Current Affairs 12 November 2024

CONTENTS

1. Tamil Nadu Wind Energy Generators Challenge State Policy in Court
2. Supreme Court Upholds Need for Government Sanction in PMLA Cases Involving Public Servants
3. Global Tuberculosis Report 2024
4. Arrow-3 Missile Defence System
5. Kayakalp Scheme
6. Toto Tribe

Tamil Nadu Wind Energy Generators Challenge State Policy in Court

Context:

In Tamil Nadu, known for pioneering wind mill installations, many turbines have surpassed 30 years of operation. In response to aging infrastructure, the Tamil Nadu government introduced the “Tamil Nadu Repowering, Refurbishment and Life Extension Policy for Wind Power Projects – 2024” in August. However, this policy has met with resistance from wind energy generators, who have successfully secured a stay from the Madras High Court. The generators are advocating for a policy that more actively promotes wind energy generation, highlighting a significant contention between industry stakeholders and state regulations.

Relevance:

GS III: Energy

Dimensions of the Article:

1. What is the wind energy capacity and potential in India?
2. How are wind turbines maintained?
3. Repowering and Refurbishing in Wind Energy
4. Way forward

What is the wind energy capacity and potential in India?

• The National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) says that India has wind power potential for 1,163.86 GW at 150 metres above ground level, and is ranked fourth in the world for installed wind energy capacity.
• At 120 metres above ground level, which is the normal height of wind turbines now, the potential is 695.51 GW, including the 68.75 GW from Tamil Nadu.
• Only about 6.5% of this wind potential is used at the national level and nearly 15% in Tamil Nadu.
• Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Andhra Pradesh are the leading States for installed wind energy capacity, collectively contributing 93.37% of the country’s wind power capacity installation.
• Tamil Nadu has seen the installation of wind turbines since the 1980s, and today it has the second largest installed wind energy capacity with 10,603.5 MW, according to data available with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
• Of the 20,000 wind turbines in the State, nearly 10,000 are of small capacities, that is less than one MW.

How are wind turbines maintained?

• Wind turbines that are more than 15 years old or have less than 2 MW capacity, can be completely replaced with new turbines, which is known as repowering. They can also be refurbished by increasing the height of the turbine, changing the blades, installing a higher capacity gear box, etc., to improve the energy generated.
• These can be done for standalone wind mills, or a group of wind mills owned by multiple generators. When wind energy generators take up safety measures in the old turbines and extend its life, its called life extension.
• The MNRE first came out with a “Policy for Repowering of the Wind Power Projects” in 2016 and based on consultations with stakeholders, released the “National Repowering & Life Extension Policy for Wind Power Projects -2023”.
• The NIWE estimates the repowering potential to be 25.4 GW if wind turbines of less than 2 MW capacity are taken into consideration.

Repowering and Refurbishing in Wind Energy

Repowering and refurbishing in the context of wind energy involve upgrading older wind turbines with newer, more efficient models or enhancing their components to improve performance and extend their operational life. This process is crucial as technology advances and the physical landscape and regulatory environments evolve.

What Does Repowering Entail?

• Upgrading Turbine Capacity: Repowering typically means replacing older, less efficient wind turbines with modern, higher-capacity units. For example, replacing sub-one MW turbines from the 1980s with newer models that can generate more electricity—such as 2 MW or 2.5 MW turbines which not only produce more power but also operate more efficiently.
• Increased Physical Requirements: Newer turbines are generally larger and require more land. A 2 MW turbine might need 3.5 acres, whereas a 2.5 MW turbine could require up to five acres. This increased size translates to higher power generation capabilities.
• Infrastructure Enhancements: Alongside turbine upgrades, infrastructure improvements are necessary, particularly regarding wind energy evacuation and transmission systems. These systems must be upgraded to handle increased power output and ensure efficient energy transfer from wind farms to the power grid.

What Does Refurbishing Entail?

• Component Upgrades: Refurbishing involves replacing or upgrading specific components of an existing turbine without a complete replacement. This might include newer blades, more efficient generators, or updated control systems.
• Extending Turbine Life: By refurbishing parts, the operational life of a turbine can be extended, making it more economically viable over a longer period, especially when complete repowering isn’t feasible due to space or regulatory constraints.

