Why in News?

Recently, Nepal announced the printing of a new currency note with a map that shows the Indian territories of Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani.

More about the news

• Currently, India and Nepal have border disputes over Kalapani – Limpiyadhura – Lipulekh trijunction between India-Nepal and China and Susta area (West Champaran district, Bihar).
• Nepal has asserted its claim based on the Sugauli Treaty of 1816. According to the treaty all territories east of the Kali (Mahakali) river, including Limpiyadhura, Kalapani, and Lipulekh, belong to Nepal.
• India, however, has stated that the 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship between India and Nepal annulled the Sugauli Treaty.
• Kalapani is a valley that is administered by India as a part of the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand. It is situated on the Kailash Mansarovar route.
• The Kali River in the Kalapani region demarcates the border between India and Nepal. The discrepancy in locating the source of the river led to boundary disputes between India and Nepal, with each country producing maps supporting their claims.
• The change of course by the Gandak river is the main reason for disputes in the Susta area. Susta is located on the bank of Gandak river. It is called Narayani river in Nepal. 

About India-Nepal Relations

• The India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1950 forms the bedrock of the special relations that exist between India and Nepal.
• As close neighbors, India and Nepal share unique ties of friendship and cooperation characterized by an open border and deep-rooted people-to-people contacts of kinship and culture.
• Nepal occupies a crucial geostrategic location in South Asia. It is sandwiched between powerful and competing neighbours in India and China.

Convergence between India & Nepal

• Geopolitical Relations: Despite China’s infrastructure and assistance, Beijing has fallen short of Kathmandu’s expectations and the trade deficit with China has grown disproportionately.  This changing nature of Nepal-China relations have forced the former to strengthen relations with India. 
• Economic Cooperation: India is the largest trading partner of Nepal. Indian investment in Nepal, accounted for more than 30% of the total approved foreign direct investments. India provides transit for almost the entire trade of Nepal.
• Defence Cooperation: India has been assisting the Nepal Army (NA) in its modernisation. Since 1950, India and Nepal have been awarding each other’s Army Chief with the honorary rank of General.
• Water Resources Cooperation: The first water treaty formed between Nepal and India was the Mahakali River Treaty in 1996 to generate hydroelectric power. Today, both countries are cooperating in water resources management, flood management, inundation and hydropower generation.
• Energy Cooperation: India and Nepal have decided to strengthen the power transmission systems between the two countries and help each other to progress in the energy sector. The cooperation in the power sector covers the development of generation projects, power transmission, infrastructure and power trade.

Divergence between India & Nepal

• China Factor: China has greatly increased its influence in Nepal over the past decade. Nepal is part of China’s Belt and Road initiative.  The primary concern of India in Nepal is that any security problems in Nepal would have spillover effects to India’s security.
• Border dispute: the ongoing Kalapani boundary issue is one of the main challenges in the Indo-Nepal ties. A Constitution amendment Bill was passed by Nepal’s parliament to legitimize the alteration to the country’s map has become a frictional point.
• The 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship: Nepal views this treaty as a sign of an unequal relationship, and an Indian imposition.
• Porous Border: The Indo-Nepal border is practically porous and informally regulated which has been used by extremist outfits and insurgent factions from the North Eastern part of India. Pakistan has used it to coordinate terrorist activities of their outfits in India.
• Internal Politics of Nepal: Nepal’s internal politics is divisive; relations with India are a highly political issue and India is a convenient scapegoat for Nepal.
• Agnipath Scheme: The Gorkha regiments of the Indian Army were raised partly from hill districts of Nepal. This unique practice is now discontinued. The Agnipath Scheme applies to Nepali citizens belonging to the Gorkha community.

Way Forward 

• Strengthen Bilateral Relationship: Given the enormous pressure from the Nepali political elite to engage with China, India must work to resolve its continuing issues with Nepal to advance bilateral cooperation.
• Address divergences: Both countries should recognise the strategic importance of each other in the evolving global order and maintain a positive momentum despite some political challenges and divergences.
• Strengthening Economic Ties: China is making crossroads in Nepal. India should avoid undue delay in the implementation of projects in Nepal. Otherwise, it will leave space for China.

Conclusion: The real test of foreign policy is in the handling of neighbours. Thus, India should give a renewed focus to its relations with the neighbouring states. 

Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana 

Why in news?

Recently, the study found that patients incurred significant medical expenses when admitted to private hospitals under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.

