Governance

Employment-Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme

Context: The Union Cabinet has approved the Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme, a flagship initiative under the Union Budget 2024-25, aimed at addressing the challenges of unemployment and jobless growth.

Relevance of the topic:

Prelims: Key Highlights of Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme.

Mains: Significance of Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme.

Employment-Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme

With an outlay of ₹99,446 crore, ELI Scheme aims to incentivise the creation of more than 3.5 crore jobs over two years.
ELI Scheme is a part of the Prime Minister’s package of five schemes to facilitate employment, skilling, and other opportunities for 4.1 crore youth.
Objectives:
- Create additional employment in the formal sector and sustain it.
- Promote employability and formalisation of the workforce.
- Complement National Manufacturing mission.
- Enhance social security of the workforce.

Key Highlights of the Scheme:

Benefits for first-time workers:

ELI scheme will benefit individuals entering the workforce for the first time and registered with the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).
Eligible employees, those earning up to ₹1 lakh/month, will receive an EPF-based wage incentive of up to INR 15,000 disbursed in two stages.
The first half will be paid after six months of continuous service, while the second half will be released upon completing one year of service and a financial literacy program.

Incentives for employers generating jobs:

Companies registered with EPFO that hire additional staff earning up to ₹100,000 per month will receive a monthly incentive of up to ₹3,000 per employee for a period of two years.
For manufacturing units, this support will continue through the third and fourth years as well.
Eligibility criteria include the hiring of at least two new employees by establishments with fewer than 50 employees, and a minimum of five new hires for those with 50 or more employees.
All new hires must remain continuously employed for at least six months to qualify.
Coverage Period: Valid for jobs created between August 1, 2025, and July 31, 2027.

Significance of the Scheme:

Addresses the challenge of jobless growth by directly linking fiscal incentives to net employment generation.
Encourages a shift from informal to formal employment, thereby enhancing social security coverage, tax base, and compliance with labour laws.
Targets first-time entrants, helping reduce structural unemployment and leveraging demographic dividend in the economy.
Encourage employers to create sustained new employment, particularly in the manufacturing sector.
Boosts aggregate demand via higher household income and consumption.
Supports labour-intensive manufacturing, enhancing employment elasticity.

Using Technology to Empower Women and Children

Context: Over the past decade, the Ministry of Women and Child development has integrated technology into its programmes to ensure that the benefits reach the last mile swiftly, transparently, and efficiently.

Relevance of the topic:

Prelims: Key technological initiatives for women and children.

Mains: Role of technology in women and children development.

Leveraging Technology for Women’s Rights and Well-being

1. Saksham Anganwadi Initiative:

Designed to modernise and empower over 2 lakh Anganwadi centres across India. These centres are being upgraded with smart infrastructure, digital devices, and innovative learning tools, enabling more effective delivery of nutrition, healthcare, and pre-school education services.
The integration of services provided by 14 lakh Anganwadi centres across the nation with the Poshan Tracker has enabled real-time data entry, performance monitoring, and evidence-based policy interventions.

2. Poshan Tracker:

Over 10.14 crore beneficiaries, including pregnant women, lactating mothers, children under six, and adolescent girls, are now registered on Poshan Tracker.
At its core, Poshan Tracker is driving the national vision of a Swasth Bharat, Suposhit Bharat. By equipping Anganwadi workers with smartphones and comprehensive training, the initiative ensures quality service delivery at the last mile.
It reimagines Anganwadi centres as digitally empowered community hubs that bridge the urban-rural divide.
Recognised with the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration (2025), it also supports Poshan Bhi, Padhai Bhi, providing digital training modules to Anganwadi workers for early childhood education.

3. Facial Recognition and Leak-Proof Nutrition Delivery:

To plug leakages in the Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP), a facial recognition system has been introduced. This ensures that only eligible beneficiaries receive nutrition support.

4. DBT under Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana:

Under the PMMVY Rules, 2022, pregnant women receive ₹5,000 for the first child, and an enhanced ₹6,000 for the second child if it is a girl, promoting positive reinforcement for daughters.
Delivered through a paperless Direct Benefit Transfer system, about ₹19,000 crore has reached over 4 crore women beneficiaries since its inception.
It is a fully digital programme leveraging Aadhaar-based authentication, mobile-based registration, doorstep assistance from Anganwadi/ASHA workers, and real-time dashboards.
A dedicated grievance redressal module and citizen-facing portal ensure transparency, trust, and accountability, strengthening the government’s commitment to Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao.