Challenges and Considerations

• Land and Regulatory Issues: As newer turbines require more space, repowering can sometimes be hindered by increased habitation around wind sites and stricter land use regulations. Additionally, the installation of larger turbines might require navigating more complex zoning laws or environmental impact assessments.
• Financial Implications: In regions like Tamil Nadu, regulatory changes such as the lack of a banking facility for new installations post-2018 affect the financial dynamics. Banking facility allows generators to store energy in the grid and use it later, offsetting times when generation exceeds immediate grid demand.
• Infrastructure Delays: Projects such as the development of sub-stations, crucial for supporting increased capacity at sites like Aralvaimozhi, often face delays due to financial, bureaucratic, or logistical challenges, impacting the overall feasibility of repowering projects.

Way forward

• Among the wind energy generating States, the repowering potential is the highest in Tamil Nadu with over 7,000 MW of installed capacity that can be replaced or refurbished. If the small turbines are repowered or refurbished, the contribution of wind energy to total energy consumed during the peak windy seasons can go up easily by 25%.
• While there have been generators which have replaced turbines in the past without government support, the policy itself does not promote wind energy generation, claim the generators.
• It should look at challenges on the field and consider how the wind energy potential can be harnessed fully by the generators.

-Source: The Hindu

Supreme Court Upholds Need for Government Sanction in PMLA Cases Involving Public Servants

Context:

The Supreme Court of India has affirmed a Telangana High Court ruling that requires prior government sanction for prosecuting public servants under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. This decision clarifies that Section 197(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 — now replaced by the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 — which mandates such government sanction, extends to cases under the PMLA as well.

Relevance:

GS II: Government Policies and Interventions

Dimensions of the Article:

1. Section 197(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC)
2. Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002
3. Recent Changes Made Under the PMLA

Section 197(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC)

Section 197(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) in India plays a crucial role in the legal framework that governs the prosecution of public servants. Here’s an overview of its key aspects:

Purpose and Function

• Protection of Public Servants: Section 197(1) requires that any prosecution of public servants (including judges and magistrates) for actions conducted in their official capacity must receive prior sanction from a government authority. This is to ensure that officials can perform their duties without fear of malicious or frivolous litigation.
• Sanction Authority: The authority to grant such sanctions varies depending on the public servant’s administrative alignment:
  • Central Government: Sanction for prosecuting union-affiliated public servants.
  • State Government: Sanction for those involved in state government affairs.

Aims and Implications

• Prevention of Malicious Prosecution: The requirement for prior government sanction serves to filter out cases where the charges might be driven by ulterior motives rather than genuine grievances.
• Good Faith Decision-making: It protects the ability of public servants to make decisions in good faith without undue worry about potential legal repercussions from those decisions.

Exceptions to the Rule

• Crimes Exempt from Sanction: Not all actions by public servants are protected under this section. Crimes that involve gender-based violence and sexual offences, as outlined in the Indian Penal Code, 1860, are exempt from the requirement of prior sanction. This exemption ensures that serious offences do not go unpunished under the guise of official duty.

Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002

• According to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) 2002, Money laundering is concealing or disguising the identity of illegally obtained proceeds so that they appear to have originated from legitimate sources.
  •  It is frequently a component of other, much more serious, crimes such as drug trafficking, robbery or extortion.
• Money laundering is punishable with rigorous imprisonment for a minimum of 3 years and a maximum of 7 years and Fine under the PMLA.
• The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is responsible for investigating offences under the PMLA.
• The Financial Intelligence Unit – India (FIU-IND) is the national agency that receives, processes, analyses and disseminates information related to suspect financial transactions.
• After hearing the application, a special court (designated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act PMLA, 2002) may declare an individual as a fugitive economic offender and also confiscate properties which are proceeds of crime, Benami properties and any other property, in India or abroad.
• The authorities under the PMLA, 2002 will exercise powers given to them under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act.
  • These powers will be similar to those of a civil court, including the search of persons in possession of records or proceeds of crime, the search of premises on the belief that a person is an FEO and seizure of documents.

