India's Aviation Safety

In the most recent International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) rankings, India has risen to 48th place from 102nd in 2018.

Important Points:

The total number of countries is:

• The rankings cover 187 countries and were completed at various points in time.
• An ICAO Coordinated Validation Mission (ICVM) was conducted from November 9 to 16 as part of its Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) Continuous Monitoring Approach.

Six areas were evaluated for Effective Implementation (EI):

• Primary Aviation Legislation and Specific Operating Regulations are referred to as LEG.
• ORG stands for Civil Aviation Organization.
• PEL stands for Personnel Licensing and Training.
• OPS stands for Aircraft Operations.
• AIR stands for aircraft airworthiness; and
• AGA stands for Aerodrome and Ground Aid.

Validated Coordinated Mission:

• The ICAO has completed the Coordinated Validated Mission four times for India, the most recent in November of this year.
• It completed the mission in December 2012, covering all areas, and the EI score increased from 79.84% to 81.32%.
• The mission was then repeated in August 2013, focusing on two areas: OPS and AIR. The score rose from 79.73% to 81.19% at the time.
• In November 2018, another mission was completed. LEG, ORG, AIG, ANS, and AGA were all covered. The EI score fell from 71.86% to 69.95% during that time period.
• AIG stands for Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation, and ANS stands for Air Navigation Services.

There are eight critical components:

• The ICAO examines these elements for the safety oversight system, which include primary aviation legislation, specific operating regulations, safety issue resolution, and surveillance obligations.

Score:

• India and Georgia are ranked 48th, each with a score of 85.49%.
• The score of neighboring Pakistan is 70.39%.
• Singapore leads the rankings with a score of 99.69%.
• The UAE is in second place with a score of 98.8%, and the Republic of Korea is in third place (98.24%).
• According to DGCA officials, France (4th; 96.42%), Iceland (5th; 95.73%), Australia (6th; 95.04%), Canada (7th; 94.95%), Brazil (8th; 94.72%), Ireland (9th; 94.6%), and Chile (10th; 93.9%) round out the top ten.

In opposition to China:

• The ranking, which puts India ahead of China (49), is the highest it has ever received.

Following the effects of COVID 19:

• After being severely harmed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the country's aviation sector is slowly resuming growth, and domestic air traffic is also returning to pre-pandemic levels.

About India's Aviation Industry:

• India has one of the world's fastest growing aviation markets.

Domestic:

• Domestic traffic accounts for 69% of total airline traffic in South Asia.

Capacity:

• By 2023, India's airport capacity is expected to handle 1 billion trips per year.

Ministry in Charge:

• The Ministry of Civil Aviation is in charge of developing national aviation policies and programs.

About AAI (Airports Authority of India):

• It is in charge of developing, upgrading, maintaining, and managing the country's civil aviation infrastructure.
• It operates and manages 137 airports in the country as of June 23, 2020.
• AAI has long-term leased eight of its airports through Public Private Partnership (PPP) for operation, management, and development.

RCS-UDAN (Regional Connectivity Scheme):

• The top 15 airports in the country handle approximately 83% of total passenger traffic.
• These airports are also nearing capacity, and the Ministry recognises the need to add more Tier-II and Tier-III cities to the aviation network.
• The Regional Connectivity Scheme was launched in 2016 to promote regional air connectivity and make air travel more affordable for the general public.
• The budget for this scheme is Rs 4,500 crore over five years from 2016-17 to 2021-22.
• As of December 16, 2021, 46% of this amount has been released. In 2022-23, the scheme has been allocated Rs 601 crore, which is 60% lower than the revised estimates for 2021-22 (Rs 994 crore).

Challenges:

Maintenance:

• The challenge now is to maintain and further improve the air safety ecosystem.

Financial Stress:

• The aviation sector came under severe financial stress during the Covid-19 pandemic. After air travel was suspended in March 2020, airline operators in India reported losses worth more than Rs 19,500 crore while airports reported losses worth more than Rs 5,120 crore.

Congestion at Airports:

• Domestic air traffic has more than doubled, from approximately 61 million passengers in 2013-14 to approximately 137 million in 2019-20.
• International passenger traffic has increased by more than 6% per year, from 47 million in 2013-14 to around 67 million in 2019-20.
• As a result, airports in India are becoming increasingly congested.
• The majority of major airports are operating at 85% to 120% of their capacity.

Availability of resources:

• The Regional Connectivity Scheme has been delayed due to a lack of available land and the construction of regional infrastructure (RCS-UDAN).
• License issues and unsustainable operation of awarded routes also contribute to the delay.

Infrastructure and capacity:

• Airspace, parking bays, and runway slots will become increasingly scarce in the coming years due to rapid expansion.

Lack of Skilled labor:

• According to a Ministry of Civil Aviation study, Indian aviation could directly support 1.0 to 1.2 million jobs by 2035.
• This means that over the next ten years, approximately 0.25 million people will need to be skilled.
• However, there is a scarcity of and gaps in the availability of industry-recognized skills.

