Author: Explains

CONTEXT

On October 5, Russian President Vladimir Putin came to hold the India-Russia annual summit meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi

Introduction

•  The friendship between India and Russia has stood the test of time, and that the ties would continue to scale new heights. Traditionally, the Indo-Russian strategic partnership has been built on five major components: politics, defence, civil nuclear energy, anti-terrorism co-operation and space.
• Though the two nations have had a longstanding partnership, it has been passing through a turbulent phase even as this relationship was elevated to Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership in 2010.

Russia needs India as:

• A market for its goods to bypass Western sanctions imposed after its power push in Ukraine.
• The forthcoming Transatlantic Trade and Investment partnership driven by the US will also force Russia to eye markets beyond Europe. India is a natural partner.
• Despite its renewed friendship with China, Russia will soon find itself in competition with it as Beijing regards itself as the new G2 along with the US.
• India can help provide the multi-polarity that Russia fiercely seeks.
• Even as India is diversifying its defense trade partners, Russia still dominates the Indian defense inventory to the tune of about 70 per cent.

India needs Russia because

• It can meet its abundant energy requirements at a cost-effective price.
• Despite expanding its defence purchases from the US, Israel and Europe, India still needs to collaborate with Russia to master future technology including for space.
• It improves India’s bargaining power when it negotiates arms sales with the West.
• Russia can be a major market for Indian industry such as pharmaceuticals, manufactured goods, dairy Products, bovine meat and frozen seafood.
• Geopolitically, Russia continues to be a balancing force against any designs China and Pakistan may have in our region.
• Russia remains the only partner that is still willing to give India critical technologies, such as a nuclear submarine.

Economic Ties

• Russia-India trade has not grown to great heights despite the encouragement of both states.
• Recently India and Russia decided to institutionalize the CEO’s Forum and agreed to liberalize business travel which will help boost bilateral trade  Russia sees India – one of the fastest growing economies in the world – as a country that could alleviate Russia’s economic problems.
• Make in India initiative would welcome Russian companies from the public and private sectors.
• Russian firms have shown a willingness to invest in India in construction, major infrastructure projects such as dedicated freight corridors and industrial clusters, smart cities, and engineering services, sharing technologies and skills.
• Indian companies are exploring major investment options in Russia, especially in natural resources∙ such as coal, fertilizers, hydrocarbons, minerals, and rare earth metals Trade and investment relations are not up to the mark and this needs improvements.

Energy Ties

• According to the International Energy Agency, India will cross Japan as the world’s third largest oil user this year, and is expected to have the highest rate of growth of crude demand globally through 2040.
• India has sought to establish a strong, long-term energy partnership with Russia. While some important deals like the Sakhalin oil and gas project have been a success.
• The sale of a 98% stake in Essar Oil to a consortium led by Russian state-owned oil giant Rosneft is significant step in the process of deleveraging the balance sheets of Indian corporate.
• The Russia-India investments in the oil and gas sector and exports to third countries need to be energised.
• Russia is an important partner in peaceful uses of nuclear energy and it recognizes India as a country with advanced nuclear technology with an impeccable non-proliferation record.
• Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) is being built in India with Russian cooperation.
• The Rooppur project is the first initiative under an Indo-Russian deal to undertake atomic energy projects in third countries and it will also be the first time Indian firms will take part in such a project abroad.

Political Ties

• New Delhi needs Moscow’s support in the former’s bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council
• The Russians have backed the Indian position on Kashmir.
• India and Russia are engaged in several multilateral efforts that are greatly favoured by Russia such as the BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
• Annual Summit meeting is the highest institutionalized dialogue mechanism under the Strategic Partnership

Defence Ties

• India-Russia military-technical cooperation has evolved from a simple buyer-seller framework to one involving joint research, development and production of advanced defence technologies and systems. Eg. BrahMos Missile System.
• The two countries also hold exchanges and training exercises between their armed forces annually. Eg. Peace Mission 2018 was held in Chebarkul, Russia.
• Indian government recently announced the purchase of five S-400 supersonic air defense systems from Russia, costing around $6 billion.
• Recent defense agreements have sent a strong message that New Delhi continues to view relations with Moscow an indispensible element of India’s foreign policy.
• India and Russia agreed to strengthen the defense partnership in line with the “Make in India” program, thereby developing a strong defense manufacturing base in India
• The boost to defense engagement will also help India contain the growing engagement between Russia and Pakistan.

Space Cooperation  

• India-Russia cooperation in the field of peaceful uses of outer space dates back to about four decades.
• 2015 marks the 40th anniversary of the launch of India’s first satellite “Aryabhatt” on a Russian launch vehicle ‘Soyuz.’
•  In June 2015, the space agencies have signed a MoU on expansion of cooperation in the field of the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes.
• An agreement was signed between C-DAC and GLONASS for cooperation in technologies based on satellite navigation.

Issues of terrorism  

• Counterterrorism is another area where both countries find a convergence of interest. Both countries strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms, stressing the need for an effective∙ global effort in dealing with the terrorist menace.
• They also called for the elimination, once and for all, of all terrorist “safe havens,” presumably referring to Pakistan.
• India and Russia also share concerns about the aggravation of the security situation in Afghanistan, including along its borders.
• India openly shared Russia’s concerns over developments in Syria.
• India’s stance on Syria will certainly help cement its ties with Russia countering the earlier feeling that India was not coming forward to support Russia in difficult times.

Cultural Cooperation  

• There is a strong tradition of Indian studies in Russia. Apart from Hindi, languages such as Tamil, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Urdu, Sanskrit and Pali are taught in Russian Institutions.
• There is general interest among Russian people in Indian dance, music, yoga and Ayurveda.
• There are regular cultural initiatives to promote people-to-people contacts between India and Russia.
• The President of India inaugurated the Year of Indian Culture ‘Namaste Russia’ in Moscow on 10 May 2015.

