THE SOCIAL ISSUES AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. “THE GLOBAL ESTIMATES OF MODERN SLAVERY” REPORT

THE CONTEXT: The 2021 Global Estimates for Modern Slavery, which was recently released by the International Labour Organization (ILO), revealed a spike in the instances of forced labour.
THE EXPLANATION:
Highlights of the report:
• In 2021, 50 million people were living in modern slavery, of which 28 million were in forced labour and 22 million were trapped in forced marriage.
• The number of people in modern slavery has increased exponentially in the past five years.
• Compared to the 2016 global estimates, 10 million more people have been trapped by modern slavery.
• Women and children are disproportionately vulnerable to modern slavery.
• Modern slavery occurs in almost all countries across the world, regardless of differences in ethnicity, culture and religion.
• Forced Labour: 52 per cent of all forced labour are found in upper-middle or high-income countries. 86 per cent of forced labour are found in private sector. Forced labour in sectors other than commercial sexual exploitation accounts for 63 per cent of all forced labour.
• Forced marriage: An addition of 6.6 million people are victims of forced marriage in 2021 when compared to 2016 global estimates. More than 85 per cent of forced marriage is caused by family pressure. Its prevalence is highest in Arab states.
• Migrant workers are more than three times likely to be in forced labour than non-migrant adult workers. This is because of poorly governed migration or unethical recruitment practices.
• Recommendations: Improving and enforcing laws and labour inspections, ending state-imposed forced labour, social protection, and promoting fair and ethical recruitment and targeted support for women, girl and vulnerable communities.

VALUE ADDITION:
About ILO:
International Labour Organization (ILO) is the only tripartite U.N. agency, since 1919. It brings together governments, employers and workers of 187 member States, to set labour standards, develop policies and devise programmes promoting decent work for all women and men. HQ: Geneva.
India has ratified six out of the eight-core/fundamental ILO conventions. These conventions are:
1. Forced Labour Convention (No. 29)
2. Abolition of Forced Labour Convention (No.105)
3. Equal Remuneration Convention (No.100)
4. Discrimination (Employment Occupation) Convention (No.111)
5. Minimum Age Convention (No.138)
6. Worst forms of Child Labour Convention (No.182)

India has not ratified the two core/fundamental conventions, namely Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87) and Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98).

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

2. THE SCO SUMMIT 2022

THE CONTEXT: The 2022 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit will be organized in Uzbekistan from September 15 to 16, 2022.
THE EXPLANATION:
• The 2022 SCO Summit would be held in Samarkand – a city in Uzbekistan on the ancient trade route of Silk Road that connects China with the Mediterranean.
• The SCO summit in Uzbekistan would focus on reviewing the grouping’s activities over the past two decades and identifying areas having potential for multilateral cooperation.
• The discussions would also focus on the geopolitical crisis caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the situation in the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
• This is the first in-person summit since 2019 SCO summit held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
• This summit would witness the first in-person meeting between Prime Minister and Chinese President Xi Jinping after their meeting at Brasilia on the side-lines of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) in 2019.
• The 22nd Meeting of the Council of Heads of the State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) would witness the attendance of leaders of SCO member states, observer states, Secretary General of the SCO, Executive Director of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), President of Turkmenistan and others.
• During the summit, Iran is expected to be formally admitted into the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
• After the Samarkand summit, India would take up the SCO presidency.
• India will hold the presidency of SCO until September 2023. It would host the SCO summit next year.

About Shanghai Cooperation Organization
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a Eurasian political, economic and security grouping founded on June 15, 2001. It is headquartered in Beijing. Its members include China, Russia, India and Pakistan as well as 4 Central Asian countries – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. It is the world’s largest regional grouping, covering about 60 per cent of the area of Eurasia, 40 per cent of the global population and more than 30 per cent of global GDP.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS

3. THE NATIONAL LIST OF ESSENTIAL MEDICINES

THE CONTEXT: Recently the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare released the revised National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) 2022.
THE EXPLANATION:
• The revised National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) 2022 has deleted 26 drugs, which include common gastrointestinal medicines ranitidine and sucralfate.
• 384 drugs are currently part of the National List of Essential Medicines 2022, with the addition of 34 drugs.
• The medicines have been categorized into 27 therapeutic categories.
• Drugs in the list are deleted from the list if medicines with better efficacy or favourable safety profile and better cost-effectiveness are available as their alternative.
• If a specific disease is no longer a national burden, medicine for that disease would be deleted from this list.
• If anti-microbial drugs become ineffective due to high resistance, they are also deleted from the list.
• Concerns regarding safety profiles of the drugs and those that are banned in India are also deleted.
• Four drugs that are still under patent have been included in the list. These are bedaquiline and delamanid used in the treatment of multiple drug-resistant tuberculosis, dolutegravir used for treating human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, and daclatasvir used in treating viral infections such as Hepatitis C.
• Several anti-cancer drugs have been included in the list to make them affordable and reduce out-of-pocket expenditure in cancer treatment.
• Cardiovascular medicines dabigatran and tenecteplase are also included in this list.
• The diabetes section has been expended by including teneligliptin and insulin glargine.

National List of Essential Medicines
The National List of Essential Medicines was compiled for the first time in 1996. It was revised thrice since in 2003, 2011 and 2015. The drugs in the NLEM are included in the Schedule category and their price is regulated by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority.

THE ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

4. THE CLIMATE TIPPING POINT

THE CONTEXT: A new research has revealed that an increase of 1.5 from pre-industrial levels would trigger multiple climate tipping points. Presently, some parts of West Antarctic ice sheets, an important marker, have already passed tipping point.
THE EXPLANATION:
• Climate tipping points (CTPs) are indicators of a large climate system, which when triggered beyond a threshold, perpetuate warming on its own.
• Some CTPs triggers include substantial sea level rise caused by melting ice sheets, shrinking of Amazon Rainforest or corals and warming caused by carbon released from the melting permafrost.
• A new study analysed 9 previously-identified tipping elements and their corresponding timescale and impacts of tipping.
• The researchers increased the list of potential tipping points from 9 to include other possible tipping points.
• They revealed that human emissions have already pushed the tipping point to dangerous levels, some of which are irreversible.
• Thus, the goal set by the UN’s Paris Agreement to limit warming at 1.5 to 2°C will not be able to avoid the adverse consequences of the climate change as several of the climate tipping points have already been triggered.
• Tipping points can be triggered even at 1.5°C, which is not a safe level of warming but better than the 2°C mark.
• Even a few tenths of a degree of excessive temperature could trigger new tipping points.
• If it goes beyond 1.8°C, ocean convection in the Labrador and Irminger Seas in the North Atlantic would collapse and Europe and North America would witness extreme weather conditions. There will also be a shift of subtropical monsoon patterns to new positions, especially in West Africa.
• In the scenario of 4°C rise, the wider Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation would collapse and severely disrupt the monsoon systems across the world.
• This would cause major changes in the Atlantic, with significant decline in sea ice and abrupt shifts in the boreal forest position worsening the rising temperature and causing significant changes in weather patterns.

VALUE ADDITION:
What is the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC)?
The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is a large system of ocean currents that carry warm water from the tropics northwards into the North Atlantic.

How does the AMOC work?
• The AMOC is a large system of ocean currents, like a conveyor belt, driven by differences in temperature and salt content – the water’s density.
• As warm water flows northwards it cools and some evaporation occurs, which increases the amount of salt.
• Low temperature and a high salt content make the water denser, and this dense water sinks deep into the ocean.
• The cold, dense water slowly spreads southwards, several kilometres below the surface.
• Eventually, it gets pulled back to the surface and warms in a process called “upwelling” and the circulation is complete.

THE PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

5. SEPTEMBER 14: THE HINDI DIWAS

THE CONTEXT: Recently, Hindi Diwas is observed every year on September 14 to commemorate the adoption of Hindi as the official language of India.
THE EXPLANATION:
• On September 14, 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India adopted Hindi as the official language along with English.
• Article 343 of the Indian Constitution recognizes Hindi in Devanagari script as the official language.
• On the occasion of Hindi Diwas, the importance of Hindi is promoted and various cultural festivals are organized to celebrate and honour Hindi literature.
• India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru decided to create the Hindi Diwas on September 14, which coincides with the birth anniversary of Beohar Rajendra Simha, who played a major role in making Hindi India’s official language.
• Hindi Diwas was celebrated for the first time in 1953.
• Mahatma Gandhi was the first to advocate for making Hindi the national language of India in Hindi Sahitya Sammelan in 1918.
• As of 2022, Hindi is the third most spoken language in the world, with about 602.2 million people speaking the language.
• On the occasion of Hindi Diwas, Home Minister inaugurated second All India Rajbhasha Sammelan.
• While the National Hindi Diwas is celebrated on September 14, the World Hindi Day (Vishwa Hindi Diwas) is celebrated on January 10 every year to promote the use of Hindi language across the world.
• Currently, Hindi is spoken in countries such as Fiji, New Zealand, Singapore, Mauritius etc.
Akhil Bharatiya Rajbhasha Sammelan
The Akhil Bharatiya Rajbhasha Sammelan (All India Official Language Conference) was held for the first time in 2021. The two-day conference will be organized by State Language Department of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Discussions will be held on the importance of Hindi during this conference.

