THE CONTEXT: Among the many initiatives taken around the world to neutralize the gender binary, India faces its own challenge in the form of gender-caste intersectionality.

THE ISSUE: In the 2022 Gender Inequality Index, India ranked 135 out of 146

nations (United Nations Development Program (UNDP), 2019). India has both low rates of female labour force participation (FLFP) and large pay disparities between women and men in India. The FLFP is about 25% in rural regions and less than 20% in urban areas (Lahoti and Swaminathan 2016). The average wage of female employees is about 65% of the average male wages in 2018-2019 (Chakraborty 2020). Aside from the steps taken to improve women’s political representation, no constitutional mandate or law ensures seats for women in public-sector employment or educational institutions. Only a few states – like Bihar, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Punjab – have introduced reservations for women in government jobs during the last decade. In terms of educational institutions, the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) introduced a reservation of 20% seats for women in 2018 to correct the low levels of female participation in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines. This measure has been quite successful in increasing the share of women, from about 14% of total seats in 2018-19 to 20% in 2020-21. Yet, a large gulf remains in achievement by the subaltern caste.

WHAT IS INTERSECTIONALITY?

The intersectionality perspective emphasizes that an individual’s social identity influences the individual’s beliefs and experiences of gender making it essential to understand gender within the context of power relations.

SOME OF THE EXAMPLES

Intersectionality of class, caste and gender and its linkages with unmet need for care. Research on economic inequality and poverty demonstrated that unequal distribution of resources manifests in unequal access to opportunities, including healthcare. Economic differences may not shape the opportunities in isolation rather than caste inequalities and

Gender biases which are rooted in the social system and interact with economic class, influence the pathways of healthcare access; some of the data in the case of gender intersectionality.

This clearly shows that a social gradient to health exists in India in the case of health outcomes.

The social gradient in health is a term used to describe the phenomenon whereby people who are less advantaged in terms of socioeconomic position have worse health (and shorter lives) than those who are more advantaged.

THIS INTERSECTIONALITY PREVAILS IN OTHER SECTORS TOO

• One of the RTI reports reveals that just 19% of the 17,000 companies had adopted the voluntary code of affirmative action for SC/ST communities. The hesitation of corporates in giving importance to caste-based hiring comes from their preference for talent over inclusion.
  • However, the need for inclusion is imperative. Despite higher education systems providing placement opportunities to Dalit students, their scarce presence in corporates’ higher management across the country is worrying.
• Many of the leaders of top companies in India have been vocal about their willingness to hire based on merit and academic performance instead of caste.
  • At the same time, a few companies like Muthoot ask for the caste of candidates in the application form.
  • A study conducted in 2012 found that over 93% of the Indian Corporate board members belong to the “upper castes”. In such a scenario, the unconscious bias of companies and especially the recruiters can hardly be ignored.
• It has been observed that most of the Dalit workers in the private sector are employed at ground level and often as unskilled labourers. The absence of Dalit members in the management body directly impacts these lower-level employees.
  • As a marginalized section, their needs and concerns remain unheard of and unresolved. This creates the condition of underrepresentation at the top level and overrepresentation at the bottom level.
• Impact of such anomaly.
• Impact on entrepreneurship: Dalit entrepreneurship has suffered due to a lack of resources as well as skills. The combined support of the government and the corporate houses is needed to boost such an entrepreneurial spirit. It is crucial to fill the gaps left by the education system through systematic training and skill development. Business houses such as Godrej and M&M are providing training facilities as well as funds to the deprived class entrepreneurs. The government has also been talking about bringing in equal opportunity legislation in the private sector along with financing for the training costs of underprivileged meritorious youth.

THE WAY FORWARD

• The Union Ministry of Minority Affairs came out with a “diversity index” that measures the workforce’s diversity in an organization. It has been found through several studies that the more diverse companies perform better financially, and consumers prefer them over those that take no stand on societal issues. Consequently, many companies have now started caste-profiling their employees. The need of the hour is a conscious effort from the corporate industry for inclusive hiring and talent development rather than just a few short-term CSR activities.

THE CONCLUSION: Despite caste-based reservations, caste-based discrimination persists, raising the question of whether alternative approaches to implementing affirmative action – other than reservations – should be considered.An alternative affirmative action strategy to reservations may be to devote more educational resources to prepare underrepresented groups for higher education students better.This approach may enhance representation while reducing negative stereotypes that women and lower caste groups have lower productivity or provide lower quality services. Enhanced representation and reduced discrimination against women and lower caste groups in high-skilled occupations can encourage competition and improve the overall quality of services.

QUESTIONS TO PONDER

1. Deprivation cannot be reduced to one category of one social limitation. In this context, analyze the multifarious nature of deprivation in India.

THE POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. I-T SURVEY TEAM TOOK DATA BY CLONING SERVER: OXFAM INDIA

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the income tax officials conducted a “survey” on Oxfam India on suspicion of financial irregularities, the non-profit organisation said that the survey team took all data by cloning its server and private mobile phones of senior leadership team.

THE EXPLANATION:

The department on conducted surveys on two think tanks and a charity organisation on suspicion of irregularities related to financial transactions.

• According to Oxfam India “The Income-Tax (I-T) Department officials conducted an income tax ‘survey’ at the Oxfam India Delhi office from the 7th September 2022 noon to early hours of 9th September.
• It added that while the team conducting the survey was polite and professional, the process of a survey with such sweeping powers and broad ambit resulted in disappointing Oxfam India. “The Income Tax survey team took away hundreds of pages of data pertaining to finances and programs of Oxfam India. They also took all the data by cloning the Oxfam India server and the private mobile phones of the senior leadership team and the finance lead”.
• It further said that it is compliant with Indian laws and has filed all its statutory compliances, including Income tax and Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) returns, in a timely manner since its inception.
• Stating that past eight months have been distressing for Oxfam India, the company pointed out that in December 2021, the renewal of FCRA licence was denied by the Home Ministry. “Despite this, Oxfam India was conducting one of the largest civil society responses to the COVID crisis across 16 States. Oxfam India has provided life-saving medical and diagnostic equipment to 150 district hospitals, 172 primary health centres, and 166 community health centres in 16 States. Ten oxygen plants have also been set up and made operational across the country” .

OXFAM

• Oxfam is a confederation of 20 independent charitable organisations focusing on the alleviation of global poverty.
• It was founded in 1942 and led by Oxfam International.
• It is a major nonprofit group with an extensive collection of operations.
• HQ at Nairobi, Kenya.
• Vision: A world where people and the planet are at the centre of our economy. Where women and girls live free from violence and discrimination. Where the climate crisis is contained. And where governance systems are inclusive and allow for those in power to be held to account.

VALUE ADDITION:

What is the FCRA?

• The FCRA was enacted during the Emergency in 1976 amid apprehensions that foreign powers were interfering in India’s affairs by pumping money into the country through independent organisations.
• These concerns were, in fact, even older; they had been expressed in Parliament as early as in 1969.

Aim: The law sought to regulate foreign donations to individuals and associations so that they functioned in a manner consistent with the values of a sovereign democratic republic.

Prohibition:

The Act prohibits the receipt of foreign funds by candidates for elections, journalists or newspaper and media broadcast companies, judges and government servants, members of legislature and political parties or their office-bearers, and organisations of a political nature.

New guidelines to banks on Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act rules

• State Bank of India’s New Delhi branch: A new provision that makes it mandatory for all NGOs to receive foreign funds in a designated bank account at the State Bank of India’s New Delhi branch was inserted.
• Designated FCRA account: All NGOs seeking foreign donations have to open a designated FCRA account at the SBI branch.
• The NGOs can retain their existing FCRA account in any other bank but it will have to be mandatorily linked to the SBI branch in New Delhi.
• Only banking channels allowed: Foreign contribution has to be received only through banking channels and it has to be accounted for in the manner prescribed.
• OCI or PIO: Donations are given in Indian rupees by any foreign source including foreigners of Indian origin like OCI or PIO cardholders” should also be treated as foreign contributions.
• Sovereignty and integrity: It requires NGOs to give an undertaking that the acceptance of foreign funds is not likely to prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India or impact friendly relations with any foreign state and does not disrupt communal harmony.

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

2. INDIA- UK CONDUCT COUNTER RANSOMWARE EXERCISE

THE CONTEXT: Recently India’s National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) and the British Government in collaboration with BAE Systems successfully conducted a virtual ransomware drill for 26 countries to prepare for a large, widespread cyber attack.

THE EXPLANATION:

THEME: The theme of the exercise is “Energy Sector” which aims to enable national cyber crisis management teams belonging to CRI affiliates to tackle ransomware attacks on multiple power distribution companies.

