1. Knowing your real nature can make you friendlier READ MORE
2. Our Mimetic Desires READ MORE
3. Belief vs fact: A spate of legal petitions is seeking reparatory justice for temples razed during Mughal rule READ MORE
4. The world must live and work together again: The idea of our common humanity ought to be strengthened — and not destroyed as the ‘virus and the war’ have done READ MORE

1. Pollution Killing 9 Million People a Year, Africa Hardest Hit: Study READ MORE
2. Why Sustainable Land Use Is Key To Achieve Our Carbon Neutrality Targets READ MORE

1. Indian law needs to account for women, make finance inclusive READ MORE
2. Scientifically Speaking | Our schools are destroying children’s curiosity READ MORE

1. Act on the act: SC must rule on Gyanvapi on basis of 1991 law and put an end to any more litigation of this nature READ MORE
2. How to insulate the police from politics READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. What is Stagflation READ MORE
2. Wholesale price rise hits record high of 15.1% in April READ MORE
3. It is primary objective of Navy to keep Indo-Pacific open, safe and secure: Rajnath READ MORE
4. World may miss net zero by 2050, courtesy COVID-19: International Science Council READ MORE
5. The India hypertension control initiative READ MORE
6. Explained: India topped air pollution death toll in 2019, says report READ MORE
7. Rising prices drive wholesale inflation to record high of 15.1% READ MORE

Main Exam   

GS Paper- 1

1. Indian law needs to account for women, make finance inclusive READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Act on the act: SC must rule on Gyanvapi on basis of 1991 law and put an end to any more litigation of this nature READ MORE
2. How to insulate the police from politics READ MORE

SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. Scientifically Speaking | Our schools are destroying children’s curiosity READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. The world must live and work together again: The idea of our common humanity ought to be strengthened — and not destroyed as the ‘virus and the war’ have done READ MORE
2. Symbolism and beyond: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Lumbini served a useful but limited purpose READ MORE
3. The world’s nasties READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. How to tackle the inflation spiral READ MORE
2. Inflation has jeopardized a global economic recovery READ MORE
3. Burden of wheat export ban: Strike balance between needs at home and imperatives prevailing abroad READ MORE
4. Sri Lanka’s economic tragedy has become India’s opportunity READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Pollution Killing 9 Million People a Year, Africa Hardest Hit: Study READ MORE
2. Why Sustainable Land Use Is Key To Achieve Our Carbon Neutrality Targets READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Knowing your real nature can make you friendlier READ MORE
2. Our Mimetic Desires READ MORE
3. Belief vs fact: A spate of legal petitions is seeking reparatory justice for temples razed during Mughal rule READ MORE
4. The world must live and work together again: The idea of our common humanity ought to be strengthened — and not destroyed as the ‘virus and the war’ have done READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘Irrational freebies in an under-tax country like India are not economically viable in the long run.’ Critically evaluate.
2. “To be the fulcrum of the new paradigm of the world order, India needs to address its domestic social divisions “Explain

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• There is no food security without peace and no peace without food.
• The idea of our common humanity ought to be strengthened — and not destroyed as the ‘virus and the war’ have done.
• The phenomenon of “deglobalisation” has its regional implications.
• Fiscal and monetary expansion that happened during the pandemic has triggered an increase in debt and upward spiral of prices across the world. Global economy needs a coordinated policy effort to climb out of it.
• Supply shocks being the chief source of it means that central banks can’t do much to tame prices.
• There is a mismatch between school and children’s minds. Inquisitiveness is stifled and learning becomes an act of parroting facts.
• Proactive government intervention is needed to check food and fuel inflation, increase employment in rural areas, reduce income inequality, strengthen the public distribution of essential commodities among the poor and enhance the average daily wage rate in rural India.
• India has to strike a balance between domestic imperatives and security imperatives involving global partners.
• Indian women face multiple barriers in accessing finance in an equitable manner. Research suggests adding a gender lens to existing laws and financial products is crucial.

ESSAY TOPIC

• There is no food security without peace and no peace without food.
• Emerging threats to Multilateralism and Globalisation.

50-WORD TALK

• Size doesn’t matter, and stock markets don’t fall for hype or emotion – that’s the message from the disastrous debut of LIC’s IPO. This isn’t good news for Modi government’s disinvestment programme, already stumbling with other PSUs. But LIC investors shouldn’t worry. Markets respect performance. They’ll be rewarded if LIC performs.
• The prices of essential food items have increased by 50% in seven years, whereas the real wage rate has risen by 22%. These figures show that inflation has outsmarted the real income of the poor, making their lives miserable as the food basket constitutes a substantial proportion of the total expenditure on the poor. The net effect is that the poor earn less and take loans to maintain the minimum standard of living.

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 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 POLITY

1. LAUNCH OF TWO FRONTLINE WARSHIPS BY THE INDIAN NAVY

THE CONTEXT: Defence Minister launches the frontline warship of Indian Navy ‘Udaygiri’, a Project-17A Frigate, at Mazgaon Docks Limited, in Mumbai on May 17, 2022.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The Indo-Pacific region is important for the economy of the whole world and India being a responsible maritime stakeholder in the region, it is the primary objective of our Navy to keep the Indo-Pacific open, safe and secure said the Defence Minister while noting that global security, border disputes and maritime dominance have led nations around the world to modernize their militaries.
• If a country wants to safeguard its national interests, it should project its military prowess in areas far beyond the mainland. If a country has aspirations to become a regional or global power, it is necessary to develop a strong Naval force. Government is making all efforts in this direction. We want to make a strong, secure and prosperous India, which is recognized as a global power.
• He was speaking at the launch of two frontline warships under construction at Mazagon Docks Limited (MDL) in Mumbai.
• The ships include ‘Surat’ the fourth and last ship of Project-15B destroyers and ‘Udaygiri’, the third ship of Project-17A stealth frigates.
• Speaking at the launch, Navy Chief Adm. R. Hari Kumar said India’s expanding strategic reach, based on the vision of SAGAR is a driver for the Navy’s continued acquisition of assets with long sea legs, increased capabilities and greater endurance.
• Udayagiri and Surat are shining examples of India’s growing indigenous capability. The warships will be among the most technologically advanced missile carriers in the world, that will cater to the present as well as future requirements. In the times to come, we will not only fulfill our own needs but will also meet the shipbuilding requirements of the world. We will soon realise the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’, Home Minister said.
• To support the ‘Make in India’ initiative, 80% Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) on cost basis have been awarded to Indian vendors, amounting to investment of nearly ₹1,75,000 Crore back into the Indian economy. Indigenous shipbuilding projects, such as these, are also catalysts for employment generation and skill development. “Thus, the Navy’s budget has a significant ‘plough-back’ into the economy, which signifies our impetus towards ‘Aatmanirbharta’.
• The four destroyers under Project-15B at a project cost of about ₹29,643.74 Crore are a follow-on to the Kolkata class (Project 15A) destroyers. They are christened after major cities from all four corners of the country — Visakhapatnam, Mormugao, Imphal and Surat. While INS Visakhapatnam has been commissioned, two other ships Mormugao and Imphal have been launched with the former now undergoing sea trials.
• The Project-17A class is a follow-on to the P17 Frigates (Shivalik Class) with improved stealth features, advanced weapons and sensors and platform management systems. A total of seven ships are being constructed, four at MDL and three at Garden Reach Ship Builders Limited (GRSE).

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

2. WHAT IS STAGFLATION

THE CONTEXT: In the first quarter of the financial year 2021, the Indian economy contracted by 23.9 percent. In the current situation, with 6.07% the retail inflation has crossed the upper band of the parliamentary mandate in February.

THE EXPLANATION: 

• Stagflation is an economic state that occurs when high inflation, high unemployment and stagnant economic growth join hands together. The term was coined by Iain Macleod, MP in the United Kingdom in November 1965.
• Generally, when the economy of any country booms, people earn more and thus demand for goods and services increases, which further results in soaring prices and eventually rising inflation. On the other hand, when the economy is in the doldrums and demand is low, the prices of goods and services fall or stagnate.
• While in stagflation, the worst of both scenarios is experienced by the economy as the growth rate becomes stagnant with high unemployment and continuous high inflation.
• The situation occurs when a central bank creates money flow by printing more currency but puts supply on hold. The situation also rises when the central bank’s monetary or fiscal policies create credit.
• Along with this, the other policies also experience slow growth if taxes are increased by the government or interest rates are raised by the central bank, and in such a situation, the companies produce less.
• During the state of stagflation, there is increased financial risks and loss of income with high unemployment during the state of stagflation. It becomes a tough task to manage households as high prices limit spending on everyday necessities.
• The very slow growth of the economy continues to take place even in a state of stagflation. Further, there is no absolute cure to stagflation but economists suggest that higher production could help in the situation.

3. WHOLESALE PRICE RISE HITS RECORD HIGH OF 15.1% IN APRIL

THE CONTEXT: According to data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry THE INFLATION rate based on the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) surged to a record high of 15.1 percent in April, with the rise in prices of vegetables, fruits, milk, manufacturing, fuel and power.