6. THE NAGA MIRCHA FESTIVAL

THE CONTEXT: Recently the inaugural edition of the Naga Mircha festival was organized in Seiyhama village of Kohima district in Nagaland.
THE EXPLANATION:
• The first-ever Naga Mircha (King Chilli) Festival 2022 was organized in the village hall of Seiyhama village in Kohima district.
•  The event was sponsored by the Nagaland Horticulture Department.
•  In 2021, the Seiyhama village reported a total income of Rs.27 lakh through the cultivation of Naga Mircha and this year’s estimation of income from this activity is Rs.1 crore.
•  It is one of the major provider for self-employment opportunities in the village.
• Of the 361 households in the Seiyhama village, 200 cultivate Naga Mircha, providing them with a sustainable income source.
• Each of these households are expected to earn a minimum income of Rs.60,000 to Rs.70,000 and large-scale cultivators are expected to earn nearly Rs.4 to 5 lakh this year.
•  Income from the Naga Mircha cultivation has supported education of children.
•  During the inaugural Naga Mircha Festival, Chief Minister’s Micro Finance Initiative was promoted.
• Chief Minister’s Micro Finance Initiative was launched by the Nagaland government to ease credit access required for undertaking economic activities in the agriculture and allied sectors, including MSMEs.

About Naga Mircha
Naga Mircha is popularly known as Raja Mircha (King Chilli). It is one of top five hottest chillies on the Scoville Heat Units (SHUs) list. It received GI tag to Nagaland in 2008. It is also known as Bhoot Jolokia and Ghost pepper. It belongs to genus Capsicum of family Solanaceae. It is 60 to 85 mm long and has wrinkled skin. The spiciness of this species is 1,041,427 SHU.

1. In kartavya is hidden a plan for our growth READ MORE
2. The unheard victims of Indian masculinity: Why so many young men, as NCRB data shows, do violence to themselves or to others over love READ MORE
3. A debauched seer & amoral society READ MORE

1. The governance model to take on climate change READ MORE
2. Western Ghats: Supreme Court quashes plea against Gadgil, Kasturirangan reports READ MORE

1. India at 100 should be a society where gender is not used as a tool to exclude READ MORE
2. The solution to India’s stunted improvement on the Human Development Index: Improving access to quality education READ MORE
3. India’s healthcare spending: Net of specialist care must be spread throughout country READ MORE

1. An improved Bill, but still contentious: The draft Indian Ports Bill of 2022 has not resolved the main issue between the Centre and maritime States READ MORE
2. Striking Down the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 Won’t be an Easy Task READ MORE
3. FCRA amendment disproportionately penalises voluntary surrender READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. India, China confirm withdrawal of troops from PP15 in Ladakh READ MORE
2. India to hold G20 summit in September 2023 READ MORE
3. 384 drugs on essential medicines list READ MORE
4. Election Commission delists 86 parties, declares 253 inactive READ MORE
5. From promise to reality: 10 years after breakthrough, a CRISPR solution to problems of health begins to take shape READ MORE
6. Pakistan ‘lacks effectiveness’ on four goals linked to FATF: Report READ MORE
7. Manufacturer: Phase-1 trial of dengue vaccine gets nod READ MORE
8. There are 50 million people in situations of modern slavery on any given day: Report READ MORE
9. HDFC Bank issues India’s first Electronic Bank Guarantee (e-BG) READ MORE

Main Exam

GS Paper- 1

1. India at 100 should be a society where gender is not used as a tool to exclude READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. An improved Bill, but still contentious: The draft Indian Ports Bill of 2022 has not resolved the main issue between the Centre and maritime States READ MORE
2. Striking Down the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 Won’t be an Easy Task READ MORE
3. FCRA amendment disproportionately penalises voluntary surrender READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. The solution to India’s stunted improvement on the Human Development Index: Improving access to quality education READ MORE
2. India’s healthcare spending: Net of specialist care must be spread throughout country READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. For India, the buzzword now is ‘all-alignment’: Its participation in the SCO summit is a clear signal of pursuing multi-alignment with its partners worldwide READ MORE  
2. Does India belong in the SCO READ MORE

 GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. An opportunity for India Inc: Corporate India’s response to the country’s job crisis has been more symbolic than substantial READ MORE
2. No policy deviation needed for inflation READ MORE
3. India overtakes UK, but no time for complacency READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. The governance model to take on climate change READ MORE
2. Western Ghats: Supreme Court quashes plea against Gadgil, Kasturirangan reports READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. In kartavya is hidden a plan for our growth READ MORE
2. The unheard victims of Indian masculinity: Why so many young men, as NCRB data shows, do violence to themselves or to others over love READ MORE
3. A debauched seer & amoral society READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. India participation in the SCO summit is a clear signal of pursuing multi-alignment with its partners worldwide. Analyse.
2. ‘Strong government policy on poverty, inequality and gender equality can go a long way in helping achieve our dream of becoming an economic superpower’. Discuss.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• A smell of petroleum prevails throughout.
• The draft Indian Ports Bill of 2022 has not resolved the main issue between the Centre and maritime States.
• India participation in the SCO summit is a clear signal of pursuing multi-alignment with its partners worldwide.
• India at 100 is a society where gender becomes redundant and is not used as a tool to exclude, discriminate or harass.
• Given its demographic profile, India is uniquely placed to provide services to ageing societies of the developed world.
• For reasons of strategy, economy, tech and diaspora, the West Coast will play a key role in shaping India-US ties.
• A lack of values and norms in a society that has gone amoral, where moral judgments are seldom made.
• Strong Government policy on poverty, inequality and gender equality can help us become an economic superpower.
• India must also urgently address the problems emanating out of poor or inadequate infrastructure. Many developed nations have heavily invested in infrastructure in order to score excellent economic growth figures.
• The SCO facilitates India-Central Asia interactions and enhances opportunities for monitoring the internal and external influences there, promoting economic connections and deterring hostile activities against Indian interests.

50-WORD TALK

• The timely release of undertrials under Section 436 (A) of the Criminal Procedure Code after undergoing half of the maximum imprisonment should lessen the burden on the prisons. There are instances of undertrials languishing in jails because they cannot pay for the surety or the bail bond. The authorities concerned should step in to find a solution to this problem as the surety and bond amounts are not too large.
• World class infrastructure will take the stress away from crucial sectors such as power generation and transportation and ensure a proper sectoral development of the economy. India’s economy has strong underlying economic fundamentals and despite the turbulence due to external factors the nation can cope well and deliver good results, however it is the chronic presence of plentiful internal challenges that can prove to be undoing for India.

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 332]

THE CONTEXT: Human trafficking is still having a serious presence in India. It is one of the most distressing problems faced by many countries worldwide. It is a serious crime against human beings and violates their fundamental or basic human rights. It inhibits the free movement of the citizens through coercion or commercial exploitation in their own country. Thus, it can occur within a country or even out of the country i.e. transnationally. In the present article, we will discuss the issue of human trafficking in detail.

WHAT IS HUMAN TRAFFICKING?

• Human trafficking is a trade among all people, especially children and women.
• According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Human Trafficking is “the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of people through force, fraud or deception, to exploit them for profit”.

DATA RELATED TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN INDIA

• According to the MHA, In 2020, a total of 4,966 registered cases of Human trafficking from across India, and 3661 people were charge-sheeted.
• It has led to 101 convictions and 715 acquittals, while the other cases are still pending, as per the crimes in India 2020 report by the National Crime Records Bureau.
• According to the central government, as many as seven states — Assam, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Goa, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Punjab — did not see a single conviction in such cases in 2020.
• As per India’s National Crime Record Bureau, 2278, 2208, and 1714 cases of trafficking were reported in 2018, 2019, and 2020 respectively. 85.2% of the cases have been charge-sheeted.
• In 2020, 4,709 persons were victimized, out of which 2,222 were children, including 1,377 boys and 845 girls. It also projects that 2151 children were rescued, out of which 801 were girls. Among adult victims, 535 were males, and 1952 were females.

HOW SERIOUS HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN INDIA

• It is considered the second largest organized crime in India.
• Human trafficking is still a major issue in India, despite the fact that it is banned under Indian law.
• People are trafficked for sexual exploitation, forced labour, forced begging, forced marriage, selling children, as well as for the removal of organs.
• Sexual exploitation is the most common form of exploitation, followed by forced labour.
• Most victims are trafficked within their countries’ borders – those trafficked abroad are moved to the richest countries.

