Tags: Poshan app glitches, J&K police control, China’s green energy rise, and UK voting age reform show tech, governance, and policy shifts worldwide.
Glitches in Poshan App – Haryana Case
1. Field Issue in Rohtak
Usha Rani, 47, anganwadi worker in Marodhi Jattan, Rohtak.
Trying to register 7 pregnant and 3 lactating women on Poshan Tracker app.
Facial recognition (mandatory since July 1) fails repeatedly.
Shows ‘error’ message, beneficiaries can’t receive ration and benefits.
2. Centre’s Instructions
Issued by Ministry of Women and Child Development.
App requires:
Facial recognition
Aadhaar e-KYC
Children must be registered using parent/guardian’s Aadhaar.
3. Objective of Poshan App
Part of Poshan Abhiyaan – monitors nutrition of children & women.
Anganwadi responsibilities:
Supplementary nutrition
Pre-school education
Health check-ups & immunisation for children (0–6 yrs)
4. Problems Faced by Workers
a) Technical & App Issues
Usha Rani: App rejects photos or mismatched Aadhaar names.
Sushila, 44: Can’t use smartphone, depends on daughter Monika, 22.
Faces poor internet and glitches.
Tried for 30+ minutes, facial recognition failed.
5. Beneficiary Difficulties
A pregnant woman:
Aadhaar linked to husband’s lost phone.
Has no phone herself → can’t register.
Stopped getting supplements.
6. Digital Divide
Ministry: Digitisation ensures transparent delivery.
Beneficiaries: It has increased hardships.
Survey (2025, MoSPI):
74.2% rural women in Haryana have mobile access.
94% rural men have access.
7. No Training for Anganwadi Workers
Usha Rani willing to learn but says:
No training given for using the Poshan app.
Better Terror Fight with J&K Police Under State Control
1. Governor’s Address
June 16, 2025: Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha calls terrorism eradication top priority.
At Sher-e-Kashmir Police Academy, he advised J&K Police to:
Use modern tech
Prevent radicalisation
Apply multi-pronged strategy: intelligence, tech, community ties, inter-agency work, beat policing.
2. Why Local Police Matter
State police are key; central forces only assist.
JAKP knows local terrain, people, and gathers better intelligence (HUMINT).
3. Need for HUMINT
Pahalgam attack (April 22, 2025) still unsolved.
Shows gap in human intelligence.
Acknowledging and fixing this gap is essential.
4. JAKP Under Elected Govt
JAKP should report to elected government.
Local leaders (MLAs, sarpanches) are trusted by people and get early info.
People share more with them than with central agencies.
5. Restore Democratic Setup
J&K has strong local democratic culture.
Elected reps lack real power due to security issues.
All levels – panchayat to MP – should be active in governance.
6. Role of JAKP in Local Governance
JAKP’s thana-level units already work with local governance.
Ignoring elected reps may lead to:
Disinterest
Loss of local support
Weakened anti-terror efforts
7. Police–People Partnership
Need structured talks between police and local leaders.
Helps gather terror-related info, address issues, and boost public safety.
8. Local Nature of Terrorism
Terrorism in J&K often has a local context.
Needs region-specific responses, not a uniform approach.
9. Bridge Police–Public Gap
Keeping leaders out of security loop hinders results.
Elected govt control brings:
More accountability
Community trust
Better law enforcement
10. Inclusive Governance Needed
Holding elections isn’t enough — governance must be participatory.
Without elected leaders’ involvement, security reforms stay incomplete.
Community engagement and better security will follow.
🇨🇳 China's Green Energy Leadership
1. Strategic Planning & Massive Investment
Decades of government planning.
$940 billion invested in 2024 (only $10.7 billion in 2006).
State-owned enterprises (SOEs) and public banks led the effort.
2. Global Leader in Installation & Supply Chain
Installed more solar/wind in 2024 than the rest of the world combined.
Controls key parts of the supply chain:
Raw materials: Polysilicon, Lithium
Manufacturing: Solar panels, turbines, batteries
3. Crisis Drove Action
Triggered by:
Severe air pollution
Energy insecurity (foreign oil dependence)
Power blackouts
Public pressure led to a clean energy push.
4. Turning Point: 11th Five-Year Plan (2006–10)
2005 law ensured grid access + price incentives.
Renewables became a strategic priority.
Pilot projects in Gansu, Jiangsu, Inner Mongolia.
5. Role of SOEs and Banks
NDRC & NEA coordinated national action.
SOEs like State Grid, Huaneng enabled:
Quick solar/wind rollouts
Public financing
Risky innovation & mass production
6. Global Expansion via BRI
Green tech exported under Belt and Road Initiative:
Solar to many countries
Hydropower in Africa
Wind in Latin America
China holds 55% of global renewable investments.
7. Key Challenges
A. Grid Bottlenecks
Grid couldn’t keep up with growth.
20% curtailment in some provinces (2014).
Fix: High-voltage transmission lines ($88.7B in 2024).
B. Wasteful Subsidies
Led to overcapacity and inefficiency.
Fix: Oversight and focus on efficiency, not just size.
8. Global Reach & Future Tech
Green partnerships in 61 countries (e.g., Angola, Hungary).
Leading firms: Longi, Goldwing, CATL.
Future focus:
AI smart grids
Green hydrogen
Thorium nuclear energy
9. West Tries to Catch Up
U.S. using Inflation Reduction Act + reshoring.
West struggles with high costs, slow pace, political hurdles.
China has scale, speed, state support.
10. Bigger Question: Who Sets the Rules?
The race is about global leadership in energy, not just tech.
Will China’s centralised model dominate?
Or will others provide a strong alternative?
U.K. to Lower Voting Age to 16
🔹 Major Reform
Labour govt. to reduce voting age from 18 to 16.
Biggest change since 1969 (from 21 to 18).
Part of Labour’s election promise.
Detailed in a policy paper.
🔹 Matching Wales & Scotland
Aligns national voting age with:
Scottish & Welsh legislatures
Local elections in those regions
🔹 Curbing Foreign Donations
Prevents foreign interference in elections.
Key proposals:
Ban on shell company donations
Donors must have UK/Ireland income
Irish firms can donate only for Northern Ireland
🔹 Elon Musk Link
Musk planned donation to far-right Reform UK.
Unclear if new rules will affect donations via his UK firms.
Musk is an ally of Donald Trump.
🔹 Voter Registration Reform
7–8 million eligible but unregistered voters.
Plans include:
Start registration from age 14
Move to automatic registration
🔹 New Voter ID Rules
Acceptable IDs proposed:
UK bank-issued cards
Digital IDs (e.g. veteran card, driving licence)
Replaces strict ID rules of 2023 (under Rishi Sunak).
🔹 Criticism from Conservatives
Jacob Rees-Mogg admitted ID law may have hurt party in 2023 polls.
Said ID rules aimed at electoral advantage.
🔹 Political Impact
Labour likely to gain:
41% of 18–24-year-olds voted Labour (2024)
Only 20% of 70+ voted Labour
PM Keir Starmer’s popularity has declined since July 2024 victory.
🔹 Starmer’s Justification
“16- and 17-year-olds are old enough to work and pay taxes, so they should vote.” — Keir Starmer
Source: Sriram Lakshman, The Hindu
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