GS Analyst
Daily Current Affairs

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture has suggested fast-tracking the creation of a National Tourism Council on the lines of the GST council to directly make recommendations to the Central and State governments on various issues of the tourism sector and its stakeholders.

Key points of recommendation:

• Inclusion in concurrent list:  Inclusion of tourism in the concurrent list to help in simplifying the issues of the pandemic-hit Indian tourism sector since tourism is a multi-sectoral activity.
• Unsatisfactory progress: The committee expressed concern that in projects sanctioned five years ago or before 2017-18, like the ‘Development at Hazratbal’ in Jammu and Kashmir and ‘Infrastructure Development at Puri, Shree Jagannath Dham – Ramachandi- Prachi River front at Deuli under Mega Circuit’ in Odisha, the progress rates achieved have been less than expected.
• Need to do more: Merely drafting a National Tourism Policy is not enough for the development of the tourism sector in the country.
• Creation of Tourism Council: Hence, there is a need for a Tourism council to monitor the growth, fund allocation and related delays in projects for Tourism in various states.

About National Tourism Policy:

• A National Tourism Policy (NTP) was formulated in 2002. However, due to some development, a new draft National Tourism Policy has been formulated and the same is yet to be approved.
• Some of the salient features of the new drafted National Tourism Policy include:
• Focus of the Policy on employment generation and community participation in tourism development.
• Stress on development of tourism in a sustainable and responsible manner.
• All-encompassing Policy involving linkages with various Ministries, Departments, States/Union Territories and Stakeholders.
• The Policy enshrines the vision of developing and positioning India as a “MUST EXPERIENCE” and “MUST RE-VISIT” Destination for global travellers, whilst encouraging Indians to explore their own country.
• Development and promotion of varied tourism products including the rich Culture and Heritage of the country, as well as niche products such as Medical &Wellness, Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE), Adventure, Wildlife, etc.
• Development of core infrastructure (airways, railways, roadways, waterways, etc.) as well as Tourism Infrastructure.
• Developing quality human resources in the tourism and hospitality sectors across the spectrum of vocational to professional skills development and opportunity creation.
• Creating an enabling environment for investment in tourism and tourism-related infrastructure.
• Emphasis on technology enabled development in tourism.
• Focus on domestic tourism as a major driver of tourism growth.
• Focus on promotions in established source markets and potential markets, which are contributing significantly to global tourist traffic, with targeted and country specific campaigns.
• Emphasis on Tourism as the fulcrum of multi-sectoral activities and dovetailing of activities of the Ministry with important/flagship schemes of the Government of India.

How is Tourism important for nation’s economy?

• Generating Income and Employment
• Source of Foreign Exchange Earnings
• Preservation of National Heritage and Environment
• Tourism tends to encourage the development of multiple-use infrastructure
• Tourism helps promote peace and stability by providing jobs, generating income, diversifying the economy, protecting the environment, and promoting cross-cultural awareness

What are the challenges in tourism Industry of India?

• Lack of Proper Infrastructure
• Lack of access and Connectivity

• Poor condition of Amenities (water, waiting rooms and toilets, first aid, lounge, cafeteria, and parking facilities, among others)
• Lack of trained human resource
• Old traditional marketing approach
• Lack of security (Terrorist attacks or political unrest)

The Union government and the Manipur government have signed a cessation of operations agreement with the Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF), a Manipur-based Naga armed group.

Background:

• The banned group, active for a decade, has been demanding a separate State for the Zeliangrong Naga tribe.
• The armed group are the followers of Rani Gaidinliu, freedom fighter from Manipur, who was jailed by the British for 14 years.

About the peace pact:

• Signed by: The senior officers of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of Manipur and the representatives of the ZUF in the presence of Chief Minister of Manipur, N. Biren Singh.
• Points agreed:
  • Representatives of the armed group agreed to abjure violence and join the peaceful democratic process as established by the law.
  • The agreement provides for rehabilitation and resettlement of the armed cadres. A Joint Monitoring Group will be constituted to oversee enforcement of the agreed ground rules.
• Significance:
  • The agreement would be a significant boost to the peace process in Manipur.

Other armed groups of Naga-origin:

• The 2015 agreement was signed between the Centre and the Naga groups led by National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) after the latter agreed to give up its long-standing demand for sovereignty.
• There was a broad understanding on a settlement within the Indian constitutional framework, with due regard to the uniqueness of Naga history and tradition.

