Today’s Important Articles For Pub Ad (24-08-2021)

  1. Farmers have right to protest but stir should not hinder traffic: SC READ MORE
  2. What Indian lawmaking needs: More scrutiny, less speed READ MORE
  3. Numbers matter: Family planning has effectively reduced the share of southern States in the Lok Sabha READ MORE
  4. Why the post-pandemic school is an opportunity to reinvent learning READ MORE  



Today’s Important Articles for Geography (24-08-2021)

  1. India’s new directives on sustainable disposal of fly ash may do more harm than good READ MORE
  2. ‘Drought-like’ Nagaland stares at water scarcity, low harvest READ MORE
  3. Global emissions can decline 10% this decade if refineries clean up their act: Report READ MORE
  4. Designing a climate law for India READ MORE



Today’s Important Articles for Sociology (24-08-2021)

  1. The idea of social justice READ MORE
  2. Resilience: Bearings of a great nation- Overcoming health challenges is possible, and voices like Rotary’s are crucial READ MORE
  3. Exposed to dust & danger: Include all construction workers’ kids in welfare schemes READ MORE



Ethics Through Current Development (24-08-2021)

  1. The Easy And Hard Problems Of Consciousness READ MORE
  2. Learn From Failures, Be Grateful For Success READ MORE



WSDP Bulletin (24-08-2021)

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

  1. Finance Minister launches the National Monetisation Pipeline READ MORE
  2. Delhi’s new smog tower: the technology, the impact, the evidence READ MORE
  3. Egypt closes Gaza border amid tensions with Hamas READ MORE
  4. Pfizer becomes first Covid vaccine to gain full FDA approval READ MORE

Main Exam  

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

  1. Farmers have right to protest but stir should not hinder traffic: SC READ MORE
  2. What Indian lawmaking needs: More scrutiny, less speed READ MORE
  3. Numbers matter: Family planning has effectively reduced the share of southern States in the Lok Sabha READ MORE
  4. Why the post-pandemic school is an opportunity to reinvent learning READ MORE  

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

  1. The idea of social justice READ MORE
  2. Resilience: Bearings of a great nation- Overcoming health challenges is possible, and voices like Rotary’s are crucial READ MORE
  3. Exposed to dust & danger: Include all construction workers’ kids in welfare schemes READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

  1. Staying invested: on India’s relations with Afghanistan- India must retain its traditional and historic interest in Afghanistan and its people READ MORE
  2. It is Pakistan’s moment of triumph in Afghanistan, but India must bet on patience READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

  1. A new road map: Execution key to making asset monetisation pipeline work READ MORE
  2. Maintain credibility: MPC should not ignore inflation risks READ MORE
  3. Monetise assets, the right way READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

  1. India’s new directives on sustainable disposal of fly ash may do more harm than good READ MORE
  2. ‘Drought-like’ Nagaland stares at water scarcity, low harvest READ MORE
  3. Global emissions can decline 10% this decade if refineries clean up their act: Report READ MORE
  4. Designing a climate law for India READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

  1. Tauktae, Yaas and planning for the next: With a rise in the frequency of devastating cyclones, India needs to look at long-term mitigation measures READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

  1. The Easy And Hard Problems Of Consciousness READ MORE
  2. Learn From Failures, Be Grateful For Success READ MORE

Questions for MAIN exam

  1. ‘India is vulnerable to tropical cyclones and global warming has increased this vulnerability.’ In the light of this statement, examine the vulnerability of Indian coast to tropical cyclones. Suggest the effective measures to reduce the impact of cyclones.
  2. For effective border area management, discuss the steps required to be taken to deny local support to militants and also suggest ways to manage favourable perception among locals. (UPSC Mains 2020, GS-III )

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

  • True patriotism hates injustice in its own land more than anywhere else.
  • With a rise in the frequency of devastating cyclones, India needs to look at long-term mitigation measures.
  • India must retain its traditional and historic interest in Afghanistan and its people.
  • Strategic patience coupled with political empathy for Afghan people, and an active engagement will continue to keep Delhi relevant in Kabul’s internal and external evolution.
  • All bills should go through pre-legislative scrutiny to iron out issues and build broad consensus before being brought to Parliament.
  • The classroom must be centred around joyful and creative learning, join the dots between children’s lives and education.
  • While there is an economic case for pushing for oil palm, the government must learn from the experiences in Sumatra, Borneo and the Malay Peninsula where oil palm plantations have eliminated pristine forests and pushed out wildlife. A rapid change in land use has also left a deep social impact.
  • Caste census is a bad idea. There must be better ways to ensure justice, provide equity, and democratise power than reinforcing, rather than annihilating, caste

50-WORD TALK

  • National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM)’s warning about the severity of the pandemic’s third wave due to slow pace of vaccination is a timely wake-up call. It skewers Modi government’s grandstanding on vaccination. Its complacency and premature celebrations after the first wave had disastrous consequences. India can’t afford a repeat.
  • The Allahabad High Court calling a policeman’s choice to grow a beard a misdemeanour, harming the secular image of the force is rather unfortunate. Especially because many police stations have Hindu altars and Sikh policemen do wear turbans. UP DGP’s 2020 circular was a sitter for appeals and petitions anyway.

