1. Why Centre wants to raise marriage age of women READ MORE
2. What NFHS-5 data reveals about gender in India READ MORE

1. Decoding the draft data protection law READ MORE
2. Sacrilege: The law must prevail READ MORE
3. Democracy in peril: Its spirit can’t be renewed without the power of emancipatory education READ MORE
4. Protection from Data Protection Authority READ MORE
5. Is the freedom of speech absolute? READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Air pollution in parts of central-western India and north India increased during the pandemic in contrast to the general trend READ MORE
2. NITI Aayog Releases Fourth Edition of State Health Index READ MORE
3. Missionaries of Charity denied FCRA nod READ MORE
4. Explained: What is 5G in telecom, and how will this tech work in India? READ MORE
5. Right to be forgotten: govt position, court rulings, and laws elsewhere READ MORE
6. PM Modi to lay foundation stone of 4 hydro power projects in Himachal Pradesh today. 7 points READ MORE

Main Exam   

GS Paper- 1

1. Why Centre wants to raise marriage age of women READ MORE
2. What NFHS-5 data reveals about gender in India READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Decoding the draft data protection law READ MORE
2. Sacrilege: The law must prevail READ MORE
3. Democracy in peril: Its spirit can’t be renewed without the power of emancipatory education READ MORE
4. Protection from Data Protection Authority READ MORE
5. Is the freedom of speech absolute? READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. The prospects for Indo-Pak relations in 2022 READ MORE
2. Central Asia of strategic import for India READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. The cold truth about India’s income inequality READ MORE
2. Growing divergence in central and state-level fiscal trends READ MORE
3. How to get the economy on the fast track READ MORE
4. How India is wasting its potential demographic dividend READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. The gaps in the plan to tackle plastic waste READ MORE
2. Can India Use MNREGA Work To Make Itself More Climate-Resilient? READ MORE
3. Tweaks in green laws may dilute safeguards, warn experts READ MORE

SECURITY

1. A progressive step: Formation of a panel to look into withdrawal of AFSPA from Nagaland is a welcome move READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Desmond Tutu provided a model for constructive use of religious idioms in politics. In polarised times, he will be missed READ MORE
2. We are not at peace with nature READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘The spirit of democracy cannot be renewed without the enchanting power of emancipatory education or critical pedagogy’. Comment.
2. ‘India’s relations with Central Asian countries have acquired a strategic dimension. It will be in India’s interest to augment its linkages with these countries to reduce their dependence on China’. Analyse.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage.
• The linking of Aadhaar with voter ID will create complexities in the voter databases that will be hard to fix.
• An Aadhaar-voter ID linkage will also help political parties create voter profiles and influence the voting process.
• Criminalising the freedom of religion and choices, which is what the Indian compact is based on, by hunting out the diverse, mixed, or cosmopolitan as inauthentic has consequences, both social and economic.
• India’s political stability is not in question during the coming year, but there is intense hostility to any conversation with Pakistan among the government’s ideological base.
• For India to capture global markets, it must focus on boosting technology and digitalisation, strengthening environmental laws, and undertaking tax and business reforms.
• It undermines privacy; places unchecked powers in the hands of the State; holds the government to a much lower standard of accountability; makes unwarranted advances into areas beyond its mandate.
• A constitutional democracy cannot afford to normalise mob violence, and any constriction of due process and fair trial must be contested. Act against desecration but don’t allow people to take the law into their own hands.
• Democracy cannot be saved merely through the ritualisation of periodic elections; nor can it be saved through the occasional delivery of ‘relief packages’ to the poor. Democracy needs our alertness and courage — and this requires the light of critical pedagogy.

50-WORD TALK

• India’s relations with Central Asian countries have acquired a strategic dimension. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have emerged as important suppliers of uranium to fuel India’s nuclear power plants. Tajikistan provided critical help in the evacuation of Indians from Afghanistan. It will be in India’s interest to augment its linkages with these countries to reduce their dependence on China.
• Call it a ‘precaution dose’ or a booster shot, what matters is the Modi government has finally come around and agreed to administer these. But why wait until 3 Jan or 10 Jan for the different categories when Omicron is so much more transmissible? Only India’s health bureaucrats would know.

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.

THE CONTEXT: The dramatic developments in Afghanistan have catalysed new geostrategic and geoeconomics concerns for the Central Asia region. The evolving situation has also thrown up renewed challenges for India’s regional and bilateral ties with Central Asia and the Caucasus, prompting India to recalibrate its rules of engagement with the region.

INDIA- CENTRAL ASIAN RELATIONS: RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

• Over the years, India has been taking a renewed interest in enhancing its strategic presence in Central Asia.
• India’s full membership into the Shanghai Cooperation Organization(SCO) now opens up an opportunity for a closer engagement with the region.
• In 2019, India’s External Affairs Minister (EAM) participated in the first India-Central Asia Dialogue in Samarkand, Republic of Uzbekistan.
• The 2nd meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue was held in October 2020, under the chairmanship of the External Affairs Minister of India.
• Though, there is no specific Indian diaspora policy in Central Asia. As compared to Indians living in the Gulf, the United Kingdom (UK), the European Union (EU) and the United States (US), the number of Indians in Central Asian Republics (CARs) is quite less. But India has a strong forum, namely, SCO, to make its outreach to Central Asia.
• In the second week of November 2021, India held an NSA- level meeting in New Delhi to discuss the development in Afghanistan and in that, All Central Asian nations participated.
• The above developments show that the relations between India and Central Asian nations are going upward, but to make an effective presence in Central Asia, India needs to enhance these relations.

ROLE OF SCO IN THIS REGARD

• India’s full SCO membership is considered a forward movement in her engagement with Central Asia.
• This has enhanced India’s strategic ‘presence’ in the Eurasian region.
• While being a part of the SCO, India has put forward many concrete proposals for regional cooperation in different areas.
• However, India needs to be proactive while figuring out its priorities within the SCO.
• India has been able to enhance cooperation with SCO member-states to combat extremism and terrorism through the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) mechanism at Tashkent by sharing information. In the SCO, discussions are also under process to use the local currency in trade and economic transactions instead of dollars.

IMPORTANCE OF CENTRAL ASIA FOR INDIA

• India and Central Asian Republics (CARs) – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan – share deep civilisational ties. However, the importance of Central Asia for India is not merely cultural and historical.
• Over the next decade, as India’s economy grew, so made its demand for energy and the need to diversify sources beyond the Gulf. During this period, Central Asia also looked toward supplying energy to fast-growing countries in Asia, such as India and China, to overcome its reliance on pipeline routes through Russia.
• India and the CARs also share common concerns on the issue of the rising threat from terrorism, extremism and drug trafficking.
• The re-emergence of threat from the Taliban-Haqqani network in Afghanistan, the proposed Western military pullout by 2014, and growing religious radicalisation and sectarian violence within Pakistan have raised serious questions about the region’s stability.
• India thus plans to further strengthen its cooperation with the CARs, especially on the counter-terrorism issue, within the framework of its “Connect Central Asia” policy.

At a more specific level, the five CARs are important to India due to some of the following factors:

Tajikistan: Tajikistan’s importance for India lies in its geostrategic location. While it shares borders with China, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, it is also close to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Moreover, developments in Afghanistan and Pakistan have serious security implications for both India and Tajikistan. In addition to its strategic location, Tajikistan is rich in hydroelectric power and has the largest natural water resources in the region. Tajikistan also has rich mineral deposits. India and Tajikistan cooperate over a wide spectrum of political, economic, health, human resource development, defence, counter-terrorism, science and technology, culture, and tourism. Tajik military cadets and young officers have also been attending military training institutions in India.

Kazakhstan: Kazakhstan’s importance for India needs to be viewed in the context of developments in and around Central Asia, India’s growing energy needs, Kazakhstan’s increasing role in the region and its immense hydrocarbon reserves. The two countries cooperate in various hydrocarbon, civil nuclear energy, space, information technology and cyber security, pharmaceuticals, health care, agriculture, and cultural exchange programmes.

Turkmenistan: The importance of Turkmenistan for India lies in its enormous gas reserves, transit potential and geostrategic geo-strategic location. India’s rising energy demand and the fact that it imports 70 per cent of its oil requirements, which is likely to go up to 90 per cent by 2025, has made Turkmenistan an attractive destination for India. In this context, the TAPI gas pipeline is of great significance. Turkmenistan can also serve as a gateway to Central Asia through Iran. From India’s point of view, the North-South Corridor would help India reach out to Central Asia and enable it to transport goods at a cheaper cost to the European markets.

Uzbekistan: Uzbekistan has appreciated India’s reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan and supports India’s candidature for full membership in the SCO and UNSC. The two countries cooperate in diverse sectors, including coal gasification, oil and gas, banking, pharmaceuticals, textiles, science and technology, standardisation, small and medium enterprises, and tourism. More than sixty Indian companies are operating in the country. Economic reconstruction projects and cooperation on counter-terrorism, in the backdrop of the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan in 2014, have been given priority in India-Uzbekistan ties.

Kyrgyzstan: The visit of Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony to Bishkek in July 2011 has given a new impetus to the India-Kyrgyzstan ties. India has offered assistance to Kyrgyzstan in various areas. This includes sending a team to train Kyrgyz armed forces in UN peacekeeping operations and imparting English language skills. India and Kyrgyzstan have also signed MoUs for cooperation in research and development in high altitude base agriculture, plantation, animal husbandry, poultry, education, sports, culture, IT, health, S&T and food processing.

WHY THE RELATIONS BETWEEN INDIA AND CENTRAL ASIA ARE LACKING BEHIND

• With any planned routes facing serious financial, political, and security constraints, the lack of connectivity between India and the region has frustrated oil and gas diplomacy.
• The long-delayed Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline, backed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), was first proposed in the mid-1990s. All four actors officially signed an intergovernmental agreement in 2010. Since then, progress has been stalled due to the instability in Afghanistan and the lack of trust between India and Pakistan.
• The only significant achievement in the energy sector has been civil nuclear cooperation. In 2008, Kazakhstan supported India in obtaining India-specific exemption to allow civil nuclear cooperation with the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) countries.
• The following year, India and Kazakhstan signed an agreement to supply 2,100 tonnes of uranium to India until 2014. Two years later, during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Kazakhstan, they signed a deal for ‘Cooperation in the Field of Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy.’
• The adverse geographic terrain and the complicated India-Pakistan border dynamic, significantly impede connectivity, thereby curbing greater economic cooperation between India and the region.
• In contrast, external powers such as Russia and China have benefitted from close cooperation and influence, courtesy of their porous borders with the region.
• Thus, apart from pipeline routes through the region, India has also been looking towards Iran for connectivity with Central Asia. As far back as April 1995, India, Iran and Turkmenistan signed an MOU to create transit corridors through the latter two states to facilitate trade among each other, and transit through territories crossing the latter two states. Nonetheless, the full potential of this route is yet to be realised.

THE RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IS A POSITIVE SIGNAL

• Engagement with the region in 2020 saw a clear focus on regional economic development, connectivity, and security — apart from the immediate need to deal with the ongoing pandemic.
• Among the highlights was the announcement of an additional 1 billion USD Line of Credit extended by India for priority development projects in energy, healthcare, connectivity, IT, agriculture, education, etc. India’s ‘Connect Central Asia Policy’ covers an entire gamut of a multi-model approach to strengthen politico-economic, security, and cultural ties between the two.
• To that endeavour, India proposed grant assistance to implement High Impact Community Development Projects that aim to boost socio-economic development in the region.
• This development came at a time when countries around the world were still struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic. India has provided humanitarian and medical assistance to the Central Asian partners in their fight against the pandemic.
• Although Central Asian countries are heading towards Russia-based vaccines, the rollout has been slow. India, which has already supplied 5.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to its neighbours, is now looking to further expand its outreach. It would be worthwhile to consider including Central Asian countries in this effort.