THE EXPLANATION: 

• This is the highest WPI print in the 2011-12 series. Annual WPI inflation — inflation at the producer level — has remained in double digits for 13 months in a row, consistently edging upwards.
• According to data released last week, inflation at the retail level also surged to an eight-year high of 7.79 percent in April, with expectations now rising for another repo rate hike by the RBI in June of as much as 40 basis points.
• The heatwave this summer has led to a spike in prices of perishables such as fruits, vegetables and milk, which along with a spike in tea prices pushed up primary food inflation.
• Inflation for manufactured products rose to 10.85 percent in April mainly contributed by basic metals, chemicals and chemical products, textiles, machinery and equipment, and electrical equipment. Fuel inflation rose to 38.66 percent, led by high inflation in major categories of petrol, diesel, LPG and aviation turbine fuel. Crude petroleum and natural gas recorded inflation of 69.07 percent in April.
• The core-WPI inflation — the non-food, non-fuel component — rose to a four-month high of 11.1 percent in April, with producers forced to pass on the input price pressures. Inflation in food articles was 8.35 percent as prices of vegetables (23.24 percent), wheat (10.70 percent), fruits (10.89 percent) and potato (19.84 percent) recorded a sharp spike over the year-ago period.
• According to experts, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has aggravated the situation.
• “As the cost pressure of manufacturers is rising due to the rising input and transportation/logistics costs, they are increasingly passing on these into their output prices leading to higher inflation in manufactured products. Though this trend started well before the Russia-Ukraine conflict, it has got aggravated due to further spike in input cost especially of crude oil and raw materials.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

4. INDIA TOPPED AIR POLLUTION DEATH TOLL IN 2019

THE CONTEXT: Globally, air pollution alone contributes to 66.7 lakh deaths, according to the report, which updates a previous analysis from 2015.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Air pollution was responsible for 16.7 lakh deaths in India in 2019, or 17.8% of all deaths in the country that year.
• This is the largest number of air-pollution-related deaths of any country, according to a recent report on pollution and health published in The Lancet Planetary Health.
• Globally, air pollution alone contributes to 66.7 lakh deaths, according to the report, which updates a previous analysis from 2015. Overall, pollution was responsible for an estimated 90 lakh deaths in 2019 (equivalent to one in six deaths worldwide), a number that has remained unchanged since the 2015 analysis. Ambient air pollution was responsible for 45 lakh deaths, and hazardous chemical pollutants for 17 lakh, with 9 lakh deaths attributable to lead pollution.

POLLUTION IN INDIA

• The majority of the 16.7 lakh air pollution-related deaths in India – 9.8 lakh — were caused by PM 2.5 pollution, and another 6.1 lakh by household air pollution. Although the number of deaths from pollution sources associated with extreme poverty (such as indoor air pollution and water pollution) has decreased, these reductions are offset by increased deaths attributable to industrial pollution (such as ambient air pollution and chemical pollution).
• According to the report, air pollution is most severe in the Indo-Gangetic Plain. This area contains New Delhi and many of the most polluted cities. Burning of biomass in households was the single largest cause of air pollution deaths in India, followed by coal combustion and crop burning.
• The number of deaths remains high despite India’s considerable efforts against household air pollution, including through the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana programme. India has developed a National Clean Air Programme, and in 2019 launched a Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region.
• However, India does not have a strong centralised administrative system to drive its air pollution control efforts and consequently improvements in overall air quality have been limited and uneven.
• In India, we need integrated surveillance platforms for health and exposure surveillance. Population exposure surveillance via biological and environmental monitoring can inform risk attributions within health programmes already in place to reduce the burden of maternal and child health as well as non-communicable diseases.
• Impacts from lead as shown in the report, that impacts children’s IQ, really drive home the point of irreversible long-term damage for multiple generations. Without surveillance at scale it is impossible to know what worked and what didn’t
• An estimated 9 lakh people die every year globally due to lead pollution and this number is likely to be an underestimate. Earlier the source of lead pollution was from leaded petrol which was replaced with unleaded petrol.
• However the other sources of lead exposure include unsound recycling of lead-acid batteries and e-waste without pollution controls, spices that are contaminated with lead, pottery glazed with lead salts and lead in paint and other consumer products.
• Globally more than 80 crore children (India alone contributes to 27.5 crore children) are estimated to have blood lead concentrations that exceed 5 µg/dL — which was, until 2021, the concentration for intervention established by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This concentration has now been reduced to 3.5 µg/dL

5. GREEN GROWTH CAN HELP AFRICAN COUNTRIES ADDRESS SOCIO-ECONOMIC INEQUALITIES

THE CONTEXT: According to a recently released report African countries need ‘Green Growth’ to address education and health-related inequalities that hinder socio-economic development on the continent and are likely to exacerbate the negative impacts of climate change.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Green growth has the potential to address these inequalities through the creation of decent jobs, better provision of basic services, improvement of air quality and enhancement of climate resilience.
• Climate action and inclusive green growth were particularly important at the current moment, as economies around the world had been ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Africa Green Growth Readiness Assessment was launched May 11, 2022, during a side-event at the 15th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, underway in Abidjan from May 9-20.
• The report defined ‘green growth’ as a strategy to sustain the economy through building resilience and managing resources efficiently.
• African countries can achieve sustainable growth and development if they expand access to digital and physical infrastructure such as the internet and quality roads. This will require greater support and investment.
• North African countries have made the most progress towards achieving the United Nations-mandated sustainable development goals (SDG), while countries in Central Africa require the greatest support, according to the report.
• With the exception of Tunisia and Morocco, the greatest challenges the focus countries faced were related to access to sustainable services, such as energy and sanitation.
• The assessment found evidence that African leaders were actively championing the SDGs and simultaneously implementing the nationally determined contributions (NDC), a component of the 2015 Paris Agreement.
• All focus countries had developed national climate change or green growth strategies and in some cases complementary action plans. The governments of Rwanda, Kenya, Morocco, Senegal and Mozambique had adopted green growth and climate-resilient economic strategies.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

6. WORLD MAY MISS NET-ZERO BY 2050, COURTESY COVID-19: INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE COUNCIL

THE CONTEXT: The COVID-19 pandemic may prevent the world from achieving net zero emissions by 2050, according to a report released by the International Science Council May 17, 2022.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Unprecedented and Unfinished – COVID-19 and Implications for National and Global Policy called for increased adoption of the One Health approach to minimize environmental impacts and future pandemic risks.
• The report also urged increased investment and knowledge sharing from high-income states, according to a press statement.
• It considered three potential scenarios through the year 2027, primarily determined by the evolution of the virus and the global uptake and coverage of effective vaccines.
• In the most likely scenario, COVID-19 will have worsened inequalities in health, economics, development, science and technology, and society. COVID-19 will have become an endemic disease worldwide and low-income states risk health system collapse and growing food insecurity. Mental health concerns will grow even further.
• In a more pessimistic scenario, the world faces high levels of harm to social well-being — with long-term school closures, unemployment and increased gender-based violence. Growing nationalism and polarisation will inhibit cooperation on global vaccinations and trade and give rise to conflict.
• Despite climate change’s intensification, many countries will reverse environmental reforms in an attempt to overcome COVID-19’s economic impact under this scenario.
• The report highlighted a need to address the challenges of disinformation and to strengthen diverse scientific advice systems to increase trust in science, thereby protecting societies from acute health risks and the breakdown of social cohesion.
• The document noted that much more needed to be done — particularly by policymakers — to avoid the worst-case scenarios in the future, especially for low- and middle-income countries.
• National and global policy considerations should address widening global inequalities not only in vaccine distribution but also related to inclusive governance, economic recovery and the digital and educational divide.
• The report concluded that the future course of the pandemic and its consequences that extend well beyond the health sector, will depend on policy decisions taken today, which have the potential to either shorten or prolong the crisis and mitigate or aggravate its impacts.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION FOR 18th MAY 2022

Q. Consider the following statements about the Wholesale Price Index (WPI):

1. It is used as a measure to understand inflation at the consumer level.
2. It is compiled by the Office of Economic Advisor.
3. It considers the price changes in both goods and services.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a) 1 and 2 only

b) 2 only

c) 2 and 3 only

d) 1, 2 and 3

ANSWER FOR THE 17^th MAY

Answer: B

Explanation:

When repo rate is increased:

• Money supply in the economy will reduce.
• It will reduce inflation.
• Private consumption will reduce and people will focus on savings.
• Decrease in goods and products as businessmen and investors do not invest in business expansion due to costly credit.

THE POLITY

1. HOW SIKKIM BECAME A PART OF INDIA

THE CONTEXT:  A turning point in the history of Sikkim involves the appointment of John Claude White, a civil servant in British India who in 1889 was appointed the Political Officer of Sikkim, which by then was a British Protectorate under the Treaty of Tumlong signed in March, 1861.

THE EXPLANATION:

It was on May 16, 1975 that Sikkim became 22nd state of the Union of India. While in many modern narratives, the tale of the former kingdom under the Namgyal dynasty acquiring Indian statehood begins in decades close to the 1970s, the real story, according to experts, can only be understood by tracing the events back to 1640s when Namgyal rule was first established.

ATTACKS DURING NAMGYAL RULE

• Beginning with Phuntsog Namgyal, the first chogyal (monarch), the Namgyal dynasty ruled Sikkim until 1975. At one point, the kingdom of Sikkim included the Chumbi valley and Darjeeling; the former being part of China now.
• In the early 1700s, the region saw a series of conflicts between Sikkim, Nepal, Bhutan, and Tibet, which resulted in a shrinking of Sikkim’s territorial boundaries.

BRITISH EXPANSION

• When the British arrived, their expansion plans in the Indian subcontinent included controlling the Himalayan states.
• The kingdom of Nepal, meanwhile, continued with its attempts to expand its territory. This resulted in the Anglo-Nepalese war (November, 1814 to March, 1816), also known as the Gorkha war, which was fought between the Gorkhali army and the East India Company. Both sides had ambitious expansion plans for the strategically important mountainous north of the Indian subcontinent.
• In 1814, Sikkim allied with the East India Company in the latter’s campaign against Nepal. The Company won and restored to Sikkim some of the territories that Nepal had wrested from it in 1780.

THE TURNING POINT

• A turning point in the history of Sikkim involves the appointment of John Claude White, a civil servant in British India who in 1889 was appointed the Political Officer of Sikkim, which by then was a British Protectorate under the Treaty of Tumlong signed in March, 1861.
• As with most of the Indian subcontinent that the British had under their administrative control, the kingdom of Sikkim, although a protectorate, had little choice in the administration of its own kingdom.

SCENARIO AFTER 1947

• Three years after India’s Independence in 1947, Sikkim became a protectorate of India. In 1950, a treaty was signed between the then Sikkim monarch Tashi Namgyal and India’s then Political Officer in Sikkim, Harishwar Dayal. A clause in the treaty read: “Sikkim shall continue to be a Protectorate of India and, subject to the provisions of this Treaty, shall enjoy autonomy in regard to its internal affairs.”
• Geopolitical changes during that time put Sikkim in a delicate position. China’s invasion of Tibet in 1949 and Nepal’s attacks on Sikkim throughout the kingdom’s history were cited as reasons why the kingdom needed the support and protection of a powerful ally.
• Further, the talk of persecution of Tibetans after China’s arrival at the scene generated fear of the possibility of Sikkim suffering a similar fate.