4. Tech-Led Women’s Safety Platforms

Beyond nutrition, the Ministry is ensuring safety and support for women through technology-led platforms.

SHe-Box Portal: A single-window platform to lodge complaints under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013. It enables both online submission and tracking of complaints.
Mission Shakti Dashboard and Mobile App: It provides integrated assistance to women in distress, connecting them to the nearest one-stop centre, now operational in nearly every district. These interventions exemplify how technology is being used not just for efficiency, but for justice, dignity, and empowerment.

Tangible outcomes of Welfare Schemes:

These targeted efforts are delivering tangible outcomes. The latest reports from the Health Management Information System of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) reveal that:

Sex Ratio at Birth has increased from 918 (2014-15) to 930 (2023-24).
Maternal Mortality Rate has declined to 97 per 1,000 births (2018-20) from 130 per 1,000 births (2014-16).

Leveraging Technology for Child Protection and Welfare:

Digital transformation has played a key role in child protection and welfare.

Under the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, digital tools are being used to protect and support children:

CARINGS Portal (Child Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System) streamlines and digitises the adoption process, making it more transparent and accessible.
Digitisation has also improved monitoring of child care institutions, foster care placements, and statutory support structures under the Act.
Platforms developed by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights are tracking violations of child rights.
Mission Vatsalya dashboard strengthens convergence and coordination among various child welfare stakeholders.

India enters Top 100 in Global SDG Rankings 2025

Context: India improves its position in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals Index ranking 99th in the 2025 edition of the Sustainable Development Report.

India has been ranked among the top 100 countries in the Index for the first time since this data began to be published from 2016.

Relevance of the Topic : Prelims: Key Highlights of Sustainable Development Report (SDR).

About Sustainable Development Report (SDR)

Released by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN). SDSN is an independent body under the aegis of the UN, whose publications are tracked by policymakers and governments.
The index measures overall progress toward achieving the 17 SDGs adopted by United Nations member states in 2015.
Countries are ranked by their overall score. A score of 100 indicates that all SDGs have been achieved.

17 Sustainable Development Goals are:

Key Highlights of the Report:

India's Performance:

India is ranked 99th with a score of 67 on the SDG Index, a significant improvement from its 109th rank in 2024.
The report noted that since the adoption of the SDGs, India has steadily improved its standing: it ranked 112th in 2023, 121st in 2022, and 120th in 2021.

Global Performance:

European countries continue to lead the SDG Index- 19 of the top 20 countries are from Europe.
Finland, Sweden, and Denmark are the top three countries on the SDG Index.
East and South Asia have outperformed all other global regions in terms of SDG progress - demonstrating the fastest progress since 2015 largely due to socio-economic development.
Among India’s neighbours, Bhutan ranks 74th (70.5), Nepal 85th (68.6), Bangladesh 114th (63.9), and Pakistan 140th (57). Maritime neighbours Maldives and Sri Lanka stand at 53rd and 93rd places respectively.

China is ranked 49th with a score of 74.4.
The United States stands at 44th with 75.2 points.

The report flagged that global progress on the SDGs has largely stalled.

Only 17% of the SDG targets are on track to be achieved by 2030. Main reasons for slow progress are conflicts, structural weaknesses, and limited government finances.
Even the top performing European countries are facing challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss, mostly due to unsustainable consumption patterns.

