THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. INDIA BECOMES WORLD’S FIFTH-LARGEST ECONOMY

THE CONTEXT: Recently, India has overtaken the UK to become the fifth largest economy in the world. India is now behind the US, China, Japan and Germany in terms of economy.
THE EXPLANATION:
• According to figures from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), India passed the United Kingdom (UK) to become the fifth-largest economy in the world in the last quarter of 2021. India’s economy currently ranks just four nations ahead of it in terms of size in dollars. The United States, China, Japan, and Germany are the only nations with economies larger than India’s. The UK is currently in sixth place, just behind India.
• The report highlighted that in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms, India’s GDP (PPP) is $ 10.51 trillion, exceeding that of Japan and Germany. Due to India’s high population, India’s GDP per capita is $ 2,170 (for comparison, the US is $ 62,794).
• India’s real GDP growth, however, it said is expected to weaken for the third straight year from 7.5 per cent to 5 per cent.
• The report observed that India’s economic liberalisation began in the early 1990s and included industrial deregulation, reduced controls on foreign trade and investment, and privatisation of state-owned enterprises. These measures have helped India accelerate economic growth.
• India’s service sector is the fast-growing sector in the world accounting for 60 per cent of the economy and 28 per of employment, the report said, adding that manufacturing and agriculture are two other significant sectors of the economy.
• The US-based World Population Review is an independent organisation without any political affiliations.

What is PPP?
• Purchasing power parity (PPP) is a popular metric used by macroeconomic analysts.
• It compares economic productivity and standards of living between countries.
• In some countries adjust their gross domestic product (GDP) figures to reflect PPP.

Way ahead:
• The pace of the economic recovery will be indistinguishably linked to the development of the Covid-19 pandemic, both domestically and internationally.
• As the manufacturer of the majority of the world’s vaccines and with a 42-year-old vaccination programme (Universal Immunisation Programme) that targets 55 million people each year, India is better placed than many other developing countries to roll out the vaccines successfully and efficiently next year.
• In the medium to long term, reforms such as the 2016 demonetisation and more recently the controversial efforts to liberalise the agricultural sector can deliver economic benefits.
• However, with the majority of the Indian workforce employed in the agricultural sector, the reform process requires a delicate and gradual approach that balances the need for longer-term efficiency gains with the need to support incomes in the short-term.
• The infrastructure bottlenecks that exist in India mean that investment in this area has the potential to unlock significant productivity gains.
• Therefore, the outlook for the economy going forwards will be closely related to the government’s approach to infrastructure spending.

2. IMF $2.9BN DEAL TO AID SRI LANKA

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has come forward to help Sri Lanka, which is facing a historic economic crisis. The IMF has announced a loan of $ 2.9 billion to Sri Lanka.
THE EXPLANATION:
• The aid aims to restore macroeconomic stability and creditworthiness in Sri Lanka as well as protect financial stability.
• The IMF and Sri Lankan authorities have agreed on a 48-month loan under the Extended Funds Facility (EFF) of about $2.9 billion to help stabilise the economy and boost growth.
• The agreement between Sri Lanka and the IMF is only preliminary, and has to be approved by the IMF management and its executive board. It will also go through only if Sri Lankan authorities carry out previously agreed measures which include additional funding from multilateral partners and debt relief from Sri Lankan lenders to help ensure debt affordability and bridge the financial gap.
• Starting with one of the lowest revenue levels in the world, this loan program will implement major tax reforms. These reforms include making personal income tax more progressive and expanding the tax base for corporate income tax and VAT.
VALUE ADDITION:
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
• IMF is an international financial institution. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. The institution comprises of 190 countries. It is working to foster global monetary cooperation, facilitate international trade, secure financial stability, promote sustainable economic growth, promote high employment and reduce poverty worldwide.
• It was created in 1944 but started working formally on December 27, 1945. It came into existence with 29 member countries.

Why was IMF created?
• The IMF was originally created as a part of the Bretton Woods system in 1944. During the Great Depression, countries raised the barriers to trade in order to improve their failing economies.
• This resulted into devaluation of national currencies and decline in world trade. Breakdown in international monetary cooperation created a need for oversight. Thus, representatives of 45 governments met at the Bretton Woods Conference, in the United States, to discuss a framework for an international economic cooperation and to rebuild Europe.