Things to Remember:

  • For prelims-related news try to understand the context of the news and relate with its concepts so that it will be easier for you to answer (or eliminate) from given options.
  • Whenever any international place will be in news, you should do map work (marking those areas in maps and also exploring other geographical locations nearby including mountains, rivers, etc. same applies to the national places.)
  • For economy-related news (banking, agriculture, etc.) you should focus on terms and how these are related to various economic aspects, for example, if inflation has been mentioned, try to relate with prevailing price rises, shortage of essential supplies, banking rates, etc.
  • For main exam-related topics, you should focus on the various dimensions of the given topic, the most important topics which occur frequently and are important from the mains point of view will be covered in ED.
  • Try to use the given content in your answer. Regular use of this content will bring more enrichment to your writing.



DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS (August 24, 2021)

INDIAN POLITY, GOVERNANCE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. YUKTDHARA PORTAL

THE CONTEXT: The new portal under Bhuvan “Yuktdhara” will facilitate planning of new MGNREGA assets using Remote Sensing and GIS based information.

ANALYSIS:

  • This platform will serve as a repository of assets (Geotags) created under various national rural development programmes i.e. MGNREGA, Integrated Watershed Management Programme, Per Drop More Crop and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana etc., along with field photographs.
  • The word ‘Yukt’ is derived from Yojanam, the planning and ‘Dhara’ indicates the flow.
  • It is a culmination of untiring joint efforts of ISRO and Ministry of Rural development made towards realising a G2G service for rural planning in support of decentralized decision making.
  • The high point is that, this portal integrates wide variety of thematic layers, multi-temporal high resolution earth observation data with analysis tools. Planners will analyse previous assets under various schemes and facilitates identification of new works using online tools.
  • Yuktdhara based plans will be prepared by grassroot functionary and verified by appropriate authorities for relevance and resource allocation. This would ensure quality of plan and enable a long term monitoring of the assets created over the years.
  • Geo MGNREGA on Bhuvan has received wide acclaims. The Before-During-After Geotagging of assets has successfully implemented the progress based disbursement of the funds during the process of creation of rural assets. Also, a Citizen-centric Mobile Application JANMANREGA has helped rural population for providing feedback using Bhuvan services.
  • The synergy of Geographic Information and Earth Observation technology has not only brought the value of location to each rural asset, but also brought in unprecedented transparency in MGNREGA programme.

Reference: PIB

 

2. INDIAN ARMY GRANTS COLONEL RANK TO WOMEN OFFICERS

THE CONTEXT: A Selection Board of the Indian Army cleared the way for the promotion of five women officers to Colonel (Time Scale) rank, post completion of 26 years of reckonable service.

ANALYSIS:

  • This is the first time that women officers serving with the Corps of Signals, Corps of Electronic and Mechanical Engineers (EME) and the Corps of Engineers have been approved to the rank of Colonel.
  • Previously, promotion to the rank of Colonel was only applicable for women officers in the Army Medical Corps (AMC), Judge Advocate General (JAG) and the Army Education Corps (AEC).
  • The widening of promotion avenues to more branches of the Indian Army is a sign of increasing career opportunities for women officers.
  • Combined with the decision to grant permanent commission to women officers from a majority of branches of the Indian Army, this step defines the Indian Army’s approach towards a gender-neutral Army.

Reference: PIB

 

ENVIRONMENT, GEOGRAPHY AND AGRICULTURE

3. GOVERNMENT CLEARED OIL PALM MISSION DESPITE RED FLAGS BY TOP FORESTRY INSTITUTE

THE CONTEXT: Recently the Union Cabinet cleared the Rs 11,040-crore National Mission on Edible Oils-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) with a focus on growing the crop in the North-east and Andaman and Nicobar Islands due to their favourable rainfall and temperature. That clearance came in the face of objections raised by India’s top forestry research institute against introducing oil palm in biodiversity rich areas and in the absence of a detailed study it had proposed.