India state of Sustainable Development: Hits & Misses:

SDSN ranks India as having fared better in poverty reduction (SDG 1). However, some issues persist like- lack of publicly available consumption expenditure data since 2018, non-updation of the poverty line (Rangarajan line ~₹33/day rural, ₹47/day urban).
Zero hunger (SDG 2) reveals the wide disparity between income groups and rural and urban areas on access to a nutritious diet.
- National Family Health Survey (NFHS) estimates that over a third of Indians (35.5%) were stunted (NFHS-5, 2019-21). Wasting (low weight for height) exists at 19.3%.
- Obesity in the working age population (15-49 years) has almost doubled between 2006 and 2021, and concentrated in wealthier urban areas.
Electricity access (SDG 7)- India has achieved near universal household electrification in the past two decades, but the quality of power and duration vary vastly based on regions and urban/rural fault lines. India ranks as the fourth largest renewables capacity deployer, mainly solar and wind.
Infrastructure provision (SDG 9)- India has bettered its score in infrastructure with noteworthy additions being rapid mobile penetration and financial inclusion through UPI-linked digital payments gateways. However, stark differences exist between rural and urban Internet penetration, which must be addressed to achieve even higher educational outcomes (SDG 4).
India’s performance in governance, the rule of law, press freedom and strong and independent institutions (SDG 16) has been lagging.

Cabinet approves Global Potato Research Center in Agra

Context: The Union Cabinet approved a proposal to set up a regional wing of the Peru-based International Potato Center (CIP) in Agra district, Uttar Pradesh.

Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: About International Potato Center, CIP-South Asia Regional Centre (CSARC), India’s position in global potato production.

About International Potato Center (CIP)

CIP-South Asia Regional Centre:

The proposed CIP-South Asia Regional Centre (CSARC) will be set up at Singna in Agra district, Uttar Pradesh.
Purpose: To strengthen India’s research and productivity in potatoes and sweet potatoes.
The project costs Rs 171 crore, with India contributing Rs 111.5 crore and the remaining Rs 60 crore funded by the CIP. The UP government has provided 10 hectares of land for it.
It will cater not only to farmers in India’s potato belt states, like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal, but also to South Asian countries.

Objective of CSARC:

To increase food and nutrition security, farmers income, and job creation by improving potato and sweet potato productivity, post-harvest management and value-addition.

Functions of CSARC:

To develop climate-resilient, disease-free, and processing-suitable potato & sweet potato varieties.
It will bring global science expertise, an extensive global innovation network and global genetic resources.

Significance of CSARC:

Boost Productivity:
- Though India is the second largest potato producer in the world, followed by China, its average yield is 25 tonnes per hectare, about half of its potential of over 50 tonnes per hectare.
- India’s sweet potato yield is just 11.5 tonnes per hectare, which is much less than the potential of 30 tonnes per hectare.
- A major reason for these low numbers is a lack of availability of high-quality seeds. With the establishment of the CSARC, India will have access to the largest global collection of germplasm (the cells or tissues from which a new organism can be generated) available with the CIP.

Boost Domestic Seed Production: Establishment of this center will boost domestic potato seed production, thereby reducing India’s dependence on seed imports from neighbouring countries.
Increase in Export Potential: It will also help increase the potential for exporting the potato and sweet potato products from India to international markets.
Aid Food Processing: It will aid local food processing industries in increasing investments in processing and value addition.

The proposed CSARC will be the second major international agricultural research institution to set up operations in India. In 2017, the Agriculture Ministry supported the establishment of a regional centre of the Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). The IRRI-SARC is established in Varanasi.

QR Codes on roads built under PM Gram Sadak Yojana

Context: The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) has directed all states and UTs to install QR codes on maintenance display boards of roads built under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).

Relevance of the Topic : Prelims: Key facts about PMGSY, QR Code Initiative.Mains: E-governance initiatives

QR Code Initiative

All states and UTs are required to install QR codes on maintenance display boards of roads built under the PMGSY.
Aim: To get public feedback about the quality and maintenance of roads using QR codes.
Each road will have a QR code on a maintenance information board. Anyone can scan the code using a smartphone to view road details, submit feedback and photographs about poor maintenance or road damage.
Integrated with the existing e-MARG system (used for routine maintenance monitoring).
Photos submitted by citizens will be reviewed by engineers and will be analysed using AI/ML tools to assign Performance Evaluation (PE) marks.
Trials were carried out in various states, including a pilot project in Himachal Pradesh. After this, the new facility was made fully functional.
Substandard work under the scheme has been previously flagged through existing mechanisms. The QR Code Initiative provides a mechanism for citizens’ feedback.