 Russia-China-Pakistan Nexus and its impact on India-

• Even as India is trying to stabilise its defence ties with Russia, there are growing concerns in New Delhi about Russia’s increasing tilt towards Pakistan as it seeks to curry favour with China.
• Moscow had historically supported New Delhi at the UNSC by repeatedly vetoing resolutions on the Kashmir issue. Today, however, there is a change in how Moscow views its regional priorities in South Asia.
• In a significant development, the joint declaration issued at the end of the first-ever six-nation Speaker’s Conference in Islamabad held in December 2017 supported Pakistani line on Kashmir.
• This declaration signed by Afghanistan, China, Iran, Pakistan, Russia and Turkey underscored that “for ensuring global and regional peace and stability, the issue of Jammu and Kashmir needs peaceful resolution by Pakistan and India in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions.”
• During his visit to New Delhi last year, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov had publicly called on India to join China’s Belt and Road initiative and hoped that New Delhi will find a way out to benefit from the mega connectivity project without sacrificing its position on the issues flagged by it.
• Sino-Russian relationship has grown to an extent where the two are now participating in joint military exercises such as the recently concluded, Vostok-2018, underscoring the rapidly evolving nature of this relationship and a fluid global strategic environment. Both are now more unified than ever in posing a challenge to the US-led global order.
• New Delhi has long maintained that it needs a close relationship with Moscow so that the Beijing-Moscow relationship could be dented. But India’s Russia outreach seems to have had a rather insignificant impact so far on the Russia-China dynamic.
• Russia is also reaching out to Pakistan despite Indian reservations and is changing its tune on the Afghanistan issue. It is now a strong votary of negotiating with the Taliban and has given short shrift to Indian reservations in this regard.

Strain in the relationship 

India, of course, has a long-standing relationship with Russia but that is undergoing a shift in light of rapidly evolving geopolitical realities.

• The first concerns the rapidly expanding ties between India and USA, which started with the India-US nuclear deal in 2008.
• The second concerns the growing defence relationship between India and the USA.
• Russia’s decision to supply Pakistan with the Mi-35 Hind attack helicopters has alarmed the Indian defence establishment.
• The Russia-Pakistan joint exercises raise many questions
• India having its own military exercises with the U.S. and has signed logistics agreements which can eventually give the U.S. access to Indian naval bases.
• Russia had proposed a Russia-India-China (RIC) forum. India is hesitant about this because of the unresolved issues with China.

The need of the Hour

• As India resets its engagement with China and as Russia adjusts to its growing isolation in the western world, time has come for renewed Indo-Russian engagement.
• For a relationship that largely relies on defence and where the economic underpinnings are lagging, the need of the hour should be to have candid conversations about the current state of play in the relationship.
• India should pursue the proposed Free Trade Agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union and seek to play a more active role in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation as a member.
• Need to give impetus to St. Petersburg declaration, there was a reference to India and Russia setting up an “energy corridor”.

HIGHLIGHTS of the 19th Indo-Russian annual bilateral summit

S-400 Triumf Surface to Air Missiles (SAM)

• Russia providing state of the art surface to air missile system, S-400 Triumf, to India has been the biggest takeaway. Besides the S-400 Triumf deal, India and Russia reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing military cooperation.

Space Exploration

• A crucial MoU was signed between the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and the Federal Space Agency of Russia ‘ROSCOSMOS’ with respect to joint activities in the field of human spaceflight programme Gaganyaan.
• Russia has also agreed to set up data collection ground stations for India’s recently developed navigation system NaVIC.
• The two sides also agreed to develop cooperation on BRICS remote sensing satellite constellation.

Cochin Shipyard pact with Russia to boost water transport

• India’s Cochin Shipyard signed a pact with Russian firm United Shipbuilding Corporation to boost water transport. As per the pact, the Russian shipbuilding company will provide the technical support to develop advanced vessels suitable for inland waterways and coastal transportation.

Railways

• A memorandum of cooperation (MoC) signed between the Ministry of Railways and the Russian Railways.
• It includes the implementation of a ‘speed-upgradation project’ in the Nagpur-Secunderabad section, installation of a single traffic-control centre for efficient management of rail traffic at the local level, efficient practices in freight and cargo operations, development of multi-modal terminals and a mutual exchange of the advanced technologies used by the two countries.
• An additional MoU was also signed between the two countries for the cooperation in transport education & to organise educational transport seminars jointly.

Agriculture

• The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Indian Potash Ltd and producers of phosphate-containing fertilisers PhosAgro announced joint investments in mineral fertiliser production in Russia and India.
• As per the agreement, PhosAgro has agreed to supply a maximum of 2 million tonne (MT) during 2019-2021 which is estimated to have a potential value of $1 billion.

Economy

• The two countries reviewed the progress on the achievement of the objective to increase inter-depending investment to $30 billion by the year 2025.
• Russia and India have signed the MoU between National Small Industries Corporation of India and the Russian Small and Medium Business Corporation for boosting the economies through cooperation at a micro level.
• President Putin invited India to invest in the Russian Far Eastern region with India welcoming the decision to open an office of the Far East Agency in Mumbai.
• The Indian delegation, participated in the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok in September 2018.

Agreement on consultation between the foreign ministries of Russia and India

• A ‘Protocol for Consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of External Affairs (India)’ was signed for the period 2019-2023. This was undertaken with an effort to execute a comprehensive policy vis-a-vis international relations of the two countries.

Conclusion  

India-Russia relationship is passing through an interesting phase. There are bilateral challenges that need to be overcome, but the global environment has provided opportunities to New Delhi and Moscow to re-calibrate their ties. It is up to the political leadership of the two nations to rise to the occasion.

Explaining Li-Fi

 

• Light Fidelity or Li-Fi is a technology for wireless communication between devices using light to transmit data and position.
• It is based on visible light communication.
• In its present state only LED lamps can be used for the transmission of visible light.

Components

The main components of this communication system are :

• LED Bulb : A high brightness white LED which acts as a communication source.
• A Silicon photo-detector – It shows a good response to the visible wavelength region and serves as the receiving element.

Working of Li-Fi

• A lamp fitted with an LED with signal processing technology stream data embedded in its beam at ultra-high speed to its photodetector.
• A receiver dongle then converts the tiny changes in amplitude into an electric signal, which is then converted back into a data stream and transmitted to a computer or a mobile device.
• Moreover, as the LED bulbs that are used are a semiconductor, the current and optical output can be modulated at extremely high speeds making it too quick to be perceived with the human eye and hence the communication seems to be seamless just like radio frequency (RF) communication.