More about the news

• The study was conducted in 2022 by researchers of the State Health Resource Centre in Chhattisgarh. 
• The study shows, the patients who used the scheme in Chhattisgarh show used the scheme in Chhattisgarh showed that it involved significant out-of-pocket expenditure especially in private hospitals.
• The study found that private hospitals took significant charges from patients and claimed reimbursement from the government for the same episode, leading to dual billing, a fraudulent practice.
• Among the disease categories, the study found that utilisation for maternal care and communicable diseases was concentrated in public hospitals.

About Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana

• About: The Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana scheme was launched in September, 2018 in Ranchi. 

1. PM-JAY is the world’s largest health insurance/ assurance scheme fully financed by the government.
2. A National Health Authority (NHA) has been mandated to roll out and coordinate the programme.

• Coverage: It provides a cover of Rs. 5 lakhs per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization across public and private empanelled hospitals in India.
• Hospital Admissions: PM-JAY provides cashless access to healthcare services for the beneficiary at the point of service, that is, the hospital. It covers up to 3 days of pre-hospitalization and 15 days post-hospitalization expenses such as diagnostics and medicines.
• Benefits: There is no restriction on the family size, age or gender. All pre–existing conditions are covered from day one. Benefits of the scheme are portable across the country i.e. a beneficiary can visit any empanelled public or private hospital in India to avail cashless treatment.
• Services: Services include approximately 1,929 procedures covering all the costs related to treatment, including but not limited to drugs, supplies, diagnostic services, physician’s fees, room charges, surgeon charges, OT and ICU charges etc.
• Reimbursement: Public hospitals are reimbursed for the healthcare services at par with the private hospitals.
• Funds: PM-JAY is fully funded by the Government and cost of implementation is shared between the Central and State Governments.

Problems with the Scheme

• Corruption: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on the assessment of Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) found large scale corruption associated with the scheme, for instance: insurance claims settlement, the report also found the releases of the payments to hospitals in some cases prior to submission of claims.
• Registration and Identification of Beneficiaries: One of the biggest instances of graft in the implementation of this scheme was found in registration and identification of beneficiaries. There are many cases of duplication of PMJAY IDs.
• Hospital Empanelments: there has been a report where the empanelment is done without doing enough checks and without the mandated physical inspection, respective district empanelment committees gave a go-ahead for the empanelment.
• Lack of Basic Infrastructure: There are 27,649 hospitals have been empanelled across India for providing services under this scheme. However, some of the hospitals lack basic facilities, such as medical equipment being out of order, lack of basic infrastructure such as IPD Beds, Operation Theatres, ICU care with ventilator support systems, Pharmacy, Dialysis Unit and Blood banks.
• Supply side constraint: The scheme faces a supply-side restraint owing to the irregular distribution and readiness of healthcare structure and human resources in the country.
• Lack of Trust in Public Healthcare: There is a belief that a private hospital delivers better services and so people choose to go to a private hospital even when they have a public hospital close to them.
• Lack of Awareness: The scheme faces a little awareness level amongst the probable recipients, particularly in rural areas.

Steps taken by the government

• AI based tools: The NHA has been using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) technologies to detect suspicious transactions/potential frauds.
• Anti-Fraud Units: The National Anti-Fraud Unit (NAFU) designs, implements and oversees anti-fraud initiatives. There are Anti-Fraud Units at the state level as well.
• Aadhaar-based authentication: As a first step towards checking abuse, Aadhaar-based authentication for card creation and registration for treatment has been mandated.
• Feedback from beneficiaries: The NHA’s call centre makes calls to every beneficiary who has availed treatment within 48 hrs of discharge to verify the quantity and quality of the treatment. Another call is made after 15 days to know about the prognosis.

Conclusion

• The PMJAY offers a unique opportunity to improve the health of hundreds of millions of Indians and eliminate a major source of poverty afflicting the nation.
• There are, however, substantial challenges that need to be overcome to enable these benefits to be realised by the Indian population and ensure that the scheme makes a sustainable contribution to the progress of India towards UHC.

Reservation for women in SC Bar Association

Why in news? 

Recently, the Supreme Court reserved one-third of the seats in the executive committee of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) for women.

More about the news

• In a matter concerning the Supreme Court Bar Association SCBA’) elections, the Supreme court ruled that some of the posts in the Executive Committee must be reserved for women members of the Bar.
• The Supreme Court said that in the upcoming 2024-2025 SCBA polls, the post of treasurer be reserved for women. It also said that a minimum of one-third of seats in the executive committee of the lawyers’ body would have to be reserved.

