16.06.23 Daily [Telangana] TSPSC Current Affairs

Urbanization is inevitable as theeconomygrows. Cities are engines of economic growth and the positive ripple effects of economic growth in urban areas lead to multi-fold increase in employment andincome levels.
The national average ofurbanisationin India is 31.16% presently.
Southern Indian states are more urban. The share of urban population in Telangana in 2022, as per Telangana Socio-Economic Outlook 2022, is 46.8%. This puts Telangana among the top three urbanised states in the country along with Tamil Nadu at 48.45%, Kerala at 47.23% andMaharashtraat 45.23%.

Telangana will have more than 50% of its population urban before 2028, with Hyderabad Urban Agglomeration (HUA – the area within Outer Ring Road including Hyderabad) alone having at least 40% of the state’s population by then. This in turn implies that our GSDP will continue to grow faster than the rest of India.

Telangana already has a 20 MW plant running based on waste to energy (WTE) from the refuse derived fuel (RDF) at Jawaharnagar under PPP mode. Four new plants (including doubling the capacity at Jawaharnagar) are under construction and Telangana shall produce 101 MW from WTE by March 2025, utilizing daily waste for the next three decades for HUA – a feat no other city will have in India.

A new legislation – Telangana Municipalities Act was enacted in 2019 replacing a number of archaic Acts. The central theme of this new Act is the citizen and how municipal services serve the citizens in a time-bound transparent and user-convenient model. Among others, it brings professionalism in preparing and managing municipal budgets.
In order to bring infrastructure improvements while acknowledging urban growth, the number of ULBs were increased from 68 to 142 in 2019. To strengthen these and also the existing ones, 4,700 crore worth of infrastructure works were sanctioned.

The developed countries of the world with better social and human development standards such as Sweden, Denmark, New Zealand, The Nederland and Australia have a better social security system while the poor and developing countries such as India are still struggling to establish a developed universal social security system.

In recent time of post globalisation, it has been widely debated over State investment and public finance spending on social security and its impact on economy and role of emerging market forces but worldwide it is being understood that social security has a close link with the economic growth and the State has a major role in ensuring social security for all its citizensby adopting a universal social security policy beneficial to all.

Universal social security measures by the State are also required to build an inclusive democratic society. It ensures a sense of belonging among its citizens who feel that the society takes care of its people of all ages, classes and groups. The unwell, weak, poor, children, elderly and unemployed are always in need of special care and protection because of their vulnerability.

Our social culture and State policy should take care of all its vulnerable sections by ensuring material comfort and emotional support to live a dignified life without depending on others mercy. But in spite of constitutional mandate, our State social security policy has not been universalized to ensure social security for all people irrespective of their nature of employment.

The State has a major role in building social security infrastructure and developing social security administrative mechanisms. There are States such as Kerala which have done exemplary work in terms of benefiting the poor and vulnerable sections with State sponsored social security measures.

The States like Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and Kerla have introduced pensions for agricultural labourers and farmers. The Tamil Nadu Agriculture Labourers -Farmers Social Security and Welfare Scheme has provisions of pension, education, marriage and maternity benefits. With a large presence of informal workers and marginalized social groups, Odisha has a very poor social security measure in comparison to other States in India.

Nearly 50% of 716 districts in India are currently recording large deficiency in monsoon rainfall, while another 19% are deficient, IMD data shows.

All subdivisions ofMaharashtrahave araindeficiency of over 79-80% as monsoon evaded most parts of the state during the June 1-14 period. Regions such as Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi (30%), east UP (97%), west UP (83%), west MP (73%), east MP (88%) are also largely deficient, the data showed.

Kerala and Mahe, already covered by the monsoon, is also showing 55% rainfall deficiency so far this season. The all-India monsoon rainfall deficiency during the June 1-14 period is 53%, the data showed.

TheNational Institution Ranking Framework(NIRF) 2023, established by theMinistry of Education, recently announced its national rankings for universities.Parul Universitywas recognized for its academic excellence, pharmaceutical education, and innovation, ranking among the top universities in the country. These highly anticipated rankings evaluate universities based on their academic policies and practices. Parul University was the only private university inGujaratto rank among thetop 50for innovation achievements and was also among the top 200 universities in India. Its faculty of pharmacy ranked 53rd among all pharmacy colleges nationwide and was one of only four private institutes from Gujarat to be recognised.

The National Institution Ranking Framework (NIRF) evaluates universities based on parameters such as teaching, learning and resources, research and professional practices, graduation outcomes, outreach, and inclusivity. Parul University ranked among the top 200 universities in the country and was one of only 10 universities in Gujarat and 7 private universities in the state to make the list.

United States ambassador to India Eric Garcetti said the deep ties between the US and India are gaining strength in many key areas and south India has a key role in the partnership, a statement from the US Consul General Chennai office said.

Garcetti, who was on his first official visit to Chennai, presided over the 247th anniversary celebration of US Independence, hosted by the US Consulate General in Chennai.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that NATO should not bet on his country approving Swedens application to join the Western military alliance before a July summit because the Nordic nation has not fully addressed his security concerns. Sweden and Finland applied for membership together following Russias invasion of Ukraine last year. Finland became NATOs 31st member in April after the Turkish parliament ratified its request, but Turkey has held off approving Swedens bid.

NATO wants to bring Sweden into the fold by the time the leaders of member nations meet for a summit in Lithuanias capital on July 11-12.