Prime Minister Gram Sadak Yojana

Launched: December 25, 2000 (PHASE - I)
Aim: To improve rural infrastructure through road construction.
Phases:
- The second phase was launched in 2013.
- Another component, called the Road Connectivity Project for Left Wing Extremism Affected Areas (RCPLWEA), was launched in 2016 for the construction of rural roads in LWE-affected areas.
- The third phase was launched in 2019.
- The fourth phase was approved in 2024 to provide all-weather road connectivity to 25,000 unconnected habitations of population size 500+ in plains, 250+ in northeastern and hill states/UTs, special category areas (Tribal Schedule V, Aspirational Districts/Blocks, Desert areas) and 100+ in LWE-affected areas.
Funding Mechanism: Starting as a totally Centrally Sponsored Scheme, the funding pattern was modified to 60:40 between the Centre and states (except for northeastern and Himalayan states).
Implementing Agency: National Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (NRIDA), under MoRD.
Since the scheme was launched, a total road length of 8,36,850 km has been sanctioned, of which 7,81,209 km has been completed.
Under the PMGSY, all roads after the completion of construction are maintained by the contractor for five years. This is done using a mobile-cum-web-based e-MARG (electronic Maintenance of Rural Roads) system. It is an e-governance solution for managing and monitoring rural road maintenance.
As a whole, maintenance comes under the ambit of state governments, with rural roads being a state subject.

Tribal Welfare Outreach Campaign Launched Across 500+ Districts in India

Context: Recently, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs launched the Tribal Welfare Outreach Campaign to implement tribal welfare schemes across over 500 districts in India.

Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: About outreach campaign for the implementation of its welfare schemes, PM JANMAN, Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan.

Tribal Welfare Outreach Campaign:

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has rolled out a large-scale outreach campaign for the implementation of its welfare schemes in over 500 districts of the country, aiming to cover 1 lakh tribal dominated villages and habitations.
The outreach is a part of the Centre’s ongoing year-long celebration of the Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh. The Centre began this celebration on November 15, 2024, the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda.
Objective: The campaign is centered around ‘benefit saturation’ camps aimed at last mile doorstep delivery of two key flagship schemes:
- Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN)
- Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan.

Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN):

Launched in 2023
Objective: Address socio-economic challenges faced by Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)
Focus: Basic facilities and welfare services to PVTGs, including- housing, water, sanitation, education, health, connectivity, and livelihood opportunities.
Delivery Mechanism: Localised camps offering documentation, health cards, financial inclusion, and welfare enrolment.

Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan:

Launched in 2024. Named after Birsa Munda, revered tribal freedom fighter also known as Dharti Aaba (Father of the Earth)
Objective: Comprehensive development of tribal areas and communities by addressing critical gaps in infrastructure, healthcare, education, and livelihoods.
Enabling infrastructure and enhancing socio-economic conditions in selected tribal-majority villages (with a population of 500 or more, and at least 50% tribal residents as well as villages in Aspirational Districts with a tribal population of 50 or more).
17 Ministries of the Government of India will unite for the welfare of tribal communities through 25 focus interventions. Each line ministry has been allocated budget and targets under the scheme. Construction of hostels, rural electrification, building of homes under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, livestock support and fisheries support etc.
Nodal Agency: Ministry of Tribal Affairs
The Mission will span a period of 5 years, from 2024-25 to 2028-29.

The outreach campaign will run for a fortnight. Among its focal points are providing basic documentation to tribal communities in the form of Aadhaar cards, Ayushman Bharat cards through enrolment, grant of titles under the Forest Rights Act, and opening of pension accounts as well as Jan Dhan accounts.

DIGIPIN: India's new Digital Address System

Context: The Department of Posts has unveiled a novel digital addressing system called DIGIPIN. This new system is set to revolutionise how locations are identified across the country.

Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key facts about DigiPIN.

About DIGIPIN

DIGIPIN stands for Digital Postal Index Number.
It is a unique 10-digit alphanumeric code that precisely indicates the location of a property, contrasting to the existing six-digit PIN code system that covers larger areas.
Aim: To enhance service delivery, particularly in remote and underserved areas, by providing accurate geographic coordinates essential for various services.
Developed in collaboration with: IIT Hyderabad and the National Remote Sensing Centre, ISRO.
It is part of a broader push under the National Geospatial Policy 2022 to enable digital-first governance, accurate last-mile delivery, and efficient emergency response systems.

