Why in News?

• The Supreme Court rejected the demand for 100% verification of Voter Verified Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) in Indian elections.
• The SC also rejected a return to the earlier ballot paper system for elections - something which opposition parties demanded in recent years. 

What’s in Today's Article?

• A Timeline of Introduction of VVPATs in India
• What Have Been the Legal Cases Surrounding the VVPAT?
• What was the Recent VVPAT-EVM Tally Case?
• What has SC Ruled in the VVPAT-EVM Tally Case?

A Timeline of Introduction of VVPATs in India:

• Introduction and field trials
  • The idea of the VVPAT machine first emerged in 2010, when the Election Commission of India (ECI), held a meeting with political parties to discuss how to make the EVM-based polling process more transparent.
  • After a prototype was prepared, field trials were held in Ladakh, Thiruvananthapuram, Cherrapunjee, East Delhi, and Jaisalmer in 2011.
• Approval of design
  • After fine-tuning the design, holding more trials, and taking feedback from political parties, an ECI expert committee approved the design in 2013.
  • In 2013, the Conduct of Elections Rules 1961 were amended to allow for a printer with a drop box to be attached to the EVM.
• Introduction of VVPAT
  • The VVPAT was used for the first time in all 21 polling stations of the Noksen Assembly constituency of Nagaland in 2013.
  • After this, the ECI decided to introduce VVPATs in a phased manner and by (June) 2017, there was 100% adoption of VVPATs.
• Internal audit of VVPAT Slips
  • In 2018, the ECI asked the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) to come up with a mathematically sound and practically cogent sample size for the internal audit of the VVPAT slips with electronic result of EVMs.
  • On the basis of which, the ECI mandated the counting of VVPAT slips of one randomly selected polling station per Assembly constituency.
  • This was increased to five polling stations per Assembly seat, following a SC judgement in 2019.
  • The five polling stations are selected by a draw of lots by the Returning Officer concerned, in the presence of candidates/ their agents.

What Have Been the Legal Cases Surrounding the VVPAT?

• Subramanian Swamy vs ECI (2013): The SC ruled that a paper trail was indispensable for free and fair elections, and ordered the government to provide funding for the roll-out of VVPATs.
• Chandrababu Naidu Case (2019):
  • He moved the SC asking for a minimum 50% randomised VVPAT slips to be counted.
  • However, the ECI argued that this would delay the election results by five to six days, as it takes about an hour for election officers to match VVPAT slips with the EVM count in one polling station.
  • The EC has also highlighted infrastructure challenges, including the availability of manpower, as obstacles to increasing the number of polling booths where VVPAT slips are counted.
  • Opposition parties argue that the sanctity of a fair election outweighs the concern of delay in the declaration of results.
  • The court ordered the EC to count VVPATS in five polling stations instead.

What was the Recent VVPAT-EVM Tally Case?

• In 2023, the ADR had filed a petition before the apex court saying that to ensure free and fair elections, the tally from Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs)/ data on votes cast, should be cross-verified with the VVPATs.
  • The petition (along with other petitions) seeks 100% verification of votes cast on EVMs using the VVPAT.
• To make sure that this process is carried out as fast as possible, ADR suggested the use of barcodes on VVPAT slips. 

What has SC Ruled in the VVPAT-EVM Tally Case?

• The SC rejected the demand for 100% verification of VVPATs in Indian elections and also rejected a return to the earlier ballot paper system for elections, thus reposing faith in the electoral process.
• However, the court issued two directions and some suggestions to the ECI in this regard, attempting to ensure that India’s electoral process remains full proof.
• First direction:
  • In a first, the court gave directions to the ECI to seal and store the symbol loading units (SLUs) for 45 days after declaration of results.
  • SLUs are memory units that are first connected to a computer to load election symbols onto it, and then used to enter symbols of the candidates on the VVPAT machines.
• Second direction:
  • The SC has enabled candidates to seek verification of the EVMs - again a first.
  • The burnt memory in the EVM microcontroller must be checked by a team of engineers - after results are declared - if candidates (placed 2nd and 3rd in the election) make such a request within 7 days of declaration of results.
  • The expenses for this verification will have to be borne by the candidate and which would be refunded in case the EVM is found to be tampered with.
• Suggestion on VVPAT:
  • The ECI may examine the suggestion that VVPAT slips can be counted using a counting machine, rather than by humans.
  • VVPAT slips could have a barcode printed on them, making it easier for machine counting.