POWER DYNAMICS IN THE REGION AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIA: ANALYSIS

RUSSIA: While still a widely influential political and security player in the region, Russia has seen China take its place as the leading economic player in the post-Soviet period. As the latter’s influence has grown, Russia has promoted its own Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) to pursue regional and economic integration. The EAEU, which has become an established actor in the region, has not coalesced into a political union due to member-states objections to accept Russian proposals to this effect. Since its inception in 2015, it has only attracted two Central Asian countries, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, as members and thus it is far from a happy union.

CHINA: China has been expanding its regional presence, as seen in the ‘5+1 format’ launched in 2020 to further its clout. However, its advances are already causing concerns of ‘debt-trap diplomacy’ given the economic situation of Central Asian countries. Turkmenistan owes at least US$ 8 billion in loans to China and the latter holds roughly 50 per cent of Tajikistan’s US$ 2.8 billion foreign debt. Kyrgyzstan has turned to China for debt relief to deal with the economic impact of the pandemic. The Export-Import Bank of China holds US$ 1.7 billion of the country’s US$ 4 billion foreign debt. As the BRI expands, China’s largest trading partner in the region, Kazakhstan, is also growing conscious of China’s manoeuvres

OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIA: These developments create an opening for India, which benefits from possessing goodwill and a positive image among Central Asian states. As New Delhi cements its position as one of the fastest-growing major economies of the world, its increased engagement with the region can lead to mutually beneficial gains — both in economic and strategic terms. The presence of multiple strong powers in the region offers options to regional actors to balance external pressures. However, India has been a latecomer and has only turned its attention to the region in recent years. It has sought to deepen linkages through the regular exchange of high-level visits, cooperation in areas of mutual security concerns, and improving trade ties. PM Modi’s comprehensive visit in July 2015 to all 5 CARs was a step in the same direction. Yet, India has a long way to go before it can present itself as a key player in Central Asia. India’s trade with the region amounts to US$ 2 billion, owing to limited connectivity and low economic engagement with the region. This amount is less than 0.5 per cent of India’s total trade, whereas the region’s trade with China amounts to US$ 100 billion.

THE WAY AHEAD: Efforts are now being made to address the weak trade ties by encouraging cooperation among businesses on both sides, as is evident in the launch of the India-Central Asia Business Council in 2020. India needs to direct investment to the region to reap the economic benefits of the strategic location of Central Asia that puts it at the crossroads of key trade and commerce routes. Sectors like the construction industry, sericulture, pharmaceuticals, IT, and tourism offer potential for collaboration. Beyond strategic and economic cooperation, India must increase its developmental and humanitarian aid to the region and promote closer people-to-people ties through education, knowledge transfer, medicine and health, culture, cuisine, and tourism. Multilateral organisations like SCO, EAEU, and CICA can serve as platforms for sustained engagement and regular exchange of ideas. The SCO is a crucial grouping that provides India with a strategic convergence with Russia and China to address new security challenges, enhance infrastructural development projects, and create a network of regional oil and gas pipelines for the greater benefit of the Central and South Asian region. It bears the high potential to give India a stake in the Eurasian integration process. Although several challenges such as China’s aggressive posture in the region and the unholy nexus of Pakistan and China looms large over its success, a calibrated coordination with the stakeholders will enable New Delhi to accentuate its own role not only in the Eurasian region but also in South Asia.

THE CONCLUSION:In a region where Russia and China remain the key players, India has a long way to go before being recognised as a consequential actor in Central Asia. The proposals and ideas discussed in the 2020 virtual summits possess the potential to form the bedrock of a sustained, balanced, long-term strategy — which New Delhi will have to capitalise on to achieve its policy goals in the region.

Questions:

1. Discuss the importance of central Asia for India. How can multilateral organisations like SCO serve as platforms for sustained engagement and regular exchange of ideas between India and central Asia?
2. ‘To fulfil its energy requirement, India should look beyond gulf nations and Central Asia is an ideal for that’. Comment.

THE INDIAN POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. GOOD GOVERNANCE INDEX 2021

THE CONTEXT: Union Minister of Home Affairs released the Good Governance Index 2021 prepared by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) on 25 December 2021 which is celebrated as Good Governance Day.

THE EXPLANATION:

Why December 25?

• 25th December is celebrated as Good Governance Day marking the auspicious occasion of late former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birth anniversary. Good Governance is the key component of the economic transformation and with the present government’s focus on ‘minimum government and maximum governance,’ the Index assumes more significance.

 What is the Good Governance Index (GGI)?

• GGI is a comprehensive and implementable framework to assess the State of Governance across the States and UTs which enables ranking of States/Districts. The objective of GGI is to create a tool that can be used uniformly across the States to assess the impact of various interventions taken up by the Central and State Governments including UTs.
• Based on the GGI Framework, the Index provides a comparative picture among the States while developing a competitive spirit for improvement. The GGI 2019 encompassed 10 Governance Sectors and 50 Governance Indicators.
• For GGI 2020-21, the same 10 Governance Sectors are retained while indicators have been revised to 58, namely,

Further, the GGI 2020-21 categorizes States and UTs into four categories, i.e.,

• Other States – Group A;
• Other States – Group B;
• North-East and Hill States; and
• Union Territories.

With a “Citizen-Centric Administration” approach at the heart of the government’s Governance Model – this year, 20 States have improved their composite GGI scores over the GGI 2019 index scores.

Data Source:

Top ranking States and UT’s

Analysis of the Index:

• As per the GGI 2021 rankings, Uttar Pradesh has shown an incremental growth of 8.9% over GGI 2019 performance. Among the sectors, it has secured top position in Commerce & Industry sector including an increase in Social Welfare & Development and Judiciary & Public Safety. The state has also performed well in citizen-centric governance including public grievance redressal.

• Jharkhand witnessed a growth of 12.6 per cent over GGI 2019 performance in 7 of the 10 sectors. Rajasthan has shown an incremental growth of 1.7 per cent over the past year’s index and topped the Other States (Group B) category in Judiciary and Public Safety, Environment & Citizen Centric Governance.
• In the North-East and Hill States category, Mizoram and Jammu and Kashmir registered an overall increase of 10.4% and 3.7% respectively over GGI 2019. The latter has performed strongly in Commerce & Industry sector and has improved its scores in Agriculture & Allied Sector, Public Infrastructure and Utilities and Judiciary and Public Safety sectors. Mizoram too has performed strongly in commerce and industry, human resource development, public health and economic governance.

This GGI 2021 indicates that overall governance in the States of India is moving in a positive direction. The end results of these rankings are to improve citizen services and make the government inclusive and accountable.

INDIAN ECONOMY

2. INDIA IMPOSES ANTI-DUMPING DUTY ON CHINESE GOODS

THE CONTEXT: India has imposed anti-dumping duty on five Chinese products, including certain aluminium goods and some chemicals, for five years to guard local manufacturers from cheap imports from the neighbouring country.

THE EXPLANATION:

• According to notifications of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), the duties have been imposed on certain flat rolled products of aluminium; sodium hydrosulphite (used in dye industry); silicone sealant (used in manufacturing of solar photovoltaic modules, and thermal power applications); hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) component R-32; and hydrofluorocarbon blends (both have uses in refrigeration industry).
• These duties were imposed following recommendations of the Commerce Ministry’s investigation arm, the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR).
• The CBIC has also imposed the duty on a vehicle component — Axle for Trailers in CKD/SKD (complete and semi knocked down) to protect domestic makers from cheap Chinese imports.
• Similarly it has also slapped the duty on imports of calcined gypsum powder from Iran, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for five years.

What is anti-dumping duty?

• Anti-dumping duty is imposed to rectify the situation arising out of the dumping of goods and its trade distortive effect.
• According to global trade norms, including the World Trade Organization (WTO) regime, a country is allowed to impose tariffs on such dumped products to provide a level-playing field to domestic manufacturers.

How is it different from Counter Vailing Duty?

• Anti-dumping duty is different from countervailing duty. The latter is imposed in order to counter the negative impact of import subsidies to protect domestic producers.
• Countervailing Duties (CVDs) are tariffs levied on imported goods to offset subsidies made to producers of these goods in the exporting country.
• CVDs are meant to level the playing field between domestic producers of a product and foreign producers of the same product who can afford to sell it at a lower price because of the subsidy they receive from their government.

3. WORLD ECONOMY TO TOP $100 TRILLION IN 2022

THE CONTEXT: According to World Economic League Table report released by british consultancy CEBR predicted that China will become the world’s top economy in dollar terms in 2030, two years later than forecast in 2020.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The world’s economic output will exceed $100 trillion for the first-time next year, and it will take China a little longer than previously thought to overtake the United States as the No.1 economy.
• India looks set to overtake France next year and then Britain in 2023 to regain its place as the world’s sixth biggest economy.
• Also they stated, the important issue for the 2020s is how the world economies cope with inflation, which has now reached 6.8% in the U.S.
• The report showed Germany was on track to overtake Japan in terms of economic output in 2033. Russia could become a Top 10 economy by 2036 and Indonesia looks on track for ninth place in 2034.

What is the current state of Indian economy?

India’s gross domestic product (GDP) at current prices stood at Rs. 51.23 lakh crore (US$ 694.93 billion) in the first quarter of FY22, as per the provisional estimates of gross domestic product for the first quarter of 2021-22.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

4. JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE MISSION

THE CONTEXT: NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was launched successfully from the European Space Agency’s (ESA) launch base in French Guiana.

THE EXPLANATION:

• NASA’s largest space science telescope ever constructed, will be the successor of the Hubble Space Telescope, that has been in service for more than three decades now.
• The powerful $9 billion infrared telescope, hailed by NASA as the premiere space-science observatory of the next decade, was carried aloft inside the cargo bay of an Ariane 5 rocket.
• According to NASA, the Carrying four main scientific instruments, Near-Infrared Camera, Near-Infrared Spectrograph, Mid-Infrared Instrument, and Near-Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph, Webb will “hunt for the unobserved formation of the first galaxies, as well as to look inside dust clouds where stars and planetary systems are forming today”.
• JWST has the ability to look in the infrared spectrum, which will allow it to peer through much deeper into the universe and see-through obstructions such as gas clouds.

About James Webb Space Telescope (JWST or Webb)

JWST is an engineering marvel comparable to the earth-based Event Horizon Telescope that produced the photograph of the black hole, or the LIGO that detected the gravitational waves. It is widely expected to unveil many secrets of the universe, particularly those related to the formation of stars and galaxies in the early period — the first few hundred million years — after the Big Bang.

• It has been jointly developed by NASA, Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the European Space Agency (ESA). As NASA’s flagship astrophysics mission, it is planned to succeed the Hubble Space Telescope.
• The primary mirror of JWST that is, Optical Telescope Element, comprises of 18 hexagonal mirror segments. These segments are made up of gold-plated beryllium.

Objectives and functions of the telescope:

• It will look deeper into the cosmos – and thus further back in time – than is possible with Hubble.
• It will do this with a much bigger mirror (6.5m in diameter versus 2.4m) and instruments that are tuned to the infrared.
• Scientists hope this set-up can detect the light from the very first population of stars in the Universe to switch on more than 13.5 billion years ago.

Where it is placed?

The James Webb Space Telescope will not be in orbit around the Earth, like the Hubble Space Telescope is – it will actually orbit the Sun, 1.5 million kilometres (1 million miles) away from the Earth at what is called the second Lagrange point or L2.

5. THE SMELL FACTOR

THE CONTEXT: Researchers at Karolinska Institute in Sweden have found that negative smells associated with unpleasantness or unease are processed earlier than positive smells and trigger a physical avoidance response.

THE EXPLANATION:

The cognitive process is not only unconscious but is also extremely rapid, this goes against the conventional wisdom that unpleasant smells associated with danger is a conscious cognitive process.