DISCONTENT AGAINST MONARCHY

• The period between the 1950s and the 1970s marked growing discontent in Sikkim. Primarily, there was anger against the monarchy because of growing inequality and feudal control.
• In December 1947, political groups came together and formed the Sikkim State Congress, a political party that supported the merging of Sikkim with the Union of India.
• Three years later, the Sikkim National Party was formed that supported the monarchy and independence of the kingdom. A democratic system would have meant a reduction in powers held by the monarch in Sikkim and some researchers believe that the last monarch, Palden Thondup Namgyal, attempted to reduce civil and political liberties.
• Anti-monarchy protests grew in 1973, following which the royal palace was surrounded by thousands of protesters.
• Indian troops arrived after the monarch was left with no choice but to ask New Delhi to send assistance. Finally, a tripartite agreement was signed in the same year between the chogyal, the Indian government, and three major political parties, so that major political reforms could be introduced.

1974 ELECTIONS

• A year later, in 1974, elections were held, where the Sikkim State Congress led by KaziLhendupDorji won, defeating pro-independence parties. That year, a new constitution was adopted, which restricted the role of the monarch to a titular post, which Palden Thondup Namgyal bitterly resented.
• In the same year, India upgraded Sikkim’s status from protectorate to “associated state”, allotting to it one seat each in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Opposed to the move, the monarch attempted to bring international attention to it soon after.

DECISION TO JOIN INDIA

• A referendum was held in 1975 where an overwhelming majority voted in favour of abolishing the monarchy and joining India.
• A total 59,637 voted in favour of abolishing the monarchy and joining India, with only 1,496 voting against.
• Sikkim’s new parliament, led by KaziLhendupDorjee, proposed a bill for Sikkim to become an Indian state, which was accepted by the Indian government.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

2. THE REPO RATE IN INDIA

THE CONTEXT: On May 4, the Reserve Bank of India, in a surprise move, announced that the bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) had held an ‘off-cycle’ meeting at which it had decided unanimously to raise the “policy repo rate by 40 basis points to 4.40%, with immediate effect”.

THE EXPLANATION: 

• The repo rate is one of several direct and indirect instruments that are used by the RBI for implementing monetary policy. Specifically, the RBI defines the repo rate as the fixed interest rate at which it provides overnight liquidity to banks against the collateral of government and other approved securities under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF).
• Since this is the rate of interest that the RBI charges commercial banks such as State Bank of India and ICICI Bank when it lends them money, it serves as a key benchmark for the lenders to in turn price the loans they offer to their borrowers.
• Besides the direct loan pricing relationship, the repo rate also functions as a monetary tool by helping to regulate the availability of liquidity or funds in the banking system. For instance, when the repo rate is decreased, banks may find an incentive to sell securities back to the government in return for cash. This increases the money supply available to the general economy. Conversely, when the repo rate is increased, lenders would end up thinking twice before borrowing from the central bank at the repo window thus, reducing the availability of money supply in the economy.
• Since inflation is, in large measure, caused by more money chasing the same quantity of goods and services available in an economy, central banks tend to target regulation of money supply as a means to slow inflation.
• Inflation can broadly be: mainly demand driven price gains, or a result of supply side factors that in turn push up the costs of inputs used by producers of goods and providers of services, thus spurring inflation, or most often caused by a combination of both demand and supply side pressures.
• Changes to the repo rate to influence interest rates and the availability of money supply primarily work only on the demand side by making credit more expensive and savings more attractive and therefore dissuading consumption. However, they do little to address the supply side factors, be it the high price of commodities such as crude oil or metals or imported food items such as edible oils.

There is also another aspect to consider. Repo rate increases impact the real economy with a lag.

• In February 2021, the RBI in its annual ‘Report on Currency and Finance’ observed that “the challenge for an efficient operating procedure [of monetary policy] is to minimise the transmission lag from changes in the policy rate to the operating target”, which in this case is the mandate to keep medium-term inflation anchored at 4%, and bound within a tolerance range of 2% to 6%.
• The RBI noted in the report that there were several channels of transmission, ‘the interest rate channel; the credit or bank lending channel; the exchange rate channel operating through relative prices of tradables and non-tradables; the asset price channel impacting wealth/income accruing from holdings of financial assets; and the expectations channel encapsulating the perceptions of households and businesses on the state of the economy and its outlook’.
• “These conduits of transmission intertwine and operate in conjunction and are difficult to disentangle,” the central bank added, underscoring the challenges monetary authorities face in ensuring that changes to the repo rate actually help in achieving the policy objective.

3. WHAT IS FAIR AND AVERAGE QUALITY WHEAT, THE NORMS FOR     WHICH HAVE BEEN RELAXED BY GOVT?

THE CONTEXT: The relaxation of procurement parameters to “reduce the hardship of farmers and avoid distress sale of wheat” does not mean the quality of the grain is bad.

THE EXPLANATION: 

• The Centre on May 15)relaxed the Fair and Average Quality (FAQ) norms for wheat in the ongoing rabi marketing season in Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh by a factor of three, raising the permissible limit of “shrivelled and broken grains” to 18% from the existing 6%.
• Unseasonal heat in March, when the rabi crop goes through its grain-filling stage, has led to shrivelling, making the grain unfit for procurement as per the usual quality norms.
• Every year, before procurement begins in this region in April, the Storage and Research (S&R) division of the Department of Food & Public Distribution in the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, notifies specifications to ensure the quality of the procured wheat.
• This year, wheat containing up to 0.75% foreign matter, 2% damaged grain, 4% slightly damaged grain, 6% shrivelled and broken grain, and 12% moisture was cleared for procurement.
• The specifications are implemented at the time of procurement by qualified personnel from the quality control wing of the central government’s nodal agency for procurement, the Food Corporation of India (FCI). According to FCI, fair and average quality (FAQ) wheat is one that meets all all-down specifications.

Grain that looks good

• FAQ wheat is fully developed, and has a proper shine or lustre. The main varieties are golden or pale yellow in colour, the grain is not dark, and does not have any streaks. It is properly dry, and meets all nutritional conditions, the values of which are tested in the lab in case of doubt.
• The inspector added that FCI’s QC wing conducts physical and chemical analyses during the procurement process, and on the stored crop to ensure quality standards and parameters are met.

PREVIOUS RELAXATIONS

• The government has in the past relaxed norms for moisture content and loss of lustre following heavy rain during the harvesting season, when ripe crops were flattened, and the grain turned blackish. This is for the first time, however, that such a major relaxation has been allowed for shrivelled grain, FCI officials said. The officials said they could not recall a previous relaxation for the shrivelled grain of more than perhaps 1-2%.

Is the wheat bad?

• The relaxation of procurement parameters to “reduce the hardship of farmers and avoid distress sale of wheat” does not mean the quality of the grain is bad. “The grains are smaller in size, but there is no loss of quality.
• The quality control wings of both FCI and the government have carried out several tests on the shrivelled grain, and found only weight loss, not a loss of quality,” a senior FCI officer said, adding that this wheat will now be called “Under Relaxed Specifications (URS) wheat” instead of FAQ.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

4. INDIA’S 52ND TIGER RESERVE, RAMGARH VISHDHARI NOTIFIED

THE CONTEXT: Ramgarh Vishdhari, spread across Bundi, Bhilwara and Kota districts in Rajasthan, will be a major corridor connecting tigers of Ranthambore and Mukundra reserves.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Ramgarh Vishdhari Wildlife Sanctuary was notified as a tiger reserve May 16, 2022, after a nod by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) in July 2021.
• It is now India’s 52nd tiger reserve and Rajasthan’s fourth, after Ranthambore, Sariska and Mukundra.
• There were an estimated 2,967 tigers in India in 2019, according to the National Tiger Conservation Authority.
• The population in this area will probably never be very high because it is a small area. But since it is an important area for tiger connectivity, the conservation efforts and funding that will be deployed there now will benefit the population of the big cats.

5. NEED TO TRIPLE INVESTMENTS FOR RESTORING DEGRADED LAND BY 2030: SEOUL DECLARATION

THE CONTEXT:The investment in forest and landscape restoration globally must be tripled by 2030 to implement global commitments and meet internationally agreed goals and targets, according to the recently adopted Seoul Declaration.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The Declaration focuses on identifying key areas that can help combat multiple crises humanity faces. It was adopted May 5, 2022.
• The Seoul Forest Declaration sends a powerful message that forests, forestry and forest stakeholders offer major solutions to the challenges the world currently faces, but action is needed now.
• We must now scale up political will and increase financial and technical investments. The Declaration will add to the sense of urgency to accelerate action, strengthen partnerships and enhance cross-sectoral collaboration
• Forests transcend political, social and environmental boundaries and are vital for biodiversity and the carbon, water and energy cycles at a planetary scale. The responsibility over forests should be shared and integrated across institutions, sectors and stakeholders in order to achieve a sustainable future.
• It added that forest-based solutions must be inclusive of the perspectives of family farmers, smallholders, forest communities, indigenous peoples, women and youth and respectful of their rights.
• The solutions must empower them to participate equitably in decision-making and sustainable forest value chains.
• The Declaration, signed by 141 participant countries, also urged the use of innovative technology and mechanisms to enable evidence-based forest and landscape decision-making and effective forest communication.
• New partnerships such as the Assuring the Future of Forests with Integrated Risk Management (AFFIRM) Mechanism, the Sustaining an Abundance of Forest Ecosystems (SAFE) initiative and the Platform for REDD+ Capacity Building were also undertaken at the Congress to boost international participation and cooperation.
• The Declaration also pointed out that the health of forests and humans was closely related and forest degradation can have “serious negative impacts on human health and well-being”.
• It stated that forests must be maintained in a healthy and productive state to reduce the risk of future pandemics and to provide other essential benefits for the physical and mental health of mankind.
• The Declaration added that the full potential of sustainably produced wood can be utilized to transform the building sector, along with providing renewable energy and innovative new materials as wood was “renewable, recyclable and incredibly versatile.”
• The Declaration added that the outcomes of the 15th WFC, including it as well as the Youth Call for Action and the Ministerial Call on Sustainable Wood, should be transmitted to the next Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to the upcoming Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and to other important forest-related fora.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

