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INSIGHTSONINDIA
SECURE SYNOPSIS
MAINS - 2018
GS-II
C o p y r i g h t s © I N S I G H T S A C T I V E L E A R N I N G
NOVEMBER - 2017
www.insightsias.com | www.insightsonindia.com
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Table of Contents
Topic: Indian Constitution- historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and
basic structure _______________________________________________________________________________ 6
Q) Access to justice is a part of the fundamental right to life and personal liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution. Discuss
in the light of recent events. (250 Words) __________________________________________________________________ 6
Q) The proposal for simultaneous elections goes against basic principles of the parliamentary system and the Indian
Constitution. Analyse. (250 Words) _______________________________________________________________________ 7
Q) The support for net neutrality upholds the values of Indian constitutionalism. Analyse. (250 Words) ________________ 8
Topic: Separation of powers between various organs dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions._________ 9
Q) The Supreme Court is definitely facing an institutional crisis of the kind that it has never faced before, mainly, but not
exclusively, on account of the most ferocious attack ever on the judiciary by the executive. Comment. (250 Words) _____ 9
Topic: Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal
structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein _____________________ 9
Q) Does India need a new institutional architecture to deal with multi-state problems such as air pollution? Discuss. (150
Words) ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 9
Topic: Parliament and State Legislatures – structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and
issues arising out of these. ____________________________________________________________________ 10
Q) Parliament has the important role of holding the government to account for its actions. In the light of the decreasing
number of parliament sessions, critically comment. (250 Words) ______________________________________________ 10
Q) The attempt by the executive to subvert the independent function of the legislature and its secretariat has serious
implications for Indian polity. Discuss critically these implications and comment if there should be an alternative manner to
convene parliament. (250 Words) _______________________________________________________________________ 11
Topic: Functioning of Judiciary _________________________________________________________________ 12
Q) Discuss the steps taken by the Supreme Court to reform collegium system. Do you think these measures are adequate?
What more reforms are needed to address concerns regarding collegium system? (250 Words) _____________________ 12
Q) Discuss briefly nature and significance of various observations and judgements delivered by the Supreme Court on
the issues dealing with electoral reform during last few years. (250 Words) _____________________________________ 13
Q) Setting up fast-track courts to deal with criminals in politics would do little to break the symbiotic relationship between
politicians and criminals. Comment. (150 Words) ___________________________________________________________ 14
Q) Although there can scarcely be any argument against the Chief Justice of India being the master of the roster as a tenet
of judicial discipline, it would be naive to consider it an absolute principle of justice delivery. In the light of recent controversy
involving the Supreme Court judges, discuss critically. (150 Words) ____________________________________________ 15
Q) It is argued that the Indian judiciary has become all powerful, mostly by taking on enormous authority in policy areas, that
are technically beyond its ambit. Why is this trend evolving in the first place? What are its implications? Comment. (250
Words) _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 15
Topic: Powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies. __________________________ 16
Q) In the light of new challenges posed by computerisation of government transactions and creation of new regulatory
bodies, CAG needs more professionalism in its working, wider power delegation, and fundamental reforms in its structural
organisation. Analyse. (250 Words) ______________________________________________________________________ 16
Topic: Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act.________________________________________ 18
Q) What is exit poll? Does the decision to ban exit polls by the Election Commission go against freedom of speech and
expression? Critically comment. (150 Words) ______________________________________________________________ 18
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Q) There is a widely held belief that voters in India, especially the poor, sell their votes in exchange for cash, liquor, saris, and
many other such goodies. Do you agree with this belief? Substantiate. (250 Words) ______________________________ 19
Q) In successive elections, electoral participation in India’s big, metropolitan cities has been lower vis-à-vis semi-urban and
rural constituencies. It is argued that in big cities, it is not the middle class but the urban poor who are unable to exercise
their franchise. Discuss. (250 Words) _____________________________________________________________________ 19
Q) The 255th Law Commission Report on Electoral Reforms observed that opacity in political funding results in “lobbying and
capture” of the government by big donors. Do you think electoral bonds would help address flow of black money into political
parties? What are the other alternatives available? Critically comment. (250 Words) ______________________________ 20
Topic: Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies _______________________________________ 22
Q) The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is a toothless tiger. Comment. (150 Words) _____________________ 22
Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health ________ 23
Q) What are the aptitudes, capabilities, skills and qualities that a university teacher/researcher – particularly in the domain
of humanities and social sciences – needs to cultivate, and is the National Eligibility Test (NET) in tune with this spirit?
Critically examine. (250 Words) _________________________________________________________________________ 23
Q) India accounts for the highest TB incidence (23%) and mortality (26%) globally. How can India combat TB effectively?
Discuss strategies. (250 Words) _________________________________________________________________________ 23
Q) The Prime Minister has recently constituted the economic advisory council (PMEAC) to provide sound policy advice in key
areas such as reviving economic growth and creating enabling conditions for gainful employment. Do you think PMEAC was
needed when the NITI Aayog and the office of the chief economic adviser (CEA) are fully functional with similar policy
agendas? Discuss. (200 Words) _________________________________________________________________________ 24
Q) Critically comment on proposed amendments to the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Act and reasons why
doctors across state are protesting against these amendments. (150 Words) ____________________________________ 25
Q) The intention to raise public expenditure to strengthen India’s healthcare have been repeated in the in many official plans
with little or no action. Identify the sources of funding that can help India spend more on healthcare. Also discuss in addition
to more funds, what else is needed to address health challenges in future. (150 Words) ___________________________ 25
Q) Examine why India urgently needs a national dementia policy. (150 Words) ___________________________________ 27
Q) Discuss the significance and findings of the recent India State-level Disease Burden Initiative. (150 Words) _________ 27
Q) Examine the issues and concerns that are associated with using technology as learning tool for kids. (150 Words)____ 28
Q) Do you think private schools deliver better learning outcomes than public schools? In the light of the recent World
Development Report, discuss the issues associated with private education and the need for upgradation of public education
in India. (250 Words) _________________________________________________________________________________ 29
Q) The publication of “Investing in Health,” the World Bank’s highly influential 1993 World Development Report, has guided
structural adjustment policies and health sector reforms in many developing countries. Critically examine how India’s
healthcare industry has evolved since the publication of above said report. (250 Words) ___________________________ 30
Q) Examine how Karnataka’s Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Act, 2007 can pave way for universalisation of
healthcare in the state and also act as model to other states. (250 Words) ______________________________________ 32
Q) What are the important findings of Global Burden of Disease study with respect to India? Discuss the significance of its
findings to policymaking in health sector for Indian states. (250 Words) ________________________________________ 33
Q) Why is it advised for pregnant women to gain weight during pregnancy? Examine the causes of high IMR and MMR in
India. (250 Words) ___________________________________________________________________________________ 34
Q) According to WHO report, India accounted for 6% of global malaria cases and 7% of deaths caused by it in 2016. Why has
India failed to eliminate Malaria? Examine. (150 Words) _____________________________________________________ 35
Topic: Issues relating to poverty and hunger. _____________________________________________________ 36
Q) What is ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF)? Discuss its benefits and government of India’s policy on RUTF. (200 Words)
___________________________________________________________________________________________________ 36
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Q) What are the features of the Government of India’s National Nutrition Strategy announced in September 2017? Does
excess emphasis on sanitation help address India’s malnutrition problem? Critically comment. (250 Words) ___________ 36
Q) A robust and responsive food system is need of the hour to combat undernutrition, non-communicable diseases and
hunger around the world. Analyse. (250 Words) ___________________________________________________________ 38
Q) “Global Hunger Index offers a needed reality check for India’s big power aspirations.” Comment. (150 Words) ______ 39
Topic: Mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these
vulnerable sections __________________________________________________________________________ 40
Q) Placing convicted disabled people in solitary confinement with no support violates their right to life, bodily integrity and
autonomy under Article 21. In the light of recent observations made by the Supreme Court on the right to privacy issue,
critically comment on the issues involved in putting convicted disabled people in jails. (150 Words) __________________ 40
Q) The amendments to the Maternity Benefit Act are noble, but impractical to implement. Comment. (150 Words) ____ 40
Q) Making registration of marriages compulsory, like births and deaths, is an effective antidote to social evils like child
marriage, bigamy and gender violence. Discuss. (250 Words) _________________________________________________ 41
Q) The International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates that eight years from now, around 121 million boys and girls would
still be engaged in various occupations. Why have countries failed to eradicate child labour? What efforts are required to
end child labour? Examine. (250 Words) __________________________________________________________________ 42
Q) What are the important provisions of Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2016? Examine why rights activists
are opposing this Bill. (150 Words) ______________________________________________________________________ 43
Topic: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance
of these schemes; ___________________________________________________________________________ 44
Q) Critically evaluate performance and outcomes of the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). (250 Words) _________________ 44
Topic: Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability _____________________________ 46
Q) Accountability in school education system is necessary to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4.
Comment. (150 Words) _______________________________________________________________________________ 46
Q) Aadhaar-based Biometric Authentication does nothing in the battle against graft — there are better alternatives.
Comment. (150 Words) _______________________________________________________________________________ 48
Topic: Pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the Polity _____________________ 49
Q) Opacity in political financing, fear of party fragmentation, dynastic succession, and lack of intra-party democracy are all
mutually reinforcing variables. Analyse. (250 Words) ________________________________________________________ 49
Topic: India and its neighborhood- relations. _____________________________________________________ 50
Q) In November and December 2017, Nepal is going to conduct first general election under the 2015 Constitution. What is
the significance of this election? What role should India play in this democratic transition in Nepal? Comment. (250 Words)
___________________________________________________________________________________________________ 50
Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests
__________________________________________________________________________________________ 51
Q) There is an urgent need to adopt a rights-based approach by all stakeholders in seeking arrangements for safe and orderly
migration to prevent exploitation of migrants and refugees. Discuss. (150 Words) ________________________________ 51
Q) India has stepped up trade and investment in hydrocarbons in Africa, with nearly 17% of its total crude oil imports coming
from Africa by 2016. Should India step up these petroleum-related foreign direct investment and trade relations with Africa?
Discuss merits and demerits. (250 Words) ________________________________________________________________ 53
Q) China has, for years, adopted a low profile in the Middle East. Recently, however, it has upped the ante with a slew of
ideologically agnostic initiatives. Should India be worried about this? Critically comment. (250 Words) _______________ 54
Q) In its ambition and enthusiasm to actively engage in “Quadrilateral” grouping, India should not neglect its neighbours.
Comment. (250 Words) _______________________________________________________________________________ 54
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Q) Is Commonwealth group relevant today? Comment on Britain’s renewed interest in the Commonwealth amidst its
impending separation from the European Union. (250 Words) ________________________________________________ 55
Q) Today the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), the multilateral system faces a challenge to its very
foundations. What are the threats being faced by GATT? Discuss if GATT remains relevant today. (250 Words) ________ 56
Q) While cooperative mechanisms are crucial to maintain stability in the Indian Ocean Region, it would be prudent on India’s
part to do a cost-benefit analysis of building such grand alliances in such uncertain times. Comment. (250 Words) _____ 57
Q) The ‘Quad’ policy both compliments and contradicts India’s Act East policy. Comment. (150 Words) _______________ 58
Q) India’s openness to both the quad and triad (India, China and Russia) suggests not the construction of new alliances, but
Delhi’s return to the original conception of non-alignment. Analyse. (150 Words) ________________________________ 59
Q) “It would be unwise to rely on the US to counter China. India must build tools to protect its own interests.” Comment.
(250 Words) ________________________________________________________________________________________ 60
Q) What do you understand by the rules-based regional security architecture ? Examine how can India and ASEAN be partners
in the rules-based regional security architecture. (150 Words) ________________________________________________ 61
Q) The revival of the Trans-Pacific Partnership minus the U.S. opens opportunities for India. Examine. (150 Words) _____ 62
Q) Discuss the potential and prospects for Delhi’s bilateral maritime security cooperation with Paris in the Indian Ocean. (250
Words) _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 63
Q) Examine the economic and strategic benefits of the India-Australia-Japan-US quadrilateral (or Quad) dialogue to India.
(250 Words) ________________________________________________________________________________________ 63
Topic: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.
__________________________________________________________________________________________ 65
Q) Should India support the inclusion of Britain and France in the quadrilateral dialogue? Comment. (150 Words) ______ 65
Q) Why is militant Buddhism on the rise in few Asian countries? Examine the justifications given by votaries of violence in
Buddhism. Also comment on India’s response to militant Buddhism in its neighbourhood. (250 Words) ______________ 65
Q) Given how they are juxtaposed geographically and culturally, the two countries – India and Bangladesh, have failed to
realise full potential of their mutual relationship. Comment. (250 Words) _______________________________________ 66
Q) While the focus on the Rohingya refugee crisis is justified, the indifference to plight of Sri Lankan refugees is
condemnable. Comment. (150 Words) ___________________________________________________________________ 67
Q) The ongoing crisis in Catalonia region is a salutary reminder to India of what can go wrong when regional grievances are
allowed to fester. Comment. (250 Words) ________________________________________________________________ 68
Q) Why and in what form the support from rich countries is crucial to reduce emissions and effectively combat climate
change effects? Examine. (250 Words) ___________________________________________________________________ 69
NOTE: Please remember that following ‘answers’ are NOT ‘model answers’. They
are NOT synopsis too if we go by definition of the term. What we are providing is
content that both meets demand of the question and at the same time gives you
extra points in the form of background information.
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General Studies Paper - II
Topic: Indian Constitution- historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments,
significant provisions and basic structure
Q) Access to justice is a part of the fundamental right to life and personal liberty
under Article 21 of the Constitution. Discuss in the light of recent events. (250
Words)
EPW
Introduction :- Article 21 reads as: “No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to a procedure established by law.”
According to Bhagwati, J., Article 21 “embodies a constitutional value of supreme importance in a democratic society.” Iyer, J., has characterized Article 21 as “the procedural magna carta protective of life and liberty.
This right has been held to be the heart of the Constitution, the most organic and progressive provision in our living constitution, the foundation of our laws.
Article 21 can only be claimed when a person is deprived of his “life” or “personal liberty” by the “State” as defined in Article 12. Violation of the right by private individuals is not within the preview of Article 21.
Access to justice and Art 21 :
Judgment of Justices Gautam Patel and Nutan Sardesai ruling has raised issues that have wider implications for the way justice is delivered in this country. They ruled that “access to justice” is a part of the fundamental right to life and personal liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution. Given this, a step that places hurdles in the path to access justice is a denial of this right.
The recent Goa government’s attempt to move the state’s environmental cases to the bench in Delhi flies in the face of the basic nature of the NGT violate the right to access to justice.
The question of accessibility to justice is not just a matter of the physical location of the courts but the very system that governs the justice system. Even if courts are easily accessible, they remain out of reach for the majority of citizens because of the circuitous nature of the conduct of trials, the expense involved, and the long delays.
Hence judiciary must initiate reforms in many areas to provide true access to justice :-
With the increase in rate of pending cases and declination of pronouncement of justice, society now considers Justice delayed is Justice denied. A whopping 2.8 crore cases are pending in district courts across the country.
Judges-Population Ratio & Vacancies of Judges :- India has 15 judges for 10 mn population compared to US 107. Presently, for dealing with the pending cases there must be required number of judges present to entertain the matter laid before them. But in Indian judicial system there is number of vacancies existing which ultimately affects the efficiency of rendering justice.
Accountability of Judges :- In India, judiciary is a separate and independent system. Legislature and Executive are not allowed by the Constitution to interfere in the functioning of judiciary. The courts on the other hand check the acts of these two bodies. The functioning of judiciary is independent but it doesn’t mean that it is not accountable to anyone. Woolf Report of 1996, emphasized to make judiciary accountable for their functioning by generating accurate judicial statistics, revised on daily basis.
Lack of utilizing the applications of information technology for the case management also hampers the accessibility of justice. The options like e-Courts, Online cases tracking must be enhanced.
Alternative means of justice delivery like arbitration, conciliation, mediation should be strengthened and highlighted for spreading awareness.
Improving the Quality of Justice: Specialization, Training and Qualification :- The Committee suggested that the cases must be assigned according to the specialized area of the judges. Assigning cases without considering specialization results into delay in deciding the matters. Also some specialized tribunal must be established to
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deal some matter pertaining to tax, services, and labour etc. separately. It suggested that the specialization provide consistency, certainty, speedy and quality judgments.
Q) The proposal for simultaneous elections goes against basic principles of the
parliamentary system and the Indian Constitution. Analyse. (250 Words)
The Indian Express
Simultaneous Election is mechanism to conduct Lok Sabha and all State Legislative Assemblies Election simultaneously for period of five years.
Benefits of simultaneous elections
1. Stability in governance
This was even mentioned in the 117th report on Reform and Electoral Laws (1999) by the Law Commission of India.
Frequent elections hamper long-term policymaking because every decision is seen as reason for votes.
Elections in states lead to the imposition of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) puts on hold the entire development programme and activities.
Continuous election has an impact on the functioning of essential services. The rallies and the like do cause traffic problems as well as loss of productivity.
Simultaneous election would reduce the type of manpower and resource deployment necessary for the conduct of elections.
2. Reduce election expenditure
It would reduce the massive expenditure that has been pegged at around Rs.4,500 crore.
Simultaneous Election per se not against basic principles of the parliamentary system but it is the follow up mechanism which makes it antithetical.
Against Parliamentary system
SC has ruled Parliamentary form of Govt. as a Basic structure in the Kesavananda Bharti case of 1973.
The twin principles of parliamentary system are accountability to the legislature and the five-year term, which are impinged due to simultaneous elections.
1. Accountability to legislature dented
The implication of a “confidence vote” would be that a government cannot be removed, however anti-people or under-performing it may be, or in spite of being hopelessly in a minority, if the Opposition is not united enough on an alternative to replace the existing ministry. In either case, it will violate the basic features of the parliamentary system.
As the NITI Aayog mentions, if the mechanism of confidence vote fails and the Lok Sabha is to be prematurely dissolved, then, instead of fresh elections, if the period is short, the president can carry on the administration with advice from a council of ministers (which obviously does not have the support of the legislature). This would be the most blatant violation of the principle of responsible government.
2. Five year term
If the legislature is to be inevitably dissolved with a larger portion of the five-year term still remaining, then it is suggested that fresh elections are held but the legislature shall not have the full five-year term; instead, it would have a truncated term that remained from the previous legislature’s term.
This would jeopardise the constitutional protection that a legislature, once elected, gets a five-year term.
Against Constitution
¤ Political autonomy of states
Simultaneous elections impinge on the political autonomy of States.
Today, any elected State government can choose to dissolve its Assembly and call for fresh elections.
If elections are to be held simultaneously, States will have to give up this power and wait for a national election schedule.
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There can be legitimate reasons for State governments to dissolve their Assemblies and call for fresh elections.
Under a simultaneous elections regime, the State will be beholden to the Union government for elections to its State, which goes against the very grain of political autonomy under our federal structure
Conclusion
To achieve simultaneous Election, it requires Constitutional amendments. Our constitution is organic in nature to absorb new socio-economic and political challenges. So, amending constitution for Simultaneous Election per se is not wrong. However, the follow up mechanism should be formulated in such way that it is not antithetical to the basic principles of Parliamentary system.
Q) The support for net neutrality upholds the values of Indian constitutionalism.
Analyse. (250 Words)
The Hindu
The Hindu
Introduction:
Net neutrality creates rules of the road for a free and open Internet. It requires that barriers should not be created by telecom and Internet service providers for user choice by limiting their power to discriminate between content providers and different classes of content.
Through binding rules and regulations, the power of access providers to selectively price or create technical imbalances is corrected.
TRAI has reaffirmed net neutrality as the basis for open nature of internet. It is based on the recommendation of AK Bhargava committee and wide public consultation.
It also upholds the values and spirit of Indian constitutionalism as follows
1. Equality of Opportunity in matters of Public Employment
As ascertained in Article 16, this principle protects entrepreneurs who work in the open space provided by free internet.
Though they are not in the domain of public employment, but still in this process, they are also likely to intersect with government services given the evolving nature of investment models like PPP.
2. Right to Life and Liberty
Liberty is enshrined in net neutrality concept as it provides liberal opportunities to anyone accessing it. In case of infringment of net neutrality, Article 21 would be Compromised
3. Right to express
Internet is an important avenue to receive and impart information.
If information sources on the internet are blocked according to the whims of telecom companies, it would be in violation of Article 19 of the constitution.
4. Control over internet
Internet being a “natural resource”, its control by few corporations would be in violation of the socialism enshrined in the Preamble.
Supreme Court where it has stated that the power to license spectrum and telegraphs is held by the government as a trustee of public interest.
On the allocation of natural resources, the Supreme Court observed that, “as natural resources are public goods, the doctrine of equality, which emerges from concepts of justice and fairness, must guide the state in determining the actual mechanism for distribution of material resources.”
Conclusion
The concepts of equality, reasonableness and liberty which underpin the social contract which gives rise to the Indian Constitution are not mere black letters of the law. They are more than mere limitations on state power in
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favour of individuals. By themselves, they are at their very best when they are put into motion by positive actions by regulators and governments.
To achieve these objectives, there is a necessity to popularise the constitutional doctrine in ways and methods which seem immediate and cater to the daily problems of the modern world.
Topic: Separation of powers between various organs dispute redressal mechanisms and
institutions.
Q) The Supreme Court is definitely facing an institutional crisis of the kind that it
has never faced before, mainly, but not exclusively, on account of the most ferocious
attack ever on the judiciary by the executive. Comment. (250 Words)
The Hindu
Introduction :- The Supreme Court of India is facing its worst crisis of credibility since the Emergency. With an occasional exception, the quality of the court’s reasoning, the inconstancy of its judgment, the abdication of its constitutional role in some cases, and its overreach in others, are already denting its authority.
