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Foreign universities can set up their campuses in India, decide their admission process, fee structure, and will also be able to repatriate funds to their parent campuses according to draft norms announced by the University Grants Commission (UGC) chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar.
While this is in step with the National Education Policy, 2020, which envisages a legislative framework to allow top global universities to operate in India, attempts made in the past, including by the UPA government, faced resistance, including from the BJP which was in the Opposition then, and the Left parties.
While the draft UGC (Setting up and Operation of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India) Regulations 2023, released after Kumar’s announcement, seeks to offer considerable freedom to foreign education players willing to explore the Indian market, it underlines that they shall not offer any such “programme of study that jeopardises the national interest of India or the standards of higher education in India.
The operation of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions shall not be contrary to the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency, or morality.
Asked if the clause is too restrictive in nature, Kumar said any aggrieved party will have the right to approach the judiciary.
A few universities based in Europe have already shown “keen interest” in setting shop in India, Kumar said, adding that courses offered by the offshore campuses of the foreign universities are likely to be diverse, such as in the fields of urban design and fashion design, and need not be restricted to traditionally popular disciplines like computer science and engineering.
The decision to allow foreign universities to repatriate funds to parent campuses is significant as this was a perennial sticking point.
Cross-border movement of funds and maintenance of Foreign Currency Accounts, mode of payments, remittance, repatriation, and sale of proceeds, if any, shall be as per the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) 1999 and its Rules.
The first indication that the Centre was adopting a liberal approach on this matter was sent out when foreign institutes willing to set up campuses in Gujarat’s GIFT city were given the go-ahead to repatriate funds. The GIFT city, however, will remain outside the purview of the UGC regulations, which are likely to be notified by the end of January 2023.
Govt & politics
PM: Water should be the subject of cooperation between states (Page no. 6)
(GS Paper 2, Polity and Governance)
Observing that the subject of water comes under the control of the states in the Constitution, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday said that it was the responsibility of all to make water a subject of collaboration, coordination, and cooperation between states.
Addressing the opening session of first All India Annual State Ministers’ Conference on Water via video message, PM Modi said, It is the states’ efforts for water conservation that will go a long way in achieving the collective goals of the country.
The Prime Minister’s remarks at the two-day conference assume significance in view of the inter-state water disputes between several states.
Ministers holding the portfolios of water resources, public health engineering department (PHED), and irrigation from all states and Union Territories are participating in the conference. The theme of the conference, being held in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh is ‘Water Vision @ 2047’.
Water Vision @ 2047’ is an important dimension of the journey of ‘Amrit Kaal’ for the next 25 years, he said. The Prime Minister also suggested the states adopt the Centre’s Namami Gange Mission as a template and start similar campaigns for the conservation of rivers.
He reiterated his vision of ‘whole of government’ and ‘whole of country’ and said that all governments should work like a system wherein there should be constant interaction and dialogue among different departments of state governments, such as those handling Water, Irrigation, Agriculture, Rural and Urban Development and Disaster Management.
Citing an example of Swachh Bharat Mission, PM Modi asked the states to involve the public in the campaigns related to water conservation.
When the public is associated with a campaign, they also get to know the seriousness of the work. Due to this, a sense of ownership also comes in the public towards any scheme or campaign.
PM Modi also highlighted the ‘Per Drop More Crop’ campaign that began under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) and informed that more than 70 lakh hectares of land in the country have been brought under micro-irrigation so far.
Building Blocks: Govt set to launch scheme tomorrow on lines of Aspirational District (Page no. 6)
(GS Paper 2, Polity and Governance)
The Centre is set to launch the Aspirational Blocks Programme (ABP), a new initiative on the lines of the Aspirational District Programme, it is learnt.
The Aspirational District Programme is aimed at improving performance of districts lagging on various development parameters,
It is learnt that the ABP, announced by Finance Minister Nirmal Sitharaman in her 2022-23 Budget speech, is likely to be launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the concluding session of the second National Conference of Chief Secretaries.
The three-day conference began on Thursday, with NITI Aayog vice-chairman Suman Bery chairing a special session on ‘Vikasit Bharat — Reaching the Last Mile’.
Launch of the ABP, followed by the PM’s address, is learnt to be the last item on the conference’s agenda. NITI Aayog CEO Parmeswaran Iyer is expected to give an introduction of the proposed blocks programme.
Under the ABP, 500 blocks across states have been identified. NITI Aayog, in partnership with the states, will release quarterly ranking of these blocks based on their performance on development indicators covering sectors such as health, education and nutrition, among others, it is learnt. The first such ranking is likely to be released in April this year.