6. SCIENTISTS DISCOVER FOSSIL OF PRE-HISTORIC GIANT SNAKE IN LADAKH

THE CONTEXT: Scientists have discovered the fossil of a Madtsoiidae snake in the Himalayan mountains in Ladakh, which sheds fresh light on the prevalence and existence of this rare serpent species in the Indian subcontinent.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Madtsoiidae is an extinct group of medium-sized to gigantic snakes, firstly appeared during the later part of the Cretaceous period, that began 145 million years ago and ended 66 million years ago. They are thought to grow up to 30 feet in length.
• Research by scientists indicates their prevalence in the Indian subcontinent for a much longer time than previously thought. Also, global climatic shifts and the prominent biotic reorganisation across the Eocene-Oligocene boundary did not cause the extinction of this important group of snakes in India.
• The study was undertaken by researchers from the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun, Panjab University, Chandigarh, Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar and Comenius University, Slovakia. The newly discovered specimen has been housed in the repository of Wadia Institute, according to a statement issued today by the Ministry of Science and Technology.
• Eocene–Oligocene, which took place about 34 million years ago, was the time of major climatic change on Earth due to shifts in volcanic and meteorite activity, and is marked by large-scale extinction and floral and faunal turnover.
• Madtsoiidae were mostly found in the Gondwanan landmasses, an ancient super continent that broke up about 180 million years ago and eventually split into landmasses that are today known as Africa, South America, Australia, Antarctica, the Indian subcontinent and the Arabian Peninsula.
• From fossil records, the whole group disappeared in the mid-Paleogene period, ranging between 66 million to 23 million years ago, across most Gondwanan continents except for Australia where it survived with its last known classification of Wonambi till the late Pleistocene period from 2.6 million to 11,700 years ago.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION FOR 17th MAY 2022

Q.  If the Repo rate is increased by RBI, then which of the following can be the consequence of this step?

1. Money supply in the economy will increase.
2. Inflation may come down.
3. Private consumption will increase.
4. Increase in the production of goods and services.

ANSWER FOR THE 15^TH AND 16^{TH OF} MAY

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.

1. Enlightened Revolutionary READ MORE   
2. The Morality Clock READ MORE
3. Baba Gulam Mohammad Jaula’s Vision of Hindu-Muslim Unity Will Always Inspire READ MORE

1. Explained: What are urban heat islands, and why are they worsening during summers? READ MORE
2. Climate and Us | Plan for the vulnerable: India’s heat emergency must be humane READ MORE

1. The overcrowding of India’s mental health centres are disaster waiting to happen. Bring in reform READ MORE
2. ‘Green growth’ can help African countries address socio-economic inequalities: Report READ MORE

1. The technical higher education market dissected: The AICTE should place the safeguarding of students’ interests before the commercialisation of education READ MORE  
2. Data protection bill: Decoding the penalty clause READ MORE
3. Sedition law review litmus test for govt, courts READ MORE
4. INDIA SLIPS ON FREEDOM OF PRESS INDEX READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. The repo rate in India READ MORE
2. India, France carry out second joint patrol in Southern Indian Ocean READ MORE
3. Explained: How Sikkim became a part of India READ MORE
4. Explained: What is fair and average quality wheat, the norms for which have been relaxed by govt? READ MORE
5. Explained: What is the Places of Worship Act, and what are its provisions? READ MORE
6. India’s 52nd tiger reserve, Ramgarh Vishdhari notified READ MORE
7. Need to triple investments for restoring degraded land by 2030: Seoul Declaration READ MORE
8. Scientists discover fossil of pre-historic giant snake in Ladakh READ MORE

Main Exam    

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. The technical higher education market dissected: The AICTE should place the safeguarding of students’ interests before the commercialisation of education READ MORE  
2. Data protection bill: Decoding the penalty clause READ MORE
3. Sedition law review litmus test for govt, courts READ MORE
4. INDIA SLIPS ON FREEDOM OF PRESS INDEX READ MORE

SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. The overcrowding of India’s mental health centres are disaster waiting to happen. Bring in reform READ MORE
2. ‘Green growth’ can help African countries address socio-economic inequalities: Report READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Stronger India-Nepal ties a must to face emerging challenges says PM READ MORE
2. A war that is shrinking India’s geopolitical options: The main worry now is about how to manage a China that is attempting to consolidate the region under its influence READ MORE
3. For a better, South Asian neighbourhood READ MORE
4. Hotspots in the neighbourhood: Instability in Sri Lanka, Pakistan & Afghanistan consequential to national security READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Against the grain READ MORE
2. Is our nation ready for Industry 4.0? READ MORE
3. India’s abrupt wheat ban is yet another instance of shoddy policymaking that disregards consequences READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Explained: What are urban heat islands, and why are they worsening during summers? READ MORE
2. Climate and Us | Plan for the vulnerable: India’s heat emergency must be humane READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. Delhi fire: No regard for laws, safety norms READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Enlightened Revolutionary READ MORE   
2. The Morality Clock READ MORE
3. Baba Gulam Mohammad Jaula’s Vision of Hindu-Muslim Unity Will Always Inspire READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. “The essence of democracy is criticism of the government.” With reference to this statement, examine the validity of sedition law in present day India.
2. Ukraine conflict, developments in Sri Lanka, Nepal and Pakistan underline need to reframe regional ties of India’s with its neighboring count. Discuss why India needs to work with the logic of geography in Indian Subcontinent?

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• The influence of teachers extends beyond the classroom, well into the future.
• Climate change is the result of a deadly calculus: human lives are worth risking and even losing over the profits of global corporations.
• India’s biggest dilemma today is not whether or not to continue its engagement with Russia. That it would engage Russia in the immediate to medium term is clear.
• Ukraine conflict, developments in Sri Lanka, Nepal and Pakistan underline need to reframe regional ties, work with the logic of geography in Subcontinent.
• Data protection bill is one piece of legislation that India should get right by all means, lest we legalise snooping and profiling by the government.
• It’s high time that much more attention is paid to the issue of building regulations and safety norms to ensure that cities are safe for their citizens.
• India will have to follow a policy of proactivism to prevent another arena for geopolitical confrontation.
• In spite of low automation and a young workforce, absolute job losses will be the second highest in the world due to the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
• The World Health Organization, for which it could have been a showcase of its international role, seemed consistently in a subsidiary role of gathering secondary data and disseminating basic safety guidelines.

50-WORD TALK

• Modi government’s knee-jerk decision to ban wheat exports sends all the wrong signals except to one constituency of consumers. It particularly risks exposing the government’s commitment to the prosperity of farmers as mere lip service. Food inflation is a problem but bans aren’t the solution. Creative thinking is obviously lacking.

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 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.

[WpProQuiz 224]

THE CONTEXT: On 17 March 2022, the Union Minister of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj released the Disaster Management Plan of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (DMP-MoPR) with the idea of monitoring, mitigating, and even developing the preparedness at the grass-root level. This article analyzes the role, responsibilities, and issues faced by the PRIs in crisis times and disaster management.

DISASTER MANAGEMENT PLAN OF MINISTRY OF PANCHAYATI RAJ (DMP-MoPR)

ABOUT DMP-MoPR:

• Under the Plan, every Indian village would have a “Village Disaster Management Plan” and every Panchayat would have its Disaster Management Plan.
• The aim is to build disaster resilience at the grassroots level among the Panchayats and establish a framework to align the disaster management measures in rural areas to that of the National Disaster Management Authority.
• It incorporates many innovations in addition to being in compliance with Disaster Management Act 2005, National Disaster Management Policy 2009, and guidelines issued by National Disaster Management Authority.
• It has been prepared with a larger perspective of community-based planning starting from Village to the District Panchayat level.

ISSUES COVERED:

• It comprehensively covers areas such as:
• Institutional arrangement for Disaster Management.
• Hazard Risk, Vulnerability, and Capacity Analysis.
• Coherence of Disaster Risk Management across Resilient Development and Climate Change Action.
• Disaster Specific Preventive and Mitigation Measures-Responsibility Framework.
• Mainstreaming of Community Based Disaster Management Plan of Villages and Panchayats and so on.

NEED FOR THE DISASTER MANAGEMENT PLAN AT THE VILLAGE AND PANCHAYAT LEVEL

VULNERABILITY TO DISASTERS:

• India is the 7th most disaster-prone country in the world according to the “Global Climate Risk Index 2021” released by German watch, based in Bonn and Berlin (Germany).

INEFFICIENT SOPS:

• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are virtually non-existent and even where such SOPs exist, the authorities concerned are unfamiliar with them.

LACK OF COORDINATION:

• The States also suffer from inadequate coordination among various government departments and other stakeholders.
• The Indian system for disaster management also suffers from the absence of an institutional framework at the Center/State/District level.

POOR WARNING AND RELIEF SYSTEMS:

• India lacks a proper early warning system.
• Slow response from relief agencies, lack of trained/dedicated search and rescue teams, and poor community empowerment are other important challenges.

ROLE OF PRIs IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT

HANDLING DISASTERS AT THE GRASS-ROOT LEVEL:

• The devolution of power and responsibilities to the panchayats will result in flexible and committed responses at the grass-root level in the case of natural calamities.
• Effective and Strong PRIs, working in harmony with the state government, will help tackle the disaster through early warning systems.
• Local population has insights of topography and acquired wisdom of generations to deal with any such kind of crisis situation. Such knowledge can be harnessed at a larger level for the common good.
• Community actions have a significant role in disaster response. For instance:
• The socio-demographic variables and self-satisfaction of community resilience in the context of the Kerala floods of 2018 (the fishermen who were prominent amongst the first responders during this flood).
• Odisha has recurrently been in the news in recent years for the exemplary way in which it has managed to cope with the disasters that have struck its coast and affected its people. Community-based disaster risk reduction is at the very heart of Odisha’s approach to disaster management.

ENSURING BETTER RELIEF OPERATIONS:

• Local bodies being nearer to the people are in a better position to undertake relief tasks as they are more familiar with the requirements of the local people.
• This ensures total transparency in working and usage of funds in every disaster situation.
• They can also be relied upon for undertaking day-to-day running of civic services, providing shelter and medical assistance to affected people, etc.