Key Features:

Each unique Digipin corresponds to a 4x4 square metre grid on the Indian landmass, based on its exact latitude and longitude coordinates.
It is a geospatial reference system which is geo-coded and grid-based. DIGIPIN is directly tied to the precise geographic coordinates of a location on a map.

Key Benefits:

Precision: Exact location identification within a 4-metre square.
Open-source and privacy-centric: Encodes only location, with no personal data stored.
Nationwide coverage: Applies to urban, rural, remote, and even maritime areas.
Streamline services such as last-mile delivery for e-commerce. Aid police, ambulance, and fire services in improving their emergency response times owing to geographical accuracy.

How is it different from the traditional postal address or pin code?

While a regular postal address depends on locality, street, and house numbers, DIGIPIN points to the exact coordinates of a location using the 10-character alphanumeric code.
DIGIPIN will not replace the existing PIN code system. Instead, two systems will coexist with DIGIPIN enhancing the accuracy and functionality of traditional addresses, especially in use cases that demand high spatial precision.

Designed to function as a foundational component of Address-as-a-Service (AaaS), Digipin can be integrated into the operations of government agencies, private organisations, and other institutions.

Govt. eases procurement norms for Research Labs

Context: The government has relaxed procurement rules for scientific institutions, allowing faster and more flexible access to high-quality research equipment.

Relevance of the Topic: Mains: Supporting R&D in India: significance of new procurement reforms.

Amid complaints from scientists on sub-standard equipment affecting their research, the Finance Ministry issued a circular allowing select institutions to buy equipment outside the GEM portal.

Key Reforms

Bypassing GEM Portal:

Existing rules required all government purchases- from laptops to furniture to be made with the cheapest vendor identified through the Government e-marketplace (GEM) portal. GEM is an initiative of the Ministry of Commerce to prioritise made-in-India equipment.
Updated rules allow Directors of select institutes and Vice-Chancellors or Chancellors of universities to procure equipment outside the GEM portal, as it was unable to meet the requirement of high quality customised equipment needed by scientists.

Autonomy in Global Tenders:

Updated rules allow the heads of scientific institutions to approve global tender enquiry up to ₹200 crore.
Earlier, departmental Secretaries were required to issue such clearances. This usually led to a pile-up of requests and concomitant procurement delays.

Increased Purchase Limits:

Updated rules have doubled the ceiling on goods that can be procured by scientific departments without quotations from ₹1 lakh to ₹2 lakh.

However, all of these concessions are strictly for scientific equipment and consumables, and meant only for: Organisations affiliated to the Ministry of Science and Technology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Department of Atomic Energy and Space, Indian Council of Medical Research, Indian Council for Agricultural Research and educational institutions conducting postgraduate research under various Ministries.

Significance of easing the rules for procurement:

The reforms are being hailed as a landmark decision as reforms would:

Enhance autonomy and flexibility for research institutions empowering them to innovate faster.
Speeds up procurement for time-sensitive research.
Ensures quality by allowing global sourcing.
Reduces bureaucratic delays and red tape.

Centre notifies guidelines to boost Electric Car Manufacturing in India

Context: The Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) has notified the Scheme to Promote Manufacturing of Electric Passenger Cars in India (SPMEPCI).

Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key facts related to SPMEPCI & associated guidelines.

Scheme to Promote Manufacturing of Electric Passenger Cars in India

The scheme aims to:

Boost domestic EV manufacturing by significantly reducing import duties for foreign manufacturers that commit to investing in local production.
Attract global investments in electric vehicles (EV) and position India as a global automotive manufacturing hub.

Key Features of SPMEPCI:

Approved companies will be allowed to import up to 8,000 Completely Built Units (CBUs) of electric four-wheelers (e-4W) annually at a reduced customs duty of 15% (subject to a minimum CIF value of USD 35,000 per unit) for a period of five years.
To qualify for these benefits:
- Applicants must commit to a minimum investment of Rs 4,150 crore within 3 years of receiving approval. They must establish manufacturing facilities and commence production within this period.
- They must achieve minimum domestic value addition (DVA) of 25% within 3 years, and minimum DVA of 50% within 5 years from the date of issuance of approval letter.
- They should have global revenues of ₹10,000 crore at the time of application to qualify and receive benefits.
Total duty foregone will be limited to either Rs 6,484 crore or the actual investment made by the applicant, whichever is lower.