REASON FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Several factors contribute to the trade in human beings, particularly women and children. The factors of trafficking in women and children can be divided into two categories: push and pull factors.

THE PUSH FACTORS INCLUDE:

• Poor socio-economic conditions of a large number of families, poverty coupled with frequent, almost annual natural disasters like floods leading to virtual poverty of some people, lack of education, skill and income opportunities for women in rural areas, absence of awareness about the activities of traffickers, pressure to collect money for dowries which leads to sending daughters to distant places for work, dysfunctional family life, domestic violence against women, low status of girl children, etc.
• It appears from the case studies that extreme poverty and other causes of deprivation not only push people to fall on the traffickers’ tripod but also create an incentive for trafficking. Often the prostitutes, who have no option to come out of the exploitative environment, gradually develop intimate connections with the traffickers and follow in their footsteps.

THE PULL FACTORS ARE:

• Lucrative employment propositions in big cities, easy money, promise of better pay and comfortable life by the trafficking touts and agents, the demand of young girls for marriage in other regions, demand for low-paid and underage sweatshop labour, and growing demand for young kids for adoption, rise in demand for women in the rapidly expanding sex industry, demand for young girls in places of military concentration like Kashmir in India in recent times, demand for young girls for sexual exploitation.
• The rampant practice of female feticide in the northern states of Haryana and Punjab has also fuelled internal trafficking.
• Since there is a shortage of women in these states having a low female to male ratio, they have become fertile ground for the operation of traffickers.
• Traffickers procure girls from faraway states like Assam and Orissa; trick their families into believing they are to be married, only to push them into prostitution later.
• India is also experiencing rapid changes in economic, political, demographic and labour trends as an outcome of globalization; increasing demand for cheap labour and heavy population growth in the region encourages migration, whether legal or illegal.
• The movement of young girls and women from Bangladesh and Nepal into Indian brothels is common. There is further movement of these women and girls to the Middle East and other destinations.

WHAT ARE THE PROVISIONS TO STOP HUMAN TRAFFICKING

• Trafficking in Human Beings or Persons is prohibited under the Constitution of India under Article 23.
• The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 (ITPA) is the premier legislation to prevent trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation.
• Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 is a special law to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation.
• There are other specific legislations enacted relating to trafficking in women and children o Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006
• Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976
• Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986
• State Governments have also enacted specific legislations to deal with the issue. (e.g., The Punjab Prevention of Human Smuggling Act, 2012).

WHY IS HUMAN TRAFFICKING A CAUSE OF CONCERN NOWADAYS?

• The estimated number of victims of severe forms of trafficking is significantly increasing.
• There is a failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat severe forms of trafficking in persons from the previous year.
• Evolving nature of trafficking is a challenge, like the rise of technology usage and cowardly ways of committing crimes these days.
• Often cases are booked as kidnapping or missing person cases even though there is clear evidence of trafficking.
• Lack of information provided to survivors on victim compensation.
• Low investment on the part of legal aid results in very few survivors having access to compensation.
• Despite many laws present in India, human trafficking remains an unspoken problem in the country.

The conviction rate is falling.

• As per the government data, the conviction rate in Human trafficking cases has been falling over the past few years.
• The conviction rate in 2020 was 10.6%, while it was 22.5% in 2019 and 19.4 in 2018.
• In 2017, the conviction rate was 24.5% and 27.8 % in 2016.
• According to activists and NGOs working with human trafficking survivors, getting convictions in such cases is a major challenge.

WHY ARE THE PROVISIONS NOT WORKING EFFECTIVELY AGAINST TRAFFICKING?

LACK OF COORDINATION

• Getting justice for the survivors and punishing the culprits are challenging tasks and most of the time, the traffickers get away using legal loopholes.
• Like terrorism and drug trafficking, human trafficking is an organized crime involving interstate and sometimes international networks. If a person is trafficked and their kin goes to the local police station, they can only do so much to investigate the case locally as their resources are limited.

LACK OF LEGAL RESOURCES

• In such cases, where the evidence is very little, the prosecution has to rely on the statement of the survivor, who is both the victim and the witness of the crime.
• The issue of the declining rate of conviction essentially indicates there is a lack of strong and appropriate investigation that spans across state borders.
• There is also a lack of a proper rehabilitation mechanism and victim compensation for the survivors, which would encourage them to cooperate with the investigators.
• In 2018, the NIA agreed to take up human trafficking case involving two or more states, but it is still in the early stages.

VICTIMS NEED WITNESS PROTECTION

• In the case of survivors who want to take their traffickers to law, one of the major challenges is safety, as one or more chains of the network will be people who are part of their own community or village.
• There is no proper mechanism for witness protection and victim compensation. The survivors have to deal with this powerful network that is very intimidating.
• Survivors getting threats from traffickers against seeking legal measures is not uncommon. In the current system, the only protection the victim is offered is to place them in a shelter home.
• The maximum punishment in human trafficking cases is 10 years in jail, and in cases of sexual exploitation, the prison sentence can be for life.

THE ANTI-TRAFFICKING BILL 2021

ACCORDING TO THE  BILL

• Defines human trafficking as an organized crime with international implications
• The law will apply to all citizens of India, within and outside the country.
• The law shall apply to every offence of trafficking in persons with cross-border implications.
• Widens the definition of the “victim” by including transgenders, besides women and children.
• Any offence of trafficking shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than seven years.
• More severe penalties for “aggravated offences” and seeks to crack down on organized crime syndicates.
• Aggravated offences include cases that may result in the death of the victim or where the victim suffers a grievous injury (in cases such as an acid attack), organ mutilation or removal of organs, or where the victim is a child.
• In case of the death of the victim, the Bill proposes life imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 30 lakh.
• Imprisonment up to 20 years and the death penalty for the offenders found guilty.
• The investigation needs to be completed within 90 days from the date of the arrest of the accused.
• Widens the range of offenders who can be booked under the law, bringing public servants, armed forces personnel or anyone in a position of authority under its ambit. The penalty for the guilty will include life imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 30 lakh.

CONCERNS WITH THE BILL

• The Bill is not clear about how the NIA, as a nodal agency, will gather information and intelligence from different parts of the country through Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) at the district level and State levels.
• Largely silent on rescue protocols except the “reason to believe” by a police officer not below the rank of a sub-inspector.
• The absence of community-based rehabilitation, missing definition of reintegration and also the funds related to rehabilitation of survivors in the Bill.

THE WAY FORWARD:

Border measures

• Stringent Enforcement of cross-border trafficking, Secure Vigilance in Trafficking routes and Proper social accountability are needed.

 Economic and social policies

• Taking measures to raise levels of social protection and to create employment opportunities.
• Taking appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in the field of employment in order to ensure, on the basis of gender equality, the right to equal pay for equal work and the right to equality in employment opportunities.
• Developing programmes that offer livelihood options and include basic education, literacy, communication and other skills reduce barriers to entrepreneurship.
• Encouraging gender sensitization and education on equal and respectful relationships between the sexes, thus preventing violence against women.
• Ensuring that policies are in place that allow women equal access to and control over economic and financial resources.

Awareness-raising measures

• With the help of NGOs and Police officials, there can be some types of advertisements through the popular media in a particular location and by conducting some awareness programs in villages, local schools, among kids of the poor society and public to be alert of being victimized.

Legislative measures

• Adopting or strengthening legislative, proper law enforcement, uncorrupt officials, educational, social, cultural or other measures and, where applicable, penal legislation, including through bilateral and multilateral cooperation, to discourage the demand that fosters all forms of exploitation of persons, especially women and children, and that leads to trafficking.
• Enhance the capacity building of law enforcement agencies.
• Conducting workshops on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings for Police officers and for Prosecutors at the Regional level, State level and District level
• Sensitize the judicial officers about the various issues concerning human trafficking and ensure a speedy court process.

THE CONCLUSION: The issue of human trafficking in India must be addressed in a whole comprehensive manner. It requires a multi-faceted strategy to combat the menace of human trafficking in our country. While efforts include that there should be a process of rehabilitation and reintegration for all the victims of human trafficking, it should be mainly conducted. Otherwise, it will not successfully address the issue in the long run and strategically.

QUESTIONS TO PONDER

1. Why in recent times the case of trafficking is increasing? How are technological developments encouraging it?
2. Why does the issue of human trafficking persist in India despite so many laws and awareness campaigns? Suggest some effective measures to prevent it.
3. The anti-trafficking bill 2021 is an effective law to address the issue of trafficking in India, but implementing the law is a major challenge. Comment.