Li-Fi vs Wi-Fi

 

 

Potential Applications

Hospital: Li-Fi can be used in the places where it is difficult to install the optical fibers like hospitals. Besides providing a higher speed, light waves also have little effect on medical instruments and human bodies.

• Security : In contrast to radio frequency waves used by Wi-Fi, lights cannot penetrate through walls and doors. This makes it more secure and makes it easier to control access to a network.
• Traffic Management : Vehicles could communicate with one another via front and back lights to increase road safety. Also, street lights and traffic signals could also provide information about current road situations.
• Underwater application : Most remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) are controlled by wired connections. The length of their cabling places a hard limit on their operational range, and other potential factors such as the cable’s weight and fragility may be restrictive. Since light travels through water, Li-Fi based communications could offer much greater mobility.
• Industrial automation : Anywhere in industrial areas data has to be transmitted, Li-Fi is capable to replace slip rings, sliding contacts and short cables, such as Industrial Ethernet. Due to the real time capability of Li-Fi (which is often required for automation processes) it is also an alternative to common industrial Wireless LAN standards.

Conclusion

Li-Fi can act as one of the important role under wireless communication system technologies and can help in overcoming some of the constraint in existing technologies

Sexual Harassment at Workplace – #MeToo movement

Context

• Accusations of sexual assault have spread across India’s social media as the #MeToo movement took aim at prominent journalists, writers, editors and a comedian.
• Scores of women, many journalists, came out this week with accounts of sexual harassment from colleagues and editors, accusing them of indecent remarks, unwanted touches, demands for sex, and the dissemination of pornography.
• The last couple of years have seen a tidal wave of sexual allegations and accusations against men in professionally powerful positions across the globe, and it seems that finally, this wave has now reached Indian shores.

INTRODUCTION

Sexual harassment constitutes a gross violation of women’s right to equality and dignity. It has its roots in patriarchy and its attendant perception that men are superior to women and that some forms of violence against women are acceptable. Half of the total number of crimes against women is related to the molestation and harassment at the workplace.

The increasing work participation rate of women made it imperative for enacting a comprehensive legislation focusing on prevention of sexual harassment as well as providing a redressal mechanism, starting with Vishakha Guidelines to Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act.

Vishakha Judgement

• The Supreme Court in 1997 in the case of Vishakha vs. state of Rajasthan provided the first authoritative decision of ‘sexual harassment’ in India; and confronted with a statutory vacuum, it went creative and proposed the route of ‘judicial legislation’.
• It laid down the requirements for employers dealing with complaints of sexual assault and stipulated the formation of committees to dispose of complaints from victims of harassment. These guidelines came to be known as Vishakha Guidelines.
• This is part of what the Supreme Court had stated in 1997 that gender equality under Article 14, 19 and Right to Life under Article 21, the dignity of women has to be maintained.

Definition of Sexual Harassment as defined by the Supreme court

• Anything at work that can place the working woman at disadvantage compared to other male employees in her official career just because she is a woman – can be termed as sexual harassment.
• Unwelcome sexually determined behaviour & demands from males employees at the workplace, such as:
  • any physical contacts and advances,
  • sexually coloured remarks,
  • showing pornography,
  • passing lewd comments or gestures,
  • sexual demands by any means,
  • any rumours/talk at the workplace with sexually coloured remarks about a working woman, or
  • Spreading rumours about a woman’s sexual relationship with anybody.

The Vishaka Guidelines

1. All employers whether in the public or the private sector should take appropriate steps to prevent sexual harassment.
2. Appropriate work conditions should be provided in respect of work, leisure, health and hygiene to further ensure that there is no hostile environment towards women and no woman should have reasonable grounds to believe that she is disadvantaged in connection with her employment.
3. Where such conduct amounts to specific offences under the Indian Penal Code or any other law, the employer shall initiate appropriate action in accordance with the law, by making a complaint with the appropriate authority.
4. Victims of sexual harassment should have the option to seek transfer of the perpetrator or their own transfer.

The Preventive Steps as suggested by SC in Vishaka Case

1. Guidelines should be prominently notified to create awareness about the rights of women employees.
2. Sexual harassment should be discussed at workers’ meetings, employer-employee meetings and at other appropriate forums.
3. Employers should assist the persons affected in cases of sexual harassment by outsiders or third parties.
4. Both Central and State governments are required to adopt measures including legislation to ensure that private employers also observe these guidelines.
5. Employers must form a Complaints Committee which is to be headed by a woman. Half the members of the committee should be women.

Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act

Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act was passed in 2013. It broadens the Vishaka guidelines, which were already in place.

Definition -An aggrieved victim is a woman “of any age whether employed or not”, who “alleges to have been subjected to any act of sexual harassment”.

• The Act thus covers the rights of all women working or visiting any workplace, in any capacity.
• Sexual harassment is any one or more of “unwelcome acts or behaviour”, committed directly or by implication.
• They include:

1. Physical contact & advances
2. A demand or request for sexual favours
3. Sexually coloured remarks
4. Showing pornography
5. Any other unwelcome physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct of sexual nature

Additionally, the Act mentions five circumstances that amount to sexual harassment:

1. implied or explicit promise of preferential treatment in her employment
2. implied or explicit threat of detrimental treatment
3. implied or explicit threat about her present or future employment status
4. interference with her work or creating an offensive or hostile work environment
5. humiliating treatment likely to affect her health or safety

• ICC – Every employer must constitute an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) at each office or branch with 10 or more employees.
• For the ICC to act, it is not compulsory that the victim must write a complaint.
• If the woman is unable to make a complaint on account of her “physical or mental incapacity or death or otherwise”, her legal heir may do so.
• The identity of the woman, respondent, witness, any information on the inquiry, recommendation and action taken should not be made public.
• Time-frame – The complaint has to be made “within 3 months from the date of the incident”.
• For a series of incidents, it has to be made within three months from the date of the last incident.
• However, this time-frame is not rigid as the ICC can “extend the time limit”, if it is satisfied that the circumstances were such which prevented the woman from filing a complaint in that period.
• IPC – The ICC may forward the complaint to the police under Indian Penal Code Section 509.
• The Section relates to word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman, which would lead to the maximum punishment of 1 year in jail with fine.
• ICC Inquiry – Otherwise, the ICC can start an inquiry that has to be completed within 90 days.
• The ICC has similar powers to those of a civil court in respect of the following matters:

1. summoning and examining any person on oath
2. requiring the discovery and production of documents

• When the inquiry is completed, the ICC is to provide a report of its findings to the employer within 10 days.
• While the inquiry is on, the woman can make a written request to the ICC regarding work.
• The ICC, “may”, then recommend her transfer, leave for 3 months, or any other relief as may be prescribed.
• Actions – If the allegations are proved, the ICC recommends that the employer take action for sexual harassment.
• This would be in accordance with the provisions of the service rules, which vary from company to company.
• It also recommends that the company deduct from the salary of the person found guilty, “as it may consider appropriate”.
• Compensation is determined based on five aspects:

1. suffering and emotional distress caused to the woman
2. loss in career opportunity
3. her medical expenses
4. income and financial status of the respondent
5. the feasibility of such payment

• Appeal – After the recommendations, the aggrieved woman or the respondent can appeal in court within 90 days.
• False complaint – In a case of false/malicious complaint and false evidence, ICC “may recommend” the employer to take action against the woman who has made the complaint.
• However, it cannot be taken for “mere inability” to “substantiate the complaint or provide adequate proof”.
• Conciliation – The ICC “may”, before the inquiry, take steps to settle the matter between the victim and respondent through conciliation.
• This is only “at the request of the aggrieved woman,” and provided that no monetary settlement is made as a basis of conciliation.

Criticism of the Act

Firstly, it fails to cover those women working in the agricultural workers and armed forces, which are largely men – dominated sectors.

Secondly, the act appears to be gender biased since it only protects women.

Thirdly, the act has a wide scope for false allegations. There are high chances of these laws getting misused at the hands of women for their personal benefits.

Fourthly, the provision regarding the fixing of the monetary compensation according to the economic potential of the person makes it discriminatory since the person with high rank and status will be made to pay more than the person with low status, which from nowhere seems to serve any purpose other than being discriminatory in nature.

The Effects of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

The impact of sexual harassment at the workplace is far-reaching and is an injury to the equal right of women. Not only does it impact her, but it also has a direct bearing on workplace productivity as well as the development of society.

1. Emotional Well-Being 
Sexual harassment can jeopardize the victim’s emotional and mental health. It can lead to the loss of self-esteem and it may even compromise personal relationships. Sexual harassment in the workplace can cause significant stress and anxiety.

2. Physical Health 
Physical health and emotional health are closely linked. It often leads to physical health issues, such as loss of appetite, headaches, weight fluctuations, and sleep disturbances. Sleep disturbances can, in turn, lead to other serious health problems, such as hormonal imbalance, an increased risk of high blood pressure, and a weakened immune system.

3. Financial Challenges 
In addition to causing health problems, sexual harassment frequently leads to financial challenges. Some victims of sexual harassment may even face broader career repercussions, such as the loss of job references. They may decide to leave their current position or employer to avoid a hostile work environment.

4. Global Consequences

• Sexual harassment has a direct effect on employers and the global economy. Each year, millions are lost due to absenteeism , low productivity, employee turnover, low morale, and legal costs stemming from sexual harassment. The economy also suffers due to premature retirement and higher insurance costs.
• National Sample Survey (NSS) data for India show that labour force participation rates of women aged 25-54 (including primary and subsidiary status) have stagnated at about 26-28% in urban areas, and fallen substantially from 57% to 44% in rural areas, between 1987 and 2011.

Concerns / Challenges

• Despite these advances, a 2015 study by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and EY suggested that 36% of Indian companies and 25% of multinational corporations in India were not compliant with this Act.
• The problem is of mindset particularly those educated and well trained.
• Much of it depends on the implementation which is worrisome. Some people who are in very influential position are accused and they have got away with it. In India wherever the accused has been influential they have got a free hand. It creates a sense of alienation, disbelief about the law.
• Women are exploited by the superior in the matter of promotion, emoluments and better prospects in job etc.

The need of the Hour

• There has to be a sense of fear in the mind of the offenders which has to be ensured.
• Elaborate suggestion, punishment and disciplinary action have to be taken. The Department of Personnel and Training,  Ministry of Women and Child Development should see to it that no matter who is accused should be severely dealt with which would instil a gender sensitive society.
• More than this is the attitudinal change, how we raise the sons in the families, how we make men respect women within the family and within the private spaces will matter. The socialisation process and education all go towards making the man much more sensitive while dealing with women.
• There must also be equal punishment to women who make false charges.
• The law makers must think it over that any complaint of rape should have a time bar and complaints cannot be entertained beyond certain time limit. There are instances where the women approach the police or court with the charges of rape happened three years ago and there can be some motive behind the complaint. So there has to be a time bar within which the compliant should be registered say within 6 months or 1 year.
• There are 100s of private companies where they don’t have any committee to look into the complaints of sexual harassment of women. The government have to look upon these companies and have proper investigation.

What does the MWCD Handbook specify?

• The Ministry of Women & Child Development (MWCD) has published a Handbook in this regard.
• It gives more detailed instances of behaviour that constitutes sexual harassment at the workplace:

1. Sexually suggestive remarks, offensive remarks, inappropriate questions or remarks about a person’s sex life
2. Display of sexist/offensive pictures, posters, MMS, SMS etc
3. Intimidation, threats, blackmail around sexual favours; also, any kind of threats against an employee who speaks up
4. Unwelcome social invitations with sexual overtones, commonly seen as flirting/Unwelcome sexual advances

• It says “unwelcome behaviour” is experienced when the victim feels bad or powerless, causing anger/sadness or negative self-esteem.
• It adds that unwelcome behaviour is one which is “illegal, demeaning, invading, one-sided and power based”.

