Month: December 2022

Categories
Governance Polity

Vibrant Village Programme (VVP)

The Union Home Minister stated that borders can only be permanently secured when border villages are populated by patriotic citizens who care about the country, and he urged border-guarding forces to use the Vibrant Village Programme (VVP) to accomplish this.

Vibrant Village Programme

  • The program’s goal is to improve infrastructure along India’s border with China.
  • Infrastructure in states such as Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Arunachal Pradesh will be improved.
  • Residential and tourist centers will be built as part of the program.
  • It will also improve road connectivity and promote the development of decentralized renewable energy sources.
  • In addition, direct access to Doordarshan and educational channels will be provided. Support for subsistence will be provided.

Key focus areas

  • It focuses on job creation, road connectivity, housing, rural infrastructure, renewable energy, television, and broadband access.
  • This goal will be achieved by improving infrastructure in villages near the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Need for such a scheme

  • The program is a response to China’s model villages, but the name was carefully chosen to avoid upsetting the neighboring country.
  • In recent years, China has established new villages along the LAC, particularly across the Arunachal Pradesh border.
  • While China has been settling new residents along the border, villages on the Indian side of the border have experienced unprecedented out-migration.
Source: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1811258
Categories
Economics

The current account deficit (CAD) has reached a nine-year high.

India’s current account balance recorded a deficit of $36.4 billion (or 4.4% of GDP) in the September quarter, up from $18.2 billion (2.2% of GDP) in the previous quarter.

Current Account Deficit (CAD)

  • A current account is an important component of a country’s balance of payments, which is the account of transactions or exchanges between entities in the country and the rest of the world.
  • This includes a country’s net trade in goods and services, net earnings from cross-border investments such as interest and dividends, and net transfer payments such as remittances and foreign aid.
  • A CAD occurs when the value of goods and services imported exceeds the value of exports, whereas the trade balance refers to the net balance of goods exported and imported.

Components of Current Account

Current Account Deficit (CAD) =  Trade Deficit + Net Income + Net Transfers

(1) Trade Deficit

  • Trade Deficit = Imports – Exports
  • When a country imports more goods and services than it exports, it is said to have a trade deficit.
  • A trade deficit is an economic measure of a country’s negative trade balance, in which imports exceed exports.
  • A trade deficit is the movement of domestic currency to foreign markets.

(2) Net Income

  • Net Income = Income earned by multinational corporations from their investments in India.
  • When foreign investment income exceeds domestic savings, the country experiences a net income deficit.
  • Foreign investment can assist a country’s economy is growth. However, if foreign investors are concerned that they will not receive a reasonable return in a reasonable amount of time, they will cut off funding.
  • Net income is measured by the following things:
  • Dividends on domestic stocks are paid to foreigners.
  • Bond interest payments.
  • Wages for foreign workers in the country.

(3) Net Transfers

  • Foreign residents use Net Transfers to send money back to their home countries. It also includes foreign government grants.
  • It includes remittances, gifts, and donations, among other things.

How does a current account transaction occur?

  • Understanding the Current Account Deficit in detail requires an understanding of what current account transactions are.
  • Current account transactions necessitate the use of foreign currency.
  • The following transactions are associated with which component:
  • Component 1: Payments related to foreign trade – import and export
  • Component 2: Interest on loans to other countries and net income from foreign investments
  • Component 3: Remittances for living expenses of parents, spouses, and children living abroad, as well as expenses associated with foreign travel, education, and medical care for parents, spouses, and children.

Reasons for the current account deficit

  • Intensifying geopolitical tensions and supply chain disruptions have caused crude oil and commodity prices to skyrocket, putting upward pressure on the import bill.
  • The rise in coal, natural gas, fertilizer, and edible oil prices has exacerbated the trade deficit.
  • However, as global demand has increased, so have merchandise exports.

Effects of a large CAD on the economy

  • A large CAD will increase demand for foreign currency, causing the home currency to depreciate.
  • Nations reduce CAD by attracting capital inflows and running capital account surpluses through increased foreign direct investment (FDI).
  • However, worsening CAD will put pressure on capital account inflows.
  • Nonetheless, if an increase in the import bill is due to imports for technological advancement, it will benefit long-term development.
Source: https://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/current-account-deficit-widens-to-nine-year-high-on-back-of-greater-trade-deficit/article66317891.ece
Categories
Economics

Following deaths of Uzbek children Indian biotech investigated

The Central Drugs Standards Control Organization (CDSCO) is looking into a Noida-based company after 18 children died in Uzbekistan after drinking health syrup contaminated with Diethylene Glycol (DEG).