Why in news?

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has proposed to price Bima Vistaar at Rs 1,500 per policy. Bima Vistaar is an ambitious all-in-one affordable mass product aimed at the rural areas of the country.

What’s in today’s article?

• Insurance penetration in India
• Bima Vistaar

Insurance penetration in India - Statistics

• In the financial year 2022-23 (FY23), India’s overall insurance penetration was down at 4 per cent from the level of 4.2 per cent in FY22.
  • This is much below the global insurance penetration of 6.8 per cent.
• As per IRDAI, the insurance density increased from $78 in 2020-21 to $91 in 2021-22.In FY23, it increased to $92.
  • Insurance density is a key measure of a country's insurance sector development.
  • It is calculated by dividing the total insurance premium by the total population of a country.

Bima Vistaar

• Background
  • To further boost the growth towards achieving the objective of insurance for all, IRDAI has been working on the concept of Bima Trinity.
    • Bima Trinity is the result of the initiative by IRDAI in late 2022 in setting up a committee to explore and recommend on how to bring about synergies in the working and operations of insurance companies.
  • Bima Trinity initiative consists of 3 programs: Bima Sugam, Bima Vistaar, and Bima Vahak.
    • Bima Sugam -An online marketplace that allows customers to compare and purchase policies, settle claims, and renew policies.
    • Bima Vahak -A women-centric workforce operating at the Gram Sabha level to educate and convince women about the benefits of comprehensive insurance, particularly Bima Vistaar.
• About Bima Vistaar
• It is a bundled policy that covers life, health, property, and accidents.
• It provides defined benefits for each risk category, ensuring quick claim payouts without surveyors.
• As a social safety net product, Bima Vistaar targets the untapped geographies.
• Features of Bima Vistaar
  • The product Bima Vistaar includes:
    • life cover with a premium of Rs 820,
    • health cover at Rs 500,
    • personal accident cover at Rs 100 and
    • property cover at Rs 80.
  • If taken for the entire family on a floater basis, the policy will cost Rs 2,420, with an additional Rs 900 charged for the rest of the family members.
  • The sum assured for life, personal accident and property covers is Rs 2 lakh each.
  • The health cover, known as hospi cash, offers a sum assured of Rs 500 for 10 days, with a maximum amount of Rs 5,000 available without producing bills or documents.
• Significance
  • Bima Vistaar policy underscores its importance in safeguarding individuals and families against various risks and uncertainties.
  • This initiative not only encourages more people to invest in insurance for their protection but also promotes financial inclusion.
  • The competitive & reasonable pricing of Bima Vistaar is expected to benefit many individuals and families.

Conclusion

By leveraging the expertise and reach of intermediaries, such as brokers, agents, and insurance advisors, Bima Vistaar has potential to reach and serve the diverse needs of Indian population. It is expected that unlike micro insurance products, it will generate a large sales volume.  Now that the premium has been decided, it will be possible to do a cost benefit analysis of the product for its long-term sustainability.

Why in news?

Recently, ISRO released satellite-data-based analysis on expansion of glacial lakes in the catchments of Indian Himalayan River basins.

This is the latest among a series of studies on glacial lakes that have highlighted the risks of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), and their impact on infrastructure and settlements downstream of such lakes.

What’s in today’s article?