• The exercise was part of the International Counter Ransomware Initiative (CRI)-Resilience Working Group led by the National Cyber ​​Security Coordinator (NCSC) in India.
• The objective of conducting this virtual cyber exercise is to detect and address a large, widespread cyber security incident affecting institutions operating within a country.
• The exercise is designed to support CRI’s mission, and is intended to allow participating CRI members to test their abilities to respond to a major ransomware incident at multiple power distribution companies.
• It also mentions the benefits of sharing and collaborating during such a major cyber attack.
• Such exercises also provide opportunities for CRI countries to share their perspectives on tackling ransomware.

VALUE ADDITION:

National Cyber Coordination Centre (NCCC)

• It is an operational cyber security and e-surveillance agency in India which is intended to screen communication metadata and co-ordinate intelligence gathering activities of other agencies. It generates situational awareness about potential and existing cyber security threats and enables timely sharing of information for proactive, preventive and protective actions by individual entities.
• National Cyber Security Coordinator (NCSC) under National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) coordinates with different agencies at the national level for cyber security matters.

THE HEALTH ISSUES

3. KERALA GOVT: EXPERT COMMITTEE TO STUDY HUMAN RABIES DEATHS

THE CONTEXT: Recently, Kerala Health Minister has issued orders to set up an expert committee to study human rabies deaths in Kerala following a rise in cases of stray dog ​​bites in Kerala.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The minor was bitten on August 14 when she had gone out to buy milk and had six wounds, including one on her face. He died during treatment at the Kottayam Medical College Hospital. The thing to note here is that this girl had also been vaccinated against rabies, yet she died.
• The stray dog ​​bite case was not the first as the number of such cases is increasing in Kerala, following which two petitioners, Father Geevarghese Thomas and Sabu Stephen, moved the court.
• According to the Kerala Health Ministry data, more than 95,000 people were bitten by dogs in eight months this year and 14 people died compared to 11 last year. Of the 14 deaths, five had taken the rabies vaccine.
• The figures for the last five years also show that the cases in the state have been rising steadily: from 1,48,899 in 2019 to 1,21,529 as of August 2022. Rabies deaths are also on the rise: from nine cases in 2018 to 14 deaths in August 2022

Mission Rabies

• It is a charity, initially founded as an initiative by Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS). It is a United Kingdom-based charity group which assists animals. Mission Rabies works with ‘One Health approach’ which is driven by research to eliminate dog bite transmitted rabies disease. It was launched in September 2013 with the objective of vaccinating 50,000 dogs against rabies in India.  Rabies has estimated to kill 59,000 people annually. Mission Rabies teams have vaccinated 968,287 dogs since 2013. Organisation has worked in the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Goa, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, and Assam.

About Rabies

• As per WHO, Rabies is a vaccine-preventable viral disease that occurs in about 150 countries and territories. Dogs act as the source of majority of human rabies deaths. Dogs are responsible for contributing up to 99% of rabies transmissions to humans. In Asia and Africa regions, low awareness regarding the need of health care after dog bite takes lives of about 55000 people per year.
• India is endemic for rabies with the burden of 36% of world’s deaths. 30-60% of reported rabies cases and deaths in India occur in children aged under 15 years because bite often go unrecognized and unreported.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS

4. UNDP HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX

THE CONTEXT: India has been ranked 132 out of 191 countries in the recently released Human Development Report 2021-22 by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

THE EXPLANATION:

• This year’s report is titled “Uncertain Times, Unsettled Lives: Shaping Our Future in a Transforming World”.
• India’s HDI value during 2021 was 0.633, lower than the world average of 0.732. In 2020 also, India recorded a decline in its HDI value (0.642) as compared to the pre-Covid level of 2019 (0.645).
• Gross National Income (GNI) per capita: India’s GNP per capita (2017 PPP) at $6,590.
• India’s Life expectancy at birth: In 2021, India’s life expectancy at birth was recorded at 67.2 years.
• India’s Life expectancy at birth: The decline in India’s HDI from 0.645 in 2018 to 0.633 in 2021 can be attributed to falling life expectancy at birth.
• Access to knowledge: The expected years of schooling in India is 11.9 years and the average years of schooling is 6.7 years.

Top 5 countries

• Switzerland has been ranked first in the report of the United Nations Human Development Index. It is followed by Norway, then Iceland, Hong Kong and Australia in fifth place.

India’s Neighbours

Sri Lanka has been ranked 73rd in the Human Development Index. With this China is ranked 79th, Bhutan 127th, Bangladesh 129th, Nepal 143rd and Pakistan 161st.

About Human Development Index

The HDI is an average measure of basic human development achievements in a country measured by UNDP. It is a summary measure for assessing long-term progress in three basic dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, access to knowledge and a decent standard of living.

5. KIRIT PARIKH COMMITTEE TO MODERATE GAS PRICES

THE CONTEXT: The Central Government has recently constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Kirit Parikh to control and reduce the continuous increase in LPG gas prices.

THE EXPLANATION:

• A representative each from private companies involved in city gas distribution, public gas company GAIL India Limited, Indian Oil Corporation and the Ministry of Fertilizers has been included in this committee.
• This committee will decide the formula for better pricing for domestic gas production. The report is expected to be submitted by the end of this month.
• This committee will also review the formula for fixing the price of gas produced by companies like ONGC and Reliance.

LPG consumption in India

• Consumption of LPG in the country – mainly used as cooking fuel – rose 3.75% in January to a record high of 2.569 million tonnes in January, PPAC data showed. India’s LPG consumption has increased in recent years to 27.558 million tonnes in the financial year 2020-21 (April-March), from 4.803 million tonnes in the financial year 1997-98.
• Indian imports were traditionally butane-heavy, although the LPG import ratio has remained largely the same in recent years.
• The flagship scheme of the government Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) has made a significant contribution towards enhancing the penetration of LPG, especially in rural areas. The renewed targets under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) aims to provide LPG connections to 10 crore households before January 31, 2022.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

6. WHAT IS ‘HUMAN ORGAN TRANSPORTATION DRONE’?

THE CONTEXT: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways recently inaugurated the country’s first prototype drone for transporting human organs to facilitate quick transplantation in hospitals.

THE EXPLANATION:

• With this innovation, it will take much less time to transport the transplanted organs from airport to hospital.  At present, this facility has been started by MGM Healthcare Hospital located in Chennai.
• This drone can be used to carry the organ box up to a distance of 20 km. For this, an agreement has been signed with a city-based drone company.
• This experiment will prove to be a milestone in the direction of seamless transport of organs after transplantation in this service.
• India ranks third in the world after United States and China, with a maximum of 17,000-18,000 solid organ transplants every year. And to defend such circumstances, the human organ transportation drone can be a boon.

Organ Transplantations in India:

• Globally, Spain has the highest organ donation rate at about 34 donors per million, while India has nearly 0.03 donors per million. In India, Tamil Nadu has a highest number of organ donations.
• India needs an estimated 6 lakh kidney donations annually, only 6,000 kidney transplants take place. The number of heart transplants is just inching close to 500.
• National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO) under the ministry of health and family welfare was setup in 2014 to oversee the process of Organ transplantation. Under NOTTO two organizations are present, namely, Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (ROTTO) and SOTTO (State Organ and Tissue Transplant organization).

THE GOVERNMENT SCHEMES IN NEWS

7. WOMEN IN ENGINEERING, SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY (WEST) INITIATIVE

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the central government launched a new i-STEM (Indian Science Technology and Engineering Facilities) initiative named “Women in Engineering, Science and Technology (WEST)”.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The WEST program is aimed at women from STEM backgrounds and will empower them to contribute to the science, technology and innovation ecosystem.
• Under the WEST initiative, the existing support being provided by I-STEM to S&Tstartups of women entrepreneurs will be enhanced and a dedicated team of women will ensure the successful implementation of this initiative.
• Access to R&D facilities and R&D software platforms (Comsol, Matlab, LabVIEW, AutoCAD) available through this portal will create a strong support network for women entrepreneurs in science and technology.
• In addition, a digital group “Connect Quickly” has also been set up through I-Stem’s WhatsApp and Telegram platforms for online discussion and immediate help.

Significance of WEST

• i-STEM will provide a platform for women researchers to discuss achievements, issues and exchange ideas to take the country forward through advances in science, technology and innovation.
• Women with this experience can become entrepreneurs to serve as consultants for operation and maintenance of sophisticated equipment/equipment through i-STEM platform.
• This initiative will also help in bringing women back into the science and technology domain after a career break.
• This will go a long way toward filling the “skills gap” and putting publicly funded tools to good use.

VALUE ADDITION:

I-STEM Portal

• I-STEM is Indian Science, Technology Engineering Facilities Map. The portal will act as a gateway for the researchers and users to locate facilities that are required for their research and development work. Also, after locating the facility, the researcher can make an online reservation in order to use the facility. With this, the start-ups can leverage public and private investments and come up with successful services and products.
• Initially, similar facility was operating at IISc Bengaluru and IIT Bombay. The I-STEM portal is a replica of these facilities. The facility at IISc Bengaluru was called the Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE).