• The olfactory organ takes up about 5% of the human brain and enables us to distinguish between many million different smells. A large proportion of these smells are associated with a threat to our health and survival, such as that of chemicals and rotten food. In humans, the olfactory sense seems particularly important for detecting and reacting to potentially harmful stimuli. Until recently, it was not known which neural mechanisms are involved in the conversion of an unpleasant smell into avoidance behaviour in humans.
• The reason: lack of non-invasive methods of measuring signals from the olfactory bulb, the first part of the rhinencephalon with direct connections to the important central parts of the nervous system that helps us detect and remember threatening and dangerous situations and substances
• According to the National Academy of Sciences release, the three experiments were carried out in which participants were asked to rate their experience of six different smells, some positive, some negative, while the electrophysiological activity of the olfactory bulb when responding to each of the smells was measured. And they found that the bulb reacts specifically and rapidly to negative smells and sends a direct signal to the motor cortex within about 300 milliseconds.
• The researchers have for the first time made it possible to measure signals from the human olfactory bulb, which processes smells and in turn can transmits signals to parts of the brain that control movement and avoidance behaviour.

What are Olfactory Bulbs?

A rounded mass of tissue that contains several types of nerve cells that are involved in the sense of smell. The olfactory bulbs receive information about smells from the nose and send it to the brain by way of the olfactory tracts.

THE GOVERNMENT SCHEMES/ INITIATIVES IN NEWS

6. TELANGANA TOPS IN IMPLEMENTATION OF RURBAN MISSION

THE CONTEXT: Telangana stood first in the implementation of the Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission (SPMRM) that was launched in 2016, to stimulate local economic development, enhance basic services and create well planned clusters.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Sangareddy and Kamareddy districts stood in the first two positions among the 300 clusters across the country where the programme was being implemented.
• Tamil Nadu and Gujarat took the second and third positions respectively.
• In Telangana, in as many as 17 clusters (12 non-tribal and five tribal), the programme was being implemented at an estimated cost of ₹1,885.12 crore.

“The establishment of a bulk milk chilling unit at Narayanakhed had benefited about 3,500 farmers, income ranging between ₹50,000 and ₹2.5 lakh per annum, depending on the number of milch animals. A plastic waste treatment unit and millet processing unit are also coming up at Ryakal cluster,”

Value Addition:

SHYAMA PRASAD MUKHERJI RURBAN MISSION (SPMRM)- NATIONAL RURBAN MISSION (NRUM)

Objective

The objective of the National Rurban Mission (NRuM) is to stimulate local economic development, enhance basic services, and create well planned Rurban clusters. It is established in 2016 as a centrally sponsored scheme, and it comes under the Ministry of Rural Development.

Outcomes

• The larger outcomes envisaged under this Mission are:
• Bridging the rural-urban divide-viz: economic, technological and those related to facilities and services.
• Stimulating local economic development with emphasis on reduction of poverty and unemployment in rural areas.
• Spreading development in the region.
• Attracting investment in rural areas.

Rurban Cluster

A ‘Rurban cluster’, would be a cluster of geographically contiguous villages with a population of about 25000 to 50000 in plain and coastal areas and with a population of 5000 to 15000 in desert, hilly or tribal areas. As far as practicable, clusters of villages would follow administrative convergence units of Gram Panchayats and shall be within a single block/tehsil for administrative convenience.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTION

Q1. ‘Triclosan’, considered harmful when exposed to high levels for a long time, is most likely present in which of the following?

a) Food preservatives                            b) Fruit-ripening substances

c) Reused plastic containers               d) Toiletries

ANSWER FOR 25^TH DECEMBER 2021

Answer: d)

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect: Indian Constitution provides for the establishment of the Election Commission with the composition of the Chief Election Commissioner and as many Election Commissioners as President may fix from time to time. It is not necessarily a multi-member body.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: CEC and ECs have equal powers and equal salary, allowances which are similar to a judge of a Supreme Court.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: Constitution has not debarred CEC and ECs from any further appointment by the government after their retirement

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2. Changes in biodiversity law may weaken regulation READ MORE
3. River Linking is a Prestige Project, will not Solve Water Crisis READ MORE

1. Modernism and our traditional socio ethical values READ MORE
2. Peaceful conflict resolution READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. NITI Aayog to release the fourth edition of “The Healthy States, Progressive India” ranking States performance on 27th of December 2021 READ MORE
2. MISSION SAGAR READ MORE
3. Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission Overdraft facility for women SHG members launched READ MORE
4. Explained | What are the head and tailwinds in the economy? READ MORE
5. Telangana tops in implementation of Rurban Mission READ MORE
6. India imposes anti-dumping duty on 5 Chinese goods for 5 years READ MORE
7. NSE launches ‘Prime’ for companies willing to raise governance bar READ MORE

Main Exam    

GS Paper- 1

1. Growth estimates and social tensions READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Right to be forgotten: govt position, court rulings, and laws elsewhere READ MORE
2. How PMO letter to EC challenged institutional balance READ MORE
3. Democracy and the US-India relationship READ MORE
4. Another migration Bill in the making READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. Prevention is better than cure: There are several compelling reasons for extending outpatient health care coverage READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. A chance to tap India’s high equity in Myanmar: Though there are challenges, the momentum gained from the Indian Foreign Secretary’s recent visit must not be lost READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. India needs a realistic model of education to raise employment READ MORE
2. Macro-economics of a circular economy through aluminium READ MORE
3. Agriculture needs a booster dose READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Receding glaciers: Risk from climate change has to be minimised READ MORE
2. Changes in biodiversity law may weaken regulation READ MORE
3. River Linking is a Prestige Project, will not Solve Water Crisis READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. Disaster management: How India is improving its existing capabilities READ MORE

SECURITY

1. Security Jeopardised? READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Modernism and our traditional socio ethical values READ MORE
2. Peaceful conflict resolution READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘The national good requires that the three organs of the state and independent constitutional bodies function harmoniously in accordance with their constitutional and legal mandates’. Comment.
2. ‘India’s geo-climatic conditions make it one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. International cooperation in disaster management is critical to India for the effective handling of disasters within its borders as well as the region’. Analyse.
3. ‘Democracy is pointless without debate and discussion and a dysfunctional Parliament leads to dysfunctional democracy’. Comment.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• If we don’t end war, war will end us.
• To deter supply-side malpractices, low-powered modes of provider payment, such as capitation, may be considered for private providers wherever possible.
• The national good requires that the three organs of the state and independent constitutional bodies function harmoniously in accordance with their constitutional and legal mandates.
• The historical experience of the ages shows that all political power is inherently expansive.
• Consultations between independent institutions and the executive should occur, but it would be appropriate and graceful for the political and bureaucratic executive to show respect for independent institutions.
• Skills are indispensable in the changing scenario of the 21st century. Communication is a game-changer and social order to meet the growing demands of the workforce.
• Freedom is the basic fundamental value of human soul freedom is what gives meaning to human life.
• Modern values and traditional social ethical values must promote and enhance human dignity and promote inclusive and equitable development along with social justice.
• Dignity of labour needs advocacy to help our youth bridge gaps between aspirations and abilities.
• India’s geo-climatic conditions make it one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. International cooperation in disaster management is, therefore, critical to India for the effective handling of disasters within its borders as well as the region.
• Govt policies need to serve society at large with the aim of protecting biodiversity and associated traditional knowledge against commercial exploitation by a few private entities.
• Democracy is not just about an elected Parliament and periodic elections. Democracy is pointless without debate and discussion and a dysfunctional Parliament leads to dysfunctional democracy.

50-WORD TALK

• RBI move to postpone the tokenisation of credit/debit cards is a relief. RBI’s intentions to make online transactions more secure are commendable. But the central bank has been obstinate about it, ending up disrupting transactions and even hurting businesses. In the process, digitalisation has become a bit of a circus.
• Allahabad judge Shekhar Kumar Yadav’s cautionary note on Omicron urging PM Modi to take strong steps during election campaign cannot be lauded enough. Indians must be reminded about the West Bengal campaign that fueled the disastrous second wave. EC’s Covid norms aren’t heeded, so a judge had to step up.

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.

THE CONTEXT: In September 2021, a new security group namely AUKUS, has been formed in Indo-Pacific between three NATO members viz. Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. After the formation of this group, it is said that it can impact the efficiency and effectiveness of QUAD (a dialogue between India, Japan, Australia, and the United States for free and open Indo-Pacific). It is also a concern that the group is presenting a dilemma against India about its presence in the indo-pacific area. This article analyses the issue in detail.

WHAT IS AUKUS?

It stands for Australia, the UK, and the US and aims to help modernize the primary beneficiary Australia over the coming decades to take up security challenges in the Indo-Pacific. The plan is to give access to cutting-edge military technology to Australia by its two partners, including futuristic capabilities like artificial intelligence and quantum technologies.

What is the first big step?

• The US and the UK will share technology to construct nuclear-powered submarines with Australia. At least eight nuclear-powered but conventionally armed submarines will be operated by the Australian Navy.
• This could make Australia the first nation that does not have a nuclear weapons program but will operate nuclear-powered boats.
• After that, Australia will enter a select club of nations with such submarines. The others include India, Russia, France, and China, besides the UK and the US.

Where does India stand?

• Besides having a nuclear arms arsenal, India has an indigenous nuclear-powered submarine project, with two boats already functional. Besides, it has a long-term arrangement with Russia for leasing of the nuclear-powered submarine as well.

WHAT DOES THE QUAD DO?

Understanding the QUAD: Known as the ‘Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD), the Quad is an informal strategic forum comprising four nations, namely the United States of America (USA), India, Australia, and Japan. One of the primary objectives of the Quad is to work for a free, open, prosperous, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.

Formation of QUAD: Since its establishment in 2007, the representatives for the four-member nations have met periodically. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was the first to pitch the idea for the formation of Quad in 2007. In fact, its origins can be traced back to the evolution of Exercise Malabar and the 2004 Tsunami when India conducted relief and rescue operations for itself and neighboring countries and was later joined by the US, Japan, and Australia. Therefore, China issued formal diplomatic protests to the members of the Quad.

Principles of Quad: The motive behind the Quad is to keep the strategic sea routes in the Indo-Pacific free of any military or political influence. It is basically seen as a strategic grouping to reduce Chinese domination. The core objective of the Quad is to secure a rules-based global order, freedom of navigation and a liberal trading system. The coalition also aims to offer alternative debt financing for nations in the Indo-Pacific region. The Quad leaders exchange views on contemporary global issues such as critical and emerging technologies, connectivity and infrastructure, cyber security, maritime security, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, climate change, pandemic and education.

WHAT HAS CHANGED AFTER THE FORMATION OF AUKUS?

After the formation of the quad, there are many questions occurred about the future of the quad, some of them are as follows:

• Are these two groups conflicting in nature?
• Why USA formed a new group despite having QUAD?
• Will it hamper the effectiveness of QUAD?
• Will it impact India’s interest in Indo-pacific?
• When a similar alliance was already in existence in the form of QUAD, what is the need for a new alliance?
• Why are India and Japan excluded from this new formation?
• Why does the UK want to return to Indo-Pacific being an Atlantic nation?

The answer to these questions will be clear in the future but these can be made some predictions in present circumstances and these are as follows:

The vision of these two alliances is very clear:

• These two alliances QUAD and AUKUS- function is clearly demarcated fields non-military and military. The QUAD is an alliance of four democratic countries that is more focused on challenging China in fields that are non-military. The recent QUAD meeting of the four heads of state reinforces this idea.
• QUAD will produce one billion vaccine doses to be distributed among Southeast Asian nations, the countries that are so far solely dependent on the Chinese vaccine. QUAD countries will strive to reduce the dependency of some countries on China in infrastructure development.
• This four-nation alliance is going to focus on supply chain and technology up-gradation to compete with China in the international market especially in the 5G networking and manufacturing sector.
• The only thing that comes closest to military cooperation among these QUAD countries is the irregularly held Malabar Naval Exercise.
• Thus QUAD, in the strict sense of the term, is far from a military alliance; it is a partnership of cooperation in various fields among countries against a common economic giant China.
• In contrast, AUKUS is purely a military alliance where three of the militarily advanced countries come together to contain and counter China in the Indo-Pacific. Thus, AUKUS would neither supersede nor undermine QUAD rather it would complement it.