The most telling indicator of this assault on the judiciary is the non-appointment of judges. This defiance — and this kind of defiance has never happened, where the collegiums sends a list of judges to be appointed and the government does not appoint them — is defiance of the highest order.
The executive wants a judiciary that is beholden to it. Politicians and governments try their best to influence judges. Earlier, there used to be fear in approaching judges today it is not so.
There are issues of corruption in the courts. The judiciary has failed to find a mechanism to deal with allegations of corruption within its ranks. Every justice in the court needs to be above suspicion.
The acts by executives like passing ordinances to circumvent judiciary, not following the directives given by judiciary even in critical cases like sharing of water disputes between states etc shows the increased tendencies of attacking court by executives.
From the expansion of fundamental rights, to the invention of the basic structure of the constitution, there has been one constant about the judiciary – its credibility. However it is being diluted on many accounts as mentioned above. The institutional crisis that the Supreme Court has now created for itself will puncture more holes in the authority that it so valiantly tried to exert. It will also create the conditions under which it will be easier to legitimise diluting judicial independence.
Hence need of the hour is to take some concrete steps.
If benches are being constituted on triple talaq and liquor, surely a Bench can be constituted on the appointment of judges, judges’ salaries, and to inquire about political interference in the judiciary
The judiciary should not remain quiet in the face of such intimidation by the executive. It can evolve an enforceable code of conduct so that if any politician or party tries to influence a judge, this will be immediately reported and punishment be meted.
The people and lawyers support the judiciary and expect judges to be resolute.
Topic: Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges
pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and
challenges therein
Q) Does India need a new institutional architecture to deal with multi-state problems
such as air pollution? Discuss. (150 Words)
Livemint
Introduction :- Air pollution in India is quite a serious issue with the major sources being fuelwood and biomass burning, fuel adulteration, vehicle emission and traffic congestion. A 2013 study on non-smokers has found that Indians have 30% lower lung function compared to Europeans.
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Air pollution has been a multi-state problem in India. As In autumn and winter months, large scale crop residue burning in agriculture fields a low cost alternative to mechanical tilling is a major source of smoke, smog and particulate pollution.
Need of a new institutional architecture to deal with such problems :-
Hasty and temporary solutions to such sever problem are not in the long term interest of people. Their effectiveness and impacts are very limited and they can’t address the root causes hence results into ad hoc measures. There is a need to adopt a new institutional architecture.
The state governments of Delhi, Punjab and Haryana should consider the representative agencies for their respective citizens. They should negotiate on how the cost of changing farming practices will be shared. A first step will be to estimate the amount to be paid for every hectare of farmland that is shifted away from stubble burning.
The lack of an institutional structure to deal with such federal negotiations, especially when the three state governments are run by three different political parties need to be addressed. This is where the Union government needs to step in as a coordinating agency. It can also offer to bear half the fiscal costs of any green bargain between the three states.
A better solution over the long term is to set up a federal agency like the Environmental Protection Agency in the US, with powers to get states to the bargaining table.
The exact contours of such an agency will need to be debated by climate change scientists, economists, environmental activists and political parties. The current institutional vacuum needs to be filled.
The winter smog that chokes millions of people every year needs to be dealt with through a long-term institutional strategy rather than hasty administrative responses each time citizens choke.
Topic: Parliament and State Legislatures – structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers
& privileges and issues arising out of these.
Q) Parliament has the important role of holding the government to account for its
actions. In the light of the decreasing number of parliament sessions, critically
comment. (250 Words)
The Hindu
Introduction:
Parliamentary system provides a higher level of responsibility on the government through daily assessment by members in the form of questions, resolutions, no-confidence motions, adjournment motions and debates on addresses.
Ambedkar felt that daily assessment was more effective in holding governments to account, and more appropriate for India.
Regular sittings important for accounting the government
In the initial years of our Republic, Lok Sabha sat for about 125-140 days a year. The size of the country and poor connectivity meant that MPs could not make a quick dash to their constituencies and there were planned intersession gaps to enable them to split their time between Delhi and their constituencies.
Though it is far easier to travel today, Parliament has met for just 65-75 days per year in the last couple of decades.
A direct consequence has been less scrutiny of the government’s actions, and even that of bills and budgets.
A clear requirement for a more effective Parliament would be more sitting dates and a clear plan of those dates.
Constitutional provision
The Constitution specifies that Parliament will be summoned by the President; the President shall act on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers; and there cannot be more than six months between two sittings of Parliament. Similar provisions exist for State legislatures.
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Way forward
1. Dilute the power of government to summon the session
One has to address the structural issue of the government deciding when to summon the legislature, and its ability to adjust the dates in response to emerging circumstances.
That is, dilute the power of the government to be the sole decider of session dates.
A different approach would be to allow a significant minority of members to call for a session. Pakistan’s Constitution requires a session of Parliament within 14 days if one-fourth of its membership demands one.
2. Predecided dates annually
A simple solution is to have a calendar of sittings announced at the beginning of each year. This would help members and others plan better for the whole year.
It will also help members in scheduling other engagements in the presence of any certainty of the parliamentary schedule.
3. Year-long sessions
A variant, such as that followed by the British Parliament, is to have year-long sessions.
This would require some minor changes in rules such as permitting no-confidence motions to be taken up multiple times in a session if a significant minority asks for it.
Conclusion
The legitimacy of the government in a democracy is derived from constant scrutiny by elected representatives.
It is time to tweak the rules to strengthen the system and ensure that key institutions such as Parliament and State legislatures are able to perform their roles more effectively.
Q) The attempt by the executive to subvert the independent function of the
legislature and its secretariat has serious implications for Indian polity. Discuss
critically these implications and comment if there should be an alternative manner
to convene parliament. (250 Words)
The Wire
The Wire
Parliament – daily assessment of the government
Defending the parliamentary system versus the presidential system, B.R. Ambedkar argued that all such systems attempted a balance between stability and responsibility. Both systems provide a periodic assessment by the electorate through elections.
However, the parliamentary system provides a higher level of responsibility on the government through daily assessment by members in the form of questions, resolutions, no-confidence motions, adjournment motions and debates on addresses. He felt that daily assessment was more effective in holding governments to account, and more appropriate for India.
Subverting of legislature by executive
This can be achieved by inducting officers of the executive in the legislature secretariat.
Being trained to serve the executive, the concept of independence of the legislature secretariat is alien to them. They will gain control of the core functions of the secretariat – like admitting parliament questions, preparing the reports of committees, and a host of other functions which have a bearing on the legislature’s scrutiny of the government.
This insidious process of subversion of Indian legislatures has been going on for some time.
This is in clear violation of the constitution which contains various provisions to insulate the legislature secretariats from executive control.
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Regular sittings
This argument presupposes frequent sittings of Parliament.
In the initial years of our Republic, Lok Sabha sat for about 125-140 days a year. The size of the country and poor connectivity meant that MPs could not make a quick dash to their constituencies and there were planned intersession gaps to enable them to split their time between Delhi and their constituencies.
Though it is far easier to travel today, Parliament has met for just 65-75 days per year in the last couple of decades.
A direct consequence has been less scrutiny of the government’s actions, and even that of bills and budgets.
A clear requirement for a more effective Parliament would be more sitting dates and a clear plan of those dates.
Constitutional provision
The Constitution specifies that Parliament will be summoned by the President; the President shall act on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers; and there cannot be more than six months between two sittings of Parliament. Similar provisions exist for State legislatures.
Way forward
1. Dilute the power of government to summon the session
One has to address the structural issue of the government deciding when to summon the legislature, and its ability to adjust the dates in response to emerging circumstances.
That is, dilute the power of the government to be the sole decider of session dates.
A different approach would be to allow a significant minority of members to call for a session. Pakistan’s Constitution requires a session of Parliament within 14 days if one-fourth of its membership demands one.
2. Predecided dates annually
A simple solution is to have a calendar of sittings announced at the beginning of each year. This would help members and others plan better for the whole year.
It will also help members in scheduling other engagements in the presence of any certainty of the parliamentary schedule.
3. Year-long sessions
A variant, such as that followed by the British Parliament, is to have year-long sessions.
This would require some minor changes in rules such as permitting no-confidence motions to be taken up multiple times in a session if a significant minority asks for it.
Conclusion
The legitimacy of the government in a democracy is derived from constant scrutiny by elected representatives.
It is time to tweak the rules to strengthen the system and ensure that key institutions such as Parliament and State legislatures are able to perform their roles more effectively.
Topic: Functioning of Judiciary
Q) Discuss the steps taken by the Supreme Court to reform collegium system. Do
you think these measures are adequate? What more reforms are needed to address
concerns regarding collegium system? (250 Words)
The Hindu
Introduction :- The Supreme Court of India’s collegium system, which appoints judges to the nation’s constitutional courts, has its genesis in, and continued basis resting on, three of its own judgments which are collectively known as the Three Judges Cases. A formula was invented to appoint judges in higher judiciary.
The court evolved the principle of judicial independence to mean that no other branch of the state – including the legislature and the executive – would have any say in the appointment of judges. The court then created the collegium system, which has been in use since the judgment in the Second Judges Case was issued in 1993. There is no mention
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of the collegium either in the original Constitution of India or in successive amendments. The creation of the collegium system was viewed as controversial by legal scholars and jurists outside India.
Recently Supreme Court quashed the 99th amendment to the constitution and National Judicial Appointment Commission. It has agreed on implementing the Memorandum Of Procedure (MoP) for appointments, uploading collegium decisions on website etc
These measures are appreciable but not sufficient.
Other measures, such as making the collegium’s deliberations publicly available
Annual reporting of vacancies, appointments, number of candidates interviewed, time taken for appointments, and so on, are also important.
This requires data management skills and administrative and logistical capacity, for which a secretariat could be established, to ensure that the appointments calendar and processes are strictly followed, and records are maintained and placed in the public domain in timely fashion.
Individuals come and go but institutions have to survive and gain the confidence of the people. As R K Merton said “Functionality of an institution depends on how it changes with time” Supreme court must take necessary steps to make the collegium system more appealing, transparent.
Q) Discuss briefly nature and significance of various observations and judgements
delivered by the Supreme Court on the issues dealing with electoral reform during
last few years. (250 Words)
The Hindu
Introduction :- The Supreme Court till today continued with trend that started 40 years ago and strove for electoral reforms through it’s various judgements.
Mohinder Singh Gill :- Judicial decisions ushering in electoral reforms started in 1978, when the SC interpreted Article 324 of the Constitution to empower the Election Commission (EC) with unbridled powers in conducting and supervising elections.
Common Cause case :- In 1996, the court had ordered the political parties to submit details of expenses it incurred for each candidate and otherwise in an election.
In 2002, the apex court in Association for Democratic Reforms judgment returned its focus on the little man in the voter who alone slapped accountability on the political system in a democracy.
In 2002, the court ruled that voters’ right to information was fundamental. To enable a voter make an informed choice, the court ordered every candidate to submit an affidavit with nomination papers giving correct information about h/his educational qualification, details of h/his and family assets, and importantly, h/his criminal background.
2004 judgment of the Patna High Court in Jan Chaukidari v Union of India — upheld by the Supreme Court on 10 July 2013— all those in lawful police or judicial custody, other than those held in preventive detention, will forfeit their right to stand for election.
In Lily Thomas v. the Union of India, the Supreme Court declared Section 8 (4) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, (RPA) which allowed legislators a three-month window to appeal against their conviction — effectively delaying their disqualification until such appeals were exhausted — as unconstitutional.
The SC in 2013 ruled that if a candidate left columns blank, then the returning officer could reject the nomination papers.
In 2013 SC delivered two important lessons. One allowed a voter to cast a negative vote ‘none of the above’ (NOTA) to tell political parties that candidates fielded by them were not worthy of his vote. In the second judgement Supreme Court (SC), in the case of Subramanian Swamy vs Election Commission of India (ECI), has held that VVPAT (Vote Verifiable Paper Audit Trial) is “indispensable for free and fair elections”.
The Allahabad high court stayed caste-based rallies in Uttar Pradesh, a move that will block off a key avenue that the major political parties use to expand their support base, especially before elections.
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All these judgements and rulings have increased the transparency, accountability, non partisanship in elections. They have also helped to create a level playing field for candidates, more awareness in voters, deterrence for malpractices and corrupt elements in election etc.
Q) Setting up fast-track courts to deal with criminals in politics would do little
to break the symbiotic relationship between politicians and criminals. Comment.
(150 Words)
Livemint
Introduction :- Criminalization of politics means rising participation of criminals in the electoral process and selection of the same as elected representatives of the people.
Reasons for criminalization of politics :-
Criminalization of politics ensures protection for those who break the law based on: Political, Group, Class ,Caste, Communal considerations
It also results from partisan interfering in crime investigation and poor prosecution of cases.
Massive delays over the years and high costs in judicial process would be another reason for this phenomenon.
Mass withdrawal of court cases and unwarranted grant of parole have also spurred criminalization in politics.
To do away with the problem of slow process of justice delivery system the Parliament of India introduced Fast Track Courts for Elected Representatives Bill, 2014 in the House of People to establish Fast Track Courts for trial of cases involving criminal charges against elected representatives.
Criminalization of politics needs to be prevented and reduced to a certain extent. The roots of the problem lie in the political system of the country. There is lack of political will to curb the menace. The political parties bypass the ethical and democratic norms. Setting up of special courts is the way to prevent and control criminalisation of politics. To maintain sanctity and purity of elections, it would be more beneficial to the society to try all cases of politicians by special courts.
However it bore less impactful results owing to the fact that criminalisation is increasing day by day. The data shows that out of a total of 62, 847 candidates analysed, 11, 063 (18%) have declared criminal cases against themselves
The reform needs to change the incentives for both politicians and voters.
Bringing greater transparency in campaign financing is going to make it less attractive for political parties to involve gangsters. Thus, either the Election Commission of India (ECI) should have the power to audit the financial accounts of political parties, or political parties’ finances should be brought under the right to information (RTI) law.
Broader governance will have to improve for voters to reduce the reliance on criminal politicians. That requires a rationalization of bureaucratic procedures and an increase in state capacity to deliver essential public goods like security of life and contracts, and access to public utilities.
Other innovative options like exploring possibilities of right to recall, simultaneous conducting of elections, adding art to RPA in order to empower election commission to cancel polls for use of money power etc can be implemented.
Standing alone, fast-track courts for politicians will be ineffective in cleansing Indian politics. Eradication of three Cs – Cash Corruption and criminality could lead our country towards vibrant polity and democracy.
“Democracy disciplined and enlightened is the finest thing in the world. A democracy prejudiced, ignorant, superstitions, will land itself in chaos and be self-destroyed.”
– M.K. Gandhi
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Q) Although there can scarcely be any argument against the Chief Justice of India
being the master of the roster as a tenet of judicial discipline, it would be naive to
consider it an absolute principle of justice delivery. In the light of recent
controversy involving the Supreme Court judges, discuss critically. (150 Words)
The Hindu
Introduction :- Recently a five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court led by the Chief Justice of India, in a case concerning corruption arising out of certain judicial proceedings, declared that the Chief Justice is the master of the roster with the sole prerogative to determine which Bench of judges gets to hear which cases.
This is the customary practice and a moral obligation in order to keep the judiciary in discipline. The conflict of interest may arise here when the Chief Justice of Indian is asked a recusal from a case.
The filing of petitions by Prasad Education Trust before the Supreme Court and Allahabad High Court provided an opportunity to look into this matter.
A simultaneous investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) indicated a possible criminal conspiracy to ensure a favourable judicial order in this matter.
Since the FIR indicated an attempt to fix a judicial proceeding, the Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reforms filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court requesting that a Special Investigation Team under a retired Chief Justice of India be set up.
Unfortunately, by allocating the matter to a Division Bench, the Chief Justice gave this principle a go-by. It is moot whether the Bench entrusted by the Chief Justice would ensure justice or not — the critical point is that such a Bench chosen by the Chief Justice was congenitally defective.
This impropriety set off a chain of improper actions . Hence the five judge bench delivered the stated judgement. Again, whether the right decision was reached or not is moot — a decision was reached in which the Chief Justice was unarguably judge in his own cause. That itself suffices to make this judgment bad in law.
This all shows that urgent reform is required to restore the moral authority of the Supreme Court.
Two structural issues needs attention.
The cardinal principle that the Chief Justice of India is the master of the roster must be re-examined.
Discipline lies at the heart of judicial functioning — its complex rules on filing, unwritten conventions of seniority, expected decorum in courtroom seating are all critical components to ensure institutional discipline. Hence needs to be fixed.
Justice Kurian Joseph of the Supreme Court wrote in respect of judicial appointments that a ‘glasnost’ and ‘perestroika’ is required if the system is to regain public confidence. If the moral authority of the Chief Justice of India and the Supreme Court is to be restored, something similar is needed urgently. Otherwise the Supreme Court will soon be a far cry from the institution we all revere.
Q) It is argued that the Indian judiciary has become all powerful, mostly by taking
on enormous authority in policy areas, that are technically beyond its ambit. Why
is this trend evolving in the first place? What are its implications? Comment. (250
Words)
Livemint
Importance of judiciary
In democratic countries, judiciary ensures rule of law against tyranny of the majority (executive and legislature).
Hence judiciary has been given the power of judicial review.
In the Indian Constitution, judiciary has been envisaged as extremely powerful. Article 13 and 36are extremely elaborative in assigning functions to judiciary in this regard.
Pandit Nehru argued that judiciary in India is not a passive participant in social revolution.
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Judicial activism
Over the years, Indian judiciary has asserted itself in response to attack on its independence by the executive especially during 1970s era. This ‘judicial activism’ gradually took the form of ‘judicial overreach’ delving in domains outside its competence.
Judicial activism denotes a high energy state where judiciary jumps into the orbit of other organs on account of catalyst (primarily social revolution).
The judiciary thus tends to frame laws (legislative function) and implement them (executive function) in the garb of Article 141. In 2002, the Supreme Court of India observed that collected funds for afforestation were underutilized by the states and it ordered for centrally pooling of funds under Compensatory Afforestation Fund (Going into policy sphere). The court had set up the National Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority.
Why is this trend evolving?
The following elements act as catalysts for the judicial activism
Written constitution which assigns independence to the judiciary
Recognition of human rights is getting increasing importance today.
Ambigous federal relations also opens the scope for judiciary. For example, inter-state water disputes which went to Supreme Court despite express provision against court intervention
Globalisation has also caused disruptions in the nature of social and economic relations and thus sometimes court has to intervene to streamline such relations.
The reasons for such a scenario can be probed as follows
To counter executive’s perceived attack on its independence and to assert it.
To fill the perceived gap created by failure of executive. For eg., SC attempt to mandate singing of national anthem in cinema halls was solely in response to executive’s failure to instill patriotism among people.
To uphold politico-socio-economic justice. many a times, government fails to uphold its duty & the court has to intervene to uphold its duty as a guarantor of citizen’s FR. for ex – There are innumerable cases of ‘custodial deaths’ in Indian jails and delay in grant of compensation, apex court intervened to uphold the FR of the inmates.
Implications
Destruction of the fine ‘constitutional balance’ between the three organs, as suggested by Principle of separation of power by Montesque
While judicial activism strengthens the people’s confidence, the very act of ‘overreach’ destroys it as it appears an act of ‘tyranny of un-elected’ in a democracy where elected representatives rule.
Decimation of ‘trust’ between different organs which is highly detrimental for public welfare.
Recognising the repercussions of the ‘perceived overreach’, the apex court has issued guidelines to ensure that ‘an act of judicial activism’ should not become ‘overreach‘.
Topic: Powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies.
Q) In the light of new challenges posed by computerisation of government
transactions and creation of new regulatory bodies, CAG needs more professionalism
in its working, wider power delegation, and fundamental reforms in its structural
organisation. Analyse. (250 Words)
EPW
Introduction :- The Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) of India is an authority which audits all receipts and expenditure of the Government of India and the state governments, including those of bodies and authorities substantially financed by the government.
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Duties of CAG :-
As per the provisions of the constitution, the CAG’s (DPC) (Duties, Powers and Conditions of Service) Act, 1971 was enacted. As per the various provisions, the duties of the CAG include the audit of:
Receipts and expenditure from the Consolidated Fund of India and of the State and Union Territory having legislative assembly.
Trading, manufacturing, profit and loss accounts and balance sheets, and other subsidiary accounts kept in any Government department; Accounts of stores and stock kept in Government offices or departments.
Government companies as per the provisions of the Companies Act, 1956.
Corporations established by or under laws made by Parliament in accordance with the provisions of the respective legislation.
Authorities and bodies substantially financed from the Consolidated Funds of the Union and State Governments. Anybody or authority even though not substantially financed from the Consolidated Fund, the audit of which may be entrusted to the C&AG.
Grants and loans given by Government to bodies and authorities for specific purposes.
Entrusted audits e.g. those of Panchayati Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies under Technical Guidance & Support (TGS).
The CAG office has revealed many financial misdeeds, ranging from the bungling of the purchase of army jeeps, associated with V K Krishna Menon in the 1950s, and the Bofors gun scandal in the 1980s. In more recent times, it has revealed the financial scams of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA II), such as the 2G telecom spectrum, Coalgate, and the Commonwealth Games scams.
However with new challenges posed by computerisation of government transactions and creation of new regulatory bodies, CAG needs more professionalism in its working, wider power delegation, and fundamental reforms in its structural organisation. These developments pose new challenges for public audits, which require the CAG to reinvent itself.
Problems in functioning of CAG and solutions for them:-
Leadership plays a crucial role in the success of an organisation and, therefore, it is important that the person appointed as the CAG has high professional competence and unimpeachable integrity. Appointing experts in auditing rather than an administrative officers like IAS, making CAG a multimember body and creating a dedicated Organisational workforce is important.
