ROHINGYA

According to recent statements made by the Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Rohingyas will be held in detention facilities until they are deported.

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The Delhi government has suggested moving the Rohingyas to a different area.

Position of the Ministry of Home Affairs:

• The MHA has instructed the GNCTD (Govt of National Territory Delhi) to make sure that the Rohingya illegal foreign residents stay in their current location.
• Through MEA, MHA has already raised the issue of their deportation with the relevant nation.
• According to the legislation, illegal aliens must remain in detention facility until they are deported.
• The current location has not been designated as a detention centre by the Delhi government. They have been told to start acting similarly right away.

The Supreme Court's previous stance:

The request

The arrested Rohingya refugees should be immediately released, and the Union Territory government and the Ministry of Home Affairs should be instructed to swiftly provide refugee identification cards for the Rohingyas in the informal settlements, according to a court filing.

The court's finding

• All individuals, whether they are citizens or not, are entitled to the rights granted by Articles 14 and 21.
• However, as stated in Article 19(1), the right to remain or establish oneself in any area of Indian territory is related to or concurrent with the right not to be deported (e).
• Every Indian citizen is guaranteed the right "to stay and settle in any part of the territory of India" by Article 19(1)(e) of the Constitution.

Who are Rohingya?

• The Rohingya ethnic minority, which makes up the majority of Muslims in Myanmar, is primarily concentrated in the western region of Rakhine province.
• Rather of the widely spoken Burmese language, they speak a Bengali variant.
• They are listed as one of the most persecuted minority in the world by the United Nations (UN).
• Conflict: The 1982 Myanmar nationality legislation forbids citizenship for the Rohingya people.
• Additionally, they have prevented the Rohingya from obtaining citizenship.
• After a Rohingya rebel group attacked in Rakhine state in 2017, the military of Myanmar began what it called a clearance campaign there.
• More than 700,000 Rohingya fled into Bangladesh, a neighbouring country.
• Thousands of Rohingya homes have allegedly been set on fire and mass rapes and killings have been blamed on Myanmar's security forces.
• Bangladesh: The flow of Rohingya from Myanmar increased in 2017, and refugee camps occupied the coastline near the Bangladeshi city of Cox's Bazar.
• Bangladesh recently began relocating the Rohingya refugees from the overcrowded Cox's Bazar camps to the ecologically vulnerable and flood-prone Bhasan Char Island.

India’s Refugee Policy

• India's response to refugees is conventional and flexible in light of the current socio-political landscape.
• Despite not being a party to either the 1951 Convention or the 1967 Protocol, India has ratified a number of Human Rights Treaties, including the UNHCR, and is therefore required to uphold the rights of refugees.
• There is no law in India that addresses refugees.
• The Foreigners Act of 1946 applies to both illegal immigrants and refugees, who are treated as one and the same group.
• The right to a dignified life, which includes protection from solitary confinement and other forms of abuse in detention as well as the right to housing and medical care, is guaranteed under the Indian constitution.

Implications of refugee

• The refugees have significantly strained local resources and altered the demographic makeup of the area.
• compromises in internal security.
• They require a lot of time and resources to keep their data current.
• Refugee traps result from accepting more refugees.
• The nation cannot allow the refugees to remain in their country or be sent back.

Way forward

• Infrastructure and socioeconomic development were the only long-term remedies for the predicament in Rakhine state.
• How can India improve its strategy so that it aids in preventing future conflicts in Rakhine, facilitates the refugees' safe return to Myanmar, and reduces any potential terrorism-related actions involving the Rohingya refugees?
• Delhi can take the lead in locating a long-lasting solution to the situation by playing active and effective roles in these areas.
• The government of India must make sure that no Rohingya refugee is sent back to Myanmar before it is secure to do so.
• At the same time, it will be crucial to provide basic utilities in refugee camps.
• India must rise to the challenge and prove that it is not only motivated by limited local political considerations given its previous propensity for defending refugees.