ANALYSIS:

  • Between 1976 and 1985, nearly 16 sq km of forest land gave way to oil palm plantations in Little Andaman. In 1995, three NGOs moved the SC seeking to defend the island’s tropical rainforests and indigenous communities. The apex court formed a committee in 2001 and, based on its report, stopped monoculture or commercial plantations on the archipelago’s forest land in 2002. It also banned the introduction of exotic species
  • Approached by the Andaman and Nicobar administration for relaxing its 2002 ban on plantations of exotic oil palm in the archipelago, the Supreme Court, in November 2019, had asked the Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education (ICFRE), an autonomous institute under the Environment Ministry, for its opinion.
  • In January 2020, ICFRE submitted its report recommending that introduction of oil palm “should be avoided” in biodiversity rich areas, including grasslands, without detailed studies on its ecological impact.
  • The push for replanting oil palm in Little Andaman came in July 2018 when Niti Aayog member Ramesh Chand visited the archipelago following a policy meeting. He recommended that the administration “should seek a review of the ban on plantation of exotic species” and commission a feasibility report for oil palm.
  • Oil Palm is the source of the world’s largest consumed edible oil primarily due to its high productivity, versatility and substantial price advantage. But plantations are also blamed for inflicting widespread environmental and social damage across continents, from Cameroon to Malaysia.
  • The usual oil palm planting practices — burning an area after felling forests or draining peat swamps — cause massive loss of forests and biodiversity. Whether burnt, dried or simply left to rot, dead trees and vegetation release greenhouse gases. Such rapid change in land use have also been linked to social impact.

Reference: Indian express

4. INDIA’S NEW DIRECTIVES ON SUSTAINABLE DISPOSAL OF FLY ASH MAY DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD

THE CONTEXT: According to researchers and activists, the latest government attempt to ensure the safe and sustainable disposal of fly ash could end up damaging India’s farmlands, water bodies and fragile habitats.

ANALYSIS:

  • Over the last two decades, the Indian government has been issuing notifications on the disposal and utilisation of fly ash.
  • Its recommendations have varied: use it to manufacture building material and in construction work and apply it as soil conditioner in farms and use it to reclaim low-lying areas and empty mines. However, over 50% of industries remain non-compliant, mostly dumping the ash in the open, in water bodies and in unlined and uncovered pits.
  • As per a status report by Fly Ash Watch Group ,there have been eight major incidents involving coal ash in India between August 2019 and May this year. The Singrauli region spread across Singrauli district in Madhya Pradesh and Sonbhadra district in Uttar Pradesh accounted for half of these.
  • In 2019-’20, 197 thermal plants in India generated 226 million tonnes of fly ash. And nearly 1.6 billion tonnes of it are scattered over 65,000 acres of land, as of 2019.
  • Accidents happen mostly when fly ash overflows or breaks through the embankment of ash ponds where it has been dumped.
  • An ash pond is designed with an embankment all around and an internal and external drainage system. It needs to be constantly monitored for safety and spillage.

Reference: Scroll

 

5. DELHI’S NEW SMOG TOWER

THE CONTEXT: Delhi Chief Minister inaugurated the country’s first ‘smog tower’, an experimental set up worth Rs 20 crore to purify air in a 1-km radius around the structure.

COMPONENTS OF SMOG TOWER

HOW IT WORKS?

  • Polluted air is sucked in at a height of 24 m, and filtered air is released at the bottom of the tower, at a height of about 10 m from the ground.
  • When the fans at the bottom of the tower operate, the negative pressure created sucks in air from the top.
  • The ‘macro’ layer in the filter traps particles of 10 microns and larger, while the ‘micro’ layer filters smaller particles of around 0.3 microns.
  • The downdraft method is different from the system used in China, where a 60-metre smog tower in Xian city uses an ‘updraft’ system — air is sucked in from near the ground, and is propelled upwards by heating and convection. Filtered air is released at the top of the tower.

LIKELY IMPACT

  • Computational fluid dynamics modelling by IIT-Bombay suggests the tower could have an impact on the air quality up to 1 km from the tower.
  • The actual impact will be assessed by IIT-Bombay and IIT-Delhi in a two-year pilot study that will also determine how the tower functions under different weather conditions, and how levels of PM2.5 vary with the flow of air.
  • An automated Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system in the tower will monitor air quality. Levls of PM2.5 and PM10, besides temperature and humidity, will be measured constantly, and will be displayed on a board atop the tower.
  • Monitors will soon be installed at various distances from the tower to determine its impact at these distances. The project aims to provide purified air in a “localised” area.

SUPREME COURT ORDER

  • In 2019, the Supreme Court directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the Delhi government to come up with a plan to install smog towers to combat air pollution.
  • The court was hearing a matter related to air pollution in the national capital due to stubble-burning in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
  • IIT-Bombay then submitted a proposal for the towers to the CPCB. In January 2020, the Supreme Court directed that two towers should be installed by April as a pilot project.
  • The smog tower at Connaught Place is the first of these towers. The second tower, being constructed at Anand Vihar in east Delhi with CPCB as the nodal agency, is nearing completion.