Taking examples of international practices is important. In the United Kingdom (UK), whose parliamentary traditions we follow, the 100-year-old Exchequer and Audit Departments Act (1866) was amended in 1983 to provide that the CAG will be appointed only after an address is presented in the House of Commons by the Prime Minister, acting in agreement with the chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). In India appointment to such crucial post is in executive domain.
The organisational structure of the office of the CAG is not in consonance with the federal arrangement scheme envisaged in the Constitution. While every state has a separate legislature, governor, high court, and public service commission, there is no provision for a separate audit chief for states enjoying constitutional or legal status. If state level CAG are appointed it will reduce burden over central CAG and will strengthen the states voice in auditing.
All over the world, SAIs have been vested with wide powers of investigation and are entrusted with the authority to recover the loss of money or property due to malfeasance of public officials like in Japan New Zealand but Indian CAG does not enjoy any such authority which makes it ineffective.
The work of the CAG can be made more professional, if it recruits computer specialists, engineers, scientists, and economists in its senior cadre, and if it hires domain experts and specialists for short-term consultancy assignments, to perform audit tasks.
In the words of Dr. Ambedkar CAG is probably the most important office under Indian Constitution. Hence reforms and improvements in this office to make it more relevant to changing circumstance .
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Topic: Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act.
Q) What is exit poll? Does the decision to ban exit polls by the Election Commission
go against freedom of speech and expression? Critically comment. (150 Words)
The Hindu
Introduction :- An election exit poll is a poll of voters taken immediately after they have exited the polling stations. Unlike an opinion poll, which asks for whom the voter plans to vote, or some similar formulation, an exit poll asks for whom the voter actually voted. A similar poll conducted before actual voters have voted is called an entrance poll. Pollsters – usually private companies working for newspapers or broadcasters – conduct exit polls to gain an early indication as to how an election has turned out, as in many elections the actual result may take hours or even days to count.
The question of exit polls has divided the media and the Election Commission (EC) for at least two decades now. Election commission used various ways to ban exit polls. Recently it has now invoked Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code. It criminalises disobedience of the order of public officials and institutions. Earlier, the EC had invoked Sections 126A and B of the Representation of People Act, which prohibit actions that sway voting while election are in progress.
However it is argued that banning exit poll goes against the freedom of speech and expression :-
In a democracy like India every voter has right to express his/ her opinions. People can’t be banned to share their opinions.
It also curb the freedom of press to conduct polls to gauge the mood of people in country for election.
It may influence the opinions of other people hence subconsciously restricting, diverting their freedom of expression.
However they have much Importance and hence should not be banned:-
Exit polls are also used to collect demographic data about voters and to find out why they voted as they did. Since actual votes are cast anonymously, polling is the only way of collecting this information.
Exit polls have historically and throughout the world been used as a check against, and rough indicator of, the degree of election fraud. Some examples in global politics of this include the Venezuelan recall referendum, 2004, and the Ukrainian presidential election, 2004.
They are used to command a mandate as well as to determine whether or not a particular political campaign was successful or not.
The distribution of votes is not even across different polling stations, and also varies at different times of day. As a result, a single exit poll may give an imperfect picture of the national vote. Instead, the exit poll is primarily used to calculate swing and turnout.
What is the international practice?
Sixteen European Union countries ban reporting of opinion polls, with ban timeframes ranging from a full month to just 24 hours before polling day.
Italy, Slovakia and Luxembourg have a ban of more than 7 days.
France – The French ban has been reduced to 24 hours ahead of voting day.
UK – There are no restrictions on publishing results of opinion polls — however, results of exit polls can’t be published until the voting is over.
US – Media coverage of opinion polls is regarded as an integral part of free speech in elections, and publication is allowed at any time.
The only restriction that exists — not reporting likely outcomes from exit polls before voting is over on election day — is one that news organisations commissioning the polls voluntarily impose upon themselves.
Way forward :-
Regulation is required than outright ban. A model of professional and ethical rules, which market researchers follow, already exists in the European Society for Opinion and Market Research (ESOMAR), and the World Association for
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Public Opinion Research (WAPOR). The guidelines on opinion polls and published surveys of these organisations set out the responsibilities of researchers to conduct opinion polls in a professional and ethical way. Such practices can be followed.
Q) There is a widely held belief that voters in India, especially the poor, sell their
votes in exchange for cash, liquor, saris, and many other such goodies. Do you agree
with this belief? Substantiate. (250 Words)
The Hindu
Introduction :- Elections in India are a hugely expensive affair. Large amounts of money are collected by political parties and spent during the elections. Though there is a prescribed ceiling for the candidates’ election expenditure, there is no limit on the expenditure political parties can incur. A large component of this money originates from dubious sources and most of funding is from unknown sources.
The Vote for Cash phenomenon is being increasingly used and exploited by the candidates owing to the increasing tendencies of valuing their votes in terms of a win ability factor for elections.
The Association for Democratic Reforms’ (ADR) research on these aspects clearly brings out the influence of money which manifests itself in the rising cost of elections, increase in number of crorepatis MPs/MLAs, assets growth of the re-elected MPs/MLAs and chances of winning for crorepati candidates.
Factors responsible for this relationship :-
Cash is an important grease to run a smooth campaign machinery for a number of reasons. First, parties have weak organisations at the local level and face heavy institutional constraints. Most parties do not have enough committed volunteers to mobilise votes. Money acts as a substitute for the organisation as cash is used to engage vote mobilisers or local individuals who will seek votes for a party and/or candidate.
Institutional constraints also make money extremely critical. The Election Commission (EC) allows only 14 days of official campaigning, which ends 48 hours before the scheduled close of polling.
Given the size of constituencies (both in area and the number of voters), a candidate requires an army of workers during the campaign period. Even if a campaign decides to pay the current minimum wage for agricultural labourers to each of its workers during the entire campaign period the candidate would end up exceeding the expenditure limit. To avoid this, candidates spend huge sums of money on cash, liquor and gifts that they hand out to their middlemen.
money signals resources and power, or access to powerful networks. It allows candidates to mobilise supporters who in turn can pull a crowd together. The role of money as a symbol of power is especially important in a hierarchical society such as India, with the state wielding enormous power.
Competitive populism in Indian politics has led to the development of an “ante-up quid pro quo” system, with politicians and parties forced to put money and goods into the pot before they could play a hand. And this is amplified by weak party organisations, limited campaigning periods and the humongous size of constituencies. Thus, campaign finance reforms should begin by increasing the number of constituencies and the duration of the official campaign period. Smaller constituencies with longer campaigning period are more likely to curb the negative influence of money in politics in comparison to putting a cap on the expenditure limit.
Q) In successive elections, electoral participation in India’s big, metropolitan cities
has been lower vis-à-vis semi-urban and rural constituencies. It is argued that in big
cities, it is not the middle class but the urban poor who are unable to exercise their
franchise. Discuss. (250 Words)
EPW
Introduction :- Electoral participation in India’s big, metropolitan cities has been observed to be comparatively lower than that in semi-urban and rural areas. Empirically measured in terms of voter turnout, the percentage of voters who participate in elections in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, etc, has been found to be way lower than the average turnout of their respective states. The media and political commentators often attribute this to middle-class apathy and lack of political engagement among India’s urban, educated voters.
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However, empirical data gathered as a part of our National Election Studies (NES) indicate that metropolitan cities have lower voter turnouts not because the so-called middle classes do not participate in the national elections but, rather, because the urban poor residing in these big cities do not exercise their franchise in larger numbers.
Evidence from around the world shows that even in richer and more longstanding democracies poorer citizens participate less often and less vigorously than their wealthier counterparts. In Third World democracies, where the rate of poverty is much higher – as high as 68 percent in Zambia and 70 percent in Madagascar – participation and influence may be particularly skewed, resulting in a much narrower base of support for democracy.
Reasons for the same :-
Using data from the State Election Study (SES) of Delhi, one of the largest urban agglomerations in the country, one can argue that a large share of these urban poor are internal migrants who do not form a part of India’s democratic upsurge due to low enrolment rates and, hence, are the reason behind the low urban turnout rate.
Based on data collected as a part of the NES on the 2009 and the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, one can argue that the assumption of middle-class apathy is basically fallacious. There is a positive relationship between electoral participation and economic class. Hence poor are left behind in the participation.
Another reason is the informal nature of the work that migrants are usually engaged in. Internal migrants, especially short-term migrants, are engaged in the informal sector as construction workers, domestic servants, and security personnel; these jobs tend to be seasonal and temporary in nature. Despite the Election Commission’s diktat that voting day be declared a public holiday, the nature of work prevents many from taking leave. It is difficult for a migrant labour to forego a day’s earnings and exercise their political right. Thus, a process of disenfranchisement begins, owing to the nature of their occupational engagement.
Also the high mobility of short-term migrants within cities owing to the nature of their occupation and their economic status can lead to inaccurate voter lists; this is also a reason for why many migrant voters fail to cast their vote even if they are enrolled as voters. Studies conducted in Delhi and other cities also confirm such inaccuracies in the voter list.
Role of literacy :- Studies undertaken in different parts of the world have shown how literacy can be one such mediating variable. Bratton and Mattes find within six Sub-Saharan countries that education has highly positive effects on people’s attitudes toward democracy. Finkel shows how civic education programs in South Africa and the Dominican Republic have enabled citizens to engage more actively and effectively with democracy in these countries.
Role of information :- Information can be similarly critical for entrenching democracy better. Citizens without information can rarely formulate interests clearly, and they know little about appropriate institutional pathways for expressing these interests, so democracy without information can be exclusionary in effect.
In addition to wealth and education, religion and caste are also important to examine in the Indian context.
Gender is strongly and negatively associated with participation. Female representatives tend to participate to a considerably smaller degree – 15 percentage points less on average – compared to male representatives. With poverty added it exaggerate this problem.
For the poor and the marginalised, democracy is not only about universal franchise and participation in the electoral process, but about reclaiming the state. Their increased participation has strengthened the democratic process itself in India, though it is too early to say whether this will be successful in reducing inequality and addressing the bias in economic and social institutions. Efforts should be made to enhance their large scale participation.
Q) The 255th Law Commission Report on Electoral Reforms observed that opacity
in political funding results in “lobbying and capture” of the government by big
donors. Do you think electoral bonds would help address flow of black money into
political parties? What are the other alternatives available? Critically comment.
(250 Words)
The Hindu
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Introduction:
According to the NGO, Association of Democratic Reforms, 69% of the income of political parties is from unknown sources. But even the 31% from known sources pertains only to the income that the parties declare to the Income Tax (IT) department.
The 255th Law Commission Report on Electoral Reforms observed that opacity in political funding results in “lobbying and capture” of the government by big donors. The lower the transparency in political funding, the easier it is for the super-rich to buy the kind of government they want.
In this context, electoral bonds are thus envisaged as the solution.
Electoral bonds
The donor can purchase a bond, using only cheques or digital payments, from a notified bank. This bond is like a bearer cheque (which does not carry the name of the donor and so facilitates anonymity) that will then be transferred into the bank account of the chosen political party for a fixed period of time.
The party can then use this money in their account, which must have been notified to the Election Commission.
Issues with electoral bonds
Anonymity
The Income Tax Act that earlier required that all parties disclose their sources of funds above the limit of individual donations of Rs.2000, has been amended, because in the new system the parties would not know who has donated to them.
The Companies Act put a limit of 7.5 per cent of profits on political donations, and required companies to disclose the parties to which they were donating. These conditions have both been removed—companies can now donate any amount, without revealing the beneficiary.
The supposed reason for all this secrecy is “to protect donors from harassment”.
But, in fact, the donors and their beneficiaries will be known to the banks, and therefore to the Finance Ministry that controls the banks, and therefore to the party in power in the Central government.
What, in effect, has happened is that the power to harass has been centralised in the hands of the party controlling the Centre—and both its information about political donations and its ability to put pressure on and harass those who donate to opposition parties have become that much greater and they will also be completely unknown to other parties and to the general public.
Money laundering
What is more, this system also enables much more effective money laundering since anyone can buy a bond, the sources of income that enable the purchase are not to be questioned, and once the money enters the system, it is effectively part of the white economy.
Bearer bonds are basically the same as cash in a monetary system, so this must be one of the simplest, safest and politically influential ways for those holding illicit wealth to transfer some of it into legally valid channels, even as they earn brownie points with the ruling dispensation.
This effectively allows corporates to buy the governments of their choice well into the future, and that too without any public knowledge of the extent of their involvement.
Foreign funding
The government set the ball rolling with the Finance Act 2016, which amended the FCRA to allow political parties to accept donations from foreign companies.
A foreign company can anonymously donate unlimited sums to an Indian political party without the EC or the IT department ever getting to know.
Way forward
Former Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi has suggested setting up a National Electoral Fund to which all donors can contribute.
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The funds would then be allocated to all registered political parties in proportion to the votes obtained. This would address donors’ concern for secrecy.
Once public funding of political parties is ensured, private donations would be banned and an annual audit of all donations and party expenditure by the Comptroller and Auditor General would be made mandatory.
Topic: Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies
Q) The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is a toothless tiger. Comment.
(150 Words)
The Indian Express
Introduction :- The Rights Commission (NHRC) of India is an autonomous public body constituted on 12 October 1993 under the Protection of Human Rights Ordinance of 28 September 1993. It was given a statutory basis by the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 (TPHRA). The NHRC is the National Human Rights Commission of India, responsible for the protection and promotion of human rights, defined by the Act as “rights relating to life, liberty, equality and dignity of the individual guaranteed by the Constitution or embodied in the International Covenants”.
Why it is called toothless tiger :-
NHRC’s recommendations do not percolate to the ground level as the NHRC does not have the backing of the Protection of Human Rights Act to penalise authorities which do not implement its orders.
The Act does not extend to Jammu and Kashmir and hence the commission has to keep its eyes closed to human rights violations there.
The Act does not categorically empower the NHRC to act when human rights violations through private parties take place.
The Act requires that three of the five members of a human rights commission must be former judges but does not specify whether these judges should have a proven record of human rights activism or expertise or qualifications in the area. Regarding the other two members, the Act is vague, saying simply: “persons having knowledge and experience of human rights.”
Under the Act, human rights commissions cannot investigate an event if the complaint was made more than one year after the incident. Therefore, a large number of genuine grievances go unaddressed.
The powers of the National Human Rights Commission relating to violations of human rights by the armed forces have been restricted to simply seeking a report from the Government, (without being allowed to summons witnesses), and then issuing recommendations.
Way forward :-
The effectiveness of commissions will be greatly enhanced if their decisions are immediately made enforceable by the government. This will save considerable time and energy as commissions will no longer need to either send reminders to government departments to implement the recommendations or alternatively to approach High Courts through a cumbersome judicial process to make the government take action.
A large number of human rights violations occur in areas where there is insurgency and internal conflict. Not allowing NHRC to independently investigate complaints against the military and security forces only compounds the problems and furthers cultures of impunity. It is essential that commission is able to summons witnesses and documents.
As non-judicial member positions are increasingly being filled by ex-bureaucrats, credence is given to the contention that NHRC is more an extension of the government, rather than independent agency exercising oversight. If it is to play a meaningful role in society, it must include civil society human rights activists as members. Many activists have the knowledge and on-the-ground experience of contemporary trends in the human rights movement to be an asset to the Commission.
NHRC needs to develop an independent cadre of staff with appropriate experience. The present arrangement of having to reply on those on deputation from different government departments is not satisfactory as experience has shown that most have little knowledge and understanding of human rights issues. This problem can be rectified by employing specially recruited and qualified staff to help clear the heavy inflow of complaints.
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A culture of human rights ought to be promoted through education. Human rights education in India is extremely important, given the fact that society is witness to numerous violations and abuse of powers and that the ability of the people to fight these injustices is limited. The strategy for inculcating human rights culture among the people needs to be based on a number of factors: social, legal, political, judicial, and institutional.
Link: NHRC
Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to
Health
Q) What are the aptitudes, capabilities, skills and qualities that a university
teacher/researcher – particularly in the domain of humanities and social sciences –
needs to cultivate, and is the National Eligibility Test (NET) in tune with this spirit?
Critically examine. (250 Words)
The Wire
Introduction :- The National Eligibility Test (NET) is a test to determine eligibility for college and university level lecturership and for award of Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) for Indian nationals. It aims to ensure minimum standards for the entrants in teaching professions and research. On behalf of the University Grants Commission (UGC), the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) holds the test for determining the eligibility of Indian nationals for the Eligibility for Assistant Professor only or Junior Research Fellowship and Eligibility for Assistant Professor both in Indian universities and colleges.
NET becomes very crucial in the light that it recruits the change makers in society the teachers hence assessing it’s tuning with aptitude, capabilities, skills and qualities required for a teacher is a must :-
A teacher has to be a good communicator capable of retaining the autonomy of a vibrant classroom interaction. This is possible only when a teacher has something of his/her own – say, intellectual depth, critical consciousness and creative thinking and NET by it’s examination pattern doesn’t check this.
The pattern of questions in NET is more unnecessarily objective rather than analytical or subjective checking candidates actual depth of understanding about the topic.
A good teacher is not a quiz master or machine of objectivity but his/her primary task is to invite the young learners to the world of ideas. This skill is not developed or assessed by NET.
a teacher as a catalyst needs to have sufficient open/dialogic space within to encourage students to cherish ambiguities. For instance, it is not about whether Gandhi was wrong and Ambedkar was right; it is rather to make students think whether ‘modernist’ Ambedkar’s engagement with Buddhism and eventual realisation that the abolition of caste requires a moral/spiritual transformation was taking him closer to ‘spiritualist’ Gandhi. NET discourages development of such approach by candidate by it’s rotten pattern,
Far from living with the certainty of a ‘correct’ answer, a good teacher encourages students to rethink what appears to be ‘correct’. Analytical thinking and empathic understanding, alert observation and self-reflexivity, seeing the values beneath the facts and creatively organised writing are some of the qualities required to be in a university teacher.
The NET, it seems, is a cumulative manifestation of these beliefs trying to measure the solidity of one’s knowledge. This is a dangerous trend. Hence, unlike the fact-centric/non-reflexive/objective questions are being modelled with requirements of teachers NET won’t serve it’s real purpose and would be detrimental for nation’s educational system in long run.
Q) India accounts for the highest TB incidence (23%) and mortality (26%) globally.
How can India combat TB effectively? Discuss strategies. (250 Words)
The Hindu
Introduction :- In India, each year, approx. 220, 000 deaths are reported due to Tuberculosis. Between 2006 and 2014, the disease cost Indian economy USD 340 billion. This public health problem is the world’s largest tuberculosis epidemic.
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India bears a disproportionately large burden of the world’s tuberculosis rates, as it continues to be the biggest health problem in India. It remains one of the largest on India’s health and wellness scale. India is the highest TB burden country with World Health Organisation (WHO) statistics for 2011 giving an estimated incidence figure of 2.2 million cases of TB for India out of a global incidence of 9.6 million cases.
Strategies to combat TB effectively :-
Focusing on TB prevention strategy like TB vaccination, TB education, TB reporting, Stopping spread of MDR TB and Implementing the WHO Stop TB Strategy in a new form, energy etc.
The Indian government’s Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP) started in India during 1997. The program uses the WHO recommended Directly Observed Treatment Short Course (DOTS) strategy to develop ideas and data on TB treatment. However owing to it’s lacunas the need is to check it’s timely dosages, encourage patients for strict completions of cources and spreading awareness about government programs.
Chemical strategy to combat TB is also effective. Current TB treatments are based on combinations of the drugs isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide. The new reaserches like 2-(Quinolin-4-yloxy) acetamide study and ITD-based candidates will be helpful.
Implementing End TB strategy by WHO which focuses on 80% drop in new TB cases by 2030, 90% drop in deaths due to TB by 2030 and 100% of family affected cost saving from TB.
Roping in civil society organisations and NGOs into TB eradication like The Tuberculosis Association of India.
India is moving optimistically on path of TB eradication. There was a 34% increase in case notifications by health-care providers in the private sector between 2013 and 2015. It improved from 61% in 2015 to 69% in 2016. Domestic funding (74%, $387 million) was raised for anti TB work. Governments efforts such as DOTS, X PERT, Revised national TB program, Mission Indradhanush, Nikshay, N-eHA, 90-90-90 atrategy are steps in right direction.
Q) The Prime Minister has recently constituted the economic advisory council
(PMEAC) to provide sound policy advice in key areas such as reviving economic
growth and creating enabling conditions for gainful employment. Do you think
PMEAC was needed when the NITI Aayog and the office of the chief economic adviser
(CEA) are fully functional with similar policy agendas? Discuss. (200 Words)
Livemint
Introduction :- NITI Aayog (Hindi for Policy Commission), also known as the backronym for the National Institution for Transforming India, is a Government of India policy think-tank established by the NDA government to replace the Planning Commission which followed the top-down model. The stated aim for NITI Aayog’s creation is to foster involvement and participation in the economic policy-making process by the State Governments of India. The emphasis is on bottom-up approach and make the country to move towards cooperative federalism.
While The Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) is the economic advisor to the Government of India. The CEA is the ex-officio cadre controlling authority of the Indian Economic Service. The CEA is under the direct charge of the Minister of Finance.
Apart from NITI Aayog and CEA the government receives policy-related suggestions from stakeholders such as bureaucrats, industry, consumer groups, think tanks, academia, media, experts, among others through both structured and non-structured processes. However a closer look at the functions of the CEA and NITI Aayog points to a niche which the PMEAC can create for itself.
All those stakeholders giving advices to government directly or indirectly represent a specific interest group, such as the Central government, state governments, foreign investors, domestic industry, intermediaries, consumers, among others, and, by design, may not be able to adopt a holistic approach.
This is where role of PMEC becomes crucial as it can provide independent astute understanding of the interlinkages between the interests of different stakeholder groups, including stakeholders who have not been able to effectively communicate their perspectives.
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The chairman and member secretary of the PMEAC remain associated with NITI Aayog in their old capacities, thus providing critical synergy between the two organizations.