High costs for passengers and cargo:

• Tariff determination: The government has mandated that all airports transition from a single till structure to a hybrid till structure. It raises the cost of flying for both airlines and passengers.
• Taxes on aviation turbine fuel (ATF): ATF is relatively expensive in India due to high taxes and a lack of competition among providers. It is also exempt from GST, resulting in significant regional price disparities.
• The imposition of GST on aircraft leases and spare parts raises costs for the industry.
• Profitless Growth: Rising aviation turbine fuel costs, a slowdown in capacity addition, and a decline in rupee value all contribute to a Profitless Growth scenario.

Aviation safety:

While the number of aviation safety violations in 2017 (337) was lower than in 2016 (442), the absolute number remains high.

Terrorism and security:

• With the rise of global terrorism, airports have become popular targets for terrorist organizations.
• In the absence of a draught passenger charter, adequate services to passengers cannot be guaranteed.

Rising Aviation Turbine Fuel Prices:

• The cost of aviation turbine fuel (ATF) accounts for approximately 40% of total operating costs for airlines, affecting their financial viability.
• ATF prices have been steadily rising in recent years, putting strain on airline companies' balance sheets.
• According to recent news reports, airfares are expected to rise as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine increases the cost of ATF.

Way Forward

• To alleviate traffic congestion, the government should consider privatizing some airports.

India Inequality Report 2022: Digital Divide

Oxfam India recently published the 'India Inequality Report 2022: Digital Divide.'

Highlights from the report:

Data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy's (CMIE):

• The report examines primary data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy's (CMIE) household survey, which was conducted from January 2018 to December 2021.

Internet users among Indian women:

• Indian women are 15% less likely than men to own a mobile phone and 33% less likely to use mobile internet services.
• In India, women account for only one-third of internet users.

India's global position:

• According to the study, India has the widest gender gap in Asia-Pacific, at 40.4 percent.

The urban-rural digital divide:

• The report also highlights the digital divide between rural and urban areas.
• According to the report, despite a significant (digital) growth rate of 13% in a year, only 31% of the rural population uses the Internet, compared to 67 percent of their urban counterparts.

Divided by caste:

• In rural India, ST households are the least likely to use formal financial services, followed by SC households and OBC households.
• The general and OBC populations are more likely to have access to a computer than the SC and ST populations.
• Between 2018 and 2021, the difference between the general category and ST can be as much as 7% to 8%.

Religion-wise:

• Sikhs are the most likely religious group to own a computer, followed by Christians, Hindus, and Muslims.

State information:

• According to the report, Maharashtra has the highest internet penetration, followed by Goa and Kerala, and Bihar has the lowest, followed by Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.

Access to a computer and the internet for educational purposes:

• According to the National Service Scheme [NSS (2017-18),] only about 9% of students enrolled in any course had access to a computer with internet, and 25% of enrolled students had access to the internet via any device.
• Higher levels of education and income increase the likelihood of owning a computer.

The impact of the pandemic and digital payments:

• The pandemic's digital push resulted in India having the most real-time digital transactions in 2021, with 48.6 billion.
• However, the richest 60% of Indians are four times more likely than the poorest 40% to make a digital payment.

Other indices are cited:

• According to the United Nations e-participation index (2022), India ranks 105th out of 193 countries in three important dimensions of e-government: provision of online services, telecommunication connectivity, and human capacity.

More information on the digital divide:

Meaning:

• The digital divide refers to the disparity between demographics and regions that have access to modern information and communications technology (ICT) and those that do not or have limited access.
• Telephones, televisions, personal computers, and internet access are examples of this technology.
• Even among populations with some access to technology, the digital divide can be seen in the form of lower-performance computers, slower wireless connections, lower-cost internet access such as dial-up, and limited access to subscription-based content.

Bridging the Gap:

• Those who advocate for closing the digital divide argue that it will improve digital literacy, digital skills, democracy, social mobility, economic equality, and economic growth.

The gaps that cause the division:

Online security:

• A survey found that more than half of young women have experienced online violence, such as sexual harassment, threatening messages, and having private images shared without their consent.
• The vast majority believe the situation is deteriorating.
• Women's rights activists and female journalists faced more abuse than most.

Artificial intelligence that is insufficient:

• The third threat is posed by poorly designed artificial intelligence systems, which reproduce and exacerbate discrimination.

Solutions and Way forward:

Addressing the schism:

• Addressing the digital divide requires the government to make special, urgent and focused efforts.
• Year after year, significant investments in digital infrastructure are required.
• A Broadband Infrastructure Fund with a large corpus from private, multilateral, and government sources, including spectrum auction proceeds, is required.

The formation of an entity:

• An empowered entity must be established that is accountable for quality and timeliness in designing and building digital highways, their rural branches, and ensuring their optimal utilization by sharing infrastructure.

Women's online safety:

• Social media platforms can use their "algorithm power" to address the issue of safety in a proactive manner.
• Governments must strengthen laws to hold online abusers accountable, and the public must speak up when they see abuse online.

Skills:

• Digital skills, which are now required for both survival and livelihood, must be taught on a war footing by transforming government digital literacy programs into skilling missions and expanding outreach, including through the private sector.

