Beidou satellite, EPFO pension scheme, Child Welfare Police officers, World’s Biosphere Footprint, Agnipath
Beidou satellite
China on November 4, 2022 outlined plans to further expand the global reach of its home-grown Beidou satellite navigation system, billed as its alternative to America’s Global Positioning System (GPS).
- The BeiDou Navigation Satellite System is a Chinese satellite navigation system consisting of two separate satellite constellations.
- The first BeiDou system, officially called the BeiDou Satellite Navigation Experimental System and also known as BeiDou-1, consisted of three satellites which, began in 2000.
- It offered limited coverage and navigation services, mainly for users in China and neighboring regions. BeiDou-1 was decommissioned at the end of 2012.
- The second generation of the system, officially called the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) and also known as COMPASS or BeiDou-2, became operational in China in December 2011 with a partial constellation of 10 satellites in orbit.
- Since December 2012, it has been offering services to customers in the Asia-Pacific region.
- In 2015, China launched the third generation BeiDou system (BeiDou-3) for global coverage.
- The third iteration of the Beidou Navigation Satellite System provides full global coverage for timing and navigation, offering an alternative to Russia’s GLONASS, the European Galileo positioning system, and the US’s GPS.
- China has, since 2020, also made an outreach to South Asia and is already working, or in discussion with, a number of countries in the region, including Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, over adopting the Beidou satellite (BDS) navigation system.
- China is also helping several BRI partners, including Pakistan and Sri Lanka, launch communication satellites.
- NavIC is India’s alternative to GPS and has been in operation since 2018.
- NavIC acronym for Navigation with Indian Constellation also known as Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) is an autonomous regional satellite navigation system.
- NavIC will provide two levels of service, the “standard positioning service”, which will be open for civilian use, and a “restricted service” (an encrypted one) for authorised users (including the military).
- There are plans to expand the NavIC system by increasing its constellation size from 7 to 11.
EPFO pension scheme
The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the Employees’ Pension (Amendment) Scheme, 2014 of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organistion as “legal and valid” while reading down certain provisions.
- Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) was established by an act of Parliament of India, to provide social security to workers working in India.
- It came into effect under Employee Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provision Act, 1952 and is applicable throughout the country.
- EPFO comes under the control of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India.
- It is one of the World’s largest Social Security Organisations in terms of clientele and the volume of financial transactions undertaken.
EPFO Scheme 1952
Salient features of EPFO schemes
- Accumulation plus interest upon retirement and death
- Partial withdrawals allowed for education, marriage, illness and house construction
- Housing scheme for EPFO members to achieve the Prime Minister’s vision of Housing for all by 2022.
Pension Scheme 1995 (EPS)
Salient features of the Pension Scheme
- The monthly benefit for superannuation/benefit, disability, survivor, widow(er) and children
- Minimum pension of disablement
- Past service benefit to participants of the erstwhile Family Pension Scheme, 1971.
Insurance Scheme 1976 (EDLI)
Salient features of the scheme
- The benefit provided in case of the death of an employee who was a member of the scheme at the time of death.
- Benefit amount 20 times the wages, maximum benefit of 6 Lakh.
Child Welfare Police Officers Must In All Police Stations
Recently, the Ministry of Home Affairs has asked the States/Union Territories to appoint a Child Welfare Police Officer (CWPO) in every police station to deal with children, either as victims or perpetrators exclusively.
- The Home Ministry cited provisions under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, which mandates the designation of at least one officer, not below the rank of an Assistant Sub-Inspector, CWPO in every police station, in response to a recommendation made by the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights.
- Special Juvenile Police Unit: The Commission also requested that a Special Juvenile Police Unit be established in every district and city, with each unit being led by a police officer with at least the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police.
- To coordinate all police activities relating to children, the unit would be made up of CWPOs and two social workers with experience working in the field of child welfare, one of whom must be a woman.
- CWPOs: The contact information for the CWPOs should be posted in all police stations so that the general public can get in touch with them.
- The Ministry called for reviewing the compliance and operation of the set-up in the States/Union Territories and, where they didn’t exist, taking steps to operationalize the arrangement as soon as possible.
- The Ministry pointed to other provisions under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Rules, 2016, which prescribed specific roles for CWPOs and the Special Juvenile Police Unit in cases of child rights violations.
Reasons behind the recommendations
- The warning comes amid a rise in crimes against children, including homicides and violations of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act.
- According to data released by the National Crime Records Bureau, there were 1,28,531 offenses against children in 2020 and 1,49,404 in 2021.
- While Madhya Pradesh topped the country with 19,173 cases, Uttar Pradesh stood second with 16,838 cases.
- A total of 1,402 children were murdered in 1,279 cases reported nationwide. In 2021, there were 1,18,549 reported occurrences of kidnapping and abduction involving kidnapped children.
- The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act (2000, amended in 2015);
- The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (2006);
- The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (2012), and
- The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act (1986, amended in 2016).