Foreign companies can invest in existing EV manufacturing setups in India (brownfield investments), instead of only setting up entirely new factories earlier (greenfield investments).

Significance of SPMEPCI guidelines:

Boosts Domestic Manufacturing: Attracts global EV companies to set up factories in India, strengthening the Make in India and Atma Nirbhar Bharat initiatives.
Encourages EV Adoption: Makes electric vehicles more affordable to Indian consumers through reduced import duties.
Promotes Investment & Technology Transfer: Ensures large-scale investments, local job creation, and introduction of advanced EV technologies.

The scheme aligns with India’s climate goals, including its commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070. It will also foster environmental sustainability through strategic policy interventions in the EV ecosystem.

Crackdown on Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Cardholders

Context: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has cancelled the registration of 194 Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) since 2014, 57 in 2024, under the Section 7D of the Citizenship Act 1955.

Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key facts about Overseas Citizen of India (OCI).

Who is an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI)?

OCI is an immigration status authorising a foreign citizen of Indian origin to live and work in India for an indefinite period.
OCI card was launched by the Government of India to meet the demands of the Indians residing overseas who insisted on dual citizenship.

Eligibility Criteria:

OCI is a Foreign National:
- Who was a citizen of India at the time of, or at any time after 26th January 1950
- Who was eligible to become a citizen of India on 26th January, 1950
- Who belonged to a territory that became part of India after 15th August 1947
- Who is a child or a grandchild or a great grandchild of such a citizen
- Who is a minor child of such persons mentioned above
- Who is a minor child and whose both parents are citizens of India or one of the parents is a citizen of India - is eligible for registration as OCI cardholder.
Spouse of foreign origin of a citizen of India or spouse of foreign origin of an OCI cardholder and whose marriage has been registered for a continuous period of not less than 2 years immediately preceding the application.
However, no person, who or either of whose parents or grandparents or great grandparents is or had been a citizen of Pakistan, Bangladesh or other country as notified by the Central Government shall be eligible for registration as an OCI.
Foreign nationals cannot apply for OCI in India while on Tourist Visa, Missionary Visa and Mountaineering Visa. Moreover, the foreigner must be ordinarily resident of India to be eligible to apply for OCI registration in India.

Benefits to OCI cardholders

Allows them to visit India without having to apply for a visa and stay indefinitely.
Exempt from having to register with the local police for the duration of their stay.
Parity with Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) in economic, financial, and educational fields, except in matters relating to the acquisition of agricultural or plantation properties.
Equality for the NRIs for intercountry adoption.

OCIs can travel freely within India and work in the country, however they cannot vote or own agricultural land.

When can the OCI card be cancelled?

Under Section 7D of the Citizenship Act 1955, the Union government can issue notice to an OCI holder and cancel their registration:

If the OCI cardholder gets registration using fraud, false representation, or the concealment of any material fact.
If the OCI (within five years after their registration as an OCI cardholder) is sentenced to imprisonment for a term of not less than 2 years.
If the OCI has shown disaffection towards the Indian Constitution.
If the OCI has engaged, associated, unlawfully traded, or communicated with an enemy nation with which India is at war, or has undertaken any business or commercial activity to assist an enemy in that war.

Additionally, If the government feels that it is necessary to revoke an OCI cardholder’s registration in the interest of the sovereignty, integrity and security of India, friendly relations of India with any foreign country, or in the interests of the general public, the government can cancel the concerned OCI card.

Also Read: India’s Diaspora: Significance and Challenges

Right to Repair Movement in India

Context: Recently, the Department of Consumer Affairs announced that a report for a “Framework on Repairability Index (RI) in Mobile and Electronic Sector” had been submitted to the government.

Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key facts about Right to Repair Movement in India; Repairability Index.