As to the exclusion of India and Japan from the AUKUS one requires to examine the different contexts of these two countries.

For Japan

Japan has a historical aversion to anything remotely associated with nuclear. So it is out of the question that the US would offer or Japan would accept nuclear technology.

For India

• One should not forget that India, from the very inception of QUAD, is a reluctant member of it. India always shows that once the border dispute with China is resolved amicably through diplomatic channels there is no need for it to join any anti-China defense conglomeration. But when the push came to a shove from China after the Doklam confrontation in 2017 and the tension at the LAC in May/June 2020, India has no other alternative but to embrace the QUAD.
• However, India never called QUAD countries a defense partnership and always termed it as a partnership for common good. This reluctance of India to be part of an anti-China security alliance has not escaped America’s notice.
• The non-inclusion of India in the AUKUS makes it clear that the USA does not trust India to be of much help in the eventuality of a China-USA military confrontation over Taiwan.
• The USA now judges India from its initial reluctance to be part of any defense alliance against China.
• The USA does not consider India to stand up to China as Australia would in case of a military conflict. America is very apprehensive of India’s capability to counter China as a major military power in Asia.
• India’s dealing with Russia especially in buying military hardware from that country puts America in a dilemma before considering any offer of transfer of modern technology to India. India’s decision to buy the Russian anti-aircraft missile system S-400 Triumph has made India an unreliable US partner.

AUKUS will not negatively impact India’s interest in Indo-Pacific

The formation of the group will not negatively impact India’s interest and it will protect India’s interest:

• The pros from India’s perspective include the signal AUKUS sends about its members’ perceptions, priorities, power, and presence in the Indo-Pacific. India has deep concerns about Chinese actions and intentions in the region.
• The ongoing border crisis and fatal military clash in 2020 brought Sino-Indian relations to their worst point in decades. Given these circumstances, India watches the U.S. and other countries’ stance on China very closely.

WHAT ARE THE PROS AND COMPLICATIONS OF AUKUS FOR INDIA?

• POSITIVES: It reflects continued and intensifying U.S. and Australian concerns about China. Moreover, it is designed to increase their capabilities in the region (which will also, consequently, increase the cumulative capabilities of the Quad). And this, in turn, will bolster both the Australian and the American ability to deter China or to respond in the event of a crisis. In this way, it supplements Quad’s efforts.
• In recent years, Indian policymakers have, on balance, gone from worrying about too much U.S. presence and interest in the Indian Ocean to worrying about Washington paying too little attention to this region. AUKUS could ease this concern, as will the enhanced American rotational deployments and other activities envisaged by the recent AUSMIN (the Australia–US Ministerial Consultations) discussions. Given increased Chinese forays into the region, the Indian government will likely see this as a positive outcome that matters more than lingering concerns among some officials or analysts about an increased U.S. presence.
• AUKUS conveys the U.K.’s seriousness about its tilt to the Indo-Pacific. Moreover, this involvement will be in ways that broadly complement India’s interests and efforts. It also signals that the British view of the China challenge has evolved. Given that London has had a more accommodating view of China—as have other European partners—than India would prefer, AUKUS could also be a platform that helps socialize the U.K. even further to the acuteness of the China challenge.
• AUKUS rollout gives India in both the diplomatic and defense trade realms, particularly with France. Paris will probably double down on its efforts to secure arms deals with India—for commercial and political-economic reasons and maybe even to get one over on the U.S. This goes beyond platforms like fighter aircraft. Specifically, India has an indigenous program to develop nuclear-powered submarines and is leasing a nuclear-powered submarine from Russia
• NEGATIVES: France’s unhappiness with AUKUS has complicated the situation a bit from India’s perspective. On the one hand, India recognizes that different coalitions will form-based, in part, on different tiers of threat perceptions of China. Its own multitude of trilateral reflects this understanding. Moreover, Delhi, too, has found European partners to be less concerned about China than it would like—and that has set limits to the depth of its own cooperation with them in certain sensitive realms.
• India will be chagrined by the family feud sparked by the lack of AUKUS consultation with France, which seems only to help Beijing. Paris’s discontent feeds China’s narrative about U.S. unreliability and supports China’s efforts to drive wedges between European and Indo-Pacific partners and forestall their collaborative efforts. Delhi will be less concerned about arguments that AUKUS angst will affect Paris’ commitment to the Indo-Pacific believes this is motivated by resident power France’s own interests in the region. Indian policymakers will be more concerned about any adverse impact on U.S.-Europe cooperation on issues like technology or developing resilient supply chains.
• Delhi might be concerned about any fallout related to U.S.-French collaboration in multilateral institutions. Recently, this has often benefited Indian interests, and, at the U.N. Security Council, even directly helped India when China has backed Pakistan. Delhi wants these partners to be proactively involved in helping shape international rules, norms, and standards, as well as the leadership of these organizations—and not have them hold back or have to pull them along.

THE WAY FORWARD FOR INDIA

• Indeed, as mentioned above, AUKUS could help the Quad. It could even take some of the pressure off the grouping, by attracting Chinese ire.
• It might make the four-country grouping relatively more palatable to ASEAN in comparison. And, as another non-Quad venue for security collaboration, AUKUS could also reduce the pressure on India and Japan to undertake commitments or activities on the defense and security front that they are unable or unwilling to sign on to. This potentially increases the freedom of action or strategic autonomy of these members and other like-minded countries in the region.
• India will also be hoping that the Macron-Biden call was a sign of things to come and AUKUS hasn’t done lasting damage to collaborative efforts in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
• In last, India wants to see its various partners and like-minded coalitions pulling in the same direction. Thus, it will do what it can to soothe ruffled feathers. Finally, Indian officials will assess what opportunities have opened up for India particularly with France, which it considers relatively more reliable as a defense trade partner, and with the U.S. and Australia, which are in better alignment regarding China.

THE CONCLUSION: Form the above analysis, it is clear that AUKUS will impact the effectiveness of QUAD but a helpful forum for this group. It is also helpful for India to secure its relations in Indo-Pacific by being a partner for any security group. Now India’s official needs to play smartly to grab the opportunity provides by the newly formed group.

Questions

1. How far do you agree with the view that with the help of AUKUS, India can secure its interests Indo-Pacific without being a member of any security group? Analyze your view.
2. ‘AUKUS and Quad are not conflicting in nature but supporting’. Comment.

THE CONTEXT: Ministry of Home Affairs, in its unilateral decision, extended the power of Border Security Forces (BSF) by giving the authority to arrest, search, and seizure to the extent of 50km inside three new states of Assam, West Bengal and Punjab who are sharing international boundaries with Pakistan and Bangladesh. As per MHA, this will help curb illegal activities linked to national security in 10 states and 2 union territories. However, the Chief Ministers of these states have called it an attack on federalism. In this context, let us understand the debate.

RECENT STEPS OF MHA EXPLAINED

1. The Union home ministry has amended the BSF Act to authorize the Border Security Force to undertake search, seizure, and arrests within a 50 km width, instead of the existing 15 km, from the international border in Punjab, West Bengal, and Assam.
2. In Gujarat, the width of the BSF jurisdiction has been reduced from 80km to 50km.

CONSTITUTIONAL PERSPECTIVE

1. As per Article 355 of the Indian Constitution, the Centre can deploy its forces to protect a state against “external aggression and internal disturbance,” even against the state’s wishes.
2. If the state opposes the deployment of armed forces of the Union, the right course for the Centre is first to issue directives under Article 355 to the state concerned.
3. If the state doesn’t comply with the Central government’s directives, then the Centre can take action against the state under Article 356 and thus impose President’s rule.

OBJECTIVES OF BSF IN PEACETIME

• BSF Act, 1968 declares that the objective of BSF is ‘ensuring the security of the borders of India and for matters connected therewith.
• As per the BSF website, the force’s peacetime tasks include preventing trans-border crimes, unauthorized entry into or exit from India’s territory, and preventing smuggling and any other illegal activity.
• The new notification empowers an officer of the lowest rank of BSF to exercise and discharge the powers and duties without an order from a Magistrate and without a warrant.

EXAMPLES OF INSTANCES WHERE STATES SAW LAW AND ORDER SITUATION AS CENTRAL VENDETTA

1. Drug and Infiltration in Punjab: State government of Punjab showed it as a fight between BSF and State Police while ignoring the drug menace.
2. Aryan Khan Arrest case in Maharashtra: State government ignored the drug issue and started questioning NCB for attempting to unearth the drug syndicate.
3. Bihar vs. Maharashtra: During the Sushant Singh Rajput death probe, instead of focussing on the death of the actor, it was turned into an orchestra of Bihar police vs. Maharashtra police.
4. Chit Fund Scam, Bengal: Kolkata police ignored the scam and focussed its energy against CBI.

WHY THE CURRENT MOVE OVER BSF JURISDICTION IS CORRECT?

1. Uniformity: This will uniformize the BSF jurisdiction and thus provide operational clarity to the forces.
2. Operational Efficiency: The change can help BSF improve its operational efficiency and crack down on smuggling rackets, especially in the context of recent smuggling incidences through the use of Drones.
3. Not against Federalism: Since BSF can be involved only in cases of the NDPS Act or related to arms and ammunition, it is not an encroachment on the state’s rights. Also, it is the duty of the Centre to curb trans-border crime and thus shouldn’t be seen as against federalism.
4. Power of Investigation is still with the states: Although BSF can arrest someone for a crime, it has to hand over the person to the local Police for investigation, and thus, the power of state police is still effective. Thus, the move cannot be seen as an encroachment.
5. BSF has jurisdiction in other states too: While the current move extends the jurisdiction to a further 35km of these states, still it is not something new. Paramilitary forces already have jurisdiction of 50km in many other border states and in many states that are Naxal affected. So, the current uproar is more political than real.

WHY DO STATES CALL IT AN ATTACK ON FEDERALISM?

1. Section 139(2) of BSF Act, 1968: The Act categorically states that the Centre has to take the concurrence of the state government concerned. However, nowhere this has been done.
2. Unilateral Decision: The decision to change the jurisdiction was unilateral and no discussion took place between the Centre and the State on the issue. This clearly violates the principles of federalism.
3. Control of BSF: BSF is a central paramilitary force that reports to the Union Government. So, even though policing is a state subject under the seventh schedule of the Indian Constitution, now the policing of the state’s territory will be done by a central force.
4. BSF doesn’t require policing authority anymore: BSF was given policing authority in 1968 due to the thin presence of the police force and due to the lack of communication technology. However, at present Police has undergone a paradigm shift and are adequately equipped to handle law and order. Thus, BSF doesn’t need to do the police work anymore.
5. Lack of data to back the changes: The amendment fails to provide any data to explain the inadequacy of the earlier jurisdiction of BSF. So, the unexplained change shows an attack on federalism.
6. Gujarat case: Recently there was a record haul of 3000 kg of heroin from a port in Gujarat. Still, the jurisdiction of BSF is reduced in Gujarat while increasing in the three states. This has led to analysts calling it a political move.
7. Central Rule by Proxy: The amendment in a way leads to central rule in state’s territories and thus is being criticized as a central rule by proxy.

THE WAY FORWARD

1. Smart Border Management: Smart border management can ensure that infiltration and trafficking are reduced. This will stop the problem at its root rather than doing policing post infiltration of terrorists or goods.
2. Intelligence: Our intelligence forces are found unprepared time and again due to the excessive dependence on their sources without proper evaluation. Proper cultivation of sources and use of ICT can help develop proper intelligence which can help BSF cut down on the attempts at the border itself.
3. Police Reforms: Police forces need to be reformed and better equipped so as to handle law and order problems especially in the context of modern challenges to internal security. Mission Karmayogi and Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems is a step in the right direction.
4. Consult with the State: A proper mechanism needs to be institutionalised under which the Centre should consult with the State before deploying central forces.
5. Interstate Council and Zonal Councils: These councils need to be revitalised so that any such unilateral action is avoided in future.