1. S Radhakrishnan: A man of egoless impartiality READ MORE
2. Rule over your senses READ MORE

1. Climate finance for sustainable development goals READ MORE
2. Slowdown of continental plates linked to volcanic eruptions triggered mass extinctions: Study READ MORE

1. How Bharat is fighting TB through Jan Bhagidari: Health minister writes about govt & citizens working together to make the country TB-free by 2025 READ MORE  
2. Transgender woes READ MORE
3. Expansive Social Security Programmes a Top Priority READ MORE

1. Why sports management in India needs to include former players READ MORE
2. Challenge for CBI to tackle credibility crisis READ MORE
3. Courts’ turn to keep pace with the times READ MORE
4. SECURITY IN THE TIME OF DISASTERS READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Centre bans export of broken rice due to domestic demand READ MORE
2. Direct tax mop-up rises 30% till Sept 8 READ MORE
3. Army in Arunachal Pradesh gets modern equipment READ MORE
4. India is not in the trade pillar of IPEF right now: US Trade Representative READ MORE
5. A river ruined: Are India’s mining laws deterrent enough? READ MORE
6. State of the Climate in Africa 2021: High water stress to displace up to 700 million Africans by 2030 READ MORE
7. A look into India’s first prototype of drone technology for organ transportation READ MORE

Main Exam

GS Paper- 1

1. Moving out of the shadows, from silence to assertion READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Why sports management in India needs to include former players READ MORE
2. Challenge for CBI to tackle credibility crisis READ MORE
3. Courts’ turn to keep pace with the times READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. How Bharat is fighting TB through Jan Bhagidari: Health minister writes about govt & citizens working together to make the country TB-free by 2025 READ MORE  
2. Transgender woes READ MORE
3. Expansive Social Security Programmes a Top Priority READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. On China, India must be alert READ MORE  
2. Analysing Sri Lankan, Chinese, and Indian Perspectives: Sri Lanka–China Relations READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Why Modi govt needs to reconsider spending on physical rather than social infrastructure READ MORE
2. August Trade Gap Is an Early Warning of Currency and Forex Worries READ MORE

 ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Climate finance for sustainable development goals READ MORE
2. Slowdown of continental plates linked to volcanic eruptions triggered mass extinctions: Study READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. The stark reasons why Bengaluru is sinking READ MORE
2. SECURITY IN THE TIME OF DISASTERS READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. S Radhakrishnan: A man of egoless impartiality READ MORE
2. Rule over your senses READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. Growing market uncertainties and recurring calamities demand higher social security. In the light of the statement explain how a Pan-India Social Security Programmes can secure citizens from these uncertainties?
2. ‘As sport administration becomes more demanding and training and skills more complex, the presumption that sports federations can be run by bureaucrats or judges needs a serious rethink’. Comment.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• A change of heart changes everything.
• Growing market uncertainties and recurring calamities demand higher social security.
• It is argued that given the geostrategic location of Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean, and proximity to India, an aspiration for infrastructural developmental and Chinese developmental assistance are primarily shaping the Sri Lankan foreign policy choice to adopt hedging to maximise benefits.
• As the power relationship in Asia is in a constant flux and given the power dilemma between India and China, New Delhi is increasingly more receptive to India–US–Sri Lanka collaboration to restrict China’s foray into the Indian Ocean.
• As sport administration becomes more demanding and training and skills more complex, the presumption that sports federations can be run by bureaucrats or judges needs a serious rethink.
• India and China have agreed on disengagement of their frontline troops in the Hot Springs area along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) after months of protracted negotiations, but it is also obvious that serious differences remain between the two sides.
• It is high time now that we shifted our focus to a more down to earth, sustainable model of development that would place a lower burden on the planet.
• Addressing climate change requires investments in green bonds, instruments that finance green projects achieving decent returns, while simultaneously hedging against climate change risks.

50-WORD TALK

• The CBI’s decline started during the Emergency and gradually it became politicised. The Shah Commission of Inquiry, which probed the excesses perpetrated during the Emergency, criticised its questionable role in a number of cases and hauled up some of its shining stars. It also observed that the efficiency and transparency of an organisation depend much on the extent to which the executives of the organisation are allowed to function ‘freely and objectively’.
• The 20% duty on rice export is no cause for embarrassment or complaint. We’d wish more is done to discourage export of non-Basmati rice. It brings little value and costs too much water. Wean farmers away from producing surplus paddy for export, incentivise shifting to more remunerative, less water-guzzling crops.

Things to Remember:

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

THE CONTEXT: India has a long history of various states experimenting with various laws on liquor, ranging from total prohibition to restricted sale of alcohol to phased closure of liquor shops.  As liquor contributes sizeable revenue to the exchequer, it has never been an easy decision for any state government to impose the prohibition.  Presently, there are four states – Bihar, Gujarat, Nagaland and Mizoram – and the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, where total prohibition is in place. This article analyses the causes behind the not-so-successful liquor prohibitions in India.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a medical condition characterized by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse social, occupational, or health consequences. It encompasses the conditions that some people refer to as alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence, alcohol addiction, and the colloquial term, alcoholism.

THE OVERVIEW: Alcohol is a toxic and psychoactive substance with dependence-producing properties. In many of today’s societies, alcoholic beverages are a routine part of the social landscape for many in the population. This is particularly true for those in social environments with high visibility and societal influence, nationally and internationally, where alcohol frequently accompanies socializing. In this context, it is easy to overlook or discount the health and social damage caused or contributed to by drinking.

• Alcohol consumption contributes to 3 million deaths each year globally as well as to the disabilities and poor health of millions of people. Overall, the harmful use of alcohol is responsible for 5.1% of the global burden of disease.
• Harmful use of alcohol is accountable for 7.1% and 2.2% of the global burden of disease for males and females respectively. Alcohol is the leading risk factor for premature mortality and disability among those aged 15 to 49 years, accounting for 10 per cent of all deaths in this age group. Disadvantaged and especially vulnerable populations have higher rates of alcohol-related death and hospitalization.

THE HISTORY OF PROHIBITION OF LIQUOR AROUND THE WORLD

The term prohibition refers to the legal prevention of the manufacture, storage, transportation, distribution, sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages with the aim of obtaining total abstinence through legal means. Prohibition and temperance have had an overlapping history in many countries since ancient times like in ancient China, Aztec civilisation and feudal Japanese society.

The anti-liquor movement in the West is nearly two centuries two-centuries-old. An abstinence pledge was introduced by churches in the United States as early as 1800. One of the landmarks in the internationalisation of the movement was the organisation of the World Prohibition Conference in London, in 1909. It was instrumental in the formation of the International Prohibition Confederation, embracing the United States, the European countries and a few other industrialised countries of the world. Nationwide prohibition was enforced in the United States in 1920 (via the 18th Amendment and National Prohibition Act). However, post-1933 a tilt towards liberalisation was seen as countries were unable to stop illicit liquor sales and were losing out on revenue. In 1933, the National Prohibition Act was repealed in the U.S.

THE CURRENT STATUS OF PROHIBITION IN THE WORLD

Most countries that introduced prohibition have withdrawn or liberalised the measure like the U.S, Japan, China etc. At present, there is a complete prohibition of liquor in 5countries in the Middle East/North Africa which include Afghanistan, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Sudan. Some other countries like Brunei Darussalam, Comoro, Iran, Kuwait, Maldives, Mauritania, Pakistan, Palestine, Syria and Yemen – prohibit alcohol for Muslim citizens only. The United Arab Emirates allows for some sale of alcohol except for the region of Sharjah.

LIQUOR PROHIBITION IN INDIA

CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS

• Article 47: The Directive Principle in the Constitution of India states that “The state shall undertake rules to bring about prohibition of the consumption except for medicinal purposes of intoxicating drinks and of drugs which are injurious to health”.
• State Subject: Alcohol is a subject in the State list under the seventh schedule of the Indian Constitution.

OTHER PROHIBITION ACTS IN INDIA

• Bombay Abkari Act, 1878: The first hint at the prohibition of liquor was through the Bombay Abkari Act, 1878 (in the Province of Bombay). This Act dealt with the levying of duties on intoxicants, among other things and aspects of prohibition via amendments made in 1939 and 1947.
• Bombay Prohibition Act, 1949: There were “many lacunae” in the Bombay Abkari Act, 1878, from the point of view of the government’s decision to enforce prohibition. This led to the birth of the Bombay Prohibition Act, 1949. The Supreme Court (SC) upheld the Act broadly barring a few sections in 1951 in the judgment of the State of Bombay and Ors. vs FN Balsara (1951).
• Gujarat Prohibition Act, 1949: Gujarat adopted the prohibition policy in 1960 and subsequently chose to enforce it with greater rigidity, but also made processes easier for foreign tourists and visitors to get liquor permits. In 2011, the Act was renamed as Gujarat Prohibition Act. In 2017, the Gujarat Prohibition (Amendment) Act was passed with the provision of up to ten years in jail for manufacturing, purchase, sale and transportation of liquor in the dry state.
• Bihar Prohibition Act, 2016: The Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act was brought into effect in 2016. Over 3.5 lakh people have been arrested under the stringent prohibition law since 2016, leading to crowded jails and clogged courts.
• Other States: Alcohol prohibition in India is in force in the states of Mizoram, and Nagaland as well as in the union territory of Lakshadweep

RATIONALE BEHIND PROHIBITION OF LIQUOR

HEALTH BENEFITS

• Drinking liquor places an adverse impact on human health. It diminishes the utility and functioning of the vital organs of the body, especially the liver and kidney. According to the WHO, the harmful use of alcohol is a causal factor in more than 200 disease and injury conditions and globally 3 million death occur every year due to harmful use of alcohol (5.3% of all deaths).