National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR)
- The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) is a statutory body constituted by the Government of India under section (3) of the Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act, 2005, under the aegis of the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
- It attempts to make sure that all laws, programs, policies, and administrative mechanisms are in line with the viewpoint on children’s rights that is reflected in both the Indian Constitution and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
- This commission consists of a chairperson and six members, two of whom must be women.
- They are all three-year appointments made by the central government.
- The chairman’s and members’ maximum ages to serve on a commission are 65 and 60, respectively.
World’s Biosphere Footprint
About World Network of Biosphere Reserves:
- The UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) was formed in 1971.
- WNBR covers internationally designated protected areas, known as biosphere reserves, which are meant to demonstrate a balanced relationship between people and nature (e.g., encourage sustainable development).
- They are created under the Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB).
- All biosphere reserves are internationally recognised sites on land, at the coast, or in the oceans.
- There are 738 biosphere reserves in 134 countries, including 22 transboundary sites. They are distributed as follows:
- 90 sites in 33 countries in Africa
- 36 sites in 14 countries in the Arab States
- 172 sites in 24 countries in Asia and the Pacific
- 308 sites in 41 countries in Europe and North America
- 132 sites in 22 countries Latin America and the Caribbean.
Nomination & approval of biosphere reserves:
- Governments alone decide which areas to nominate.
- Before approval by UNESCO, the sites are externally examined.
- If approved, they will be managed based on a plan, reinforced by credibility checks while remaining under the sovereignty of their national government.
Functions of Biosphere Reserves:
- Biosphere Reserves involve local communities and all interested stakeholders in planning and management. They integrate three main “functions”:
- Conservation of biodiversity and cultural diversity
- Economic development that is socio-culturally and environmentally sustainable
- Logistic support, underpinning development through research, monitoring, education and training.
Structure of Biosphere Reserve:
They are demarcated into the following 3 interrelated zones:
Core Zone:
- Includes protected areas, as they act as reference points on the natural state of the ecosystems represented by the biosphere reserves. Have endemic species of plants & animals.
- A core zone is a protected region, like a National Park or Sanctuary/protected/regulated mostly under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
- It is kept free from human interference.
Buffer Zone:
- The buffer zone surrounds the core zone and its activities are managed in this area in ways that help in the protection of the core zone in its natural condition.
- It includes restoration, limited tourism, fishing, grazing, etc; which are permitted to reduce its effect on the core zone.
- Research and educational activities are to be encouraged.
Transition Zone:
- It is the outermost part of the biosphere reserve. It is the zone of cooperation where human ventures and conservation are done in harmony.
- It includes settlements, croplands, managed forests and areas for intensive recreation and other economic uses characteristics of the region.
Biosphere Reserves in India:
Need for expansion:
- According to the Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services released in 2019 by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), the main global drivers of biodiversity loss are:
- Climate change,
- Invasive species,
- Over-exploitation of natural resources,
- Pollution and
- The ecological carrying capacity of planet earth has largely been exceeded because of our collective excesses.
- Therefore, the need was felt to address this trend with cleaner air, high-quality drinking water, and enough food and healthy habitats to ensure that ecosystem services continue to benefit humanity without critically affecting nature’s balance.
Way Forward:
- The ‘South and Central Asia MAB Reserve’ Networking Meeting (where MAB stands Man and the Biosphere) is planned for 2023, to advance biosphere reserve establishment and management.
- In addition, an expert mission has been planned for spring 2023 — to Bhutan, India’s north-east and the Sundarbans in Bangladesh.
With at least one biosphere reserve per country in Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal until 2025 (with additional biosphere reserves in India’s North-East and along the coasts) it will give realisation to millions of people that a better future is truly possible — one where we will truly live in harmony with nature.
Agnipath Military Recruitment Scheme
Context:
- India’s military has historically been an all-volunteer force. Unlike in the West, India’s armed forces are perceived as a lodestar of patriotism and a source of pride as well as critical to nation-building.
- There is no dearth of potential recruits for military service. Working in the military is a matter of social prestige. Many communities in India rely heavily on the military for employment.
- At the same time, the challenges faced by Western militaries in implementing such an enlistment mechanism hold lessons for India as it puts the Agnipath scheme into practice.
- In introducing the Agnipath scheme, India is pursuing a global trend, as militaries respond to changes not only in the national security threat landscape but the job market dynamics as well.
About the scheme:
- It is a radical departure from India’s past recruitment policies.
- Announced in June 2022, it is a short-term military enlistment scheme seeking to recruit young Indians into the military with four-year tenure.
- These, called ‘Agniveers’, will form a rank in the Indian military that is distinct from existing ones.
- Indians in the age group of 17.5 to 21 years will be eligible for recruitment.
- 46,000 combatants or ‘Agniveers’ will be recruited annually: 40,000 for the Army and 3,000 each for the Navy and the Air Force.
- They will receive military training and learn leadership and other skills.
- Monthly compensation and benefits like insurance and a retirement package.