THE CONCLUSION: The current controversy over the increasing BSF jurisdiction is a mix of necessity and politics. While it was necessary to make the jurisdiction of BSF uniform and empower it in the context of the usage of drones for dropping of drugs and arms and ammunitions by the neighbouring countries into India, it was done in a manner where states were not consulted and thus Centre instead of having a collaborative federalism approach chose its heavy hand to show its authority. However, states too have failed to uphold collaborative federalism at various times and the current outburst is one of these moments. Thus, institutionalised solutions like the one’s mentioned above need to be established for ensuring that nation’s security and territorial integrity is upheld by both Centre and the States.

Question:

1. Do you think that the increase of the jurisdiction of BSF can be called a ‘central rule by proxy’? Justify your view.
2. India’s security problems are a result of intelligence failure. Critically analyse.

THE INDIAN POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. SOYA MEAL AS AN ESSENTIAL COMMODITY

THE CONTEXT: In a bid to cool down the domestic prices of Soya Meal, Government has notified an Order under the Essential Commodities Act to declare ‘Soya Meal’ as an Essential Commodities up to 30th June 2022 by amending the Schedule of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The decision would empower the Union Government and all States/UTs to regulate production, distribution etc. of Soya Meal and to smoothen the sale and availability of this item in the market. It will stop unfair market practices and enhance the availability for consumers like Poultry farm and Cattle feed manufacturers.

According to the ministry, the following stock limits have been promulgated of all Soya meal for a period upto 30 June 2022 with following stock limits for all States and Union Territories:

• Plant/Miller/Processor: Maximum stock of 90 days production, as per daily input production capacity of Plant/Miller/Processor, defined in its IEM. The storage location should be declared.
• Trading company/Trader/Private Chaupals: Only Government registered enterprise, maximum stock of 160 MT with a defined and declared storage location.
• These measures are expected to stop any unfair practices (like hoarding, black marketing, etc.) in the market having the potential to hike the prices of Soya Meal. Consequently, the market price of Soyabean Oil will cool down.

What is meant by the Essential Commodity Act?

The Act gives powers to the central government to add or remove a commodity in the “Schedule.” The Centre, if it is satisfied that it is necessary to do so in public interest, can notify an item as essential, in consultation with state governments.

At present, the “Schedule” contains 9 commodities — drugs; fertilisers, whether inorganic, organic or mixed; foodstuffs, including edible oils; hank yarn made wholly from cotton; petroleum and petroleum products; raw jute and jute textiles; seeds of food-crops and seeds of fruits and vegetables, seeds of cattle fodder, jute seed, cotton seed; face masks; and hand sanitisers.

How and under what circumstances can the government impose stock limits?

• Under the amended EC Act, agri-food stuffs can only be regulated under extraordinary circumstances such as war, famine, extraordinary price rise, and natural calamity.
• However, any action on imposing stock limits will be based on the price trigger.
• Thus, in case of horticultural produce, a 100 per cent increase in the retail price of the commodity over the immediately preceding 12 months or the average retail price of the last five years, whichever is lower, will be the trigger for invoking the stock limit for such commodities.
• For non-perishable agricultural foodstuffs, the price trigger will be a 50 per cent increase in the retail price of the commodity over the immediately preceding 12 months or the average retail price of the last five years, whichever is lower.

THE SOCIAL ISSUES AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

2. LIFE EXPECTANCY REDUCED IN 2020

THE CONTEXT: According to the report published in the British Medical Journal November 2021 Observed that life expectancy in 2020 reduced in 29 of the 37 countries surveyed compared to the expected figures, decreased by 1.1-2.3 years for men and 1.1-2.1 years for women.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The reduction of life expectancy across the globe during the first year of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic was alarming, reversing progress made in past years, “more than 28 million excess years of life were lost in 2020 in 31 countries, with a higher rate in men than women.
• Also, the study noted, the excess years of life lost associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 were more than five times higher than those associated with the seasonal influenza epidemic in 2015”.
• Russia recorded the largest drop in life expectancy — for men it fell by 2.33 years and for women by 2.14 years. This was followed by the United States, where the figure for men reduced by 2.27 years and by 1.61 for women.
• New Zealand, Taiwan and Norway recorded increases while the figures remained unchanged for Denmark, Iceland, and South Korea.
• Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, all 37 countries recorded an increase in life expectancy between 2005 and 2019. Only in 2015 was there an anomaly, where life expectancy dropped during the influenza outbreak.
• According to the report “the overall, the excess years of life lost (YLL) in the 37 countries was 5 times higher during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 than the excess YLL associated with the seasonal influenza epidemic in 2015. The absolute difference was of 2,050 years of life lost per 100,000.

 INDIAN ECONOMY

3. MONETARY POLICY IS FINANCIALLY INCLUSIVE’

THE CONTEXT: According to the RBI deputy Governor, India’s monetary policy is by design financially inclusive, the evidence of which is still coalescing, and increased inclusion will over time enhance policy effectiveness by fostering societal intolerance to inflation.

THE EXPLANATION:

• “Although it is empirically observed that there is a two-way relationship between monetary policy and financial inclusion, it is unambiguous that financial inclusion is able to dampen inflation and output volatility”.
• “This is achieved by smoothing consumption by enabling people to draw down financial savings in difficult times for everyday needs. In the process, it makes people interest sensitive. Moreover, inflation targeting monetary policy ensures that even those at the fringe of financial inclusion are secured from adverse income shocks that hit them when prices rise unconscionably”.
• Observing that financial inclusion appeared to have increased, with the level of the RBI’s financial inclusion index rising from 9 in March 2019, to 53.1 in March 2020, and further to 53.9 in March 2021: “The evidence is still forming and strong conclusions from its analysis may be premature, but India’s monetary policy is by design” inclusive.
• Financial inclusion appeared to be the lowest in rural, agriculture-dependent areas where food was the main source of income.

Price stability target

• In this kind of a situation, the efficacy of monetary policy in achieving its stabilisation objective increases by targeting a measure of prices that includes food prices rather than one that excludes them such as core inflation.
• In India, food accounts for 46% of the CPI, among the highest shares globally.
• “The lower the level of financial inclusion, therefore, the stronger is the case for price stability being defined in terms of headline inflation rather than any measure of core inflation that strips out food and fuel”.

How to measure Financial Inclusion?

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

4. RECORD DEMAND FOR COAL POWER IN 2021

THE CONTEXT: According to International Energy Agency (IEA), Carbon emissions from coal will be 3 gigatonnes higher in 2024 than required to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2050.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The Global demand for coal-fired electricity has grown 6 per cent in 2021 to 7,906 million tonnes (Mt) and generation 9 per cent to 10,350 terawatt-hours (TWh), according to a new report. Generation has increased 12 per cent in India and 9 per cent in China, a record for both.
• On the supply side, coal production did not keep pace with demand, Shortages occurred due to supply chain issues and adverse weather conditions leading to “power outages and idled factories.
• IEA projected, major coal producing countries such as China, India, Indonesia and Russia are expected to boost production. As a result, coal production will hit its highest level in 2022 and then plateau as demand flattens.

Coal was in focus at the 26th Conference of Parties (COP 26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Glasgow November 2021. “Cash, coal, cars and trees” was the marketing term used by United Kingdom Prime Minister to capture the UK’s strategy at the summit.

Net Zero Commitment:

• Several countries made commitments to phase out coal power or stop financing coal abroad through announcements like the Global Coal to Clean Power Transition Statement and the Powering Past Coal Alliance. Despite this, the new IEA report finds that the 2021 rebound in coal consumption and future trends will result in three gigatons higher CO2 emissions from coal in 2024 than its Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario (NZE). The NZE outlines a roadmap for the energy sector to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
• China dominates coal use globally; “it is the largest consumer, producer and importer – has no parallel with any other country”, said IEA in the report. The country’s coal consumption is more than half of the global total, despite efforts to expand hydro, wind, solar and nuclear power.

India’s Picture:

• In India, coal comprised 74 per cent of the power mix in 2021, up from 72 per cent in 2020. As electricity access expands, coal demand is expected to increase by 3.9 per cent on average till 2024.EFENCE AND SECURITY
• The country plans to boost domestic coal production following the 2021 shortages, rising to an expected 955 Mt by 2024 from 793 Mt in 2021, according to IEA. This is a far cry from India’s support of a coal “phase-down” in the final text of the COP 26 pact – a thorny issue, that attracted a fair amount of backlash from Western media outlets, despite receiving support from countries like China and US.
• India’s ground reality is complex. Keeping its multiple developmental goals of energy access, livelihoods and poverty reduction in mind, the transition away from coal must be done with clear strategic intent and deliberate planning.

At the same time, the co-benefits of transitioning to a zero-carbon energy system as soon as possible are undeniable. And the Union government’s domestic efforts do not echo its global statements.

5. PRALAY QUASI-BALLISTIC MISSILE

THE CONTEXT: The Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) successfully carried out the maiden test of ‘Pralay’, a new surface-to-surface conventional quasi-ballistic missile, in a boost for India’s tactical battlefield strategy.

THE EXPLANATION:

• A quasi-ballistic missile has a low trajectory, and while it is largely ballistic, it can manoeuvre in flight. The missile has a range of 150-500 kilometers and has been developed according to specifications given by eventual user, the Army.
• According to the Defense Ministry, new missile reached the designated target with a high degree of accuracy, validating the control, guidance and mission algorithms.

Significance:

• The missile is powered with a solid propellant rocket motor and multiple new technologies. Sources in the defense establishment underlined that accuracy is a highlight of this missile.
• Capable of being launched from a mobile launcher, it has the latest navigation system and integrated avionics, and will be part of the Artillery Corps of the Army.
• Pralay will be the longest-range surface-to-surface missile in the inventory of the Army, which sources said will give a fillip to their operational plans.
• The Army also has the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile in its arsenal, with a stated range of 290-plus kilometers.

‘Change tactical battlefield dynamics’

• According to the Scientist, “It will completely change the tactical battlefield dynamics and India will have two conventional missiles with long range. The BrahMos will be a cruise option and this one will be the ballistic option. Cruise missiles and ballistic missiles have their own distinct advantages.
• While cruise missiles have high agility, stealth and even loitering capability, ballistic missiles have the advantage of speed and countering them is a very difficult task even for modern air defence systems.

6. INS SUDARSHINI DEPLOYMENT TO GULF COUNTRIES

THE CONTEXT: INS Sudarshini is presently on its culmination phase of deployment to Gulf region as part of Indian Navy’s efforts towards familiarising friendly foreign navies on various facets of operations and training on board sail training platforms and extending ‘Bridges of Friendship’.

THE EXPLANATION:

• IRI Navy Trainee officers (Sea Riders) designated to undergo sail training visited the ship for a familiarisation tour of the ship. Practical knowledge on subjects of seamanship, sail arrangement, rope work and the technicalities of sail training were shared. Hands-on practical knowledge and experience on sail rigging of both sides was also imparted during this visit.
• The ship would be staying at Bandar Abbas for three days which includes a visit to Naval Base (Bandar Abbas) and embarkation of Sea Riders from the IRI Navy to provide sail training experience over a day’s sortie.

PLACES IN NEWS:

IMPORTANCE OF BANDAR ABBAS

• The Port of Bandar Abbas is over 575 nautical miles (775 kilometers or 482 miles direct) southeast of Iran’s Imam Khomeini Port.
• The International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) is a 7,200-km-long network of moving freight by ships, railways, and roads. The corridor aims to connect India, Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe via Bandar Abbas. The cities that would be interlinked by this corridor include Mumbai, Moscow, Tehran, Baku, Bandar Abbas, Astrakhan, and Bandar Anzali.
• This will also synchronize with the Ashgabat agreement, a Multimodal transport agreement signed by India, Oman, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, for creating an international transport and transit corridor facilitating transportation of goods between Central Asia and the Persian Gulf.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTION

1. Consider the following statements about Election Commission:

1. Indian Constitution provides for establishment of Election Commission as multi-member
2. CEC and ECs have equal powers and equal salary, allowances which are similar to a judge of a High Court.
3. Constitution has debarred CEC and ECs from any further appointment by government after their retirement.