5 years of the UDAN Government Scheme

The Regional Connectivity Scheme UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik), the Ministry of Civil Aviation's flagship program, recently celebrated five successful years since the commencement of its inaugural flight in 2017.

About UDAN Scheme

• It is the Ministry of Civil Aviation's flagship Regional Connectivity Scheme (MoCA).
• By adhering to the Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik goal and providing improved aviation infrastructure and air connectivity in tier II and III cities, it seeks to satisfy the aspirations of the average person.
• The UDAN Scheme seeks to establish air transportation links between small and medium cities and major cities.
• Regional aviation connectivity in the nation has considerably improved thanks to UDAN.
• In 2014, there were 74 active airports. As a result of the UDAN program, this number has already reached 141.

UDAN developed a framework in response to the demand, which resulted in the creation of:

• Lifeline UDAN (for transportation of medical cargo during a pandemic).
• Krishi UDAN (value realization of agricultural goods, particularly in the NER and tribal districts of the Northeast).
• To investigate international connectivity from and to Guwahati and Imphal, NER will use international UDAN routes.
• The Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Public Administration in the Innovation Category for the 2020 calendar year was given to RCS-UDAN.

Objectives :

• The primary goal of the UDAN Scheme is to provide air service between small and medium cities and major cities.
• To make air travel accessible and inexpensive for everyone. The country's population will have access to inexpensive and reasonable air travel options.
• Through the expansion of job opportunities and the development of air transportation infrastructure across the country, it seeks to promote inclusive economic growth.
• Restoring existing airports and airstrips to ensure connection to the underserved sections of the nation.

Benefits of the UDAN Scheme

• The start of regular airline operations on the route will also act as a stimulant for regional trade and tourism.
• The country's level of living will rise thanks to this plan.
• Air travel will become widely available and affordable through this plan.
• Unserved areas have benefited both directly and indirectly from air connectivity in terms of their economic growth.

Challenges

Pandemic:

• Due to low demand, a staggering majority of 300 routes have been impacted.

Market-driven scheme:

• Since UDAN is a market-driven initiative, it is the responsibility of the government to make the routes significantly more profitable for airline carriers.

Low yields and high operating costs:

• The civil aviation ministry acknowledged to the parliamentary inquiry that the aviation business is a challenging ecosystem to operate in.
• Infrastructure upgrade delays, airport preparedness issues, a lack of proper right of way (including inadequate runway lengths at some RCS airports), and delays in obtaining required regulatory permits are all to blame for the implementation of UDAN's poor pace.

Lower demand:

• Low demand on the few awarded routes combined with unfavourable and unpredictable weather conditions causes irregular operations and has occasionally led to airline closures.
• The inability to find suitable aircraft, challenges with aircraft leasing, a longer lead time for delivery, tricky maintenance issues with small aircraft, and troublesome issues with importing replacement parts from outside are some other issues.

Suggestions

• Creating a competitive and profitable regional aviation ecosystem is essential to ensuring the orderly development of Indian aviation.
• The development of airports in these areas is crucial to making them operationally viable for 70- to 80-seater aircraft.
• Accessibility: The government must make sure that these airports are reachable from neighbouring catchment areas.
• Fuel tax reductions are necessary, as has long been demanded by the sector.
• Regarding routes that were cancelled or were not operationalized, the Civil Aviation Ministry announced a special round of UDAN 4.1.

Also, Read - ROHINGYA

Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme

The Union Cabinet has agreed to raise the cap on the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS).

About

• The cap has been raised from Rs. 4.5 billion to Rs. 5 billion.
• The additional funds are being set aside just for businesses in the hospitality industry and other associated industries through the scheme's expiration date of 31.03.2023.
• Due to the tremendous disruptions that the COVID-19 epidemic has produced for the hospitality industry and related businesses, there has been an upsurge.

