Why in the News?

• The $23 billion Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, launched in 2020 to boost domestic manufacturing and reduce dependence on China, is set to lapse as many firms failed to meet production targets.
• The scheme was aimed at increasing manufacturing’s share in India’s GDP to 25% by 2025, but it has declined from 15.4% to 14.3%
• Only 37% of the expected production target was achieved, with $151.93 billion worth of goods manufactured by October 2024.
• Delays in subsidy payouts and excessive bureaucracy hampered the scheme’s effectiveness.

About the PLI Scheme:

• The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme was launched to boost domestic manufacturing, increase import substitution, and generate employment.
• The scheme initially targeted three industries: Mobile and Allied Component Manufacturing, Electrical Component Manufacturing and Medical devices. Later, it was expanded to 14 key sectors.
• Under this scheme, Domestic and Foreign companies receive financial incentives based on a percentage of their incremental revenue for up to five years.

Performance of the PLI Scheme:

• Mobile Phones: Major success – Production rose 63% from 2020-24, reaching $49 billion. Apple and Samsung dominate exports.
• Pharmaceuticals: Strong growth – Exports nearly doubled to $27.85 billion (2023-24).
• Food Processing: Exceeded production targets, but some firms missed subsidy eligibility due to investment non-compliance.
• Steel & Solar Panels: Lagging sectors – 14 out of 58 approved steel projects withdrawn, 8 out of 12 solar firms unlikely to meet targets.
• Textiles & IT Hardware: Slow growth, struggling to compete with China's lower production costs.
• 94% of the $620 million incentives disbursed (April-Oct 2024) went to pharmaceuticals and mobile phones, highlighting uneven sectoral success.

What is the IT Act, 2000?

• The Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000 is India’s primary law governing cyber activities, digital transactions, and electronic governance.
• It provides a legal framework for:
  • Cybersecurity and protection against cybercrimes
  • Digital signatures and electronic authentication
  • Data protection and regulation of intermediaries (social media platforms, search engines, etc.)
• The Act was amended in 2008 and 2015 to address evolving cyber challenges.

Legal Framework:

• Section 69A – Content Blocking Power:
  • Empowers the government to block access to online information in the interest of sovereignty, security, and public order, or to prevent incitement to an offence
  • Requires written orders and procedural safeguards before action is taken
  • It was upheld by the Supreme Court in Shreya Singhal vs Union of India (2015), which recognized its safeguards against misuse.
• Section 79 – Intermediary Liability ("Safe Harbour" Provision):
  • Grants immunity to digital platforms (intermediaries) from liability for third-party content, provided they act as neutral hosts
  • Section 79(3)(b): Intermediaries lose immunity if they fail to remove unlawful content upon government notification.
  • Shreya Singhal Ruling (2015): The SC clarified that intermediaries must comply with court or government orders based on Article 19(2) restrictions (such as national security, defamation, incitement to violence, etc.).

About Sahyog Portal:

• An online platform developed for automating the issuance of content removal notices to intermediaries under the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000.
• Ministry Involved: Managed by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
• Objectives:
  • Ensure swift and coordinated action against unlawful digital content
  • Enhance monitoring and compliance with cyber laws
  • Create a secure digital environment for Indian citizens
• Key functions:
  • Brings together government agencies and digital intermediaries on a single platform
  • Facilitates issuance, tracking, and monitoring of content removal notices
  • Enhances transparency and accountability in digital content regulation

What is an Ice Shelf?

• An ice shelf is a floating mass of glacial ice, fed from land by tributary glaciers, and extending over the sea above an ice shelf cavity.
• Key Ice Sheets:
  • Antarctica and Greenland Ice Sheets hold two-thirds of Earth’s freshwater.
  • The West Antarctic Ice Sheet is one of the largest.
• Role in Sea Level Changes:
  • When ice sheets gain mass, global sea levels fall.
  • When ice sheets lose mass, global sea levels rise.

Scientific discoveries under George VI Ice Shelf:

• Expedition: Conducted as part of Challenger 150, a UNESCO-endorsed global deep-sea research initiative.
• Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) SuBastian explored the seabed 1,300 meters deep.
• Key findings:
  • Diverse ecosystem: Found icefish, giant sea spiders, corals, sponges, and octopi.
  • New species: Scientists believe they discovered previously unknown marine species.
  • Jellyfish discovery: A giant phantom jelly was recorded, growing up to a meter wide.
  • Unusual nutrient supply: Despite being cut off from surface nutrients for centuries, life thrives—possibly due to ocean currents or glacial melt water transporting essential nutrients.