Which of the statements given above is/are incorrect?

      a) 1 only                             b) 1 and 2 only

      c) 2 and 3 only                 d) All of them

ANSWER FOR 24^TH DECEMBER 2021

Answer: a)

Explanation:

Eligibility criteria:

• Adult woman (attained 18 years of age) belonging to any of the following categories.
• SC Households
• ST Households
• Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin)
• Most Backward Classes
• Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY)
• Tea and Ex- Tea Garden tribes
• Forest Dwellers
• People residing in Islands and River Islands
• SECC Households (AHL TIN)
• Poor Household as per 14-point declaration

THE CONTEXT: The Central Civil Services (Pension Rules) 1972(CSP) have been amended and notified by the Union Government in May 2021. These rules which are part of the Code of Conduct(CoC) of the civil servants, prohibit the retired civil servants belonging to intelligence and security organisations from communicating to the media or publishing any letter, etc without prior clearance. This move is criticised as unreasonable restrictions on the freedom of speech of retired civil servants. The critics also point out that there are other vital areas where changes in CoC are necessary like a post-retirement appointment. Against this backdrop, this write-up examines this whole issue in detail.

WHAT ARE THE AMENDMENTS TO CSP 1972?

The CSP 1972 places conditions on the continuity of pensions of the civil servants.  For instance, Rule 8 of the CSP provides that the pension benefits will be withheld or withdrawn if the pensioner is convicted of a serious crime or is found guilty of grave misconduct. The 2021 amendment adds new conditionalities. Under amended Rule-8(3)(a), officials retired from certain intelligence and security establishments will not be allowed to write anything about their organisation without permission. It says: “no government servant worked in any intelligence or security-related organisation included in the Second Schedule of the RTI Act, shall, without prior clearance from the Head of the Organisation, make any publication after retirement. The new grounds are the domain of the organisation, experience or knowledge gained by virtue of working in that organisation; reference to personnel, etc. The existing rules prevent disclosure of sensitive information, the disclosure of which would prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security, strategic, scientific, or economic interests of the state, or relation with a foreign state or which would lead to incitement of an offense.

ARGUMENTS FOR THE AMENDMENTS IN PENSION RULES?

GOVERNMENT’S POSITION: The government says that the amendment to the CSP 1972 is not a sudden development. Rather these are based on a Committee of Secretaries recommendations years back.

2008 PENSION RULES: The UPA government in April 2008 also amended the 1972 pension rules, imposing restrictions on intelligence, security, and paramilitary organisations. Violation of these restrictions by retired civil servants then also invited disciplinary actions including reduction/withdrawal of pension and prosecution.

INTERNATIONAL EXAMPLES: Such restrictions on retired personnel from intelligence agencies exist in other countries also. For instance, In the United States (US), the Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) Publications Review Board (PRB) undertakes such reviews. CIA rules require op-ed essays and books related to intelligence to be submitted for approval before publication.

NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERNS: The prevailing national security environment is quite challenging and there has been intelligence on the foreign government’s increased efforts to penetrate sensitive government agencies. Also, some high-profile retired officers had written books on their tenure, and some of these had revealed information.

PENSION IS SUBJECT TO GOOD CONDUCT: The pension of government servants is already subject to their conduct after retirement. Rule 8 of the CCS Pension Rules says: the appointing authority can withhold or withdraw a pension if the pensioner is convicted of a serious crime or is found guilty of grave misconduct. The expression ‘grave misconduct’ also includes the communication or disclosure of any secret official code or password or any sketch, plan, model, article, note, document, or information.

RESTRICTIONS ON SERVING PERSONNEL: TheIntelligence Organisations (Restriction of Rights) Act, 1985 already bar serving officers from publishing any material without permission from their department.

WHAT ARE THE CRITICISMS OF THE AMENDMENTS?

PREVENTING CRITICISM OF GOVERNMENT: Many retired civil servants have been speaking against the actions and inactions of the Central Government in recent times. Many senior serving officers in the Government to are upset at the manner in which the pursuit of a partisan political agenda is undermining the rule of law. By bringing these amendments the government is attempting to prevent present and future criticism. 

GO BEYOND THE GROUNDS MENTIONED IN 2008 RULES: Unlike the 2008 Rules that confined the grounds of prior permission to security and sovereignty of the state etc, the current rules expand grounds by including domain knowledge, reference to personnel, expertise, and knowledge gained These terms are highly vague and can be so interpreted to include anything the retiree writes. Secondly, many retirees   had done extensive studies post-retirement on subjects like intelligence and security which had nothing to do with “expertise or knowledge gained by virtue of working in that organisation.” Why, then, should they submit the articles for prior scrutiny?

DISCRIMINATORY RULES: Only security and intelligence officials are singled out and the Armed Forces, Ministers, and other Civil Servants belonging to All India Services, etc are kept out of the purview of the Rules which violate Article 14.

AGAINST INTERNATIONAL NORMS: This rule India would become possibly the only “major democratic country in the world today which effectively bars its employees from expressing their views after retirement.

UNDUE RESTRICTIONS ON FREEDOM OF SPEECH: This not only violates the freedom of speech of the retirees but also prevents enlightened opinion and critical commentaries on contemporary issues. The importance of wisdom that retired bureaucrats bring with their years of work and how their domain knowledge is not only appreciated but also used as guiding stones for the current practitioners. For instance, the new rule means former R&AW officials can no longer write articles in the media on any foreign or security-related subject such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, or China without prior clearance as the organization’s ‘domain’ covers them.

ALIGNING RTI AND PENSION RULES ILLOGICAL: Giving cross-reference of RTI list to determine pension eligibility is illogical and unfair for pensioners, especially to those who had retired long ago. The list undergoes changes as and when the courts decide on modification of subjects to be revealed like human rights even in secret organisations or arbitrariness in decisions. On the other hand, “security” and “sensitivity to the national interest” are constant factors in democratic countries that do not undergo changes irrespective of which political party is ruling.

PENSION NOT A BOUNTY BY GOVT: Pension is a long-term compensation for government servants for the service rendered by them. Pension and gratuity are not mere bounties or given out of generosity by the employer. An employee earns these benefits by virtue of his long, continuous, faithful, and unblemished service.

WHAT ARE THE KEY AREAS OF CONCERN LEFT OUT BY THE GOVERNMENT?

POST-RETIREMENT EMPLOYMENT(PUBLIC): There exists no cooling off period at all with respect to the retired civil servants taking up government employment as advisors, consultants, etc. For instance, a former Higher Education Secretary soon after his retirement was appointed advisor to the Prime Minister recently. Similarly, many retired higher civil servants have been appointed to statutory bodies like the Human Rights Commissions, Information Commission, Government Corporations, etc. Civil servants are meant to provide sound advice without fear or favor to the political bosses. But when such post-retirement loaves are thrown at them, their advice may become biased and politicized.

POST RETIREMENT EMPLOYMENT(PRIVATE): Rule 26, Death-cum-Retirement Benefits Rules, restricts a pensioner from any commercial employment for one year after retirement, except with the previous sanction of the central government. This period was 2 years till 2007 which was reduced to one year. Many civil servants join as Board of Directors or in such other capacity in the private sector soon after their retirement.

POST RETIREMENT POLITICS: There are no rules governing the entry of civil servants into politics after retirement or resignation. This is a major reason for the politicisation of administration which strikes at the root of the principle of political neutrality. Among many examples in the Centre and the states, former Union Home Secretary who retired on June 30, 2013, joined the ruling party at the Centre on December 14, 2013, has twice been elected Lok Sabha MP since then, and is a Union Minister of State. A former Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Rural Development took voluntary retirement on November 16, 2018, joined the ruling party at the Centre on November 27 that year, and is now a Lok Sabha MP. An IPS officer of the Karnataka Cadre has resigned and soon after made the President of a political party in Tamil Nadu.

WHAT SHOULD BE THE WAY FORWARD?

CLARIFICATION BY GOVERNMENT: Although the government has the authority to make rules governing the pension of retired employees, there has been no reason provided as to why the amendments became necessary. Clarification in this aspect along with removing the vagueness in terminology will be helpful in allaying the concerns of the retirees.

UPHOLDING THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH: Constitutional guarantees protecting the freedom of speech can be restricted through reasonable restrictions but as scholars point out that the amendments go beyond what is permissible under reasonable restrictions. Thus, the government must not be seen as stifling free speech and open criticism of its policies. The wisdom and expertise of retired servants need to be used productively.

ADDRESSING THE LACUNAE IN RTI AND PENSION RULES LINKAGE: The automatic application of RTI exempted organisations to the pension rules needs revision as RTI has different purposes altogether and the list keeps changing. A refined list of organizations whose central functions are related to security aspects needs to be distilled.

LEARNING FROM BEST GLOBAL PRACTICES: India can adopt best global practices to balance the need for freedom of speech and security. In Britain, a cooperative relationship exists between retired British intelligence officers and their original departments on publications. The objective is to stop “real” national secrets (not political) from getting exposed. Any intentional breach will attract the Official Secrets Act. They do not object to varying political opinions aired by retired intelligence employees. In fact, Richard Dearlove, a former MI-6 chief (1999–2004) who joined MI-6 in 1966 and is now chairperson of the board of trustees of the University of London, is often seen as an outspoken critic of some political figures in the UK.

COOLING OFF PERIOD FOR EMPLOYMENT: Whether it is public or private employment or joining politics, a mandatory cooling-off period must be there for the retired civil servants. No government sanction be given unless for compelling reasons in the public interest. The post-retirement appointment of civil servants must be regulated through rules or guidelines in consultations with Union Public Service Commission. (In 2013, the Election Commission had written to the DoPT and Law Ministry, suggesting a cooling-off period for bureaucrats joining politics after retirement, but it was rejected)

WIDE-RANGING CONSULTATIVE PROCESS: Any governmental actions having such a wide range of impacts must be introduced by exhaustive consultations with relevant stakeholders. The working philosophy of the government is held to be evidence-based policy making and for it consultations and deliberations are necessary.

A CIVIL SERVICE CODE: Almost all the countries that have reformed their civil services have done it through comprehensive legislation. Art 309 also mandates such a law dealing with civil services personnel management. Such a law will help provide clarity to many sensitive aspects and can also enable avoiding knee-jerk reactions.

CONCLUSION: The objective of ensuring that retirees do not divulge any sensitive material to the detriment of the nation’s security is best achieved by the reiteration of the Official Secrets Act and stern action thereunder in case of infraction. The recent amendment to the Pension Rules attempts to impose a silence that will seriously affect scholarship and be a permanent impediment to an understanding of the imperatives of our security concerns. Officers who have spent a lifetime in security-related matters are unlikely to be irresponsible and reveal sensitive secrets. At the same time, other crucial areas like post-retirement appointments need a course correction.

QUESTIONS:

1. Critically analyse the Central Civil Services Pension Rules 2020.
2. The right to pension cannot be taken away by a mere executive fiat or administrative instruction. Pension is not a mere bounty or given out of generosity by the employer. An employee earns these benefits by virtue of his long, continuous, faithful, and unblemished service. Examine in the light of the 2020 amendment to Central Civil Services Pension Rules 1972.
3. Regulation of post-retirement activities of civil servants requires going beyond the concerns of national security. Comment

THE INDIAN POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. DEATH PENALTY FOR RAPE

THE CONTEXT: Maharashtra is the second state in India after Andhra Pradesh to approve the death penalty for heinous offences of rapes and gang-rapes, with the Maharashtra Assembly unanimously passing the Shakti Criminal Laws (Maharashtra Amendment) Bill.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The Bill, which aims to curb crime against women and children, provides stricter punishment including the death penalty in rape cases.
• The Bill provides for the death penalty or life imprisonment for cases of heinous offences of rape, gang-rape and rape and gang-rape on women under 16 years of age, punishment to men, women, and transgenders in cases of insulting the modesty of a woman and intimidating a woman by any mode of communication and completing the investigation in 30 days.
• Other provisions include punishment such as imprisonment up to three months and a fine of Rs 25 lakh or both against the social media platform, internet, or mobile telephony data providers for failure to share data for police investigation.
• In case of filing false cases or providing false information to any person, it provides for punishment such as the imprisonment of not less than three years and up to three years and a fine of Rs 1 lakh.
• In acid attack cases, the punishment is imprisonment of at least 15 years that may extend to the remainder of a convict’s natural life, and a fine to be paid to the victim. Also, the expenditure of plastic surgery and face reconstruction operations for the victim will be taken care of from the monetary fine to be charged on the accused.