THE INDIAN POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. SUPREME COURT’S THREE-QUESTION TEST FOR VALIDITY OF 10% EWS QUOTA

THE CONTEXT: The Supreme Court will examine whether The Constitution (103rd Amendment) Act, which introduced a 10 per cent quota for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in government jobs and admissions, violates the basic structure of the Constitution.
THE EXPLANATION:
The issues fixed by the Supreme Court
The court decided to take up three of them:
• Whether the 103rd Constitution Amendment can be said to breach the basic structure of the Constitution by permitting the state to make special provisions, including reservation, based on economic criteria
• Whether it can be said to breach the basic structure…by permitting the state to make special provisions in relation to admission to private unaided institutions
• Whether the basic structure is violated by excluding the SEBCs (Socially and Educationally Backward Classes)/ OBCs (Other Backward Classes)/ SCs (Scheduled Castes)/ STs (Scheduled Tribes) from the scope of EWS reservation

The 103rd Amendment
• The 103rd Amendment inserted Articles 15(6) and 16(6) in the Constitution to provide up to 10 per cent reservation to EWS other than backward classes, SCs, and STs in higher educational institutions and initial recruitment in government jobs.
• The amendment empowered state governments to provide reservation on the basis of economic backwardness.
• Article 15 prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth.
• Article 16 guarantees equal opportunity in matters of public employment.
• The additional clauses gave Parliament the power to make special laws for EWS like it does for SCs, STs, and OBCs.
• The EWS reservation was granted based on the recommendations of a commission headed by Major General (retd) S R Sinho.
• The Sinho Commission recommended that all below-poverty-line (BPL) families within the general category as notified from time to time, and also all families whose annual family income from all sources is below the taxable limit, should be identified as EBCs (economically backward classes).

How is EWS status determined under the law?
• Under the 2019 notification, a person who was not covered under the scheme of reservation for SCs, STs, and OBCs, and whose family had a gross annual income below Rs 8 lakh, was to be identified as EWS for the benefit of reservation.
• The notification specified what constituted income, and excluded some persons from the EWS category if their families possessed certain specified assets.

Challenges to the amendment
• When a law is challenged, the burden of proving it is unconstitutional lies on the petitioners.
• The primary argument in this case is that the amendment violates the basic structure of the Constitution.
• Although there is no clear definition of basic structure, any law that violates it is understood to be unconstitutional.
• It stems from the view that the special protections guaranteed to socially disadvantaged groups is part of the basic structure, and that the 103rd Amendment departs from this by promising special protections on the sole basis of economic status.
• The petitioners have also challenged the amendment on the ground that it violates the Supreme Court’s 1992 ruling in Indra Sawhney & Ors v Union of India, which upheld the Mandal report and capped reservations at 50 per cent.
• The court had held that economic backwardness cannot be the sole criterion for identifying a backward class.
• Another challenge is on behalf of private, unaided educational institutions.
• They have argued that their fundamental right to practise a trade/ profession is violated when the state compels them to implement its reservation policy and admit students on any criteria other than merit.

Government’s stand
• The government argued that under Article 46 of the Constitution, part of Directive Principles of State Policy, the state has a duty to protect the interests of economically weaker sections
• Against the argument of violation of the basic structure, the government said that to sustain a challenge against a constitutional amendment, it must be shown that the very identity of the Constitution has been altered.
• On the Indra Sawhney principle, the government has relied on the SC’s 2008 ruling in Ashoka Kumar Thakur v Union of India, in which the court upheld the 27 per cent quota for OBCs.
• The argument is that the court accepted that the definition of OBCs was not made on the sole criterion of caste but a mix of caste and economic factors; thus, there need not be a sole criterion for according reservation.

How will Bangladesh use the water?
• The water of Kushiyara will be channelled through the Rahimpur Canal project in Sylhet.
• The eight km long canal is the only supplier of water from the Kushiyara to the region and Bangladesh has built a pump house and other facilities for withdrawal of water that can now be utilised.
• The water of the Kushiyara has been used for centuries in Sylhet.
• But Bangladesh has witnessed that the flow and volume of water in the canal has reduced during the lean season.
• The utility of the river and the canal during the lean/winter season had gone down, affecting cultivation of rice as well as a wide variety of vegetables for which Sylhet is famous.
• The additional water of Kushiyara through the Rahimpur Canal therefore is the only way to ensure steady supply of water for irrigation of agriculture fields and orchards of the subdivisions of Sylhet.

Link with climate change
• The Kushiyara agreement is relatively smaller in scale in comparison to Teesta that involves West Bengal, which has problems with the proposal.
• The Kushiyara agreement did not require a nod from any of the States like Assam from which the Barak emerges and branches into Kushiyara and Surma.
• The reduced water flow of the Kushiyara during winter and Teesta too, however, raise important questions about the impact of climate change on South Asian rivers that can affect communities and trigger migration.
• Bangladesh has cited low water flow in its rivers during the winter months as a matter of concern as it affects its agriculture sector.
• The coming decades will throw up similar challenging issues involving river water sharing as the impact of the climate crisis becomes more visible with water levels going down in several cross-border rivers.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS

2. NITI AAYOG: APPROVAL OF BENEFICIARIES UNDER PLI SCHEME

THE CONTEXT: The Empowered Committee headed by NITI Aayog CEO recently approved the first distribution of incentives for mobile manufacturing.
THE EXPLANATION:
• This production-linked incentive scheme will give India a competitive position in the field of electronics manufacturing.
• The plan includes manufacturing of mobile phones and manufacturing of specialized electronic components.
• This initiative will also promote the vision of a self-reliant India. Under this, 10 companies will be given the benefit of the scheme for mobile manufacturing. This includes five domestic and five foreign companies.
• Under this initiative, a domestic company, Paget Electronics Pvt Ltd, is the first beneficiary company to receive incentives under mobile manufacturing.
• This is the first time that a mobile manufacturing unit has been selected under the PLI scheme.
• This scheme extends an incentive of 4% to 6% on net incremental sale of manufactured goods, to boost electronics manufacturing and attract large scale investments.
• The scheme is expected to generate additional generation of Rs 10,69,432 crore and employment for 700,000 people.

What is PLI Scheme?
PLI scheme aims to provide incentives to the companies on the basis of incremental sales from products manufactured in domestic units. It invites foreign companies to set up their units in India as well as encourage local companies to expand or set up manufacturing units.

3. INDIA’S RETAIL INFLATION IN AUGUST 2022

THE CONTEXT: India’s retail inflation has reached 7 per cent in August 2022 – well above the RBI’s comfort level of 6 per cent.
THE EXPLANATION:
• India’s Consumer Price Index (CPI)-based inflation has returned to 7% in August 2022.
• In July 2022, the retail inflation had reduced to a five-month low of 6.71%, after spending the three months above 7%.
• The retail inflation stayed above 6% for eight consecutive months.
• It had spent the 35 consecutive months above the RBI’s medium-term target of 4 per cent.
• With average retail inflation at 6.3 per cent in January-March and 7.3 per cent in April-June, the retail inflation must reduce to at least 4.1 per cent in September for July-September average to come under 6 per cent.
• According to the RBI, the inflation is expected to average at 7.1 per cent in July-September.
• The return to the 7% level in August is mainly because of the surge in food prices.
• Inflation in food basket has spiked to 7.62% in August – a significant increase from 3.11% in August 2021.
• Food inflation accounts for nearly 50 per cent of the CPI basket.
• The surge is largely because of increase in prices of essential crops such as wheat, rice and pulses caused by a record heatwave.
• There is a 10% increase in the inflation rate of vegetables, spices, footwear and fuel and light on annual basis.
• However, the prices of eggs have reduced and inflation in protein-rich meat and fish have flattened in the August.

What is retail inflation?
Retail inflation or the CPI-based inflation is the increase in prices of goods and services purchased by households for daily consumption. It is measured in Consumer Price Index (CPI), which is the weighted average of prices of a basket of goods and services that are sold in retail prices. The CPI measures changes in the retail prices of essential goods like food, fuel etc., as well services such as healthcare, transportation and others.

4. IFSCA FINTECH INCENTIVE SCHEME, 2022

THE CONTEXT: The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) launched the IFSCA (FinTech Incentive) Scheme for providing financial support to FinTech activities in the form of specific grant(s).
THE EXPLANATION:
This scheme shall be open to –
• Domestic FinTechs seeking access to overseas markets;
• Domestic FinTechs seeking listing on IFSCA recognised stock exchanges;
• Foreign FinTechs seeking market access to IFSCs in India and work within the Authority’s regulatory framework;
• Foreign FinTechs seeking access to domestic market under Inter-Operable Regulatory Sandbox (IORS) framework;
• Domestic FinTechs extending business to the IFSCs either by way of authorisation or registration or through the regulatory sandbox.
• The types of incentives for eligible applicants are:
o FinTech Start-up grant: This grant shall be utilized for developing a product or a service and related ‘go-to market’ initiatives for a start-up with a novel FinTech idea or solution.
o Proof of Concept (PoC) grant: This grant shall be utilized for the purpose of conducting a PoC by an early or mature FinTech Entity (FE) in domestic market or overseas.
o Sandbox grant: This grant shall be utilized by FEs to experiment with innovative products or services in a sandbox.
o Green FinTech Grant: This grant shall be utilized towards developing solutions facilitating sustainable finance and sustainability linked finance, including ‘Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)’ investments.
o Accelerator Grant: This grant shall be utilized for supporting accelerators at the IFSC for capacity building, build capabilities around mentors, bringing investors, bringing more projects or PoC, tie ups, etc.
o Listing Support Grant: The grant shall be utilized for supporting Domestic FE aspiring to go for listing on stock exchanges recognised by the Authority.

