THE CONTEXT: Aadhimalai Pazhangudiyinar Producer Company Limited and Snehakunja Trust are among the 10 awardees of the prestigious Equator Prize given by UNDP for their work in the field of conservation and biodiversity

Analysis

• The prize has been awarded for their exceptional achievement in showcasing local, innovative, nature-based solutions for tackling biodiversity loss and climate change and achieving their local development goals.
• Aadhimalai Pazhangudiyinar Producer Company Limited is a 1,700-member cooperative, managed and run entirely by indigenous people from the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in Tamil Nadu.
• It’s work in the past eight years has improved livelihood across 147 villages by processing and marketing a diverse range of forest produce and crops.
• Snehakunja Trust has protected sensitive wetland and coastal ecosystems in the Western Ghats and the Karnataka coast for 45 years with a focus on community-based restoration and conservation.
• This organization has supported hundreds of self-help groups and village forest committees to sustainably manage resources based on traditional knowledge, implement natural farming techniques, use clean energy, promote entrepreneurship, and provide community health services.

ABOUT UNDP EQUATOR PRIZE

• The Equator Prize, organized by the Equator Initiative within the United Nations Development Programme.
• It is awarded biennially to recognize outstanding community efforts to reduce poverty through the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.
• The Equator Prize celebrates, on international stage the local and indigenous groups across the tropics that demonstrate and exemplify sustainable development.
• The Equator Initiative is a multi-sector partnership led by UNDP that brings together the United Nations, governments, civil society, and grassroots organization to build the capacity of local efforts to reduce poverty  through the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

THE CONTEXT: A total of 326 cases were registered in the country under the controversial colonial-era penal law on sedition between 2014 and 2019 in which just six persons were convicted

Analysis

• The Supreme Court last week observed that Section 124A of the IPC — offence of sedition — has been enormously misused.
• It asked the Centre why it was not repealing the provision used by the British to “silence” people like Mahatma Gandhi to suppress the freedom movement.
• According to the Union Home Ministry data, a total of 326 cases were registered under the sedition law between 2014 and 2019, with the highest 54 cases in Assam.
• Out of these cases, charge sheets were filed in 141 cases while just six people were convicted for the offence during the six-year period.
• In Assam, out of the 54 sedition cases registered, charge sheets were filed in 26 cases and trials were completed in 25 cases. However, there has not been a single conviction in the State in any of the cases between 2014 and 2019, the data say.
• Jharkhand has registered 40 cases under Section 124A of the IPC during the six years. Charge sheets were filed in 29 cases and trial was completed in 16 cases in which just one person has been convicted.
• In Haryana, 31 cases were registered under the sedition law in which charge sheets were filed in 19 cases.

WHAT IS SEDITION

• Classified as a crime in India since 1870, sedition has been defined under Section 124A of Chapter VI of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. This Section says that whoever, by spoken or written words, signs, etc. excites or attempts to excite hatred or disaffection towards the Government of India is said to have committed the crime of sedition

ARGUMENTS IN FAVOUR OF SEDITION

ARGUMENTS AGAINST SEDITION

• CONCLUSION: A delicate balance with our ‘Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression and the need for Security and integrity of state need to be maintained. While no citizen should be allowed to spread unnecessary hatred among the masses and incite violence against the Government (especially in a country founded on the principles of non-violence) every citizen should also possess the freedom to express their views on the Government. The Law Commission’s 2018 report suggests reforms in sedition law to prevent its misuse and abuse and the reforms in sedition law can begin from there.

THE CONTEXT: 8 new routes were launched by the Ministry of Civil Aviation for boosting regional connectivity under the UDAN scheme.

Analysis

• The airlines, Spice Jet, will commence operations on these eight new routes: Gwalior-Mumbai-Gwalior, Gwalior-Pune-Gwalior, Jabalpur-Surat-Jabalpur, and Ahmedabad-Gwalior-Ahmedabad.
• Inauguration of these routes achieves the aim of the “Sab Uden Sab Juden” initiatives under the UDAN scheme to strengthen the established aerial network of the country while providing a catalyst to the local economy and tourism.
• The commencement of these routes fulfils the objectives of the Ministry to enhance regional connectivity of Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities with the metro cities of the country.
• For instance, the new routes will boost the aerial connectivity of Gwalior, the tourism city of Madhya Pradesh with the trade hubs of India, and further improve economic activity.
• Earlier this month, under the UDAN scheme, M/S Indigo airlines started another flight to connect Kolkata, West Bengal,Imphal, and Manipur with Dibrugarh, Assam.
• To date, 359 routes and 59 airports including 5 heliports and 2 Water Aerodromes have been operationalized under the UDAN scheme.

ABOUT UDAN SCHEME

• The Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)- Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) 2016 is a flagship scheme of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) envisaged to make air travel affordable and widespread in the country.
• The scheme intends to boost inclusive national economic growth, employment opportunities, and air transport infrastructure development across the nation.
• The scheme will be jointly funded by the central government and state governments.
• The scheme will run for 10 years and can be extended thereafter.
• The scheme entails making the routes financially viable, without insisting on the financial viability of the regional airports, by lowering the cost of flight operations and through financial support in the form of Viability Gap Funding (VGF).
• The 4th round of UDAN was launched in December 2019 with a special focus on North-Eastern Regions, Hilly States, and Islands.
• Under UDAN 4, the operation of helicopter and seaplanes is also been incorporated

THE CONTEXT: The U.S., Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan have agreed in principle to establish a new quadrilateral diplomatic platform focused on enhancing regional connectivity.

Analysis

• The parties consider long-term peace and stability in Afghanistan critical to regional connectivity and agree that peace and regional connectivity are mutually reinforcing,
• Recognising the historic opportunity to open flourishing interregional trade routes, they  intend to cooperate to expand trade, build transit links, and strengthen business-to-business ties,
• They agreed to meet in the coming months to determine the modalities of this cooperation with mutual consensus.

STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS

• Afghanistan’s strategic location has for a long time been touted as a competitive advantage for the country.
• Afghanistan is bordered by Pakistan to the east and south, Iran to the west, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan to the north, and China to the northeast.
• Located at the heart of the historic Silk Road, Afghanistan was long the crossroads of commerce between Asian countries connecting them to Europe, and enhancing religious, cultural, and commercial contacts.
• The formation of the new quad group is important amid China’s desire to extend its Belt Road Initiative (BRI) to Afghanistan.
• The BRI, a multi-billion dollar initiative launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping when he came to power in 2013, aims to link Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea routes.
• By virtue of its location, Afghanistan can provide China with a base to spread its influence across the world.
• Since the announcement of the withdrawal of U.S. forces by August 31, violence has been rising and efforts to broker a peace settlement between the Afghan government and insurgent Taliban have slowed.

THE CONTEXT: China said that political tensions between Beijing and Australia were not behind a UNESCO recommendation to place the Great Barrier Reef on its endangered list

Analysis

• The Great Barrier Reef has been put on a list of World Heritage sites that could be put on the in-danger list after losing half of its corals since 1995.
• Australia has assailed the move, blaming global warming for the loss, while UNESCO experts argued that pollution run-off has contributed to the loss.
• China dismissed the “Australian government allegations” that Beijing pressed to have the Barrier Reef listed as endangered, and said the decision was based “on reports and data provided by Australia itself.
• Australia should fulfill its obligations to protect world heritage sites instead of making baseless accusations against other members” of UNESCO, China pointed out.
• Both China and Australia are among the 21 nations on heritage committee, which is evaluating nearly 50 sites that could be added to its more than 1,100 World Heritage list.

ABOUT WORLD HERITAGE SITES/LIST

• A World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by UNESCO for its special cultural or physical significance.
• The list of World Heritage Sites is maintained by the international ‘World Heritage Programme’, administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.
• The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity.
• This is embodied in an international treaty called the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO in 1972.

ABOUT GREAT BARRIER REEF

• The Great Barrier Reef is a site of remarkable variety and beauty on the north-east coast of Australia.
• It contains the world’s largest collection of coral reefs, with 400 types of coral, 1,500 species of fish and 4,000 types of mollusk.
• It also holds great scientific interest as the habitat of species such as the dugong (‘sea cow’) and the large green turtle, which are threatened with extinction.
• This diversity of species and habitats, and their interconnectivity, make the GBR one of the richest and most complex natural ecosystems on earth.

• There are over 1,500 species of fish, about 400 species of coral, 4,000 species of mollusk, and some 240 species of birds, plus a great diversity of sponges, anemones, marine worms, crustaceans, and other species.
• No other World Heritage property contains such biodiversity.
• This diversity, especially the endemic species, means the GBR is of enormous scientific and intrinsic importance, and it also contains a significant number of threatened species

Blood Type Estimation Table

THE CONTEXT: In July 2021, Government of India announced creation of a new ministry, the Ministry of Cooperation, which is headed by the Union Home Minister. The aim of the Ministry is to implement the vision of ‘Sahkar se Samriddhi’ or prosperity through cooperation to give a new push to the cooperative movement in India. This article analyses about the topic comprehensively as follows.

WHAT WILL BE THE NEW MINISTRY’S OBJECTIVES?

• The Ministry will provide a separate administrative legal and policy framework for strengthening the cooperative movement in the country.
• It will help deepen co-operatives as a true people-based movement reaching upto the grassroots.
• In our country, a co-operative based economic development model is very relevant where each member works with a spirit of responsibility.
• The Ministry will work to streamline processes for ‘Ease of doing businesses for co-operatives and enable development of Multi-State Co-operatives (MSCS).

WHAT IS A COOPERATIVE SOCIETY?

• According to the Cooperative Societies Act, 1912, at least 10 adult members are needed to form a Cooperative Society solely based on mutual aid and self-help principles. The members should work for a common benefit with a motive to help each other.
• Cooperatives are enterprises which are owned, controlled and run by its members to realize their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations.
• Cooperative societies function for a common benefit with a motive to help its members.
• These societies in have played a significant role in strengthening the rural economy.
• Cooperative societies in India expanded from agricultural market to the credit sector, and later to large scale sectors, housing, fisheries, banking, etc. This led to the formation of different types of cooperative societies in India.

WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF THE COOPERATIVE MOVEMENT IN INDIA?

PRE-INDEPENDENCE ERA

• In response to the agrarian distress and overall indebtedness, the first cooperative society legislation came into existence with the Cooperative Credit Societies Act, 1904. The next landmark Act came in 1919 under the Montague-Chelmsford Reforms, under which cooperation was made a provincial subject. It allowed the provinces to come up with their own legislation for governing cooperatives.
• Later, in 1942, the British government announced the Multi-Unit Cooperative Societies Act to cover cooperative societies whose membership extended beyond one province.

POST-INDEPENDENCE ERA

• In 1958, the National Development Council (NDC) had recommended a national policy on cooperatives and for training personnel and setting up cooperative marketing societies.
• In 1984, Parliament enacted the multi-state cooperative societies Act to remove the plethora of laws governing the same types of societies.
• In 2002, the then NDA government, under the leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, announced a National Policy on Cooperatives to support the promotion and development of cooperatives. It is also aimed at reducing regional imbalances and strengthening cooperative education, training and human resource development.

WHAT ARE THE LAWS GOVERNING THE SOCIETIES AND WHICH GOVERNMENT BODIES OVERSEE THE SECTOR?

1. Cooperation comes under the state list of the under the schedule seven of Indian Constitution; which mean states can make rules to govern them.
2. The 97th Constitutional Amendment, which was passed in 2011, categorically dealt with issues related to the effective management of co-operative societies. It added a new provision in the Constitution under Article 19(1)(c) to provide protection to cooperatives.
3. Article 43B of Part IV states that it is the duty of the State to promote self-reliance, democratic management, voluntary training and professional management of cooperatives in order to improve the economic activity of India.
4. In 2002, the Centre passed a Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act that allowed for registration of societies with operations in more than one state. These are mostly banks, dairies and sugar mills. The Central Registrar of Societies is their controlling authority, but on the ground the State Registrar takes actions on his behalf.
5. The National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) works for the promotion of the cooperative movement in India. It is tasked with planning, promoting, coordinating and financing cooperative development programs at the national level. Also, it provides financial, insurance and technical support to cooperative institutions of farmers and other weaker sections.
6. Most cooperative societies are governed by the laws in the respective states, with a Registrar of Societies and a Cooperation Commissioner as their governing office.

TYPES OF COOPERATIVE SOCIETIES IN INDIA

Based on the members and the kind of business, Cooperative societies in India are classified mainly as 6 types.

1. Farming Cooperative Society: The agriculture sector in India is the largest sector, the country’s farmers need to gain profit for their produce. Unfortunately, this sector is economically weaker because of many causes, some of them being indebtedness of farmers, expensive equipment, agents or middlemen, etc.
   The farmers put in the capital for consolidating farming equipment, seeds, fertilizers, etc.They earn more via cooperative farming as compared to individual farming as the profit is divided according to their land shares.
2. Credit Cooperative Society: The cooperatives which provide financial services to its members like deposits, short term loans, etc. All those who deposit in these societies are their members. These societies raise finance with deposits from its members and provide them with short term loans on a low rate of interest.
3. Producer Cooperative Society: These societies play an essential role in the development of medium and small enterprises in India. These cooperatives are for producers like owners of fisheries, farmers, handicraft and local artisans, and many more such businesses. The best example is one of the largest cooperative in India, AMUL dairy.
4. Consumer Cooperative Society: These cooperatives are formed by consumers. For obtaining household goods at an affordable price, the consumers for such cooperatives buy the goods in bulk to reduce the cost and sell them to its members (and non-members also) at lower prices. For example, Apna bazaar is a consumer cooperative in India.
5. Marketing Cooperative Society: Just like farming cooperatives support farmers for pre-farming requirements, marketing cooperatives support them for marketing or selling their produce. These cooperatives help farmers to sell their produce profitably. Fruits, vegetables, cotton, and sugarcane cooperatives are the largest and most demanded marketing cooperatives.
6. Housing Cooperative Society: Housing is a big issue for the common man in cities and towns with skyrocketing prices of land. In such a situation, people form cooperatives to buy the land, construct houses, and sell them to the members. To become a part of the cooperative, a member either has to buy a house or buy shares in the cooperative.

Characteristics of Cooperative Societies:
1. Voluntary Formation and Participation
2. One vote per member
3. Independent body
4. Mutual benefit
5. No financial risks

Objective: The principal aim of cooperative societies is to help people tide through financial situations and gather support and assistance from nearby communities. This strengthens community relationships.
Distribution of Profits: The surplus produce or profits generated in the cooperative sector is distributed amongst its members rightfully according to their shares.
Professional Management: All cooperatives are supposed to be managed awfully and professionally. Audits must be performed periodically. The regulation is under a central Registrar.

EXAMPLES OF COOPERATIVE SOCIETIES AND HOW THEY FUNCTION

AMUL

• Amul is a leading example of an Indian dairy cooperative society. It is managed by the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd and is jointly owned by around 36 million milk producers.
• The produce is pooled and distributed by the cooperative itself, thereby, eliminating the need for a middle-man.

Jal Shakti Mission

• While the Jal Shakti Mission may not necessarily fall under the co-operative society definition, however, the mission does follow similar principles.
• Under Jal Shakti Abhiyan, the government is training the community as well as working with them together towards water conservation in water-stressed areas. Men and women of the community are being trained to maintain the systems.

Others

• Some other prominent examples of cooperative societies are Kendriya Bhandar and Sahkari Bhandar, which buy goods directly from producers/ manufacturers, thus removing middlemen and delivering the produce at lower costs to the end-consumers, thereby protecting the interests of both the producers and the customers.
• Cooperative societies are not restricted to agriculture alone. In banking and finance, cooperative institutions are spread across rural and urban areas as credit societies.
• As per NABARD’s 2019-20 report, there are 95,238 primary agricultural credit societies (PACSs), 363 district central cooperative banks (DCCBs) and 33 state cooperative banks in India.
• Apart from credit societies, there are also cooperative housing societies in urban areas and cooperative marketing societies in rural areas.
• Now the union government is trying to replicate the Amul model in other sectors of the economy, especially in the agriculture and livestock sector. Dairy farmers in the country have already benefitted hugely by the cooperative movement, and if the same can be replicated in the other areas, it will help in increasing the income of the farmers.

HURDLES FACED BY CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES

1. Non-accountability:  The government gave too many benefits to cooperatives like reservation of items extra benefits like finance facilities so also it was also provided with other support this was a good thing to do, but then there was no further accountability which led to these cooperatives becoming more and more lethargic.
2. Vested interest of some people: A lot of times people who are in position in control of cooperatives are actually people who have joined cooperatives for personal gains.
3. Lack of coordination: Generally, what happens in cooperatives is that different cooperatives at different level don’t coordinate this makes the work of cooperatives difficult.
4. The Internal Free Rider Problem: This problem arises when:
   a) New members who provide very little capital enjoy the same benefits as long-standing or founding members.
   b) When the patronage of new members does not make the cooperative much more efficient or competitive by producing significant economies of scale.
5. Quality more than Quantity:  This is another major problem faced by different cooperatives who go in for quantity this causes a major problem because they think it’s a quick way to earn money so this basically affects the productivity.
6. No Balanced Growth: The cooperatives in northeast areas and in areas like West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa are not as well developed as the ones in Maharashtra and the ones in Gujarat.
7. Political Interference: This is the biggest problem of cooperatives as politicians use them to increase their vote bank. They also get their own favorites on the boards of such boards so they are on control these cooperatives.

NEED FOR THE NEW MINISTRY

• Till now, the cooperative structure has managed to flourish and leave its mark only in few states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka etc. Under the new Ministry, the cooperative movement would get the required financial and legal power needed to penetrate into other states.
• Cooperative institutions get capital from the Centre, either as equity or as working capital, for which the state governments stand guarantee. This formula had seen most of the funds coming to a few states such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka while other states failed to keep up.
• The cooperative sector has witnessed drying out of funding. Under the new Ministry, the cooperative structure would be able to get a new lease of life.

Vaidyanathan Committee submitted its report in 2005 regarding financial hurdles to the societies. The committees made following observations:

• There is need to have a broad roadmap for revival of the short-term cooperative credit structure
• Equal importance be assigned to all the components as an inter-related and integrated package to ensure synergetic impact in improving the health and viability of the short-term cooperative credit structure, through the following revival package:

1. Special financial assistance to bring the short-term cooperative credit structure to an acceptable level of health;
2. Introduce legal and institutional reforms necessary for their democratic, self-reliant and efficient functioning;
3. Qualitative improvement in personnel in all tires through capacity building.

• The committee proposed a unified national model to incorporate the old state laws into a new law. The key reforms proposed by the CAS include: a bank can grant full voting rights to all users; reducing the State government’s participation in cooperative actions to 25 per cent; and restricting the power of States to replace the board of directors.
• In her Budget speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had mentioned the need to strengthen cooperatives.

AN ANALYSIS OF THE MOVE

Is the creation an assault on federalism?

• PROS: After the formation of the Cooperation Ministry, many contended that the move would countermand cooperative societies, which form a part of the State List under Entry 32 of Schedule 7 of the Constitution, and will go against the basic contours of cooperative federalism.
• CONS: But it is not an assault. As many societies are beyond one state so there is need for the center intervention for effective working, regulations and management of them.
• The Centre also cited the objective as streamlining the whole process and easing the doing of business.

Is it politically motivated move?

• PROS: It is being said that most of the cooperatives (especially in Maharashtra) are under the control of the opposition parties and ruling party just want to control them. It is also being said that Cooperative sector is related to the economy. How the home minister can be the head of the Ministry?
• CONS: But the truth is that the control over the sector and its close link with power has led to lot of malpractices and corruption.
• There have been a number of episodes of corruption and mismanagement in running cooperative banks and sugar factories. The mismanagement and irregularities in the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank – the state’s apex cooperative bank – compelled to dissolve the board of directors of the banks and appoint an administrator.
• The directors of the bank were mostly local politicians.

Is it really helpful for the cooperative societies?

• PROS: The government created a separate ministry for cooperatives when a department of cooperation already existed.
• There are many possible reasons for this. The first is the sheer size of the cooperative sector measured in monetary terms.
• According to NABARD’s Annual Report of 2019-20, state cooperative banks have deposits worth Rs 1,35,392 crore and district central cooperative banks have disbursed loans to the tune of Rs 3,00,034 crore.
• There are, thus, considerable financial resources to be controlled.
• There is the opportunity for the Union government to tap these resources to offer lucrative schemes to placate the agitating farmers in northern India, including those in western Uttar Pradesh.
• CONS: In any case, the ministry of cooperation is likely to engender greater control and not autonomy of over cooperatives.

CONCLUSION: The real effects of the Cooperation Ministry can be construed more clearly if one takes into account recent occurrences such as the farmers’ protests. In order to remove the deadlock and ensure a more comprehensive approach, the government will ensure that the farming and livestock cooperative movements in other parts of the country following the new agricultural law are successful, increasing thereby farmers’ incomes and land productivity.

Questions to Ponder

1. How far do you agree that the creation of Ministry of Cooperation is an assault on federal structure of India? Justify your view.

2. What are the challenges faced by co-operative societies in India? How the new Ministry of Cooperation will help these societies to overcome such challenges?

3. Can we consider the establishment of the ministry of cooperation as a watershed development for rural economy in India? Justify your view.

THE CONTEXT: An international collaboration of astronomers has identified a curious occurrence of nine stars like objects that appeared and vanished in a small region within half an hour in an old photographic plate.

Analysis

• Astronomers collaborating across counties track vanishing and appearing celestial objects by comparing old images of the night sky with new modern one, register unnatural phenomena, and probe deep into such phenomena to record changes in the Universe.
• Scientists, investigated early form of photography that used glass plates to capture images of the night sky from the 12th of April 1950, exposed at Palomar Observatory in California, USA.
• They detected these transient stars which were not to be found in photographs half an hour later and not traced since then.
• Such a group of objects appearing and disappearing at the same time have been detected for the first time in the history of astronomy.
• The astronomers have not found any explanation in well-established astrophysical phenomena like gravitational lensing, fast radio bursts, or any variable star that could be responsible for this cluster of fast changes in the sky.
• The scientists are still exploring the reasons behind the observation of these strange transient stars and are still not sure about what triggered their appearance and disappearance.
• The astronomers are examining the possibility that the photographic plates were contaminated with radioactive particles causing false stars on the plates.
• But if the observation is proven to be real, another option is solar reflections from reflective, unnatural objects in orbit around Earth several years before the first human satellite was launched.
• The astronomers who belong to the collaboration Vanishing & Appearing Sources during a Century of Observations (VASCO) have still not sorted out the root cause of the “nine simultaneous transients”.
• They are now eager to look for more signatures of solar reflections in these digitized data from the 1950s in a hope to find aliens.

ABOUT GRAVITATIONAL LENSING

• As the light emitted by distant galaxies passes by massive objects in the universe, the gravitational pull from these objects can distort or bend the light. This is called gravitational lensing.
• Strong gravitational lensing can actually result in such strongly bent light that multiple images of the light-emitting galaxy are formed.
• Weak gravitational lensing results in galaxies appearing distorted, stretched or magnified.
• Although difficult to measure for an individual galaxy, galaxies clustered close together will exhibit similar lensing patterns.
• Analysing the nature of gravitational lensing patterns tells astronomers about the way dark matter is distributed within galaxies and their distance from Earth.
• This method provides a probe for investigating both the development of structure in the universe and the expansion of the universe.

THE CONTEXT: The Centre has taken complete control of the district mineral foundation (DMF) funds, negating states’ right to sanction or approve any expenditure out of the funds accrued from mandatory contribution from mining lease holders

Analysis:

• Since their inception in 2015-16, over Rs 49,400 crore have flown into the DMF funds.
• The move is seen by many states as yet another bid by the central government to usurp the states’ fiscal powers and undermine their constitutionally defined role in governance, so might spark a political storm.
• In a notification issued on July 12, the ministry of mines said the move was necessitated as “there are instances where a part of the funds of the DMF are being transferred to the treasury/consolidated fund of the state or state level funds (by whatever name called) or Chief Minister’s Relief Fund or other funds or schemes,” thereby “defeating the very purpose” of the creation of the DMF.

WHAT IS THE ISSUE?

• The Centre’s unhappiness with the way the states use the DMF kitty or the states being the custodian of these funds came to the fore in March 2020.
• Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman suggested, as part of the first tranche of the Atmanirbhar package, that, “We will request the state governments to utilise the funds which are available at the DMF at the district level so that medical testing, medical screening and also providing of health attention will not suffer”.
• Though she did not allege fund diversion clearly, industry and mines ministry officials were in the know of fund diversion by the states.
• The order said, “In fact, such transfer of funds from DMF to state level agency defeats the very purpose of depositing the contribution and setting DMF at district level. Therefore, transfer of any part of the fund of DMF to any state level entity for its utilisation is violation of the provision of section 9B of the Act.”
• While the guidelines say that 60% of the DMF funds have to be utilised for ‘high priority sectors’ such as drinking water supply and education, 40% is earmarked for ‘other priority sectors’ such as physical infrastructure, energy and cowshed development.
• According to the MMDR Rules, 2015, “every holder of a mining lease or a prospecting licence-cum-mining lease shall, in addition to the royalty, pay to the DMF of the district in which mining operations are carried on, an amount at the rate of 10% of the royalty in respect of mining leases or prospecting licence cum-mining lease granted on or after January 12, 2015, and 30% of the royalty in respect of mining leases granted before January 12, 2015”.
• The DMF fund collections have been the highest in mineral-rich Odisha (Rs 13,336 crore), followed by Chhattisgarh (Rs 6,995 crore), Jharkhand (Rs 6,856 crore), Rajasthan (Rs 5,008 crore) and Madhya Pradesh (Rs 4,015 crore)

ABOUT DMF

• As per the MMDR (Amendment) Act, 2015, state governments must establish DMFs in all districts for the interest and benefits of the persons affected by mining-related operations;
• Lease holders are required to contribute to these not-for-profit foundations as a defined percentage of royalty, in addition to the royalty paid to state governments.
• While the sub-section 3 of Section 9(B) of the MMDR Act brought in through the 2015 amendment says, “The composition and functions of the DMF shall be such as may be prescribed by the state government”, an earlier amendment to the Act added a proviso to the sub-section that, “provided that the central government may give directions regarding composition and utilisation of fund by (the DMF)”.
• However, going a step ahead, the July 12 order said, “No sanction or approval of any expenditure out of the fund of the DMF shall be done at the state level by the state government or any state level agency.”
• Clearly, the idea is to deprive the states of discretion in the utilisation of DMF funds.
• The DMFs are required to use these funds for the welfare of persons and areas affected by mining-related operations, the tribal population being the principal intended beneficiaries.
• The scheme is called Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana.

THE CONTEXT: To strengthen the mentoring capacity of teachers, CBSE, in collaboration with the Innovation Cell, AICTE, Ministry of Education, launched the programme to train 50,000 school teachers

Analysis

• These teachers will become mentors and guide these young students to pursue innovation and entrepreneurship and will nurture young students for problem-solving and critical thinking at the school level.
• More than 10,000 schools have nominated 5 teachers each from their schools to participate in this training programme.
• The training will be provided to the teachers in phased manner. The first batch of training will start from July 20, 2021.

WHAT WILL THE INNOVATION AMBASSADORS DO?

• The trained ‘Innovation Ambassadors’ will perform the following tasks at school level:
  • Creating the culture of innovation in their respective schools.
  • Mentor the teachers and students of their respective and nearby schools
  • Provide support to other schools as a resource person
  • Spread the message of innovation and start-ups among the students and faculty
  • Act as an evaluator for Idea competitions conducted at the national level
  • Act as a Mentor for the national level program on Innovation and related activities.

ABOUT AICTE

• AICTE is an abbreviated form of the All India Council for Technical Education.
• AICTE is the statutory body and the national-level council for technical education in the country
• AICTE was formed in November 1945 with the vision to promote development of the education system in India.
• Till 1987, it was acting as an advisory body under the Department of Education, Ministry of HRD. In 1987, it was given a statutory status by an Act of Parliament, enabling it to exercise in a more effective manner.
• AICTE as a body is responsible for accrediting all postgraduate and graduate programs, under specific categories of technology for Indian institutions.
• This is its major point of difference with UGC (University Grants Commission) as UGC only accredits non-technical education in India.
• Apart from the accreditation, AICTE also has major involvement in training, research and development of technical education in the country, which includes the variety of study areas like commerce and industry trade, science and engineering, medicine and healthcare, arts, environment, architecture, vocational studies, management, hospitality, food science and many more.
• AICTE is based in New Delhi. AICTE has its various operational regional offices in different cities

THE CONTEXT: The Supreme Court has stated that it has undertaken to frame a system to ensure that bail orders are sent electronically to jail authorities.

Analysis

• The Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI)NV Ramana and Justices L Nageswara Rao and AS Bopanna made the observation while hearing the suo motu case regarding delay in releasing convicts by prison authorities even after being granted bail by courts.
• The top court noted took exception to the fact the prisons do not release inmates even after court passes orders to that effect and instead wait for orders to be sent by post.
• “In this age of information and communication technology, we are still looking at the skies for pigeons to communicate orders, “CJI Ramana said.
• “Prisoners are waiting for Supreme Court orders to be sent by post. We had ordered release in some matters and they were not released since they did not receive authentic copy of orders. This is too much,” he added.

WHAT IS THE NEW SYSTEM?

• The procedure is termed as FASTER(Fast and Secured Transmission of Electronic Records) System, for transmission of e-­authenticated copies of the Judgments /final orders/interim orders to the concerned Courts / Tribunals and other duty holders for execution.
• New scheme announced by Supreme Court is to reduce time period of communication of court orders to jail authorities.
• Under this scheme, Supreme Court would instantly, directly, securely and electronically transmit bail and other orders to jail authorities, district courts and High Courts.
• The Secretary General of the Supreme Court was directed to submit a comprehensive report formulating the scheme within two weeks.
• The Court has also directed all states to answer whether jails in states have proper internet facility since it will be needed to access the secure system for transmission of orders being put in place.

BACKGROUND OF THE ISSUE

• Recently, the Supreme Court had granted interim bail to 13 convicts lodged in Agra Central Jail.
• The order was passed on July 8 but the convicts walked out of jail after four days, since the prison authorities stated that they did not receive the certified copy of the order by post.
• The convicts had spent between 14 and 20 years in prison despite being juveniles at the time of committing the crimes

THE CONTEXT: Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India has notified the draft rules relating to Employee’s Compensation under the Code on Social Security, 2020 on 03.06.2021 for inviting objections and suggestions, if any, from the stakeholders.

Analysis:

• Such objections and suggestions are required to be submitted within a period of 45 days from the date of notification of the draft rules.
• The Code on Social Security, 2020 amends and consolidates the laws relating to social security with the goal to extend social security to employees and workers in the organised as well as unorganised sectors.
• Chapter VII (Employee’s Compensation) of the Social Security Code, 2020 envisages, inter-alia, provisions relating to employer’s liability for compensation in case of fatal accidents, serious bodily injuries or occupational diseases.
• The draft Employee’s Compensation rules notified by the Central Government provide for the provisions relating
  • to manner of application for claim or settlement,
  • rate of interest for delayed payment of compensation,
  • venue of proceedings and transfer of matters,
  • notice and manner of transmitting money from one competent authority to another
  • and arrangements with other countries for the transfer of money paid as compensation.
• The draft rules under the Code on Social Security, 2020 relating to Employees’ Provident Fund, Employees’ State Insurance Corporation, Gratuity, Maternity Benefit, Social Security and Cess in respect of Building and Other Constructions Workers, Social Security for Unorganised Workers, Gig Workers and Platform Workers and Employment Information were notified on 13.11.2020.

CODE ON SOCIAL SECURITY: SALIENT FEATURES

• The Second National Commission on Labour (2002) suggested the amalgamation of central labour laws into broader groups such as: (i) Wages, (ii) Industrial Relations, (iii) Social Security, and (iv) Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions.
• The Code on Social Security 20 is enacted to amend and consolidate the laws relating to social security with the goal to extend social security to all employees and workers either in the organised or unorganised sector.
• The SS code defines various terms such as, aggregator, gig worker, platform worker, unorganised worker (home based worker and self-based workers).
• Further, the definition of the employee has been widened to include maximum number of employees and workers.
• The SS code provides the social security and protection to the workers in the unorganized sector to ensure access to health care and to provide income security, particularly in cases of old age, unemployment, sickness, invalidity, work injury, maternity or loss of a breadwinner etc.
• The Code provides right to the Central Government and State Government to frame and notify the social security schemes.
• The schemes may be funded by the combination of Central Government, State Government, aggregators, beneficiaries of the scheme, or funded from corporate social responsibility.
• The code places an obligation on the Central Government to constitute the National Social Security Board for the welfare of the unorganised worker as well as for the gig workers and platform workers and can recommend and monitor the schemes for such worker.
• The Central Government will setup and administer the social security fund for the welfare of such workers
• The code provides the compulsory registration of the every unorganised worker, gig worker and platform workers to avail the benefit of the concerned scheme framed under this code.
• The code has revised the applicability of the Employees Provident Fund Scheme (“EPF”). The EPF will apply to the establishment employing 20 or more employees
• ESI scheme will apply to establishment employing 10 or more employs.
• It is also be applicable to an establishment, which carries on such hazardous or life threatening occupation as notified by the Central Government, even a single employee is employed.
• The code covers the gig workers and platform workers under the ESI scheme

The Social Security Code (SS Code) has replaced the following enactments

• The Employee’s Compensation Act, 1923;
• The Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948;
• The Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952;
• The Employment Exchanges (Compulsory Notification of Vacancies) Act, 1959;
• The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961;
• The Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972;
• The Cine-Workers Welfare Fund Act, 1981;
• The Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Cess Act, 1996;
• The Unorganised Workers Social Security Act, 2008.

NOTE: THE RULE MAKING POWER OF THE EXECUTIVE/GOVERNMENT IS TERMED AS ‘DELEGATED LEGISLATION/SUB ORDINATE LEGISLATION’.  In 2014, the Central government introduced the Pre-Legislative Consultation Policy. Under this, it has been mandated that every Ministry must place draft bills in the public domain for comments/feedback for 30 days. The document put out for public consultation should also provide reasons for the need of the law, financial considerations and explanation of legal terms in simple language. The document is also required to cover the possible impact it could have on the citizens and their fundamental rights. It is only after the completion of this process that the draft is sent for approval to the Cabinet. THIS PRACTICE MAKES LAW MAKING A MORE INCLUSIVE AND PARTICIPATIVE EXERCICE. But of late, this practice has been observed more in its breach according to PRS legislative research study

THE CONTEXT: The Mahanadi Wildlife Division in Odisha announced on June 10 a cash reward of Rs 1,000 for rescuing gharials, a critically endangered crocodile species, and informing wildlife personnel. The division will also provide compensation to fishermen, whose fishing nets are destroyed by gharials. 

Analysis:

• The announcement of the cash award is an effort to conserve the gharials in the Mahanadi river basin.
• The population of gharials in the area was on a decline over the last few years and had reduced to just eight in January 2021.
• It spiked to 36 when 28 gharials were born last month in the Satkosia gorge of Mahanadi at Tikarpada, Angul district.
• The breeding of these reptiles in their natural conditions occurred after years.
• The forest department has launched an awareness drive to save the crocodiles in over 300 villages spreading over five districts: Boudh, Angul, Cuttack, Sonepur and Nayagarh.

ABOUT GHARIAL

• The Gharial is a fish-eating crocodile is native to the Indian subcontinent.
• They are a crucial indicator of clean river water.
• Gharials were once widely distributed in the large rivers that flow in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent.
• These included the Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra and the Mahanadi-Brahmani-Baitrani river systems of India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan.
• They are also thought to have been found in the Irrawady River of Myanmar.
• Today, their major population occur in three tributaries of the Ganga River: the Chambal and the Girwa Rivers in India and the Rapti-Naryani River in Nepal.
• The Gharial reserves of India are located in three States – Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan
• Small released populations are present and increasing in the rivers of the National Chambal Sanctuary, Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, and Son River Sanctuary.
• Gharials reside exclusively in river habitats with deep, clear, fast-flowing waters and steep, sandy banks.
• The gharial is listed in schedule 1 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and also described as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.
• Their habitat is threatened because of human encroachment and fishing activities.
• They are genetically weaker than salt water crocodiles and muggers
• Gharials caught accidentally in fishing nets are either hacked to death or have their snout chopped off by fishermen.
• Forty gharials were released in the Ghaghara River by the Bahraich forest division of Uttar Pradesh recently.

THE CONTEXT: Union Minister of State (I/c) for Labour and Employment announced the decision to extend coverage under the Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948 (ESI Act) to all casual and contractual workers working in the municipal bodies in the country on 10^th June.

Analysis:

• The ESI Corporation has been directed to take up the matter with the States/ UTs, being the appropriate Government(s) under the ESI Act, for issue of notification for coverage of casual and contractual workers in the Municipal Corporation(s)/ Council(s) in their respective jurisdictions.
• The coverage shall be extended to those casual and contractual employees/ agencies/ establishments which are within the implemented areas already notified under the ESI Act, 1948 by the Central Government.   ​
• For National Capital Region of Delhi, the Central Government being the appropriate government under the ESI Act, the Ministry of Labour and Employment has already issued intention notification dated 7 June, 2021 for coverage under the ESI Act of casual and contractual employees working with Municipal Corporations/ Council in the NCT of Delhi.
• Various municipal bodies in different States and Union Territories in the country employ a large number of casual and contractual workers.
• However, not being regular employees of the Municipal Corporations/Municipal councils, these workers remain out of the social security net making them a vulnerable lot.
• This important decision has been taken to address this issue.
• ESI coverage of casual and contractual employees working with municipal bodies shall go a long way in providing social security cover to a very vulnerable segment of the workforce.
• Once notifications for ESI coverage are issued by the respective States/ UTs, the casual and contractual workers working with municipal bodies will be able to avail the full gamut of benefits available under the ESI Act such as sickness benefit, maternity benefit, disablement benefit, dependent’s benefit, funeral expenses etc.
• In addition and importantly, these workers will be eligible to avail medical services through vast network of ESI facilities i.e. 160 hospitals and over 1500 dispensaries all over the country.

 ABOUT EMPLOYEES STATE INSURANCE CORPORATION

• Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) is a government organisation that manages the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) scheme.
• Employees‘ State Insurance Corporation is a statutory body constituted under an Act of Parliament (ESI Act, 1948) and works under the administrative control of Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India.
• ESI is a social security scheme offered by the Government of India as per the Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948.
• The scheme provides protection to employees against disablement/death due to employment injury, sickness, and maternity.
• This is a self-financing scheme, where the employees and the employers make regular monthly contributions to the scheme at a certain percentage of their wages.
• ESI is applicable to any entity that employs ten or more people, such as shops, hotels and restaurants that is not engaged in manufacturing, cinemas, road motor transport establishments, newspaper establishments, private educational and medical institutions.
• The minimum number of employees required to subscribe for ESI scheme varies with states.
• Employees with a monthly salary within Rs.21,000 are entitled to get the benefits of the scheme.
• Putting it together, employees working for factories/establishments with ten or more employees drawing wages of up to Rs.21,000 per month are entitled to receive health benefits under the ESI Act.
• There are exemptions to the rule in the case of daily average wages of Rs.137.
• They do not have to contribute to the scheme from their wages. Only the employer’s contribution is paid for such people.

CONCEPT OF SOCIAL SECURITY

• Social security is the protection that a society provides to individuals and households to ensure access to health care and to guarantee income security, particularly in cases of old age, unemployment, sickness, invalidity, work injury, maternity or loss of a breadwinner.
• Social security protection is clearly defined in ILO conventions and UN instruments as a basic human right – albeit one that a small proportion of the people on our planet actually enjoy.
• Broadly defined as a system of contribution based health, pension and unemployment protection, along with tax-financed social benefits, social security has become a universal challenge in a globalizing world.
• Social security has a powerful impact at all levels of society.
• It provides workers and their families with access to health care and with protection against loss of income, whether it is for short periods of unemployment or sickness or maternity or for a longer time due to invalidity or employment injury.
• It provides older people with income security in their retirement years.
• Children benefit from social security programmes designed to help their families cope with the cost of education.
• For employers and enterprises, social security helps maintain stable labour relations and a productive workforce.
• And social security can contribute to social cohesion and to a country’s overall growth and development by bolstering living standards, cushioning the effects of structural and technological change on people and thereby providing the basis for a more positive approach toward globalization.

THE CONTEXT: Union Education Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal announced the release of the report of All India Survey on Higher Education 2019-20 on 10 June.

Analysis:

• This Report provides key performance indicators on the current status of Higher education in the country.
• In the last five years from 2015-16 to 2019-20, there has been a growth of 11.4% in the student enrolment.
• The rise in female enrolment in higher education during the period is 18.2%.
• This report is the 10th in the series of All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) annually released by D/o Higher Education.

Key features of All India Survey on Higher Education Report 2019-20

• Total Enrolment in Higher Education stands at 3.85 crore in 2019-20 as compared to 3.74 crore in 2018-19, registering a growth of 36 lakh (3.04 %). Total enrolment was 3.42 crore in 2014-15.
• Gross Enrolment Ratio(GER), the percentage of students belonging to the eligible age group enrolled in Higher Education, in 2019-20 is 27.1% against 26.3% in 2018-19 and 24.3% in 2014-2015.
• Gender Parity Index (GPI)in Higher Education in 2019-20 is 1.01 against 1.00 in 2018-19 indicating an improvement in the relative access to higher education for females of eligible age group compared to males.
• Pupil Teacher Ratio in Higher Education in 2019-20 is 26.
• As on 2019, the total number of universities in India stands at 1043 which was 993 in 2018-19.

MAJOR ISSUES WITH HIGHER EDUCATION IN INDIA AS PER UGC

• A severely fragmented higher educational ecosystem;
• Less emphasis on the development of cognitive skills and learning outcomes;
• A rigid separation of disciplines, with early specialisation and streaming of students into narrow areas of study;
• Limited access particularly in socio-economically disadvantaged areas, with few HEIS that teach in local languages
• Limited teacher and institutional autonomy;
• Inadequate mechanisms for merit-based career management and progression of faculty and institutional leaders;
• Lesser emphasis on research at most universities and colleges, and lack of competitive peer-reviewed research funding across disciplines;
• Suboptimal governance and leadership of HEIS;
• An ineffective regulatory system; and
• Large affiliating universities resulting in low standards of undergraduate education.

NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY 2020 AND HIGHER EDUCATION

• Increase GER in higher education to reach at least 50%by 2035
• The policy envisages a broad-based multi-disciplinary holistic education at the undergraduate level for integrated exposure to science, arts, humanities, mathematics and professional fields having flexible curricular structures, integration of vocational education and multiple entry/exit points.
• The undergraduate degree will be of either 3 or 4-year duration, with multiple exit options within this period, with appropriate certifications-
• An Academic Bank of Credit (ABC) shall be established which would digitally 8 8 store the academic credits earned from various recognized HEIs so that the degrees from an HEI can be awarded taking into account credits earned
• Multidisciplinary Education and Research Universities(MERUs) will be set up and will aim to attain the highest standards for multidisciplinary education across India
• The system of affiliation will be phased out over 15 years and a state-wise mechanism for granting graded autonomy to colleges, through a transparent system of graded accreditation, will be established.
• National Research Foundation (NRF) will be set up to catalyze and expand research and innovation across the country.
• Internationalization of education will be facilitated through both institutional collaborations, and student and faculty mobility and allowing entry of top world ranked Universities to open campuses in our country.
• Faculty will be given the freedom to design their own curricular and pedagogical approaches within the approved framework.
• Excellence will be 10 10 further incentivized through appropriate rewards, promotions, recognitions, and movement into institutional leadership.
• Faculty not delivering on basic norms will be held accountable.
• There will be a single overarching umbrella body for promotion of higher education- the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI)
• With independent bodies for standard setting- the General Education Council; funding-Higher Education Grants Council (HEGC); accreditation- National Accreditation Council (NAC); and regulation- National Higher Education Regulatory Council (NHERC).
• Regulation will be ‘light but tight’ to ensure financial probity and public-spiritedness to eliminate conflicts of interest with transparent self-disclosure as the norm not an inspectorial regime.
• An autonomous body, the National Educational Technology Forum (NETF), will be created to provide a platform for the free exchange of ideas on the use of technology to enhance learning, assessment, planning, administration
• The Centre and the States will work together to increase the public investment in Education sector to reach 6% of GDP at the earliest
• The Central Advisory Board of Education will be strengthened to ensure coordination to bring overall focus on quality education

THE CONTEXT: On May 28, the department of personnel and training (DoPT) under Ministry of Personnel directed that West Bengal Chief Secretary AlapanBandyopadhyay report to its office at North Block in Delhi by 10 a.m. on May 31.

Analysis:

• The order came hours after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee allegedly skipped a review meeting on Cyclone Yaas with Prime Minister NarendraModi at Kalaikunda.
• The order read that the appointments committee of the Cabinet has approved the “placement of services” of Mr. Bandyopadhyay as per provisions of the Indian Administrative Service (cadre) Rules, 1954 with the Government of India with “immediate effect”
• The ACC is headed by the Prime Minister, and Home Minister Amit Shah is the other member.
• The 1987 batch IAS officer has never been on Central deputation and is to superannuate on May 31.
• Earlier, on the request of the State government, Centre had approved three-month extension in service to the officer, top bureaucrat in West Bengal.

WHAT IS THE RULE CITED BY DOPT?

• The DoPT order said that the ACC has approved Mr. Bandyopadhyay’s transfer to Delhi under Rule 6(I) of the IAS (cadre) Rules, 1954.
• The said rule pertains to “deputation of cadre officers”
• It says that a cadre officer may, with the concurrence of the State governments concerned and the Central government, be deputed for service under the Central government or another State government.
• It however adds, “provided that in case of any disagreement, the matter shall be decided by the Central government and the State government or State governments concerned shall give effect to the decision of the Central government.”

WHEN WERE THE RULES FRAMED?

• After the All India Services Act, 1951 came into existence, the IAS cadre rules were framed in 1954.
• The said rule on deputation giving more discretionary powers to the Centre was added in May 1969.
• Before any officer of All India Services (AIS) is called for deputation to the Centre, his or her concurrence is required.
• The Establishment Officer in DoPT invites nominations from State governments.
• Once the nomination is received, their eligibility is scrutinized by a panel and then an offer list is prepared, traditionally done with the State government on board.
• Central Ministries and offices can then choose from the list of officers on offer
• AIS officers are recruited by the Centre and they are lent to States.
• The publication of offer list on DoPT’s website was discontinued by the government in 2018 amid reports that not many State government officers were willing to come to Centre for deputation.

IS THE CURRENT ORDER ONE OF ITS KIND?

• According to VappalaBalachandran, former Special Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, the order is not only “unprecedented” but also vindictive.
• “Legally speaking it is the Centre that holds ultimate control. But there is also a custom that an officer will not be deputed against his/ her own will.
• This order is unilateral and an awkward step, unbecoming of the Central government especially after they gave due extension.
• This officer superannuates on May 31, if he refuses to join, can the Centre exercise its right on a retired officer? Mr. Balachandran asked.
• Earlier in December 2020, the Home Ministry had attached three Indian Police Service (IPS) officers of West Bengal cadre — Rajeev Mishra, Praveen Kumar Tripathi and Bholanath Pandey — but the State government did not relieve them.
• The attachment order came after the cavalcade of BharatiyaJanta Party (BJP) President J.P Nadda was attacked in Diamond Harbour area.
• Home Ministry is the cadre controlling authority of IPS officers.

WHAT IF THE OFFICER REFUSES TO COMPLY WITH THE ORDER?

• The All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969 are not clear on the punishment in such cases.
• But Rule 7 says the authority to institute proceedings and to impose penalty will be the State government while he or she was “serving in connection with the affairs of a State.”
• The case is peculiar as Mr. Badyopadhyay retires on May 31 and is not on deputation to the Central government.
• The Chief Minister can write to the Centre to reconsider its decision.

ABOUT ALL INDIA SERVICES

• The All India Services comprises the three prestigious civil services of India and they are the Indian Administrative Service (IAS); Indian Police Service (IPS); and Indian Forest Service (IFS).
• The common exceptional feature of the All India Services is that the candidates selected for these civil services are recruited by the Center (Union Government in federal polity), however, their services are allotted under various State Cadres and they have the accountability to serve both under the State and the Centre.
• Because of the federal polity of the country, this is regarded as one of the mechanisms that make the Union Government stronger than the State Governments.
• The officers of these three civil services act in accordance with the All India Services rules that includes paying, deportment, leave, several allowances and etc.

THE CONTEXT: Underlining that sexual autonomy is an essential aspect of the right to privacy, the Madras High Court  issued far-reaching guidelines aimed at mainstreaming LGBTIQA+ persons.

Analysis:

• The order was issued by Justice N Anand Venkatesh on a plea filed by a lesbian couple whose relationship was being opposed by their parents.
• The petitioners had moved the Madras High Court seeking protection against police harassment and from any threat or danger to their safety and security.
• Saying LGBTQIA+ persons are entitled to their privacy and “have a right to lead a dignified existence, which includes their choice of sexual orientation, gender identity, gender presentation, gender expression and choice of partner thereof”, the court said, “This right and the manner of its exercise are constitutionally protected under Article 21 of the Constitution.”
• With the order prohibiting “any attempts to medically cure or change the sexual orientation of LGBTIQA+ people to heterosexual or the gender identity of transgender people to cisgender”, Tamil Nadu is set to be the first state to ban ‘conversion therapy’, a widely available procedure that hospitals as well as religious institutions offer to change the sexual orientation of LGBT people.
• Issuing the order, the court said action, including withdrawal of licence to practice, should be taken against professionals involving themselves in any form or method of conversion therapy.
• The court added that government departments should implement the guidelines “in letter and spirit not for the sake of complying with a judicial fiat but to ensure that this society evolves, and the LGBTQIA+ community is not pushed out of the mainstream of the society.”
• The court said if police, while inquiring into any missing person’s complaint, finds that the case involves consenting adults belonging to the LGBTQIA+ community, they shall close the complaint without subjecting them to any harassment.
• Earlier, in April 2019, the Madras HC had banned forced sex selection surgeries on intersex infants.

GUIDELINES ISSUED BY THE COURT

• The use of Parent Teachers Association (PTA) in schools to sensitise parents on issues of the LGBTQIA+ community and gender nonconforming students;
• Necessary amendments to be made in policies to include students belonging to the community in all spheres of school and college life;
• Availability of gender-neutral restrooms;
• The option of change of name and gender on academic records for transgender persons;
• Inclusion of ‘transgender’ in addition to M and F in the gender columns of application forms, competitive entrance exams, etc;
• Appointment of counselors who are LGBTQIA+ inclusive, conducting awareness programmes for judicial officers and programmes for police and prison officials for protection from and prevention of offences against the LGBTQIA+ community.

TRANSGENDER PERSONS (PROTECTION OF RIGHTS) ACT, 2019

• It defines a transgender person as one whose gender does not match the gender assigned at birth.
• It includes trans-men and trans-women, persons with intersex variations, gender-queers, and persons with socio-cultural identities, such as kinnar and hijra.
• It prohibits the discrimination against a transgender person, including denial of service or unfair treatment in relation to: (i) education; (ii) employment; (iii) healthcare; (iv) access to, or enjoyment of goods, facilities, opportunities available to the public; (v) right to movement; (vi) right to reside, rent, or otherwise occupy property; (vii) opportunity to hold public or private office; and (viii) access to a government or private establishment in whose care or custody a transgender person is.
• Every transgender person shall have a right to reside and be included in his household. If the immediate family is unable to care for the transgender person, the person may be placed in a rehabilitation centre, on the orders of a competent court.
• A transgender person may make an application to the District Magistrate for a certificate of identity, indicating the gender as ‘transgender’.
• The Act states that the relevant government will take measures to ensure the full inclusion and participation of transgender persons in society.
• It must also take steps for their rescue and rehabilitation, vocational training and self-employment, create schemes that are transgender sensitive, and promote their participation in cultural activities.
• National Council for Transgender Persons will advise the central government as well as monitor the impact of policies, legislation and projects with respect to transgender persons. It will also redress the grievances of transgender persons.
• The draft of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Rules, 2020, stated that a District Magistrate would issue a transgender identity certificate and card based on an affidavit by the applicant, but without any medical examination

THE CONTEXT: The National Anti-Profiteering Authority (NAA) has directed GST officials across the country to ensure that the tax rate cuts notified on some COVID-19-related essentials are passed on to consumers.

Analysis:

• Complaints from end users about lack of price reductions commensurate with the tax cuts, are to be treated on a priority basis
• The complaints must be forwarded to the State level Screening Committees and Standing Committees on Anti-Profiteering.
• At its last meeting on June 12, the GST Council had waived the indirect tax levied on two critical drugs, Tocilizumab and Amphotericin B, and reset the tax rate to 5% on 14 COVID-19 essentials.
• On June 14, the Finance Ministry had notified the revised rates, which are applicable till September 30.
• “The suppliers are required to commensurately reduce the prices of each of the supplies of Goods and Services made by them so that the benefit of the reduction in tax rates and/or of input tax credits is passed on to the recipients/consumers,” the NAA emphasised.
• Producers of items ranging from ambulances to pulse oximeters and oxygen concentrators would need to ensure retail price reductions were effected soon in order to avoid action under the anti-profiteering framework

ABOUT NAA

• The National Anti-profiteering Authority (NAA) was established under section 171 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017.
• The NAA was set up to monitor and to oversee whether the reduction or benefit of input tax credit is reaching the recipient by way of appropriate reduction in prices.
• The NAA consists of a Chairman along with four senior government officials, mostly of the rank of joint secretary appointed as technical members in the authority.
• NAA has the authority to deregister an entity or business if it fails to pass on the benefit of lower taxes under GST to the customer.
• Deregistering a business will be the last course of action and extreme step against any violator
• NAA will recommend the return of undue profit which a business earned from not passing on reduction and benefit of tax to consumers along with an 18 per cent interest.
• It can also impose a penalty if it sees it necessary

• Anti-Profiteering Mechanism Under GST Regime:

  • Complaints are based on jurisdiction, complaints that are local in nature will be first sent to a state-level committee for screening
  • Complaints at a national level will be marked directly to the standing committee
  • In case the incident of profiteering relates to an item of mass consumption with an “all India ramification”, the application may be directly made to the Standing Committee
  • If complaints have merit, respective committees will refer cases for further investigation to the Directorate General of Safeguards
  • The DG Safeguards will generally take about 3 months to complete investigation and send the report to NAA
  • If the NAA finds that the company has not passed on GST benefits, it will either direct entity to pass on benefits to consumers, or if the beneficiary cannot be identified, it will ask the company to transfer the amount to ‘consumer welfare fund’ within a specified timeline.

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THE CONTEXT: In terms of Government of India Notification, Sovereign Gold Bonds 2021-22 (Series IV) will be opened for the period July 12-16, 2021 with Settlement date July 20, 2021.

Analysis

• The issue price of the Bond during the subscription period shall be Rs 4,807 (Rupees Four thousand eight hundred seven only) – per gram.
• The Government of India in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India has decided to allow discount of Rs 50 (Rupees Fifty only) per gram from the issue price to those investors who apply online and the payment is made through digital mode.
• For such investors the issue price of Gold Bond will be Rs 4,757 (Rupees Four thousand seven hundred fifty seven only) per gram of gold.

THE FEATURES OF THE BOND ARE AS UNDER:

SIGNIFICANCE OF SOVEREIGN GOLD BOND SCHEME

1. Firstly, these gold bonds allow you to get a lower price than physical gold when applied online.
2. Secondly, you get a fixed interest rate on these gold bonds.
3. Thirdly, gold bonds have no holding or storage cost.
4. Fourth, these bonds carry a sovereign guarantee since they are issued by the government.
5. Fifth, another benefit of sovereign gold bond scheme is that there is no capital gains tax at maturity or redemption for individual investors. Also, there is indexation benefit if the same is transferred before maturity for non-individual investors. The interest earned is taxable. There is no TDS either during redemption or interest payout.
6. Sixthly, a sovereign gold bond is highly liquid. This is because the investment can be used as collateral for loans.
7. Lastly, It will reduce pressure on the Current Account side of Balance Of Payment

THE CONTEXT: The ‘Sustainable Development Goals Report 2021’ highlights the impacts of COVID-19 on SDG implementation and identifies areas that require urgent and coordinated action.

Analysis

• The report was launched on the first day of the 2021 session of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). 
• The report is prepared annually by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) using data and estimates in the Global SDG Indicators Database.
• The Global SDG Indicators Database contains global, regional and country data and metadata on the official SDG indicators.
• The database uses information from custodians for each SDG indicator, and specifies whether the national data were adjusted, estimated, modelled, or are the result of global monitoring.
• The report indicates there has been progress in the availability of internationally comparable data on the SDGs, with the number of indicators included in the global SDG database having increased from 115 in 2016, to around 160 in 2019 and 211 in 2021.
• Despite this increase in the number of indicators, the report notes the global pandemic disrupted data operations, such as population censuses, around the world.
• A survey of national statistical offices indicates about 42% of countries had to postpone censuses scheduled for 2020 or 2021 for at least one year.
• Some of the report’s findings are that the global extreme poverty rate rose for the first time in over 20 years, 119 to 124 million people were pushed back into extreme poverty in 2020, and an additional 101 million children have fallen below the minimum reading proficiency level.

High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) 

• The HLPF is the main UN platform on sustainable development.
• It has a central role in the follow-up and review of implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and it’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• All UN Member States as well as representatives from civil society organizations participate in the HLPF, which meets under the auspices of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). 
• The 2021 session of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) will be the ninth session of the HLPF.
• A key feature of the annual HLPF session is the presentation of Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs).
• In 2021, 43 countries plan to present VNRs and discuss their progress and challenges in implementing the SDGs.