About George VI Ice Shelf:

• Location: Lies between Alexander Island and the Antarctic Peninsula.
• Size: Covers 24,000 sq. km, making it the second-largest ice shelf in the region.
• Ice flow: Receives ice from both the Antarctic Peninsula and Alexander Island.
• Unlike most ice shelves, it is laterally constrained (trapped between landmasses) instead of freely flowing into the ocean.
• It blocks epishelf lakes (trapped freshwater bodies between ice shelves and land).
• Situated at the -9°C mean annual air temperature isotherm, a critical threshold beyond which ice shelves are prone to collapse.
• Susceptible to melting from both atmospheric warming and warm ocean currents.

What are Demands for Grants?

• Definition: Demands for Grants refer to expenditure estimates that require Lok Sabha approval under Article 113 of the Constitution.
• Scope:
  • Covers revenue & capital expenditure, grants to states/UTs, and loans & advances.
  • Each ministry/department presents its own Demand; large ministries may have multiple demands.
• Types of Expenditures:
  • Voted expenditure: Requires approval from the Lok Sabha.
  • Charged expenditure: Includes President’s salary, judges' salaries, debt servicing, and does not require voting.

Constitutional Provisions on Demands for Grants:

• Article 113: No demand for a grant can be made without the President’s recommendation.
• Article 114: Money cannot be withdrawn from the Consolidated Fund of India without Parliamentary approval.
• Article 115: Allows for supplementary, additional, or excess grants when the original budget allocation is insufficient.
• Article 116: Provides for Vote on Account, Vote of Credit, and Exceptional Grants if the budget is not passed before the financial year begins.

Voting on Demands for Grants:

• Exclusive power of Lok Sabha (Rajya Sabha cannot vote).
• Voting applies only to the votable part of the budget.
• Each Demand is voted on separately, allowing for discussion.
• If all demands are not discussed within the allocated time, the Speaker applies the Guillotine, approving all remaining Demands without discussion.

What is ASEAN?

• The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a regional intergovernmental organisation aimed at political, economic, and security cooperation.
• It was established on August 8, 1967, in Bangkok, Thailand with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.
• Motto: "One Vision, One Identity, One Community."
• Headquarters: Jakarta, Indonesia.
• Member States (10 Nations):
  • Founding Members (1967): Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
  • Later Additions: Brunei (1984), Vietnam (1995), Laos & Myanmar (1997), and Cambodia (1999).
• Economic & Demographic Strength:
  • Total Population: 662 million (2022).
  • Combined GDP: $3.2 trillion (2022).

Institutional Mechanism of ASEAN:

• ASEAN Summit: Meets annually to discuss regional issues and set policy directions. Chaired by a rotating presidency.
• ASEAN Coordinating Council (ACC): Oversees implementation of ASEAN agreements and decisions.
• ASEAN Secretariat: Supports and facilitates ASEAN’s activities and initiatives.
• ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF): Platform for dialogue on political and security issues among ASEAN members and their dialogue partners. India joined in 1996.
• Decision-Making Process: Based on consultation and consensus.

ASEAN-India Relations:

• India became a Sectoral Dialogue Partner of ASEAN in 1992 and a Full Dialogue Partner in 1996.
• India joined the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in 1996.
• India-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was signed in 2009 (Goods) and 2014 (Services & Investments).
• ASEAN-India Strategic Partnership was established in 2012.
• India actively participates in ADMM-Plus (ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus).

ASEAN Future Forum:

• Proposed by Vietnam in 2023 (43rd ASEAN Summit).
• It is a common platform for ASEAN member states and partners to share ideas and policy recommendations.
• India is a founding member.

About the Meeting:

• Table-top counter-terrorism exercise is to be held in Malaysia (2026) and a field training exercise in India (2027) under the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) Experts’ Working Group on Counter-Terrorism (EWG on CT).
• India and Malaysia have assumed co-chairmanship of EWG on CT (2024-2027).

About Armed Forces (Special) Powers Act (AFSPA):

• It is a law enacted by the Parliament in 1958 which gives the armed forces special powers and immunity to maintain public order in “disturbed areas”.
• It can be applied only after an area has been declared “disturbed” under section 2 of the Act.
• Jurisdiction:
  • Both the State and Union governments can issue notifications declaring certain areas as “disturbed”, granting the armed forces the authority under AFSPA.
  • For Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issues periodic notifications.
• Disturbed Areas under AFSPA: Defined under Section 3 of the Act, a “disturbed area” is where the use of armed forces is deemed necessary to support civil authorities in maintaining law and order.
• Declaration of Disturbed Areas:
  • An area can be declared disturbed due to conflicts or disputes between various religious, racial, linguistic, regional, or caste-based communities.
  • The central government, Governor of the state, or the administrator of the Union Territory can declare the whole or part of a state or union territory as a disturbed area.
  • Once declared, the region is maintained as disturbed for at least three months under The Disturbed Areas (Special Courts) Act, 1976.
  • The scope and duration of AFSPA can vary depending on the region’s security situation.
• The ‘special powers’ of armed forces under AFSPA are:
  • They have the authority to prohibit a gathering of five or more persons in an area, can use force or even open fire after giving due warning if they feel a person is in contravention of the law.
  • If reasonable suspicion exists, the army can also arrest a person without a warrant, enter or search a premise without a warrant, and ban the possession of firearms.
  • Any person arrested or taken into custody may be handed over to the officer in charge of the nearest police station along with a report detailing the circumstances that led to the arrest.
  • These armed forces are immune from prosecution unless the Union Government provides sanction to the prosecuting agencies.