SPREADING AWARENESS AND GAINING COOPERATION:

• Local government institutions have grass-root level contact with people and they can help effectively in spreading awareness and ensure people’s participation in fighting the crisis.
• They are also ideal channels for NGOs and other agencies’ participation in the rescue and relief operations.

PAST EXPERIENCES – PRIS’ RESPONSE DURING COVID-19:

Amid the peak months of the pandemic, the PRIs played a remarkable role by providing essential leadership at the local level.

• Performed Regulatory and Welfare Functions: PRIs set up containment zones, arranged transport, identified buildings for quarantining people, and provisioned food for the incoming migrants.
• Effective implementation of welfare schemes like MGNREGA and the National Rural Livelihood Mission quickened the pace of recovery while ensuring support to the vulnerable population.
• Made Effective Collaborations: During the pandemic, gram sabhas resolved to adhere to Covid-19 norms. Also, regular engagement with frontline workers like ASHA workers and Anganwadi workers through committees further assisted in handling the pandemic at local levels.
• Organised Local Monitoring Bodies: PRIs organised community-based surveillance systems involving village elders, the youth, and self-help groups (SHGs) to keep a strict vigil in quarantine centres and monitor symptoms in households.

ISSUES FACED BY PRIs

UNCLEAR DOMAINS OF PANCHAYATS:

• Though PRIs are a three-tier integrated arrangement of the village, block, and district levels, they have remained largely ineffective as a consequence of ambiguous jurisdictions and unclear linkages.
• Even in respect of the National Disaster Management Act 2005, the powers and responsibilities of panchayats are inadequately defined and left to be determined by respective state governments.

INCOMPLETE AUTONOMY:

• Panchayats lack systems, resources, and capacities to act independently due to numerous constraints imposed by district administrations and state governments.
• Instead of becoming institutions of local self-governance, as envisaged by the constitution, panchayats mostly act as field implementers of decisions made by state and central governments.

UNAVAILABILITY OF FUNDS:

• The Panchayats are not given enough funds and are bypassed by State-controlled line departments that continue to implement programmes falling within the rightful domain of the former.

INTERFERENCE FROM MPS AND MLAS:

• The interference of area MPs and MLAs in the functioning of panchayats adversely affects the performance of Panchayats.

SIGNIFICANCE OF DMP-MoPR

HELPFUL IN MANAGING DISASTERS COMPREHENSIVELY:

• The convergent and collective actions to envision, plan and implement community-based disaster management plans, would be a game-changer in managing disasters comprehensively.
• All stakeholders including Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI), elected representatives and functionaries of Panchayats, etc. would participate in the planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the plan.
• The involvement of the community is the key factor in any disaster preparedness strategy and active participation of the community is vital to carry out and sustain the activities relating to disaster management in rural areas.

ENSURE PARTICIPATORY PLANNING PROCESS:

• This plan would be extremely useful for ensuring a participatory planning process for DMPs which is integrated with the Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) for addressing disasters across the country and initiate a new era of community-based disaster management, convergence, and collective action with programs and schemes of different Ministries / Departments.

THE ANALYSIS:

• Panchayat- level and village-level Disaster Management Plans, envisage mitigating the challenges in the event of a disaster, at the grassroots and foundational level and it is imperative to keep disaster management plans in mind while making a master plan for the holistic development of Panchayats.
• Most appropriate institution: The Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI), the representative body of the people, is the most appropriate institution from the village to the district level in view of its proximity, universal coverage, and enlisting people’s participation in an institutionalised manner. Their close involvement will make people more prepared for countering natural disasters as well as involve them in all possible precautionary and protective activities so that the impact of the disasters is mitigated and the people are able to save their lives and property.
• Social mobilisation: The PRIs can act as catalysts to the social mobilisation process and tap the traditional wisdom of the local communities to complement the modern practices in disaster mitigation efforts.
• Integration: PRIs will also provide a base for integration of various concerns of the community with that of the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Community Based Organisations (CBOs) which are engaged in various developmental activities at the grassroots level.
• Leadership Role: The Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) members can play a role of leadership in Disaster management at all stages. Right from the preparatory stage up to the handling of the long-term development activities for risk reduction.
• Though the idea behind such an initiative is commendable the scarcity of resources, deprived authority to make decisions, and lack of guidance, information, and leadership qualities among the locals might prove to be an impediment.

THE WAY FORWARD:

• Resource Availability and Self-Reliance: Local governance, local leaders, and local communities, when empowered can respond to any disaster rapidly and effectively. The local bodies require information and guidance and must-have resources, capacities, and systems in place to act with confidence, without waiting for instructions from above.
• The shift in Disaster Management Paradigm: There is an urgent need for a shift from risk mitigation cum relief-centric approach in disaster management into an integrated plan for economic development with social justice.
• Early warning systems, preparedness, preventive measures, and awareness among people are as much an important part of disaster management as is recovery planning, rehabilitation and other relief measures, which should be focused along with assigning roles to individual members and providing them with the necessary skills can make such programmes more meaningful.
• Collective Participation: Conducting regular, location-specific disaster-management programmes for the community and organising platforms for sharing best practices will strengthen individual and institutional capacities, which can even be replicated in other parts of the country facing similar issues.
• It is imperative to make disaster resilience an inherent part of the community culture now more than ever.

THE CONCLUSION: India has been vulnerable, in varying degrees, to too many natural as well as human-made disasters on account of its unique geo-climatic and socio-economic conditions. Different parts of the country are highly vulnerable to cyclones, floods, droughts, earthquakes, landslides, etc. Considering the important role that local communities can play in reducing vulnerabilities and early recovery, DMP-MoPR will initiate a new era of community-based disaster management and collective action.

Mains Practice Questions:

1. “Disaster Management Plan framed by Ministry of Panchayati Raj would contribute to the efforts of the government in bringing convergence in disaster management and planning in rural areas.” Elaborate.
2. “The convergent and collective actions to envision, plan and implement community-based disaster management plans, would be a game-changer for the country in managing disasters comprehensively.” Critically evaluate the above-given statement in the context of autonomy and powers of the Panchayati Raj institutions.

ADD TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE

INDIA’S EFFORTS IN MANAGING DISASTER

THE INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT IN INDIA:

It was the impact of the Tsunami in 2004 that catalysed the approach of the lawmakers in India to legislate on disaster management and the Disaster Management Act was passed in 2005. The institutional structure for disaster management is hierarchical and functions at three levels – centre, state, and district. It is a multi-stakeholder setup and draws the involvement of various relevant ministries, government departments, and administrative bodies.

The Act provides for the constitution of the following institutions at the national, state, and district levels:

1. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA):

• Responsible for laying down the policies, plans, and guidelines for disaster management and for ensuring timely and effective response to the disaster.
• It consists of not more than nine members with Prime Minister as its ex-officio chairperson.

2. State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA)

• A state Disaster Management Authority is established by every state government.
• The Chief Minister of the state is the chairperson of SDMA. There are a maximum of 9 members other than the chairperson.

3. District Disaster Management Authority

• The DDMA are set up by the state government via a notification in the state budget. It consists of Chairperson and seven members. The collector District Magistrate or Deputy Commissioner would be the chairman.
• The DDMA works as a district planning, coordinating, and implementing body for disaster management.
• It will coordinate with the upper two tiers of the structure and will plan the implementation of the prevention, mitigation, and preparedness at the local level.

4. National Institute of Disaster Management

• It is responsible for planning and promoting training and research in the area of disaster management.
• It is a premier national organization working for human resource development at the national level in the area of disaster management.

5. National Disaster Response Force

• Specialist response force to a threatening disaster situation or disaster. The general superintendence, direction, and control of the Force shall be vested and exercised by NDMA.
• Presently it has the strength of 10 battalions positioned at different locations in the country to provide timely response to any crisis situation.

MANAGING CLIMATE CHANGE-RELATED DISASTERS:

• Globally, disasters in the last two decades have predominantly been climate-related disasters, of which floods are the most frequently occurring type of disaster and storms are the second most deadly type of disaster followed by earthquakes.
• India has adopted the Sendai Framework for DRR, the Sustainable Development Goals (2015-2030), and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, all of which make clear the connections between DRR, Climate Change Adaptation (CCA), and sustainable development.
• India participates in several multilateral organisations that address these and other issues that benefit from multinational coordination.

CONTRIBUTION TO REGIONAL DISASTER PREPAREDNESS:

• As part of its neighbourhood development efforts, India also contributes to regional disaster preparedness and capacity-building efforts.
• Within the context of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), India has hosted DM Exercises that allow NDRF to demonstrate to counterparts from partner states the techniques developed to respond to various disasters.
• Other NDRF and Indian Armed Forces exercises have brought India’s first responders into contact with those from states in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

INDIA’S ROLE AS A FOREIGN DISASTER RELIEF:

• India is also an emerging donor that has provided a substantial amount of foreign disaster relief, as well as foreign development assistance, to other countries.
• India’s foreign humanitarian assistance has increasingly included its military assets, primarily deploying naval ships or aircraft to deliver relief.
• In line with its diplomatic policy of “Neighbourhood First,” many of the recipient countries have been in the region of South and Southeast Asia.
• In the last two decades, India has given foreign humanitarian assistance bilaterally to Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and others.
• Few Egs:
• 2004 Tsunami relief.
• 2015 Nepal earthquake relief.
• One of the components in Mission SAGAR.
• Vaccine diplomacy.

DISASTER MANAGEMENT CYCLE

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. PM TO LAUNCH BUDDHIST CENTRE WORK

THE CONTEXT: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the construction of the ‘India International Centre for Buddhist Culture & Heritage’ during a daylong visit to Lumbini in Nepal. The visit will coincide with the celebrations to mark the Buddha Jayanti.

EXPLANATION:

• Lumbini is the place where Prince Siddhartha Gautama was born around 623 B.C.. He later attained enlightenment at Bodhgaya in Bihar district and came to be known as the Buddha.
• Modi participates in the shilanyas [foundation stone laying] ceremony for the India International Centre for Buddhist Culture & Heritage and offer prayers at the Mayadevi temple that is dedicated to the mother of the Buddha. He will also deliver an address at a Buddha Jayanti event organised by the Lumbini Development Trust of the government of Nepal.