NO EVIDENCE SO FAR

  • This is the first experiment with a large-scale outdoor air-purification system in India. Small smog towers have been raised in Netherlands and South Korea; larger ones have been set up in China. Experts said there isn’t enough evidence that smog towers work.
  • We haven’t come across any clear data that has shown that smog towers have helped to improve the outdoor ambient air quality of a city, either in India or other parts of the world.
  • There were no proven efficiency calculations on such installations. We would have to control emissions at the ground level, not create emissions and then try to clean it.
  • Delhi has three smaller air purifiers (about 12 feet tall) installed by the Gautam Gambhir Foundation in Krishna Nagar, Gandhi Nagar, and Lajpat Nagar — essentially big versions of indoor air purifiers.

Reference: Indian express

6. GLOBAL EMISSIONS CAN DECLINE 10% IF REFINERIES CLEAN UP THEIR ACT

THE CONTEXT: According to the global inventory of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions published recently in One Earth, Global cumulative emissions could be reduced by 10 per cent during 2020-2030 if refineries adopted low carbon measures.

ANALYSIS:

  • The carbon measures include refineries improving their efficiency and upgrading heavy oil processing technologies. The inventory covered 1,056 refineries from 2000-2018.
  • The researchers also found that emissions from the refineries were about 1.3 gigatonne (Gt) in 2018. These would increase to 16.5 Gt of CO2 from 2020-2030 if mitigation strategies were not adopted.
  • The oil refining industry in 2003 witnessed a spurt in growth in China and India, directly leading to a rise in CO2 emissions. China’s refinery output increased by 11 per cent in 2003 and 12 per cent in 2004.
  • In contrast, Europe witnessed a decline in the refinery industry after 2009. This was due to a decline in the demand for refined petroleum products because of the impact of the European Union’s environmental and energy policies.
  • CO2 emissions from the oil refineries in China and India experienced growth between 2000 and 2018 and their contribution climbed to 16 per cent and seven per cent in 2018, from six per cent and three per cent in 2000 respectively.
  • In the same period, the share of Europe and the United States fell to 17 per cent and 21 per cent in 2018, from 22 per cent and 24 per cent in 2000.
  • The global oil refining industry was dominated by two types of refineries in 2018 — new refineries (less than 40 years) in China, India and West Asia and older refineries (40 years and older) in Europe, the United States and Japan.
  • The refining capacity of the two types of refineries accounted for 22 per cent and 35 per cent of the total refining capacity in 2018 respectively and their CO2 emissions accounted for 22 per cent and 37 per cent of the total CO2 emissions of the oil refining industry.
  • Old refineries in Japan, Europe and the United States were still emitting large amounts of CO2 in 2018 and they were unlikely to be shut down in the next few years, according to the inventory.
  • Petroleum refineries are the third-largest global source of stationery greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 40 per cent of emissions from the oil and gas supply chain.

Reference: Down to earth

INDIAN ECONOMY

7. THE NATIONAL MONETISATION PIPELINE

THE CONTEXT: Union Minister for Finance launched the asset monetisation pipeline of Central ministries and public sector entities: ‘National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP Volumes 1 & 2)’.

NATIONAL MONETISATION PIPELINE: AN INTRODUCTION

  • Union Budget 2021-22 has identified monetisation of operating public infrastructure assets as a key means for sustainable infrastructure financing.
  • Towards this, the Budget provided for preparation of a ‘National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP)’ of potential brownfield infrastructure assets. NITI Aayog in consultation with infra line ministries has prepared the report on NMP.
  • NMP aims to provide a medium term roadmap of the programme for public asset owners; along with visibility on potential assets to private sector. Report on NMP has been organised into two volumes.
  • Volume I is structured as a guidance book, detailing the conceptual approaches and potential models for asset monetisation.
  • Volume II is the actual roadmap for monetisation, including the pipeline of core infrastructure assets under Central Govt.

FRAMEWORK

  • The pipeline has been prepared based on inputs and consultations from respective line ministries and departments, along with the assessment of total asset base available therein. Monetization through disinvestment and monetization of non-core assets have not been included in the NMP.
  • Currently, only assets of central government line ministries and CPSEs in infrastructure sectors have been included. Process of coordination and collation of asset pipeline from states is currently ongoing and the same is envisaged to be included in due course.
  • The framework for monetisation of core asset monetisation has three key imperatives.

  • This includes selection of de-risked and brownfield assets with stable revenue generation profile with the overall transaction structured around revenue rights. The primary ownership of the assets under these structures, hence, continues to be with the Government with the framework envisaging hand back of assets to the public authority at the end of transaction life.