The Indian government’s reaction to these deaths

  • It is unquestionably the importing country’s responsibility to test medicines before releasing them on their market.
  • Following notification of the incident, India’s apex regulatory body, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), launched an investigation and seized control samples.

India’s credibility at stake

  • India is a major exporter of pharmaceuticals.
  • PM Modi recently stressed that Indian drugs had earned the world’s trust and that India could be called the ‘pharmacy to the world’.
  • Such negative reports on the quality and safety of our medicines, on the other hand, will be a massive blow to the country’s image as a source of low-cost generic drugs for the rest of the world.

Issues highlighted by the incident

  • Smuggling of cheap drugs: Inquiry reveals that these were imported from an Indian manufacturer, not under public tender but privately.
  • Authorities’ ignorance: A drug that is prohibited for domestic consumption has been exported, resulting in fatalities. Indian authorities have made a huge blissful mistake.
  • Inadequate inspection: There aren’t enough drug inspectors in the country to conduct as many inspections as would be ideal in such a large setup.
  • Inadequacies in quality-control: Despite large production units, there are not enough laboratories to test samples in a timely manner if all samples that should be lifted for testing are picked up.
  • A stain on credibility: If the situation is not handled properly, many countries and the global South may lose trust in Indian medicines.

Possible factors causing this tragedy

  • Many countries are seeing an increase in the number of counterfeit Indian medicines.
  • Some of these were coming from unregistered producers in India, who would produce medicine based on the price paid to them without regard for quality.
  • Competitors from other countries were known in some cases to manufacture counterfeit medicines with Indian markings and dump them in markets where Indian pharmaceuticals were highly regarded.

Way Ahead

  • The pharmaceutical industry is critical, and it must be protected from predatory practices and regulatory violations.
  • Both sides’ regulatory mechanisms should be strengthened.
  • Importers should be provided with lists of reputable Indian manufacturers.
  • Drug controllers should be trained to combat the threat of counterfeit and low-quality medicines entering the country.
Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/noida-based-marion-biotech-being-investigated-following-deaths-of-uzbek-children/article66317748.ece
Categories
Polity

Remote Electronic Voting Machines for Migrant Voters

The Election Commission of India announced the development of a prototype for a Multi-Constituency Remote Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) that would allow migrant voters to vote remotely.

Electronic Ballot Box (EVM)

  • In India, electronic voting is the standard method of conducting elections with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
  • The system was developed and tested in the 1990s by the state-owned Electronics Corporation of India and Bharat Electronics.
  • They were gradually introduced in Indian elections between 1998 and 2001.

Remote EVMs?

  • Remote Electronic Voting Machines (RVM) allow multiple constituencies to be served from a single remote polling booth.
  • The plan is to use voter portability as a pilot project in the 2023 Assembly elections in nine states.
  • This means that if the pilot is successful, voter portability will be fully implemented in the 2024 general elections.

Need for RVMs

  • Ensuring Participatory Elections: One of the major issues that must be addressed in order to improve voter turnout and ensure participatory elections is the inability to vote due to internal migration.
  • Migration-based disenfranchisement: There were a variety of reasons why a voter did not choose to register in a new place of residence, thereby forfeiting the right to vote.
  • Increasing voter turnout: The voter turnout in the 2019 General Elections was 67.4%, and the ECI is concerned about the issue of over 30 crore electors failing to exercise their franchise, as well as disparities in voter turnout across states/UTs.

Importance of the move

  • A panacea for migration-induced deprivation: Out-migration due to the need for work, marriage, and education is the most common reason for rural people to leave their homes.
  • Increasing voter turnout: Internal migration accounts for approximately 85% of all migration within the United States.
  • Multiple booth targeting: A single remote polling booth can handle up to 72 different constituencies with this modified form of EVM.