Zero emission building

• An official press release has informed that the India International Centre for Buddhist Culture and Heritage will be undertaken by the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), which is a ‘grantee body’ under the Ministry of Culture. The IBC was registered on November 2, 2012 and is aimed at propagating and preserving the teachings and heritage of the Buddha across the world, and especially in India’s immediate neighbourhood. The official statement from India said the Buddhist centre would be the first ‘net zero emission’ building in Nepal.
• Buddha Jayanti will also be celebrated by the IBC in Delhi on Monday where the event will be led by Minister of Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju. “IBC has been actively involved in engaging Buddhist organisations in Nepal and has a strong relationship with several senior Buddhist monks,” stated the official press release.
• Modi’s visit to Lumbini comes two days after Nepal began the local election process across the country that will ultimately lead to the general election towards the end of the year.

2. QUAD INITIATIVE FOR VACCINES RUNS INTO ROUGH WEATHER

THE CONTEXT: More than a year after the first Quad summit where the leaders of the U.S., India, Japan and Australia launched an ambitious initiative to produce one billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines for distribution in the Indo-Pacific region, the project is floundering, and officials concede that it is unlikely to meet its target by 2022-end for a number of reasons.

THE EXPLANATION:

• While the original plan to produce the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine at the Hyderabad-based Biological E’s facility for the Quad Vaccine Initiative ran into trouble over legal indemnity issues, and then ov- er safety concerns, the other vaccine being produced at the facility, Corbevax, has yet to receive the WHO Emergency Use Listing (EUL) needed for distribution.
• In addition, experts say there is now an “oversupply” of vaccines in Southeast Asian countries and other regions of the world, bringing down the demand for vaccines.
• Quad countries have delivered vaccines to countries such as Thailand and Cambodia under a separate commitment made in September 2021, but the original initiative for a billion India-made vaccine doses, developed and funded by the U.S. and distributed by Japan and Australia, appears to have hit a roadblock.

3. WHAT’S THE 21ST CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT AIMED TO CUT POWER OF SRI LANKAN PRESIDENTS

THE CONTEXT: Sri Lanka’s new Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has said that the 21st Amendment to the Constitution to curb the presidential powers will be discussed with the Attorney General’s Department.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The 21st Amendment is expected to annul the 20th Amendment, which gave unfettered powers to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa after abolishing the 19th Amendment, a provision that had made the Parliament powerful over the president.

What will the 21st Amendment entail?

• The amendment is likely to reduce the Presidency to a ceremonial position, retaining the powers of the President on all three armed forces while handing over almost all other key powers pertaining to governance, and cabinet ministers to the Prime Minister.
• There are two proposed amendments in the form of Private Member’s Bills – one by Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and another by Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MPs.
• Both Bills look at transferring powers of making key appointments from the President to the Constitutional Council. Both proposals agree that the Council should comprise of both MPs and citizens not affiliated to political parties.

Which amendments preceded the 21st Amendment?

• The enactment of the 19th Amendment in April 2015 was rushed by then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. It had removed the powers of the President to sack the Prime Minister at his discretion.
• Articles 46 (2) and 48 of the Sri Lankan constitution were amended ensuring that the cabinet ministers could have been dismissed only if the Prime Minister ceased to hold office by death, resignation or otherwise, or only if the Parliament rejects a statement of government policy or the budget or if the parliament passes a vote of no confidence against the Government.
• The amendment also restricted the President’s powers to dismiss Cabinet ministers as he was required to act on the advice of the Prime Minister.

THE POLITY

4. PARDON POWERS OF PRESIDENT AND GOVERNOR

THE CONTEXT: The Supreme Court has reserved orders on the question whether a Governor can refer the State government’s advice for granting remission to life convicts to the President for a decision.

THE EXPLANTION:

• The court is examining a petition from A.G. Perarivalan, one of the life convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, questioning the delay in his release even after the Tamil Nadu government, in 2018, recommended the release of all seven convicts in the case under Article 161 of the Constitution.
• The Governor, instead of acting on the recommendation, referred it to the President.

What is the scope of the pardon power?

• Both the President and the Governor have been vested with sovereign power of pardon by the Constitution, commonly referred to as mercy or clemency power.
• Under Article 72, the President can grant pardons, reprieves, respites or remissions of punishment or suspend, remit or commute the sentence of any person convicted of any offence in all cases where the punishment or sentence is by a court-martial, in all cases where the punishment or sentence is for an offence under any law relating to the Union government’s executive power, and in all cases of death sentences. It is also made clear that the President’s power will not in any way affect a Governor’s power to commute a death sentence.
• Under Article 161, a Governor can grant pardons, reprieves, respites or remissions of punishment, or suspend, remit or commute the sentence of anyone convicted under any law on a matter which comes under the State’s executive power.

What is the difference between statutory power and constitutional power?

• The Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) provides for remission of prison sentences, which means the whole or a part of the sentence may be cancelled. Under Section 432, the ‘appropriate government’ may suspend or remit a sentence, in whole or in part, with or without conditions.
• This power is available to State governments so that they may order the release of prisoners before they complete their prison terms. Under Section 433, any sentence may be commuted to a lesser one by the appropriate government.
• However, Section 435 says that if the prisoner had been sentenced in a case investigated by the CBI, or any agency that probed the offence under a Central Act, the State government can order such release only in consultation with the Central government.
• In the case of death sentences, the Central government may also concurrently exercise the same power as the State governments to remit or suspend the sentence.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

5. INDIAN GOVERNMENT PROHIBITS EXPORT OF WHEAT WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT

THE CONTEXT: Citing a threat to food security, the Union government has “prohibited” the export of wheat with immediate effect. The decision was announced on Saturday in view of the “sudden spike in the global prices of wheat arising out of many factors” the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Significantly, the order came two days after the government decided to send trade delegations to a number of countries to explore possibilities for its export.
• The global agriculture market has been destabilised by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a major wheat-producing nation and a major supplier to the European market. Apart from national requirements, the order cited the requirement of India’s wheat among its neighbours in the region.
• Officials revealed that there was a decline in the “opening stock” compared with last fiscal’s.
• The prohibition was “not a ban”, and was also aimed at controlling the sudden rise in the price of wheat and atta in India. The order will prevent some traders from carrying out “speculative” trading in wheat and help in stabilising the agriculture sector.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

6. HEATWAVE IN INDIA

THE CONTEXT: Severe heatwave conditions have been consistently reported over large parts of India since the beginning of the summer season in March. In April, the mercury touched nearly 50 degrees Celsius in some areas of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, a day after Jacobabad in neighboring Pakistan had recorded 51 degree Celsius.

THE EXPLANATION:

• March and April saw early and unprecedented heat across India. March was the warmest and April was the fourth-warmest in 122 years.
• Though heatwave over large parts of north and central India is an annual phenomenon in May, the maximum temperatures in areas of Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir have been unusually high.

Sweltering heat grips north and central India

• Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Telangana are some of the states that witnessed heatwave conditions.
• A severe heatwave is declared when the maximum temperature jumps over 6 degrees Celsius above normal.

Why have the temperatures been so high?

• Urban areas like Delhi and Gurgaon recording day temperatures in the 45-49 degrees Celsius range is abnormal and was aggravated by contributions from other local weather, and anthropogenic and man-made factors.
• Western disturbances, which bring rainfall and cloudy skies to northwest India and regulate temperatures at this time of the year, have been feeble and lacked sufficient moisture, keeping the temperature high. In the absence of cloud cover, temperatures can soar with the solar radiation, while dry westerly winds do not bring any moisture.
• The India Meteorological Department (IMD) rainfall data since March shows that many states in north and central India have remained parched.

Heatwaves not unusual for May

• Heatwave season over India begins in March and peaks in May, especially over the core heatwave zone areas. This summer saw record temperatures during March and April but such warm days in May are normal.
• The current heatwave spell, prevailing for a week, is spread across 11 states and UTs. While the geographical extent may be similar to the spell recorded between March 27 and April 12, the severity this time is manyfold higher.
• The last spell saw a severe heatwave limited to some pockets of Rajasthan and eastern Uttar Pradesh, whereas the May spell has had similar conditions raging across all north and central India regions.
• On Sunday, more than ten meteorological stations recorded maximum temperatures over 47 degrees Celsius, including Banda (49), Gurgaon (48), Churu (47.9), Ganganagar (47.6), Pilani (47.7), Khajuraho and Nowgong (47.4 each), Jhansi (47.6), Hissar (47.3) and Delhi ridge (47.2).

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

7. WHAT IS POST COVID AND LONG COVID?

THE CONTEXT: With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, evidence showed that a considerable proportion of people who have recovered from COVID-19 continue to face long-term effects on multiple organs and systems.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Technically, post-COVID defines symptoms that persist four weeks after infection and Long COVID, 12 weeks past a COVID-19 infection.
• The effects range from skin rash, sleep difficulties, fatigue or muscle weakness, hair loss, joint pain, palpitations, dizziness, cough, headache, sore throat, chest pain, smell and taste disorders, anxiety disorders and mobility issues.
• The government of India developed its own National Comprehensive Guidelines for the management of post-COVID sequelae. This document sets out detailed techniques to treat post-COVID complications affecting cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, nephrological, neurological and respiratory systems.

8. BLOOD GROUPS AND BLOOD DONATION

THE CONTEXT: Blood in a healthy human body is about 7% of the total body weight (the average body weight being 55- 65 kg), or 4.7 to 5.5 litres (1.2 to 1.5 gallons).