ESTIMATED POTENTIAL

  • Considering that infrastructure creation is inextricably linked to monetisation, the period for NMP has been decided so as to be co-terminus with balance period under National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP).
  • The aggregate asset pipeline under NMP over the four-year period, FY 2022-2025, is indicatively valued at Rs 6.0 lakh crore. The estimated value corresponds to ~14% of the proposed outlay for Centre under NIP (Rs 43 lakh crore).
  • This includes more than 12 line ministries and more than 20 asset classes. The sectors included are roads, ports, airports, railways, warehousing, gas & product pipeline, power generation and transmission, mining, telecom, stadium, hospitality and housing.  Sector wise Monetisation Pipeline over FY 2022-25 (Rs crore)

  • The top 5 sectors (by estimated value) capture ~83% of the aggregate pipeline value. These top 5 sectors include: Roads (27%) followed by Railways (25%), Power (15%), oil & gas pipelines (8%) and Telecom (6%).
  • In terms of annual phasing by value, 15% of assets with an indicative value of Rs 0.88 lakh crore are envisaged to be rolled out in the current financial year (FY 2021-22). However, the aggregate as well as year on year value under NMP is only an indicative value with the actual realization for public assets depending on the timing, transaction structuring, investor interest etc.
  • Indicative value of the monetisation pipeline year-wise (Rs crore).

  • The assets and transactions identified under the NMP are expected to be rolled out through a range of instruments. These include direct contractual instruments such as public private partnership concessions and capital market instruments such as Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvIT) among others.
  • The choice of instrument will be determined by the sector, nature of asset, timing of transactions (including market considerations), target investor profile and the level of operational/investment control envisaged to be retained by the asset owner etc.
  • The monetisation value that is expected to be realised by the public asset owner through the asset monetisation process, may either be in form of upfront accruals or by way of private sector investment. The potential value assessed under NMP is only an indicative high level estimate based on thumb rules. This is based on various approaches such as market or cost or book or enterprise value etc. as applicable and available for respective sectors.

IMPLEMENTATION & MONITORING MECHANISM

  • As an overall strategy, significant share of the asset base will remain with the government.
  • The programme is envisaged to be supported through necessary policy and regulatory interventions by the Government in order to ensure an efficient and effective process of asset monetisation. These will include streamlining operational modalities, encouraging investor participation and facilitating commercial efficiency, among others. Real time monitoring will be undertaken through the asset monetisation dashboard, as envisaged under Union Budget 2021-22, to be rolled out shortly.
  • The end objective of this initiative to enable ‘Infrastructure Creation through Monetisation’ wherein the public and private sector collaborate, each excelling in their core areas of competence, so as to deliver socio-economic growth and quality of life to the country’s citizens.

Reference: PIB

8. INDIA AND ADB SIGN $500 MILLION LOAN TO EXPAND METRO RAIL NETWORK IN BENGALURU

THE CONTEXT: The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) today signed a $500 million loan to expand the metro rail network in Bengaluru with construction of two new metro lines totaling 56 km in length.

ANALYSIS:

  • The project supports urban transformation of Bengaluru City into a more livable and sustainable city through support to urban public transport and urban development with concepts of transit-oriented development (TOD) and multi-modal integration (MMI).
  • The project will bring various benefits including road de-congestion, better urban livability and environmental improvement.
  • TOD-based urban development model will target realigning growth and increase the city’s economic productivity by creating higher density, compact, mixed use, mixed income, safe, and resource-efficient and inclusive neighborhoods.
  • TOD also aims to raise land values along these corridors, generating capital revenues for the state government to meet the city’s long-term investment needs.
  • MMI will aim to provide people-oriented, environment-friendly solutions and a safe, total mobility solution for all Bangalore residents through the seamless integration of different modes of public transport.
  • The project will construct two new metro lines, mostly elevated, along Outer Ring Road and National Highway 44 between Central Silk Board and Kempegowda International Airport with 30 stations.
  • This will help decongest traffic in the city area and provide seamless connectivity to the airport. The needs of vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, women, children, and differently abled persons, will be reflected on the metro facilities.
  • An additional $2 million technical assistance grant from ADB will help the state government formulate urban development plans and their implementing frameworks, focusing on TOD and multimodal integration.
  • The grant will also be used to strengthen the capacity of the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited and other state agencies to implement these initiatives.
  • ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members—49 from the region.

Reference: PIB

 

Q 1. Consider the following statements:
1. India’s eastern coast is more vulnerable to tropical cyclones as compared to western coast.
2. In 2021, Cyclone Tauktae hit the eastern coast of India while Cyclone Yaas hit the western Coast of India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2

Q 2. Recently in news, “Yuktdhara” Portal is related to:
a) Education
b) Rural Development
c) Health
d) Refugees

ANSWER FOR AUGUST 20, 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS (REFER RELEVANT ARTICLE)

Q.1 ANSWER: A

Explanation:

  • Statement 1 is correct: Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean.
  • Statement 2 is incorrect: It is the largest and southernmost of the Mariana Islands and the largest island in Micronesia. Guam’s capital is Hagåtña.