Challenges for RVMs

Many political parties have already raised concerns about the inherent issues, such as-

  • The Definition of Domestic Migrants
  • Model Code of Conduct Implementation
  • Keeping voting secret
  • The ability of polling agents to identify voters
  • Remote voting procedure and method, as well as vote counting

Technical issues

  • Amendments to legacy laws: The Representation of the People’s Acts of 1950 and 1951, The Conduct of Election Rules of 1961, and The Registration of Electors Rules of 1960 are among the laws and rules that would need to be amended to implement remote voting.
  • In the context of the legal constructs of “ordinary residence” and “temporary absence,” the definition of migrant voter would also need to be reworked in terms of retaining registration at the original place.
  • The territorial constituency concept of remote voting, as well as defining remoteness as an outside constituency, outside the district, or outside the state, will need to be addressed.
  • Enumerating remote voters-self declaration, ensuring secrecy of voting at remote locations, providing polling agents at remote voting booths, and ensuring voter identification to avoid impersonation are all administrative challenges.
  • Problems with acceptance: Acceptance of EVMs has been a point of contention. This has somewhat subsided since the introduction of the paper-audit trial by voters (VVPAT).

Way ahead

  • If implemented, the initiative has the potential to lead to a social transformation for migrants and reconnect them with their roots, as many are hesitant to enroll at their place of employment.
  • Frequently changing residences and a lack of social and emotional connection to migration issues will no longer be obstacles.
Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/what-is-remote-electronic-voting-machine-and-how-will-it-help-2315402-2022-12-30
Categories
International Relations

Strengthening Relationship Between India-Saudi Arabia

The presidency, which India recently assumed for the period 1 December 2022-30 November 2023, will likely open more avenues for cooperation on multiple fronts with countries such as Saudi Arabia, a key member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and also a G20 member.

India-Saudi Arabia Bond

  • Fourth largest trading partner: India-Saudi Arabia relations have grown comprehensive and robust in recent years, with the kingdom not only becoming New Delhi’s fourth largest trading partner but also an important collaborator in the joint fight against all forms of terrorism, money laundering, and terror financing.
  • 18% of India’s energy imports: It is worth noting that bilateral trade in the fiscal year 2021-2022 stood at US$42.8 billion, and the kingdom alone accounts for 18% of India’s energy imports, reflecting the country’s importance in New Delhi’s energy and economic security calculus.
  • Collaboration on the defense corridor: At the same time, military-security and defense cooperation has gained traction, owing to a shared set of security threats and challenges, as well as the respective governments’ desire to collaborate in the defense industrial sector (within the ambit of their military modernization programs).
  • Cooperation in non-oil fields: The two countries’ ties are no longer solely focused on oil and energy trade (as has been the case in the past), but both sides have begun to explore the possibility of cooperating in areas such as renewable energy, climate change, healthcare, food security, education, technology, and so on.

Partnership in Green and clean energy

  • Collaboration with Indian firms: In November 2020, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged foreign investors to “invest on their own” or collaborate with Indian firms in the country’s green energy sector.
  • Reducing reliance on hydrocarbons: Similarly, Saudi Arabia is investing in the same sector in order to reduce its reliance on a hydrocarbon-based economy.
  • Saudi Vision 2030 program: In line with its Saudi Vision 2030 program, it launched (2021) the Saudi Green Initiative which works on “increasing Saudi Arabia’s reliance on clean energy, offsetting emissions, and protecting the environment.
  • Both countries have set lofty goals: Riyadh, ushering in a new era of energy diplomacy, is forming alliances with countries that share similar goals. This has greatly facilitated the need to expand cooperation with India in the field of renewable energy. While the Indian government aims to generate 450 gigatonnes of electricity from renewable and clean sources by 2030, Saudi Arabia aims for 50% by then.

Cooperation between India and Saudi Arabia in the health sector and during Covid19

  • Cooperation with the West Asian region: India has increased its healthcare-related engagements with the wider West Asian region, particularly in areas such as vaccine production, joint medical research, and the exchange of best-fit practices.
  • Healthcare professionals to Saudi Arabia: At the height of the aforementioned pandemic, the Indian government aided its Saudi counterpart in combating the outbreak, primarily by dispatching hundreds of Indian healthcare professionals.
  • Acceptance of vaccines: Saudi Arabia was also one of the few countries that recognized “Serum Institute of India’s Covishield as an approved COVID-19 vaccine” for any visitors planning to enter the kingdom.
  • MoU on health and medical products: The Indo-Saudi Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on health and medical products regulations, signed during Modi’s 2019 visit to Riyadh, could act as a catalyst in elevating the interactions from their current level.

Cooperation in Food Security

  • Investment by the UAE and Saudi Arabia: It should be noted that, in 2019, the UAE and Saudi Arabia GCC states decided to invest in India’s organic and food processing industries as a precaution against food insecurity.
  • Food cooperation is a win-win situation: With India’s expertise in crop production and overall agricultural activities, as well as its status as a net exporter of agricultural commodities (particularly rice), strengthening partnerships could be extremely beneficial for the people of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and other GCC countries that continue to rely on external sources for food security, owing to a lack of fertile soil.

@the end

While India-Saudi Arabia relations are expected to strengthen further, there is also the possibility of collaboration beyond this bilateral engagement. This is because, in the emerging international order, there is a growing call for a collective response to the world’s multidimensional crises.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-saudi-collaboration-holds-promise-of-shared-growth-prosperity-says-jaishankar/article65878718.ece
Categories
Environment & Biodiversity

Place-Based Conservation Under CBD

Member countries adopted the “Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework” (GBF) at the 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which includes four goals and 23 targets to be met by 2030.

Target 30×30 among 23 targets

  • Conservation through an ecological representative: Among the 23 targets, Target 3, colloquially known as “30×30,” requires that “at least 30 percent of terrestrial, inland water, and coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services, are effectively conserved and managed through ecologically representative.
  • Protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures should be well-connected and equitably governed systems in this area.

Assessment of protected areas

  • Protected area: Traditionally, place-based conservation has taken the form of Protected Areas, where human occupation or, at the very least, resource exploitation is restricted. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) definition of protected areas in its categorization guidelines has been widely accepted across regional and global frameworks.
  • Different levels of protection: The level of protection of protected areas varies depending on the enabling laws of each country or the regulations of the international organizations involved.
  • Only 17% of the population is currently protected: Currently, approximately 17% of terrestrial and 8% of marine areas are protected and conserved areas.
  • Quality that is less than desirable: The quality of these areas has fallen far short of the commitments; less than 8% of the land is protected and connected. Faced with such a void, the 3030 target represents a significant commitment.

Challenges towards conservation of biodiversity areas

  • Improving the quality: Improving the quality of both existing and new areas will be a major challenge, as biodiversity continues to decline, even within many Protected Areas. Protected and conserved areas will need to be better connected in order for species to move and ecological processes to function.
  • Large countries must take significant steps: Large, densely populated countries, as well as very densely populated small and city-states, are unlikely to be able to bring significant additional terrestrial, inland water, coastal, and marine areas under Protected Area management.
  • Addressing animal and human settlement: Furthermore, species range shifts caused by the effects of climate change must be considered. Protected Areas that are experiencing coastal squeeze due to rising sea level on one side and hard human settlements on the other will face additional challenges.
  • Management investment: All of these measures will necessitate significant investments in effective management and community involvement, particularly in areas with megafauna. So far, the Global North’s track record of meeting financial commitments for climate and biodiversity initiatives has been dismal.

Way forward

  • Improved connectivity: Innovative area-based conservation measures must be considered for improved connectivity of species megafauna, particularly between protected and conserved areas. adjoining and/or connecting areas Protected Agricultural lands will have to be protected because they are not formally managed for conservation.
  • Conservation development mechanism: A carbon offset scheme similar to the UNFCCC’s Clean Development Mechanism that allows countries to fund greenhouse gas emission-reducing projects in other countries and claim the saved emissions as part of their own efforts to meet international emissions targets.
  • Protected areas on the move: Innovative management will be required for Protected Areas that are being squeezed along the coast by rising sea levels on one side and dense human settlements on the other. Protected Areas will have to be conceived of as mobile rather than static, confined to a set of geographical coordinates, in high altitude and coastal areas. Alpine and mangrove ecosystems

@the end

Declaring a specific area as a protected area will not improve the quality of the protected area and is merely lip service to conservation efforts. The path forward should be investment backed by an effective, result-oriented, and time-bound action plan for place-based conservation.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/cop15-india-pushes-for-new-dedicated-fund-for-biodiversity-conservation/article66277386.ece
Categories
Science & Tech

Five space exploration missions to keep an eye on in 2023

The year 2023 is expected to be another busy one. Here are five of the most thrilling missions to keep an eye out for.

(1) Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer

  • In April, the European Space Agency (ESA) is set to launch the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice), in what will be Europe’s first dedicated robotic mission to Jupiter.
  • Juice is scheduled to arrive on the planet in July 2031 after an incredible journey through the Solar System.
  • The mission will enter Jupiter’s orbit and fly by its three large icy moons, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto.
  • After four years of moon flybys, Juice will enter orbit around Ganymede, the largest moon in the Solar System, becoming the first spacecraft to orbit another planet’s moon.
  • Jupiter’s icy moons are fascinating because they are all thought to contain oceans of liquid water beneath their frozen surfaces.
  • Europa, in particular, is regarded as one of the most likely locations for extraterrestrial life in the Solar System.

(2) SpaceX Starship

  • The Starship will be the largest spacecraft capable of transporting humans from Earth to space destinations (the International Space Station is larger, but it was assembled in space).
  • It will be the most powerful launch vehicle ever flown, capable of transporting 100 tonnes of cargo into low-Earth orbit.
  • The Starship system consists of two components: the Starship spacecraft (which carries the crew and cargo) and the Super Heavy rocket.
  • The rocket component will lift the Starship to a height of 65 kilometers before separating and landing safely on Earth.
  • The upper Starship component will then use its own engines to propel itself to orbit.

(3) dearMoon Project

  • The long-awaited dearMoon project, which will take members of the public on a six-day journey around the Moon and back, is set to launch on Starship in 2023.
  • It will be the first launch of true deep space tourism.
  • This mission will usher in a new era in the way we think about space, as previously only astronauts chosen using extremely stringent criteria were able to travel to deep space.
  • The success or failure of the dearMoon mission could determine whether deep space tourism becomes the next big thing or remains a pipe dream.

(4) OSIRIS-REx returning Earth

  • Security — The Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification The Regolith Explorer mission, better known as OSIRIS-REx, is a NASA mission to the near-Earth asteroid Bennu.
  • One of the primary objectives of this robotic mission was to collect samples of Bennu and return them to Earth for analysis.
  • OSIRIS-REx is now on its way back to Earth, carrying up to a kilogram of valuable asteroid samples.
  • If everything goes as planned, the capsule will detach from the spacecraft, enter the Earth’s atmosphere, and parachute to a soft landing in Utah’s deserts.
  • Only once before has an asteroid sample been returned, by the Japanese Space Agency’s Hayabusa 2 mission in 2020.
  • Bennu is a diamond-shaped world about half a kilometer in size, but it has many interesting features.
  • Water has altered some of the minerals found within it, implying that Bennu’s ancient parent body contained liquid water.
  • It is also rich in precious metals such as gold and platinum.
  • It is, however, classified as a potentially hazardous object with a (very) small chance of colliding with Earth in the next century.

(5) India’s private space launch

  • Skyroot Aerospace, which launched its Vikram-S rocket successfully in November 2022, will soon become the first private Indian company to launch a satellite.
  • The rocket itself reached an altitude of 90 kilometers, a distance that would need to be increased in order to place a constellation of satellites into orbit.
  • Skyroot’s first satellite launch is scheduled for 2023, with the goal of undercutting private space launch competitors’ costs by producing 3D-printed rockets in a matter of days.
  • If successful, this could pave the way for cheaper launches of scientific missions, allowing for faster research.

@the end

With many daring advances and launches scheduled for 2023, we are entering a new era reminiscent of the “Golden Age” of space launches in the 1960s and 1970s.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/science-and-environment/five-space-exploration-missions-to-look-out-for-in-2023-1176127.html
Categories
Economics Governance

Amrit Bharat Station Scheme

  • As part of its station redevelopment initiative, the Ministry of Railways has developed the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, which aims to modernize over 1,000 small stations over the next few years.
  • Stations will be outfitted with facilities inspired by the mega-upgrades of marquee stations like New Delhi and Ahmedabad but at a lower cost.
  • Rooftop plazas, longer platforms, ballast-less tracks, and 5G connectivity are among the key features of these proposed stations.
  • The scheme will incorporate all previous redevelopment projects that have yet to begin construction.