Impact of limit enhancement:

• It will give businesses much-needed relief and aid the hospitality sector’s comeback.
• Providing additional, low-cost loans to lending institutions of up to Rs. 50,000 crore as an incentive.
• Allowing these commercial organisations to pay their operational obligations and carry on with their operations.

About Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS)

• Objective:
• To assist enterprises, notably MSMEs, in meeting their operating liabilities and resuming operations in light of the distress brought on by the COVID-19 issue. Announced as part of the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Package in 2020.
• Supplying Member Lending Institutions (MLIs) with a complete guarantee against any losses incurred by them as a result of borrowers' failure to repay the ECLGS funds.
• Operational area of the Ministry of Finance's Department of Financial Services (DFS).

Limit:

• The overall cap for ECLGS was originally set at Rs 3 lakh crore but later increased to Rs 4.5 lakh crore.
• Up to 5.8.2022, loans totaling about Rs. 3.67 lakh crore have been approved under ECLGS.

Veer Durgadas Rathore

In Jodhpur, the statue of Veer Durgadas Rathore was recently unveiled by India's defence minister.

About Veer Durgadas Rathore (1638-1718)

• He had defied Aurangzeb and was the Rathore Rajput General of the Kingdom of Marwar.
• A well-known warrior who is credited with leading the rebellion against the Mughals.
• During the Rajput War, Durgadas Rathore oversaw the Rathore army (1679–1707)
• Played a significant part in the Rajput Rebellion (1708–1710), which was one of the key causes of the Mughal Empire's downfall.
• Along with Raja Jai Singh II of Jaipur, he was chosen as the revolt's leader.
• He rebuilt a large number of temples destroyed by the Mughal army of Aurangzeb. He also gave courage to the Hindus to stand up against the oppression of Aurangzeb
• Admired as a representation of dedication, courage, honesty, and societal harmony.
• He fought against societal division-causing forces.
• The great warrior died on the banks of Shipra River at Ujjain on November 22, 1978. His canopy in red stone is still at the Chakratirtha, Ujjain, which is a pilgrimage for all freedom fighters and Rajputs.

Also, Read - 5 years of the UDAN Scheme

Mahanadi River

The Mahanadi River in Odisha is currently flooded, as predicted by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).

It is anticipated that a low-pressure region would develop over the Northern Bay of Bengal and bring severe rain to a few locations in Chhattisgarh and Odisha.

About Mahanadi River

• After the Godavari and Krishna River systems, the Mahanadi River system is the biggest river in the state of Odisha.
• The river's catchment region also includes Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra.
• Its basin is bordered to the north by the Central India hills, to the south and east by the Eastern Ghats, and to the west by the Maikala range.
• It originates from a location close to Sihawa, close to Raipur in the Chhattisgarh state, south of Amarkantak.

Major Tributaries:

• The Ong, the Tel, and the Jonk join Mahanadi from the right, whilst the Senate, Hasdeo, Mand, and Ib join it from the left.

Mahanadi River Conflict:

• In 2018, the Central Government established the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal.

Major Projects/Dams on the Mahanadi:

• The longest dam in India is the Hirakud Dam.
• Other significant projects are Ravishankar Sagar, Tandula, Hasdeo Bango, Dudhawa Reservoir, and Sondur Reservoir.

Urban Centers:

• Raipur, Durg, and Cuttack are three of the basin's major urban centres.

Industries:

• The Mahanadi basin has a favourable industrial climate thanks to its abundant mineral resources and sufficient power supply.
• Aluminium industries in Hirakud and Korba Paper Mill near Cuttack Cement Factory in Sundargarh and Iron and Steel Plant in Bhilai.
• Sugar and textile mills are two additional businesses that rely heavily on agricultural products.
• Manganese, iron and coal mining are further industrial pursuits.

About Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).

• The IMD was founded in 1875.
• The Ministry of Earth Sciences oversees this organisation.
• It is the main organisation in charge of seismology, meteorological observations, and weather forecasting.

Also, Read - Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme