The NCRB report found that traditional crimes like theft and assault decreased in 2020 due to pandemic lockdowns, but cases related to COVID-19 violations increased by 28%. Crimes against scheduled castes and tribes also increased by 9.4% and 9.3% respectively. The Forest Rights Act of 2006 grants legal ownership and use rights of forest land to traditional forest-dwelling communities. India's Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission aims to demonstrate human spaceflight capabilities on an Indian launch vehicle by 2022. The production-linked incentive scheme for the auto sector, worth Rs. 26,058 crore, aims to attract investments of Rs. 42,500 crore and create over 7.5 lakh new

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Current Affairs
NCRB report on crime
Reference News-
National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report on Crime in India was recently launched.
Key findings of the report
• The Corona virus pandemic and subsequent lockdown resulted in a drop in traditional
crimes like theft, robbery, and assault on women and children in 2020.
• There was a 28% increase in the registration of cases in 2020 in the country compared to 2019,
primarily owing to the violation of COVID-19 norms.
• An almost 21-fold jump was recorded in cases of disobedience to the order duly promulgated
by public servants.
• Crimes against Scheduled Castes showed an increase of 9.4%.
• offences against the Scheduled Tribe communities showed an increase of 9.3% over 2019
What is The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)?
• Headquarter: New Delhi
• Set-up: 1986
• Ministry: Ministry of Home Affairs
• Objective: To function as a repository of
information on crime and criminals so as to assist
the investigators in linking crime to the
perpetrators.
• It was set up based on the recommendations of
the National Police Commission (1977-1981) and
the MHA’s Task Force (1985).
The ‘Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of
Rights Act)’:
Reference News-
Individual and community right certificates were recently handed over to the beneficiaries of Gujjar-
Bakerwal and Gaddi-Sippi communities in Jammu and Kashmir under the Forest Rights Act.
• The Act is being implemented from December 1, 2020. Before 2019, many Central laws were
not implemented in Srinagar.

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About the Forest Rights Act:
The Act passed in 2006 grants legal recognition to
the rights of traditional forest dwelling
communities.
Rights under the Act:
Title rights – i.e. ownership – to land that is being
framed by tribals or forest dwellers as on 13
December 2005, subject to a maximum of 4
hectares; ownership is only for land that is actually
being cultivated by the concerned family as on that
date, meaning that no new lands are granted.
Use rights – to minor forest produce (also including
ownership), to grazing areas, to pastoralist routes,
etc.
Relief and development rights – to rehabilitation in case of illegal eviction or forced displacement; and
to basic amenities, subject to restrictions for forest protection.
Forest management rights – to protect forests and wildlife.
Eligibility criteria:
According to Section 2(c) of Forest Rights Act (FRA), to qualify as Forest Dwelling Scheduled Tribe
(FDST) and be eligible for recognition of rights under FRA, three conditions must be satisfied by the
applicant/s, who could be “members or community”:
1. Must be a Scheduled Tribe in the area where the right is claimed; and
2. Primarily resided in forest or forests land prior to 13-12-2005; and
3. Depend on the forest or forests land for bonafide livelihood needs.
And to qualify as Other Traditional Forest Dweller (OTFD) and be eligible for recognition of rights
under FRA, two conditions need to be fulfilled:
1. Primarily resided in forest or forests land for three generations (75 years) prior to 13-12-2005.
2. Depend on the forest or forests land for bonafide livelihood needs.
Process of recognition of rights:
1. The gram Sabha, or village assembly, will initially pass a resolution recommending whose rights
to which resources should be recognized.
2. This resolution is then screened and approved at the level of the sub-division (or taluka) and
subsequently at the district level.

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The screening committees consist of three government officials (Forest, Revenue and Tribal Welfare
departments) and three elected members of the local body at that level. These committees also hear
appeals.
Gaganyaan:
Reference News:
Australia will support India’s ‘Gaganyaan’ mission by tracking it through Cocos Keeling island.
Significance:
There are blind spots due to which there is a possibility of not receiving signals, sources said. The data
relay satellite tracking from Cocos Keeling Island is expected to help address the issue.
Need for:
Satellites in orbit cannot pass along their information to the ground stations on Earth if it does not
have a clear view of the ground station. A data relay satellite serves as a way to pass along the
satellite’s information.
When was it announced?
• Formal announcement of the Gaganyaan programme was made by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi during his Independence Day address on August 15, 2018.
• The initial target was to launch the human spaceflight before the 75th anniversary of India’s
independence on August 15, 2022.
Objectives:
The objective of the Gaganyaan programme is to demonstrate the capability to send humans to low
earth orbit on board an Indian launch vehicle and bring them back to earth safely.
Preparation and launch:
1. Four Indian astronaut-candidates have already undergone generic space flight training in Russia
as part of the Gaganyaan programme.
2. ISRO’s heavy-lift launcher GSLV Mk III has been identified for the mission.
Relevance of a Manned Space Mission for India:
• Boost to industries: The Indian industry will find large opportunities through participation in the
highly demanding Space missions. Gaganyaan Mission is expected to source nearly 60% of its
equipment from the Indian private sector.