3. ADDITIONAL SAFETY REQUIREMENTS IN BATTERY STANDARDS

THE CONTEXT: In April 2022, the cases of fire in electric two-wheelers of manufacturers such as Ola Electric, Okinawa Autotech and PureEV were reported. Following which the government constituted an expert committee under the chairmanship of Tata Narasimha Rao (Director, ARC, Hyderabad) to probe it.
THE EXPLANATION:
• The committee submitted its recommendation to the government recently. These new safety standards will come into effect from 1 October 2022. Ministry has also sought comments and suggestions from all stakeholders within a period of thirty days.
• These new rules will be applicable to electric two-, three- and four-wheelers, passenger and goods vehicles. These modifications included specific requirements for L-class motor vehicles with electric power trains (engines) and requirements for M-class and N-class motor vehicles for electric power trains.
• Whereas, L class motor vehicles are those which have less than four wheels, whereas M category vehicles are those which have at least four wheels and are used for transporting passengers.
• These modifications include additional safety requirements relating to thermal diffusion due to fire from the battery cell, on-board charger, the design of the battery pack, and internal cell short circuits.
Mandatory to include ‘Safety Fuse’
• In this new amendment it has been made mandatory to include ‘Safety Fuse’. This will blow the battery off the powertrain and immediately disconnect it in case of excessive heat generation or high current outflow.
EVs will now also have four additional sensors
• These sensors will help to quickly identify the problem if there is a problem with the battery system. These sensors will show an error on the console of the vehicle which will alert the driver to take necessary corrective or remedial measures.
Distance between two battery cells is compulsory
• It is also said to increase the distance between two battery cells used in electric vehicle batteries. It is recommended by the panel to help release heat in the event of thermal runaway in rechargeable energy storage systems (RESS) and to help detach cells.
Auto cut-off feature for charger
• Electric vehicle chargers will be redesigned to include a charge voltage cut-off as well as a time-based charge cut-off function. This will help prevent overcharging the RES.
Audio-visual alerts for drivers
• The EVs will have to be equipped with audio-visual alerts for early detection of thermal events or gases in case of thermal runaway of the cell.

THE GOVERNMENT SCHEMES IN NEWS

4. SCHEME FOR ‘PROMOTION OF BULK DRUG PARKS’

THE CONTEXT: The Department of Pharmaceuticals has recently given ‘in-principle’ approval to the proposals to set up bulk drug parks in three states- Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh under the scheme of “Promotion of Bulk Drug Parks”. This is a major initiative to support bulk drug manufacturing in the country.
THE EXPLANATION:
• Under this scheme, proposals for construction of bulk drug parks were received from 13 states. Out of which Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh have been selected.
• The financial assistance for the proposed bulk drug parks in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh will be 70 per cent of the project cost of the shared infrastructure.
• At the same time, being a hill state, the financial assistance for Himachal Pradesh will be 90 percent of the total project cost. The maximum assistance for wholesale drug parks under this scheme will be limited to Rs 1,000 crore.
About the Parks
These parks will be set up on 1402.44 acres in Haroli tehsil of Una district of Himachal Pradesh, 2015.02 acres in Jambusar tehsil of Bharuch district of Gujarat and 2000.45 acres at KP Puram and Kodhaha in Thondangi mandal of East Godavari district.
Project Benefits
• The bulk drug parks to be developed under this scheme will provide common infrastructure facilities at one place, thereby creating a strong ecosystem for bulk drug manufacturing in the country and will also bring down the manufacturing cost significantly.
• The scheme is expected to gain a foothold in the global market by encouraging domestic manufacturing of bulk drugs and providing easy access to standard testing and infrastructure to reduce import dependence.
• The scheme will help the industry to meet environmental standards at low cost through innovative methods of common waste management system and to reap the benefits arising out of the optimization of resources and economies of scale.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