First E-Collectorate In Bihar

In an effort to reduce the Great Indian Red Tape, Saharsa became the first district in Bihar to be designated an electronic office (e-office).

What is an e-Office Initiative?

• A project in the Mission-Mode category of e-Governance Initiatives is called E-Office.

• The e-office idea dates back to 2009, but the enormous amounts of paper were and continue to be a barrier.
• In 2012, Idukki in Kerala and Hyderabad went paperless.
• By enhancing the workflow system and office procedure manuals, it seeks to considerably increase the operational effectiveness of Government Ministries and Departments.

What is red tape?

• It is a sarcastic phrase for overly stringent adherence to formal rules or excessive regulation that is viewed as unnecessary or bureaucratic and obstructs action or decision-making.
• Although the government is typically the target, other organisations like corporations may also be affected.
• It typically entails filling out ostensibly pointless paperwork, obtaining unnecessary permits, having many persons or committees approve a choice, and various low-level regulations that slow down and/or make it more difficult to conduct one's affairs.

What Effects Does Red Tapism Have?

Cost of Doing Business Has Increased:

• Red tape hinders productivity and creativity in firms in addition to costing time and money to complete out paperwork.
• This places a heavy burden on small enterprises in particular and deters potential entrepreneurs.

Poor leadership:

• Red tape causes inconsistent contract enforcement, slows down administrative processes, and delays in justice, especially for the poor. Many people are unable to exercise their rights because of the burden of red tape requirements because of slow government and slow distribution of assistance programmes.

Citizen Unhappiness:

• The cost of and delays brought on by government procedures continue to be sources of discontent among citizens. Most of the time, red tape makes people lose faith in the government's procedures, leaving residents with unresolved issues.

Delay in Scheme Implementation:

• Every new government initiative is met with bureaucracy, which ultimately destroys the bigger goal for which it was launched.
• Red tape difficulties include inadequate supervision, a delay in the transfer of cash, and others.

Corruption:

• A World Bank study found that the amount of red tape boosts corruption.
• Bureaucracy encourages corruption and stunts progress by making daily corporate operations more difficult.

Why is it necessary to reduce red tape?

Add Effectiveness:

• Efficiency, transparency, and accountability can all be improved with digitization.

Enhanced Worker Productivity:

• Since files are handled within a day, it has enhanced worker productivity and decreased the number of workers needed to process one file.
• According to the government system, policies are implemented more quickly the faster a file passes through the system.

Integrate accountability

• Additionally, the internet approach has increased responsibility because staff employees can no longer keep files for days on end.

A Step in the Right Direction:

• Technology is the first step toward effective leadership and a system devoid of corruption.
• Our ability to deliver services to the general population will improve as we deploy more technology.

Way Forward

• A holistic and integrated approach from government ministries is required when planning from the bottom up using separate urban-rural level socio-economic databases. This approach should include identifying, assessing, formulating, implementing, and correcting data-driven policies to meet the population's needs as soon as possible.
• All levels of government need to be transformed by e-government, but local governments should receive special attention because they are the closest to the people and their primary point of contact with the state and federal governments for many.
• Better internet connectivity should go hand in hand with improving digital infrastructure, especially in rural regions.
• For countries like India, whose citizens come from many linguistic origins, e-government through regional languages is highly beneficial.

Blackhole

Astronomers all over the world were astounded early this year by a strange and extraordinarily bright flash of light that originated halfway across the universe.

Major Findings:

• Now that the powerful beam's origin has been discovered, it is pointed directly at Earth by a supermassive black hole that is consuming a star.
• The light jet was 1,000 trillion times brighter than the sun.
• Researchers from several institutions, including one from India, worked together to track the activity caused by the black hole, which is located 8.5 billion light-years from Earth.

Regarding Black Holes:

• In a black hole, the gravitational pull is so strong that not even light can escape.
• Because the substance is compressed into such a small area, the gravity is extremely intense. When a star is dying, this may take place.

How Black Holes Develop:

• The smallest black holes, according to scientists, are those that originated at the Big Bang.
• Stellar black holes are created when the core of a massive star collapses or collapses in on itself. When this occurs, a supernova results. A supernova is a star that explodes and sends a portion of the star into space.
• Supermassive black holes are believed by scientists to have formed simultaneously with the galaxy they are in.

Visibility:

• They are invisible because no light can pass through them.
• Specialized space telescopes can aid in the discovery of black holes.
• In fact, the gases circulating about aid in producing their appearances.

Size:

Black holes can vary in size.

• The smallest black holes, according to scientists, are as small as a single atom, relatively small but possess the bulk of a big mountain.
• The mass of a "stellar" black hole, which is a different type, may be up to 20 times greater than the mass of the sun.
• Supermassive black holes are the biggest and have combined masses more than one million suns.
• Sagittarius A is the name of the supermassive black hole in the centre of the Milky Way galaxy.
• It would fit inside an extremely huge ball that could accommodate a few million Earths and has a mass equivalent to around 4 million suns.