The CEA reports to the Union finance minister and is tasked with preparing the economic survey, involving rigorous ex-post analysis of economic realities. It lays the ground for predicting forthcoming opportunities and challenges to the economy. The NITI Aayog, on the other hand, provides expert advice to different government departments and state governments on policy formulation, monitoring and supervision.
Armed with data analysis from the CEA, and an understanding of the implementation capabilities of government departments and state governments from NITI Aayog, the PMEAC will be in a position to adopt a whole-of-government approach to provide policy advice to the Prime Minister.
The members of the PMEAC have the necessary skill set and experience to make the most of this opportunity and contribute to the country’s economic growth revival story. This unique opportunity must not be missed.
Q) Critically comment on proposed amendments to the Karnataka Private Medical
Establishments Act and reasons why doctors across state are protesting against
these amendments. (150 Words)
The Wire
Introduction :- The doctors are opposing the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (Amendment) Bill, 2017, provides to regulate functioning of private hospitals by prescribing treatment costs and punitive action for violations. The Act mandates registration of all private medical establishments, charts out the obligations like maintaining records, prescribes minimum standards of facilities and services provided in the private medical establishment and mandates displaying rates of various procedures.
It is being amended for fixing Increased liability on doctors for medical negligence. The government is now trying to strengthen the law to include prices caps for medical treatments and procedures and to strengthen grievance redressal systems.
Why doctors across Karnataka are protesting against these amendments :-
Private doctors are demanding that the state focus on lifting the standards of care at government hospitals before attempting to regulate private medical establishments and their doctors.
The IMA also said that the Bill was discriminatory because it does not bring public sector hospitals into its ambit.
The punishment — ranging from six month to three-year jail terms and fines of between Rs 25,000 and Rs 5 lakh — for violators of the fee and a condition that hospitals must hand over bodies to family members soon after a death, instead of holding on to them for payment of dues, are among the key clauses causing concern in the private medical community.
The bill has been conceived after due consultation with the hospitals by the Justice Vikramajit Sen commission. Kumar has also stated that the state government has paid the 250-odd private hospitals in Karnataka over Rs 1,000 crore through various health schemes since 2003
The proposed amendments to the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Act – including regulating fee and service charges at private hospitals – are not against doctors. Rather, they will facilitate a better doctor-patient relationship.
Q) The intention to raise public expenditure to strengthen India’s healthcare have
been repeated in the in many official plans with little or no action. Identify the
sources of funding that can help India spend more on healthcare. Also discuss in
addition to more funds, what else is needed to address health challenges in future.
(150 Words)
The Indian Express
Introduction :- Human endeavor creates value. Healthier people endeavor more. Thus, health is a creator of value, of prosperity. Despite of this fact India spends only 1.3 % of it’s GDP expenditure on health. Considering the population of 125 crore and out of pocket expenditure of poor as above 655 this is a crisis situation in Indian healthcare.
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The stories like an impoverished man in Odisha who carried his wife’s body for 12 km after the hospital where she died allegedly due to failure to provide an ambulance, stories of hospitals full of rats, death of hundreds of children in Gorkhapur hospitals etc. shows the miserable picture of Indian healthcare scenario.
Sources of funding that can help India spend more on healthcare and what more needs to be done:-
Country-by-country estimates of revenue loss from international corporate tax avoidance are available from several studies. The leaks of Panama Papers, Paradise papers etc. shows this money can be used to fund universal health coverage. India is estimated to be losing 2.34 per cent of GDP due to corporate tax avoidance.
To achieve universal health coverage, India must increase health spending as a percentage of GDP through general taxation and additional private sector payments.
The diversity of funding models that the US and Singapore follow to fund their healthcare can definitely be a better fit as it provides greater flexibility, choice and innovation.
The U.S. relies on private insurance, paid for mostly by employers: almost half of the supersized health spending (16 per cent of GDP) is financed by tax money for the care of the old and the very poor.
Social insurance in countries like Germany and Netherlands provide financial protection and offset high out of pocket payments.
The increase in spending should be accompanied by changes in how that money is spent. Over time, 70% of public spending should be on primary care considering the population base.
Government efforts like Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) , enhancing health expenditure to 2.5% of GDP, moving towards universal health coverage need to be accelerated.
Tapping resources from Corporate social responsibility, civil society organisations like Bill and Melinda gates foundations etc. is important.
Recommendations of Joseph Bhore Committee were noteworthy in this regard. K. Sujatha Rao, former Union Health Secretary, in her book, Do We Care? India’s Health System, says that with the current level of under-funding for health, we will fail to meet the National Health Policy 2017 targets. According to CDC estimates, there is a $10 return on investment for every $1 spent on childhood vaccinations, of which Peru and China are good examples. These high out of pocket payments are a major trigger for pushing people into poverty – 55 million Indians fell into poverty because of their healthcare spending during 2011-12. This shows the need to enhance public health expenditure in India.
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Q) Examine why India urgently needs a national dementia policy. (150 Words)
The Indian Express
Introduction :- Dementia is a broad category of brain diseases that cause a long-term and often gradual decrease in the ability to think and remember that is great enough to affect a person’s daily functioning. Other common symptoms include emotional problems, problems with language, and a decrease in motivation. A person’s consciousness is usually not affected. A dementia diagnosis requires a change from a person’s usual mental functioning and a greater decline than one would expect due to aging. These diseases also have a significant effect on a person’s caregivers.
Dementia in India :-
According to recent published figures, over four million Indians above 60 have the condition, which is around 3.7 percent of that population. Approximately, one out of every 16 households with an elder has someone with dementia.
Urgent need of National Dementia policy :-
Alzheimer’s & Related Disorders Society of India (ARDISI) advocated the need for more attention to the condition, given that the number of people with dementia is expected to rise to about 7 million by 2020 and rapidly escalate to reach 13 to 14 million by 2050.
As per the India Dementia Report 2010 about Rs 43,000 annually per family is spent to take care of a person affected by dementia. The cost is high for many.
Current treatments merely address the symptoms and not the underlying biological cause of the disease. With this lack of awareness, lack of specialized doctors make it necessary to formulate a national policy.
Rising tendencies of old age family problems in India make it necessary to have adequate services for Dementia’s treatment with sensitivity towards the care-givers, who are mostly from the family and ageing themselves.
Support from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment becomes crucial in India as the disease has many social aspects which need awareness and service facilities at the community level, legal provisions to safeguard and protect the rights, dignity and respect of those affected and in minimising economic costs and the burden of the disease, building public campaigns and dementia-friendly initiatives are necessary.
The Global Plan of Action on the Public Health Response to Dementia 2017-2025, adopted by 194 countries of the WHO, calls for a national dementia policy, recognition of human rights of people with dementia and the potential of dementia friendly-communities to give those rights practical effect.
The 2011 World Alzheimer Report said that while there is evidence that early interventions are effective, an astonishing 28 million of the world’s 36 million dementia patients remain undiagnosed
An important aspect of action in dealing with dementia is to work towards risk reduction of the disease. The non-communicable diseases plan of action should include building resources for strengthening brain health by associating it with physical and spiritual health. Above all, it is important that there be focus on supporting people with dementia to maintain their independence as much as they can and retain their inclusion in families, community and society. Stop discrimination against them. Hospitals like NIMHANS, Bangalore are an excellent resource for getting dementia treatment and care. Such institutions can be roped in together once a national policy is in place.
Q) Discuss the significance and findings of the recent India State-level Disease
Burden Initiative. (150 Words)
The Hindu
Introduction :- The India State-level Disease Burden Initiative, a joint initiative between the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), and Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India along with experts and stakeholders associated with over 100 Indian institutions, released the first comprehensive set of state-level disease burden, risk factors estimates and trends for each state in India to inform health planning to reduce health inequalities amongst states in India. These estimates are based on analysis of all identifiable epidemiological data from India over quarter of a century.
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Significance and findings of report :-
The data and results shared by the India State-level Disease Burden Initiative today in its report, scientific paper, and the online visualization tool will serve as a useful guide for fine-tuning data driven health planning specific for health situation of each state of the country.
The estimates released, which are based on utilization of all available epidemiological data, show that the per person burden due to major infectious disease.
The disease profile of each state released today showing the contribution of specific diseases and risk factors to the overall health loss can be a useful guide for states when they develop their Project Implementation Plans for health.
Particular findings :-
For instance, life expectancy at birth in the country improved significantly during 1990 to 2016 — from 59.7 years and 58.3 years for females and males respectively in 1990 to 70.3 years for females and 66.9 years for males in 2016.
In a measure of the continuing inequalities, life expectancy for females in Uttar Pradesh was 66.8 years — below the national average and 12 years less than in Kerala, where it was 78.7 years.
Men in Kerala enjoyed a life expectancy of 73.8 years, but the corresponding figure for men in Assam was 63.6 years.
The study found that while under-5 mortality was improving in every State, there was a four-fold difference in the rate of improvement among States, which again indicated health inequalities.
The per person burden from many of the leading infectious and non-communicable diseases varies 5-10 times between different States and malnutrition continues to be the single largest risk for health loss in India
Q) Examine the issues and concerns that are associated with using technology as
learning tool for kids. (150 Words)
The Indian Express
Introduction :- Technology is the backbone of 21st century generation. It has many roles, benefits and it’s use as a learning tool for kids is no exception. It is important to use technology in terms of internet use, devises like mobile, laptops, informative apps in order to enhance the learnability and grasping capacity of kids in today’s generation. Use of technology is also crucial for providing an edge to kids in this competitive world. However it is creating many issues and concerns :-
Health issues :- Unchecked and unfiltered, screen-time can be dangerous for kids. It has clear health implications, in that it can affect sleep, or prevent kids from engaging in physical activity, thereby contributing to India’s rising childhood obesity rates. It can exacerbate mental health issues, and perpetuate social isolation. And studies have shown that young children who are screen users exhibit higher rates of aggression.
Addictive tendencies generation :- Online apps and games, which are created with the specific intent to attract and hook their users, are particularly addictive for kids.
Issues of mental churning and psychological impact of technology on kids :- Young children don’t have the ability to spot the differences between advertisements, or sponsored content, and real content. They lack the cognitive sophistication and experience to think critically about what they’re seeing and evaluate its veracity. And they are keenly observing and rapidly absorbing the social and moral messages they are seeing on those screens, leaving them vulnerable to picking up and perpetuating stereotypes and biases.
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Issues of parenting with advanced generation :- Kids’ content is most beneficial when it’s accompanied by an active discussion or when it is supporting an activity offline. In other words, when there is a level of parental explanation and mentorship around what kids are seeing and hearing.
Distractions, misuse and exploitation of technology :- smartphones and tablets, with internet connectivity and text messaging services, can merely be a source of distraction for students as opposed to a learning tool. It may be difficult for a teacher to monitor her students so closely in class as to determine whether they are utilizing educational apps on their tablets or browsing Facebook. The teacher must decide whether or not to use filtered browsing on the devices to cut down on distractions, which might not be an option if the child owns the device.
Devices and digital media are a godsend for busy parents who need a bit of a break from parenting. But let’s not call it educational. Devices, alone, are not going to teach our children empathy, compassion, morals, values, manners, or even math. We are lucky to live in a time when we have these tools, now we just have to learn how to use them.
Q) Do you think private schools deliver better learning outcomes than public
schools? In the light of the recent World Development Report, discuss the issues
associated with private education and the need for upgradation of public education
in India. (250 Words)
Livemint
Introduction :- The World Bank’s recent flagship World Development Report, 2018 has studied the comparison of learning outcomes in private and public schooling systems.
There is a popular perception that private school deliver better learning outcomes due to advantages they share like
Private schools have better infrastructure required for the physical and mental development of the child. They can help with the required facilities for the students to learn their lessons in a better way. The infrastructure can help them to have a practical approach to education.
The private institutes are better in their approach towards the psychological development of the children.
Private schools maintain better hygiene and environment which could safeguard the health of the students.
The education imparted in the private schools are more of audio-visual now-a-days with the emergence of computers into the learning.
Private schools can also provide better sport activities and equipments for the physical development of the children.
Students can learn the civilized and modern approach which is of demand in the MNC culture which is feeding many of us in present era.
But the Findings of the report shows another side which negated this perceptions and discussed issues in private educational system :-
The World Bank report thus challenges a popular perception in India and finds no consistent evidence that private schools deliver better learning outcomes than public schools.
Indeed, of the 1.27 million untrained teachers teaching in India, 925,000 are in private schools, pointing to the massive historic neglect of quality.
It advocated that States’ capacities to fully monitor and enforce adherence to quality standards, mitigate against negative equity impact and ensure contract compliance must be enhanced if justice is to be done to those who already study in private schools.
The report warned that some private schools’ quest for profit “can lead them to advocate policy choices that are not in the interests of students”.
There are also clear risks as private schools skim off higher-income students that are easiest and most profitable to teach, leaving the most disadvantaged within the public system.
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The reliance on private schools risks segregating the education system on family income and deepening existing social cleavages; it also undermines the political constituency for effective public schooling in the long run. This has particularly dangerous outcomes in India where caste, gender and class inequalities dominate.
Some of the facts depicting the peculiar condition of education in India are;
As per the global education report-2004, India was positioned at 106 out of 127 countries in the education sphere.
India has the largest number of illiterates by far, contributing around 34% to the total number of illiterates in the world.
It is among the ten fastest growing economies in the world, but still has one-third of the world’s illiterates.
Government schools do hold a significant position in making education available to the masses. They have several benefits over private schools which cannot be denied; such as,
Government schools are affordable.
These schools provide education without any discrimination.
Policies like ‘Free and Compulsory Education’ and ‘Education to The Girl Child’ are made possible only in the government schools.
Salaries of government school teachers are considerably high.
Hence there is a need to upgrade the public education system :-
The quality of education can only be improved if steps are taken to ensure children come to school prepared to learn, teachers have the skills and motivation to teach effectively, inputs reach classrooms and management and governance systems are strengthened in schools that serve the poorest.
Lack of basic facilities adds to the plight of education system in India. The situation worsens as we move from urban to sub-urban and rural areas. So ensuring the availability of facilities like sanitation, drinking water, laboratories, libraries, sports etc is crucial.
Quality of teachers and teachings need attention. The National Education Policy (NEP) draft prepared by the TSR Subramanian committee proposed independent Teacher Recruitment Commissions, and formulation of transparent and merit-based norms and guidelines for recruitment of teachers and principals. It suggests teacher training, recruitment, school management, and improved pedagogic techniques.
Increasing the budgetary allocation is important. India is committed to the global and domestic benchmark of allotting 6% of gross domestic product to education, but has never crossed the 4% threshold. Failing to invest in the best education for the poor will only widen the social inequalities that exist in India today
The road to reform is fraught with challenges but the cost of inaction will be much higher. Hence upgradation of public system is the need of hour.
Q) The publication of “Investing in Health,” the World Bank’s highly influential
1993 World Development Report, has guided structural adjustment policies and
health sector reforms in many developing countries. Critically examine how India’s
healthcare industry has evolved since the publication of above said report. (250
Words)
EPW
Introduction :- World Bank had published a much researched World Development Report of “Investing in Health” which gave guidelines for structural adjustment policies and health reforms in developing countries as follows:-
For developing economies, the WDR recommends a three-pronged approach:
Fostering an environment that enables households to improve health:
Improving government spending on health:
Promoting diversity and competition:
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For developing countries, the WDR suggests a range of health policy reforms:
Low-income countries:
provide primary school for all children, especially girls;
invest in cost-effective public health measures;
Middle-income countries:
phase out public subsidies for better-off groups;
extend insurance coverage more widely and give consumers a choice of insurer;
Formerly socialist countries:
improve the efficiencies of government health facilities;
find new ways to finance health care;
Evolution of India’s healthcare industry since the publication of report :-
The term “healthcare industry” is used as an umbrella term encompassing hospitals and diagnostic centres, drugs and pharmaceutical manufacturers, medical equipment and device manufacturers, and the health insurance industry.
It is seen that there is an increasing number of organised for-profit private healthcare providers, and it is no longer the case that there are a few corporates providing tertiary-level/super-specialty care confined to the metros.
Ownership is no longer confined to medical professionals/doctor entrepreneurs, nor is it local. Foreign institutions held 45% stakes in the Apollo Health Enterprises Limited.
Several foreign/multinational companies are operational in India, either through greenfield ventures or acquisition of local hospitals. Examples of the former are Columbia Asia with origins in the United States (US) and the Japanese venture, Sakra World Hospitals; meanwhile the NMC Healthcare, Dubai has acquired several hospitals.
Indian entities are seen to be expanding their activities across the country, including previously uncovered regions in eastern and central India. Corporate hospital chains were acquiring standalone hospitals; the focus and attention is on low-cost models and Tier II cities to drive their growth plans, due to the high competition and high land costs in Tier I cities
The Indian healthcare business is now seeing emergence of small-format providers in single-specialty segments such as the short-stay surgery care format started by Nova Medical Centres, nephrology, and eye care, largely supported by private equity.
Companies are also introducing a corporate model for primary healthcare, by drawing individual practitioners and clinics into a network.
Experience all over the world shows that corporations, big or small, wield great social, political and cultural influence, nationally and globally; and influence local communities, and behaviour and values of ordinary individuals. For instance, we see that the healthcare industry is active in promoting health insurance for low income groups, in creating demand and consumer awareness of market opportunities for buying healthcare, in portraying health as an individual responsibility, and so on.
The World Development Report addresses the challenges to advancing health in developing countries directly, contributes ideas and methods that are relevant to the most pressing problems, and encompasses these in a strategic approach that is broad and clear.
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Q) Examine how Karnataka’s Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Act, 2007
can pave way for universalisation of healthcare in the state and also act as model to
other states. (250 Words)
The Hindu
Intro
As an expert group of the Planning Commission in 2011 proposing a road map for universal coverage, Karnataka is pursuing needed reform the same, notably on containing the cost curve in establishments that operate for profit and where patients with state-supported insurance get treated.
Karnataka proposed to amend Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Act, 2007. It seeks to laying down standards, containing treatment costs, mandating transparency and creating a binding charter that empowers patients are all basic components of healthcare reform.
Provisions
1. Mandatory registration of the PMEs
This would control and regulate a large number of unregistered PMEs as the state has witnessed their growth in last a few decades.
2. Capping of prices of medical procedures
It would minimize the common trend of out-of-pocket expenditure, would bring in the specialized treatments within the reach of common people.
3. No advance payment
No advance payments for providing life-saving or stabilizing emergency treatment will have to be made.
4. Patient charter
Displaying the Patient’s Charter & PMEs’ Charter have been made mandatory
These would act as a grievance redressal mechanism in case of medical negligence, unethical medical practices, etc, thereby empowering patients.
Lessons for other states
Karnataka’s decision to set up a regulator for government hospitals is a response to the criticism that nothing is being done to raise standards in these institutions and bring in accountability. Ideally, all health institutions participating in a universal access programme should be governed by common regulations, for which national, State and district-level authorities are the answer. Such a comprehensive approach can eliminate fragmentation of functions.
Other states can adopt this model, with equal emphasis on putting in a quality public healthcare services, as they also have been facing the common phenomena of lack of universal health coverage due to rapid growth of unregulated PMEs.
However, other issues such as an equal emphasis on public health sector especially in rural areas, increasing doctor to patient ratio etc have not been addressed as a large chunk of population still depend upon this sector for their health treatment.
Conclusion
There is a need, of course, to ensure parity in services offered by government and private institutions, and end the neglect of public facilities especially in rural areas.
The transition to universal health access, provided free at the point of delivery, must be a national priority as it is the key Sustainable Development Goal relating to health to be achieved by 2030.
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Q) What are the important findings of Global Burden of Disease study with respect
to India? Discuss the significance of its findings to policymaking in health sector
for Indian states. (250 Words)
The Indian Express
Introduction:
Global Burden of Disease study chart the changing patterns of disease-related death and disability from 1990 onwards.
Health status of populations across the world changes over time in response to socio-economic, demographic, nutritional, scientific, technological, environmental and cultural shifts. Such health transitions have been especially profound in the past half-century due to sweeping industrialisation, rapid urbanisation and relentless globalisation in most parts of the world.
Results of the finding
Positives
1. Life expectancy at birth improved
Life expectancy at birth improved in India from 59.7 years in 1990 to 70.3 years in 2016 for females, and from 58.3 years to 66.9 years for males.
2. Per person disease burden decreased
The per person disease burden, from all causes, dropped by 36 per cent in the same period.
3. Under five mortality rate reduced
The under-five mortality rate has reduced substantially in all states in these 25 years.
Despite a decline from 1990 levels, child and maternal malnutrition remains the single largest risk factor, contributing to 15 per cent of the disease burden in 2016.
With its under-five mortality six times higher than Sri Lanka and burden of child and maternal malnutrition 12 times higher than in China, India has wide gaps to bridge.
4. Communicable and other diseases burden decreased
Communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases contributed to 61 per cent of India’s disease burden in 1990. This dropped to 33 per cent in 2016.
5. Sanitation related diseases decreased
The disease burden due to poor water and sanitation decreased in these 25 years, but the per capita burden due to these factors is 40 times that in China.
Negatives
1. Rise in non communicable diseases
The share of non-communicable diseases in the disease burden increased from 30 per cent in 1990 to 55 per cent in 2016
2. Non uniform distribution of diseases across states
Life expectancy of women in Uttar Pradesh is 12 years lower than that of women in Kerala, while the life expectancy of men in Assam is 10 years lower than that of men in Kerala.
In disease burden per person, there is almost two-fold difference between the states in 2016, with Assam, Uttar Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh having the highest rates, and Kerala and Goa the lowest rates.
There was a four-fold difference in under five mortality rate between the highest, in Assam and Uttar Pradesh, as compared with the lowest in Kerala in 2016.