Recent Changes Made Under the PMLA

The Indian government has made several changes to the Prevention of Money-Laundering Act (PMLA) to plug loopholes and comply with Financial Action Task Force (FATF) regulations. Some of the key changes are:

• More disclosures for non-governmental organizations by reporting entities like financial institutions, banking companies, or intermediaries.
• Definition of “politically exposed persons” (PEPs) as individuals who have been entrusted with prominent public functions by a foreign country, which brings uniformity with a 2008 Reserve Bank of India (RBI) circular for Know Your Customer (KYC) norms and anti-money laundering standards for banks and financial institutions.
• Inclusion of practicing chartered accountants, company secretaries, and cost and works accountants carrying out financial transactions on behalf of their clients under the ambit of the money laundering law.
• Widening the list of non-banking reporting entities to allow 22 financial entities like Amazon Pay (India) Pvt. Ltd, Aditya Birla Housing Finance Ltd, and IIFL Finance Ltd. to verify the identity of their customers via Aadhaar under the ambit of the money laundering law.

The financial transactions covered under the money laundering law include buying and selling of any immovable property, managing client money, securities, or other assets, management of bank, savings, or securities accounts, organization of contributions for the creation, operation, or management of companies, creation, operation, or management of companies, limited liability partnerships, or trusts, and buying and selling of business entities.

-Source: The Hindu

Global Tuberculosis Report 2024

Context:

According to WHO Global Tuberculosis Report 2024 India has achieved a notable 17.7% decline in tuberculosis (TB) incidence from 2015 to 2023. This decline, exceeding the global average of 8.3%, underscores India’s unwavering commitment to eliminating TB by 2025, under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP). 

Relevance:

GS II: Health

Dimensions of the Article:

1. Key Findings of the Global Tuberculosis Report 2024
2. About Tuberculosis
3. India’s TB Elimination Target: Goals and Challenges

Key Findings of the Global Tuberculosis Report 2024

Increasing Global TB Incidence

• Rise in Cases: There were 8.2 million new tuberculosis (TB) cases reported globally in 2023, an increase from 7.5 million in 2022. This is the highest number recorded by the World Health Organization (WHO) since 1995.
• Slight Decrease in Deaths: TB-related deaths were slightly lower in 2023, with an estimated 1.25 million, compared to 1.32 million in 2022.

Geographic and Demographic Distribution

• High Burden in LMICs: Low- and middle-income countries account for 87% of the global TB burden.
• Major Contributing Countries: Five countries—India (26%), Indonesia (10%), China (6.8%), the Philippines (6.8%), and Pakistan (6.3%)—alone contribute to 56% of the global TB burden.
• Affected Populations: 55% of TB cases occurred in men, 33% in women, and 12% in children and young adolescents.

Progress Towards End TB Strategy Goals

• 2025 Targets: The WHO’s End TB Strategy aims for a 75% reduction in TB deaths and a 50% reduction in incidence rates by 2025.
• Challenges in Meeting Targets: The WHO Global TB Report 2024 and the India TB Report 2024 indicate that India, among other countries, is unlikely to meet these milestones or eliminate TB by 2025.

Specifics of India’s TB Scenario

• Case Numbers: In 2023, India recorded an estimated 27 lakh TB cases, with 25.1 lakh individuals diagnosed and beginning treatment.
• Incidence Rate: TB incidence in India dropped from 237 cases per lakh population in 2015 to 195 per lakh in 2023, marking a 17.7% decline.
• Improved Treatment Coverage: Treatment coverage in India increased to 89% in 2023, up from 72% in 2015, significantly narrowing the gap of undiagnosed or untreated cases.

About Tuberculosis

• TB remains the world’s deadliest infectious killer.
• Each day, over 4000 people lose their lives to TB and close to 30,000 people fall ill with this preventable and curable disease
• TB is caused by bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) that most often affect the lungs.
• Transmission: TB is spread from person to person through the air. When people with TB cough, sneeze or spit, they propel the TB germs into the air.
• Symptoms: Cough with sputum and blood at times, chest pains, weakness, weight loss, fever and night sweats.
• Treatment: TB is a treatable and curable disease. It is treated with a standard 6 month course of 4 antimicrobial drugs that are provided with information, supervision and support to the patient by a health worker or trained volunteer.
• Anti-TB medicines have been used for decades and strains that are resistant to 1 or more of the medicines have been documented in every country surveyed.
• Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a form of TB caused by bacteria that do not respond to isoniazid and rifampicin, the 2 most powerful, first-line anti-TB drugs. MDR-TB is treatable and curable by using second-line drugs.
• Extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) is a more serious form of MDR-TB caused by bacteria that do not respond to the most effective second-line anti-TB drugs, often leaving patients without any further treatment options

