Samarth Scheme operational till March 2024 (GS Paper 3, Economy)
Why in news?
- Samarth is a demand driven and placement-oriented umbrella skilling programme of Ministry of Textiles. The implementation period of the scheme is up to March 2024.
- The scheme was formulated under the broad skilling policy framework adopted by M/o Skill Development & Entrepreneurship.
About Samarth:
- Samarth aims to incentivize and supplement the efforts of the industry in creating jobs in the organized textile and related sectors, covering the entire value chain of textiles, excluding Spinning and Weaving.
- The training programme and course curriculum have been rationalized keeping in view the technological and market demand of the domestic and international economies.
- In addition to the entry level skilling, a special provision for upskilling/ re-skilling programme has also been operationalized under the scheme towards improving the productivity of the existing workers in Apparel & Garmenting segments.
- Samarth also caters to the upskilling/ re-skilling requirement of traditional textile sector such as handloom, handicraft, silk and jute.
Implementation:
- The scheme is implemented through Implementing Partners (IPs) comprising of Textile Industry/ Industry Associations, State government agencies and Sectoral Organizations of Ministry of Textiles like DC/ Handloom, DC/Handicrafts and Central Silk Board.
Advanced features:
- Samarth has been formulated with advanced features such as Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance System (AEBAS), Training of Trainers (ToT), CCTV recording of training programme, dedicated call centre with helpline number, mobile app, Web based Management Information System (MIS), on-line monitoring of the training process etc.
- The State, District, Training Centre-wise information/ data in dashboard available in public domain.
The major processes/procedures adopted in the implementation of scheme are:
- Training Centres proposed by the implementing partners are to be physically verified through dedicated Government agencies for ensuring adequacy of requisite infrastructure as per the protocol adopted for each course under the scheme.
- Furthermore, a total of 184 courses aligned with National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) have been adopted under the scheme across various textile segments covering traditional sector like Handloom/ Handicrafts to conventional sector like Garmenting to advanced sector like Technical Textiles.
- In addition, end to end Digital solution for ease of implementation and monitoring.
- Employment linkage is mandated in the courses under orgnaized textile sector with mandatory placement 70% in entry level & 90% for Upskilling programmes. Also, a mobile app for physical verification of the training centers with Geo- tagging /time stamped photographs.
- Besides, third party assessment trainees and QR code enabled e-certificate has been operationalized for this purpose. Additionally, all trainers are accredited through Training of Trainers (ToT) (Online & Offline mode) programme through due process.
- Wage compensation in traditional sector courses undertaken by sectoral organization of Ministry.
SC lowers criterion for appointment as president, member of consumer forums
(GS Paper 2, Judiciary)
Why in news?
- Recently, the Supreme Court used its extraordinary powers under Article 142 to attract younger talent to preside over consumer courts by reducing the mandatory professional experience from 20 to 10 years.
Details:
- The lawyers and professionals with 10 years of experience will be eligible for appointment as President and member of the state consumer commission and district forums.
- The Central government and the state governments concerned have to come with an amendment in the Consumer Protection (Qualification for appointment, method of recruitment, procedure of appointment, term of office, resignation and removal of President and Members of State Commission and District Commission) Rules, 2020 to provide for 10 years' experience to become eligible for appointment as President and member of the state commission and district forums instead of 20 years and 15 years respectively.
Judgement underArticle 142:
- A bench of Justices M R Shah and M MSundresh, in exercise of powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to do complete justice, directed that till suitable amendments are made, a person with bachelor's degree from a recognised university and having ability, integrity and standing, and special knowledge and professional experience of not less than 10 years in consumer affairs, law, public affairs, administration and economics can qualify for the posts.
- Those with similar experience in commerce, industry, finance, management, engineering, technology, public health or medicine, shall also be qualified for appointment of the President and members of the State Commission.
- They also introduced written exams and viva voce to check the candidates’ performance.
Background:
- The top court upheld an order of the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court which had set aside certain provisions of the Consumer Protection Rules, 2020 that govern appointment of President and members to State and District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions.
- The Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs and State of Maharashtra challenged the High Court's judgment before the Supreme Court.
- The apex court said the High Court was right in striking down the relevant rules.
Issues with the Consumer Protection Rules, 2020:
- As per Article 233 of the Constitution, a lawyer needs to have only 7 years of practice as an advocate in High Court. Under the circumstances to provide 20 years' experience under Rule 3(2)(b) is rightly held to be unconstitutional, arbitrary and violative of the Article 14 of the Constitution of India.
- The apex court said it was of the opinion that Rule 6(9) lacks transparency and it confers uncontrolled discretion and excessive power to the Selection Committee.