5. DEPLOYING 5G IN A WORLD BUILT ON 4G TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: According to Statista data, the total number of smartphone users in the world has nearly doubled from 3.7 billion in 2016 to 6.6 billion in 2022.Since 4G’s inception in the early 2010s, the number of smartphone users have grown significantly.
THE EXPLANATION:
• A 5G-based connected future is upon us. That means deploying services in a world filled with 4G compatible devices. So, telecom operators have two options. They can either build a non-standalone (NSA) or a standalone architecture.
• Since the dawn of mobile communication in the early 1980s, companies and consumers have been adapting to new ways of sending and receiving information. The first-generation technology of this era let people make and receive phones calls through their mobile handheld devices while the second and third generations added text and multi-media messaging, as well as email services to cell phones. The emergence of 4G in the early part of the past decade changed the mobile-telephone landscape. This paradigmatic shift let users stream and download videos at speeds three times greater than 3G. The Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard-based generation had two important characteristics it apart from its predecessors.

What is 5G technology?
• 5G is a fifth-generation wireless communication technology that has very high reliability, spectrum bands and speed which is around 10 plus Gbps (20 times that of 4G).
• It is based on the IEEE 802.11ac standard of broadband connectivity. But a formal standard has not been set yet.
• The final standard for 5G will be established by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

Different Bands of 5G
5G primarily operates across three bands: low, mid, and high-frequency spectrums, each with its own set of benefits and drawbacks.
• Low Band Spectrum: The maximum speed of Internet and data exchange is limited to 100 Mbps in terms of coverage and speed (Megabits per second). This means that telecom companies can use and install it for commercial cellphone users who may not have specific demands for very high-speed Internet. However, the low band spectrum may not be optimal for specialised needs of the industry.
• Mid-Band Spectrum: It has faster speeds than the low-band spectrum, but it has restrictions in terms of coverage area and signal penetration. This band could be utilised by industries and specialised production units to create captive networks that can be tailored to their specific demands.
• High Band Spectrum: It has the fastest speed of all three bands, but its coverage and signal penetration intensity are severely limited. This band significantly improves future 5G technology applications such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and smart technologies, although it has significant infrastructure requirements.
Advantages/Applications of 5G technology
• With very high speed, 5G allows access to high-bandwidth multimedia such as HD videos, movies and games which can be downloaded in seconds.
• It enables high-speed data services that have industrial applications.
• It supports critical applications like financial transactions and healthcare.
• It will help incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI) in our daily lives. It will enable cloud systems to stream software updates, music and navigation data to driverless cars seamlessly. It will also facilitate vehicle-vehicle communications in order to keep a safe distance from each other = fewer car accidents + less traffic congestion.

Disadvantages of 5G technology
• Technology is still in progress and research on its viability is going on.
• The speed on such scale (10,000 Mbps) is difficult to achieve considering the incompetent technological support in most parts of the world.
• Many of the old devices would not support 5G. Therefore all of them need to be replaced with new ones.
• Developing infrastructure for 5G is expensive.

India’s Initiatives
• Bharatnet project was launched in 2017 for providing digital infrastructure on a non-discriminatory basis by affordable broadband connectivity for all households. The objective is to facilitate the delivery of e-health, e-governance, e-banking, e-education, Internet and other services to rural areas.
• National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) aims at bringing a broadband revolution in rural areas. Its objective is to connect all the Gram Panchayats in the country with 100 Mbps connectivity. As we have seen earlier, fibre provides strong backhaul, thus facilitates the adoption of 5G.
• High-level forum to develop 5G roadmap – Recently, the Department of Telecommunications set up a high-level forum to evaluate roadmaps and create a strategy to adopt 5G in the country by 2020.
• Waivers for Private telecoms -The government also announced a subsidy of Rs 3,600 crore to private telecom players such as Bharti Airtel, Vodafone India, and Reliance Jio to establish Wi-Fi in rural areas as part of the second phase of the BharatNet project.