States in early stages of the health transition were coping with both the persisting challenge of infectious, nutritional and pregnancy-related health threats and the rising magnitude of non-communicable diseases. States in the advanced stage of the transition were grappling largely with non-communicable disorders.
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3. Past diseases threats not solved fully
Five of the 10 individual leading causes of the disease burden in India in 2016 are a carry-over of past threats: Diarrhoeal diseases, lower respiratory infections, iron-deficiency anaemia, neonatal pre-term birth, and tuberculosis.
Significance for states
As health is a state subject and this kind of studies data reflects the varying efforts put on by state governments. The states like UP, Orissa, Jharkhand are lagging behind on various dimensions
This study help the central government to channel more funds towards the states where disease burden is more.
Study also links parameters like sanitation with diseases thus it contends for schemes aiding each other for example Swatch Bharat can help reduce infant mortality rate
Thus the report contends for large gaps on the health sector to be filled by the government to bring it at par with global standards and achieving sustainable development goals
Q) Why is it advised for pregnant women to gain weight during pregnancy? Examine
the causes of high IMR and MMR in India. (250 Words)
Down to Earth
Introduction:
The amount of weight gain during pregnancy is important for the health of pregnancy and for the long-term health of mother and your baby.
A little weight gain during pregnancy is thus beneficial for the child, for shorter women who are more likely to deliver low birth weight babies.
Putting on weight in the third trimester, between 6 to 9 months of pregnancy, in particular, had a significant impact.
Weight gain during the pregnancy
Amount of weight in pregnancy is associated with delivering a baby who is too small. Some babies born too small may have difficulty starting breastfeeding, may be at increased risk for illness.
Amount of weight in pregnancy is associated with having a baby who is born too large, which can lead to delivery complications, cesarean delivery, and obesity during childhood.
Short-statured women generally have a higher chance of delivering a low birth weight baby, which is a leading cause of death and illness in neonates. Short-statured women are thought to be more likely to deliver weak babies due to insufficient nutrition reserves that reduce their availability to the growing fetus. Also, they are thought to be prone to deliver small-sized babies as they have a short pelvic and uterine volume.
In addition, low birth weight babies are at higher risk of developing diabetes, hypertension and metabolic syndrome when they become adults.
Causes of IMR AND MMR in India
UNICEF estimates that 20 million babies are born with low weight every year in the world and that India accounts for nearly 8 million or one third of this global burden.
Child marriage,
Early pregnancy,
Neonatal mortality,
Bad quality of antenatal care,
Maternal malnutrition and
privatisation of healthcare
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Pollution is one of the major causes, particularly in Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai and Kolkata where high mortality rate has been found.
Lack of education and awareness about the nutrition impedes the progress.
India is strongly committed to up the health spending by 2.5% of GDP by 2025 as articulated in Draft National health Policy, besides several programmes have been launched such as MAA, janani surakha yojana, ASHA workers , Mahila Shakti Kendra etc.
Q) According to WHO report, India accounted for 6% of global malaria cases and 7%
of deaths caused by it in 2016. Why has India failed to eliminate Malaria? Examine.
(150 Words)
The Hindu
Introduction:
Malaria is one of the biggest killer in the country. Despite the government efforts like national framework for malaria elimination death by malaria is increasing day by day.
India — due to low funding per person at risk and resistance to certain frontline insecticides — is only expected to achieve a 20%-40% reduction.
India’s abysmal condition in malaria
India accounted for 6% of global malaria cases and 7% of deaths caused by it in 2016, according to a report by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
India is unlikely to reduce its case burden beyond 40% by 2020. In contrast, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Kyrgyzstan achieved malaria-free status in 2015 and 2016 respectively.
About 80% of the deaths were accounted for by 15 countries, namely, India and 14 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Why India is failing?
1. Weak surveillance system
This is a key impediment to eliminating malaria
India and Nigeria, two major contributors to the global burden of malaria, were able to detect only 8% and 16% of cases, respectively, via the system.
2. Resistance developed to insecticides
51% of plasmodium vivax cases — the milder cousin of the p. falciparum — were traced in India.
This could at least be partially explained by resistance to chloroquine, the first line treatment to p. vivax infections that has been detected in pockets of the country earlier this decade.
3. Diversification of malaria parasites happened
For a long time, p falciparum dominated India’s case burden and, though its share has decreased, there is a slight increase in malaria cases by other parasites.
4. Low spending on healthcare
Only 2.1% of GDP is spend on healthcare as result no appropriate funds are allocated to national malaria control program.
5. Unplanned urbanisation
Increasing population and slums in the cities – which cause pollution- breeding ground for malaria vector.
6. Capacity infirmities of local bodies
Lack of autonomy to local institutions to chart out own efforts to control malaria.
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Topic: Issues relating to poverty and hunger.
Q) What is ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF)? Discuss its benefits and
government of India’s policy on RUTF. (200 Words)
The Indian Express
Introduction :- Therapeutic foods are foods designed for specific, usually nutritional, therapeutic purposes as a form of dietary supplement. The primary examples of therapeutic foods are used for emergency feeding of malnourished children or to supplement the diets of persons with special nutrition requirements, such as the elderly.
Therapeutic foods are usually made of a mixture of protein, carbohydrate, lipid and vitamins and minerals. Therapeutic foods are usually produced by grinding all ingredients together and mixing them. RUTFs are a “homogeneous mixture of lipid-rich and water-soluble foods.” The most common RUTFs are made of four ingredients: sugar, dried skimmed milk, oil, and vitamin and mineral supplement (CMV).
Benefits of RUTF :-
Ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) is recommended by the World Health Organization for community-based management of uncomplicated forms of severe acute malnutrition.
It’s effectiveness in tacking acute malnutrition is seen in 2013 Plumpy’nut had been used to relieve malnutrition in thousands of African children. A small scale study in Mumbai’s Sion Hospital put RUTF’s efficacy at 65-70 per cent.
The Global Hunger Index report 2017 put India at number 100 in a list of 119 countries, and the National Family Health Survey-4 (2015-16) found 35.7% children aged less than five years were underweight, and 38.4% were stunted. Hence solutions like this need to be implemented.
It provides solution at instant and hence curb long term weakness or death in children.
Its also effective for elderly people as they become incapable to digest regular food. India’s old age population is estimated to be 20% by 2050.
Though it have many benefits it’s not a cost effective and sustainable solution to address nutritional imbalances as seen from experiences of Maharashtra and Rajasthan states. Government Of India has declared it’s stand as “Enough evidence is not available for use of RUTF vis-à-vis other interventions for the management of SAM. Concerns have also been raised that the use of RUTF may replace nutritional best practices and family foods that children would normally be eating, impacting negatively on continued breastfeeding in children older than six months”
Hence other steps like policy to encourage use of local solutions to malnutrition among children instead of promoting the use of packaged ready-to-use food in government programmes and projects. Policies and schemes like Mother’s absolute affection (MAA) Maternity benefit act, SABALA,
There is a need to rope in The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), SUN Business Network, which includes other players such as Pepsi, Cargill, Nutriset, Britannia, Unilever, Edesia, General Mills, Glaxo SKB, Mars, Indofood, Nutrifood, DSM, Amul, and Valid Nutrition under Corporate Social responsibilities norms to use their resources effectively.
Q) What are the features of the Government of India’s National Nutrition Strategy
announced in September 2017? Does excess emphasis on sanitation help address
India’s malnutrition problem? Critically comment. (250 Words)
The Indian Express
Introduction :- The rationale for investing in Nutrition is globally well recognized – both as a critical development imperative, as well as crucial for the fulfillment of human rights- especially of the most vulnerable children, girls and women.
It constitutes the foundation for human development, by reducing susceptibility to infections, related morbidity, disability and mortality burden, enhancing cumulative lifelong learning capacities and adult productivity.
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Nutrition is acknowledged as one of the most effective entry points for human development, poverty reduction and economic development, with high economic returns. The Global Nutrition Report 2015 estimates that for investment in nutrition, there is a benefit cost ratio of 16:1 for 40 low and middle-income countries.
Features of National Nutrition Strategy :-
The Strategy aims to reduce all forms of malnutrition by 2030, with a focus on the most vulnerable and critical age groups.
The Strategy aims to launch a National Nutrition Mission, similar to the National Health Mission. This is to enable integration of nutrition-related interventions cutting across sectors like women and child development, health, food and public distribution, sanitation, drinking water, and rural development.
A decentralised approach will be promoted with greater flexibility and decision making at the state, district and local levels.
The Strategy proposes to launch interventions with a focus on improving healthcare and nutrition among children. These interventions will include: (i) promotion of breastfeeding for the first six months after birth, (ii) universal access to infant and young child care (including ICDS and crèches), (iii) enhanced care, referrals and management of severely undernourished and sick children, (iv) bi-annual vitamin A supplements for children in the age group of 9 months to 5 years, and (v) micro-nutrient supplements and bi-annual de-worming for children.
Measures to improve maternal care and nutrition include: (i) supplementary nutritional support during pregnancy and lactation, (ii) health and nutrition counselling, (iii) adequate consumption of iodised salt and screening of severe anaemia, and (iv) institutional childbirth, lactation management and improved post-natal care.
Governance reforms envisaged in the Strategy include: (i) convergence of state and district implementation plans for ICDS, NHM and Swachh Bharat, (ii) focus on the most vulnerable communities in districts with the highest levels of child malnutrition, and (iii) service delivery models based on evidence of impact.
Linkages of sanitation and eradication of malnutrition :-
6 billion people in the world lack adequate sanitation—the safe disposal of human excreta. Lack of sanitation contributes to about 10% of the global disease burden, causing mainly diarrhoeal diseases.
In the past, government agencies have typically built sanitation infrastructure, but sanitation professionals are now concentrating on helping people to improve their own sanitation and to change their behaviour.
Improved sanitation has significant impacts not only on health, but on social and economic development, particularly in developing countries.
However excessive emphasis on sanitation is inadequate to address problems of malnutrition as the problem of malnutrition stems from plethora of reasons.
Nutrition is a challenge full of complexity. There is plenty of evidence globally and in India suggesting that poor nutrition affects early childhood development, learning and earning potential with life-cycle effects on national health and economic growth. For an emerging country with one of the fastest economic growth rates, India needs to implement its announced strategy with a focus on evidence, results and learning hence only excessive emphasis on sanitation will not serve the purpose.
Other measures like Integrated Child Development Services, National Health Mission- including RMNCH + A, Janani Suraksha Yojana, Swachh Bharat including Sanitation and the National Rural Drinking Water Programme, Matritva Sahyog Yojana, SABLA for adolescent girls, Mid Day Meals Scheme, Targeted Public Distribution System, National Food Security Mission, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and the National Rural Livelihood Mission are also playing important role in reducing malnourishment.
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Additional information :-
http://niti.gov.in/writereaddata/files/document_publication/Nutrition_Strategy_Booklet.pdf
Q) A robust and responsive food system is need of the hour to combat
undernutrition, non-communicable diseases and hunger around the world. Analyse.
(250 Words)
The Hindu
Introduction :- About 795 million people are undernourished globally. About 780 million people, or the vast majority of the hungry, live in the developing regions. Overall UN figures show that the proportion of undernourished people worldwide has reduced from 15 per cent in 2000-2002 to 11 per cent in 2014-2016. Roughly one third of the food produced in the world for human consumption every year — approximately 1.3 billion tonnes — gets lost or wasted. Food losses and waste amounts to roughly US$ 680 billion in industrialized countries and US$ 310 billion in developing countries.
– FAO statistics
All these figures indicates need for a robust and responsive food system :-
The WHO states that there are three pillars that determine food security: food availability, food access, and food use. The FAO adds a fourth pillar: the stability of the first three dimensions of food security over time.
Food availability:- Because food consumers outnumber producers in every country, food must be distributed to different regions or nations. Food distribution involves the storage, processing, transport, packaging, and marketing of food. Food-chain infrastructure and storage technologies on farms can also affect the amount of food wasted in the distribution process.
Food accessibility :- Food access refers to the affordability and allocation of food, as well as the preferences of individuals and households. The UN Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights noted that the causes of hunger and malnutrition are often not a scarcity of food but an inability to access available food, usually due to poverty.
Utilization :- The next pillar of food security is food utilization, which refers to the metabolism of food by individuals. Once food is obtained by a household, a variety of factors affect the quantity and quality of food that reaches members of the household. In order to achieve food security, the food ingested must be safe and must be enough to meet the physiological requirements of each individual.
Stability :- Food stability refers to the ability to obtain food over time. Food insecurity can be transitory, seasonal, or chronic. In transitory food insecurity, food may be unavailable during certain periods of time. At the food
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production level, natural disasters and drought result in crop failure and decreased food availability. Civil conflicts can also decrease access to food.
Decreasing food wastage and responsible food utilization :- In developing countries food waste and losses occur mainly at early stages of the food value chain and can be traced back to financial, managerial and technical constraints in harvesting techniques as well as storage and cooling facilities. Strengthening the supply chain through the direct support of farmers and investments in infrastructure, transportation, as well as in an expansion of the food and packaging industry could help to reduce the amount of food loss and waste.
In medium- and high-income countries food is wasted and lost mainly at later stages in the supply chain. Differing from the situation in developing countries, the behaviour of consumers plays a huge part in industrialized countries. The study identified a lack of coordination between actors in the supply chain as a contributing factor. Farmer-buyer agreements can be helpful to increase the level of coordination. Additionally, raising awareness among industries, retailers and consumers as well as finding beneficial use for food that is presently thrown away are useful measures to decrease the amount of losses and waste.
Q) “Global Hunger Index offers a needed reality check for India’s big power
aspirations.” Comment. (150 Words)
The Indian Express
Introduction:
The recently published GHI report of International Food policy research institute (IFPRI) ranked India 100 out of 119 countries on the following parameters.
India falls behind war-ravaged Iraq, and the international “outcast”, North Korea. Only two countries in Asia — Afghanistan and Pakistan — are below India in the ranking. India is now ahead of only countries such as Sierra Leone, Madagascar, Chad and Yemen, all “one-party” democracies otherwise seen as dictatorships.
Low human development
Besides GHI index, there are numerous reports on human development which appropriate India a lower status than most countries and thus gives reality check to big power ambitions.
A World Bank report referred to the illiteracy rates in India.
Thomas Piketty wrote about the income inequality in India that top 0.1 per cent of India’s population having the same share of growth in income as the bottom 50 per cent
ASER has consistently referred to abysmal primary and secondary schooling standards
Similarly repeated studies on nutrition, and child mortality in India establish the critical situation in this regard.
Clearly, there is no shortage of reminders of the terrible condition of the “common man”.
Social sector in shambles
Major reforms in the social sector are yet to be ushered in.
There is inadequate recognition that the common man’s needs have to be the priority of a democratic government. Even a superpower will not remain stable if the bottom 25 per cent of its population lives in penury.
There is not enough recognition of the power of the informal sector, currently numbering six crore, as a change agent, and the critical importance of making resources available to them at non-usurious rates.
There is no awareness that primary and secondary education can be a major change agent in 10 years, if there is genuine reform.
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Topic: Mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and
betterment of these vulnerable sections
Q) Placing convicted disabled people in solitary confinement with no support
violates their right to life, bodily integrity and autonomy under Article 21. In the
light of recent observations made by the Supreme Court on the right to privacy
issue, critically comment on the issues involved in putting convicted disabled
people in jails. (150 Words)
The Hindu
Introduction :- In the Supreme Court’s right to privacy judgment ( Justice K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India ), Justice D.Y. Chandrachud held: “Life and personal liberty are inalienable to human existence.”
Context :- In 2014, Delhi University professor G.N. Saibaba was arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and held in Nagpur Central Jail till the Supreme Court granted him bail in 2016. He was convicted by the Gadchiroli sessions court to life imprisonment for alleged offences under the same Act, and returned to custody in the Anda cell of Nagpur Central Jail.
Apex court in the Prem Shankar Shukla case pronounced: “The guarantee of human dignity, which forms part of our constitutional culture, and the positive provisions of Articles 14, 19 and 21 spring into action when we realise that to manacle man is more than to mortify him; it is to dehumanise him and, therefore, to violate his very personhood, too often using the mask of ‘dangerousness’ and security…” and that the right to life cannot be restricted to mere “animal existence”.
It is needed to place a person in solitary confinement even though he/she is disabled in order to secure others from threats, on reasons of medical problems etc. However in many cases it becomes too costly for the convicted disabled person.
Convicted disabled person in solitary confinement and right to privacy :-
The prison conditions in India are very poor and for persons with disability it becomes even more problematic to live in such conditions.
The convicted prisoners can be deprived of personal liberty but that does not include a derogation of their right to dignity.
As supreme court said privacy is an integral part of the right to human dignity is comprehended within the protection of life as well. So it’s very important for courts to understand what constitute human dignity and protection for life with people from different social order like disabled.
Court observed bail norms for disabled person on different ground from that of medical ground. In conditions of custody, such persons must be protected from any hindrance to the exercise of bodily integrity and autonomy with dignity — this lies at the core of his right to privacy.
Unavailability of such a guarantee within custodial facilities entitles the prisoner with disabilities to bail.
In the words of Mr. Saibaba No one understands 90% disabled person is behind bars struggling with one hand in condition and suffering with multiple ailments. Their family members conditions and their treatments like an animal is inhumane way of handling disabled convicted people.
Our criminal system is restorative and not retributive. Hence suitable steps and measures need to be taken in order to make jails disabled friendly. Solitary confinement option can be made more adaptable with presence of doctors, psychiatrists on board.
Q) The amendments to the Maternity Benefit Act are noble, but impractical to
implement. Comment. (150 Words)
The Hindu
Introduction :- The government, made an amendment to the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 recently. This move places India in the league of wealthy Western countries that have some of the most generous benefits for new mothers. These noble amendments are as follows :-
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Increased Paid Maternity Leave: The Maternity Benefit Amendment Act has increased the duration of paid maternity leave available for women employees from the existing 12 weeks to 26 weeks.
Maternity leave for adoptive and commissioning mothers: The Maternity Benefit Amendment Act extends certain benefits to adoptive mothers as well and provides that every woman who adopts a child shall be entitled to 12 weeks of maternity leave, from the date of adoption.
Work from Home option: The Maternity Benefit Amendment Act has also introduced an enabling provision relating to “work from home” for women, which may be exercised after the expiry of the 26 weeks’ leave period. Depending upon the nature of work, women employees may be able to avail this benefit on terms that are mutually agreed with the employer.
Crèche facility: The Maternity Benefit Amendment Act makes crèche facility mandatory for every establishment employing 50 or more employees. Women employees would be permitted to visit the crèche 4 times during the day.
The Maternity Benefit Amendment Act makes it mandatory for employers to educate women about the maternity benefits available to them at the time of their appointment.
However they are impractical to implement :-
Cost intensive :- The measures introduced, particularly the crèche facility, are cost-intensive and may deter employers from hiring or retaining pregnant women. A 2014 International Labour Organisation report specifically cautions against making employers solely liable for the cost of maternity benefits for this reason.
Less spending per child to meet the breastfeeding guidelines :- One of the key goals of the act is to facilitate breastfeeding by working mothers. Studies have shown that health benefits that accrue to both the mother and her child by breastfeeding are more than matched by economic returns at family, enterprise and national levels.
Restricting the option of working from home to only women also reinforces gender-based roles within the family. Provisions like these will inevitably cause employers to view these measures as an undue burden.
It is time for the government to shoulder the financial responsibility of providing maternity benefits.
This could be implemented by enabling employers to seek reimbursement of the expenses incurred by them in this respect.
In addition, the government must find innovative and cost-effective ways to ensure that working women are not forced to discontinue breastfeeding.
A simple method is to express breast milk and store it to be given to their children while they are away.
Employers need to facilitate a clean and private pumping room.
Government has to show the will to change this status quo by ensuring effective implementation of maternity benefits.
Link: Mind map
Q) Making registration of marriages compulsory, like births and deaths, is an
effective antidote to social evils like child marriage, bigamy and gender violence.
Discuss. (250 Words)
The Hindu
Introduction :- The Law Commission of India suggested amendments in the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 to make registration of marriages compulsory. It is a visionary suggestion if we see the marriages practices in India and the social evils associated with it.
Indian society is deeply patriarchal. Women are already targeted as the weaker sex in society. On the top of that marriages under age becomes the tool to exaggerate the sufferings of the girls and women.
India has the highest number of child brides in the world. It is estimated that 47% of girls in India are married before their 18th The rates of child marriage vary between states and are as high as 69% and 65% in Bihar and Rajasthan.
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Practice of bigamy is followed in much families in India though not openly but secretly. This has resulted in extreme partiality and rejection of women’s right. It has also resulted in women’s economic and social subjugation.
According to a National Family and Health Survey in 2005, total lifetime prevalence of domestic violence was 33.5% and 8.5% for sexual violence among women aged 15–49.
Registration of a marriage will not only deter people from openly practising child marriage, bigamy and curbing domestic violence but also punishing the culprits involved. Registration of this provides it a legal backup which will enhance the law adhering nature in people. It will help to prevent early pregnancy of girls, decreased MMR, decreased IMR etc this reduced gender violence. It helps to increase enrolment ratio of girls in schools as parents will be marrying their daughters at the right age.
Hence though it is a huge task in society like India owing to it’s illiteracy, lack of awareness and complexities. Implementing the already run government programs like Beti bachao Beti Padhao, SABALA, Sukanya samruddhi yojana etc along with help of civil society organisations is helpful to strengthen women’s position and spreading awareness regarding the practices of child marriages, bigamy etc.
Q) The International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates that eight years from now,
around 121 million boys and girls would still be engaged in various occupations. Why
have countries failed to eradicate child labour? What efforts are required to end
child labour? Examine. (250 Words)
The Hindu
Introduction:
Child labour means work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential, dignity that is harmful to their physical and mental development. Child labour is one of the worst scourges inflicting our society. This phenomenon is present in almost every country of the world.