About Bar Council of India

• Bar Council of India is a statutory body established under section 4 of the Advocates Act 1961.
• In March 1953, the ‘All India Bar Committee’, headed by S. R. Das, submitted a report that proposed the creation of a bar council for each state and an all-India bar council as an apex body.
• It regulates the legal practice and legal education in India.
• Its members are elected from amongst the lawyers in India and represent the Indian bar.
• It prescribes standards of professional conduct, etiquettes and exercises disciplinary jurisdiction over the bar.
• It also sets standards for legal education and grants recognition to universities whose law degrees will qualify students to enrol themselves as advocates upon graduation.
• The Advocates Act, of 1961 provides for the establishment of an SBC for each state or a common SBC for two or more states/state/union territories. At present, there are 24 SBCs.

World Press Freedom Index (WPFI) 2024

Why in news?

Recently, India ranked 159 among 180 countries in the latest annual World Press Freedom Index. 

Key Highlights

• The report was launched at the 2024 World Press Freedom Day Global Conference being held in Santiago.
• It is an annual report released by the global media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
• The index intends to reflect the degree of freedom that journalists, news organizations, and netizens have in each country, and the efforts made by authorities to respect this freedom.
• India’s position has seen a slight improvement moving from 161 in 2023 to 159 among 180 countries in 2024.
• The report noted that the violence has increased between 2009 and 2023, with 249 attacks reported. The numbers dropped to 215 between 2014 and 2018. But it showed a stark increase with 305 attacks recorded between 2019 and 2023.
• The report shows the highest number of killings in Asia and the Pacific region.
• The study found that these attacks came from state machinery such as the police, military forces, government officials, employees and local authorities.
• The attacks from state actors spiked significantly from 111 between 2014 and 2018 to 174 attacks between 2019 and 2023.
• The nature of attacks included physical assaults, harassment, arbitrary detentions, including criminal charges pressed against reporters, imprisonment, defamation among other legal attacks.

About RSF

• RSF is an international NGO whose self-proclaimed aim is to defend and promote media freedom.
• It is headquartered in Paris, it has consultative status with the United Nations.
• The objective of the World Press Freedom Index, which it releases every year, “is to compare the level of press freedom enjoyed by journalists and media in 180 countries and territories” in the previous calendar year.
• RSF defines press freedom as “the ability of journalists as individuals and collectives to select, produce, and disseminate news in the public interest independent of political, economic, legal, and social interference and in the absence of threats to their physical and mental safety.”

Goods & Services Tax Appellate Tribunal

Why in news?

Recently, Justice (Retd.) Sanjaya Kumar Mishra took the oath as the President of the GST Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT)

More about the news

• The Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs administered the oath of integrity and secrecy to Justice Mishra as the President of the GST Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT)
• Mishra’s appointment marks the beginning of the operationalisation of the GSTAT, a crucial body for resolving GST-related disputes.

About GSTAT

• The GSTAT is the Appellate Authority established under the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017.
• It will hear various appeals under the said Act and the respective State/Union Territories GST Acts against the orders of the first appellate authority.
• It consists of a Principal Bench and various State Benches.
• As per the approval of the GST Council, the Government has notified the Principal Bench, to be located at New Delhi, and 31 State Benches at various locations across the country.
• The Tribunal will ensure swift, fair, judicious and effective resolution to GST disputes, besides significantly reducing the burden on higher courts.
• The establishment of the GSTAT would further enhance the effectiveness of the GST system in India and foster a more transparent and efficient tax environment in the country.

Eta Aquarid meteor shower

Why in news?

The Eta Aquarids meteor shower occurs annually, peaking in early May.

About Eta Aquarid meteor shower

• The Eta Aquariids are a meteor shower associated with Halley’s Comet.
• The Eta Aquariids get their name because their radiant star appears to lie in the constellation Aquarius, near one of the constellation’s brightest stars, Eta Aquarii.
• The shower is visible from April-May each year with peak activity on or around May’s first week. In general, about 30 Eta Aquarid meteors can be seen per hour during their peak.
• Eta Aquarid meteors are known for their speed, with the meteors traveling at about 148,000 mph (66 km/s) into Earth’s atmosphere.
• The Eta Aquarids are viewable in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres during the pre-dawn hours.
• Meteors come from leftover comet particles and bits from broken asteroids. When comets come around the Sun, they leave a dusty trail behind them.
• Every year Earth passes through these debris trails, which allows the bits to collide with our atmosphere where they disintegrate to create fiery and colorful streaks in the sky.