THE SECURITY AFFAIRS

6. TEJAS MARK-2 PROJECT

THE CONTEXT: Recently the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved the project to develop a more capable and powerful version of the indigenous aircraft LCA Mark 2 multirole fighter jet.
THE EXPLANATION:
• The Tejas Mark-2 is described as a 4.5-generation machine, which will not only have 70 per cent indigenization (as opposed to the Mark IA’s 62 per cent), but will incorporate more advanced technologies to be manufactured in India. Tejas is a single-engine and highly maneuverable multi-role supersonic fighter aircraft manufactured by state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
• The jet will be fitted with the more powerful GE-414 engine, which will give it a longer combat range and more weapon-carrying capability than the existing Tejas Mark-1 (GE-404 engine).
• Also, the look of Tejas Mark-2 is of the 21st century. Next to the wings, a canard resembling those of contemporary fighters such as the Rafale, Eurofighter or Sukhoi-30MKI has been added.
• Apart from the weapon payload and engine, the interiors of the Tejas Mark-2 will be rearranged, to make it more accessible and maintenance-friendly.
• The fighter jet will be developed at a cost of over Rs 6,500 crore, in addition to the Rs 2,500 crore approved earlier.

Why is Tejas Mark-2 important?
• The approval of Tejas Mark-2 is a big relief for the Indian Air Force. The IAF currently has 30 fighter squadrons against the sanctioned strength of 42, which is insufficient at a time when the country is facing threats from both China and Pakistan.
• The LCA Mark-2 fighter jets will replace the Jaguar and Mirage 2000 fighters when they are phased out after 10 years. The new Tejas is a very formidable aircraft which will surely add more strength to the IAF list.

THE DATA POINT

1. Why are an increasing number of teachers failing to establish a bond with students? READ MORE
2. Intuition is wisdom at its purest READ MORE
3. To all education READ MORE
4. FESTIVITY, MOURNING ARE COMPLIENTARY READ MORE

1. Next steps on carbon: Govt must move fast on emission trading READ MORE
2. Pakistan’s Devastating Floods Show the Climate Crisis Is Also a Debt Crisis READ MORE
3. The new plan to develop the National Capital Region is a blow to the conservation of the Aravalis READ MORE

1. Why deaths by suicide are rising worldwide READ MORE
2. Coercion as conversion: Sexual orientation and gender identitiesdo not require medical intervention READ MORE
3. Train horror: All-pervasive sexual violence a sign of depravity READ MORE

1. Justice rendered, but only incompletely: In the Teesta Setalvad case, the lack of clear judicial answers to the top court’s compelling questions are conspicuous READ MORE
2. Rethinking anonymity READ MORE
3. Explainer: How ‘zero FIRs’ have become the latest battleground between state police forces READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Has science evolved to record dreams? READ MORE
2. Nano urea fast-tracked for approval despite incomplete trials READ MORE
3. ‘Dark sky reserve’ to come up in Ladakh READ MORE
4. Assam logged highest number of sedition cases in last 8 years: NCRB READ MORE
5. Ramon Magsaysay of Philippines, and his stance on communism READ MORE
6. India’s wind energy sector struggles despite SECI’s oversubscribed bids READ MORE
7. Chileans reject proposed constitution promising rights to nature, indigenous people READ MORE
8. India’s first bulk drugs park to be set up in Gujarat’s Bharuch READ MORE

Main Exam

GS Paper- 1

1. Why deaths by suicide are rising worldwide READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Justice rendered, but only incompletely: In the Teesta Setalvad case, the lack of clear judicial answers to the top court’s compelling questions are conspicuous READ MORE
2. Rethinking anonymity READ MORE
3. Explainer: How ‘zero FIRs’ have become the latest battleground between state police forces READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Coercion as conversion: Sexual orientation and gender identitiesdo not require medical intervention READ MORE
2. Train horror: All-pervasive sexual violence a sign of depravity READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. A lot is at stake for India-Bangladesh ties: While they have deepened ties, the Hasina and Modi governments have failed to resolve long-standing issues READ MORE  
2. India and Australia, from divergence to convergence: The fifth round of the bilateral Track 1.5 dialogue will set the pace for Canberra’s deepening relationship with New Delhi READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Explained | Why is there divergence in inflation across States? READ MORE
2. Precision farming needs to be promoted to get more output with less exploitation of natural resources READ MORE
3. Rural entrepreneurship replaces digital divide READ MORE
4. Indian military can’t be a silent spectator to global semiconductor boom. See US, China READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Next steps on carbon: Govt must move fast on emission trading READ MORE
2. Pakistan’s Devastating Floods Show the Climate Crisis Is Also a Debt Crisis READ MORE
3. The new plan to develop the National Capital Region is a blow to the conservation of the Aravalis READ MORE