Add to your Knowledge:

• According to the Project 39 A, (criminal laws advocacy group with the National Law University in Delhi), corresponding to the legislative expansion of the death penalty for sexual crimes against women, more than 65 percent of all death sentences imposed by trial courts were linked to such cases in 2020, the annual study in the death penalty in India.
• Since 2016, the share of sexual crimes in the list of crimes for which trial courts are imposing the death penalty has been steadily increasing. From 6 percent in 2016, it jumped to 37.27 percent in 2017,41.1 percent in 2018 and 53.39 percent in 2019.
• Incidentally, in over 80 percent of cases — 41 of the 50 death sentences — involving sexual crimes in 2020, the victim is below the age of 18 years. While only nine cases involve rape and murder of adults, 21 are connected to the rape and murder of children below the age of 12, and 16 in which the age of the victim was between 12-18 years.
• The study also found that the restricted functioning of courts in the country due to the pandemic contributed to a drop in the number of death sentences imposed in 2020. Nearly 62 percent — 48 of the 77 — death sentences imposed in 2020 were awarded before the nationwide lockdown was enforced to deal with the pandemic. In comparison, 2019 saw less than half the sentences in the same period with 20 death sentences. In 2018, 27 death sentences were imposed in the same time period.

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

2. 10TH NON-EUROPEAN COUNTRY TO JOIN EUROPOL

THE CONTEXT: South Korea has become the 10th country outside of Europe to join the European Union (EU) law enforcement cooperation agency that fights terrorism and other international crimes.

WHAT IS EUROPOL?

Europol is the European Union’s law enforcement agency. Their main goal is to achieve a safer Europe for the benefit of all the EU citizens. It is established in 1992 and its headquarter is in The Hague, the Netherlands, we support the 27 EU Member States in their fight against terrorism, cybercrime and other serious and organized forms of crime.

Large-scale criminal and terrorist networks pose a significant threat to the internal security of the EU and to the safety and livelihood of its people. The biggest security threats come from:

• international drug trafficking and money laundering.
• organized fraud.
• the counterfeiting of euros.
• trafficking in human beings.

The networks behind the crimes in each of these areas are quick to seize new opportunities, and they are resilient in the face of traditional law enforcement measures.

However, EUROPOL has no executive powers. The officials of EUROPOL cannot arrest the suspects without prior approval from competent authorities.

Under the agreement, police can now exchange information on crime and cooperate with member states of EUROPOL 17 European and nine non-European countries as well as international organizations and research institutes collaborating with the agency.

Who are the other 9 Non- EU members?

1. Andorra
2. San Marino
3. UK
4. Chile
5. Mexico
6. New Zealand
7. Israel
8. Kosovo
9. Japan

India and EUROPOL:

In the year 2020, India-EU Strategic Partnership: A Roadmap to 2025 was held, during the summit between India and the EU talked about implementing a working arrangement between Europol and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

3. THE WORLD’S LEGGIEST ANIMAL HAS BEEN DISCOVERED IN AUSTRALIA

THE CONTEXT: The eyeless, subterranean creature with 1,306 legs discovered 60 meters underground is the first ‘true millipede’.

THE EXPLANATION: 

• The eyeless, subterranean Eumillipespersephone, discovered 60 meters underground near the south coast of Western Australia, has up to 1,306 legs, making it the first “true millipede” and the leggiest animal on Earth.
• The name “millipede” comes from the Latin for “thousand feet”, but until now no known species had more than 750 legs.
• Millipedes were the first land animals, as of today scientists know of more than 13,000 species. There are likely thousands more species of the many-legged invertebrates awaiting discovery and formal scientific description.
• These incredibly elongated millipedes, less than a millimeter wide and almost 10 centimeters long. They pointed out how their triangular faces placed them in the family Siphonotidae, comprised of sucking millipedes from the order Polyzoniida.
• Researchers classify any millipede with more than 180 body segments as “super-elongated”. E Persephone has 330.

Finding unknown

• Finding this incredible species, which represents a unique branch of the millipede tree of life, is a small first step towards the conservation of subterranean biodiversity in arid landscapes.
• A large proportion of the species of arid Australia are undescribed. For subterranean fauna, this may be more than 90%. Not knowing these animals exist makes it impossible to assess their conservation status.

 4. MASS TAGGING MISSION OF OLIVE RIDLEY TURTLES

THE CONTEXT: Scientists have resumed tagging of Olive Ridley turtles at Rushikulya rookery along the Odisha coast, which would help them identify the migration path and places visited by the marine reptiles after congregation and nesting.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Researchers of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) are carrying out tagging of the Olive Ridleys at three mass nesting sites — Gahirmatha, Devi River mouth and Rushikulya. The exercise was undertaken in Odisha in January 2021 after a span of about 25 years and 1,556 turtles had been tagged.

• They are studying the path taken by turtles in the sea if they keep coming to one nesting site for laying eggs, and the number of sites they visit over the years. Besides, the growth of turtles could be measured during the current study.
• Also, the study would reveal the inter-rookery movement of turtles in Odisha. The migration pattern to other countries would be recorded in detail.”

Mass Tagging:

• The metal tags affixed to turtles are non-corrosive and they do not harm their body. It can be removed later. The tags are uniquely numbered containing details such as the name of the organization, country code and email address.
• “If researchers in other countries come across the tagged turtles, they will email their location in longitude and latitude to the forest official. There is an established network working on turtles”. “The researchers intend to tag 30,000 turtles over a period of 10 years.

Olive Ridley Sea Turtles

• Olive Ridley Turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) are migratory species visiting Indian coasts for nesting.
• These turtles travel all the way from the South Pacific Ocean to breed on the coast of Gahirmatha. Their mass nesting phenomenon is called arribadas.
• IUCN Status: Vulnerable; CITES: APPENDIX 1
• They have the highest degree of protection as they are included in Schedule-I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. 

• The turtle eggs normally take 45 days to hatch. After this, tiny hatchlings come out and make their way to the sea.
• Threats: Heavy predation of eggs by dogs and wild animals, indiscriminate fishing with trawlers and gill nets, and beach soil erosion.
• Every year, the Indian Coast Guard’s “Operation Olivia”, initiated in the early 1980s, helps protect Olive Ridley turtles as they congregate along the Odisha coast for breeding and nesting from November to December.
• KURMA App: It is aimed at turtle conservation by providing users a database to identify a species but also provides the location of the nearest rescue center for turtles across the country.

Developed by: The application has been developed by the Indian Turtle Conservation Action Network(ITCAN) in collaboration with the Turtle Survival Alliance-India and Wildlife Conservation Society-India.

DEFENCE AND SECURITY

5. INDIGENOUS AERIAL TARGET – ‘ABHYAS’ SUCCESSFULLY TESTED

THE CONTEXT: DRDO successfully conducted the flight test of Indigenously developed High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) Abhyas from Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast, Odisha.

THE EXPLANATION: 

• ABHYAS is designed and developed by DRDO’s Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE); Bengaluru-based DRDO laboratory along with other DRDO laboratories has developed this indigenous unmanned aerial target system to meet the requirement of aerial targets of Indian Armed Forces.
• The aircraft is controlled from a ground-based controller and an indigenously developed MEMS-based Inertial Navigation System along with the Flight Control Computer which helps it to follow the pre-designated path in a fully autonomous mode.
• The air vehicle is launched using twin under-slung boosters which provide the initial acceleration to the vehicle.
• It is powered by a gas turbine engine to sustain a long-endurance flight at subsonic speed. The vehicle is programmed for fully autonomous flight. The check-out of air vehicles is done using a laptop-based Ground Control Station (GCS).

THE PRELIM PRACTICE QUESTION

1. Who among the following are eligible beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana(PMUY)?

1. An adult woman who is also a beneficiary of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
2. An adult woman who is also a beneficiary of Antyodaya Anna Yojana.
3. An adult woman who is also a beneficiary of Pradhan Mantri Matritva Vandana Yojana.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

              a) 1 and 2 only

b) 2 and 3 only

c) 1 and 3 only

d) All of them

ANSWER FOR 23^rd DECEMBER 2021

Answer: a)

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: Summoning of parliamentary session is done by the President
• Statement 1 is incorrect: Prorogation of parliamentary session is done by the President.

1. Ethical aspects relating to cyberspace: Utilitarianism and deontology READ MORE
2. Why A Universal COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate Is Ethical Today READ MORE

1. Ozone-destroying greenhouse gas emissions from China increased significantly: Study READ MORE  
2. Himalayan glaciers melting at ‘exceptional rate’ READ MORE

1. Raising the marriage age is not the solution READ MORE
2. This clean cooking fuel plan needs more firing up READ MORE

1. Understanding the Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 READ MORE
2. Another session of House discord: The government and Opposition must develop channels of communication to resolve extant issues READ MORE
3. UAPA conviction rate: Need to curb misuse of anti-terror law READ MORE
4. ED’s powers and functions call for scrutiny READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. DRDO successfully conducts Flight-Test of Indigenous Aerial Target ‘Abhyas’ READ MORE
2. Turtle trail to get a boost with mass tagging mission READ MORE
3. RBI extends tokenisation deadline by 6 months READ MORE
4. The world’s leggiest animal has been discovered in Australia READ MORE
5. South Korea becomes 10th non-European country to join Europol READ MORE
6. Maharashtra: Assembly passes Bill approving death penalty for rape READ MORE

Main Exam  

GS Paper- 1

1. Raising the marriage age is not the solution READ MORE
2. Early Narasimha sculptures from Karnataka READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Understanding the Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 READ MORE
2. Another session of House discord: The government and Opposition must develop channels of communication to resolve extant issues READ MORE
3. UAPA conviction rate: Need to curb misuse of anti-terror law READ MORE
4. ED’s powers and functions call for scrutiny READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. This clean cooking fuel plan needs more firing up READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. As a regional leader, not a victim of circumstance READ MORE
2. Troubled waters: On Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan custody READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Sustaining growth after pent-up demand fades READ MORE
2. ARCs in the spotlight: The charges levelled by tax authorities against ARCs are serious and may require RBI to act, if they’re true READ MORE
3. Green shoots for Agri sector with NEP2020 READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Ozone-destroying greenhouse gas emissions from China increased significantly: Study READ MORE  
2. Himalayan glaciers melting at ‘exceptional rate’ READ MORE

SECURITY

1. Insurgencies feed off people’s discontent READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Ethical aspects relating to cyberspace: Utilitarianism and deontology READ MORE
2. Why A Universal COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate Is Ethical Today READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘Equitable and sustainable cities are the only solution to balancing the need for economic growth with the needs of people and the environment’. In the light of the statement, analyse the need for resilient and empowered cities for India.
2. ‘Violence and instability in the Northeast have important implications for national security and territorial integrity’. In the light of the statement, suggest the way forward for India to address the security and instability issues in the northeast.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• We have legalised confiscation, consecrated sacrilege and condoned high treason.
• Sustaining LPG adoption in rural India is a challenge but the goal must be a more sustainable energy basket per family.
• It is time to get creative about how to sustain LPG adoption in these challenging times. Ujjwala also has the potential to deliver benefits on many fronts.
• Policymakers must chart out a course of action that delivers on promises, quickly.
• At a time of heightened exogenous shocks, government policy needs to be a source of stability and predictability.
• Recent developments have highlighted the severe economic, humanitarian and ecological repercussions of the unbalanced and unbridled growth of urban spaces.
• Equitable and sustainable cities are the only solution to balancing the need for economic growth with the needs of people and the environment.
• To realistically delay the marriage of girls, the State must guarantee education up to 18 years, accessible schools with hygienic toilets and safety.
• Labelling it as a ‘terrorist activity’ is nothing but the State’s desperate ploy to suppress dissent and stifle free speech. No wonder most of the UAPA cases don’t stand judicial scrutiny.
• India is considered one of the highest tariff nations on the world trade table with some for the most complicated and often repetitive regulatory practices and compliances. A telecom infrastructure equipment, not currently manufactured in the country, when imported.
• The Government must take steps to initiate and integrate agricultural education in middle and senior secondary schools across the country.