India’s TB Elimination Target: Goals and Challenges

India has set an ambitious target of eliminating tuberculosis by 2025, five years ahead of the global sustainable development target of 2030. Here are the goals and challenges in achieving this target:

• Target Goals: India’s national strategic plan 2017-2025 aims to report no more than 44 new TB cases or 65 total cases per lakh population by 2025. The plan also aims to reduce TB mortality to 3 deaths per lakh population by 2025 and eliminate catastrophic costs for affected families.
• Current Incidence: The estimated TB incidence for 2021 stood at 210 per lakh population. However, achieving the target is a big task as the plan had envisaged an incidence of only 77 cases per lakh population by 2023.
• Mortality: The estimated TB mortality for the year 2020 stood at 37 per lakh population, which is higher than the 2025 target of 3 deaths per lakh population.
• Catastrophic Costs: The plan aims to reduce catastrophic costs for the affected family to zero. However, the report states that 7 to 32 per cent of those with drug-sensitive TB, and 68 per cent with drug-resistant TB experienced catastrophic costs.
• Challenges: India faces several challenges in achieving the TB elimination target, including inadequate funding, weak health infrastructure, low awareness, and poor treatment adherence.
• End TB Strategy: The goals are in line with the World Health Organisation’s End TB strategy that calls for an 80% reduction in the number of new cases, a 90% reduction in mortality, and zero catastrophic cost by 2030.

Efforts to Achieve TB Elimination Target of 2025 in India

• Active Case Finding: The government is actively looking for TB cases among vulnerable and co-morbid populations and screening for it at health and wellness centers.
• Notification System: A Ni-kshay portal has been established to track notified TB cases, and the private sector has been called upon to notify all TB cases.
• Improved Diagnostic Tests: The pandemic has led to improved access to more accurate molecular diagnostic tests like CB-NAAT and TureNat, with 4,760 molecular diagnostic machines covering all districts of the country. Additionally, 79 line probe assay laboratories and 96 liquid culture testing laboratories have been set up for the diagnosis of multi and extremely drug-resistant TB.
• Universal Drug Susceptibility Test: The government has implemented a universal drug susceptibility test, which determines antibiotic susceptibility for all newly diagnosed cases, ensuring patients are given effective treatment from the outset.
• Community Engagement Program: The government launched a community engagement program in which Ni-kshay mitras adopt TB patients and provide them with monthly nutritional support. So far, 71,460 Ni-kshay Mitras have adopted about 10 lakh TB patients under the program.

-Source: The Hindu

Arrow-3 Missile Defence System

Context:

Israel’s Defence Ministry has begun coordinating joint preparations with the German Federal Ministry of Defence for the initial deployment of Israel’s Arrow-3 missile interception system on German soil in 2025.

Relevance:

GS III: Defence

Arrow-3 Missile Defense System

The Arrow-3 is an advanced exo-atmospheric anti-ballistic missile defense system designed to intercept long-range threats outside the Earth’s atmosphere. It represents the upper echelon of Israel’s multi-layered air defense network, which includes various other systems like the Arrow 2, David’s Sling, and the Iron Dome.

Development and Deployment

• Joint Venture: Arrow-3 was developed collaboratively by Israel Aerospace Industries and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency.
• Operational Since: The system was initially deployed in 2017 and serves as the top layer of Israel’s integrated air defense system.

System Components and Capabilities

• Interceptor and Propulsion: Arrow-3 utilizes a two-stage solid-fueled interceptor capable of engaging short- and medium-range ballistic missiles.
• Speed and Range: The system is hypersonic, capable of traveling at five times the speed of sound, with an operational range of approximately 2,400 km.
• Altitude: It can intercept incoming threats at altitudes up to 100 km, effectively outside of the Earth’s atmosphere.
• Support Systems: The Arrow-3 system includes a sophisticated launcher, radar, battle management, and fire control capabilities.
  • Radar Capabilities: It features early warning and fire control radar that supports extended-range acquisition, multi-target acquisition, and tracking.