While the Centre has put in place basic indicators for the rankings, states have been asked to include additional indicators based on their requirements.
According to this source, like the aspirational district programme, the private sector can also contribute to the development of these blocks.
The 500 blocks have been identified on the basis of the recommendations of a four-member committee constituted by the government last year.
In her Budget speech last year, Sitharaman had announced the government’s intention to launch the ABP. “Our vision to improve the quality of life of citizens in the most backward districts of the country through the Aspirational Districts Programme has been translated into reality in a short span of time.
Explained
Interest rate hike for small savings schemes: Implications, concerns (Page no. 9)
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
Amid rising yields on government securities, the Finance Ministry last week hiked the interest rates for some small savings schemes by 20-110 basis points for the January-March quarter.
While the hike will serve as protection against high inflation and interest rates, the small savings rates are still below desired levels.
This is the second consecutive quarter when the rates for small savings schemes have not been hiked across the board. While interest rates have been kept unchanged for a 5-year recurring deposit, the public provident fund scheme and the Sukanya Samriddhi scheme, rates for 1-year, 2-year, 3-year and 5-year time deposits and the senior citizens savings scheme have been hiked for January-March.
In October-December, the Finance Ministry had hiked interest rates on some of the small savings schemes by 10-30 basis points, after keeping them unchanged for nine consecutive quarters.
Interest rates were marginally hiked for 2-year and 3-year time deposits, the senior citizens scheme and the Kisan Vikas Patra.
Coming amid a higher inflation rate and a rising interest rate cycle, the hike in small savings rate is seen as necessary to protect savers, especially senior citizens.
The view within the ministry is to balance the interests of senior citizens and persons saving in instruments without tax benefits, along with keeping the interest rate for small savings in check, as it essentially translates into a higher interest cost for the government when it borrows against the National Small Saving Fund.
Interest rates on small saving schemes are reset quarterly, in line with the movement in benchmark government bonds of similar maturity.
Typically, the small saving rates are linked to yields on benchmark government bonds, but despite the movement in G-sec yields, the interest rate changes have not strictly matched the yield movements over the past two years.
The reference period for small savings rates for the January-March quarter is September-November, when the yield for five-year government securities rose about 15 basis points.
Aldermen (Page no. 9)
(Miscellaneous)
The 10 nominees, all BJP members, are expected to play a crucial role in determining who controls the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).
In the recent municipal corporation elections, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) beat the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by a slender margin, and mayor elections are due on Friday (January 6).
Although they do not have the right to vote in the mayor polls, aldermen hold significant power and play an important role in the elections of Standing Committees, MCD in-house and ward committee meetings. They are a part of a group which effectively controls the MCD’s purse strings.
Alderman” refers to a member of a city council or municipal body, with exact responsibilities depending on the location of its usage. It is derived from Old English.
Etymologically, the word comes from the combination Old English words for “old” (Anglian, ald or West Saxon, eald) and “man” (monn in Mercian/Anglian or mann in West Saxon).
“Ald/eald” referred to “antique, of ancient origin, belonging to antiquity, primeval; long in existence or use; near the end of the normal span of life; elder, mature, experienced,” according to the Online Etymology Dictionary The term “ald” itself is derived from “al” meaning “to grow, nourish.”
The term for man has a more contested origin, with similar root words found in languages from Sanskrit (manuh) to Russian (muzh).
Aldormonn” (Mercian) or “ealdormann” (West Saxon) originally referred to elders of a clan or tribe, though soon it became a term for king’s viceroys, regardless of age. Soon, it denoted a more specific title – “chief magistrate of a county,” having both civic and military duties.
As time passed, it became particularly associated with guilds with chiefs/leaders being referred to as aldormonn. In the 12th century CE, as guilds became increasingly associated with municipal governments, the term came to be used for officers of municipal bodies. This is the sense in which it is used till date.
Editorial page
Catching the bus (Page no. 10)
(GS Paper 3, Environment)
As countries work on reducing their dependence on fossil fuels due to climate change considerations, a race is currently on to secure the energy sources of the future — that are as cheap, reliable, accessible and easy to handle as coal, petrol or natural gas, but that are also clean.
Solar and wind energy have almost been tamed, but their intermittency and seasonality continue to be a challenge. Nuclear energy has been in use for several decades now, but its cost remains a constraint.
And even though electric vehicles are fast gaining in popularity, the convenience of petrol or diesel is still missing. The government approval to the National Green Hydrogen Mission on Wednesday, a keenly-awaited decision, therefore, hasn’t come a day too soon.
The nearly Rs 20,000 crore mission is aimed at building domestic capabilities in developing technologies to produce hydrogen, an element that is readily available in nature but never alone, because of which it requires segregation.