THE EXPLANATION:

• India is the second-largest producer of wheat in the world, with a share of around 14.14 per cent of the total production in 2020. The country produces around 107.59 million MT of wheat annually and a major chunk of it goes towards domestic consumption.In a regular donation, the donor gives about 500 ml of blood, and this is replaced in the body within a day or two (24-48 hours).
• Blood types are determined by the presence (or absence) of certain antigens (molecules that can trigger an immune response), if they are foreign to the body of the recipient. Thus, a matching of the blood type of the donor with that of the receiver is necessary.
• Antigens are classified as antigens A and B in our red blood cells.
• Landmark research on these was done by a medical doctor, Dr. Karl Landsteiner of University of Vienna in Austria. He defined three acceptable types of blood cells which he called as A, B and O blood types.
• Blood group A in India to be about 40%, blood group B between 25-35% and group O to be 40-50%.
• Primates (chimpanzee, gorilla, orangutan, gibbons) also have blood groups containing AB, A, B and O, just as we humans have. Indeed, we owe our blood types (A, B, O, AB), thanks to what our primate monkey ancestors had millions of years ago.

Who can donate blood to whom?

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION FOR 16th MAY 2022

Q1. Consider the following statements about Election Commission:

1. Indian Constitution provides for establishment of Election Commission as multi-member body.
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 THE 14TH OF MAY

Answer: B

Explanation:

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)

• Prior to creation of SCO in 2001, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan were members of the Shanghai Five.
• Shanghai Five (1996) emerged from a series of border demarcation and demilitarization talks that the four former Soviet republics held with China to ensure stability along the borders.
• Following the accession of Uzbekistan to the organisation in 2001, the Shanghai Five was renamed the SCO.
• Eurasian political, economic and military organisation aims to maintain peace, security and stability in region.
• India and Pakistan became members in 2017.
• 8 members: Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan
• Secretariat: Beijing
• Official languages: Russian and Chinese.
• The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) is a permanent organ of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) which serves to promote cooperation of member states against the three evils of terrorism, separatism and extremism. Its headquarters are located in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

[WpProQuiz 223]

THE CONTEXT: Fifteenth Finance Commission Chairperson NK Singh on 19 April 2022 delivered a lecture at the Delhi School of Economics and warned about how the politics of freebies could lead to fiscal disasters. Over the years the politics of freebies has become an integral part of the electoral battles in India and the scenario was no different in the recently held assembly polls in five states, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab, and Manipur. This article analyzes the socio-economic costs of freebies by distinguishing them from the concept of “expenditure on the public good, having overall benefits.”

THE IDEA OF FREEBIES:

• The literal meaning of freebie is something that is given free of charge or cost.
• Political parties are outdoing each other in promising free electricity and water supply, laptops, cycles, electronic appliances, etc. These are called ‘freebies’ and are characterized as unwise for long-term fiscal stability.
• However, during the pandemic, governments (both Union and states), as well as the RBI, took several measures to mitigate pandemic effects. This included expansion of the food security scheme for two full years; cash transfer schemes for farmers, expansion of the jobs scheme, etc.

THE COMPLEX ISSUE OF FREEBIES:

• There is great ambiguity in what “freebies” mean.
• Merit goods Vs. Public goods: We need to distinguish between the concept of merit goods and public goods on which expenditure outlays have overall benefits such as the strengthening and deepening of the public distribution system, employment guarantee schemes, support for education and enhanced outlays for health, particularly during the pandemic.
• Around the world, these are considered to be desirable expenditures.
• It is important to analyse, not how cheap the freebies are but how expensive they are for the economy, life quality, and social cohesion in the long run.

Merit goods: are those public goods that result in interference with consumer choices. Here the government will be providing the goods (merit) to a specific section of the society because of their backward status, poverty, etc (depending on their merit, like the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan).

Public goods: refer to those goods which satisfy public wants. The main attribute of a public good is that they are supplied by the government jointly for the entire public. Examples of public goods are defense services, pollution control, streetlight, etc.

REASONS FOR THE RISE OF FREEBIE CULTURE DURING ELECTIONS

CONSTITUTIONAL MANDATE FOR THE WELFARE OF THE CITIZENS:

• It is based on the principles of equality and is keen to provide equal opportunity to all. It also aims to ensure equitable distribution of wealth. The 4th century BC treatise on the art of statecraft laid out a framework for good governance and welfare, however in present times it is imperative to draw a line between dole or a handout and spending on the public good having greater benefits.

POLITICAL MANDATE: 

• Political parties contesting the polls release their manifesto stating their aims and plans for every section of the society albeit having much of the focus on announcing schemes for their largest chunk of the vote bank i.e. the lower strata of the society.
• Freebies are often used as a tool to conceal the poor performance of the incumbent government on the socio-economic parameters and provide an opportunity to alter the voter’s mindset from real issues to short-term gains.

HISTORICAL BAGGAGE:

• Since independence, parties have been promising some form of freebies to attract voters.
• Even if a new party comes to power, then also it can’t rationalize or outrightly abolish the freebie commitments of prior governments.
• For e.g., Several State Governments have been forced to continue power and irrigation subsidies due to political pressure. Governments fear that discontinuance will antagonize their voter base.

COMPETITIVE POLITICS AND DOMINO EFFECT:

• The rise in coalition era politics since the 1990s has witnessed a rise of new political parties. These small and new parties have to offer more freebies than larger parties to lure the voters. Moreover the increase in competition among the parties to seek the votes, each party tries to outdo the others in terms of populist promises.

ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT OF FREEBIES

WELFARE STATE:

• The Constitution places an obligation on the State to take proactive measures for the welfare of the poor and downtrodden.
• For instance, Art. 39(b) of The Constitution of India calls for resource distribution for achieving a common good.

GLARING INEQUALITY IN THE SOCIETY: 

• In India, there is a wide inequality between the rich and the poor in terms of income and wealth. The OXFAM report 2021 showed that the income of 84% of households in the country declined in 2021, but at the same time the number of Indian billionaires grew from 102 to 142.

STRUCTURAL HURDLES AND MAKING THE BENEFITS OF GROWTH REACH THE LOWEST LEVEL: 

• They gave up land for cities, roads, factories, and dams. However, they largely became landless workers and slum dwellers. Several economists argue that the gains of development have hardly trickled down to the most marginalized section of the society, especially after 1991. The cost of freebies offered is a fraction of what the poor lose.
• The World Bank recognized in the 1980’s that the prevalent policies marginalize the poor and a ‘safety net’ (freebies) is needed.

ECONOMIC PUSH:

• They help increase the demand that prevents the rate of growth from declining further. Free education and health are anyway justified because they are cases of ‘merit wants’ and increase the productivity of labour.

SOCIAL STABILITY:

• Freebies enable the government to release the growing discontent in the marginalized section. They keep a lid on societal disruption which would be far more expensive.

INCENTIVES FOR THE RICH:

• The well-off and businesses get ‘freebies’ that are euphemistically called ‘incentives’. Since 2006, the Union Budget estimates these to be between Rs 4-6 lakh crore each year. If the well-off who don’t really need freebies can get so much, why can’t the marginalized (especially women and youth) get a fraction of it?

CUSHION DURING EMERGENCIES:

• COVID-19 has been one of the biggest health emergencies in the world for over a century. Such extreme events warrant state support to prevent chaos and disruption in society e.g., the free COVID-19 vaccination for every individual in India led to more prudent management of the pandemic.

ARGUMENTS AGAINST FREEBIES

UNDERMINES THE SPIRIT OF DEMOCRACY: 

• This is the primary concern as many people tend to vote for parties based on the free incentives offered by them. They fail to judge them on their performance and don’t utilize their franchise as per merit. Even the Supreme Court has observed that freebies shake the root of free and fair elections.
  

FALL IN PRODUCTIVITY:

• Freebies create a feeling in the masses that they can live with minimal effort. This decreases their productivity towards work e.g., a trend has been created that whoever avail loan from banks does not repay them, expecting a waiver of loans during the election. This gives rise to moral hazard and an incentive to default.

FISCAL STRESS:

• Freebies generally form part of revenue expenditure. Excess allocation towards them leaves little to spend on capital expenditure which is a prerequisite for achieving long-term growth.
• A case in point is the states which have been rolling out freebies in keeping with poll promises and ended up increased public debt with unsustainable fiscal conditions.

DISCOURAGES THE HONEST TAXPAYER:

• It creates a sense of discontentment in the mind of an honest taxpayer whose money is used to fund the freebie expenditure. This feeling is more dominant especially when the State is unable to improve the public services due to freebie commitments.

SECTORAL COLLAPSE:

• The populist measures of loan waivers have put significant pressure on the banking sector.
• Similarly, rising power subsidies have enhanced pressures on Discoms who are failing to sustain themselves.

WASTAGE OF RESOURCES:

• Promises of free water and electricity create severe stress on the water table and lead to over-exploitation as seen in the states of Punjab and Haryana.
• NITI Aayog has cautioned that 21 major cities of India are on the verge of running out of groundwater in a few years.

ALLEGED INFRINGEMENT OF CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS:

• Promise/distribution of irrational freebies from the public fund before election unduly influences the voters, shakes the roots of the free-fair election, disturbs level playing field, vitiates the purity of the election process, and also allegedly violates Articles 14, 162, 266(3) and 282.

LANGUOR AMONG THE MASSES:

• Recurring the nature of the freebies in the Indian socio-political scenario also makes the masses develop the habit of acting irresponsibly and dampen their spirit to work hard.

THE ANALYSIS OF THE ISSUE

• India could face the prospect of sub-national bankruptcies if States continued to dole out freebies to influence the electorate, Fifteenth Finance Commission Chairperson NK Singh cautioned, terming the political competition over such sops a “quick passport to fiscal disaster”.
• We must strive instead, for a race to efficiency through laboratories of democracy and sanguine federalism where states use their authority to harness innovative ideas and solutions to common problems which other states can emulate.
• If the political parties go for effective economic policies where the welfare policies or government schemes have good reach without any leakages or corruption and it is targeted at the right audience, then infrastructure and development will take care of themselves and the people will not require such kinds of freebies.
• Central government’s debt-to-GDP ratio is supposed to be 40% but now it has crossed 90%of the GDP, while the states have managed to keep their debt-to-GDP ratio at almost 27% in FY 2020. Hence the problem of financial stability is more pressing at the level of the centre.
• Political parties shall also provide the road map for achieving the targets mentioned in the manifesto and also the rationale behind enlisting such targets.
• Certain freebies are important to cushion or safeguard the socio-economic fabric such as the basic healthcare facilities, school education, subsidized ration, etc. Such interventions by the government, guide the economy in the long term growth by strengthening the human capital.
• Freebies during the crises situation also help in sustaining the economic cycle through demand pull growth such as in COVID times.
• Qualified freebies such as the ascribed conditions of creating public assets through MGNREGA also contribute in more than one way in economic growth by increasing the productive capacity of the population.