Answer: A
Explanation:
• The barasingha (Rucervus duvaucelii), also called swamp deer.
• In Assamese, barasingha is called dolhorina; dol meaning swamp.
• Habitat: Swamp deer occur in the Kanha National Park of Madhya Pradesh, in only 6 localities in Uttar Pradesh. A few survive in Assam’s Kaziranga and Manas National Parks.
• In 2005, a small population of about 320 individuals was discovered in the Jhilmil Jheel

  • Conservation Reserve in Haridwar district in Uttarakhand on the east bank of the Ganges.
  • Threats: Poaching for antlers and meat, wetlands converted and used for agriculture.
  • Conservation:
    • listed on CITES Appendix I.
    • Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
    • IUCN status- Vulnerable




Is the role of Parliamentary Standing Committees reducing?

THE CONTEXT: There was not a single meeting of any parliamentary committee in the four months following the national lockdown and the opposition parties have claimed that the government is making Parliamentary Standing Committees irrelevant by bypassing them while passing legislations. The Lok Sabha Speaker has initiated an assessment of the effectiveness of the Standing Committees and the Rajya Sabha secretariat had already done a similar analysis.

BACKGROUND

 

  • The institution of Parliamentary Committees has its origins in the British Parliament. The earliest parliamentary committees were the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) (1921) followed by the Estimates Committee (1950).
  • A parliamentary committee is a committee which is appointed or elected by any House or nominated by the Speaker/Chairman and which works under the direction of the Speaker/Chairman and presents its report to the House or to the Speaker/Chairman and the respective Secretariat. They draw their authority from Article 105 and Article 118
  • The practice of regularly referring bills to committees began in 1989 after government departments started forming their own standing committees. Prior to that, select committees or joint committees of the houses were only set up to scrutinise some very important bills.
  • DRSCs were set up first in 1993, to ensure Parliament could keep with the growing complexity of governance.  These are permanent Committees that are reconstituted every year.
  • DRSCs are composed of members from across political parties. Currently, there are 24 DRSCs. Each has 21 members from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha.
  • Each DRSC focuses on a set of ministries and, therefore, helps its members build sector knowledge. DRSCs can examine Bills referred to them; select specific topics related to the ministries and examine implementation by the Government; and examine the budgetary outlays of the departments.
  • They do not consider matters of day-to-day administration but only focus on long-term plans and policies to guide the working of the executive. They have the right to call for records and witnesses and prepare reports that are then placed before Parliament for necessary action.
  • Some of the important Bills currently under scrutiny of standing committees include those on data protection, surrogacy and DNA technology regulation and the Industrial Relations Code, 2019.

TYPES OF COMMITTEES

 

  • There are broadly two kinds of committees: (a) Standing Committees; and (b) Ad-hoc Committees.
  • Both Houses have a similar committee structure, with few exceptions. Their appointment, terms of office, functions, and procedure for conducting business is regulated as per Rules of Business of each House.
  • Standing committees are permanent in nature, and are reconstituted from time to time. They can be further divided into financial committees and DRSCs.
  • Ad hoc committees are appointed for a specific purpose — like the examination of a bill or inquiry into specific subjects, say, the 2G scam — and exist only until this purpose is fulfilled.

IMPORTANCE OF STANDING COMMITTEES

 

  • Over the years, responsibilities of the government have increased significantly. Government expenditure and legislation have become technical and complex in nature. Disruptive changes in technology and the expansion of trade, commerce and economy in general throw up new policy challenges. The laws and regulations that are required to govern a digital society cannot be made without highly specialised knowledge and political acumen. MPs may have great acumen but they are generalists. They are neither effective in their role as lawmakers nor in questioning the functioning of the government. Also, given the volume of work it is difficult for Parliament to scrutinise all government activities in the House in a limited time.
  • Parliamentary Committees ensure that Parliament can effectively discharge its two functions – lawmaking and oversight of the executive. Their ability to devote more time on each item allows them to examine matters in greater detail. Smaller group of lawmakers with interests and expertise of individual members could have more open, intensive and better informed discussions. Members of Parliament can get the assistance of experts through the committees.
  • The sittings of Parliament are steadily declining over the years, from 100-150 sittings in the 1950s to 60-70 sittings per year. Fewer sittings of Parliament are compensated by the working of DRSCs. During the recess in the current Budget session, the committees have done work worth 30 sittings of Parliament. Also, only a limited proportion of the budget (17% in the 16th Lok Sabha) is usually discussed in the House. The DRSCs examine the budget in detail and ensure financial accountability. Bills that are referred to committees are returned to the House with significant value addition. For example, the Committee on Food and Consumer Affairs suggested several amendments in the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, most of which were accepted and incorporated in the Act.

ADVANTAGES

 

  • Parliamentary committees enable input from experts and those who may be directly affected by a policy or legislation. For example, the DRSCs often invite comments from the public and call people to testify.
  • Since time on the floor of the house is allocated on the basis of party strength, many MPs very less time. But in committee meetingsMPs can contribute extensively to the discussions.
  • Committee reports are usually exhaustive and provide authentic information on matters related to governance. Their reports allow for informed debate.
  • Being outside direct public glare allows members to discuss issues and reach consensus without worrying about constituency pressures.
  • They also help parties reach consensus on various issues as committee meetings are ‘closed door’ and members are not bound by party whips and the anti-defection law does not apply to committees.
  • The committees allow members to focus on some specific areas and build their expertise, which helps them scrutinise issues more thoroughly.