Green hydrogen, produced through a clean process, is rightly seen as the most dependable source of energy of the future. It can be used to generate electricity or as fuel in industries or vehicles.
Even though the technology to produce hydrogen in an emission-free manner is not yet mature or cost-effective, it features prominently in several countries’ strategies to achieve net-zero emission status by the middle of this century.
Efforts to harness the energy of hydrogen in a clean and affordable manner have been stepped up significantly in the last few years. In many ways, green hydrogen is where solar energy was 10-12 years ago.
The technology to harness the energy was available, but wasn’t economical. Then, dramatically, in a period of less than five years, a combination of technology improvement and massive demand in countries like China saw the prices of solar photovoltaic cells come down by 80-90 per cent, suddenly making solar energy an extremely attractive proposition.
India joined the solar revolution a little late, after the prices had come down. And while India is now one of the biggest players in solar energy, most of the raw materials and components are imported.
Being a better host (Page no. 10)
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
As the world moves on, the service sector — travel and tourism business included — is emerging as a major growth engine for the Indian economy.
People are once again flying in great numbers, airports are crowded, hotels are well booked, and travellers want to explore, connect and feel alive through the exhilarating emotion of travel. Despite several difficulties and challenging infrastructure and connectivity, the industry has fared extremely well.
As India takes on the G20 presidency and starts preparing for the summit in 2023, positioning the country as a safe, tourist-friendly destination hinges on how the government can work together with the industry and provide world-class experiences to visiting dignitaries.
Around 300 plus meetings are expected to take place during the summit, most of which will be hosted within the corridors of the finest hotels across the country.
Hospitality companies are leaving no stone unturned to showcase India’s cultural essence, and the inherent warmth of Atithi Devo Bhava in our service philosophy.
Using the summit to highlight the country’s unique and differentiated travel offerings, India can claim its position on the world tourism stage.
Tourism is seen as a major driving force for any economy. It has a multiplier effect on associated industries like hospitality. The spillover of earnings from tourism into other industries not only improves economic conditions but also enhances the standards of living of the local population.
This is most apparent at the popular beach destination of Goa. Contributing over 16 per cent to the GDP and 35 per cent to direct employment within the state as per the IBEF Report 2022, the domino effect of the sector on indirect job creation is unrivalled. Moreover, what is often unseen are the tertiary tangible and intangible impacts on livelihoods — for instance, the maintenance of Fort Aguada and beaches in the vicinity and the preservation of cultural heritage and the local way of life at the many homestays across Goa. Today, led by tourism, Goa leads the nation in per capita NSDP (Net State Domestic Product) as per the RBI.
Ideas page
Let’s plan path to net zero (Page no. 11)
(GS Paper 3, Environment)
India’s per capita emissions are relatively low (1.8 tons of CO2e per person), but we are still the world’s third-largest single emitter. India has pledged to get to net zero by 2070.
This goal can only be met with urgent actions in this decade, potentially accelerated through India’s recently-assumed G20 presidency.
And reaching net-zero could benefit India through lower-cost energy, greater energy security and the growth of futuristic industries.
This will not be easy. On its current trajectory, India’s emissions are set to grow from 2.9 GtCO2e a year to 11.8 GtCO2e in 2070. Nor will it come without cost.
According to a recent McKinsey report, effective decarbonisation, down to 1.9 GtCO2e by 2070, would require India to spend a total of $7.2 trillion on green initiatives by 2050. This “line of sight” (LoS) scenario is based on announced policies and expected technology adoption.
Deeper decarbonisation — an “accelerated scenario” that would reduce emissions to just 0.4 GtCO2e by 2050, or close to net zero — would require $12 trillion in total green investments by 2050.
Under this scenario, India could create 287 gigatonnes (GT) of carbon space for the world, almost half of the global carbon budget, for an even chance at limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Decarbonisation will drive many changes, from how we source energy to how we manufacture materials; from how we grow food to how we move around; from how we treat waste to how we use our land.
An orderly transition to net zero could help India decarbonise while creating an engine for growth. To take just one example: If India shifted to a predominantly renewable (and hydrogen)-based energy and materials system, it could save as much as $3 trillion in foreign exchange by 2070 (largely crude oil and coking coal). While the investment is large, a vast majority of the abatement projects are in the money.
This is because India is in a special place. Three-quarters of the buildings, infrastructure, and industrial capacity of India in 2050 is yet to be built.
We have a choice — to invest in current technologies or to invest futuristically. Futuristic investment will need India to take urgent actions in this decade — on regulation, technology development, and on technology adoption — to make the right investments.