National governments all over the world has taken stock of the issue but according to ILO the governments are all set to lose the 2025 target to end child labour.
International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates that eight years from now, around 121 million boys and girls would still be engaged in various occupations. The present figure is around 152 million children aged 5-17.
Why countries have failed to eradicate child labour?
Absence of robust national legislation
There is lack of harmony between global commitments and domestic priorities.
There is incoherency between laws that prescribe a minimum age for employment and those for completion of compulsory school education.
Thus the expansion of quality universal basic education has to extend beyond the fulfilment of statutory provisions.
Ineffective labour inspections
Complementing the legal inconsistencies is the lack of effective labour inspections in the informal economy.
Caste occupations
Around 71% of working children are concentrated in the agriculture sector, with 69% of them undertaking unpaid work in family units.
Poor social safety net
In case of unforeseen eventuality, parents find it unaffordable to send their children to school and instead opt for some labour from them so that they can earn.
It is compounded by the fact that the employability of educated youth is not very encouraging and thus act as a deterrent.
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Gender dimension
Child labour has a strong gender dimension in case of girls whose future are seen through the gendered prism which is incoherent with attaining education. Thus most girls within homes only do all kinds of household work.
In some cases, they are also made to work as domestic helpers for which there is no dedicated law in India.
Efforts needed
Each and every country should formulate strong legislation on the lines of the guidelines provided by ILO.
It must have be seen that laws are strictly followed and provide for strong punitive action in case of any negligence.
Governments should work on the overall sustainable development of the society especially the poor people. Investing in basic infrastructure such as health, education, and livelihood would go a long way.
Governments should expand the formal economy so that proper monitoring can be done.
Above all, it is inconceivable that these policies could be entrenched in the absence of strong collective bargaining mechanisms and effective social protection policies from the cradle to the end of their lives.
Conclusion
International campaigns such as 100 million for 100 million campaign, SDG to end child labour are on.
Indian government has also taken steps in this regard such as NREGA, NRHM, SSA, Digital India initiative as well as provided for a Child labour Act, 1986.
Various other NGO’s like Bachpan Bachao Andolan, Talaash, CRY, CARE etc. are working hard in this direction.
Q) What are the important provisions of Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights)
Bill, 2016? Examine why rights activists are opposing this Bill. (150 Words)
The Hindu
Introduction:
The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2016 flies in the face of recommendations made by a government-appointed expert committee in 2014, the Supreme Court’s judgment in 2015 and a private member’s bill unanimously passed in the Rajya Sabha in 2015, all of which displayed greater understanding of the needs of the transgender community.
The government has rejected recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment.
Issues
Definition of Transgender
The bill defines ‘transgender person’ means a person who is neither wholly female nor wholly male; or a combination of female or male; or neither female nor male; and whose sense of gender does not match with the gender assigned to that person at the time of birth, and includes trans men and trans women, persons with intersex variations and gender-queers.”
That one’s sexuality is central to human development and identity and to forming a sense of self as principles have been clearly violated.
Transgender people may or may not be intersex and vice versa.
Identification of transgender
Supreme Court affirmed in the landmark National Legal Services Authority (NALSA v Union of India, 2015) judgment the right of the community to self-identify without physical screenings.
In fact, at present transgender persons can, on the basis of an affidavit, declare the gender that they would like to be known as.
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The bill does away with this right and leaves it to district screening committees comprising a chief medical officer, a psychiatrist or psychologist among others, to decide.
Alternate family structures
Bill says that no transgender shall be separated from parents or immediate family except on the order of a competent court in the interest of such a person and that if the family is unable to care for the person, the transgender should be placed in a rehabilitation centre.
For long the transgender community has demanded that the definition of family should be expanded to include the Hijra or Aravani community elders, who adopt young transgender children and ensure that they are not put at risk, and that the Hijra family system is not criminalised.
Other aspects
Similarly, the bill is silent in areas of health, affirmative action, and decriminalising activities that marginalised trans communities are compelled to undertake to eke out a living.
There are also no penal provisions in the law to guard against the trans community being subjected to atrocities and to protect its members in prisons and juvenile homes.
Topic: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and
the performance of these schemes;
Q) Critically evaluate performance and outcomes of the Swachh Bharat Mission
(SBM). (250 Words)
The Hindu
Introduction :- Swachh Bharat Mission is a campaign by the Government of India to clean the streets, roads and infrastructure of the country’s 4,041 statutory cities and towns. It includes ambassadors and activities such as a run, national real-time monitoring and updates from NGOs.
The objectives of Swachh Bharat are to reduce or eliminate open defecation through the construction of individual, cluster and community toilets. The Swachh Bharat mission will also make an initiative of establishing an accountable mechanism of monitoring latrine use. The government is aiming to achieve an Open-Defecation Free (ODF) India by 2 October 2019, the 150th anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi, by constructing 12 million toilets in rural India, at a projected cost of 1.96 lakh crore.
Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin)
The Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan has been restructured into the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin). The mission aims to make India an open defecation free country in Five Years. It seeks to improve the levels of cleanliness in rural areas through Solid and Liquid Waste Management activities and making Gram Panchayats Open Defecation Free (ODF), clean and sanitised.
Swachh Vidyalaya Abhiyan
The Ministry of Human Resource Development has launched Swachh Vidyalaya Programme under Swachh Bharat Mission with an objective to provide separate toilets for boys and girls in all government schools within one year. The programme aims at ensuring that every school in the country must have a set of essential interventions that relate to both technical and human development aspects of a good Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Programme.
Rashtriya Swachhata Kosh
The Swachh Bharat Kosh (SBK) has been set up to facilitate and channelize individual philanthropic contributions and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds to achieve the objective of Clean India (Swachh Bharat) by the year 2019. The Kosh will be used to achieve the objective of improving cleanliness levels in rural and urban areas, including in schools. The allocation from the Kosh will be used to supplement and complement departmental resources for such activities.
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Criticism of Swachha Bharat Mission:
Information on state, district and block-wise funds approved under SBM needs to be made easily available for people to know the annual plans and allocations for making their demands. This provision is not getting required importance.
There is need to be work towards changing deep-seated individual and social attitudes that lead to open defecation and other unhygienic practices among different communities. It is when such efforts come together that success stories such as Nadia district from West Bengal becoming the first district in the country to achieve open defecation free status can truly be celebrated.
To enable the creation of organic demand for sanitation among communities, SBM emphasises creating foot soldiers termed as Swacchata Doots. While this frontline work force is much desired, only 8,890 Swachhata Doots have been identified so far against the 76,108 needed in urban areas. The rural scenario looks even worse.
The exponential increase in toilet construction in the last few months of the financial year is a serious cause of concern. A simple on-ground verification of numbers uploaded on the MDWS website in a few areas found that many of the toilets claimed may not actually exist on the ground.
Rural sanitation is vested within the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MDWS), while urban areas fall under the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD). School sanitation is given to the Ministry of Human Resource Development. In reality, however, there is a lack of coordination between the ministries and it is unclear yet on how they will work together to overcome their overlapping sanitation challenges.
Conclusion:
Sanitation needs to be seen as a life cycle issue and hence providing sanitation facilities at work, education and other public spaces is important. This requires investing in the right place at the right time and in the most appropriate manner.
Additional informantion :-
Swaach Bharat Mission at a glance
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Topic: Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability
Q) Accountability in school education system is necessary to achieve the UN
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4. Comment. (150 Words)
The Hindu
Introduction :- A quality education is the foundation of sustainable development. As a policy intervention, education is a force multiplier which enables self-reliance, boosts economic growth by enhancing skills, and improves people’s lives by opening up opportunities for better livelihoods. Hence achieving Sustainable Developmental Goal 4 is important.
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UNESCO’s new Global Education Monitoring Report 2017/18 is a comprehensive and nuanced look at the role of accountability in global education systems in the effort to achieve the vision of the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4: to ensure inclusive and quality education for all, and to promote lifelong learning.
The report points out that providing universal quality education depends not on the performance of teachers alone, but is the shared responsibility of several stakeholders: governments, schools, teachers, parents, the media and civil society, international organisations, and the private sector.
SDG 4 :-
Role of accountability :-
In 2014, a UNESCO report revealed that around 250 million children around the world are in school but not learning the basics. Accountable schooling will ensure that productive years of students will not go waste.
The curriculum regulation and it’s scientific up gradation, maintenance of competitive syllabus and testing patterns, gauging the new trends in interregional and international area in education is important to maintain necessary standards in education.
Accountability in apex educational institutions like UGC, Medical Council of India etc. is utmost important to ensure quality education system in country.
Accountability on parts of school administration in terms of maintain quality libraries, laboratories, extra curricular infrastructure, regular quality teaching staff etc. is important. This will enhance the output of educational standards.
Accountable parents will make it easy for students to sustain in schooling, in competition and in constantly pushing the learnability of children.
Governmental systems must be accountable to ensure that their investment is being utilized efficiently and effectively. The assessment of programmes like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Mid day meal, Rashtriya Ucchatar Shikasha Abhiyan must be done regularly with periodic improvements. This will be prudential in future.
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A culture of accountability makes a good system great and a great system unstoppable. Hence accountability of all stakeholders is necessary to achieve the Sustainable Developmental Goal 4.
Q) Aadhaar-based Biometric Authentication does nothing in the battle against graft
— there are better alternatives. Comment. (150 Words)
The Hindu
Introduction :- In 2009, the government of India launched a new identification program that has gone on to become the largest biometric database in the world. The program, known as Aadhaar, has collected the names, addresses, phone numbers—and perhaps more significantly, fingerprints, photographs, and iris scans—of more than 1 billion people. In the process, Aadhaar has taken on a role in virtually all parts of day-to-day life in India, from schools to hospitals to banks, and has opened up pathways to a kind of large-scale data collection that has never existed before.
Issues of Aadhaar-based Biometric Authentication
Context:
The public distribution system (PDS) and its disbursal of rations to the poor have come under the scanner in Jharkhand after three persons died recently, allegedly owing to lack of food.
Santoshi Kumari, an 11-year-old from Simdega district, died. Her mother, Koyli Devi, said the child died of hunger as the family was not getting rations under the State-run PDS for the past several months because of a biometric mismatch.
The ABBA system in PDS outlets is built around a set of “fragile technologies” that need to work simultaneously for successful transaction.
These are:
Seeding of Aadhaar numbers: An eligible individual can become a beneficiary and access the PDS system only if her Aadhaar number is correctly seeded onto the PDS database and added to the household ration card.
Point of Sale (PoS) machines: The entire process at the PDS outlet is dependent on the PoS machine. If it malfunctions, no transaction can be made. The first step in the process requires the dealer to enter the ration card number of the beneficiary’s household onto the PoS machine.
Internet connection: Successful working of the PoS machine depends on internet connectivity as verification of the ration card number and the beneficiary’s biometric fingerprint is carried out over the internet.
Remote Aadhaar servers: Remote Aadhaar servers verify the ration card number and initiate fingerprint authentication.
Fingerprint recognition software: The beneficiary proves her identity by submitting to fingerprint recognition in the PoS machine. Upon verification, the PoS machine indicates that the beneficiary is genuine and that foodgrains can be distributed to her household.
Since the PDS was introduced to overcome chronic hunger and malnutrition, exclusion errors should be of greater concern.
Though Aadhaar is technically not an eligibility criterion, ABBA is systematically leading to exclusion at two levels.
The lack of an Aadhaar number automatically disqualifies eligible individuals from being listed in the household ration card.
Beneficiaries face persistent and pervasive issues related to ABBA due to issues with one or more of the five technological components of the system such as reported fingerprint authentication errors, Aadhaar seeding issues, and poor connectivity.
Several surveys revealed a fact that 10% of households are excluded due to ABBA and two-thirds reported errors with one or more of its five technological components.
It raises Privacy issues.
It is flexibility (an elderly person asking a neighbour to fetch their grain would count as identity fraud) that is lost when the ABBA is made mandatory.
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ABBA has minimum role in reducing corruption in the short time.
Aadhaar endeavours of government are in violation of several Supreme Court orders that had ruled (even after the passage of the Aadhaar bill in Lok Sabha) that Aadhaar cannot be mandatory to access welfare services.
Alternatives need to be explored like Smart Cards :-
Biometrics allows for identification of citizens even when they don’t want to be identified. Smart cards which require pins on the other hand require the citizens’ conscious cooperation during the identification process.
Once smart cards are disposed nobody can use them to identify. Consent is baked into the design of the technology.
If the UIDAI adopts smart cards, the centralized database of biometrics can be destroyed just like the UK government did in 2010. This would completely eliminate the risk of foreign government, criminals and terrorists using the breached biometric database to remotely, covertly and non-consensually identify Indians.
Smart cards based on open standards allow for decentralized authentication by multiple entities and therefore eliminates the need for a centralized transaction database.
The results suggest that the ABBA system is neither as efficient nor as dependable as it is made out to be, even in a seemingly best-case environment.
The Food and Public Distribution Department has directed officials to adopt a humane approach by giving rations to even those who are not on the list yet.
The Department is also trying to provide compensation as per the National Food Security Act to those who have not got PDS supplies.
It is essential to deal with issues of duplication, less disruptive methods than Aadhaar such as food coupons, smart cards, and last-mile tracking can be used to produce the same effectiveness with far less administrative burden.
Topic: Pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the Polity
Q) Opacity in political financing, fear of party fragmentation, dynastic succession,
and lack of intra-party democracy are all mutually reinforcing variables. Analyse.
(250 Words)
Livemint
Introduction :- The recent comment by Prime Minister Narendra Modi about debate over intra party democracy requires a holistic overview of India’s existing political system and their issues.
Opacity in political funding :-
In June, 2013, the Central Information Commission held that political parties are under the Right to Information Act. But this was subsequently rejected. Non transparent display by parties has led to menace of corruption, growth of black money
Fear of party fragmentation :-
Owing to this many parties centralize the power and again become functionally less efficient and less dynamic, less democratic. Even if a leader disillusioned with the centralized control in her party goes on to establish a new party, the results are not very different.
Dynastic succession :-
The logic of dynastic politics is the logic of patronage. The dynast trades economic largesse and access to the machinery of the state for long-term fealty. Economist Mancur Olson has described it as stationary bandits versus roving bandits. While the stationary bandits means dynast has advantages of already establishes set up the roving bandits means non dynast face mismatch between efforts and pay off hence it discourages their faith in fairness in democracy.
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Philippines is a classical example where dynastic politics created problems in national developments. Since the restoration of democracy in 1987, more than 60% of the country’s House of Representatives has been made up of dynastic clans.
In Indian case a recent Harvard paper, Understanding The Economic Impacts Of Political Dynasties: Evidence From India, by Siddharth George and Dominic Ponattu, analysed night-time luminosity as a measure of economic growth to find that constituencies where dynasts won grew 6.5 percentage points slower annually than constituencies where dynasts lost.
Intra party democracy :
Quality of a democracy ultimately depends on internal democracy (or the lack of it) in political parties. In its 170th report in 1999, the Law Commission of India underscored the importance of intra-party democracy by arguing that a political party cannot be a “dictatorship internally and democratic in its functioning outside”.
Politics is inseparable from political parties as they are the prime instruments for the execution of democracy in the country. The selection of candidates, the mobilisation of the electorate, the formulation of agendas and the passing of legislation are all conducted through political parties. Hence there is a inherent need to make it more democratic.
Hence it’s important that efforts and reforms should be initiated from within the party in order to make then suitable, relevant and more effective in present time.
Topic: India and its neighborhood- relations.
Q) In November and December 2017, Nepal is going to conduct first general election
under the 2015 Constitution. What is the significance of this election? What role
should India play in this democratic transition in Nepal? Comment. (250 Words)
The Hindu
Yemen has become a theatre for regional power play of Saudi-Iran/Shia-Sunni conflict, which has resulted in the humanitarian catastrophe and high chances of facing the largest famine the world has seen for many decades.
Causes of the disaster 1. Blockade by Saudi Arabia
According to Saudi Arabia, the blockade was aimed at preventing the Houthi rebels from smuggling in weaponry.
But in effect, Riyadh is starving millions of people who are already dependent on international aid for food and drugs.
2. No functional government
Large parts are controlled by Houthis, while the Saudi-backed government is operating from Aden, a southern city.
3. Non-state terrorists actors consolidating
Al-Qaeda has become stronger in the chaos triggered by the war. 4. Regional geopolitics
The problem is that Saudi Arabia and its allies look at Yemen as a theatre for regional power play against Iran.
Why UN should intervene
It is time that the UN and other international organisations intervene. They should deal with Saudi Arabia in the way other aggressor nations are dealt. There is a need to bring an end to this brutal war. Riyadh is starving millions of people who are already dependent on international aid for food and drugs.
1. Poorest Arab nation
The poorest Arab nation has now plunged into further crisis reeling from a humanitarian catastrophe when Saudi Arabia imposed a land, sea and air blockade on the country
2. Humanitarian catastrophe
More than 10,000 people have been killed in the Saudi bombing, and many more injured and displaced
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The incessant bombing and the failure to provide basic services have resulted in a food crisis and a medical emergency. At present, 17 million people in Yemen are dependent on external aid for survival. The country has also seen a cholera outbreak.
3. Saudi Arabia lacks the heft
Saudi Arabia lacks the strategic depth and resources to shape Yemen’s future and yet, driven by geopolitical ambitions, it is resorting to excessive use of air power.
But that is not enough to defeat the Houthis, who have the support of both the country’s Shia community and the loyalists of the deposed President Ali Abdullah Saleh
Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or
affecting India’s interests
Q) There is an urgent need to adopt a rights-based approach by all stakeholders in
seeking arrangements for safe and orderly migration to prevent exploitation of
migrants and refugees. Discuss. (150 Words)
The Wire
Introduction :- A refugee is a displaced person who has been forced to cross national boundaries and who cannot return home safely.
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Migrant is a person travelling from country of origin to country of destination for work, education, marriage etc.
The world is experiences wave of refugees and migration but there are no concrete laws and conventions in place which creates favorable situations for their exploitation.
Refugee populations consist of people who are terrified and are away from familiar surroundings while migrants in most cases are willing travelled people. There can be instances of exploitation at the hands of enforcement officials, citizens of the host country, organisations and employees of migrants and even United Nations peacekeepers. Instances of human rights violations, child labor, mental and physical trauma/torture, violence-related trauma, and sexual exploitation, especially of children, are not entirely unknown. Hence a right based approach by all stakeholders in seeking arrangements for safe and orderly migration to prevent exploitation is required.
Refugee rights encompass both customary law, peremptory norms, and international legal instruments. They include the following rights and obligations for refugees:
Right of return :- Even in a supposedly “post-conflict” environment, it is not a simple process for refugees to return home. The UN Pinheiro Principles are guided by the idea that people not only have the right to return home, but also the right to the same property.
Right to non-refoulement :- Non-refoulement is the right not to be returned to a place of persecution and is the foundation for international refugee law, as outlined in the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees.
Right to family reunification :- Family reunification (which can also be a form of resettlement) is a recognized reason for immigration in many countries. Divided families have the right to be reunited.
Right to travel :- Those states that signed the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees are obliged to issue travel documents (i.e. “Convention Travel Document”) to refugees lawfully residing in their territory.
Restriction of onward movement :- Once refugees or asylum seekers have found a safe place and protection of a state or territory outside their territory of origin they are discouraged from leaving again and seeking protection in another country.
Measures to be taken must include :-
Combat xenophobia and racism: The international community must uphold their responsibility to combat all forms of hate speech, stigmatising discourses, scapegoating and measures must be taken to condemn xenophobia against migrants and refugees.
Promoting integration: Short and long-term measures are needed to foster social and economic environments for integration. Labour market access and mobility, pathways to citizenship, participation and social contact with the local populations are essential.
Border management: States must respect human rights obligations at all border crossings, including the right to due process for all migrants regardless of their status, in accordance with the principle of non-refoulement and the prohibition of arbitrary and collective expulsion.
Irregular migration: States should ensure that all measures aimed at addressing irregular migration and smuggling of migrants do not adversely affect the human rights of migrants and that such migrants are provided with necessary assistance and are afforded due process guarantees.
Exploitation and abuse: Measures must be taken to address all forms of labour exploitation and abuse, in particular, child labour. In line with SDG (target 8.8), domestic work should be regulated by national legislation and domestic migrant workers should also enjoy rights with respect to minimum wage, hours of work, days of rest, freedom of association, and other conditions of work, as well as the right to freedom of movement and residence, and to retain possession of travel and identity documents.
Trafficking in persons: It is important to adequately train all stakeholders, including public officials and law enforcement officers working in areas of arrival of large influxes of people, to identify trafficking or risks of trafficking. States in this regard must work with United Nations agencies and programmes, international organizations, host countries and civil society organizations.
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Q) India has stepped up trade and investment in hydrocarbons in Africa, with nearly
17% of its total crude oil imports coming from Africa by 2016. Should India step up
these petroleum-related foreign direct investment and trade relations with Africa?
Discuss merits and demerits. (250 Words)
EPW
Introduction :- India and Africa relationship has expanded in many diverse areas and energy field specially hydrocarbon is no exception. India has stepped up trade and investment in hydrocarbons in Africa, with nearly 17% of its total crude oil imports coming from Africa by 2016.
Merits of such investment :-
Such trade and investment by India could also support Africa’s economic development, particularly if Indian FDI results in technology transfer that builds African capacity in petroleum exploration, production and refining and if African governments use revenues from petroleum exports for national economic development.
India’s oil consumption has grown at an average annual rate of 5% over the last decade and climbed to over 4 million bbl/day in 2016. Oil consumption is projected to reach 10 million bbl/day by 2050. To meet this demand, India currently imports 80% of its crude oil needs hence investment in Africa will diversify Indian Oil market and reduce it’s dependence on import.