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. Deploying 5G in a world built on 4G technology READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Why are an increasing number of teachers failing to establish a bond with students? READ MORE
2. Intuition is wisdom at its purest READ MORE
3. To all education READ MORE
4. FESTIVITY, MOURNING ARE COMPLIENTARY READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. Universal public food distribution is now an essential requirement. It is essential to combat hunger and ensure basic nutrition without excluding some of the most needy and vulnerable people. Comment.
2. India’s ongoing transformation and resilience displayed during the COVID-19 crisis are not only driven by the digital revolution and empowerment tapping into rural entrepreneurs but will also continue to be key drivers for India’s journey to become a developed nation. Examine.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• This city is what it is because our citizens are what they are.
• Within India, however strong the current pulls in the opposite direction, there is still tremendous progressive energy and desire for change towards a more just economy and a more inclusive yet diverse society.
• A low-cost, tech-intensive and transparent monitoring, reporting and verification scheme will have to be developed by the regulator. There is a lot to be done in this space.
• India must leverage its tech know-how to develop cutting-edge methods of determining whether promises of emission reduction are actually being kept by market participants.
• Common Services Centres are playing key role in transforming the countryside with improving ease of doing business.
• India’s ongoing transformation and resilience displayed during the COVID-19 crisis are not only driven by the digital revolution and empowerment tapping into rural entrepreneurs but will also continue to be key drivers for India’s journey to become a developed nation.
• In India, we have the culture of free power, free water, almost 80 to 90 per cent subsidy on urea, and so on. One critical factor that is needed is the political economy of policies.
• There is thus a compelling need for law reform to revise the age of consent and prevent the criminalisation of older adolescents engaging in factually consensual and non-exploitative acts.
• In Bangladesh, there is a prevailing perception that India’s goodwill towards the country is aligned to one particular political ideology or school of thought as opposed to Bangladeshi society at large.

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 324]

The context: Just as the role of the Parliament pertains to making laws on a national level, the State Legislative Assemblies have been created for the same purpose at the state level under the Constitution. Over the years, the question of the efficacy of these state legislatures has to some extent been positioned under doubts based on their performance. In this article, we analyse the working of state legislative assemblies from the UPSC perspective.

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLIES OF THE STATES IN INDIA: A BRIEF BACKGROUND

• It was for the first time in the year 1773 via the Regulating Act of 1773 that provisions were made for the appointment of a Governor General and it was further assisted by a Governor General’s council.
• Under the 1861 Act, new legislative councils are formed in the provinces of Bengal, NWFP and Punjab.
• The Government of India Act of 1919 (also known as the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms) was based on the Montagu-Chelmsford Report that had been submitted to Parliament in 1918. Under the act, elections were held in 1920, the number of Indian members to the viceroy’s Executive Council was increased from at least two to no fewer than three, and the Imperial Legislative Council was transformed into a bicameral legislature consisting of a Legislative Assembly (lower house) and a Council of State (upper house).
• Later, in accordance with the provisions of the Act of 1935, preparations were held for provincial autonomy. In early 1937, the general election to the provincial legislatures was fixed throughout the country.
• The Government of India Act 1935 ended dyarchy in the provinces and increased autonomy. Six provinces were given bicameral legislatures. Elections based on separate electorates were held in 1937 and 1946, leading to the formation of provincial ministries (governments) led by a Prime Minister.
• Further, the Constitution of India has embedded in its provisions, a detailed description about bicameralism in India. Part VI, Chapter III, Article 168-212 talks about the formation/creation of state legislatures, their composition, manner of election, abolition and dissolution, members- their powers and duties, etc.
• Some key provisions regarding State Legislative Assemblies:

Article 168

• Article 168 is the provision which speaks about the constitution of state legislatures.