• Key highlights of the study by ISRO
• Glacial lakes
• Use of remote-sensing technology to monitor glacial lakes
• Mitigation of risks posed by glacial lakes

Key highlights of the study by ISRO

• The study
  • ISRO’s analysis looked at satellite data archives spanning the past four decades to assess changes in the glaciated environment.
  • Long-term satellite imagery covering the catchments of Indian Himalayan River basins — spread over India, Nepal, Tibet, and Bhutan — is available from 1984 onwards, till 2023.
• Findings
  • ISRO’s data has indicated significant expansion in the size of glacial lakes.
  • Of the 2,431 lakes larger than 10 hectares (identified during 2016-17), 676 glacial lakes had expanded significantly since 1984.
  • ISRO said that 130 of the 676 lakes are situated in India, in the Indus (65), Ganga (7), and Brahmaputra (58) river basins.
  • These lakes have expanded as glaciers are retreating at an ever-faster rate due to global warming.

Glacial lakes

• About
  • Glacial lakes are bodies of water that form in depressions or basins created by the erosive action of glaciers.
  • These lakes are typically found in regions where glaciers have previously existed or are currently present.
  • Glacial lakes vary in size and shape, ranging from small ponds to large, deep bodies of water.
  • ISRO categorised glacial lakes into four broad categories based on how they were formed — moraine-dammed, ice-dammed, erosion-based, and ‘others’.
  • Glacial lakes are crucial sources of freshwater for rivers.
  • However, they also pose significant risks, specifically of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs).
    • GLOFs occur when glacial lakes release large volumes of meltwater due to the failure of natural dams, resulting in sudden and severe flooding downstream.
• Formation
  • Glacial Erosion:
    • Glaciers are massive bodies of ice that move slowly over the landscape, eroding and shaping the underlying bedrock through processes such as abrasion and plucking.
    • As glaciers advance, they carve out deep valleys and basins in the landscape.
  • Deposition of Glacial Moraines
    • As glaciers move, they carry vast amounts of sediment and debris, including rocks, gravel, and sand.
    • When glaciers retreat or melt, they deposit this material at their edges, forming features called moraines.
    • Moraines can act as natural dams, blocking the flow of water and creating depressions where glacial lakes can form.
  • Melting Ice
    • As temperatures rise or glaciers retreat, the ice within the glacier melts, filling the depressions created by glacial erosion with water.
    • This water collects in the basins, forming glacial lakes.
  • Terminal Moraine Formation
    • In some cases, glaciers deposit large ridges of sediment and debris at their terminus, creating natural dams that impound water and form glacial lakes behind them. These lakes are called terminal moraine lakes.

Use of remote-sensing technology to monitor glacial lakes

• The monitoring of glacial lakes and their expansion in the Himalayan region is challenging due to the rugged terrain.
• This is where satellite remote-sensing technology proves to be an excellent tool.
• Analyzing changes in glacial lakes using satellite data helps us understand how these lakes are changing over time.
• This information is crucial for figuring out how they affect the environment and for creating plans to manage the risks of glacial lake outburst floods and adapt to climate change in areas with glaciers.

Mitigation of risks posed by glacial lakes

• As per one study, lowering of the lake levels by 10 to 30 m significantly reduces the impacts on downward towns.
  • Although it does not completely eliminate the risks posed by a GLOM event.
• One way to syphon off lake water is by using long High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) pipes.
• In 2016, members of the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority used this method to reduce water levels in Sikkim’s South Lhonak Lake.

Why in News? As the country votes for 2024 Lok Sabha election, the SC has given Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), a big vote of confidence.

What has SC Ruled? Presently, the Election Commission of India (ECI) conducts random matching of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips with EVMs at five polling booths per assembly constituency. A two-judge bench rejected petitions seeking 100% verification of votes cast on EVMs using the VVPAT. However, the court issued two directions to the ECI in this regard.

What is the SC's First Direction? The court gave directions to the ECI to seal and store the symbol loading units (SLUs) for 45 days after declaration of results. SLUs are memory units that are first connected to a computer to load election symbols onto it, and then used to enter symbols of the candidates on the VVPAT machines.

