-feet wide, 22-metric ton sculpture was installed by the General Stores Depot South East Central Railway on 12 April 2017.

●       Around 20 to 30 students of different departments, including welding, electrician, painters were engaged to create this huge sculpture

●       Some of the earlier sculptures created by the students include a 12-feet high Hollywood science fiction character Predator made of 550 kilograms discarded vehicle parts, a (16-feet high giant fish, and a 32-feet tall giraffe. All of these are installed at the ITI campus here.

Source link:

https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/iti-students-in-berhampur-build-a-giant-guitar-with-metal-scrap/article28631103.ece