ARTICLE 169

• Article 169 speaks about the abolition or creation of legislative councils. States which have a bicameral legislature can abolish their legislative council and states that wish to have a bicameral legislature, can opt for the creation of a legislative council.
• In either case, a special majority resolution has to be passed by the legislative assembly of that state. The special majority is obtained when the majority of all the members and two-thirds majority of the members present and voting, give their assent in favour of the motion.

ARTICLE 170

• Article 170 and Article 171 speak about the composition of the legislative assembly and the legislative council, respectively.
• Subject to the provisions of Article 333, the Legislative Assembly of each State shall consist of not more than five hundred, and not less than sixty, members chosen by direct election from territorial constituencies in the State
• The total number of members in the Legislative Council of a State having such a Council shall not exceed one-third of the total number of members in the Legislative Assembly of that State: Provided that the total number of members in the Legislative Council of a State shall in no case be less than forty.

ARTICLE 172, 173

• Article 172 specifies the duration of the state legislatures and Article 173 speaks about the qualifications required for becoming a member in state legislatures.

ARTICLE 174

• Article 174 gives power to the Governor to summon sessions of the houses, prorogue either house and dissolve the legislative assembly. The legislative council, however, is a permanent body and cannot be dissolved.

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLIES OF THE STATES IN INDIA: WORKING AND MANDATE

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Every state and union territory (except those directly governed by the Union Government) of India has a legislative assembly. It is the house of state legislature where legislative power truly resides. Any bill or proposition is always presented in the legislative assembly.
• Though it is then passed to the legislative council, the legislative assembly is not bound by the recommendations of the legislative council.

NATURE

• The powers of legislative councils are advisory in nature and ultimately, the decisions are made by the legislative assembly. This is why it is said to be the house where power truly resides. This is to an extent similar to the status of Lok Sabha in Parliament.

SCOPE OF BICAMERALISM

• States having a unicameral legislature, and that want to adopt a bicameral legislature by creating a legislative council, will have to present the motion for the same in the legislative assembly.
• States which have a legislative council but wish to abolish it, too, have to present their motion in the legislative assembly. It is only when a special majority is obtained in the legislative assembly that the creation/ abolition takes effect.

COMPOSITION

• The minimum number of members that must constitute a legislative assembly is 60 members and an upper limit of 500 members has been set. However, for certain states like Goa, Sikkim, etc., the lower limit has been relaxed.

 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLIES OF THE STATES IN INDIA: ANALYSING THE PERFORMANCE

FREQUENCY OF ATTENDANCE

• In 2021, state assemblies met for an average of 21 days and during this time, passed more than 500 Bills. The average is boosted by three states: Kerala (61), Odisha (43), and Karnataka (40) which met for 40 days or more.  17 states met for less than 20 days and of these, five met for less than 10 days.
• Between 2016 and 2021, 23 state assemblies met for an average of 25 days.  States which met for fewer days include Tripura (11), Punjab (14), Haryana (14), Uttarakhand (14), and Delhi (16).  A low number of sitting days impacts legislative scrutiny of Bills, budgets, and other issues.

LIMITED SCRUTINY OF BILLS  

• The Legislative Bills covered a variety of subjects such as regulating higher education, online gaming, religious conversions, and the preservation of cattle.
• Most of these Bills saw little legislative scrutiny.  About half of the Bills were passed within a day of their introduction.
• In 2021, 44% of Bills were passed within a day of their introduction in the legislature.  In eight states including Gujarat, West Bengal, Punjab, and Bihar, all Bills were passed on the same day as they were introduced.

ABSENCE OF DETAILED SCRUTINY OF LAWS

• In Parliament, Bills are often referred to Parliamentary Standing Committees for detailed examination. In most states, such committees are non-existent.
• In the absence of a robust committee system and fewer working days, state legislatures barely spend any time scrutinising legislative proposals brought before them.
• An Assembly may create ad hoc Select Committees for the specific purpose of examining a Bill.  However, at the state level, Committees are often the exception rather than the norm, and Bills are rarely examined by Committees.