 

FUNCTIONING OF DRSCs

 

While it is difficult to analyse the quality of deliberations of its sittings, the number of sittings held by various DRSCs can be used as an indicator to measure the quantity of work done by them.

  • Examining Demands for Grants: in many cases MPs do not have sufficient time to study the DRSC reports on Demands for Grants
  • Examining Bills: the trend shows that fewer Bills are being referred to Committees as compared to previous Lok Sabha
  • Examination of Issue some of the subjects identified for examination by DRSCs constituted for 2019-20 include: state of the Indian economy, online security measures for data protection etc.
  • Reports submitted by DRSCs: During the 16th Lok Sabha, 2,038 sittings were held by DRSCs and they submitted 1,111 reports. On average, DRSCs published one report in 1.8 sittings. Average sittings taken to publish one report vary across DRSCs.

 

RECENT TRENDS

 

  • The recent decline in the role and performance of standing committees is part of a larger trend visible even before the lockdown, an India Spend analysis of published parliamentary data regarding eight standing committees found.
  • Despite 133 Bills being passed in the 16th Lok Sabha, 15% higher than the previous Lok Sabha, a lesser number of Bills were sent to committees for scrutiny. According to PRS Legislative Research, only 25% of the Bills introduced were referred to committees in the 16th Lok Sabha, as compared to 71% and 60% in the 15th and 14th Lok Sabha respectively.
  • Comparing every standing committee’s number of meetings and number of hours under both governments shows a steady decline. The number of sittings decreased by 22.1% and the standing committees were 26.8% less productive by number of hours during 16th Lok Sabha as compared to the 15th Lok Sabha.
  • The average attendance of every departmentally-related standing committee was 54% in the second session (November-December 2019) and 48% in the third session (January-March) of the 17th Lok Sabha.
  • The standing committee on finance, which scrutinises the expenditure of the Ministry of Finance, had the lowest attendance of all at 22 between November and March.

HOW THE ROLE OF PARLIAMENTARY STANDING COMMITTEES IS REDUCING?

DIMINISHED SAY IN LEGISLATIVE MATTERS

There was a decrease in the involvement of standing committees in legislative matters. Only 25% of all bills were referred to committees, compared to 71% under the previous government. Only about 10% of bills introduced in Parliament during the 17th Lok Sabha have been referred to committees.

The opposition has charged the government with bypassing parliamentary panels by introducing all bills in the Lower House, where it has a strong majority. Controversial laws like RTI Amendment Bill and the UAPA Amendment Bill were not referred to any Parliamentary Committees despite the Opposition’s motion. During the lockdown between March and August, the government has promulgated 11 ordinances. Some of the ordinances which had nothing to do with the pandemic could have been brought as bills and sent to the committees for review.

PARTISANSHIP CURTAILING DELIBERATION

Traditionally, parliamentary committees function on a non-party basis. This tradition seems to have broken down and members have started political posturing. The committee on home affairs saw political partisanship during its meeting on Kashmir post abrogation of Article 370.

When a party has sufficient numbers in both Houses of Parliament, it is almost inevitable that these standing committees are populated by members from the ruling disposition, which enables them to prevent matters unfavourable to the government from being taken up.The PAC was recently prevented from scrutinising the PM-CARES Fund by committee members from the ruling party.

Such political partisanship during the proceedings of committees has reduced its deliberation over important issues such as tracking the expenditure of ministries and, consequently, its ability to hold the government to account.

VIRTUAL MEETINGS NOT ALLOWED

Virtual meetings of standing committees were not allowed by the Speaker despite requests due to the confidentiality conditions under Rule 275 of the Lok Sabha. If parliamentary standing committees were able to meet virtually, they could review the performance of the government and how it dealt with the pandemic.

The standing committee on labour looked at the performance of the One Nation-One Ration Card scheme and the welfare benefits to migrant labourers, but months later. Timely review and recommendations by the committee was required here. More than 15 countries have allowed their parliamentary committees to meet virtually to ensure socially distanced proceedings.

A NEW TREND

Several Bills piloted by the Finance Ministry have been referred to specially-formed joint committees of the two Houses rather than the DRSCs. The DRSC is chaired by a member from the opposition while the joint committees were chaired by a member of the ruling party.

WHY THE ROLE OF PARLIAMENTARY STANDING COMMITTEES IS REDUCING?

 

In 2002, the NCRWC pointed out some shortcomings of the committees: (a) low attendance of MPs at meetings; (b) too many ministries under a committee; (c) norms not followed by most political parties while nominating MPs to committees; and (d) the constitution of DRSCs for a year leaves very little time for specialisations.