CONSTITUTIONAL OBLIGATION

• Article 47 of the Constitution directs the State to take measures to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living and to improve public health. Further, the State shall endeavour to bring about prohibition of the consumption of intoxicating drinks and of drugs which are injurious to health.

CURB GENDER VIOLENCE

• Several studies have pointed out a direct correlation between consumption of alcohol and gender violence, including in the domestic setting. A study in Bihar found that 40% of ever-married women aged between 15 and 49 reported that they experienced physical, sexual or emotional violence by their husbands during the previous 12 months.
• Proponents argue that the prohibition of liquor has the potential to bring down the levels of intimate partner violence. A study conducted in Bihar has supported the argument e.g., there has been a 28.9% reduction in crimes against women in Bihar between 2016-2019 (after prohibition)

REDUCTION IN CRIM

• A reduction in alcohol consumption is also desired to reduce crime in society as intoxication impairs an individual’s ability to distinguish between right and wrong.
• A report by the Asian Development Research Institute (ADRI) on prohibition in Bihar noted there was a 66.6% dip in cases of kidnapping for ransom, followed by a 28.3% dip in murder cases and 2.3% in dacoity.

ECONOMIC STRESS

• Addiction to alcohol creates severe hardships, especially for poor families as the male members tend to spend more on alcohol due to their excessive addiction. This in turn reduces the budget for spending on essential items and in many cases pushes the family into borrowing.
• The 1992 Anti-arrack movement that took place in Andhra Pradesh is a testimony to this. The money saved due to the prohibition of liquor is used more productively, e.g., the ADRI study pointed out that 19% of households acquired new assets from the money they earlier splurged on alcohol.

THE ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE PROHIBITION OF LIQUOR

RIGHT TO CHOICE

• A total ban goes against an individual’s right to choice and undermines a person’s freedom.

ECONOMIC LOSS

• The Indian Made Foreign Liquors (IMFL) industry contributes over INR 1 lakh crore in taxes every year. It supports the livelihood of 35 lakh farming families and provides direct and indirect employment to lakhs of workers employed in the industry. It also supports hundreds of ancillary industries in glass, tin, plastic and paper with a turnover of Rs 6,000-7,000 crore.
• Moreover, complete prohibition has a negative impact on the tourism and hospitality sectors.

BOOTLEGGING

• Failure of effective implementation gives rise to bootlegging (the illegal production, transport and sale of liquor). Liquor mafias emerge which keep on supplying illicit liquor (with no quality checks) to the masses. This defeats the purpose of the prohibition of liquor and gives rise to organized crime as well.

HEALTH IMPACTS

• Many people lose their lives by consuming poor-quality illicit liquor (hooch). News reports indicate that as many as 60 people have died after consuming hooch in Bihar since November 2021. Alcohol prohibition may also lead people into consuming other substances which are easy to smuggle and may result in greater health and social consequences.

POPULIST MEASURE

• Critics argue that Alcohol prohibition is merely used as a political card, especially to woo women, voters. However, it doesn’t solve their problems as people addicted to alcohol end up consuming hooch and other illegal alcoholic substances whose impact is similar or even worse than legally manufactured alcohol.

THE CHEQUERED HISTORY OF LIQUOR BAN IN INDIA

• Gujarat (which has been under prohibition for most of its existence) has a thriving illegal liquor industry. For reference, neighbouring Daman has a per capita consumption of 56 litres per annum against the national average of just 4.3 litres per annum. It is estimated that the state loses revenue to the tune of Rs 8,000 crore annually. Off-late Gujarat has diluted prohibition to contain negative fall out on tourism and MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) sector.
• Haryana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala too have experimented with prohibition at different times but abolished it due to its ineffectiveness. Prohibition did not solve the problem of alcohol consumption—it only drove it underground. In recent times Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Manipur have also overturned years-old prohibition policies due to their failure.
• Maharashtra has archaic laws of permits to drink (bars are called ‘permit rooms’) despite the fact that it has never been enforced. It now intends to enforce permits for small private parties at home. Similarly, there are inexplicable limits on the stocking of alcohol for personal consumption. Such ad-hocism prevents a consistent public policy aimed at creating a culture of responsible drinking.
• Bihar introduced complete prohibition in April 2016. While it certainly has led to a reduction in alcohol consumption, the related social, economic, and administrative costs have been far too much to justify gains. Prohibition crippled the judicial administration. So far over 2.14 lakh cases have been registered under the Act; 2.55 lakh people have been booked and 1.67 lakh arrests have been made. Nearly 40,000 bail applications are pending in the High Court, which has expressed its anguish at the turn of events and questioned how it can deal with this enormous pendency. Ironically, liquor sales in districts in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal bordering Bihar have seen a sharp rise.

CASE STUDY FROM BIHAR

• Ever since the Janata Dal (United) government banned liquor in 2016, drug use has gone up among young Biharis. Heroin, ganja, charas, and intravenous drugs have been the refuge of addicts in the state. A UDAYA study found that consumption was higher among rural boys (21 per cent) in Bihar than urban ones (17 per cent). Police in Seemanchal’s districts says petty crimes have also risen, as have the recovery of drugs, phones and cough syrup bottles.
• And yet, nobody seems to be doing anything about it. Economically poor and socially backward, Seemanchal sends its children to Delhi, Kolkata, and other big cities for better education and jobs each year. Some leave as migrant workers and some as government job seekers. But when the nationwide lockdown was announced in 2020, the young returned with no jobs and no work. With them, entered different types of addiction, drugs and boredom.

THE ANALYSIS – OF WHY THE LIQUOR PROHIBITION IS NOT EFFECTIVE

LESSONS OF HISTORY

• Those who support alcohol prohibition point at the dangers of drinking, the lives it has destroyed and the misery it has caused. They no doubt have a point, but that only indicates that alcohol consumption should be regulated in the public interest, not that it be totally prohibited. Historical experience has shown that liquor bans are ineffective and even counter-productive, and only give rise to crime and deaths by consumers drinking illicit liquor. Experience has shown that bans seldom work. They just push the alcohol consumption underground which then brings the criminal element into the picture.

PREVALENCE OF CORRUPTION

• Generally, the local officials form a nexus with the liquor mafia and overlook the underground activities. This police-mafia nexus problem is not limited to India, this had been evident in the US as well during the period of prohibition (1920-33).

DYNAMIC MODUS OPERANDI

• The modus operandi of unlawful players keeps on changing from time to time. The places of production, mode of transportation, and code languages keep on changing which are very difficult to detect.

SUPPORT BY NEIGHBOURING REGIONS

• The liquor gets smuggled from the neighbouring states, e.g., Daman (neighbouring Gujarat) has a per capita consumption of 56 litres per annum against the national average of just 4.3 litres per annum. The data show it plays a key role in meeting the demand of Gujarat.

HUGE SUPPLY OF WORKFORCE

• There is a huge supply of unemployed youth who want to make quick money by smuggling illicit liquor. The youth who get caught are quickly replaced. Further bail can be easily obtained due to nexus with officials.

HIGH DEGREE OF ADDICTION

• The ban doesn’t reduce the demand for alcohol but rather intensifies it. People are willing to risk their lives and drink illicit liquor just to satisfy their addiction. In Bihar, the prohibition indirectly increased the use of drugs and other harmful substances among those who could not get hold of alcohol.

The demand for alcohol is inelastic, i.e. whatever the price of alcohol, we can always find a crowd at every alcohol shop. So, when a law is established prohibiting the manufacturing or sale of alcohol, it impacts the supply side of the market. Basically, a law like Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act 2016 (BPEA), hardly influences the demand side of the market, which is inelastic in nature. The result is that, in a new market equilibrium, there is a negligible reduction in the consumption of alcohol, but the price of alcohol rises. It can be said that the law can actually worsen the lives of families of alcohol addicts, instead of making them better off.

Prohibitory laws cannot alter the demand side of the alcohol market. Instead of making laws, the government should work towards something that would influence the demand side of the consumer. One alternative is to disseminate awareness among people at the village or panchayat level. Awareness drives can help in reducing the demand.