Conclusion

Not just a healthy balance sheet but a healthy and free work environment is most is the hallmark of a successful work culture, but also India’s GDP. The economic impact of achieving gender equality in India is estimated to be US$700 billion of added GDP by 2025. The IMF estimates that equal participation of women in the workforce will increase India’s GDP by 27 percent. Sexual harassment in the workplace cannot be tackled by legislation alone. It needs cultural change.

Fourth Industrial Revolution: What it Means, Why it’s being Discussed 

CONTEXT

• CEOs, political leaders, social entrepreneurs, technologists and other global leaders are all at Davos to further the World Economic Forum’s mission of improving the state of the world.
• But, the big buzz at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos this year is about the ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’.

What is the Fourth Industrial Revolution?

• As described by the founder and executive chairman of WEF, Klaus Schwab, “the fourth industrial revolution is a technological revolution that will fundamentally alter the way we live, work and relate to one another”.
• The fourth industrial revolution is the current and developing environment in which disruptive technologies and trends such as the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) are changing the way we live and work.

Background:

1^st industrial revolution: The first Industrial Revolution began in Britain in the last quarter of the 18th century with the mechanisation of the textile industry, harnessing of steam power, and birth of the modern factory.

2^nd industrial revolution: The Second Industrial Revolution, from the last third of the nineteenth century to the outbreak of World War I, was powered by developments in electricity, transportation, chemicals, steel, and mass production and consumption. Industrialization spread even further – to Japan after the Meiji Restoration and deep into Russia, which was booming at the outset of World War I. During this era, factories could produce countless numbers of identical products quickly and cheaply.

3^rd industrial revolution: The third industrial revolution, beginning c. 1970, was digital — and applied electronics and information technology to processes of production. Mass customisation and additive manufacturing — the so-called ‘3D printing’ — are its key concepts, and its applications, yet to be imagined fully, are quite mind-boggling.

How different will be the 4^th industrial revolution?

There are three reasons why today’s transformations represent not merely a prolongation of the Third Industrial Revolution but rather the arrival of a Fourth and distinct one: velocity, scope, and systems impact.

• The speed of current breakthroughs has no historical precedent. When compared with previous industrial revolutions, the Fourth is evolving at an exponential rather than a linear pace.
• Moreover, it is disrupting almost every industry in every country. And the breadth and depth of these changes herald the transformation of entire systems of production, management, and governance.
• The 4^th revolution will be characterized by the advent of cyber-physical systems which, while being reliant on the technologies and infrastructure of the third industrial revolution, represent entirely new ways in which technology becomes embedded within societies and even our human bodies. Examples include genome editing, new forms of machine intelligence, and breakthrough approaches to governance that rely on cryptographic methods such as blockchain.
• Hence, it can be said that the 4^th industrial revolution is conceptualised as an upgrade on the third revolution and is marked by a fusion of technologies straddling the physical, digital and biological worlds.

How does mankind benefit from this?

Like the revolutions that preceded it, the Fourth Industrial Revolution has the potential to raise global income levels and improve the quality of life for populations around the world.

• By gaining access to the digital world, consumers will be benefited in several ways. With the advent of new technology, we get to use more and more efficient products.
• In the future, technological innovation will also lead to a supply-side miracle, with long-term gains in efficiency and productivity.
• Transportation and communication costs will drop, logistics and global supply chains will become more effective, and the cost of trade will diminish, all of which will open new markets and drive economic growth.

Challenges posed by this revolution

Economists have pointed out that the 4^th revolution could yield greater inequality, particularly in its potential to disrupt labour markets.

• As automation substitutes for labour across the entire economy, the net displacement of workers by machines might exacerbate the gap between returns to capital and returns to labour.
• With this revolution, it is also possible that in the future, talent, more than capital, will represent the critical factor of production. This will give rise to a job market increasingly segregated into “low-skill/low-pay” and “high-skill/high-pay” segments, which in turn will lead to an increase in social tensions.
• In addition to being a key economic concern, inequality represents the greatest societal concern associated with the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
• The largest beneficiaries of innovation tend to be the providers of intellectual and physical capital—the innovators, shareholders, and investors—which explains the rising gap in wealth between those dependent on capital versus labour.

What will be the impact on the government?

As the physical, digital, and biological worlds continue to converge, new technologies and platforms will increasingly enable citizens to engage with governments, voice their opinions, coordinate their efforts, and even circumvent the supervision of public authorities.

• Simultaneously, governments will gain new technological powers to increase their control over populations, based on pervasive surveillance systems and the ability to control digital infrastructure.
• On the whole, however, governments will increasingly face pressure to change their current approach to public engagement and policymaking, as their central role of conducting policy diminishes owing to new sources of competition and the redistribution and decentralization of power that new technologies make possible.
• Ultimately, the ability of government systems and public authorities to adapt will determine their survival. If they prove capable of embracing a world of disruptive change, subjecting their structures to the levels of transparency and efficiency that will enable them to maintain their competitive edge, they will endure. If they cannot evolve, they will face increasing trouble.

Impacts on national and international security

The Fourth Industrial Revolution will also profoundly impact the nature of national and international security, affecting both the probability and the nature of the conflict.

• The history of warfare and international security is the history of technological innovation, and today is no exception.
• Modern conflicts involving states are increasingly hybrid in nature, combining traditional battlefield techniques with elements previously associated with nonstate actors.
• As new technologies such as autonomous or biological weapons become easier to use, individuals and small groups will increasingly join states in being capable of causing mass harm.
• This new vulnerability will lead to new fears. But at the same time, advances in technology will create the potential to reduce the scale or impact of violence, through the development of new modes of protection or greater precision in targeting.

The impact on people

The Fourth Industrial Revolution will change not only what we do but also who we are. It will affect our identity and all the issues associated with it: our sense of privacy, our notions of ownership, our consumption patterns, the time we devote to work and leisure, and how we develop our careers, cultivate our skills, meet people, and nurture relationships.

• Also, the revolutions occurring in biotechnology, which are redefining what it means to be human by pushing back the current thresholds of lifespan, health, cognition, and capabilities, will compel us to redefine our moral and ethical boundaries too.

How can we be prepared for the Fourth Industrial Revolution?