What is the SC's Second Direction? The SC has enabled candidates to seek verification of the EVMs - again a first. The burnt memory in the EVM microcontroller must be checked by a team of engineers - after results are declared - if candidates (placed 2nd and 3rd in the election) make such a request (within 7 days of declaration of results). The expenses for this verification will have to be borne by the candidate (which would be refunded in case the EVM is found to be tampered with).

SC's Suggestion on VVPAT: The ECI may examine the suggestion that VVPAT slips can be counted using a counting machine, rather than by humans. VVPAT slips could have a barcode printed on them, making it easier for machine counting.

Key Takeaways from the SC’s Verdict: The apex court reposed faith in the electoral process, saying ‘blindly doubting a system can breed skepticism’. However, its directives and suggestions attempt to ensure that India’s electoral process remains full proof.

Why in News? Japan’s PM’s (Fumio Kishida) address to the US Congress and the developments from his summit meeting with President Joe Biden, announced the arrival of a new, assertive Japan to the world.

What is the Change that Japan is Undergoing? After World War II, a defeated Japan adopted a policy of pacifism. Today, Japan is set to become a major military power, transforming its civilian industrial capability into a military industrial complex. From being a US protectorate, it now becomes an American partner and a significant contributor to Asian and Indo-Pacific security.

What is the Reason for this Radical Change? A mix of external and internal factors has contributed to its reorientation in the 21st century. On the external front, the rise of China and North Korea; the deepening military bonds between Beijing and Moscow; and the fears that the US could withdraw its security protection to Japan. Internally, this situation strengthened conservatives in Tokyo, who wanted to see Japan becoming a ‘normal power’.

What Exactly is Japan Doing to Become a Geopolitical Power? First, Japan has done away with the historical cap (~1% of its GDP) on defence expenditure. Second, Japan is in the process of further strengthening its counter-strike capability in the form of cruise missiles. Third, Japan has eased its self-imposed ban on exports of lethal weapons to friendly countries. Fourth, Japan-US are in the process of revising the command-and-control framework governing their defence forces.

What are the Changes in Japan’s Diplomatic Posture? Japan has made attempts to end disputes with South Korea and Japan has been one of Ukraine’s strongest supporters in the war with Russia.

What are the Implications of this ‘New’ Japan?

1. For the region: A politically active and militarily more capable Japan will inevitably rearrange the regional security calculus.
2. For India: A politically resolute and militarily strong Japan that can build a stable Asian equilibrium is a positive development.  It contributes to India’s objective of building a multipolar Asia in a multipolar world.

About Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3):

• It is a NASA technology demonstration mission designed to characterize solar sail structures technologies for future small spacecraft to engage in deep space missions requiring long-duration, low-thrust propulsion.
• Launched in 2024, ACS3 will deploy a sail about the size of a small apartment from a toaster oven-size spacecraft.
  • At its core, ACS3 is a CubeSat, a small satellite built to standardized dimensions.  It features four 7 m long deployable composite booms.
• Just as a sailboat is powered by wind in a sail, solar sails employ the pressure of sunlight for propulsion, eliminating the need for conventional rocket propellant.
  • Space missions have demonstrated that small spacecraft can use solar sails to change their orbits, expanding their possible uses.
  • Future solar sail missions will need bigger sails and lighter materials to maximize their performance.
• ACS3 uses lightweight carbon fiber sail booms instead of traditional metal booms.
• This will be the first test of this technology in space.
• What is solar sailing?
  • Light is made up of particles called photons. Photons don’t have mass, but they have momentum.
  • As sunlight reflects off a shiny solar sail, some of its momentum gets transferred, giving the sail a small push.
  • This push is slight but continuous and, over time, can impart more thrust to a spacecraft than traditional chemical rockets.
  • Solar sails can reach unique destinations that are difficult or impossible to access with other propulsion systems.
  • This may also be the best option for interstellar travel.