Mere law passed in an assembly by a few people can’t bring social change. If the government had spent just 50% of the revenue it receives from the duties on alcohol on educating people about the hazardous effects of alcohol, it could have brought a better change in the lives of the people and society.

THE WAY FORWARD:

• The idea of prohibition is a classic example of tail-chasing. It is a short-sighted idea which can only get rid of the symptoms, and facilitate ‘out of sight, out of mind’, but can never truly manage to cure the disease. And what is the disease anyway? Linking domestic abuse with increased alcohol consumption is perhaps like being overconfident and assuming the problem is incredulously simple. Domestic abuse by men who squander their limited incomes on alcohol and then come home to beat their wives, or engage in other crimes, and its connection with alcohol consumption needs more research.
• The belief that banning alcohol would check issues related to alcoholism is a very simplistic notion, whereas in reality, the situation is much more complex. Between issues such as morality, prohibition or freedom of choice, also are factors like economy, jobs, etc, which cannot be ignored. What is required is an informed and constructive dialogue on the causes and effects.
• Policymakers should focus on framing laws which encourage responsible behaviour and compliance. The drinking age should be made uniform across the country and no person below that should be permitted to buy alcohol. Tough laws should be made against drunken behaviour in public, domestic violence under the influence, and drinking and driving. Besides, governments should set aside part of revenue earned from alcohol for social education, de-addiction, and community support.
• The point is we know that sugar is bad for health. Should we just ban it or instead get people to consume it less by way of creating awareness?

THE CONCLUSION: Prohibition risks bringing the double whammy of the loss of tax revenues and the need for increased spending on enforcement. Laws work best when they are reformative, not retributive. The mindset of the people cannot be changed overnight and less so through inefficacious policy levers that infringe on individual freedom. That will just make it costlier for people to make mistakes and learn about their preferences through trial and error. On the other hand, higher taxes on alcohol might give the state a chance to bring reforms to their societies which are both progressive and prescient.

Mains Practice Questions:

1. Evidence from Indian experiments shows that a liquor ban does not lead to desired changes. Comment.
2. Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law. Critically analyse the utility of using physical and financial resources to implement the provisions of the alcohol prohibition laws in India.

THE SOCIAL ISSUES

1. INDIA’S LIFE EXPECTANCY FALLS TO 67.2 IN 2021, DECADE-LONG IMPROVEMENT UNDONE

THE CONTEXT: Life expectancy at birth in India has gone down from 69.7 in 2019 to 67.2 in 2021, undoing a decade-long improvement, a United Nations report has found.
THE EXPLANATION:
• The figures report a global decline, with 70 per cent countries witnessing a decline in life expectancy and 85 per cent countries recording a decline in income in 2020, found Human Development Report 2021-2022 released September 7, 2022.
• The comparison of income and life expectancy also reminds us of the importance of looking beyond income.
• Despite a significant economic recovery in 2021, the health crisis intensified, with two-thirds of countries recording even further reductions in life expectancy at birth.

THE PANDEMIC EFFECTS
• The pandemic has severely affected the human development index (HDI). However, the report globally revealed an unequal impact after adjusting the HDI for COVID-19 losses since 2019 as a per cent of the total gain in 1990-2019.
• The adjustment was calculated by modifying “the expected years of schooling indicator to reflect the effects of school closures and the availability of online learning on effective attendance rates”.
• Latin America and the Caribbean emerged as the most severely affected regions, losing the equivalent of 30 per cent of its pre-COVID-19 progress since 1990. South Asia lost 24.6 per cent while Sub-Saharan Africa lost 23.4 per cent.
• In comparison, Europe and Central Asia lost 10.9 per cent of their pre-COVID-19 progress since 1990, East Asia and the Pacific lost 5.8 per cent and the Arab States lost 14.4 per cent.
• The disparity is even more pronounced when countries are aggregated based on their HDI, with very high HDI countries losing just 8.5 per cent of the progress and low and middle HDI countries losing 21.7 per cent and 25.5 per cent, respectively.
• Globally, a loss in COVID-19-adjusted HDI value equivalent to more than one-fifth of the progress from 1990 to 2019 was recorded, the study noted.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS

2. CENTRE IMPOSES 20% EXPORT DUTY ON NON-BASMATI RICE FROM SEPTEMBER 9

THE CONTEXT: The central government imposed a 20 per cent export duty on select rice varieties, excluding parboiled and Basmati rice. This comes at a time when paddy sowing continues to remain low due to drought in several major rice-growing states.
THE EXPLANATION:
• Trade and market sources said the varieties on which duty has been imposed command a share of around 5.9 million tonnes (mt) of rice exported of the total 21-22 mt (28-30 per cent) of annual exports.
• The total also includes 3-4 mt of Basmati rice that has been kept outside the purview of any export tax.
• The imposition of export tax has fuelled debate on whether the Centre will reach a decision on further extending the free foodgrain distribution scheme – Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana – beyond September.
• The scheme to distribute 5 kilograms of rice or wheat per person per month to nearly 800 million beneficiaries of the National Food
• Security Act over and above their regular monthly quota was started during the pandemic as a welfare move.
• Since then, the scheme has been extended six times – the latest being in April for six months.
• So far, most rice varieties did not invite any export tax. This made domestic varieties cheaper than most global brands, leading to a surge in demand.
• The price of rice variants has risen 6-20 per cent in major markets across the country due to drop in acreage, stoking fears of a 6-10 mt fall in kharif production this year, compared to last year.
• In 2021, India produced around 111 mt of rice in the kharif season.
• Normal area is the average acreage of the past five years. In the case of paddy in the kharif season, the normal area is 39.7 million hectares.
• Given that much of the sowing has happened outside the ideal window and monsoon continues to play truant over Eastern states of Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, there is a great deal of uncertainty over the final output.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

3. INVASIVE SOUTH RED-EARED SLIDER TURTLE POSES THREAT TO INDIAN BIODIVERSITY

THE CONTEXT: The presence of invasive and non-native south red-eared slider turtles would lead to the extinction of native species of their own kind.
THE EXPLANATION:
• India is home to 29 freshwater turtles and tortoise species of the 356 turtle species recognised worldwide and around 80 per cent of them are threatened, according to a 2020 study published in journal Reptile and Amphibians conservation and Natural History. The paper was published in 2020.
• The red-eared slider is native to south-eastern USA and Mexico but have found their way across the globe including India through trade of exotic animals.
• In India, keeping indigenous turtles as pets is prohibited under the wildlife protection act. But the foreign breeds are not restricted and are kept as pets in many families across India.
• It also not mentioned in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
• The small and easy-to-maintain species is a hit in the pet’s market. The species breeds faster compared to other local turtle varieties.
ABOUT SPECIES
• The species is considered as one of the world’s 100 worst invasive non-native species. Also, the populations are observed in every continent except Antarctica and at least 73 countries.
• These turtles cannot be culled for sentimental value and other reasons but could be kept captive until their lifespan. These animals can be used for research and teaching purposes.
GOVERNMENT ACTIONS:
• The Union Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change has only an advisory in place to streamline the import and possession of exotic live animals in India.
• The government advisory demands registration and declaration of progenies of the imported exotic live species. But there should be more rules to prevent the species from entering our environment and negatively impacting the environment.

4. 39 BENGAL-BOUND EXOTIC ANIMALS SEIZED IN ASSAM

THE CONTEXT: The Assam police seized 30 exotic animals at the Mizoram-Myanmar border.
THE EXPLANATION:
• This was the biggest seizure of smuggled exotic animals in Assam. Two of these animals are joeys or baby wallabies, 19 are chimpanzees and monkeys, 13 small turtles, three large tortoises and two exotic birds.
• The animals have been taken to the Assam State Zoo where their health condition would be assessed, and the species identified.
NORTH BENGAL HUB?
• Assam Forest officials said Myanmar, despite the civil war, has been the source of most exotic animals smuggled into the northeast and then to the “mainland” with northern West Bengal becoming a hub of this illegal trade.
• The exotic animals have been transported within India on two routes so far. One is from Champhai bordering Myanmar in Mizoram and the other is from Moreh, also bordering Myanmar, in Manipur. Animals transported on the second route touch Dimapur in Nagaland.
• Most people arrested in Assam while transporting such animals said they were paid to deliver their consignments in West Bengal, specifically the Alipurduar-Cooch Behar-Jalpaiguri-Siliguri belt.
• This became more than apparent when Forest officials in West Bengal found four kangaroos in the Gajoldoba area of Jalpaiguri in April. Two more kangaroos – one dead, the other injured – were found in the Dabgram forest range.
• The West Bengal Forest officials rescued four monkeys smuggled from Indonesia from a Siliguri-bound bus around that time.
• In July 2020, The Assam Forest officials seized a red kangaroo, six hyacinth macaw, two capuchin monkeys from South Africa and three Aldabra giant tortoises from a truck near the State’s border with Mizoram.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

