Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhuyday Yojana (GS Paper 2, Governance)
Why in news?
- Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhuyday Yojana (PM- AJAY) is a merged scheme of 03 Centrally Sponsored Scheme namely
- Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAGY),
- Special Central Assistance to Scheduled Castes Sub Plan ( SCA to SCSP) and
- Babu Jagjivan Ram Chhatrawas Yojana(BJRCY).
Aim:
- It has been implemented since 2021-22 with an aim to reduce poverty of the SC communities by generation of additional employment opportunities through Skill development, income generating schemes and other initiatives and to improve socio-economic developmental indicators by ensuring adequate infrastructure and requisite services in the SC dominated villages.
The Scheme has three components:
- Development of SC dominated villages into an “Adarsh Gram”.
- ‘Grants-in-aid’ for District/State-level Projects for socio-economic betterment of SCs that may include creation of infrastructure in SC dominated villages including those selected under Adarsh Gram component, construction of Hostels/Residential schools, Comprehensive Livelihood Projects which may include components such as Skill development, related infrastructure development, financial assistance towards loans taken by beneficiaries for acquisition/creation of assets required for livelihood generation etc.
- Construction of Hostels in higher educational institutions which are top-ranked as per the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) of Government of India and are funded by the Centre/State/UT Governments either fully or partially. Similarly, construction of hostels in schools which are either fully or partially funded by the Centre/State/UT Governments and recommended by the Ministry of Education.
Objectives of Adarsh Gram Component (erstwhile Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana):
The objective of this component is to ensure integrated development of SC majority villages so that, inter alia, there is:
- Adequate infrastructure: All requisite infrastructure necessary for socio-economic development needs are to be provided under the Scheme.
- Improvement in Socio-Economic Indicators: The identified socio-economic indicators, known as Monitorable indicators, are to be improved so that the disparity between SC and non-SC population is eliminated and the level of indicators is raised to atleast that of the National average.
- All BPL SC families should have food and livelihood security, all SC children should complete education at least up to the secondary level, all factors leading to maternal and infant mortality are addressed and incidence of malnutrition, especially among children and women, is eliminated.
About Grants-in-aid for District/State-level Projects for Socio-Economic betterment of SCs {erstwhile scheme of Special Central Assistance to Scheduled Caste Sub Plan}
Comprehensive Livelihood Projects:
- Such projects which create an entire eco-system for producing sustainable income, or social advancement to the Scheduled Castes only shall be taken up. The projects should preferably be a combination of two or more of following :
- Skill Development: Skilling courses as per norms of MSDE. Related facilities and infrastructure for conducting Skill Development Activities conducted by the Government. Skill Development Institutions can also be funded.
- Grants for creation/acquisition of assets for beneficiaries/households: There shall be no standalone individual asset distribution under the scheme. However, if project has provision for acquisition/creation of assets for beneficiaries/households needed for livelihood generation, financial assistance towards loans taken by the beneficiary for such acquisition/creation of assets, would be upto Rs.50,000 or 50% of the asset cost, whichever is less, per beneficiary/household.
- Infrastructure development: Development of infrastructure related to the project and also Hostels and residential schools.
Other infrastructure- Various other infrastructure development projects in SC majority villages.
Special Provisions:
- Upto 15% of the total Grants exclusively on viable income generating economic development schemes/programme for SC Women.
- Upto 30% of the total Grants utilized for infrastructure development
- Atleast 10% of the total funds for skill development
- Promote SC Women Cooperatives engaged in production and marketing of consumer goods and services.
Achievements during the current Financial Year 2022-23:
- Under Adarsh Gram Component, a total of 1260 villages have been declared as Adarsh Gram during the current FY 2023-24.
- A total of 09 new hostels have been sanctioned under Hostel component of the scheme. Perspective plan for 07 States have been approved under Grant-in-aid component during the current financial year.
How Olympic cities are selected
(GS Paper 2, International Organisation)
Why in news?
- Recently, the Prime Minister publicly declared India’s intention to host the Olympic Games, preferably in 2036, during the opening ceremony of the 141st International Olympic Committee (IOC) session in Mumbai.
- He also mentioned India’s ambition to host the Youth Olympics in 2029 although the quadrennial event is currently scheduled for 2030.
Olympics in Asia:
- Only three Asian countries have ever hosted the Olympics; China, South Korea and Japan, with Japan hosting the games twice in 1964 and 2020.