- Under Rule 6(9), the Selection Committee is empowered with the uncontrolled discretionary power to determine its procedure to recommend candidates to be appointed as President and Members of the State and District Commission. The transparency and selection criteria are absent under Rule 6(9).
- In absence of transparency in the matter of appointments of President and Members and in absence of any criteria on merits the undeserving and unqualified persons may get appointment which may frustrate the object and purpose of the Consumer Protection Act, it said.
Way Forward:
- It cannot be disputed that the commissions are empowered with the powers of court and are quasi-judicial authorities. They empowered to discharge judicial duties with the adequate powers of the court including civil and criminal.
- Therefore, the standards expected from the members of the tribunal should be as nearly as possible as applicable to the appointment of judges exercising such powers.
Forest Certification
(GS Paper 3, Environment)
Context:
- The forest certification industry offers a multi-layer audit system that seeks to authenticate the origin, legality, and sustainability of forest-based products such as timber, furniture, handicraft, paper and pulp, rubber, and many more.
- There are two major standards, FSC and PEFC. Both operate in India, but the Government is also working on its own national standards.
Why it matters?
- Large-scale destruction of forests has always been a concern for the environment, but with climate change, deforestation has become a critically sensitive issue globally in recent years.
- Forests absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide that is emitted in various economic activities, keeping a check on global warming. At the Glasgow climate meeting in 2021, more than 100 countries took a pledge to stop, and start reversing, deforestation by 2030.
- Europe and the United States have passed laws that regulate the entry and sale of forest-based products in their markets.
Sustainability & Certifications:
- Stopping deforestation does not mean forests cannot be harvested in a sustainable manner for the products. In fact, periodic harvesting of trees is necessary and healthy for forests. Trees have a life span, beyond which they die and decay.
- Also, after a certain age, the capacity of trees to absorb carbon dioxide gets saturated. Younger and fresher trees are more efficient at capturing carbon dioxide. The problem arises only when trees are felled indiscriminately, and the cutting of forests outpaces their natural regeneration.
- The approximately three-decade-old global certification industry began as a way to establish, through independent third-party audits, whether forests were being managed in a sustainable manner. Over the years, a range of certifications have come to be offered for various activities in the forestry sector.
International Standards:
- There are two major international standards for sustainable management of forests and forest-based products. One has been developed by Forest Stewardship Council (FSC); the other by Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certifications (PEFC). FSC certification is more popular and in demand, and also more expensive.
- Organisations like FSC or PEFC are only the developers and owners of standards, like, for example, the International Organisation of Standardisation (ISO) or Bureau of International Standards (BIS).
- They are not involved in the evaluation and auditing of the processes being followed by the forest managers or manufacturers or traders of forest-based products. That is the job of certification bodies authorised by FSC or PEFC.
- The certification bodies often subcontract their work to smaller organisations. PEFC does not insist on the use of its own standards.
- Two main types of certification are on offer: forest management (FM) and Chain of Custody (CoC). CoC certification is meant to guarantee the traceability of a forest product like timber throughout the supply chain from origin to market.
Forest certification in India:
- The forest certification industry has been operating in India for the last 15 years. Currently, forests in only Uttar Pradesh are certified. Forty one divisions of the UP Forest Corporation (UPFC) are PEFC-certified, meaning they are being managed according to standards endorsed by PEFC.
- These standards have been developed by the New Delhi-based nonprofit Network for Certification and Conservation of Forests (NCCF).
- Some other states too obtained certification, but subsequently dropped out. The Bhamragad forest division in Maharashtra was the first to obtain FSC certification for forest management. Later, two divisions in Madhya Pradesh and one in Tripura also obtained FSC certification. UPFC too had FSC certification earlier.However, all of these expired over time.
India-specific standards:
- India allows the export of only processed wood, not timber. In fact, the timber harvested from Indian forests is not enough to meet the domestic demand for housing, furniture, and other products.
- India’s forests contribute just about five million cubic metres of wood every year. Almost 85 per cent of the demand for wood and wood products is met by trees outside forests (ToF). About 10 per cent is imported. India’s wood import bill is Rs 50,000-60,000 crore per year.
- Since ToF are so important, new certification standards are being developed for their sustainable management. Environment Minister launched the FSC’s India standards in June 2022.
The Govt’s own standards:
- The role of private certification agencies, especially with regard to forest management certification, has come under sustained criticism from a group of influential retired forest officials.
- In response to this criticism, and also to the increasing complaints about corruption in the private certification space, the Ministry has restarted efforts to develop official national forest standards.
- The government says the “indigenous system of certifications” will be simple, transparent, and easy to adopt, even by small farmers and tree growers. The benchmarks will adhere to internationally accepted norms, but will take into account India’s national circumstances. The purpose is to make available sustainably grown and managed forest products in the domestic market.