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• Employment: According to the ISRO chief, the Gaganyaan mission would create 15,000 new
employment opportunities, 13,000 of them in private industry and the space organisation
would need an additional manpower of 900.
• Spurs research and development: It will thrust significant research in areas such as materials
processing, astro-biology, resources mining, planetary chemistry, planetary orbital calculus and
many other areas.
• Motivation: Human space flight will provide that inspiration to the youth and also the national
public mainstream. It would inspire the young generation into notable achievements and
enable them to play their legitimate role in challenging future activities.
• Prestige: India could potentially become the fourth country to launch a human space mission.
The Gaganyaan will not only bring about prestige to the nation but also establish India’s role as
a key player in the space industry.
PLI scheme for auto sector
Reference news-
The Union Cabinet has approved a Rs. 26,058 crore production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme to
enhance manufacture of advanced technology and green vehicles, auto parts and drones.
Key takeaways
• Benefits: It will attract Rs. 42,500 crore in fresh investment into the automobile and auto
components industry over five years
o It will help create more than 7.5 lakh jobs.
• The scheme has been devised for both existing automotive firms and new investors.
• The ‘sales value linked’ scheme includes a ‘champion OEM’ incentive applicable on battery
electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
• A ‘component champion’ incentive is for advanced automotive technology components.
What is the PLI scheme?
• The Product Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme aimS to boost domestic manufacturing under the
government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
• It was introduced in March 2020 and is expected to result in a minimum production worth more
than $500 billion in five years.
• The scheme provides incentives to companies for enhancing their domestic manufacturing
apart from focusing on reducing import bills and improving the cost competitiveness of local
goods.
• PLI scheme offers incentives on incremental sales for products manufactured in India.

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• Eligibility criteria for businesses under the PLI scheme vary based on the sector approved under
the scheme.
• Some of the sectors for which PLI scheme has been approved are:
o Electronic or technology products
o Pharmaceuticals drugs
o Telecom & networking products
o Food Products
o High-efficiency solar PV modules
Input Tax Credit (ITC)
Reference News-
Recently, The Supreme Court said that refunds of tax credit cannot be claimed for input services under
the Goods and Services Tax regime’s inverted duty structure.
• The SC has confirmed a Madras High Court judgment which upheld a fiscal formula included in
the Central Goods and Service Tax Rules to execute refund of un-utilized Input Tax Credit
(ITC) accumulated on account of input services.
What is Input Tax Credit (ITC)?
• ITC is a mechanism to avoid cascading of taxes. Cascading of taxes, in simple language, is ‘tax on
tax’.
• Input Tax Credit refers to the tax already paid by a person at time of purchase of goods or
services and which is available as deduction from tax payable .
• Input tax credit in relation to GST to a registered person means, the CGST, SGST/UTGST or IGST
charged on any supply of goods or services or both made to him.
• It includes IGST charged on imports & tax payable under reverse charge mechanism.
• When one buys a product/service from a registered dealer we pay taxes on the purchase.
• On selling, we collect the tax.
• We adjust the taxes paid at the time of purchase with the amount of output tax (tax on sales)
and balance liability of tax (tax on sales minus tax on purchase) has to be paid to the
government.
• This mechanism is called utilization of input tax credit.
• If the tax paid on inputs is higher than the tax on the output, the excess can be claimed as a
refund.
• Exceptions: A business under composition scheme cannot avail of input tax credit. ITC cannot
be claimed for personal use or for goods that are exempt.