ESSAY TOPIC

• Truth is not the truth; perception is the truth.

50-WORD TALK

• Modi government’s argument that linking voters’ lists with the Aadhaar will solve the problem of multiple enrolments of the same voter has strong merit. But electoral reforms cannot be selective. There’s an equally strong argument to disclose the identities of donors of electoral bonds, which the government has rejected. This is just double standards.
• The Ludhiana bomb blast signals, once again, an ill wind blowing over Punjab. The cocktail of a weak state government, election season, and growing politics over religiosity is fertile ground for somebody’s evil plot to set the marvellous state on fire. This calls for maturity, caution and strength to counter.

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THE CONTEXT: In August 2021, the Maharashtra government has filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court seeking directions to the Union of India to disclose the raw caste data of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) collected as part of Socio-Economic Caste Census-2011 (SECC). Also, there are demands by many political parties to conduct a caste census as part of the normal decennial census. But the response of the Central Government has not been positive. In this background, this article examines whether India needs a comprehensive caste census.

CLARIFYING CONCEPTS

What is a Census?: Census is the process of collecting the demographic, social, and economic data of the population of a country within a specific time period. In India, the Census is conducted, every 10 years by the Registrar General and the Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs, as per the provisions of The Census Act 1948. It is conducted in two phases: House Listing and Housing Census and Population Enumeration. The first synchronous census in India was carried out by the colonial administration in 1881.

Why Census?: The data collected through the census are used for administration, planning, and policymaking as well as management and evaluation of various programs by the government, NGOs, researchers, commercial and private enterprises, etc. Census data is also used for demarcation of constituencies and allocation of representation to Parliament, State Legislative Assemblies, and the local bodies. Researchers and demographers use census data to analyze growth and trends of population and make projections. The census data is also important for business houses and industries for strengthening and planning their business for penetration into areas, which had hitherto remained, uncovered.

What is an SECC?: SECC is a study of the socio-economic status of rural and urban households. It allows the ranking of households based on predefined parameters. It counts three aspects: social, economic, and caste. SECC 2011 was conducted by three separate authorities but under the overall coordination of the Department of Rural Development in the Government of India. Census in Rural Area has been conducted by the Department of Rural Development (DoRD). Census in Urban areas is under the administrative jurisdiction of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, now Ministry of Urban Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. Caste census has been under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs: Registrar General of India (RGI) and Census Commissioner of India. The Government has not yet published the caste-wise break of the Indian population although the socio-economic factors are used for policy and planning purposes.

What is the difference between the Census 2011 and the Socio-Economic Census 2011?: Both were conducted at a different time frame. Census 2011 (population enumeration) was conducted during the period 9th to 28th February 2011. Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011 was largely carried out in 2011 and 2012 with a few states taking enumeration and verification in 2013 also. Personal data given in the population census is confidential. On the contrary, all the personal information given in the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) is open for use by government departments to grant and/ or restrict benefits to households.

What is a Caste Census ?: A caste census means recording each caste and the number of people in each caste. In India, till 1931 all castes were counted. But since 1951, only the SCs and STs have been included in the decennial census. To this metric, when the social and economic factors are added, it becomes an SECC. For the purpose of this write-up, the caste census includes social and economic factors also.

WHY THE DEMAND FOR A CASTE CENSUS?

Evidence-Based Policy Making: The caste census will provide hard data to formulate affirmative action and the development of policies. The last time the castes were counted and published was in 1931. The knowledge of exact number of OBCs and other castes is a must to devise policies and programs for their welfare.

To understand disparity: According to a 2020 Oxfam report, the top 10 percent of India’s population owns 74.3 percent of the total wealth, while the middle 40 percent and the bottom 50 percent owns 22.9 percent and a mere 2.8 percent, respectively. However, this provides us with little insight into Indian society. We need to know who constitutes the top 10 percent and so on, to formulate meaningful policies. We need to know who is lagging behind and for what reasons.

The close link between caste and economic prosperity: According to a 2018 research study titled “Wealth Ownership and Inequality in India: A Socio-Religious Analysis” conducted by Savitribai Phule Pune University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and Indian Institute of Dalit Studies, upper-caste Hindus own around 41 percent of the national assets; OBCs own 31 percent while Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes own 7.6 percent and 3.7 percent, respectively. It is evident that distribution is based mainly on centuries of inequality, exploitation, privileges, and opportunities.

To fulfill the Constitutional mandate: Art 340 of the Constitution deals with setting up of a Commission to investigate the conditions of socially and educationally backward classes and to make recommendations thereof. Thus, a comprehensive database of OBCs is required.

To overcome the 50% barrier in reservation: The Indira Sawhney judgment 1992 although put a cap on reservation as 50%, it also provided for exceeding this limit in various circumstances. For instance, TN has provided reservation up to 69% after enumeration of castes although it is under judicial scrutiny.

Regional Politics: It might result in a situation of Mandal II, giving a new lease of life to many regional parties which otherwise are struggling to find a positive agenda to challenge the BJP that has dominated Indian electoral politics for the last one decade. The OBC data, if available, will help political parties to create a new vote bank among the socially and economically deprived sections in OBCs.

For a casteless society: Scholars point out that in order to abolish caste, it is essential to first abolish caste-derived privileges. To do that, the state must first map castes and their socio-economic status privileges/deprivations.

Census data: Since the census already documents huge amounts of data including religions, languages, socioeconomic status, and Dalits and Adivasis, why not count OBCs too.

Sub Categorizationwithin castes: Some castes within the OBCs, SCs and STs have been held to be cornering most of the benefits from the affirmative action policies. A caste census will be the first step to address this issue.

WHAT ARE THE ARGUMENTS AGAINST A CASTE CENSUS?

Administrative Challenges: There is a central list of OBCs and a state-specific list of OBCs. Some states do not have a list of OBCs; some states have a list of OBCs and a sub-set called Most Backward Classes. Names of some castes are found in both the list of Scheduled Castes and the list of OBCs. Scheduled Castes converted to Christianity or Islam are also treated differently in different states. The status of a migrant from one state to another and the status of children of inter-caste marriage, in terms of caste classification, are also vexed questions. Owing to these and other reasons, the Centre has filed an affidavit in the SC detailing the problems in conducting a caste census. (Read Ahead)

Reinforcing Caste Consciousness: Opponents of a caste census argue that such a headcount will harden caste identities, lead to social fragmentation and caste enmities and serve to weaken the religious identity.

Political Considerations: Political parties, especially the ruling party at the Centre fear that a caste headcount could disrupt their carefully crafted electoral strategy when states like UP is going to polls in early 2002. A caste census can stir up issues that may throw up unwelcome surprises to the political parties.

Historical Lessons: Following the conclusion of the 1931 Census, J H Hutton, a celebrated anthropologist, and the then census commissioner is reported to have recommended that all future census operations should desist from collecting data on castes. Many anomalies like confusing caste with religion, region etc., persisted through all the census operations that aimed at collecting data on caste. The caste was made optional in the 1941 census and whatever data was collected was not published. Even the 2011 SECC data is replete with many flaws and inconsistencies.

Multiple meanings of caste: Noted social scientist AM Shah says that there are five words for caste in Gujarati—jat, jaati, jnati, varna andkaum. Each of them has multiple connotations, depending on the context they are used in. As a result, while an endogamous group is referred to as a caste in some context, traditional association with an occupation also comes to represent a caste. Gotra too is seen as connoting caste. In certain contexts, surnames too can represent caste. There is no consensus on the working definition of caste, census enumerators in all past operations ended up also recording names of castes that were either vague or non-existent.

WHY IS THE CENTRE NOT IN FAVOUR OF A CASTE CENSUS

The Centre’s position is based on two major aspects. One, it says the decision not to conduct a caste census is a “conscious policy” and the Supreme Court must not enter the executive domain of policymaking. Second, the Government cites the administrative, operational and logistical challenges in conducting a caste census. It says that the population census is not the ideal instrument for the collection of caste details as it would compromise the integrity of the Census data and the population count will be distorted. Also, the issue with respect to Central List and State List of OBCs and orphans and destitute create further hurdles. In many states, the SC converted to Christianity is listed as OBC. In such a case, the enumerator has to check both the lists which is beyond his/her capacity as they are part-time and only trained for 6-7 days before commencing the exercise. The preparatory work for census 2021 has commenced three years back whose progress has been limited due to pandemics. The questions are also finalized and inclusion of any additional question are not feasible.   Thus, including the OBC count in upcoming census is not practical.

INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE-USA

The Census Bureau collects racial data in accordance with guidelines provided by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and these data are based on self-identification. The 1997 OMB standards permit the reporting of more than one race. An individual’s response to the race question is based upon self-identification. The data on race were derived from answers to the question on race that was asked of individuals in the United States. The racial categories included in the census questionnaire generally reflect a social definition of race recognized in this country and not an attempt to define race biologically, anthropologically, or genetically.  People may choose to report more than one race to indicate their racial mixture, such as “American Indian” and “White.” People who identify their origin as Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish may be of any race.OMB requires five minimum categories: White, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. Information on race is required for many federal programs and is critical in making policy decisions, particularly for civil rights.  Race data also are used to promote equal employment opportunities and to assess racial disparities in health and environmental risks. The Census Bureau has a long history of conducting research to improve questions and data on race and ethnicity.

WHAT SHOULD BE THE WAY FORWARD?

Demand of equity: Clubbing caste census with normal census can’t do justice to the cause of equity within OBCs. Any such exercise must also collect detailed information on economic status of various sub-castes, which is not possible in the census.

Counting castes later: Given the huge problems in coupling the caste census with the decennial census, it will be prudent to conduct it at a later date with effective preparation.

Consensus on Caste: An expert panel of sociologists and anthropologists be tasked to come up with a working definition of caste. The expert panel thus constituted, will have to go through all the names(as part of central and state list of OBCs), see the characteristics, and then arrive at a working definition of who are the other backward classes. Enumerators will then have to be trained accordingly.

Data integration from other sources: Various government surveys such as the ones conducted by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) and National Family and Health Survey (NFHS) collect data on a broad share of SCs, STs, and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the population.

Follow a bottom up approach: States need to prepare an updated caste registry through an exhaustive survey with the local bodies in the lead. The local bodies need to be provided funds, functionaries, and training for this purpose. The enumeration by local bodies and verification by the Gram Sabha can reduce errors. Further, re-verification and removal of errors be done at Block/District level.

Responsive policy making: Policy of government does not operate in vacuum and is directed to problem-solving. The problem of inequality, caste discrimination, misdirected affirmative action, etc. need to be addressed by the government. Taking shelter under a policy decision made before 70 years is not responsive policy making.

CONCLUSION: Although conducting a caste census whether along with census or as a stand-alone exercise has many challenges, but that must not prevent the government from not conducting it. The ideal way is to carry out the exercise after preparing the groundwork in a comprehensive manner by incorporating the lessons learned from the SECC 2011. India does have the intellectual, scientific, technical, and technological infrastructure to carry out such an exercise which is the need of the hour. Indeed, it requires “ sabka prayas and sabka viswas” to bring about  “ sabka vikas”.

QUESTIONS:

1. “To remove caste consciousness from Indian society, it is necessary to first identify them”. In this context critically analyse the need for a caste census in India.
2. Identify the constitutional, political, welfaristic and social motivations behind the demand for a caste census.

[WpProQuiz 121]