DISCREPANCIES IN ATTENDANCE: ONLY BUDGET SESSION WITNESSES’ THE MAJORITY OF WORKING DAYS

• Article 174 of the Constitution states that the gap between one sitting of the Assembly and the next should not be more than six months. In most states, legislatures meet for two or three sessions in a year.
• This consists of a long budget session, which concludes by the end of March and then brief monsoon and winter sessions.
• In 2021, on average, 61% of the sittings were held during the budget session.  Some states like Rajasthan, Tripura, and Punjab held more than 70% of their total sittings during the budget session.  In Manipur, Mizoram, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu, more than 80% of the total sittings were held during the budget session.

ROLE OF GOVERNOR: ANALYZING ASSENTS AND ORDINANCES

• In 2021, 75% of the Bills received the assent of the Governor within a month.  States, where the average time for Bills to receive assent was the shortest, include Meghalaya (four days) and Uttar Pradesh (six days).   States with comparatively longer time for assent are Jharkhand (80 days on average) and Tripura (63 days).
• Although swift assent is good for smooth law-making, recurring instances of such fast assents put the credibility of both the law and office of the Governor
• in some doubt.
• The Supreme Court has held that the Ordinance route for law-making should be used only under exceptional circumstances and should not substitute the law-making powers of the Legislature.
• In 2021, 21 out of 28 states promulgated Ordinances.  The Kerala government promulgated the highest number of Ordinances (144) followed by Andhra Pradesh (20) and Maharashtra (15).

ISSUE OF TRANSPARENCY

• Information and data on state legislatures is not easily available. While some state legislatures publish data on a regular basis, many do not have a systematic way of reporting legislative proceedings and business.
• Some states do not regularly update their websites or the National e Vidhan Application (a central initiative to collate information on all legislatures).  Data on the indicators chosen here was not available for all states/UTs.
• While some states such as Karnataka, Delhi and Rajasthan place the texts of legislative debates on their assembly websites, many such as Gujarat and West Bengal don’t.
• RTI replies from Gujrat State assembly officials said that there are no plans in the near future of uploading debates of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly proceedings on the website.

THE IMPLICATIONS OF POOR PERFORMANCE OF THE STATE LEGISLATURE

OVERLOOKING LOCAL ASPIRATIONS

• State legislatures make laws on subjects in the State List and the Concurrent List of the Constitution. These include subjects such as law and order, police, health, education, and land.
• Thus, more than the Parliament, the state legislatures hold a key position in making laws for people within the state premise. Hence, an ineffective or less productive state legislature means overlooking key local issues and aspirations.

LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY

• Due to a loss in the number of active working days, there is limited scrutiny of state-level expenditure, fiscal devolution and decentralization of decision-making within states, or tracking functioning of state legislatures. This results in limited accountability while paving the way for further arbitrariness in law-making.
• By enforcing the collective responsibility of the Council of Ministers and the individual responsibility of the ministers, the assemblies ensure an accountable government and responsive administration. Through instruments like question hour, debates, motions, budgetary control, committee system etc., the assemblies act as the watchdog of citizens’ trust. Thus, the proper functioning of these deliberative institutions is vital for upholding the public interest and the rule of law.

THREAT TO FEDERALISM

• The state legislatures play a key role in Constitutional Amendments concerning one or more states (in the form of special majority requirements). Attenuating working days thus, signify that such bills won’t be scrutinized properly. This would ultimately hamper the federal spirit of the Constitution.

LOSS OF PUBLIC TRUST

• Unlike the Centre, where draft bills are often shared by ministries for public comments, the process of conceiving, deliberating and passing state laws is rather ambiguous. Furthermore, arbitrary promulgation of ordinances and lack of transparent house sessions further enhance this ambiguity in state legislatures.
• This may in the long term erode public trust in the legislative institutions. All states must practice inclusive policy-making.

VIOLATION OF CITIZENS’ RIGHT TO INFORMATION

• The information about the debates and other proceedings of the assemblies should ideally be found in the public domain, as mandated by Section 4 (1) (b) of RTI Act, 2005 on proactive public disclosure of government documents.
• Without timely access to this information, the citizens and the civil society cannot hold their representatives accountable which leads to arbitrariness and corruption in governance.