About IFSCA
• The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) has been established in 2020 under the International Financial Services Centres Authority Act, 2019.
• It is headquartered at GIFT City, Gandhinagar in Gujarat.
• It is an authority to develop and regulate:
o financial services,
o financial products
o financial institutions
• Before the IFSCA was established, the financial services and institutions were regulated by the SEBI, RBI, IRDAI, PFRDA, etc.

THE ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

5. SEA TURTLES TRAFFICKING

THE CONTEXT: According to a new study More than 1.1 million sea turtles have been illegally killed and in some cases trafficked from 1990 to 2020.
THE EXPLANATION:
• The reptiles faced exploitation in 65 countries/territories and 44 out of the 58 marine turtle regional management units (RMU) in the world despite laws protecting the creatures.
• The sea turtle family includes the hawksbill, loggerhead, leatherback, green and olive ridley turtle.
• The species that faced the most exploitation in the 30-year-period were green (56 per cent) and hawksbill sea turtles (39 per cent).
• Southeast Asia and Madagascar were major hotspots for illegal sea turtle trade, particularly for the critically endangered hawksbills.
• The hawksbill turtles are prized in the illicit wildlife trade for their beautiful shells.
• Vietnam was the most common country of origin for illegal sea turtle trafficking, while China and Japan served as destinations for nearly all trafficked sea turtle products.
• Vietnam-China was the most common trade route across all three decades.
• There was a 28 per cent decrease in the reported exploitation of marine turtles from the 2000s to the 2010s.
• The decline over the past decade could be due to increased protective legislation and enhanced conservation efforts, coupled with an increase in awareness of the problem or changing local norms and traditions.

Reason for their decline
• Sea turtles are slaughtered for their eggs, meat, skin, and shell
• They also face habitat destruction and accidental capture or bycatch in fishing gear.
• Climate change has an impact on turtle nesting sites as it alters sand temperatures, which affects the sex of hatchlings.

About Sea turtles
• Sea turtles, sometimes called marine turtles, are reptiles of the order Testudines and of the suborder Cryptodira.
• The seven existing species of sea turtles are:
1. the flatback sea turtles,
2. green sea turtles,
3. hawksbill sea turtles,
4. leatherback sea turtles,
5. loggerhead sea turtles,
6. Kemp’s ridley sea turtles,
7. olive ridley sea turtles.
• Sea turtles can be separated into the categories of hard-shelled (cheloniid) and leathery-shelled (dermochelyidae).
• There is only one dermochelyidae species which is the leatherback sea turtle.

Distribution
• Sea turtles can be found in all oceans except for the polar regions.
• The flatback sea turtle is found solely on the northern coast of Australia.
• The Kemp’s ridley sea turtle is found solely in the Gulf of Mexico and along the East Coast of the United States.
• Sea turtles are generally found in the waters over continental shelves.

Conservation status
• The IUCN Red List classifies three species of sea turtle as either “endangered” or “critically endangered”.
• An additional three species are classified as “vulnerable”.
• The flatback sea turtle is considered as “data deficient”, meaning that its conservation status is unclear due to lack of data.
• All species of sea turtle are listed in CITES Appendix I, restricting international trade of sea turtles and sea turtle products.

THE SECURITY AFFAIRS

6. INDIAN ARMY EXERCISE PARVAT PRAHAR

THE CONTEXT: Army Chief recently visited the Ladakh sector to review Exercise Parvat Prahar and was briefed about the operational preparedness on the ground by the commanders. The exercise saw the deployment of an all new major induction of the Army.
THE EXPLANATION:
• This exercise named ParvatPrahar is being conducted by the One Strike Corps of the Indian Army. ‘
• The strike corps means that if China or Pakistan act anywhere, they will first enter and eliminate it.
• Parvat Prahar is a 20-day long exercise of the Indian Army.
• The exercise comes as India and China are separating from the Gogra-Hot Springs (PP-15) in eastern Ladakh.
• It is believed that from the above place the Indian Army may withdraw its forces towards Karam Singh Hill, while the Chinese Army may return to Chinese territory in the north.
• The exercise involved high altitude infantry personnel, T-90S and T-72 tanks, mechanized infantry, K-9 Vajra, Bofors and M-777 howitzers, helicopters and aircraft.
• Chinook heavy lift helicopters and all-terrain vehicles carried by K9-Vajra howitzers were used in the exercise.

1. Lessons from the secular human body READ MORE
2. An ideal sadhak READ MORE

1. Farming in the ‘cold desert’ of Himachal Pradesh is suffering with glaciers on the retreat READ MORE
2. Africa’s food systems are being shaped by climate crises, rising population READ MORE
3. Cameroon’s ‘exploding lakes’: Disaster expert warns deadly gas release could cause another tragedy READ MORE

1. India Must Improve Its Standard of Care To Achieve Universal Healthcare READ MORE
2. Heard of famine wages? How British rulers’ thrift policies shaped Indian capitalism READ MORE

1. Mohsin Alam Bhat writes: CAA and the test of India’s constitutional identity READ MORE
2. India must enact laws for the rights of nature READ MORE
3. Poor implementation of Indian policies is oldest excuse. Real problem is in field administration READ MORE
4. EWS reservations: What you need to know about the constitutional challenge before the Supreme Court READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Supreme Court Collegium recommends eight names for appointment to Bombay High Court READ MORE
2. African cheetah to land in Jaipur enroute to destination READ MORE
3. Retail inflation inches up to 7% in August led by food price rise READ MORE
4. States may have NITI Aayog-like bodies soon READ MORE
5. Was ethanol the reason for the ban on broken rice exports READ MORE
6. Inflation in basic commodities higher in rural areas than urban: Consumer Price Index READ MORE
7. Gayaji Dam: Bihar CM inaugurates India’s longest rubber dam on Falgu river READ MORE
8. NITI Aayog panel approves 32 beneficiaries in PLI scheme for electronics manufacturing. Check details READ MORE

Main Exam

GS Paper- 1

1. Heard of famine wages? How British rulers’ thrift policies shaped Indian capitalism READ MORE
2. Why did Mughal emperor Jahangir issue these rare and singular astrology-themed coins? READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Mohsin Alam Bhat writes: CAA and the test of India’s constitutional identity READ MORE
2. India must enact laws for the rights of nature READ MORE
3. Poor implementation of Indian policies is oldest excuse. Real problem is in field administration READ MORE
4. EWS reservations: What you need to know about the constitutional challenge before the Supreme Court READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. India Must Improve Its Standard of Care To Achieve Universal Healthcare READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Great G20 power, great responsibility: India will have the opportunity to assume centre stage in setting the global agenda READ MORE
2. West factor in China’s propaganda against India READ MORE

 GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. RoSCTL scheme anomalies need redress READ MORE
2. THERE IS A NEED TO BAN CRYPTO CURRENCIES READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Farming in the ‘cold desert’ of Himachal Pradesh is suffering with glaciers on the retreat READ MORE
2. Africa’s food systems are being shaped by climate crises, rising population READ MORE
3. Cameroon’s ‘exploding lakes’: Disaster expert warns deadly gas release could cause another tragedy READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Lessons from the secular human body READ MORE
2. An ideal sadhak READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘The hosting of G-20 summit provides an opportunity for India to assume centre stage in setting the global agenda’. Critically comment.
2. India’s ambition of punching above its weight in international affairs cannot be accomplished without its investing in international law.
3. Without radical reform of field administration based on a deep understanding of the issues, better public services are not possible. Examine.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.
• India’s ambition of punching above its weight in international affairs cannot be accomplished without its investing in international law. Let us hope that those who sit in South Block act expeditiously.
• India will have the opportunity to assume centre stage in setting the global agenda.
• India and the U.S. need to work to ensure that the spectacular gains made in bilateral ties are preserved and nourished.
• The ‘Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies’ scheme must cover more levies and refund should be paid in cash.
• It is possible to maintain average real GDP growth of about 6.5% for the next three years. However, it is important to recognise the limitations on how fiscal or monetary policy can be used to mitigate global shocks, whether in energy prices or capital outflows.
• A number of countries, including even Bangladesh, have prudently put several laws into place to protect the rights of their rivers on a par with humans.
• Panchayats or local elected governments are supposed to lead socio-economic development but they have no funds to spend as per needs.