How was a host country initially selected?
- In the older system of electing an Olympic host, cities, through their respective national Olympic committees, would submit a letter of interest to the IOC to start a multi-year, multi-step evaluation process. The bidding cities would complete a series of questionnaires, evaluated by the IOC.
- The second step of the process involved scrutiny from the IOC Evaluation Commission and a series of inspections of all venues before the final bids are put to vote at an IOC session, ending in a host being decided seven years in advance as per the Olympic Charter.
- It often led to excessive spending among the bidders, to secure rights, often ending in huge debts, corruptions and scandals.
- However, after Thomas Bach took over as the IOC president in 2013, he put in place the Olympic Agenda 2020, as a roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement, approved by the 2014 IOC session.
- One part of the agenda dealt with a new process for host city selection, called the ‘new norm’ that was officially adopted during the 2019 IOC session in Lausanne.
What was the new approach?
- The new process placed emphasis on three main aspects; flexibility, sustainability and cost-effectiveness with the motto being ‘The Games adapt to the region, the region does not adapt to the Games’.
How has the process become more flexible?
- With respect to flexibility, the seven-year rule was done away with and there has been greater flexibility in deciding the hosts, the IOC has said that the 2036 edition could be decided even as late as after 2030.
- In contrast, Paris and Los Angeles were selected through a tripartite agreement in 2017 that assured both countries hosting rights in 2024 and 2028 respectively.
- Brisbane too was named host for the 2032 edition in 2021.
Two-stage process:
Continuous dialogue:
- There is now a two-stage process; a continuous dialogue and a targeted dialogue without any fixed deadlines, to assess, discuss and guide potential hosts.
- The continuous dialogue is a non-committal stage not specific to any particular edition. It is basically a discussion between the IOC’s Future Hosts Commission (FHC) and interested parties about the hosts’ vision for the Games, its purpose and long-term legacy.
- Master
- This is followed by putting together a master plan and working out logistical details, with every potential host free to work out their own template. Also, unlike the past, the Games can be planned to be held across cities or even in conjunction with another country.
Targeted dialogue:
- Once there is seriousness in a bid to progress to the next level, it will enter the ‘targeted dialogue’ phase with the interested parties termed ‘preferred host’.
- However, unlike in the past when a party, once rejected, would be discouraged from bidding again, now the other interested parties can continue continuous dialogue for future events.
- In a targeted dialogue, the bids become more determined. While there is again no time-frame for a targeted dialogue, it is anticipated to not exceed 12 months.
- It explores the proposals to host a specific edition of the Olympic Games and brings the IOC’s executive board into the picture for detailed discussions.
- This is where each of the ‘preferred hosts’ answer the FHC’s questions and provides guarantees on infrastructure, accommodation, security and public services among others and makes the final submission.
- The FHC then prepares an advisory report for the executive board which has the power to either recommend a single host or shortlist more than one for elections by the IOC members.
What about sustainability and cost-effectiveness?
- In order to ensure the long-term sustainability of the infrastructure and to avoid any public backlash, hosts are encouraged as far as possible to use existing and temporary venues. Any new venues built must be in line with existing developmental plans and have a long-term justification irrespective of the Games.
- All editions of the summer/winter/youth Olympic Games from 2030 onwards must also adhere to the IOC’s climate positive commitment.
- As per the IOC’s claims, the focus on using existing and temporary venues has led to an 80% decrease in the bid budgets for the 2026 Winter Games compared to the 2018 and 2022 editions.
- Los Angeles has claimed to not build any new infrastructure for the 2028 Games while Paris has declared using 95% existing or temporary venues for 2024. The IOC also provides technical support and expertise to ‘preferred host(s)’ on marketing, venue development and sustainability to reduce costs.
Understanding the components of a SIM card, its functions and working
(GS Paper 3, Science and Technology)
- In 2021, there were more than 14 billion cellular devices in the world even though there were only seven billion people. The ubiquity of these devices has come to define the contemporary era together with climate change, antimicrobial resistance, and war.
- But for smartphones’ outsize mark on history, one essential component of theirs, the SIM card has flown somewhat under the radar.
What is a SIM card?
- ‘SIM’ stands for ‘subscriber identification module’. Specifically, it is an integrated circuit, or a microchip, that identifies the subscriber on a given network.