THE WAY FORWARD

FIXING TIME PERIOD

• The National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution (NCRWC) had recommended setting a minimum period of sitting days for state legislatures.
• It had suggested that state legislatures with less than 70 members should meet for at least 50 days a year, while the rest should meet for at least 90 days.
• Article 174 needs to be amended to fix the minimum number of days assemblies must sit (in days) in a year. Also, the total control of the executive in calling the session and deciding the days of sittings needs revision.

FORMING COMMITTEES FOR SCRUTINY OF BILLS

• Committees help legislatures discuss Bills in detail and scrutinize their provisions closely.
• Committees also provide an opportunity to engage with sectoral experts and stakeholders which allows for wider participation in the law-making process.
• State Assemblies must create ad hoc Select Committees for the specific purpose of examining a Bill.

USING TECHNOLOGY

• The National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) is a system for digitising the legislative bodies of all Indian states and the Parliament through a single platform on which house proceedings, starred/unstarred questions and answers, committee reports etc. will be available.
• Nagaland became the first state to implement NeVA.
• Thus, Nagaland becomes an example to be followed by other states so as to ensure the highest levels of transparency in legislative assemblies and councils.

LIVE TELECAST ALL PROCEEDINGS

• Lack of accountability to citizens emanates from the high degree of opacity of proceedings of state assemblies.
• Live telecasts of proceedings will ensure their performance is monitored by citizens in real-time, thereby improving the quality of legislation and debates on matters of public importance.

RTI DISCLOSURES

• Citizens should collectively demand mandatory disclosure of the text of legislative debates and questions on assembly websites by all states under the RTI Act, 2005.

BILINGUAL WEBSITES AND DOCUMENTS

• All government resolutions at the state level, including assembly websites, should be translated into English and be available along with the vernacular language of the state, to ensure more readability and hence more civic and media engagement with state policies and actions.

CASE STUDY: ENHANCING LAW MAKING – JOINT COMMITTEE REPORT ON THE MAHARASHTRA SHAKTI BILL

• The Shakti Criminal Laws (Maharashtra Amendment) Bill, 2020 was introduced in the Maharashtra Legislative assembly on December 14, 2020. It was referred to a Joint Committee of both Houses on the same day. The Committee presented its report on December 22, 2021.
• The Bill amends the Indian Penal Code, 1860, the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 in their application to Maharashtra. Key features of the Bill and related recommendations of the Committee include:

1)  Enhanced punishment: The Bill mandated the death penalty for certain offences against women and children, such as rape. It also enhanced the punishment for certain offences such as throwing acid and providing false information against a person to humiliate, extort, threaten, defame, or harass them. Making false complaints was punishable with imprisonment for a maximum of one year.

§  Improvements: The Committee recommended increasing the term of imprisonment to a minimum of one and a maximum of three years. The Bill passed by the Assembly included this change.

2) Timelines: The Bill proposed a short timeline for the completion of the investigation, trial, and disposal of appeal for certain offences. The investigation was to be completed within 15 days (extendable by seven days).

§  Improvements: The Committee observed that this short period may affect the merits of the investigation. It recommended increasing this period to 30 days, extendable by a further 30 days. This recommendation was incorporated in the Bill when it was passed.

THE CONCLUSION: Legislatures are arenas for debate and giving voice to public opinion. As accountability institutions, they are responsible for asking tough questions of the government and highlighting uncomfortable truths. So, lesser sittings of the legislature lead to bypassing of crucial debates and scrutiny. Lesser number of sitting days also means that state governments are free to make laws through ordinances. And when they convene legislatures, there is little time for MLAs to scrutinize laws brought before them. Such work culture cannot become the basis of smooth functioning democracy. There needs to be greater accountability and responsibility amongst legislators for the importance of the public office they are holding.

QUESTIONS TO PONDER

• Critically analyse the working of the state legislatures in India. According to you, what steps need to be taken to enhance the productivity of the state legislatures?
• Reforming the functioning of legislative assemblies at the state level is a must for realizing the goal of an accountable administration. Substantiate with relevant examples.
• “Engaging sectoral experts and stakeholders allow for wider participation in the law-making process.” In the light of the statement, discuss the need for establishing select committees at the level of state legislatures.