The Indian expanding refinery capacities can be benefitted with African investment. The recent completion of Indian Oil Corporation’s (IOC) new 3,00,000 bbl/day Paradip refinery in the east coast state of Odisha will enable India to refine lighter, sweet crude from West Africa as well.
With this investment other areas can also be explored. Africa has also become an increasingly important source of coal and natural gas for India. South Africa and Mozambique have become important new sources of coal for India in recent years, while Algeria, Nigeria and Egypt have become the major new suppliers of natural gas.
Demerits of such investment :-
Despite the mutually beneficial relationship in the short term, India’s trade and investment in Africa’s hydrocarbons sector may prove to be less effective economically over the medium and long term because of the three factors discussed below.
Technological advances of renewable energy: The accelerating rate of technological advances and cost-competitiveness of alternative renewable energy options can render such investment ineffective. According to other data by Bloomberg New Energy Finance, the share of electricity that the world’s Group of 20 (G20) economies generate from renewable energy has jumped by more than 70% in the space of five years.
‘Carbon tax’ and other restrictions on carbon emissions: The increasing number of countries and cities that are adopting regulations and restrictions on carbon emissions. In 2017, countries around the world have adopted more than 1,200 climate change laws (Clark 2017). For example, the United Kingdom (UK) and France have both adopted plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040 (Ward 2017).
‘Diminishing returns’ for the petroleum industry: increasing levels of energy input are required for fossil fuel extraction relative to energy output.
This analysis suggests that while India’s FDI and trade in Africa’s hydrocarbons may serve mutual interests in the short term, they may pose significant financial liabilities over the medium to long term. It may be more financially advantageous to consider shifting such investments to other sectors that are projected to prosper, such as decentralised utilities, electric auto companies, battery manufacturers, copper and lithium mining, electronics producers, software developers, electric engine makers, smart grid builders and, of course, solar and wind power manufacturers, installers and financiers.
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Q) China has, for years, adopted a low profile in the Middle East. Recently, however,
it has upped the ante with a slew of ideologically agnostic initiatives. Should India
be worried about this? Critically comment. (250 Words)
The Indian Express
Introduction :- China consumes approximately 13 million barrels of oil a day (mbd). Of that, 60 per cent is imported of which 50 per cent (approximately 4 mbd) is sourced from the Middle East — mainly Iraq, Iran and Saudi Arabia. Though it maintained a low profile relationship with middle east it is increasingly getting involved into it now.
China has recently engaged with many middle east countries like naval exercise with the Iranian Navy in the Straits of Hormuz., it welcomed Iran’s arch enemy, King Salman of Saudi Arabia, to Beijing. There has also been speculation that China is interested in picking up a stake in the Saudi national oil company, Aramco.
Why it’s a cause to worry for India :-
Increased presence of China in middle east will increase competition. In this competition, Chinese companies have so far proven to be more efficient than Indian ones, who lost several contracts against their Chinese competitors. For ex e Iranian oil field of Yadavaran
Saudi Arabia has replaced Iran as China’s major supplier in 2009, and is also India’s most important supplier.
The role of external players such as Pakistan or the United States play a very important role as it places either India or China in a privileged situation in middle east. Hence such aggressive stance taken by China to enhance it’s engagement further put India at disadvantageous position.
The Indian Ocean Region, through which most of the oil passes, is considered by the Indians as their natural zone of influence, and by the Chinese as a strategic zone that needs to be controlled. Thus, a fierce competition is taking place between the Chinese and Indians.
While Indians have engaged themselves in a modernization of their navy, in which they have been supported by the United States in the framework of the Indo-US defense cooperation agreement signed in 2005, the Chinese have been leading a policy called by the US and India “The String of Pearls Strategy”.
Why it’s not a cause to worry for India :-
India and China cooperates in many areas in middle east including oil exploration. The case in Syria where Chinese and Indian oil companies jointly purchased shares of 36 Syrian fields.
Sino-Indian partnership for peace and prosperity is blooming and have since then conducted several joint military exercises in the Indian Ocean.
India enjoys unique and distinct relationship between it and countries of middle east since historic times like Iran.
China is showing increasing interest in the Middle East. India has major strategic interests in the Middle East. Aside from its dependence on the region for oil, it has eight million citizens who remit approximately $70 billion annually. A convulsion in the region would give India a massive logistic and financial headache. India must track its moves.
Q) In its ambition and enthusiasm to actively engage in “Quadrilateral” grouping,
India should not neglect its neighbours. Comment. (250 Words)
The Hindu
Introduction :- By accepting an invitation to join the Japan-proposed, U.S.-endorsed plan for a “Quadrilateral” grouping including Australia to provide alternative debt financing for countries in the Indo-Pacific, India has taken a significant turn in its policy for the subcontinent.
The coming together of India, the US, Japan and Australia is being seen as building a strategic partnership to deal with China’s rise and its implications.
On the other hand the logic of expanding membership in a security-focused group is not very obvious. Security collaboration among a larger group is a challenging task as success depends on the credibility and commitment of each participant. Moreover, the greater the number of people at the table, the narrower the agenda on which a consensus can be achieved.
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However irrespective of it’s advantages or disadvantages it is necessary that India analyse the impact of this admission on all our relations.
India has already conceded it requires “other parties” in the neighbourhood, even as it seeks to counter the influence of China and its Belt and Road Initiative.
As a growing economy with ambitious domestic targets, India’s own needs often clash with those of its neighbors. Participating in such initiatives may sound neglecting regional partners and trying to cling to big ones.
India while pursuing aspirations in global alliances falls short of it’s regional commitments like Over the past decade, since the defeat of the LTTE, India passed up offers to build the port in Hambantota, Colombo, and Kankesanthurai, despite Sri Lanka’s pressing need for infrastructure. ew Delhi has changed its position on Hambantota several times. India has also been ambivalent on tackling political issues in its region like Nepal constitution, Maldives crisis, Myanmar Rohingya issue etc.
Owing to India’s presence and impact in South Asia the neighbourhood first policy should not take backseat. It is important to keep the track with neighbors first and grow regionally in order to grow globally.
Q) Is Commonwealth group relevant today? Comment on Britain’s renewed interest
in the Commonwealth amidst its impending separation from the European Union.
(250 Words)
The Indian Express
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Introduction :-
The Commonwealth of Nations (formerly the British Commonwealth), also known as simply the Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of 52 member states that are mostly former territories of the British Empire. The Commonwealth operates by intergovernmental consensus of the member states, organised through the Commonwealth Secretariat and non-governmental organisations, organised through the Commonwealth Foundation.
Relevance of Commonwealth :-
The Commonwealth encompasses almost a third of the world’s population, bringing together people of many faiths, races, languages and incomes.
By voting to leave the EU, Britain’s future relationship with its fellow Commonwealth members has assumed both a greater significance and a greater degree of uncertainty.
Britain’s renewed interest in Commonwealth with exit From EU :-
Britain’s trade with its fellow Commonwealth members has been a relatively steady 10% of the UK’s GDP for the past decade, with five Commonwealth countries representing the bulk of that trade statistic: India, Australia, Canada, Singapore and South Africa.
British governments have been cautious about taking a lead in the Commonwealth as they risked being accused of a post-imperial plot.
But despite what some politicians might hope, the Commonwealth does not offer a platform for the overt pursuit of British national interests. As many as 31 nations out of 53 are small island nations which could not make significant difference in Britain’s presence in world.
These are uncertain times in intra-Commonwealth relations. It’s possible that as well as threatening the future of the UK and the cohesion of the EU, the Brexit vote also threatens the socio-economic development and therefore the political stability of a number of Commonwealth countries.
Q) Today the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), the multilateral
system faces a challenge to its very foundations. What are the threats being faced
by GATT? Discuss if GATT remains relevant today. (250 Words)
The Hindu
Introduction :- General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) was a legal agreement between many countries, whose overall purpose was to promote international trade by reducing or eliminating trade barriers such as tariffs or quotas. According to its preamble, its purpose was the “substantial reduction of tariffs and other trade barriers and the elimination of preferences, on a reciprocal and mutually advantageous basis.”
For 47 years, GATT reduced tariffs. This boosted world trade 8 percent a year during the 1950s and 1960s. That was faster than world economic growth. Trade grew from $332 billion in 1970 to $3.7 trillion in 1993.
It was seen as such a success that many more countries wanted to join. By 1995, there 128 members, generating at least 80 percent of world trade.
However the GATT today faces challenges to it’s very foundation :-
There has been a rapid proliferation of bilateral and regional free-trade agreements around the world, raising concerns over trade diversion rather than generation.
The erosion of the larger commitment to the post-war global liberal order has been accelerated with many developments in world like election of Trump as US president.
As a result this regression, there are populist tide against the opening of the U.S. market under the North American Free-Trade Agreement (NAFTA), portraying trade liberalisation as a zero-sum game.
Similarly, the rhetoric on the surge in Chinese imports since Beijing’s 2001 accession to the WTO seeks to play down the benefits of cheaper consumer goods and the opportunities in outsourcing and exports.
Earlier this year, Washington quit the Trans-Pacific Partnership trading bloc, and continues to threaten taxes on overseas operations of domestic industries and astronomical import tariffs.
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Relevance of GATT :-
WTO promotes the establishment of world trade liberalization and economy globalization. After WTO was established, the world market has experienced decline in tariff levels, WTO members experienced an average of 40% decline in tariff rate.
WTO system actually creating peace among countries. WTO created system that helps the trade process to go on smoothly and providing countries a constructive and fair outlet for dealing with disputes between countries over trade issues.
The possibility to decrease in cost of living is one of the benefits of WTO. It is because protectionism increases the cost of the goods, in terms of production, raw material, and so on.
Creation of WTO has provided several benefits to developing countries as well.
A rule-based system actually governs the international trade that these developing countries involved, and ensure that they would get the greatest benefits throughout the international trade.
The Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) offers a benefit for developing countries by creating a policy framework that helps in promote technology transfer and foreign direct investment. (WTO).
Most of the developing country relied on the special preferential access to larger developed country market under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP). It’s purpose is to ensure developed countries offer non-reciprocal preferential treatment to developing countries.
Q) While cooperative mechanisms are crucial to maintain stability in the Indian
Ocean Region, it would be prudent on India’s part to do a cost-benefit analysis of
building such grand alliances in such uncertain times. Comment. (250 Words)
The Hindu
Introduction :- The Indian Ocean region comprises all the littoral and island states of that ocean. Some of these nations also share borders with the Persian Gulf and Red Sea.
The Indian Ocean matters today. It is a major conduit for international trade, especially energy. Its littoral is vast, densely populated, and comprised of some of the world’s fastest growing regions. The Ocean is also a valuable source of fishing and mineral resources. Today, 95 per cent of India’s trade by volume and 68 per cent of trade by value come via the Indian Ocean
However its governance and security are under constant threat of being undermined, whether by non-state actors such as pirates, smugglers, and terrorists, or by furtive naval competition between states.
External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj recently marked in Indian Ocean Conference 2017 in Colombo that countries in the Indian Ocean bear the primary responsibility for its peace, stability and prosperity as she underlined the need to keep it safe and secure.
Need of co-operation to maintain stability in Indian Ocean Region :-
If the revitalised maritime economy of the Indian Ocean region is to be a force for global economic growth, it is essential that the waters remain peaceful, stable and secure.
The Indian Ocean Rim Association has broad oversight, but most initial effort is through the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium. However, there is some scepticism about the symposium’s ability to make a broader contribution to maritime security.
There is too much focus much on naval cooperation risks, diverting attention from real requirements. The efforts for co-operation must include coastguards and equivalent national agencies of regional members. These include maritime governance, capacity-building, developing national legislation, development, and poverty alleviation. A regional forum of civil agencies involved in maritime security might help overcome this challenge.
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However India must do cost benefit analysis :-
Indian interest in Indian Ocean revolves around three important areas :-
It enjoys a privileged location at the crossroads of global trade, connecting the major engines of the international economy in the Northern Atlantic and Asia-Pacific. The energy flows through the Indian Ocean are of particular consequence. Some 36 million barrels per day—equivalent to about 40 per cent of the world’s oil supply and 64 per cent of oil trade—travel through the entryways into and out of the Indian Ocean.
The Ocean’s vast drainage basin is important in its own right, home to some two billion people. This creates opportunities, especially given the high rates of economic growth around the Indian Ocean rim, including in India, Bangladesh, Southeast Asia, and Eastern and Southern Africa
The Indian Ocean is rich in natural resources. Forty per cent of the world’s offshore oil production takes place in the Indian Ocean basin. Fishing in the Indian Ocean now accounts for almost 15 per cent of the world’s total and has increased some 13-fold between 1950 and 2010 to 11.5
Finally there is a strong security dimension to India’s engagement with the Indian Ocean, beyond traditional naval considerations. One of the worst terrorist attacks in recent Indian memory—the 2008 assault on Mumbai happened through se lines.
India must take into account following measures as well :-
The recent move by Mr. Trump shows the dichotomy in American policy, and India should exercise caution before jumping on to the bandwagon. It must await policy clarity from the U.S. both on Afghanistan and beyond.
On the other hand, Russia has asked India to join its International North-South Transport Corridor, arguing that it would be a gateway for India to connect with Central Asia through Chabahar port in Iran and via Afghanistan.
India’s Indian Ocean Region strategy—which in only just taking shape—conforms closely to global priorities for preserving the Ocean as a shared resource: an important channel for trade, a sustainable resource base, and a region secure from heightened military competition, non-state actors, and catastrophic natural disasters. Achieving these objectives will require further investments in capacity, greater transparency and confidence-building measures, and enhanced institutional cooperation.
The very countries which are pushing India into alliances are deeply intertwined with China in terms of trade. Excessive dependence on multilateral frameworks to fulfil national objectives may seem lucrative in the short term but could prove to be a costly mistake in the long term and comprise Indian sovereignty.
Q) The ‘Quad’ policy both compliments and contradicts India’s Act East policy.
Comment. (150 Words)
The Hindu
Introduction :- The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD) is an informal strategic dialogue between the United States, Japan, Australia and India that is maintained by talks between member countries. It was Shinzo Abe who conceived the idea of Asian democracies joining forces. In 2006, Abe called for a quadrilateral dialogue among Japan, India, Australia and the United States.
India’s Act East Policy focusses on the extended neighbourhood in the Asia-Pacific region. The policy which was originally conceived as an economic initiative, has gained political, strategic and cultural dimensions including establishment of institutional mechanisms for dialogue and cooperation.
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The Objective of ”Act East Policy” is to promote economic cooperation, cultural ties and develop strategic relationship with countries in the Asia-Pacific region through continuous engagement at bilateral, regional and multilateral levels thereby providing enhanced connectivity to the States of North Eastern Region including Arunanchal Pradesh with other countries in our neighbourhood.
QUAD policy compliments and contradicts India’s Act East policy :-
Quad offers space for economic consolidation, strategic autonomy. The coming together of India, the US, Japan and Australia is being seen as building a strategic partnership to deal with China’s rise and its implications. Hence the objectives of Quad and Look east policy of India can be gauged on similar grounds.
The Quad doesn’t just pertain to maritime surveillance, it also aims at enhancing connectivity in accordance with the rule of law and prudent financing in the Indo-Pacific together. This will help in countering China’s One Belt One Road maritime silk route project and can enhance India’s engagement with the region.
The 10 ASEAN countries account for about 11% of India’s global trade. For the past few years India has joined the ASEAN “plus six”, including China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, to discuss the RCEP free trade agreement. Quad can enhance these relationships.
However,
Engaging with such alliances with big powers may divert India’s attention from immediate neighbors. It might create impression that India is increasingly giving importance to other new concerns rather than past priorities.
If the aims and objectives of Quad examined thoroughly than it’s quite clear that rather than economic, cultural co-operation it is about military co-operation and it’s strategies are directed towards countering China rather than mutual co-operation among region.
As India is on other global fronts like BRICS, SCO co-operating with China, it’s role in Quad might become fluttering to it’s own stands.
India’s engagement with Quad must be based on rational criteria’s with a cost benefit analysis to determine the extent of engagement. It should not hamper it’s priorities on list and it’s other agendas in region.
Q) India’s openness to both the quad and triad (India, China and Russia) suggests
not the construction of new alliances, but Delhi’s return to the original conception
of non-alignment. Analyse. (150 Words)
The Indian Express
Introduction :- Quad is the new forum of co-operation among countries of India, United States, Japan, Australia etc. While triad refers to India’s political coalition with Russia and China that later became the BRICS to include Brazil and South Africa.
Recently the renewed quad did this week was to identify their shared interests on promoting connectivity, countering terrorism, addressing proliferation of nuclear weapons, and encourage respect for international law.
India’s openness to both the quad and triad suggest Delhi’s return to the original conception of non-alignment :-
If the explicit purpose of the triad was to promote a multipolar world, the quad has the big task of preventing the emergence of a unipolar Asia dominated by China.
Conception of quad as an alliance to contain China must be discarded. None of the four countries are interested in containment. In fact, the US, Japan and Australia have much deeper economic and political ties with China than India.
The persistent Indian anxieties on the quad are not about the high principle of strategic autonomy. They reflect the entrenched political distrust of America that expresses itself on any issue involving partnership with the US — whether it was the multilateral nuclear initiative, mini-lateral regional coordination through the quad, or the bilateral defence framework.
Contrary to the popular view, distrust of America was not written into independent India’s DNA. India’s founding fathers did not define non-alignment as anti-Americanism.
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It decreed that working with Soviet Russia was progressive and cooperation with America meant surrendering national sovereignty. In utter perversity, non-alignment was interpreted as aligning with Soviet Russia.
The original conception of non-alignment was about building strong ties with all the major powers and making independent judgements about international affairs which is being followed by India’s openness to quad and triad.
Discarding the ambiguities inherited from the 1970s, Delhi now appears ready to expand cooperation with the West or East on the basis of enlightened self-interest. If the quad helps India improve its ability to defeat terrorism, improve regional connectivity and extend its its naval reach, Delhi is not going to thumb its nose. If China is ready to cooperate on terrorism and stop blocking India’s rise, Delhi will be happy explore the multiple possibilities with Beijing.
Q) “It would be unwise to rely on the US to counter China. India must build tools to
protect its own interests.” Comment. (250 Words)
The Indian Express
Introduction :- With increasing economic power China becoming more aggressive on military, political and economic fronts. India has long standing borders disputes with China and also has fought wars in 1962. China is continuously increasing it’s powers on all fronts. To counter China India has been exploring many strategies and among them relying on United States is a prominent one.
Benefits of having United States on our side :-
Both countries share similar, liberal, democratic values and functioning systems.
It is the major economic and military power of the world who has tremendous potential to counter China and it’s rise more than any other country in world.
It shares many global stands on lines of Indian stands like the one against terrorism. It can also help India in many other issues like South China sea disputes, North Korea aggression, dumping of Chinese goods in India.
However relying on United States can be counter productive :-
It is not a reliable partner :- History points out that United Sates has always worked in it’s self interest. For ex US had backed away from direct conflict with China during it’s wars in Korea and Vietnam. US remained a passive supporter during recent Doklam issue irrupted between India and China where as Japan overtly supported India.
Geographical constraints :- India shares it’s border with China which is disputed. While US has no such territorial interest.
Increasing isolationist, protectionist trend :- With Trump’s government in power many decisions like abandoning the Trans Atlantic Partnership, Paris deal, America First policy in place India cant hope for any large scale ties with United States.
Robust economic relationship between United States and China :- This economic bonhomie can deter US from taking any stern action and firm stands against China.
Tools that need to be explored by India :-
Strengthening it’s economy and infrastructure :- It will help India to counter China economically which is very much required considering it’s role in China’s rise and power. It will also help in tackling skirmishes and blockades by China in border areas like recent Doklam issues.
Building regional alliances and using diplomacy :- The institutions of BIMSTEC, ASEAN + 6, BBIN, SAARC, ASIA-AFRICA Growth corridor can help.
Preparing India militarily :- It is important to modernise the weaponry, skill the border forces with much needed techniques and tactics to counter the shrewd Chinese counterparts.
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Q) What do you understand by the rules-based regional security architecture ?
Examine how can India and ASEAN be partners in the rules-based regional security
architecture. (150 Words)
The Hindu
Background :-Prime Minister Narendra Modi has addressed the 15th ASEAN India summit at Manilla, Philippines
India’s relationship with ASEAN is a key pillar of it’s foreign policy.
Centrality of ‘Act East Policy’ in the regional security architecture of Indo-Pacific region.
It’s time that we jointly address challenge of terrorism by intensifying Co-operation.
All 10 ASEAN heads of state have invited to be guests of honour for next years republic day function (Though a symbolic move, is a good step)
Assured ASEAN of “steady support towards achieving a rules-based region security architecture that best attests to the region’s interests and it’s peaceful development”
Rule based regional security architecture :-
This refers to “an arrangement of regional security where every step taken by any nation with regard to regional security falls in line with the rules and regulations agreed upon by the member countries through agreements, laws or international organisation’s rules and laws”
Indo-Pacific region has become the centre of global politics and economics while China being the most important player in the region.
The present time is ‘Period of transition’ as US is unable to communicate it’s priorities in the region effectively while China is.
This time is significant for nations like India and ASEAN countries that have a stake in the region in the long term stability of region.
For this to attain, India rightfully asserting for ‘rule based regional security architecture’ along with US and Japan.
Need for reassertion :-
China is following aggressive expansionist posturing. It is adopting every means and method to expand it’s boundaries in neighbourhood countries.
China also violates the UNCLOS in South China Sea by acting against the universal laws of freedom and navigation.
Partnership with India and ASEAN :-
To attain the rule based security architecture in the region ‘balance of power is the key’. For this India and ASEAN partnership is very critical.
Favourable factors for the same :-
Together they constitute the 1.8 bn population of the world and are part of one of the largest economic regions.
ASEAN is India’s fourth largest trading partner and India ASEAN’S seventh largest partner.