- In order for a mobile phone to connect to any cellular network that follows the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) standard, a SIM card is mandatory. This relationship is established using a unique authentication key.
- Every SIM card stores this data and it is designed such that the user can’t access it through their phone. Instead, signals sent by the phone into the network are ‘signed’ by the key, and the network uses the signature to understand whether the phone’s connection is legitimate. It is possible to duplicate a SIM card by accessing its key and storing it in multiple cards.
- SIM cards also store information about its
- own ID number (the integrated circuit card identifier),
- the IMSI, the subscriber’s location area identity (their current location),
- a list of preferred networks (to whom the subscriber can connect when roaming),
- emergency numbers, and
- the subscriber’s contacts and SMS messages.
How does a SIM card work?
- SIM cards are designed according to the ISO/IEC 7816 international standard maintained by the International Organisation for Standardisation and the International Electrotechnical Commission. It applies to electronic identification cards, including smart cards.
- In this standard, the card itself consists of the integrated circuit, which is glued to a silicon substrate on the top side. On the other side of the substrate are metal contacts, which form the gold-coloured side of the SIM card.
- Wires connect the integrated circuit from its bottom side to the metal contacts on the top side, and the contacts interface with the phone’s data connectors.
PIN:
- The metal contacts have a segmented appearance. Each segment is called a pin and has a specific purpose.
- For example, pin 1 collects the operating voltage that gives it the power to operate.
- Pin 3 is to access the SIM’s clock and pin 5 is the grounding.
- Pin 7 transmits data in and out of the SIM.
- These pin-wise roles are specified by the ISO/IEC 7816-2 standard; others, numbered 1 through 15, specify various functions of a SIM card and how they are to be implemented, from their “transmission protocols” to “cryptographic information applications”. This is the hardware side (minus the phone’s inner workings).
How have SIM cards changed?
- SIM cards are a type of smart card, and the history of smart cards begin in the late 1960s, when West German engineer Helmut Gröttrup first had the idea to stick an integrated circuit in a plastic panel the size of a credit card.
- The size and architecture of this microchip evolved in leaps and bounds in the subsequent decades, following Moore’s law.
GSM:
- The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) prepared the GSM Technical Specification 11.11 regarding the SIM card.
- The July 1996 edition says it defines the interface between the SIM and the Mobile Equipment (ME) for use during the network operation phase of GSM as well as those aspects of the internal organisation of the SIM which are related to the network operation phase, within the digital cellular telecommunications system.
- GSM concerns the second generation of cellular networks. After developing the 11.11 standard, ETSI transferred some of its responsibilities to an international consortium of seven organisations called 3GPP (the Telecommunications Standards Development Society in India is one).
- 3GPP subsequently developed the standards for the third (3G), fourth (4G), and fifth generation (5G) of networks.
UICC:
- Until 2G networks, the term ‘SIM card’ denoted both the hardware and the corresponding software. This changed with the advent of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System with 3G networks, when ‘SIM’ became only the software; the hardware was called the Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC).
- The software was also upgraded to an application called Universal SIM, or USIM, which could be modified to be compatible with the identification and security requirements of 3G, 4G, and 5G networks.
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- As a result, a UICC loaded with both SIM and USIM applications can work with networks of all generations.
What is an eSIM?
- Over the years, the SIM card has shrunk from the SIM to the mini SIM to the micro SIM to the nano SIM. The latest on this path is the eSIM, with specifications defined by the GSM Association.
- In the eSIM paradigm, the SIM software is loaded on to a UICC that is permanently installed in the mobile equipment in the factory itself, that it can’t be removed.
- Users using mobile equipment with this capability such as the Google Pixels 2, 3, and 4 or the iPhone 14 series don’t have to bother with physically replacing their SIM cards when they join or switch networks. Instead, the network operator simply has to reprogram the eSIM, which can also be done remotely.
Advantages of eSIM:
- It is considered to be environmentally friendlier than a physical SIM: its reprogrammability means no need for more plastic and metal for a new SIM.
- If a malicious person gains access to your phone, they won’t be able to separately access the SIM application nor be able to duplicate it.
Disadvantages:
- In some countries, including the U.S., eSIMs can be programmed by subscribers themselves. But this process might be difficult for those with low digital literacy, such as the elderly.
- An eSIM can in theory allow network operators to track subscribers’ data, including inside apps on the device, especially in the absence of data privacy laws.