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Daily Topic
Localising SDGs
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a global effort that has one major objective — achieving a
better future for all. To achieve these global and national targets, localisation is a crucial lever.
It correlates how local and State governments can support the accomplishments of the SDGs through
bottom-up action, and how the SDGs can provide a framework for local policy.
If India is to achieve its goals by 2030, it must build a mechanism for effectively localising the SDGs —
one that leverages and integrates the social capital that exists in women’s collectives and with the
local self-governance of the Panchayati Raj system.
Women Collectives
 By the simplest definition, a women's
collective is a group of women who meet
regularly to achieve a shared purpose. But
these groups take many forms across the
world, with women coming together for
different economic, legal, health, and
cultural reasons.
 In India’s rural areas, SHGs are an example
of women collectives.
Significance of Women Collectives
 Overcome Social Inequalities: Women collectives have successfully overcome the deep-rooted
bias of caste, patriarchy, and wealth by challenging norms and unequal social relations.
o They encourage collective efforts for combating practices like dowry, alcoholism etc.
 Paving Way For Gram Swaraj: Women collectives have created conditions for social equality and
ultimately, paving the way for Gram Swaraj.
o The women of Kudumbashree in Kerala exemplify this.
o By articulating the aspirations of the local community, the women were able to engage
elected representatives in a two-way process — complementing their efforts while also
holding them accountable.
 Gender Equity: Women collectives empower women and inculcate leadership skills among
them. Empowered women participate more actively in developmental processes, gram sabha
and elections.
o There is evidence that formation of Self-Help Groups has a multiplier effect in improving
women’s status in society as well as in the family leading to improvement in their socio-
economic condition and also enhances their self-esteem.

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 Financial Inclusion: Women collectives reach to the poorest of the poor section of society
further financial inclusion.
o The financial inclusion attained leads to reduced child mortality, improved maternal
health and the ability of the poor to combat disease through better nutrition, housing
and health – especially among women and children.
Challenges
 Challenges of Limited Resources: Undoubtedly, there are inherent challenges associated with
involving community institutions like SHGs in developing the Gram Panchayat Development
Plan, including human resources, capacities, and disaggregating department budgets.
 Lack of knowledge and proper orientation among SHG-members to take up suitable and
profitable livelihood options.
 Patriarchal Mindset: Primitive thinking and social obligations discourage women from
participating in women collectives (SHGs) thus limiting their economic avenues.
 Lack of Rural Banking Facilities: Many public sector banks and micro-finance institutions are
unwilling to provide financial services to the poor as the cost of servicing remains high.
 Sustainability and the quality of operations of the SHGs have been a matter of considerable
debate.
Way Forward
 Leverage the Strength of Women Collectives: Today, 76 million women have been mobilised
into SHGs under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission and there are 3.1 million
elected panchayat representatives.
o For localisation of SDGs to truly work, there is a need to leverage the strength of both (PRIs
& SHGs) these institutions through a partnership.
 Reinforcing the Panchayat: To truly localise the SDGs, the route ought to be taken within the
framework of the Constitution.
o Any action should not form a parallel track, but become a way of reinforcing the institutional
capacity of panchayats.
 Learning From the Experience: The five southern States — Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka,
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana — have done better than the others when it comes to poverty
reduction.
o There are five things that these States did that seem to have played a significant role in
curbing poverty.
• The participation of adolescent girls in secondary, higher secondary, and higher
education.
• The decline in fertility has a far greater correlation to the participation of adolescent
girls in secondary, higher secondary education than any healthcare and family welfare
services.

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• The formation of collectives: when women came together to form SHGs it created an
identity outside of the house.
• Since these women over time had had basic secondary level education, their collectives
or SHGs could leverage skills and diverse livelihood opportunities better than others.
• The decision that permitted lending of up to Rs. 10 Lakh without collateral for women
SHGs, has recently been raised by the RBI to ₹20 lakh.
 More Responsibility For PRIs: The 73rd
Constitution Amendment transferred 29 subjects to PRIs.
For successful localisation of development, PRIs need not only emphasise their governance role
but also focus on their developmental role.
o The entire discourse should focus on how to enable PRIs to focus on their leadership role in
achieving the SDGs.
o This would need work on many leadership traits — visioning, mobilising and seeking
partnerships, among others.
 Leveraging Social Capital: There are not many conversations about social capital being a strong
foundation for economic activity. Ultimately, localization efforts should lead to transformation
not in social relationships alone, but also the level of economic activity in villages.
Conclusion
Localising the SDGs at the rural level will not only challenge existing unequal relations but also provide
an institutional framework that is in sync with national and global priorities.
Not enough time is spent on understanding how a poor household can leverage systems or institutions
to move up faster. There’s a need to look at these small collectives as the root of more shared growth.