India’s service oriented economy perfectly complements the manufacturing based economy of ASEAN. Nations.
Similar security challenges like extremism, terrorism, piracy etc. and need of Co-Operation is felt by all.
The two shares common heritage and cultural ties since ancient historical time.
The increased co-operation and strategic engagement between India and ASEAN for a favourable balance of power will ensure regional stability. Balance of power will also help in reducing Chinese economic influence and supremacy in region. It will also complement the other alliances like Indo-Pacific Quadrilateral consisting of India, Japan, US and Australia.
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What needs to be done :-
India must convince the ASEAN as it’s strategic partner by boosting domestic economic reform agenda, by enhancing connectivity within the region and by increasing it’s presence in regional institutions. ASEAN should be clearer and more specific in their demands from Delhi and must adopt a deeper and more broad based engagement with India.
Q) The revival of the Trans-Pacific Partnership minus the U.S. opens opportunities
for India. Examine. (150 Words)
The Hindu
Introduction :- When Donald Trump abandoned the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in his very first week after being sworn in as U.S. President, there were doubts whether the trade agreement, painstakingly negotiated over more than a decade, would survive.
The remaining 11 nations agreed in Danang in principle to a new pact, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), revising some of the features of the TPP
Benefits for India :-
Access to lucrative US market to be cut for India’s export competitors: The TPP positioned textile manufacturer Vietnam and information technology outsourcing powerhouse the Philippines in a favourable position to get access to the high-value American market. India’s domestic textile industry has been continuously eclipsed by nations like Bangladesh and Vietnam with cheaper production costs and aggressive marketing.
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership deal to come into focus: The RCEP is a proposed trade deal between the 10 countries of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and FTAs with six other countries including Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand. Negotiations, which formally began at the end of 2012, have progressively become more complicated after 15 rounds and four ministerial meetings. The absence of TPP will give member nations more reason to push for a successful RCEP at the earliest.
India’s concerns over trade diversions and other non-tariff barriers to lessen: India had been wary of the effect of TPP on its own Major issues of concern for the country have been the proliferation of non-tariff barriers (NTB) to trade as a result of TPP and greater trade diversion. Trade experts had warned that NTBs, which constitute various forms of trade restrictions like quotas, embargoes and sanctions, might be imposed on India by nations signatory to the TPP to keep the balance of trade with other member nations.
Greater chance of bilateral boost to trade by India and US: The TPP had been billed as a battle between the US and manufacturing powerhouse China over domination of global Even if the US does not enter TPP to contain China, the nature of global commerce goes against isolationism. Thus, experts point out that the US will have to step up bilateral understandings on trade matters, even with India.
Pressure to conform with TPP standards in ongoing trade negotiations to slide: There has been pressure on India to conform to stricter standards of labour, intellectual property and investment, officials from the Ministry of Commerce have said. Countries present at the TPP and RCEP trade deals had been arguing in favour of it. India, however, has been opposed to such demands.
In its free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations with Australia and New Zealand, it may now be in a better position to protect sensitive items such as dairy products from cuts. India’s FTA talks with Canada had hit a road block because of the latter’s unhappiness with the provisions on investor-state dispute in India’s draft bilateral investment treaty. With the Trump regime appearing to distance itself from Canada, Ottawa may be in a more accommodating frame of mind.
The US’s withdrawal from the TPP would also benefit the domestic leather industry, said a top official of industry body Council for Leather Exports.
The TPP’s future is uncertain given the US withdrawal, but several signatories have signaled their intentions to re-work the TPP without the participation of the US. Mr. Trump’s agenda to pull his country out of multilateral agreements has coincided, ironically, with the rise of China as the leading world power promoting globalisation. Trump’s decision to walk out of the TPP may not have a direct impact on India, but there could be indirect spin-offs. The extent to which India can positively handle the pressure and use the frustration of TPP members from a failed agreement to its advantage would be something to watch out for.
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Q) Discuss the potential and prospects for Delhi’s bilateral maritime security
cooperation with Paris in the Indian Ocean. (250 Words)
The Indian Express
With the establishment of strategic partnership in 1998 with France, there has been a significant progress in all areas of bilateral cooperation growing cooperation in strategic areas such as defence, counter-terrorism, nuclear energy and space. France was the first country with which India entered into an agreement on civil nuclear cooperation
Potential for Maritime security cooperation
1. France existing presence in Indian Ocean
Paris has military bases in the Indian Ocean.
It has the lead role in the Indian Ocean Rim Organisation that brings together the island states of Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar, Comoros and the French territory of Reunion.
2. Naval exercises with India
The annual Varuna naval exercises between India and France should therefore not solely be viewed through the prism of military diplomacy, but also as a deliberate French effort in regional capacity building.
3. Maritime defence technology exports to India
French sales of Scorpene class submarines, and naval surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems will strengthen India’s naval capacity.
4. Colonial heritage
In terms of cultural influence, there is a certain overlap with regard to French and Indian soft power in the Southwestern Indian Ocean.
For example, Madagascar, with its strategic location astride the Mozambique Channel, is a former French colony, where French is still widely spoken, but where for a long time ethnic Indians of Gujarati origin controlled a large chunk of the local economy
Way forward
At a grand strategic level, France and India’s interests in the Indian Ocean are closely aligned. Both countries have historically played an active custodial and humanitarian role throughout the region. They share concerns over the risks of sea-borne nuclear proliferation, and with regard to malevolent non-state actors.
The two republics uphold similar core values when it comes to freedom of navigation, and closely monitor the threats posed by certain revisionist actors to the security of sea lines of communication.
Finally, Paris and New Delhi should seek to enhance their cooperation in the field of maritime domain awareness and intelligence gathering. Over the past few years, a dual-use infrastructure competition has been emerging across the Indo-Pacific region
In the years ahead, there are opportunities for France and India to enhance their cooperation in space-based maritime surveillance, unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) technology, amphibious special forces training, and in precision targeting in clustered littoral environments.
Q) Examine the economic and strategic benefits of the India-Australia-Japan-US
quadrilateral (or Quad) dialogue to India. (250 Words)
The Indian Express
The Hindu
The Hindu
Introduction:
Quad dialogue was held in recently held ASEAN summit in Manila. It is joint maritime security grouping in Indo Pacific region by India, USA, Japan and Australia.
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The Quad was born from the close coordination among the governments of the four countries in the aftermath of the catastrophic tsunami in December 2004 that brought death and destruction to several nations in South and South-East Asia.
The Indian Navy was among the first to deliver relief and succour to the affected despite India’s own southern coast and islands in the Andaman Sea being ravaged by the unprecedented maritime disaster. The naval forces of the US, Japan and Australia came in later.
It was this experience which led the Americans to suggest that as four democracies with substantial naval capabilities, our countries should set up a consultative forum for regular exchange of views on regional challenges, in particular dealing with maritime emergencies and security threats such as piracy.
But later in 2006, the Americans decided not to take this initiative forward so as not to “provoke” the Chinese and the Russians, whose support they had sought in the UN Security Council on the Iran nuclear issue as well as their cooperation in the six-party talks on the Korean nuclear issue.
Significance of Quad
(a) Economic benefits
1. Trade with the region
It will increase connectivity in the Indo-Pacific region and provide economic opportunity for all stakeholders.
India will be able to negotiate with ASEAN, APEC and RCEP trade multilaterals from the position of strength.
2. Secure trade routes
It will provide safety to international maritime trade routes like Malacca strait and increase trade given that 40% of India’s trade pass through this part of ocean waters.
3. Financing for infrastructure
There will be new financial avenues opened to counter China led BRI as well, which will not benefit other developing countries but also India in infrastructure development. India and Japan are bilaterally cooperating in Asia Africa Growth Corridor already.
It will also induce institutions like US dominated World Bank and Japan led Asia Development bank for India’s needs.
(b) Strategic benefits
1. Counter Chinese hegemony in Indo-Pacific
Each country had made it clear in the earliest days in 2000s that the quad would not take on a military dimension and that it would not be directed against any third country.
India had looked upon it as being no different from other regional fora that it was already a part of, such as the India-China-Russia trilateral or the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
However, both China and Russia interpreted the proposed “quad” as a camouflage for a military alliance. China in particular criticised it as a potential “Asian NATO”.
But now it has assumed again critical role in countering China.
2. Providing security in the Indo-pacific region
As the world has stakes in the Indo-pacific region, particularly India and ASEAN, it is imperative to reinforce international law in ocean waters.
As any one country can’t provide security in vast oceans, the regional security fora of such kind is important.
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Topic: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests,
Indian diaspora.
Q) Should India support the inclusion of Britain and France in the quadrilateral
dialogue? Comment. (150 Words)
Livemint
Introduction :- It is a closed group consisting of India, Australia, Japan & USA. Japan pioneered the initiative about a decade ago. It perceives this forum as a coalition of maritime democracies. Securing a rules-based global order, liberal trading system and freedom of navigation are believed to the guiding principles of quadrilateral dialogue.
India should support inclusion of Britain and France in the quadrilateral dialogue :-
Nod to their entry will help India with financial benefits, their support to India in other multilateral forums.
Their entry will give a strategic angle to quadrilateral group.
These countries are strong naval powers hence it’s very much in interest of quadrilateral group to add them.
The growing power imbalance in Asia due to the rapid rise of China needs a robust alliance to counter balance.
India should not support inclusion of Britain and France in the quadrilateral dialogue :-
It is like India is needlessly dragging itself into the US-China rivalry.
Enlargement of such groups often results into their malfunctioning later.
They are the extra regional members. Their involvement in this dialogue will unnecessarily complicate the matter.
Taking into consideration the various dimensions it can be conceived that quad is a good idea but not quad plus hence inclusion of members into existing quadrilateral group must be done very carefully.
Q) Why is militant Buddhism on the rise in few Asian countries? Examine the
justifications given by votaries of violence in Buddhism. Also comment on India’s
response to militant Buddhism in its neighbourhood. (250 Words)
The Wire
Introduction :- Millitant Buddhism refers to acts of violence and aggression committed by Buddhists with religious, political, socio-cultural motivations as well as self-inflicted violence during ascetics or for religious purposes.
It’s not just in Myanmar that this militant Buddhism is on the rise: it’s also surfacing in the other two leading Thervādin countries: Sri Lanka and Thailand. In all three countries, Buddhists make up the vast majority of the population: 70% in Sri Lanka, 88% in Myanmar, and 93% in Thailand.
Reasons for it’s rise :-
The conviction that Buddhism is under threat psychologically instigate the monks to adopt the path of violence in self defence.
The notion that a non-Buddhist minority is the vanguard of an imminent invasion is very strong indeed which provokes the monks to adopt violent path.
There is an absence of strong checks and balance system, political empowerment of minority and the issue is being politically appeased in order to create chaos.
The social insecurity and instability is also another reason for the rise of militant Budhhism trend.
The rising threats due to other religion like Muslim jihad for example many monks were killed by Muslims in south Thailand. In past Bamiyan Buddha image and Nalanda University was badly devastated by Islamic forces.
Justification given :-
Militant monks usually start their argumentation by pointing out that even the Buddha himself showed some understanding for the wars conducted by his benefactor King Pasenadi instead of condemning them.
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Burmese monks are preaching violence instead of peace, and “firm action” instead of meditation. They justify killing in defence of their own religion hence they are justifying persecution of Rohingyas
Indian response :-
India is the birthplace of Buddhism which is in itself a very peaceful religion hence India will not support such activities. India will always oppose killings, devastation of people under the garb of religion in danger.
Q) Given how they are juxtaposed geographically and culturally, the two countries –
India and Bangladesh, have failed to realise full potential of their mutual
relationship. Comment. (250 Words)
The Indian Express
Introduction :- Bangladesh and India are South Asian neighbours. Relations have been friendly, although sometimes there are border disputes. India was the first country to recognize Bangladesh as a separate and independent state and established diplomatic relations with the country immediately after its independence in December 1971. India’s links with Bangladesh are civilizational, cultural, social and economic.
Presently they are common members of SAARC, BIMSTEC, IORA and the Commonwealth. In particular, Bangladesh and the east Indian states of West Bengal and Tripura are Bengali-speaking.
India and Bangladesh’s geographical locations complement each other and present an opportunity for both to further develop their connectivity links and economies.
Bangladesh’s geopolitical importance for India is due to three factors.
Bangladesh’s location is a strategic wedge between mainland India and Northeastern seven states of the Indian Union. Each of these states is land-locked and has shorter route to the sea through Bangladesh.
Bangladesh is a natural pillar of “Look East Policy”. A friendly Bangladesh that ensures no anti-India terror or insurgent activities can be carried out from its soil unlike in the past will substantially assist India in handling security problems in some of its restive north-east States.
The navigable rivers in India’s Northeast that could connect West Bengal or Orissa ports pass through Bangladesh. The only entry to and exit from the Northeastern region of India is through the Shiliguri Corridor that is close to the Chinese border and within striking distance of Bangladesh. The Shiliguri Corridor is the most sensitive ‘choke point’ for the Indian Union.
However they have failed to realise the full potential of their relationship :-
Major areas of contention has been :
A major area of contention has been the construction and operation of the Farakka Barrage by India to increase water supply in the river Hoogly. Bangladesh insists that it does not receive a fair share of the Ganges waters during the drier seasons, and gets flooded during the monsoons when India releases excess waters. See also Sharing of Ganges Waters.
There have also been disputes regarding the transfer of Teen Bigha Corridor to Bangladesh.
Terrorist activities carried out by outfits based in both countries, like Banga Sena and Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami. Recently India and Bangladesh had agreed jointly to fight terrorism.
Bangladesh has consistently denied India transit facility to the landlocked North Eastern Regions of India. Although India has a narrow land link to this North eastern region, which is famously known as the Siliguri Corridor or “India’s Chicken Neck”
Illegal Bangladeshi immigration into India. The border is porous and migrants are able to cross illegally, though sometimes only in return for financial or other incentives to border security personnel. Bangladeshi officials have denied the existence of Bangladeshis living in India and those illegal migrants found are described as having been trafficked.
Continuous border killing of Bangladeshi people by Indian border guards, aiding illegal immigrants, helping in armed dacoity, fake money transfer and illegal drug trades by both Indian and Bangladeshi people are the major problems between Bangladesh and India.
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Steps required :-
Bangladesh is also home to an aspirational middle class that would like to reap the dividends of a better relationship with New Delhi. Greater trade and connectivity, especially people-to-people relations need to be given due weightage.
Apart from venturing into big agendas small issues like building stronger educational links, paying attention is the visa hassle Bangladeshi academics face when attending conferences in India, smoothening the Agartala-Dhaka-Kolkata, Guwahati-Shillong-Dhaka bus services etc. addressing the issues like Tipaimukh hydro electric project etc is equally important.
The role of India’s Northeast in India-Bangladesh ties has long been delinked from security and migrant issues. It is time that Northeast India and Bangladesh built not only strong economic links, but also greater cultural and educational ties. Apart from more border haats, something border states have already called for, the two sides should explore the possibility of sister city arrangements to promote more people-to-people interactions.
An economically strong, secular and democratic Bangladesh is integral to New Delhi’s interests and also of the subcontinent as a whole. Efforts to strengthen areas of co-operation and minimize that of conflict is needed. Link: India-Bangladesh relations Mind Map
Q) While the focus on the Rohingya refugee crisis is justified, the indifference to
plight of Sri Lankan refugees is condemnable. Comment. (150 Words)
The Hindu
Introduction :- The Rohingya people are a stateless Indo-Aryan people from Rakhine State, Myanmar. There were an estimated 1 million Rohingya living in Myanmar before the 2016–17 crisis. On 22 Oct 2017, the UN reported that an estimated 603,000 refugees from Rakhine, Myanmar had crossed the border into Bangladesh alone since August 25, 2017.
In recent months, the focus of the media has been on the Rohingya refugees in India. But the plight of Sri Lankan refugees, who have been here for nearly 35 years, appears to have gone out of the public consciousness.
Justification of focus on Rohingya crisis can be done on following points :-
The plight of the Rohingyas from Myanmar and Bangladesh is being described as Asia’s biggest mass exodus. They are described by the United Nations in 2013 as one of the most persecuted minorities in the world.
According to Human Rights Watch, the 1982 laws effectively deny to the Rohingya the possibility of acquiring a nationality. Despite being able to trace Rohingya history to the 8th century, Myanmar law does not recognize the ethnic minority as one of the eight national races.
The Rohingyas have faced military crackdowns in 1978, 1991–1992, 2012, 2015 and 2016–2017. UN officials and HRW have described Myanmar’s persecution of the Rohingya as ethnic cleansing.
Probes by the UN have found evidence of increasing incitement of hatred and religious intolerance by ultra-nationalist Buddhists against Rohingyas while the Myanmar security forces have been conducting summary
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executions, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture and ill-treatment and forced labour against the community.
However ignorance to plight of Sri Lankan Tamil is condemnable owing to their struggle and pathetic condition :-
Over 1 lakh Sri Lankan Tamils had sought refuge in the State during the worst crisis in Sri Lanka between 1983 and 1987 and the decade following that. Presently, 109 special camps in Tamil Nadu house more than 60,000 refugees.
The pathetic condition of shelters, restrictions on movement, and limited scope of livelihood opportunities affect the community of one lakh-odd Sri Lankan refugees, who have been living in Tamil Nadu ever since the anti-Tamil pogrom in Sri Lanka in July 1983.
The refugees also suffer from social and psychological problems as reports of suicides, school dropouts and child marriage show. Many middle-aged refugees worry about their children’s future, given the fact that 40% of camp refugees are below 18 years.
In the last eight and a half years, hardly 10% of the refugee population (9,238 people) went back through a scheme implemented by Indian officials along with the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Way Forward :-
The Tamil Nadu government gives Rs 1,000 every month to the head of the refugee family, Rs 750 to each adult, and Rs 400 to every child. This is very less compared to their crisis situation hence they must be supported with just credit.
Refugee children are eligible to study up to Class 12 for free, and receive the benefits due to Indian students, including free textbooks, uniforms, bicycles, noon meals, bus passes and laptops. However this has not resulted into any ground level change in situation. The search for a better future, though, hasn’t been so fruitful for most of the refugees in the state of Tamil Nadu. There are many refugees in India who have been here for three generations and even the third generation after being educated are still working as daily wage labourers. Hence a comprehensive plan considering their real concerns and situation is necessary with involvement of all stakeholder in process.
Both the DMK and AIADMK governments have periodically demanded citizenship or permanent resident status for them this can be explored by centre. This will help the next generations of refugees who have stayed back in India.
Unlike in Canada, European countries, and Australia, India was reluctant to integrate the refugees into society. These refugees were unable to even decide whether or not to go back to Sri Lanka as observed by academic studies in Sri Lankan refugee camps. Hence shunning these narrow attitudes and showing broader perspectives of co-operation is needed.
Link – Rohingya Crisis Mind Maps
Q) The ongoing crisis in Catalonia region is a salutary reminder to India of what can
go wrong when regional grievances are allowed to fester. Comment. (250 Words)
Livemint
Introduction :- The ongoing crisis in the Catalonia region of Spain saw an attempt at secession was ruthlessly put down by central authorities.
Reasons for the ongoing crisis :-
One of the roots of the putative independence movement is a sense of Catalan identity distinct from that of much of the rest of Spain—an identity rooted in language, culture and history.
There is a growing a growing dissatisfaction with fiscal transfers within the kingdom of Spain, which many Catalonians believe hurt their region disproportionately, was, and remains, an equally important driver of the desire for independence.
www.insightsonindia.com 69 www.insightsias.com
Since India faces similar kind of situation it can learn important lessons from ongoing crisis :
It is estimated that a sizeable quantum of inter-state fiscal redistribution occurs between have and have-not states through the Centre’s taxing and spending policies. For example, for every Rs100 that the average citizen of Maharashtra contributes to Central coffers, he or she receives Rs15; by contrast, the average citizen of Bihar receives Rs420 for every Rs100 that he or she contributes.
Resentment and separatist zeal in Catalonia have been fuelled by the feeling among many residents that their hard work and thrift are paying for the alleged indolence, welfare dependency culture, and absence of entrepreneurial ethos in lagging regions.
India can experience the resentment like this as it has already faced many armed and secessionist insurgencies. The mix of economic and cultural sources of alienation amongst have states is perhaps strongest in Tamil Nadu, where there exists a pre-existing vein of pan-Tamilian nationalism that may be tapped by vote-getting politicians.
The need of the hour is to move away from the over-centralizing tendencies of the Centre—which have characterized all dispensations—and towards a model which takes fiscal and policy devolution to the states seriously. It is time to turn that rhetoric of competitive/cooperative federalism into reality.
Q) Why and in what form the support from rich countries is crucial to reduce
emissions and effectively combat climate change effects? Examine. (250 Words)
The Hindu
The national historic responsibility of developed countries to fund the developing countries to combat climate change is well established through Kyoto Protocol. The notion of climate justice can be attributed to the following reasons
1. Industrial Revolution
In 19th century and early 20th century, western countries were in race for industrial development which led to booming of industry which polluted environment.
2. Technological superiority
As western countries were first to get industrialised, they should provide climate reselient technology to developing countries in combating climate change.
Infact, their technological advancement can be attributed to the early industrialisation that created global warming.
Western countries can extend help in the following forms -
1. Funding
Funding the climate resilient program like Solar energy, afforestation etc in developing countries through Green Climate Fund.
2. Technology transfer
They can provide technology in combating pollution to the other countries.
3. Doha amendment 2012
Advanced countries should ratify the 2nd phase (2013-2020) of Kyoto Protocol.
4. Loss and damage
Implementation of loss and damage clause decided in Warsaw COP19 summit to support island countries which are severely in threat of extreme climate condition.
It is high time that develop countries fulfill their promise done to help other nation to fight climate change given that Paris treaty will soon become operational from 2020 for the following decades.