50-WORD TALK

• Each extra dollar India pays for imported energy contributes to higher inflation and hurts the economy recovering from the pandemic. So Iran’s offer to sell cheap oil – reported by ThePrint – should be seriously considered. True, US sanctions are a risk. But New Delhi needs to negotiate around them in self-interest.
• Varanasi court’s decision seeing merit in hearing the Hindu plea for worship at the Gyanvapi case opens another potential site of contestation and confrontation in Indian politics. Supreme Court is reviewing the Places of Worship Act. Until that is resolved, lower courts could have put a lid on such matters.

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 331]

THE CONTEXT: Life Expectancy at Birth is a statistical measure of the average time an organism is expected to live, based on the year of its birth, its current age and other demographic factors, including gender. This statistic (in terms of the Index of Representation in Longevity (IRL) and the Index of Socio-economic Inequality in Longevity (ISIL)) is vital, especially for an emerging economy like India, as the future growth prospects rest on the status of the democracy. The following article attempts to analyze the aspect of socio-economic inequities regarding longevity in India.

ABOUT LIFE EXPECTANCY AND ELDERLY POPULATION IN INDIA

• Life expectancy in India has increased from 49.7 years in 1970-75 to 68.7 years in 2012-16, as per the National Health Profile 2019. For the same period, the life expectancy for females is 70.2 years and 67.4 years for males.
• Life expectancy in India has risen from 50 (1970-75) to almost 70 years (2014-18); as a result, the number of elders (>60 years of age) is already 137 million and is expected to increase by 40% to 195 million in 2031, and 300 million by 2050.
• According to Census 2011, India has 104 million older people (60+years), constituting 8.6% of the total population. Amongst the elderly (60+), females outnumber males.
• Both the share and size of the elderly population are increasing over time. From 5.6% in 1961, the proportion increased to 8.6% in 2011. The proportion has increased to 10.1% in 2021 and is further likely to increase to 13.1% in 2031. For males, it was marginally lower at 8.2%, while for females, it was 9.0%.
• Government of India’s National Policy on Older Persons 1999, Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 and National Policy for Senior Citizens 2011 provide the legal framework for supporting the needs of seniors.
• The National Programme for Health Care of Elderly and Health and Wellness Centres under the Ayushman Bharat programme provide dedicated healthcare to the elderly in primary health care settings.

Recently, an EPW (Economic and Political Weekly) backed research analyzed the Index of Representation in Longevity (IRL) and Index of Socio-economic Inequality in Longevity (ISIL) to gain insights on the status of life expectancy and longevity. Its key focus was the elderly population in India.

THE CONCEPT OF LONGEVITY

• The concept that is generally used when it comes to measuring the length of individual lives in any society is longevity. Though it is often used as a synonym for life expectancy at a given age, it is also used to refer only to the long-lived members of a population.
• If increasing longevity is a desirable objective of any society, then achieving socio-economic equality in it is another one. However, the first step towards striving for equality in longevity in any society is to measure the existing socio-economic inequalities associated with it.
• Further, if inequality in longevity is high, the decrease in life expectancy among those of lower socio-economic status can outweigh the increase in life expectancy among those of a higher socio-economic status. For example, even if people live longer in the southern states of India owing to better performance in socio-economic indicators, it couldn’t compensate for the deteriorating status of the same age group in northern states.

INDEX OF REPRESENTATION IN LONGEVITY (IRL) AND INDEX OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC INEQUALITY IN LONGEVITY (ISIL)

INDEX OF REPRESENTATION IN LONGEVITY

• The IRL is a representational measure similar to the “Distributional Fairness Index” proposed by Villemez and Rowe (1975) and the “Group-specific Index of Relative Disadvantage” proposed by Jayaraj and Subramanian (2006).
• Index of Representation in Longevity: In simple terms, in the IRL, it is comparing the proportion of the 65 years plus population of a socio-economic group in the overall 65+ population of the country to the overall proportion of the population of the same socio-economic group in the overall population of the country.
• Intuitively, any group-specific measure of inequality in longevity must be some function of how large the group’s share in total longevity (65+) is in relation to the group’s share in total population.

INDEX OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC INEQUALITY IN LONGEVITY

• The ISIL, particularly well-suited for dichotomous outcomes, is a form of dissimilarity index based on the measure of the inequality of opportunities advanced by Barros et al (2009).
• Index of Socio-economic Inequality in Longevity: As in the case of the previous index, if an individual’s age is more than 65 years then they will be considered a long-living individual. The ISIL has been estimated for groups based on each characteristic (for example, groups based on caste, groups based on religion, etc.).
• The ISIL is a simple summary and representational measure of group disparities, which is expressed as a normalized, weighted sum of the absolute deviations of group-specific ave­rage longevity from the overall (whole population) average longevity.
• The ISIL can be interpreted as the number of longevity opp­ortunities that need to be rearranged from the better-off groups to the worse-off groups (in which average longevity is lower than the population average) to have equal ­average longevity in all groups.

STATUS OF INDEX OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC INEQUALITY IN LONGEVITY (ISIL) IN INDIA-BASED EPW STUDY

DIMENSION

EXPLANATION

PRESENCE (NUMBERS)

• In 2004, in rural areas, 19%, 7%, 43%, and 31% of the elderly population belonged to the SC, ST, OBC, and OC (Other Caste), respectively.
• The corresponding figures for urban areas were 14%, 2%, 38%, and 46%, respectively.
• In 2012, there was some increase in the percentage of SCs and some decrease in the percentage of OCs in rural areas.

PRESENCE (RELIGION)

• In terms of religion, the percentages of Hindu and Muslim elders have almost remained unchanged in rural as well as urban areas during the study period. There has been some mild decrease in the proportion of elderly Christians in rural areas during the same period.

OCCUPATIONAL STATUS

• Rural Areas: in terms of occupation in rural areas, there was a decrease in the proportion of elderly among cultivators, agricultural labourers, businesspersons, and salaried individuals from 2004 to 2012. There was an increase in the proportion of elderly among the non-agricultural labourers, petty traders, and pensioners during the same period.
• Urban Areas: a decrease is observed in the proportion of elders involved in agricultural labour, self-employed in business, and salaried jobs during the study period, whereas an increase was observed in the proportion of elders involved in non-agricultural labour, petty trade, and pension (and rent) during the same period.

REGIONAL PRESENCE

• In rural as well as urban areas, the percentage of the elderly population was highest in the southern region and lowest in the northeastern region.
• The highest proportion of elders in the southern region is in line with the fact that the southern region comprises states that are among the most developed as far as economic and demographic indicators are concerned.
• Also, the aspect of longevity is more enhanced in southern states owing to better performance in aspects like health, clean environment, and other components of standards of living.

GROUP-SPECIFIC PROPORTION OF ELDERLY (65+ YEARS):

• Among the caste groups, the OCs have the highest proportion of elderly amongst themselves throughout as OCs comprise the socially and economically most advanced castes of India.
• The STs lay at the bottom of the pack as they are among the most disadvantaged as far as social and economic development is concerned.
• The elderly populace of the Muslim community (the majority in the minority), was the most disadvantaged, as their social, demographic and economic development was found to be at the level of the SCs and the STs in India.
• Among the occupation categories, the proportion of the elderly was highest among the pensioners.

INDEX OF REPRESENTATION IN LONGEVITY (RIL)

CONTEXT

EXPLANATION

CASTE GROUPS

• OCs are over-represented in both 2004 and 2012 in rural as well as urban areas.
• The OBCs are marginally over-represented and slightly under-represented in rural and urban areas, respectively, in 2004 as well as 2012.
• The SCs and the STs are severely under-represented (with the STs the worst off) in almost all cases (be it rural or urban) with the representation of the STs decreasing at the all-India level, which is the least among all the caste categories.

RELIGION

• Maximum representation in longevity is of the Christians at the all-India level.
• Muslims are seriously under-represented in longevity.

OCCUPATION

• Overall pensioners, cultivators and “other occupation” categories had an over-representation in longevity.
• The agricultural and non-agricultural labourers and petty traders were under-represented throughout. The lowest under-representation is seen in the case of non-agricultural labourers.

REGIONAL LEVEL

• Representation of longevity was highest in the south followed by the west and the north.
• There was an under-representation in the case of the central, east, and north-east, with the north-east being most severely under-represented.