5. CHINA’S FULLY SOLAR-POWERED, SEMI-SATELLITE DRONE, EXPLAINED

THE CONTEXT: China’s first fully solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicle has successfully completed its maiden test flight with all onboard systems functioning optimally.
THE NEW MACHINE
• With a wingspan of 164-ft, the drone is a large machine powered entirely by solar panels. The high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) UAV can stay airborne for long durations.
• Named the Qimingxing-50, or Morning Star-50, this drone flies above 20-km altitude where there is stable airflow with no clouds. This helps these drones to make the maximum use of solar equipment to stay functional for extended durations.
• In fact, the drone’s chief designer told South China Morning Post that it can operate without a break for months, even years.
CROSS BETWEEN DRONE AND SATELLITE
• The fact that the drone can operate in near-space – 20 km to 100 km above the Earth’s surface – makes it capable of carrying out satellite-like functions.
• If satellite services are not available for, say, time-sensitive operations or in case of wartime disruption, then near-space UAVs can step in to fill the operational gap.
• These drones are also referred to as ‘High Altitude Platform Stations’ or pseudo-satellites. China already has this capacity, but the Qimingxing-50’s long-endurance provides an added advantage to make this capability available over a longer period.
• In July this year, the US Army helped test a solar-powered, near-space Airbus Zephyr S drone that set a new record by being airborne for 42 days.
• Both these drones can undertake surveillance missions that require them to stay operational, watching over borders or oceans, for months.
• Drones like the Morning Star-50 are cost-effective to build and are also easy to launch and operate. Being entirely powered by clean energy from the Sun, the present one can help boost China’s capabilities to operate in near-space and over the ocean.
• This HALE UAV is capable of conducting high-altitude reconnaissance, apart from monitoring forest fires, providing communication and environment relay.

THE SECURITY

6. INDIA, UK ORGANISE VIRTUAL CYBER SECURITY EXERCISE FOR 26 COUNTRIES

THE CONTEXT: The National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) and the UK government jointly conducted the virtual Cyber Security Exercise for 26 countries.
THE EXPLANATION:
• The exercise is a part of the India-led International Counter Ransomware Initiative- Resilience Working Group, facilitated by the British Aerospace (BAE) Systems.
• The aim to organise this virtual Cyber Exercise on Ransomware Resilience is to simulate a large, wide-spread cyber security incident affecting organisations within a country.
• The exercise involved the National Cyber Crisis Management Teams of CRI partner nations dealing with ransomware attacks on multiple electricity distribution companies.
• These companies are responsible for the distribution of electricity to domestic customers and are the last link to the public supply. The exercise explores the complexity of decision-making around response to ransomware on Critical National Infrastructure.
• This exercise has been designed to support the mission of the CRI, and aims to allow participating CRI Members to test their capability to respond to a major ransomware incident; Demonstrates the benefit of sharing information and collaborating during a major incident; provide opportunities for the CRI Nations to share their approaches to countering ransomware.

MISCELLANEOUS

7. QUEEN ELIZABETH II, LONGEST-REIGNING BRITISH MONARCH, DIES

THE CONTEXT: Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history and a symbol of stability in an era of sweeping social and political change, has died at age 96.
THE EXPLANATION:
• During her seven decades on the throne, the British Empire was dismantled and the U.K.’s role in the world shrank dramatically.
• Growing pressure for independence in Scotland and arguments for Irish unification threatened to redraw the U.K.’s own borders, and ruptures within her family raised questions about the monarchy’s future role.
• But at the end, Queen Elizabeth remained head of state of 14 countries in addition to the U.K., and the leader of a Commonwealth that now includes 54 countries with a combined population of over two billion people.
• The new monarch is her eldest son, Charles, whose son, William, becomes next in line for the throne.
• Throughout the years, the queen reigned alongside 15 British prime ministers and 14 U.S. presidents, beginning with Winston Churchill and Harry Truman.
• She ascended to the throne on Feb. 6, 1952, at a time when much of Europe was still recovering from the trauma of World War II.
• Britain was still rationing food at her coronation in 1953, and much of the continent had fallen behind the Iron Curtain. She was still there decades later when the Soviet Union collapsed, and China began its rise as a global power.

1. A thought flowers READ MORE
2. Suicide is never a solution READ MORE

1. Time to put wastewater to good use READ MORE
2. Invasive south red-eared slider turtle poses threat to Indian biodiversity READ MORE

1. Should the mother tongue or English be the medium of instruction? READ MORE  
2. A Suitable Teacher: Success of new education policy depends on how we recruit and assess teachers READ MORE
3. Amid stressed healthcare system, a shining example READ MORE

1. Road safety needs a holistic policy framework READ MORE
2. Why India’s Data Protection Bill Should Follow the EU Model, Not the China-Russia One READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Centre imposes 20% export duty on non-Basmati rice from September 9 READ MORE
2. 39 Bengal-bound exotic animals seized in Assam READ MORE
3. Queen Elizabeth II, longest-reigning monarch of U.K., dies READ MORE
4. China’s fully solar-powered, semi-satellite drone, explained READ MORE
5. Invasive south red-eared slider turtle poses threat to Indian biodiversity READ MORE
6. India’s life expectancy falls to 67.2 in 2021, decade-long improvement undone READ MORE
7. India, UK organise virtual cybersecurity exercise for 26 countries READ MORE
8. Uncertain times: What UN human development report warns us about READ MORE

Main Exam

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Road safety needs a holistic policy framework READ MORE
2. Why India’s Data Protection Bill Should Follow the EU Model, Not the China-Russia One READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Should the mother tongue or English be the medium of instruction? READ MORE  
2. A Suitable Teacher: Success of new education policy depends on how we recruit and assess teachers READ MORE
3. Amid stressed healthcare system, a shining example READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. The outline of an essential global pandemic treaty: A treaty under the umbrella of the World Health Organization would build coherence and avoid fragmentation READ MORE
2. Golden chapter continues: India-Bangladesh ties have grown. Mature leadership on both sides has not let minor disagreements disrupt them READ MORE
3. CEPA WILL be A FILLIP TO INDO-BANGLADESH TIES READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. India’s experiments for reducing the digital divide READ MORE
2. A warning on loose talk about bank privatization READ MORE
3. Data, the new oil of the 21st century READ MORE
4. Uncertain times: What UN human development report warns us about READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Time to put wastewater to good use READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. Floods in Pakistan and the pulls and pressures of India-Pak disaster diplomacy READ MORE
2. Pakistan floods: Why India and other South Asian nations must collaborate to fight disasters READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. A thought flowers READ MORE
2. Suicide is never a solution READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. English should be taught effectively not as a medium but as a language. Comment on the statement regarding the ongoing debate.
2. The Covid-19 pandemic taught us that the world needs a global pandemic treaty under the supervision of the World Health Organization to build coherence and avoid fragmentation. Comment.
3. If India and Bangladesh want to secure a future of economic growth and prosperity, both countries must cooperate more closely against the menace of inimical forces. Discuss.
4. ‘The RBI’s plan to digitise Kisan credit lending can narrow the digital divide and boost rural banking with its knock-on effects’. Examine.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Propaganda is the executive arm of the invisible government.
• Politicians in India need to ask themselves whether ethics are more important than ‘gain now, damnation forever’.
• English should be taught effectively not as the medium, but as a second language.
• While bilateral ties will continue to grow, inimical forces will seek to undermine goodwill. Both countries must cooperate more closely against this menace if the future has to be secured for economic growth and prosperity.
• Respecting learner diversity and skills in building a participative/democratic classroom culture are crucial requisites of a teacher. The recruitment process should assess the teacher’s aptitude in this respect.
• The RBI’s plan to digitise Kisan credit lending can narrow the digital divide and boost rural banking with its knock-on effects.
• With water scarcity in India becoming alarming, industries and apartments should use tech to treat and reuse wastewater.
• Data pilferage is a big issue in the cyber world; to contain it, a composite approach with technical and political acumen is called for.
• Shared responses to humanitarian crises could be a mechanism to build co-operation and trust.

50-WORD TALK

• The free market enthusiasts in the Modi government and in the public sphere are afraid to discuss openly the pros and cons of a market economy: whether a market economy can function with its own rules or whether government regulation is needed and whether there is something called market failure. These issues might appear to be fruitless theoretical babble, but they need to be clarified time and again, and there are no simple answers either way.
• It is high time we stopped treating road safety as just a law and order or policing issue. It is a development and health issue. This change in outlook is necessary to tackle the problem effectively. It can be done by addressing such well-known risk factors as bad road engineering, poor road maintenance, slacked law enforcement and inadequate infrastructure for life-saving emergency care.

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 328]

THE CONTEXT: Many developing countries have reorganized their subnational administrative boundaries as a part of administrative reforms and decentralization. Theoretically, administrative proliferation can lead to better developmental outcomes by better managing ethnic heterogeneity, bringing public services closer to people, and better matching services to local preferences. This article analyzes the demographic and developmental outcomes of such administrative proliferation in India.