THE WAY FORWARD:

• There should be a strengthening of internal party democracy so that promises of development and not freebies are made in the elections. This would also reduce the magnitude of the criminalization of politics.
• The Election Commission should be given greater powers like the power to deregister a political party, power of contempt, etc. This would curtail the distribution of liquor and other goods during elections and ensure expenditure as per the desired limit.
• The Government should use the money spent on freebies towards job creation and infrastructure development as advised by Madras HC in 2021. This will lead to social upliftment and progression of the State.
• The focus should now be tilted on improving the efficiency of public expenditure. This requires focusing on outcomes and not merely outlays. One good example is the Pradhan Mantri UjjwalaYojana:
• Arresting the health hazards associated with cooking based on fossil fuels thereby reducing the out of the pocket expenditure on health.
• Employment for rural youth in the supply chain of cooking gas.
• Improving India’s performance on Sustainable Development Goals-SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 5 (gender equality) and especially SDG 7, which aims to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.
• Distribution of LPG subsidy through direct benefit transfer (DBT) also led to a decline in the subsidy bill.
• In the long run, eradication of unnecessary freebie culture requires an attitudinal change in the masses. It is high time that the ruling government should be made accountable for using tax revenue because freebies always prove to be a burden on taxpayers.
• The idea rendered by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has called for a wider debate on the freebies promised during polls and the possibility of making election manifestos legally binding. This will restrict the poll parties from making extravagant promises.

THE CONCLUSION: India has experienced the politics of freebies for a long time and the outcome of those policies has been sub-optimal, inefficient, and unsustainable. Therefore rather than doling out money, the focus should be on spending it efficiently. It is high time the discourse on improving public expenditure efficiency should take center stage while discussing the role of fiscal policy in India. However, until that is achieved, reliance on acceptable freebies like health, education, etc. can’t be completely stopped.

MAINS PRACTICE QUESTIONS:

1. ‘Instead of announcing freebies on the eve of elections, political parties need to come out with a clear road map with definitive time frames to solve the problems being faced by people for years.’ Elaborate.
2. ‘Irrational freebies in an under-tax country like India are not economically viable in the long run.’ Critically evaluate.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. WORLD MIGRATORY BIRDS DAY

THE CONTEXT: Arctic migrants such as the Pacific Golden Plover and Curlew Sandpiper have seen major decline in numbers in the past three decades, potentially due to pronounced effects of climate change in the Arctic

THE EXPLANATION:

• Several migratory species that make transcontinental journeys from northern latitudes to avian hotspots in India are increasingly facing threats such as climate change and habitat loss.
• There has been a decline in the number of waterfowl as well as shorebirds visiting wetlands including Bharatpur in the last 20-25 years.
• Arctic migrants such as the Pacific Golden Plover and Curlew Sandpiper have seen major declines in the past three decades, potentially due to pronounced effects of climate change in the Arctic.
• The Pacific Golden Plover declined by almost 85-90 per cent in the last 25 years according to the State of India’s Birds report based on observations uploaded by birdwatchers to the online platform eBird. The Curlew Sandpiper has declined by 80 percent likely reasons for the decline of these two species are climate change and changes in their breeding areas.
• Everybody loves the sight of flocks of exotic birds making the most of the winter sun. But how many pause to think of how their lot really fare?The eve of World Migratory Bird Day is marked for raising awareness.

2. THE HIDDEN ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS OF INDIA’S DATA CENTRE PUSH

THE CONTEXT: Data centres are giant industrial collections of servers that store and process data underlying the modern information economy.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Data centres are a crucial element of modern information and communication technology industries. They are giant industrial collections of servers that store and process data underlying the modern information economy. The control of data centres offers economic benefits as well as the ability to achieve data sovereignty.
• The Indian data centre market is estimated to grow to $5 billion. In addition, India’s natural resources, connectivity to global markets and strategic location at the junction of multiple submarine cables offers private players good incentives to invest in data centres.
• Recognising this, the Government of India released a draft ‘National Data Centre Policy‘ in 2020. Several major states have also notified their respective data centre policies and others have signed MoUs with private players to develop data centres. This is how the installed data centre capacity of India is expected to double from 499 MW in 2021 to 1,008 MW by 2023.
• These policies however, ignore a very pertinent issue with data centres their environmental impact.
• Data centres affect the environment in two major ways: electricity consumption and water usage. They are online 24/7 and require power back-up and a captive power source, as well as a substantial volume of water to stay cool. They often have a deleterious impact on nearby watersheds along with emissions issues arising from the disposal of cooling water and waste heat.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

3. RBI OPENS BANKS CREDIT FOR NBFCS TO ON-LEND CONTINUOUSLY TO PRIORITY SECTOR

THE CONTEXT: Bank credit to NBFCs, including HFCs, will be allowed up to an overall limit of 5% of an individual banks total priority sector lending

THE EXPLANATION:

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) decided to allow banks to lend to NBFCs for on-lending to priority sectors on an on-going basis to ensure continuation of the synergies that have been developed between banks and NBFCs in delivering credit to the specified priority sectors. The same holds true for small finance banks who are on-lending to NBFC-MFIs. This facility was earlier allowed till March 31, 2022.
• Now, bank credit to NBFCs, including housing finance companies (HFCs), for on-lending to priority sectors will be allowed upto an overall limit of 5 per cent of an individual banks total priority sector lending. Similarly, small finance banks for on-lending to NBFC-MFIs and other MFIs, which are RBI recognised, will be allowed up to an overall limit of 10 per cent of an individual bank’s total priority sector lending.
• These limits shall be computed by averaging across four quarters of the financial year, to determine adherence to the prescribed cap.
• Small finance banks will be allowed to lend to registered NBFC-MFIs and other MFIs who have a gross loan portfolio of upto Rs 500 crore as of March 31 of the previous financial year.
• In case the gross loan portfolio of the NBFC-MFIs/other MFIs exceeds the stipulated limit at a later date, all priority sector loans created prior to exceeding the gross loan portfolio limit will continue to be classified by the small finance banks (SFBs) as priority sector lending till repayment/maturity, whichever is earlier.

4. INDIA BANS IMMEDIATE EXPORT OF WHEAT TO CONTROL RISING DOMESTIC PRICES

THE CONTEXT: The government has banned the export of wheat with immediate effect in a bid to control rising domestic prices

THE EXPLANATION:

• India is the second-largest producer of wheat in the world, with a share of around 14.14 per cent of the total production in 2020. The country produces around 107.59 million MT of wheat annually and a major chunk of it goes towards domestic consumption.
• The move comes after India’s retail inflation rose to an 8-year high of 7.79 per cent in April, “largely driven by rising fuel and food prices and staying well above the Reserve Bank of India’s upper tolerance limit for a fourth consecutive month”.
• This also comes days after India decided to send trade delegations to countries such as Morocco, Tunisia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Turkey, Algeria and Lebanon to explore the possibility of boosting wheat exports.
• food inflation reached a multi-month high in March globally and was “expected to remain elevated due to higher vegetable and cooking oil prices” across the world.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

5. SCIENTISTS GROW PLANTS IN LUNAR DIRT, THE NEXT STOP MOON

THE CONTEXT: For the first time, scientists have grown plants in soil from the moon collected by NASA’s Apollo astronauts.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Researchers had no idea if anything would sprout in the harsh moon dirt and wanted to see if it could be used to grow food by the next generation of lunar explorers. The results stunned them.
• The longer the soil was exposed to punishing cosmic radiation and solar wind on the moon, the worse the plants seemed to do. The Apollo 11 samples — exposed a couple billion years longer to the elements because of the Sea of Tranquility’s older surface — were the least conducive for growth, according to scientists.
• This is a big step forward to know that you can grow plants, “The real next step is to go and do it on the surface of the moon.”

6. ISRO SUCCESSFULLY CARRIES OUT STATIC TEST OF GAGANYAAN ROCKET’S BOOSTER

THE CONTEXT: The Indian Space Research Organisation successfully completed the static test of a human-rated solid rocket booster (HS200) for the Gaganyaan programme at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The Indian Space Research Organisation on Monday successfully completed the static test of a human-rated solid rocket booster (HS200) for the Gaganyaan programme at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
• The HS200 is the human-rated version of the S200 rocket booster of satellite launch vehicle GSLV Mk III, popularly known as LVM3.
• The S200 motor, which is the first stage of the LVM3 launch vehicle intended for launching a 4,000 kg class satellite to the geosynchronous transfer orbit, was configured as a strap-on rocket booster.
• Based on the successful launch pedigree of this launch vehicle including the Chandrayaan mission, the LVM3 has been identified as the launcher for the Gaganyaan mission.
• For the manned space mission, LVM3 launch vehicle underwent improvements stipulated by the requirements of human rating.
• The additional safety features for motor case joints, robust insulation and ignition systems. The control system used in this booster employs one of the world’s most powerful electro-mechanical actuators with multiple redundancies and safety features.
• The system is indigenously designed and developed by ISRO in participation with various industries spread across the country.
• The HS200 booster loaded with 203 tonnes of solid propellant was tested for a duration of 135 seconds. The 20-metre long and 3.2 m diameter booster is the world’s second-largest operational booster with solid propellant.
• With the successful completion of this test, ISRO marches one more step closer to Gaganyaan Programme.
• Out of the three propulsion stages of LVM3, the human-rated versions of the second-stage known as L110-G loaded with liquid propellant and the third stage C25-G with cryogenic propellant are in the final phase of qualification, including tests with static firing.
• Gaganyaan programme, the most prestigious scientific endeavour of India, is steadily progressing towards its final goal of taking an Indian to space and bringing him safely back.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION FOR 14th MAY 2022

Q1. Which of the following is not a member of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)?

1. Kazakhstan
2. Afghanistan
3. Tajikistan
4. Uzbekistan

 ANSWER FOR THE 13TH MAY

Answer: D

Explanation:

Please refer to the given map-

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