KEY OUTCOMES (OVERALL)

• The caste-based or religion-based or occupation-based variation in longevity is relatively higher than economic class-based variation.
• About 15% of longevity opportunities need to be shifted from the better-off groups (where average longevity is higher than the average longevity for the whole population) to the worse-off groups such as non-agricultural labour, etc. (where average longevity is lower than the average longevity for the whole population) to bring equality in longevity in society at the all-India level.
• Barring the case of economic class and geographic regions, the socio-economic inequality in longevity, based on all other characteristics, was higher in urban areas compared to that rural areas.
• One of the most glaring socio-economic inequalities in longevity is observed in the case of geographic regions, where the demographically, economically, and socially advanced regions of the south and the west have an over-representation in longevity, whereas the demographically, economically and socially disadvantaged regions of the central, east and northeast have an under-representation in longevity.

ELDERLY POPULATION: CONCERNS AND POTENTIAL

• An increase in longevity and decline of joint family and breakdown in social fabric pushes seniors into loneliness and neglect.
• While one perspective looks at them as dependents, a rather different view would look at them as a potential asset, a massive resource of experienced, knowledgeable people. Integrating the elderly into the lives of communities can make a substantial contribution to improving social conditions.
• Elderly people carry immense experience in their personal and professional life which society, at large, needs to channel for a better tomorrow. Including elderly people as active contributors in the economy will prepare India for the future when a major portion of its population will be aged.
• The silver economy is the system of production, distribution and consumption of goods and services aimed at using the purchasing potential of older and ageing people and satisfying their consumption, living and health needs. The SAGE(Seniorcare Aging Growth Engine)  initiative and the SACRED (Senior Able Citizens for Re-Employment in Dignity) are some of the initiatives launched specifically to promote the silver economy.

THE WAY FORWARD:

• Policymakers need to take a cue from projects like the US’s national health initiative, “Healthy People 2000,” which seeks to increase longevity among Americans of all ages, and the UK’s “Longevity Science Advisory Panel” to provide a better chance of understanding the past and the present, for better forecasting in improvements in longevity.
• The government should also address the rampant socio-economic inequalities in the healthcare services in India which lead to different mortality rates across different groups in India, which, in turn, might lead to substantial socio-economic inequalities in longevity in India.

THE CONCLUSION: The Constitutional values along with SDGs (Goal 10) call for equality in every aspect of society. For any ideal society, how long a person lives, should not depend on factors such as caste and religion. The government should pay attention to the idea of longevity (and inequality in longevity) itself and bring it to the forefront of the public health debate in India.

QUESTIONS TO PONDER

• Examine how the inequalities in longevity are present within multiple dimensions in India.
• What measures could be taken to convert the seeming ‘burden’ of the elderly populace into ‘opportunity’? Discuss in the Indian context.

THE SOCIAL ISSUES

1. MADHYA PRADESH FIRST TO DRAFT SUICIDE PREVENTION STRATEGY

THE CONTEXT: Madhya Pradesh will be the first State in the country to prepare a draft suicide prevention strategy.
THE EXPLANATION:
• Centre for Social Sector development in Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Good Governance and Policy Analysis has taken up a retrospective study of suicides in Bhopal in order to develop a suicide prevention framework for the state.
• As per the report, the study is classified into three parts.
• Part- A deals with the study of suicides in Bhopal in the stipulated time frame to understand the major trends. The major trends were:
• 20-30 age groups are the most vulnerable category and males are more prone to suicides than females.
• Private job holders, housewives, labourers and students form the high risk category.
• Part- B deals with comparative study of suicide prevention strategies from across the world to understand best practices. Suitable practices have been incorporated in the suicide prevention framework.
• Part -C pertains to strategy framework proposed by the research team. At 17.4%, the suicide rate (instances per one lakh population) was above the national average of 11.3.

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

2. THE KUSHIYARA RIVER TREATY

THE CONTEXT: During Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on sharing of the waters of the Kushiyara river, a distributary of the Barak river which flows through Assam, and then on to Bangladesh.
THE EXPLANATION:
What is the Kushiyara agreement?
• Over the last century, the flow of the Barak river has changed in such a way that the bulk of the river’s water flows into Kushiyara while the rest goes into Surma.
• The agreement is aimed at addressing part of the problem that the changing nature of the river has posed before Bangladesh as it unleashes floods during the monsoon and goes dry during the winter when demand of water goes up because of a crop cycle in Sylhet.
• Under this MoU, Bangladesh will be able to withdraw 153 cusecs (cubic feet per second) of water from the Kushiyara out of the approximately 2,500 cusecs of water that is there in the river during the winter season.
• It will benefit the farmers involved in Boro rice, which is basically the rice cultivated during the dry season of December to February and harvested in early summer.
• Bangladesh has been complaining that the Boro rice cultivation in the region had been suffering as India did not allow it to withdraw the required water from the Kushiyara.
About Boro Rice
• The boro rice is commonly known as winter rice.
• The term boro is Bengali originated from the Sanskrit word “Boro” which refers to a cultivation from Nov.-May under irrigated condition.
• It is photo-insensitive, transplanted rice cultivated in waterlogged, low-lying or medium lands with supplemental irrigation during November to May.
• This type of rice has been cultivated traditionally in river basin deltas of Bangladesh and Eastern India including Eastern U.P., Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal and Assam.
• Areas adjoining canals and roads, Chaur-lands/Tal-lands, are low-lying ditches with high moisture retention capacity where water is accumulated during monsoon months and cannot be drained out in winter months.
• Boro rice system takes advantage of residual moisture after the harvest of kharif rice.
• With the increase in irrigation facilities, boro crop is now being taken in areas outside its traditional boundaries and a new cropping system is emerging.

How will Bangladesh use the water?
• The water of Kushiyara will be channelled through the Rahimpur Canal project in Sylhet.
• The eight km long canal is the only supplier of water from the Kushiyara to the region and Bangladesh has built a pump house and other facilities for withdrawal of water that can now be utilised.
• The water of the Kushiyara has been used for centuries in Sylhet.
• But Bangladesh has witnessed that the flow and volume of water in the canal has reduced during the lean season.
• The utility of the river and the canal during the lean/winter season had gone down, affecting cultivation of rice as well as a wide variety of vegetables for which Sylhet is famous.
• The additional water of Kushiyara through the Rahimpur Canal therefore is the only way to ensure steady supply of water for irrigation of agriculture fields and orchards of the subdivisions of Sylhet.

Link with climate change
• The Kushiyara agreement is relatively smaller in scale in comparison to Teesta that involves West Bengal, which has problems with the proposal.
• The Kushiyara agreement did not require a nod from any of the States like Assam from which the Barak emerges and branches into Kushiyara and Surma.
• The reduced water flow of the Kushiyara during winter and Teesta too, however, raise important questions about the impact of climate change on South Asian rivers that can affect communities and trigger migration.
• Bangladesh has cited low water flow in its rivers during the winter months as a matter of concern as it affects its agriculture sector.
• The coming decades will throw up similar challenging issues involving river water sharing as the impact of the climate crisis becomes more visible with water levels going down in several cross-border rivers.

THE HEALTH ISSUES

3. TB MUKT BHARAT ABHIYAN ‘NI-KSHAY 2.0’ PORTAL

THE CONTEXT: President of India recently launched the ‘Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan’ and the Nikshay 2.0 portal to eliminate TB by 2025 through a virtual event.
THE EXPLANATION:
• Under this campaign, any person, any representative or organization can adopt TB patients and the adopted patients will be taken care of.
• More than 66 percent TB patients currently undergoing treatment in the country have given their consent for adoption under this campaign.
• Under this scheme, more than 62 lakh TB patients have received financial assistance of Rs 1,651 crore since 2018. This involves a direct transfer of Rs 500 to the patient’s bank account.
Nikshay 2.0 Portal
• The NIKSHA 2.0 portal provides additional patient support to TB patients to take advantage of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) opportunities to improve treatment outcomes, enhance community participation and fulfill India’s commitment to TB eradication by 2025.
• The people and institutions who come forward to take care of the patients will be called “NikshayMitras”.
• The period of Nikshay Mitra support can be chosen from one year to three years. They can also choose the state, district, block, health facilities.
• Around 13.5 lakh TB patients are registered in the NIKSHA portal, out of which 8.9 lakh active TB patients have given their consent for adoption.
• The digital portal Nikshay will provide a platform for community support to TB patients.
• Under this initiative, individuals, organisations, corporates, cooperative organisations, elected leaders and NGOs can provide support to persons suffering from TB by adopting them. You can also login to Nikshay 2.0 Portal.
• According to official sources, out of the total 13,51,611 TB patients currently in the country, 8,95,119 had given their consent for adoption by September 7.
VALUE ADDITION:
About TB Free India Campaign
The TB Free India Campaign was started by Prime Minister to eliminate Tuberculosis in India. This campaign seeks to achieve the target of eliminating TB by 2025, as a part of sustainable development goals. However, goal of eliminating TB by 2025, is 5 years ahead of global target of eliminating TB by 2030.