THE OVERVIEW: In a bid to arrive at the optimal population size in a local government unit, many national governments have reorganized their sub-national boundaries and have implemented vast decentralization reforms with an explicit goal to improve governance. The fundamental argument for decentralized administration is that there is heterogeneity in demand for public services. The variance in preferences can be better understood and catered to by a government that is closer to the citizens, thus raising well-being throughout society. Small jurisdictions have an information advantage and hence they can tailor their services, tax appropriately, and raise welfare. In addition, it also enhances the capability of the citizens to monitor their government and hold the responsibility of the public official to better match local preferences.

ADMINISTRATIVE PROLIFERATION:

●Administrative proliferation is the creation of new administrative units by the splitting of existing ones at subnational levels. Although administrative proliferation may be associated with decentralization reforms, it is a distinct policy choice. Decentralization involves the devolution of responsibility, authority, and resources to lower-level governmental units, while administrative proliferation only creates new governmental units without changing the underlying power structure.

● Many developing countries create new districts as a part of their administrative reforms process, also referred to as administrative proliferation or government fragmentation.

WHY ADMINISTRATIVE PROLIFERATION?

• Administrative proliferation may claim some of the theoretical benefits of decentralization as it brings citizens closer to their administrators. Each administrative unit is smaller and more homogeneous—with less heterogeneity in preferences, they are able to provide better services to citizens. Splitting of administrative units also may reduce the bargaining power of each unit.
• Another consideration in the creation of administrative units is the management of ethnic diversity. Ethnic politics constitutes a crucial dimension of public life and serves as an intermediary between public administration and the economic well-being of citizens, especially in cases where multiple hierarchically nested administrative units interact to provide public goods. In ethnically diverse states it is common to devolve power to subnational units as a compromise between the demands of territorially concentrated ethnic groups and the need to preserve the higher-level territorial integrity.

ADMINISTRATIVE PROLIFERATION IN INDIA

Administrative proliferation in India has been occurring since Independence, but it has picked up pace since the enactment of the decentralization reforms in 1992. India enacted extensive decentralization reforms with a constitutional amendment in 1992. Until the 73rd and 74th amendments to the constitution, the structure of government in India was two-tiered, with the union and state governments—and the district level administrators performing such tasks as assigned to them by the state governments, such as rural development programs. With the passing of the 73rd and 74th Amendments, the local government units became the third tier of government. The local government units are themselves of three levels – district level, 220 sub-district (taluka) level and village (panchayat) level.

According to the 2011 Census, between 2001-2011 alone as many as 46 districts were added within that time. Since the 2011 Census, approximately 100 districts have been added in India.

• In 2021 Punjab created Malerkotla as its 23rd district.
• The surge in a number of districts is mostly due to the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh into A.P. and Telangana in 2014. Telangana at present has 33 districts and Andhra Pradesh has 26 districts (13 new districts were created in 2022).
• Most recently in August 2022, WEST BENGAL also announced for creation 7 new districts.

ADVANTAGES OF CREATING NEW DISTRICTS IN INDIA

• Better administration and governance: This is one of the foremost advantages stated by state governments during the creation of new districts. To some extent, it is also true.
• The smaller district ensures better governance: New districts will host a range of administrative machinery in the district. This will result in better implementation of government schemes, proper fund utilization, enhanced coverage of schemes, etc. All this will improve governance in the new district.
• Service to the increased population: Since 1981, the average district area has become 44% smaller in 2019. But, the average number of people in a district has risen from 16.6 lakh to 18.6 lakh in 2019. So the new districts can ensure better service delivery for the increased population.
• Bring administration closer to the people: Bigger districts hinder the administration process in some areas of that district itself. For example, before the bifurcation of the Amravati district, the farthest taluka was around 150 km from the district headquarters. So, administrative officers in taluka have to travel nearly 3 hours to district headquarters. A new district can bring the administration closer to the people.
• District-specific government initiatives: New districts might attract more district-specific schemes. For example, the government can set up an agricultural research and assistance centre or a residential school for gifted children. The state government can provide better funding for backward districts. This will benefit the local population.
• Increase employment: Since the new district will require new officials from the top-down, this will increase the employment in government directly. It will also spur employment opportunities indirectly. For example, government tender and associated employment for locals, new shops and services near government buildings, etc.

DEMOGRAPHIC AND DEVELOPMENT OUTCOMES OF ADMINISTRATIVE PROLIFERATION

The district bifurcations are beneficial for the overall district – and especially newly created districts – in terms of economic output. There could be two underlying reasons for the observed outcomes – it may be arising due to the greater homogeneity in population distribution after the split, or due to the redistributive benefits of bifurcation.

• After the bifurcation, both the child and the parent region tend to be more homogeneous than before. When compared with a similar district that was never split, both child and parent districts do better in terms of economic outcomes. This suggests that the greater homogeneity in population distribution and preferences after the split could be playing a part in the observed positive outcomes.
• However, the child regions do better than the parent regions in the post-bifurcation period. This is reasonable to expect because the villages in the child district gain an additional advantage of having a new administrative setup built closer to them. This is consistent with the idea that reducing the distance between citizens and administrative centres could lead to better outcomes. [The parent region already has an established administrative system, and therefore the redistributive effects due to the creation of a new district headquarters do not come into play in the parent district. The observed benefit to the child region over the parent region seems to suggest that the positive outcomes are due to redistributive benefits.]

CHALLENGES IN THE CREATION OF NEW DISTRICTS IN INDIA

Creating a number of districts without any rationale can be challenging. This is due to various reasons such as,

• The very process of creating one district is challenging: The government has to find office space for different departments and fill many new positions. All this will require a huge government expenditure. The government will also face challenges with land acquisition.
• Substitute for genuine decentralization: Zilla Parishad and the Panchayat Samiti do not enjoy a lot of power in many states. So, these officials take most of their grievances to the collector. Creating smaller districts without empowering these bodies does not conform to the idea of decentralization in the real sense.
• The increased cost of living in new districts: The growth centres created in new district headquarters will also make the land rates and other service costs go up. This will increase the cost of living in the new district headquarters in the long run.
• Political motive: Many states reorganize the existing districts and form new ones due to political motives. However, the 2nd Administrative Reforms Commission stated that the political gains from forming a new district are a “minor dividend” and not the major one.

THE ANALYSIS OF THE ISSUE

• In democratic societies, small jurisdictions are believed to enhance political participation, make politics less abstract, politicians more responsive, and facilitate exit-based empowerment of citizens. Decentralization may promote responsiveness and effectiveness of the government as it enhances the capability of the citizens to monitor their government and aligns the incentive structure facing the public official. Decentralization will increase economic efficiency as local governments have an information advantage and can respond better to variance in preferences at the local level and population mobility will lead to competition between local authorities and better provision of public goods [One District, One Product; Aspirational District Programme; Swachh Bharat Mission etc will incentivise the general public in a more comprehensive way].
• Decentralized service delivery especially when citizens directly elect the local governments is expected to provide better coverage, quality, and efficiency. Competing local governments may experiment with various ways to provide public goods and lead to innovations [ making use of locally available resources, traditional knowledge and manpower] that can also be applied/replicated elsewhere.
• Local government proliferation also brings citizens closer to their government and may engender a better match between the supply and demand of public goods and services.
• At the same time, there is a counter argument in favour of larger jurisdiction sizes because larger units allow for economies of scale in providing public goods. Local bureaucracies may be poorly staffed and ill-equipped to handle the responsibilities associated with the decentralized provision of public goods [such as in cases of natural disasters and climate change-related issues which impact a larger geographical area and needs more coordinated efforts at a large scale]. Making each unit smaller and increasing the number of units, may increase the total cost of coordination and cooperation.
• There is also the possibility that the newly created administrative units may struggle to generate resources due to poorer administrative capability, thus leading to subpar public good provision. Thus critics also argue that the effectiveness of decentralization measures/administrative proliferation is often hampered by the particular context of its implementation, which may or may not always lead to better outcomes.

THE WAY FORWARD:

1. Ensure proper decentralization: Instead of creating new districts every time, the State governments might reform their decentralization policy as the Panchayats and Zillas face many challenges in their functioning. If the state government provides more powers this will improve the functioning of Panchayats and Zilla Parishad. For example,

• Creation of SFCs(State Finance Commission) properly and allocating funds properly.
• Widening their tax base and providing access to the Capital market to raise funds.
• State Governments should provide local bodies with the power to recruit personnel to fulfil their functions properly.