Apart from Nagaland, the AFSPA is currently in force in Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, and Manipur except in Imphal, and Arunachal Pradesh.

About Eurasian Goshawk:

• It is a large, powerful bird of prey belonging to the Accipitridae family, which also includes other extant diurnal raptors, such as eagles, buzzards and harriers.
• Scientific Name: Accipiter gentilis
• It is widely distributed across Europe, Asia, and parts of North America (where it is simply called the Northern Goshawk).
• Habitat: Found in dense forests, particularly coniferous and mixed woodlands.
• Features:
  • It has relatively short, broad wings and a long tail.
  • It is blue-grey above or brownish-grey with dark barring or streaking over a grey or white base color below, but Asian subspecies in particular range from nearly white overall to nearly black above.
  • Females are significantly larger than males.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary:

• It is located in the Thane District of Maharashtra, 90 km northeast of Mumbai in the foothills of the Western Ghats.
• The sanctuary is spread over an area of 320 sq. km.
• It has two rivers, the Tansa and Vaitarna, and the sanctuary gets its name from the former, which divides the sanctuary into two parts.
• The sanctuary forms the catchment area of Tansa Lake, along with the surrounding forests of Khardi, Vaitarna, Wada, and Shahapur ranges.
• Tansa reservoir, along with Vaitarna and Bhatsa reservoirs, is the major source of water for the cities of Mumbai and Thane.
• Within Tansa Sanctuary is a fort at Mahuli, situated on a 762 m high hilltop.
• Vegetation: The Sanctuary has Southern Tropical Moist Deciduous Forest, with a few patches of Evergreen forest.
• Flora: It consists of trees like Kalamb, Bibla, Khair, Hed, Teak, and Bamboo.
• Fauna:
  • At least 54 species of animals and 200 species of birds exist in the sanctuary.
  • Major wild animals are Panther, Barking deer, Mouse deer, Hyena, Wild boar, etc.

About Gambhir River:

• The Gambhir River, also known as the Utangan River, is a significant watercourse in Rajasthan.
• It is a seasonal river and flows only in the rainy season.
• The Gambhir River Basin is located in the northeastern portion of Rajasthan.
• It is bounded by the Banganga river basin in the north, the Banas river basin in the southwest, Chambal and Parbati in the southeast; Uttar Pradesh constitutes part of the boundary in the northeast.
• Course:
  • Originating in the Aravalli Hills near Hindaun, the river flows through several districts before joining the Yamuna River in Uttar Pradesh.
  • The river flows in a south-to-north direction, eventually forming the boundary between Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
  • Its total length is approximately 288 kilometres.
• The river is ephemeral, but becomes perennial after its confluence with the Parbati, outside Dholpur District.
• It supplies water to the Keoladeo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its bird sanctuary.
• The important tributaries of the Gambhir River are Sesa, Kher, and Parbati.

About World Happiness Index:

•  It is an annual report published by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford in partnership with Gallup, the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
•   The rankings are based on people’s self-assessed life evaluations.
• The World Happiness Index 2025 ranked countries according to self-assessed life evaluations averaged over 2022-2024 and answers to the Cantril ladder question in the Gallup World Poll.
• It asks respondents to think of a ladder with the best possible life for them being a 10 and the worst being a zero.
• They are then asked to rate their current lives on that scale.
•  The study considers 6 explanatory factors for happiness: social support, GDP per capita, health life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and perception of corruption.
• The study also maps whether responses indicated positive or negative emotions about the country.
• Highlights of World Happiness Index 2025:
  • Finland is ranked as the happiest country in the world for the eighth consecutive year, and other Nordic countries – Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden, continued to remain in the top four, in that order.
  • The United Kingdom is in the 23rd position, the US is 24th, and China stands at the 68th position in the list of 147 countries this year.
  • While Western countries dominated the top 20, especially European nations, Costa Rica and Mexico entered the top 10 for the first time, ranking at 6th and 10th respectively.
  • Afghanistan is again ranked as the unhappiest country in the world; this year 147th against last year's 143rd rank (last).
  • The State of Palestine is ranked 108th (103 in 2024), while Ukraine is at 111 rank (105 in 2024).
  • India ranked 118 out of 147 countries.
  • Among India's neighbouring countries, Sri Lanka was ranked at 133, Bangladesh at 134, Pakistan at 109, Nepal at 92, and China at 68.