Implementation strategy

  • The model envisions low-cost station redevelopment that can be completed on time.
  • The responsibility for selecting stations has been delegated to zonal railways, which will then be approved by a committee of senior railway officials.
  • Plans and budgets will be approved only on the basis of factors such as footfall and stakeholder input.

Amenities Planned under this Scheme

  • Provision for future Roof Plaza construction
  • Free Wi-Fi and room for 5G mobile towers
  • Accessibility is improved by widening roads, removing unwanted structures, properly designed signage, dedicated pedestrian pathways, well-planned parking areas, improved lighting, and so on.
  • All stations with a length of 600 meters have high-level platforms (760-840 mm).
  • Disabled-accessible features
Source: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1886884
Categories
Governance

City Finance Rankings, 2022

The Centre launched the City Finance Rankings 2022 and City Beauty Competition to incentivize urban local governments to improve and strengthen cities’ public infrastructure based on key financial parameters.

About City Finance Rankings

  • Its goal is to evaluate, recognize, and reward urban local governments based on their financial strength across key financial parameters.
  • The goal of the City Finance Rankings is to encourage city and state officials and decision-makers to implement municipal finance reforms.
  • Participating urban local governments will be graded on 15 indicators spanning three key municipal finance assessment parameters: resource mobilization, expenditure performance, and fiscal governance.

The cities will be ranked at the national level based on their scores in any of the four population categories listed below:

  • Above 40 lakh
  • Between 10-40 lakh
  • 1 lakh to 10 lakh and
  • Less than one lakh

The top three cities in each population category will be recognized and rewarded at the national level as well as within each state and state cluster

About City Beauty Competition

  • Wards and public spaces in cities would be evaluated based on five broad criteria: (i) accessibility, (ii) amenities, (iii) activities, (iv) aesthetics, and (v) ecology.
  • It would honor the most beautiful wards and public spaces in the city.
  • It seeks to encourage and recognize the transformative efforts of Indian cities and wards in creating beautiful, innovative, and inclusive public spaces.
Source: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1887067
Categories
Economics

Social Stock Exchange (SSE)

  • The Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has given the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE India) in-principle approval to establish the Social Stock Exchange (SSE) as a separate segment.
  • SSE is a novel concept in India, and it is hoped that a stock exchange of this type will benefit the private and non-profit sectors by directing more capital to them.
  • The concept of SSE was first proposed by Finance Minister in her Budget speech for the fiscal year 2019-20.
  • The government then invoked the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act of 1956, and a gazette notification announcing new security as “zero coupon zero principal” was published.
  • Under the new regulations, the SSE will operate as a separate division of the existing stock exchanges.

Who can list on SSE?

  • Under the new regulations, the SSE will be a separate division of the existing stock exchanges.
  • Not-for-profit organizations (NPOs) and for-profit social enterprises with a primary goal of social intent and impact will be eligible to participate in the SSE.
  • Furthermore, such intent should be demonstrated by a focus on social goals that are appropriate for underserved or underprivileged populations or areas.
  • The social enterprises will be required to participate in one of the 16 broad activities listed by the regulator.

The following activities are eligible:

  • Getting rid of hunger, poverty, malnutrition, and inequality
  • Promoting health, education, employability, and livelihoods
  • Women’s and LGBTQIA communities’ gender equality and empowerment
  • Supporting social enterprise incubators

Who are not eligible?

  • With the exception of affordable housing, corporate foundations, political or religious organizations or activities, professional or trade associations, infrastructure companies, and housing companies will not be eligible to be identified as social enterprises.
  • SEBI’s framework currently requires a minimum issue size of 1 crore and a minimum application size for the subscription of 2 lakh for SSE.
  • Sustenance requirements at a minimum
  • NPOs must be registered as charitable trusts for at least three years and must have spent at least Rs. 50 lakh in the previous fiscal year.
  • They should have received at least 10 lakh in funding in the previous fiscal year.
Source: https://www.livemint.com/market/stock-market-news/sebi-gives-final-nod-for-social-stock-exchange-what-is-sse-who-can-list-on-it-11672192595818.html
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