THE GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES IN NEWS

4. GAYAJI DAM: INDIA’S LONGEST RUBBER DAM ON FALGU RIVER

THE CONTEXT: Recently, Bihar Chief Minister inaugurated the country’s largest rubber dam and a steel bridge over the Falgu river near Vishnupad temple in Bihar.
THE EXPLANATION:
• The Gayaji Dam has been constructed by Rubina Company of Austria in collaboration with Nagarjuna Construction Company of Hyderabad on the advice of experts from IIT Roorkee.
• Apart from the rubber dam, the banks along the Falgu River have also been developed and a steel bridge has been built for pilgrims to visit Sita Kund.
• The rubber dam is made of 17 mm thick rubber. This dam is 400 meters wide and 3 meters high. After the construction of the dam, its water will be stored for about two and a half kilometers.
• The height of Bar Dam has been kept at three meters. It will hold water up to three meters. If there is more water than this, the water from the top of the rubber dam will flow downwards i.e. in the north direction. In special circumstances, arrangements have been made to release water from the rubber dam.
• It is bulletproof and experts claim that it will not deteriorate for 100 years. This rubber dam, built at a cost of about 312 crores, will keep water throughout the year in the Falgu river.
• This will facilitate people to take bath, pinddaan and perform tarpan. Here people not only from the country but also from abroad come to offer sacrifices to the ancestors for salvation.
Falgu River
Falgu River originates in the Palamu district of Jharkhand. This river passes through the holy city of Gaya in Bihar and has significance in Hindu and Buddhist religions. The length of the Falgu river in Bihar is about 135 km. This river starts near Gaya at the confluence of Lilajan River and Mohana River and finally joins Punpun River.

THE SECURITY AFFAIRS

5. TARAGIRI: THIRD STEALTH FRIGATE UNDER PROJECT 17A

THE CONTEXT: Project 17A’s third stealth frigate ‘Taragiri’ was recently launched by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai.
THE EXPLANATION:
Taragiri is the third stealth warship to be built under Project 17A.
• The 149 m long and 17.8 m wide ship is powered by a combination of two gas turbines and two main diesel engines. They are designed to achieve speeds in excess of 28 knots at a displacement of 6,670 tonnes.
• The ship is expected to be delivered by August 2025.
• The ship is being launched with an estimated launch weight of 3,510 tonnes.
• The ship is designed by the Bureau of Naval Design, the in-house design organization of the Indian Navy.
• The ship was named by Charu Singh, President, Naval Wives Welfare Association (Western Zone) and Vice Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, wife of the Chief Guest.
• The steel used in the hull construction of the P17A frigate is indigenously developed DMR 249A, a low carbon micro-alloy grade steel manufactured by the Steel Authority of India Limited.
Project P17A
Under project P17A, first two ships were launched 2019 and 2020. First ship was launched at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited. On the other hand, second ship was launched at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited. On May 2022, the third ship named Udaygiri was launched at MDL and is expected to start sea trials during the second half of 2024. All the ships under project P17A have been designed in-house by Directorate of Naval Design (DND) of Indian Navy.

THE PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

6. OPERATION LONDON BRIDGE

THE CONTEXT: With the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Operation London Bridge became active in Britain. This is a protocol that has been in place since the announcement of the Queen’s death by Buckingham Palace on 8 September.
THE EXPLANATION:
What is Operation London Bridge?
• Operation London Bridge is the planning of events in the UK following the death of the head of state. Under this operation, the Prime Minister in Britain will first issue a statement on the news of the death from the government. After that she will address the public.
• After this, King Charles of Britain will address the name of the country. The background of the Royal Family website will be darkened. This would in a way confirm the death of the Queen. At the same time, a black banner will appear on all UK government websites and social media pages.
• The plan describes the day after the Queen’s death as D+1 and the day of her funeral as D+10. During this period, the British Parliament adjourns business for these 10 days by sending condolence messages.
• The next day the Queen’s body is brought to Buckingham Palace. The Queen has died in Scotland, so Operation Unicorn will continue until her body is sent to London.
• Condolences will be brought to Westminster Hall between the third and fifth days. Charles would then begin his tour of Britain as the new king.
• After this, the body of Elizabeth II will be kept in Westminster Hall for three days. Here common people will be able to pay tribute to him. The tribute program will run for 23 hours a day.

1. Cults and creeds, debates and deeds READ MORE
2. Tryst with inevitable READ MORE
3. WORLD HAS TWO SIDES, BUT the CHOICE IS OURS READ MORE

1. Why cloudburst forecast in India still remains elusive READ MORE
2. Slowdown of continental plates linked to volcanic eruptions triggered mass extinctions: Study READ MORE

1. Explain Speaking: How to read the latest Human Development Report READ MORE
2. Time to get serious about nutrition security READ MORE
3. Battleground Body: Sexism and the Right to Safe Abortions in India READ MORE

1. Relief, at last: The Supreme Court has exposed the tenuous nature of UAPA case against journalist Kappan READ MORE
2. State, CSOs must join forces to help children READ MORE
3. Municipal finance in focus: How India can empower its urban local bodies READ MORE
4. A road map for the model prisons Act READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Explained | The Indira Gandhi Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme in Rajasthan READ MORE
2. King Charles III proclaimed Britain’s monarch in historic ceremony READ MORE
3. India stays out of ‘trade pillar’ at Indo-Pacific meet READ MORE
4. India’s GDP can grow to $40 trillion if working-age population gets employment: CII report READ MORE
5. Explained | Why is the Kushiyara river treaty between India and Bangladesh important? READ MORE
6. Cheetah relocation: Shivraj Singh Chouhan takes stock of preparations at Kuno park READ MORE
7. President Droupadi Murmu nominates Gulam Ali Gurjar Muslim from J&K to Rajya Sabha READ MORE
8. Over 1.1 million sea turtles poached in the last 30 years: Study READ MORE

Main Exam

GS Paper- 1

1. Why cloudburst forecast in India still remains elusive READ MORE
2. Slowdown of continental plates linked to volcanic eruptions triggered mass extinctions: Study READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Relief, at last: The Supreme Court has exposed the tenuous nature of UAPA case against journalist Kappan READ MORE
2. State, CSOs must join forces to help children READ MORE
3. Municipal finance in focus: How India can empower its urban local bodies READ MORE
4. A road map for the model prisons Act READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Explain Speaking: How to read the latest Human Development Report READ MORE
2. Time to get serious about nutrition security READ MORE
3. Battleground Body: Sexism and the Right to Safe Abortions in India READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Explained | What is the G7 planning on Russian oil? READ MORE  
2. Bangladesh PM’s India visit promises to take bilateral ties to new heights READ MORE
3. India-Bangladesh ties, a model for bilateral cooperation READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. What govt curbs on exporting rice mean for India and the world READ MORE
2. Making in India. But how? PLI aims to create a manufacturing base. More evidence is needed before extending the scheme READ MORE
3. Streamlined logistics can boost growth READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Fire, Foam, Now Floods! And Attention is Back on Bengaluru’s Lakes! READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Cults and creeds, debates and deeds READ MORE
2. Tryst with inevitable READ MORE
3. WORLD HAS TWO SIDES, BUT the CHOICE IS OURS READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. Discuss the role of civil society engagement between communities to create confidence, restore trust and strengthen inter-community bonds.
2. ‘India-Bangladesh relations cannot realize their full potential as long as they are compartmentalized’. Comment.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Keep looking ahead and learning from what’s behind.
• Logistics for power trade between Bangladesh and its neighbours — India, Nepal and Bhutan — have been put in place. India will assist Bangladesh by sharing its rich experience of innovation through startups.
• We need an urgent civil society engagement between communities in Kashmir once again. This alone can create confidence, restore trust and strengthen inter-community bonds.
• Delivering the vaccines to the general public and covering those untouched by the primary two doses, and the boosters, should remain high on the agenda.
• India’s emergence as the fifth-largest as well as the fastest-growing economy in the world will definitely ensure a further quantum leap in strategic ties with Japan.
• Beyond infrastructure, such investments should also be made towards strengthening the technical capacity of the managing staff — which can transform the functioning of CCIs. It is crucial to train the staff on contemporary childcare practices and compliances.
• India-Bangladesh relations cannot realize their full potential as long as they are compartmentalized.
• The model Act should cover all relevant issues governing the management and administration of prisons, taking into account the challenges due to the changed nature of crime and criminals. Custody, care and treatment are the three main functions of a modern prison organisation.

50-WORD TALK

• In India, there are continuing worries about the cumulative and adverse impact of COVID-19 and the Ukraine war on Bangladesh’s economy. The country faces escalating protests on the streets that have been triggered by a sharp rise in fuel prices, an erosion of foreign currency reserves, and a deepening financial crisis.

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.

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