Framework on Repairability Index (RI) in Mobile and Electronic Sector

Under the Repairability Index, consumer electronics and electronic appliances would be assigned a score depending on how easy they are to repair.
This will be done by evaluating products under criteria- availability of spare parts, cost of repair, software updates, and availability of information.

Right to Repair Movement in India:

Right to Repair refers to the right of end users to repair devices they own or service without any manufacturer or technical restrictions. It will give consumers a chance to repair their products at an optimal cost instead of buying new products altogether.
The Union government had set up the Nidhi Khare Committee in 2022 to develop a comprehensive framework on the Right to Repair. The sectors identified include Farming Equipment, Mobile Phones/ Tablets, Consumer Durables and Automobiles/Automobile Equipment.
India's Department of Consumer Affairs launched the Right to Repair Portal in December 2022. In the Portal, the companies will provide information on self-repair manuals, authorised & third-party repairers for companies and products.

Significance:

Prolonging the life of an appliance ties into other priorities, like-

Promoting e-waste recycling (circular economy- where parts and metals go back into a value chain, a long-held but inadequately achieved aim)
Regulating the demand for “virgin” metals that have been freshly mined. India is a net importer of metals, and has an increasing pressure to maintain existing electronic products.
End-consumer benefit of having longer-lasting products, or at least products that can be repaired cheaply and quickly.
Serve as a catalyst for employment generation by allowing third-party repairs.

Also Read: Electronics Repair Services Outsourcing Pilot Initiative (ERSO)

The aim of developing a framework on Right to Repair in India is to empower consumers, harmonise trade between the original equipment manufacturers and the third-party buyers and sellers and emphasise on sustainable consumption of products and reduction in e-waste.

What is the concept of Safe Harbour?

Context: The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is reconsidering the concept of safe harbour for social media platforms to combat the issue of “fake news” online.

Relevance of the topic:

Prelims: Concept of Safe Harbour clause.

Mains: Issues related to protecting freedom of speech in digital media.

What is Safe Harbour?

Safe harbour is a legal concept that protects individual websites that allow third party users to share content from legal liability for any unlawful posts. The safe harbour protects the sites from any criminal action for third party content hosted by them.
The Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, 2000 grants intermediaries safe harbour in India. However, the protections are given with some conditions.
- If an intermediary receives “actual knowledge” of illegal content on their website, and they do not take the content down within a certain time period, they would lose the liability protections under Section 79.
- As per the Supreme Court of India, the “actual knowledge” means a court order or government notification.

Significance of Safe Harbour clause:

It aims to encourage innovation online and prevent website owners from being unfairly hounded for content they had no hand in publishing.
Without safe harbour protections, online intermediaries could face tremendous consequences for illegal content. E.g., In 2004, the then head of the website eBay in India was arrested because of a user listing of a disk containing child sex abuse material for sale.

How are intermediary liability protections regulated in India?

While safe harbour does have the conditions described above, the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 puts in place additional conditions for platforms to retain protection from intermediary liability. These include:
- Social media firms need to have a nodal officer, a grievance officer resident in India.
- The firms need to periodically submit reports of complaints they receive on content, and action taken against them for this.
Different parts of the IT Rules have been challenged in courts in the last few years.
- E.g., the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2023 contained provisions that would strip safe harbour from sites for content that has been notified as “fake news” by the Press Information Bureau’s Fact Check Unit.
- That amendment was immediately challenged in the Bombay High Court. Petitioners accused the government of exceeding its authority by designating a Fact Check Unit that could be an arbiter of truth, and putting pressure on social media companies to take content down without following the longer process of sending a notice to users whose content is being removed.
- In 2024, the Bombay High Court struck down the amended Information Technology (IT) Rules, by calling the amendment “unconstitutional”.

Also Read: Bombay HC strikes down Centre’s Fact Check Unit

Why is the government considering amending the Safe Harbour clause?

The government has accused foreign social media platforms (E.g., X) of flouting Indian laws and acting too slowly on takedown notices. Hence, the government aims to amend safe harbour in order to make platforms more proactive in governing their sites, not just for misinformation, but also for AI-generated deepfakes, cyberfrauds etc.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology is in the process of drafting a Digital India Act (DIA) that would incorporate these changes. However, the outlines of how safe harbour would change under this proposed law have not yet been revealed.