- Every retiring Agniveers can apply for permanent enrolment in the military, but only a maximum of 25 percent of Agniveers will be retained from every batch and will have to serve for a minimum of 15 years thereafter.
- They will be governed by the existing terms and conditions of service of junior commissioned officers/other ranks in the Indian Army and their equivalent in the Indian Navy and Indian Air Force (IAF), as well as that of non-combatants in the IAF.
- The Ministry of Home Affairs has opened an additional recruitment opportunity for retiring Agniveers by reserving 10 percent of vacancies for them in the central armed police forces and the Assam Rifles.
- 10-percent reservation for Agniveers in the coast guard, defence civilian posts, and defence public sector units.
Significance:
- Agnipath promises a structural overhaul by reopening the debate on ‘affordable defence’.
- The heavy costs of maintenance of the soldiers in the armed forces have raised concerns.
- Indian defence planners are expected to devote more resources for modernisation and increased investments in areas such as cyber, space, and emerging technologies.
- If the scheme succeeds in its initial phase, it will guarantee its efficacy in the coming years and shape the perception of potential recruits.
- With the provision to retain 25 percent of the Agniveers permanently, Indian defence planners will be able to retain the best talent catering to these requirements.
- Moreover, the four-year service period envisioned under the scheme could make it attractive to wider segments of the population, including those young people who are hesitant to make a long-term commitment to the military.
Western Militaries context:
- Conscription or draft was the norm for military recruitment across the world, and India was among the few exceptions.
- For example, Russia and China
- China has created a new category of non-ranking cadres called ‘contract civilians’, who perform civilian jobs for the military such as research, translation, and engineering. Additionally, recent military recruitment reforms have focused on STEM graduates and those with “skills needed for war preparedness”.
- European countries are transitioning to voluntary recruitment which has resulted in a dramatic downsizing of the armed forces.
- Germany: the volunteers, who must be at least 17 years old, are offered initial contracts from seven to 23 months, without any longer-term obligation.
- UK: The minimum length of service for those above 18 is four years, and for those below, until they turn 22. its military’s struggle to find new recruits is reflected in the army’s refusal to raise the minimum age of recruitment i.e. 16.
- France: The military does get a sufficient number of recruits and it faces challenges in retaining them for additional contracts. This is a critical issue, as soldiers spend most of their first contract receiving training and reach their optimum potential only from the second contract.
- US: To attract young people away from civilian jobs, the US Army offers incentives such as college funding, enlistment bonuses, retirement pension for recruits and sign-up bonus.
- US shifted from compulsory draft to the volunteer-based recruitment began in 1973 due to following factors of change:
- a mismatch between the population eligible for conscription and the military’s requirements
- diminished threat perception of the West following the end of the Cold War.
- changing nature of the job market, where employable youth are not predominantly dependent on government jobs especially for STEM graduates.
- Shrinking pool of potential enlistees – 71 percent of American youth are ineligible for military service due to obesity, use of narcotics, physical and mental health problems, misconduct, or lack of aptitude.
- Benefits: The militaries saved millions in draftee turnover (recruits leaving the military after their mandatory service) and their training costs.
- However, rise in simultaneous disinclination to serve in the military due to rise in average incomes and general economic prosperity, better pay in the civilian sectors, and the growing desire for a comfortable life.
- The value system had also begun to change, problematising violence and viewing the military as a bastion of conservative values.
- In Germany, military service had become a contentious issue given the legacy of the Nazi regime during the Second World War.
Concerns:
- Combat potential and operational preparedness of the military, given the short six-month training period.
- The difficulties and inability in getting suitable jobs post-military service.
- However, the scheme’s potential ability to attract STEM talent remains debatable, given the average take-home monthly salary of INR 21,000 (approximately US$ 250) of an Agniveers with no gratuity or pension.[4
Suggestions:
- Personnel-centric concerns such as value addition, by filtering the long-term recruits from the short-term ones.
- Bringing in more technology for training purposes, including more simulations, can help achieve ‘more in less’.
- Expand quotas for Agniveers in select government services and a change in mindsets by considering former service personnel as ‘skill-centred managers’.
- Invest more significant financial resources, ensure better service conditions, and devise an entry scheme for the tech savvy (perhaps as the subset of Agnipath) that will attract STEM talent. (In China, defence planners plan to offer science and engineering students, long-term enlistments rather than letting them leave the military after serving for two years).
Way forward:
- Militaries have implemented structural reforms in response to geopolitical shifts, and the changing nature of warfare and the national security threat landscape.
- The Indian experience of Agnipath scheme will be unique given the size of its armed forces and its young demography.
- As India seeks to reorient its strategic outlook to find a continental-maritime balance, it is important that technology gains centre space, even as the demands of combat, capacities, and training are changing.
- The scheme’s real test will lie not only in its capacity to offer military service experience to young people but also in its ability to reintegrate the Agniveers into civilian life after their four-year tenure. It will bring a bigger proportion of youth with military experience into the job market than seen previously.