NSCN and its Demands:

• Creation:Maoist guerrilla leaders Isak Chisi Swu, Thuingaleng Muivah and S S Khaplang had created the NSCN in 1980 to oppose the decision of the Naga National Council (NNC) to accept the Indian Constitution — the 1975 Shillong Accord was signed by Angami Zapu Phizo-led NNC.
• After differences between the top leaders, the group split into the NSCN-IM and the NSCN-K, which have been accusing each other of undermining Naga interests
• After Phizo’s death in 1991, the NSCN-IM came to be recognised as the dominant voice of Naga assertion.
• In 1997, the NSCN-IM agreed to a ceasefire which led to the start of almost two decades of peace talks with the Indian government.
• Greater Nagalim:In the NSCN-IM’s scheme of things, “Greater Nagalim” consists of present Nagaland and all contiguous Naga-inhabited areas, which includes many districts of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, and most interestingly, a part of neighbouring Myanmar.
• While the area of Nagaland is approximately 16,500 sq km, the geographical spread of “Greater Nagalim” is sprawled over 1,20,000 sq. km, evoking apprehensions and resentment among people of Assam, Manipur and Arunachal due to threat to the territorial integrity of their states.

Issues faced by people due to insurgent group in Nagaland:

• Extortionby insurgent groups has been a way of life for people living in India’s north-eastern states, particularly in Nagaland.
• It is an open secret that all separatist outfits run their own parallel governments and collect extortion money — sometimes more than 20 per cent of the annual income — from individuals, businesses, government departments and employees.
• While non-Nagas are heavily taxed, the Nagas themselves are not spared.
• Payment of this so-called “tax” to armed Naga groups is the only way to ensure safety. 

Recently, the Election Commission (EC) has mentioned that it has decided to start delimitation of assembly and parliamentary constituencies in Assam.

• The poll panel said 2001 census figures would be used for the purpose.

Background:

• The first delimitation exercise in the Country was carried out by the President (with the help of the Election Commission) in 1950-51.
• Under the provisions of Delimitation Act, 1972, the last delimitation of constituencies in the state of Assam was done on the basis of census figures, 1971, by the then Delimitation Commission in 1976.
• The present delimitation of parliamentary constituencies within states has been done on the basis of the 2001 census, under the provisions of Delimitation Act, 2002.
• However, the Constitution of India was specifically amended (84th amendment) in 2002, not to have interstate delimitation of constituencies till 2026.

About the Delimitation:

• Boundary delimitation (or simply delimitation) is the drawing of boundaries, particularly of electoral precincts, states, counties or other municipalities.
• In the context of elections, it can be called redistribution and is used to prevent unbalance of population across districts.

The working of Delimitation Commission:

• The Delimitation commissioner Boundary commission of India is a commission established by the Government of India under the provisions of the Delimitation Commission Act.
• The main task of the commission is redrawing the boundaries of the various assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies based on a recent census.
• Composition:
  • Retired Supreme Court judge
  • Chief Election Commissioner
  • Respective State Election Commissioners
• The representation from each State is not changed during this exercise. However, the number of SC and ST seats in a state is changed in accordance with the census.
• The present delimitation of constituencies has been done on the basis of 2001 census under the provisions of Delimitation Act, 2002.
• The Commission’s orders cannot be challenged in any court of law.

Why it is important?

• The procedure is repeated every few years to guarantee that each constituency has an equal number of voters, with the underlying reasoning being that each constituency has one representative in both the Lok Sabha and the state assembly across the nation. As a result, the exercise is performed after each census.
• Other objectives:
  • To provide equal representation to equal segments of a population.
  • Fair division of geographical areas so that one political party doesn’t have an advantage over others in an election.
  • To follow the principle of “One Vote One Value”.

Constitutional Provisions:

• Article 170 of the Constitution, census figures (2001) shall be used for the purpose of readjustment of constituencies.
• Reservation of seats for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes will be provided as per Articles 330 and 332 of the Constitution.

The CAG in its ‘logistical arrangements for NRC update project in Assam’, tabled before the parliament has flagged serious irregularities.

What is the NRC exercise?

• Origin: National Register of Citizens (NRC) was first created in 1951 in Assam to identify those born in India and migrants from erstwhile East Pakistan, now Bangladesh.
• Assam Exercise: In 2013, the Supreme Court issued directions to the Centre and State to initiate an exercise in Assam to update the 1951 register.
  • The first draft was released in 2018.
  • The final list, published in 2019, included those who could establish their Indian citizenship.
• Condition: By being residents or descendants of people living in Assam before March 25, 1971.
• Excluded Persons: 19.06 lakh people out of 3.3 crore applicants were excluded due to a lack of adequate documents to prove their citizenship.
• Current Status: It has been three years since then and the process is on pause as the Registrar General of India (RGI) is yet to notify the final list.