Saving time and scrutiny could be reasons to bypass parliamentary panels. It can take months to table a report in the Parliament with some bills being referred to committees more than once. When a government has adequate numbers to push through legislation, it might view the committee as unnecessary and disadvantageous as it allows the Opposition to get its dissent noted on record.

Repeated requests to either send or not send or send bills to a joint committee, instead of an already established specialised committee, creates an impression that the committee process is political and not focused on technical scrutiny. Not referring a bill to a committee sends the message that the bills piloted by the government are perfect, and they are so urgently needed that they do not require the contribution of a committee of MPs. These impressions reduce overall interests of the MPs to participate in the meetings.

With reports of large-scale absence of MPs from the committees, the Rajya Sabha Chairman has pointed out that a total of 95 MPs did not attend a single meeting of the 8 DRSCs that reviewed allocations for 18 Ministries after the presentation of the 2020-21 Union Budget. MPs are unable to pay attention to the committees as they prioritize social functions in their constituency due to risk losing voters.

The issue of members not attending the meetings of committees, particularly DRPSCs, has come to the fore against the backdrop of the opposition’s criticism that the government was bypassing parliamentary scrutiny by not referring bills to the DRPSCs. The committee chair’s supervisory role has not proved to be effective and there is no mechanism for a regular assessment of the performance of the committee.

MEASURES TO STRENGHTHEN THE COMMITTEE SYSTEM

 

REFERRING BILLS TO COMMITTEES

Currently, it is not mandatory to refer a Bill to a Committee. All Bills, other than Money Bills, should be referred to the DRPSCs for consideration and scrutiny after public opinion has been elicited. The Committees may schedule public hearings, if necessary, and finalise with the help of experts the second reading stage. Referring all Bills to a Committee would ensure that all laws go through a minimum level of Parliamentary scrutiny.

EXPERT WITNESSES AND RESEARCH SUPPORT

Very often, MPs experience a knowledge gap when dealing with specialised subjects. The DRSC usually invites experts while scrutinising Bills but this is not always the case. The technical support available to Parliamentary Committees is limited to a secretariat. Late Speaker Somnath Chatterjee favoured associating external experts with parliamentary committees to support the committees in analysing legislations and policies. There is a need to reconsider the infrastructure support that MPs require for contributing effectively. Committees in other countries such as the UK, USA, and Canada can retain specialist advisors to assist in specific inquires.

REPORTS OF THE COMMITTEES

Currently, reports of the Parliamentary Committees are not discussed in the Parliament. The reports are non-binding and have persuasive or advisory value. The government can ignore the recommendations. Major reports of all Parliamentary Committees should be discussed by the Parliament especially where there is disagreement between a Parliamentary Committee and the Government. The findings and recommendations of the PAC should be accorded greater weight.

LONGER TENURES

The Standing Committees are permanent and the one-year term is of the members of the committees and not of the committees per se. MPs should have longer tenure in committees so that they could build up their expertise in subject areas. Once a member is nominated to a committee, he should be allowed to continue till he retires or otherwise discontinues the membership.

ATTENDANCE OF MEMBERS

Persistently absent members from the committees should be dropped from them after being duly cautioned. A proportionate reduction in salary and other allowances could also be effected

WAY FORWARD

 

  • Parliamentary committees are the brain of Parliament. They give the institution the ability to identify pressing and prospective issues, suggest solutions, and highlight gaps in implementation. They are a huge reservoirs of information, which are made available to MPs in order to enlighten themselves, and contribute ideas to strengthen the parliamentary system and improve governance.
  • The DRSC system has been a fairly successful experiment. It is important to further strengthen its ability for detailed scrutiny of issues so that it helps parliament work well in its lawmaking and accountability roles. They largely have an audit-based role of their respective ministries and are restricted in their areas of functioning. Strengthening their working will improve Parliament’s overall effectiveness. Standing Committees should embrace the entire spectrum of administration for an in-depth and continuous study.
  • The performance of the Committees affects the overall effectiveness of Parliament as an institution. There should be periodic evaluation of the parliamentary committees which can be then reviewed by the chairman of the Rajya Sabha and the speaker of the Lok Sabha along with the chairmen of the committees following a parliament session.

CONCLUSION

 

  • Standing committees are the parliament’s principal instrument to ensure executive accountability. These Committees could restore the balance between Parliament’s legislative and deliberative functions and its role as a representational body. They could provide a potent mechanism for a meaningful multilateral dialogue and reasonable accommodation of varying viewpoints and harmonization of conflicting interests.
  • Parliamentary oversight of administration is never intended to adversely affect administrative initiative, effectiveness and discretion. The purpose of accountability mechanisms is to strengthen efficient functioning of administration and not weaken it. Better scrutiny leads to better governance.

Question to Ponder

 

  1. Are Parliamentary Committees witnessing a gradual decline? Analysis the situation and suggest measures to strengthen the committee system.



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