Operational Mechanism

• Hit-to-Kill Technology: Arrow-3 employs hit-to-kill technology, which ensures that the interceptor destroys the incoming missile by colliding with it directly, rather than using an explosive warhead.
• Launch and Interception Process:
  • The missile is initially launched vertically upwards.
  • It then maneuvers towards the calculated interception point based on real-time tracking.
  • A high-resolution electro-optical sensor is used to acquire and track the target accurately.
  • The kill vehicle then executes the final interception, destroying the warhead of the incoming missile through direct impact.

Significance of Arrow-3

Arrow-3 is a critical component of Israel’s defensive strategy against ballistic missile threats. Its ability to engage threats at high altitudes allows it to neutralize potential dangers before they enter the atmosphere, providing a strategic defense advantage. This system is part of a broader effort to safeguard the nation’s airspace against increasingly sophisticated threats, ensuring a robust defense posture that can handle multiple incoming targets simultaneously.

In summary, the Arrow-3 missile defense system enhances Israel’s capability to defend against long-range ballistic missile threats with precision and reliability, significantly contributing to regional stability and security.

-Source: The Hindu

Kayakalp Scheme

Context:

The Rajasthan College Education Commissionerate has directed 20 government colleges to get the front facade of their buildings and entry halls painted orange under the Kayakalp Scheme.

Relevance:

GS II: Government Policies and Interventions

About Kayakalp Scheme:

• Launched by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on 15 May 2015 under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan with the view of promoting cleanliness to further improve the quality of health-care facilities in India.

Aims/ Objectives:

• Promote Cleanliness, Hygiene, Infection Control, and Environment-friendly practices in PHFs.
• To motivate and recognize PHFs that do well in adhering to standard cleanliness and infection control practices.
• To adopt a culture of constant assessment and peer review of performance in terms of hygiene, cleanliness, and sanitation.
• To develop and promulgate sustainable practices related to improved cleanliness in PHFs associated with good health outcomes.
• The Kayakalp assessment is a three-tier process of internal, peer and external assessment. The pre-defined assessment tool is deployed at the beginning of each financial year for assessing, scoring and documenting a health facility.

The criteria wherein the performance of the facility would be graded are as follows:

• Hospital/Facility Upkeep
• Sanitation and Hygiene
• Waste Management
• Infection Control
• Support Services
• Hygiene Promotion

This scheme awards the five following prizes to recognize the strenuous efforts that healthcare centers make with such commitment:

• Two best district hospitals.
• Two best community health centers or sub-district hospitals
• One primary health center for each district.
• Cash prizes along with citations are given by the scheme to the winners based on a specific set of selection criteria.

-Source: The Hindu

Toto Tribe

Context:

Totos, one of the smallest tribes in the world, lives in Totopara off West Bengal but are fighting for identity and suffering from infrastructure woes.

Relevance:

GS II: Tribes

About the Toto Tribe:

• It is an aboriginal Indo-Bhutanese tribe which specifically dwells in the Totopara village of Alipurduar district in West Bengal.
• The Totopara village lies within the vicinity of Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary.
• It lies just to the south of the border between Bhutan and West Bengal, on the bank of the Torsa River.
• The Toto tribe anthropologically comes under the Tibetan-Mongoloid ethnicity.
• The most threatened tribe is the one whose number of over 1600 members survive. The Toto tribe has often been described as ‘a dying tribe’ facing extinction.
• Classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG).
• Toto Language: It is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken by the Toto and has Bengali script.
• Totos are exogamous and are divided into 13 exogamous clans; among them, they choose their wife.
• This is a belief special to their tradition; they believe a man should have only one wife, and they work very hard for the anti-dowry system-a dissident notion from other tribal customs prevailing in their neighboring areas.
• Their houses are only bamboo huts with attap roof structures.
• Religion: Toto people practice the form of Hinduism but, unlike the people of other traditions, they do believe in nature worship.

Economy:

• In the past, Totos were primarily food gatherers and followed slash and burn types of cultivation.
• Along with this, the Toto families earn a good amount of money by working as porters for carrying oranges from the different gardens of Bhutan to Totopara

With the passage of time, occupational diversification has taken place. At present, they became settled agriculturists.

-Source: Indian Express