What are the CAG’s concerns?

• Increased Cost: In the process of update-by NRC, there was a five-fold increase by March 2022. The initial deadline for completion was February 2015.
• Irregularities in fund utilization: The test check of records revealed irregularities in the utilization of funds including “excess and inadmissible payment to vendors”.
• Wage payments: CAG found that the amount of wages paid to the outsourced staff was 45.59%-64.27% less than what was approved by the NRC coordination committee.
  • It allowed the undue benefit of Rs.155.83 crores to the system integrator beyond the 10% “reasonable profit margin”.
• Absence of secure software: Secure and reliable software was required for the SC-directed exercise, but as many as 215 software utilities were added haphazardly to the core software.
  • This was done without following the due process of software development and vendor selection via tendering.
  • There might be a risk of “data tampering" in the NRC for Assam.
• Data is not error-free: CAG stated that the intended objective of preparing a valid and error-free NRC was not met despite incurring the excess expenditure.

What has the CAG recommended?

• Penal measures against Wipro Limited: The company has been found violating the provisions of the Minimum Wages Act and for paying data operators less than minimum wages.
• Action against the State Coordinator of National Registration (SCNR): for excess, irregular and inadmissible payments”.
• Fixing the accountability SCNR: The CAG also recommended fixing accountability of the SCNR as the principal employer for “not ensuring compliance with the Minimum Wage Act”.

About the Comptroller and Auditor General:

• Constitutional Body: Article 148 provides for an independent office of the CAG. It is the supreme audit institution of India.
• Other Provisions Related to CAG include:
• Articles 149-151 (Duties & Powers, Form of Accounts of the Union and the States, and Audit Reports)
• Article 279 (calculation of net proceeds, etc.)
• Not eligible for further office, either under the Government of India or of any state, after he ceases to hold his office.
• Salary and other service conditions are determined by the Parliament.
• No minister can represent the CAG in Parliament.
• The administrative expenses of the office of the CAG, including all salaries, allowances, and pensions of persons serving in that office are charged to the Consolidated Fund of India.

• India is planning a $2 billion incentive programme for the green hydrogen industry, in a bid to cut emissions and become a major export player in the field.

Key Objective:

• Reducing the production cost of green hydrogen by a fifth over the next five years.
  • The current cost in India is ?300 to ?400 per kg.
    • This will be done in part by increasing the scale of the industry.
    • The incentive for making green hydrogen is likely to be ?50 per kg for three years.

Strategic Intervention for Green Hydrogen Transition (SIGHT)

• The green hydrogen proposal is likely to be called "Strategic Intervention for Green Hydrogen Transition (SIGHT)".
• It will be split into Rs 45 billion for electrolyzer manufacturing for five years and
• The Rs 135 billion for green hydrogen and green ammonia production for three years.

How is the west approaching it?

• The United States and the European Union have already approved incentives worth billions of dollars for green hydrogen projects.

About Green Hydrogen:

• Hydrogen can be used as fuel.
• It is made by splitting water with an electrical process, electrolysis.
• If the devices that do that - electrolyzers - are powered by renewable energy, the product is called green hydrogen, a fuel-free of greenhouse emissions.

Major Indian companies Involved

• Reliance Industries, Indian Oil, NTPC, Adani Enterprises, JSW Energy, and Acme Solar have big plans for green hydrogen.
• The Adani Group has partnered with France's TotalEnergies to create a green hydrogen ecosystem.

Green-hydrogen factories in India:

• S.-based Ohmium International has commissioned India's first green-hydrogen factory in Bengaluru.
• Reliance Industries, Larsen & Toubro, Greenko, and H2e Power last year announced plans to build gigawatt-scale factories.

Focus on Green ammonia

• Projections:
• Industry to invest ?8 trillion in green hydrogen and its derivative green ammonia by 2030.
• Global demand for green hydrogen will exceed 100 million tonnes by 2030. Presently it is 75 million tonnes.

Targets:

• India aims to sell 70% of its production to countries such as South Korea, Japan, and the European Union.
• To achieve an electrolyzer manufacturing capacity of 15 gigawatts in phases by 2030. That would be almost 10 times the current global capacity.
• To make 5 million tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2030.