• By providing universal access to affordable education and job training.
• By continuing to ensure basic protection for workers as the changes take place. Governments have, along with the private sector, an obligation to strengthen these core protections.
• By modernizing infrastructure. Governments have fundamental responsibilities to build roads, bridges, railways, ports, broadband. And all of this can have a profound impact on economic growth, generating well-paying jobs and bringing opportunity to areas where it does not exist.
• By having a more progressive tax code.
• By expanding access to capital. Existing capital and the tools that support entrepreneurship should be made widely available to people who haven’t had access to it before.

What the Fourth Industrial Revolution means for India

• For India, the Fourth Industrial Revolution brings tremendous opportunities to leapfrog many stages of development, hastening its journey towards becoming a developed economy. In many ways, the Fourth Industrial Revolution is a leveller.
• The technologies being used in India will be the same as those in use in the developed world. Robots, AI, IoT are all technologies transforming the industry in the West and are ready to do the same in India.
• Companies are adopting different elements of the revolution in diverse ways, some gingerly, some in a sure-footed manner. Many have launched pilot projects, while many others have totally migrated some of their business functions to AI-led processes.
• There is much that India has to be worried about too. An overreliance on automation will shrink job creation. Automation and robotics in industrial manufacturing suits countries with low productive populations. But it does not suit countries like India, where 12–13 million people enter the job market every year.
• There is a natural fear of job loss resulting from automation and robotics in India. Repetitive processes are being increasingly automated. Banks in India are already using chatbots and even humanoid robots. HDFC Bank has the Ira robot, which helps customers choose the right service and financial products.
• There are several projections for job losses owing to factors such as automation and consolidation in the market. A report by PeopleStrong says, one in four job losses in India will happen on account of automation.
• The use of data analytics is opening up efficiencies in sectors like agriculture that did not exist earlier. Cargill India, for instance, is allowing thousands of traders to be part of the system by using mobile-based pricing data.
• A report by mobile analytics firm App Annie says India is already the fourth largest app economy. Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, said more than 750,000 jobs here can be attributed to apps on the Apple IoS platform. Indian developers have created 100,000 apps; registering a growth of 57% over 2016.
• New industry sectors are being created. These have the potential to create work for millions. There is already an industry association for producing and promoting the use of drones in India.

The Way Ahead for India:

• India needs a collaborative effort. It will have to create a long-term ecosystem that trains and educates professionals. India could collaborate with the US, Germany, and the EU. The central government can consider a joint platform between ministries, state governments and industry bodies to create a mission for making the most of the Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies.

Suggestions by Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant

1. There is an urgent need for more industry-academia collaboration and to develop requisite skills in technology.
2.  Introduction of a compulsory apprenticeship programme to encourage hands-on experience on technology as early as higher secondary level.
3. He also suggested fortifying quality, prioritizing investments in innovation and R&D and invest in life-long learning for employees. He urged industry to think big and think global.
4. To effectively embrace digitalisation, the industry has to foster competitive advantage across their value chains, focus on productivity and fill productivity gaps to compete globally.

Conclusion

• In its most pessimistic, dehumanized form, the Fourth Industrial Revolution may indeed have the potential to “robotize” humanity and thus to deprive us of our heart and soul.
• But as a complement to the best parts of human nature—creativity, empathy, stewardship—it can also lift humanity into a new collective and moral consciousness based on a shared sense of destiny.
• It is incumbent on us all to make sure the latter prevails. We should thus grasp the opportunity and power we have to shape the Fourth Industrial Revolution and direct it toward a future that reflects our common objectives and values.

Why in news?

• CMIE and labour Bureau data indicates that India continues to face the jobless growth problem

Jobs scenario in India

• Multiple data sources clearly show that job opportunities in India are, at present, limited, with the average annual addition to regular jobs during 2012-16 falling to 1.5 million from 2.5 million in 2004-12.
• Besides, job creation in India’s organized manufacturing sector experienced a sharp fall in 2012, later recovering only to a level considerably below any prior year during 2006-12.
• Furthermore, the share of regular workers with any form of social security has declined from 45% in 2011-12 to 38% in 2016.

Reasons for Jobless Growth in India

1. India’s focus on higher education:

• Indian Government since the second five-year plan focussed more on higher education rather than basic education (Unlike Southeast Asia). In order to create mass scale manufacturing jobs, the workforce should have some basic skills however in India because the focus was on higher education, we failed to create enough basic skilled workforce required for labour-intensive manufacturing.
• When India adopted economic reforms in 1991, We had a pool of highly educated workforce but we had a shortage of labour force with basic skills,
• This meant that India’s growth story of the last 2 decades was led by Few sectors in Service sector like IT, Banking, telecommunication etc because these sectors required highly educated workers which we had plenty.
• However, these sectors are not labour intensive.  While the share of Service sector increased significantly in India’s GDP, however the share of services in the employment structure remained more or less stagnant.

2. Import-oriented economy

• India did not move from the import-substituting phases of its economic development to an export-oriented development strategy and hence failed to witness a strong growth in the labour-intensive segment of the manufacturing sector.
• If India would have followed Labour intensive goods export-led model like Southeast Asian countries, it would have created many jobs in the MSME sector. Opening up of the economy lead to the availability of cheap capital goods from abroad.

3.Stagnation in manufacturing output and employment and contraction of the labour-intensive segment of the formal manufacturing sector: (Due to)

• Excess rigidity in the formal manufacturing labour market and rigid labour regulations has created disincentives for employers to create jobs
• Industrial Disputes Act has lowered employment in organized manufacturing by about 25% (World Bank Study)
• Stringent employment protection legislation has pushed employers towards more capital-intensive modes of production than warranted by existing costs of labour relative to capital
• Therefore, the nature of the trade regime in India is still biased towards capital-intensive manufacturing.

4. Slow Infrastructure Development

• Infrastructural bottlenecks (especially in access to electricity)
• Lack of backward and forward linkages between agriculture, industry and service sector has failed to create jobs.

5. Other impediments

• Impediments to entrepreneurial growth in small firms (such as high costs of formalisation) along with a long history of small-scale reservation policy which has prohibited the entry of large-scale units in labour-intensive industries.
• The tax incentives, subsidies, depreciation allowance all are solely linked to the amount invested and not to the number of jobs created.
• Sluggish process in education and skill levels of workers.
• Governance failure – no targeted interventions designed specifically for specific sectors and less focus on MSME.

How can we reverse the Jobless growth Phenomenon in India

1. Implement Niti Ayog action agenda

• The Action Agenda has provided several good ideas for job creation, including labour law reforms at the state level, recognizing the difficult national political landscape as well as the wide cross-state variation in the nature of political constraints.
• The AA has also identified labour-intensive sectors, such as apparel, electronics, food processing, gems and jewellery, financial services, and tourism, where employment needs to be encouraged.
• Furthermore, the report emphasizes the role of exports in job creation and recommends establishing coastal employment zones (CEZs), similar to China’s special economic zones (SEZs)

2. An industrial and trade policy is needed.

• The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) is preparing an industrial policy. National Manufacturing Policy came in 2011, was not implemented fully.
• While the DIPP is preparing the industrial policy document, it is essential that trade policy is consistent with such an industrial policy. Otherwise, the two may work at cross purposes and undermine each other’s objectives.
• Excessive imports have been decimating Indian manufacturing.
• An inverted duty structure has the following features: higher duty on intermediate goods compared to final finished goods, with the latter often enjoying concessional customs duty.
• As a result, domestic manufacturers face high tariffs leading to higher raw material cost at home, emanating from the unfavourable inverted duty structure.
• This has prevented many manufacturing sectors from growing since economic reforms began. This must be corrected.
• The automobiles sector in India faced no inverted duty structure, and has thrived. India has become in the last decade one of the largest producers of vehicles of several kinds in the world now. Electronics faced an inverted duty structure, but due to changes made, electronics manufacturing has shown slow growth.

3. Special packages are needed for labour-intensive industries to create jobs

• There are a number of labour-intensive manufacturing sectors in India such as food processing, leather and footwear, wood manufacturers and furniture, textiles and apparel and garments.
• The apparel and garments sector received a package from the Government of India roughly a year back. The other labour intensive sectors have been ignored.
• The nature of the package will need to be individually designed for each sector defined as quickly as possible.

4. Cluster development

• There should be cluster development to support job creation in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
• Most of the unorganised sector employment is in MSMEs, which tend to be concentrated in specific geographic locations.
• There are 1,350 modern industry clusters in India and an additional 4,000 traditional product manufacturing clusters, like handloom, handicraft and other traditional single product group clusters.
• There is a cluster development programme of the Ministry of MSMEs, which need to be funded adequately and better designed to create more opportunities.

5. Align urban development with manufacturing clusters to create jobs.

• The Ministry of Urban Development has a programme called AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation) aimed at improving infrastructure for small towns. Infrastructure investment by the government creates many jobs.
• The same intervention should be made in towns which have clusters of unorganised sector economic activities.
• Hence an engagement between the Urban Development and MSME Ministries is necessary to attract more investment to industrial clusters and increase non-agricultural jobs.

6. More focus on women participation

• Girls are losing out in jobs, or those with increasing education can’t find them, despite having gotten higher levels of education.
• Secondary enrolment in the country rose from 58% to 85% in a matter of five years (2010-2015), with gender parity.
• Skilling close to clusters is likely to create more number of jobs.
• The problem with skilling programmes has been low placement after skilling is complete.
• The availability of jobs close to where the skilling is conducted will also enhance the demand for skilling.

7. Public investments in health, education, police and judiciary

• This can create many government jobs.
• Public investment in the health sector has remained even in the last three years at 1.15% of GDP, despite the creation of the national health policy at the beginning of 2017.
• The policy indicates that expenditure on health will rise to 2.5% of GDP by 2025.
• Given the state of health and nutrition of the population, it is critical that public expenditure on health is increased immediately.
• In the absence of greater public expenditure, the private sector in health keeps expanding, which raises the household costs on health without necessarily improving health outcomes, because the private sector does not spend on preventive and public health measures.
• Preventive and public health have been in all countries the responsibility of government. More government expenditure in health means more jobs in government hospitals and better health outcomes.
• Next important area should be Revitalising schools. Government schools should maintain education quality on par with private schools. Many new government jobs can be provided if more young people could be trained specially to become teachers for science and mathematics at the secondary and higher secondary levels in government schools.
• The same applies to the police and the judiciary. All the vacancies in Police and judiciary should be filled immediately. More police and a larger judiciary can both reduce crime as well as speed up the process of justice for the ordinary citizen

Conclusion

India needs a new strategy to counter the phenomena of jobless growth. This requires manufacturing sector to play a dominant role. “MAKE IN INDIA” initiative a great step forward which will boost the manufacturing. Complementary schemes like Skill India, Startup India etc can enhance the skillsets and employment generation

The focus of economic policy must be the creation of jobs and creating an enabling policy for youth to take up entrepreneurship and create more jobs in the market. India does not need five companies worth 5000 crores turnover but needs 5000 companies of 5 crore turnover.

What is Island Development Agency (IDA)?

1. The 1382 offshore-identified islands of India hold immense unexploited potential for fostering growth and achieving cohesive socio-economic development of the region in particular and also, the nation as a whole.
2. They can significantly contribute to the GDP by leveraging the gains from promoting infrastructure and tourism on a large scale.
3. Considering this IDA was set up in June 2017 following Prime Minister’s review meeting for the holistic development of islands.
4. The meetings of the agency are chaired by the Union Home Minister. Members of IDA include cabinet secretary, the home secretary, secretary (environment, forests and climate change), secretary (tourism) and secretary (tribal welfare).
5. NITI Aayog has highlighted the elements of holistic development, including key infrastructure projects, digital connectivity, green energy, desalination plants, waste management, promotion of fisheries, and tourism-based projects.
6. With better communication services, Information Technology based and other Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) would be promoted in the Islands.

What does it include?

Key Infrastructure projects such as:

• creation of jetties/berthing facilities,
• Roll-on/Roll-off ships;
• Bridges on Andaman Trunk Road;
• Upgradation of Diglipur Airport;
• Construction of Minicoy Airport;
• Modernization of existing Jetty at Kavaratti;
• Augmentation of Satellite Bandwidth from 1.118 Gbps to 2.118 Gbps in Andaman & Nicobar;
• augmentation of helicopter services for Islanders and tourists etc.

Development of IDA

First Meeting

• In the first meeting, directions were given to identify and execute infrastructure and connectivity projects together with provisioning of water and electricity.
• 10 islands namely Smith, Ross, Aves, Long and Little Andaman in Andaman & Nicobar and Minicoy, Bangaram, Suheli, Cherium and Tinnakara in Lakshadweep have been identified for holistic development in the first phase.

Second Meeting

• It reviewed concept development plans and detailed master plans for holistic development of 9 islands.
• These 9 islands include four in Andaman & Nicobar Islands (Smith, Ross, Long, Avis) and five in Lakshadweep (Minicoy, Bangaram, Thinnakara, Cheriyam, Suheli).

Third Meeting

• It reviewed the progress made towards the preparation of Development Plans for identified Islands (four in A&N Islands i.e. Smith, Ross, Long, Avis and five in Lakshadweep i.e. Minicoy, Bangaram, Thinnakara, Cheriyam, Suheli).
• For these Islands, Final Site Suitability Reports have been prepared, Carrying Capacity determined and Environmental zoning carried out to ensure sustainable development.

What makes IDA important?

Maritime Strategic Importance

1. Given the strategic location of Andaman & Nicobar (A&N Islands) and the Lakshadweep Islands and China’s assertive expansionist policy in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) there is a need to develop critical infrastructure and upgrade the military base in these regions.
2. India’s only tri-service command is established at the A&N Islands at the entrance of the Malacca Strait, the 2.8 km long -world’s most congested choke point, and the primary route for Chinese oil supply.
3. Illicit activities such as Pirates and territorial violations can be curbed if the Islands such as Lakshadweep are strategically developed.
4. Andaman & Nicobar Islands is centre-point for the development of Quad Group’s maritime agenda in the Indo-Pacific Region.

Energy Potential

1. The Islands host an unexplored Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) with clearly demarcated boundaries that can be capitalized on in numerous ways.
2. The varied ecosystem can be exploited for its medicinal plants and exotic plant species, sustainable agriculture and horticulture practices conducive to the agro-climatic conditions of the regions can be propagated.
3. The IOR is home to large-scale hydrocarbon which can be explored. Recently India’s exclusive rights to explore polymetallic nodules from seabed in Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) have been extended by five years.
4. This can boost India’s hunt for alternate renewable energy resources so as to meet the energy needs of the nation.

Economic Importance

1. Fisheries, the main occupation of the larger population of these regions, can be given a thrust so as to develop modernized and sustainable inland fisheries and aquaculture ecosystem integrated with the ‘Blue Economy’ vision. Ex. Fishing of Lakshadweep Tuna.
2. Most importantly, the Islands can be developed as prime Tourist Hotspots for not just the country, but also internationally.
3. The pristine beaches, coupled with rich tropical vegetation, can be turned into a more economical and attractive alternative to conventional destinations such as Bali and Maldives.
4. This help in creating many forward and backward linkages and boost the economy of the regions to a large extent.

Trade and Regional Connectivity

1. Indian Ocean Region handles most of the sea trade in the world.
2. The shallow coastline of mainland India has severe impact on trade capacity.
3. Deep water ports can be developed on these Islands thereby paving way for creation of additional service and refuelling stations.
4. Greater connectivity of these islands with South East Asia can be harnessed for India’s Act East Policy.

International Cooperation

1. The 2016 Indo-Japan Joint Statement on Bilateral Cooperation envisioned to develop “Smart Islands” on the line of the ‘Smart Cities’ project.
2. Japanese capital and expertise can be both pioneering as well as beneficial to this endeavor.
3. The development of the Reunion Islands by France can be a guiding example and also opens up the opportunity for prospective collaboration with Paris in implementation of such projects.
4. The positive response by OECD countries in taking on ‘Smart Cities’ projects further demands similar international cooperation.

What hinders the development of Island?

Climate Change

1. Parali Island of the Lakshadweep got completely submerged due to rising sea levels,
2. The vulnerabilities of these Island groups to Tsunamis is a grave matter of concern.
3. Rise in sea temperature and oceanic acidification further intensify coral bleaching.

Restricted Area Permit

1. Recently govt has decided stop the requirement of Restricted Area Permit for foreigners visiting the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to boost tourism.
2. This can pose a threat to the PVTGs such as Jarawas, Ongis and Sentinelese.

Chinese Assertiveness

1. China’s bid of encircling India in the Indian ocean region by various initiatives are greatest threat to India.
2. Chinese development such as Naval base in Djibouti and Hambantota, Sri Lanka pose a greater threat.

Other issues

1. These include delay in the project implementation due to lack of funds.
2. Infrastructural development in on the islands are restricted due to logistical limitations such as lack of developed ports, airports etc. Seamless supply of electricity and potable water is still not achieved in these region.
3. The remoteness of these hinterland currently fails to attract private players due to such problems.

Indian initiatives so far

1. Ship Building and Ship Repairing have been the high priority areas for infrastructure initiatives in the islands.
2. The government has announced laying of Rs, 1,102 Crore worth of submarine optical fiber cable between Chennai and A&N Islands so as to increase telephone and internet connectivity in the region by December 2018.
3. Tri-services military command has also been established in the Eastern Naval Commands at A&N islands . This will help curbing piracy, smuggling and terror activity.
4. Various exercises such as CORPAT, SIMBEX are held to bolster maritime security.

Way Forward: Private Sector Participation

1. The road to development sails through the islands.
2. The high financial costs in such investments create a need for private sector involvement, where their operational and managerial expertise is required to optimally deliver on these projects.
3. Similarly, International best practices can be modified suitably and replicated so as to maximize returns further.
4. Although, the need for civil infrastructure development in Island regions is unquestionable, in the wake of existing geo-strategic position, upgradation of defense facilities is equally important.
5. This will constructively channelize the positive externalities of such assets to enhance the living conditions of entire populace.
6. Due attention needs to be paid so as to not disturb the ecological balance, disrupt local livelihood-activities, and engage all stakeholders in the decision making process while ensuring that sufficient institutions and mechanisms exist for grievance redressal, compensation and rehabilitation.