2. Guidelines for the formation of new districts: With new districts added every year, the Center may prescribe certain criteria for the formation of a new district. For example, the Center may release a guideline that contains the minimum area of the district, its population, etc.
3. Work on other alternatives: Instead of creating new infrastructure, the States may conduct special camps and frequent field visits from officials. This will not only save the government exchequer but also serve the majority of the administrative and governance targets.
4. Information and communication technologies (ICT) are key instruments for achieving higher competitiveness in the economy and improving the social living standard of the citizens. Wide usage and incorporation of ICT in these two directions are targeted to achieve innovative, sustainable and associative growth, which is envisaged.
5. The present times is an era of technology and underlining the benefits of technology as demonstrated during the time of the pandemic, the union government is working to provide high-speed internet to every village and it is imperative to invest even further in technology and innovation, which will help in better administration and good governance initiatives, reducing the need for further bifurcation of the districts.
6. Parallel steps to enhance the Accountability, Responsibility, and Transparency of the public offices will further enhance the overall functioning of the administration along with the administrative proliferation which indeed helps in bringing the government and administration closer to the people.

THE CONCLUSION: Administrative proliferation as a policy measure has mixed results with specific public service measures such as education, sanitation, water supply, or maternal health. Compared to districts that are not split, split districts (parent and child) are better off in terms of economic outcomes. However, the child regions have an advantage over the parent regions in the post-bifurcation period. Government functions are many and varied and the effect of population size on one of those functions might not be the same as that on others. The demographic and developmental outcomes may fall off the line with the conceived notions of administrative proliferation at lower levels of population per administrative unit.

Mains Practice Question:

1. What are the reasons for creating new districts in the state? are they helping in administrative ease or just a populist measure?
2. Does the concept of administrative proliferation conform to the idea of a leviathan state? In the era of minimum government, maximum governance justifies the idea of creating more administrative centres in the state.
3. Do newly added districts yield desired governance results? critically analyze.

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Delhi’s Rajpath, Central Vista lawns to be renamed as ‘Kartavya Path’ READ MORE
2. Cabinet clears India-Maldives MoU on disaster management READ MORE
3. Modi govt pushes ministries to boost capex to help India get into top 3 global economies READ MORE
4. More than half of Indian bird species are in academic campuses, says WII study READ MORE
5. Why is Greenland ice sheet melting faster this September? Experts weigh in READ MORE
6. India, Bangladesh sign 2 agreements to deepen railway co-operation READ MORE
7. India’s external debt rises 8.2% to $620.7 bn till Mar 2022: FinMin report READ MORE
8. India drops one spot to 132nd in UN Human Development Index for 2021 READ MORE

Main Exam

GS Paper- 1

1. Positive secularism is allowed, student tells Supreme Court in Hijab case READ MORE
2. Partition and Independence~II READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. The evolving role of CSR in funding NGOs: Beyond signing cheques, corporates are recognising that what’s good for society is good for business READ MORE
2. More action needed: Gadkari wants seat belts mandatory for all passengers, but a lot needs to be done to make roads safer READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Expand the focus on foundational learning READ MORE  
2. High scoring but poor: The misallocation of talent in higher education READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. The Spirit of 1971: India and Bangladesh must focus on future cooperation based on past partnership READ MORE
2. The wheat of the matter: Disruption of supply chains due to Ukraine war has implications for India’s food security READ MORE
3. Reforming the UNSC to tackle a changing world READ MORE
4. Build a strategic role for IORA in Indo-Pacific READ MORE
5. China-backed Quad in West Asia on the anvil READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. How ideology muddled inflation control in India: The agencies responsible for macroeconomic policy have hitched their wagon to Anglo-American economics READ MORE
2. Govt’s push for international trade in rupee: why and how READ MORE
3. A plan for states to propel the economy READ MORE
4. Arrival of the gig worker: Businesses must come to terms with moonlighting & changed nature of work READ MORE
5. Harnessing the power of waves to create power READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Farming needs overhaul to survive climate change READ MORE

SECURITY

1. It’s time to beef up cyber security READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. Lessons from Pakistan: Governance is key to disaster resilience READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Work of Gods Or spirits READ MORE
2. The ethics of inequality: It’s not good enough to be rich if you are a Dalit as well READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘It is essential for elections using electronic means to adhere to standard democratic principles. Only then can elections be free and fair, engendering confidence in election outcomes and democratic process’. Comment on the statement.
2. The wealth of wisdom of ancient India seems to have been overshadowed by the hegemony of the West in the form of the tradition of ‘Orientalism’. Examine the statement with the help of relevant examples.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.
• The agencies responsible for macroeconomic policy have hitched their wagon to Anglo-American economics.
• CSR funders are following several themes to make this transition, such as hiring professionals, coming together in collaboratives, and defining and publishing their impact metrics to hold themselves accountable.
• If India is to become a defence power, then an Indo-U.S. military collaboration in every field is necessary.
• While cross-border sensitivities in South Asia often run high over such political rhetoric, it is necessary that New Delhi and Dhaka remain focused on their future cooperation, built on their past partnership, and what is referred to as the “Spirit of 1971”.
• Higher devolution, interest-free loans and easing of restrictions will ease stress on state finances.
• Given the rising interest rates scenario, it makes economic sense for the states to avail the interest-free borrowing for fresh capital spending and/or clearing pending bills.
• Internationally, positional limits could be set on speculators but that would require a multilateral accord, a topic which should be on the agenda at the next G-20 meeting.
• Policymakers, agri-scientists and farmers must come together to form a Climate Risk Management Board (CRMB) to create a sustainable solution in the form of climate-resilient farming.
• If an organisation fails to recognise and respect this ‘need’, it will not be able to hang on to the most creative talents.

50-WORD TALK

• After Cyrus Mistry’s death, the spotlight on seat belts is highly warranted. But attention to safety shouldn’t be episodic. Or wait for a tragedy. Violations are rampant on Indian roads, whether it’s not wearing helmets or driving on the wrong side. India needs a sustained, national road safety nudge campaign.
• The Bangladesh-India treaty on sharing Kushiyara river water is welcome, but time’s running out to resolve the Teesta dispute. West Bengal’s resisting ceding water, so Prime Minister Narendra Modi must reach out to the state. Failure undermines Bangladesh allies who crushed anti-India terror. India can’t let politics sabotage national interests.

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.

1. Work of Gods Or spirits READ MORE
2. The ethics of inequality: It’s not good enough to be rich if you are a Dalit as well READ MORE

1. Farming needs overhaul to survive climate change READ MORE
2. Why is Greenland ice sheet melting faster this September? Experts weigh in READ MORE

1. Expand the focus on foundational learning READ MORE  
2. High scoring but poor: The misallocation of talent in higher education READ MORE

1. The evolving role of CSR in funding NGOs: Beyond signing cheques, corporates are recognising that what’s good for society is good for business READ MORE
2. More action needed: Gadkari wants seat belts mandatory for all passengers, but a lot needs to be done to make roads safer READ MORE

THE INDIAN POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS FOR PACKAGED COMMODITIES

THE CONTEXT: The Department of Consumer Affairs, Legal Metrology Division has notified a draft amendment to the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules 2011.

THE EXPLANATION:
• The mandatory provisions under the rules
1. It is mandatory under the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 to ensure a number of declarations, such as:
2. the name and address of the manufacturer/packer/importer,
3. the country of origin,
4. the common or generic name of the commodity,
5. the net quantity,
6. the month and year of manufacture,
7. the Maximum Retail Price (MRP)
8. consumer care information.
9. All pre packaged commodities should also be inspected.
• The rules says that the principal display panel means the total surface area of a package containing the information required in accordance with these rules
• the pre-printed information could be grouped together and given in one place and the online information in another place.
• The rules provides that the declaration on the package must be legible and prominent.
• The consumers’ ‘right to be informed’ is violated when important declarations are not prominently displayed on the package.
• If there is more than one major product the rules states that the name or number of each product shall be mentioned on the package.
• This sub-rule is not applicable to mechanical or electrical commodities.

Need for the amendments:
• It is common for consumers to assume that brands’ claims are accurate, but such claims are usually misleading.
• The front side of the package must contain the percentage of the composition of the unique selling proposition (USP).
• A USP also known as a unique selling point, is a marketing strategy designed to inform customers about the superiority of one’s own brand or product.
• Listing the USP of a product on the front of the package without disclosing its composition percentage violates consumer rights.
• Also, packages displaying key constituents must display a percentage of the content used to make the product.
• For example, if a brand sells aloe vera moisturiser or almond milk/biscuits, then the maximum percentage of the product should be aloe vera and almond, otherwise, the product name is misleading.

The proposed amendments
• The proposed amendments suggest that at least two prime components should be declared on the package’s front side along with the brand name.
• Currently, manufacturers list the ingredients and nutritional information only on the back of the packaging.
• This declaration must also include the percentage/quantity of the USPs of the product in the same font size as the declaration of the USPs.
• Mechanical or electrical commodities are excluded from this.
• When this new provision is added, consumers will not be misled by the fake claims of manufacturers relating to the content in blended foods and cosmetics.

2. COMMITTEE TO DRAFT NATIONAL COOPERATION POLICY

THE CONTEXT: Union Home and Cooperation Minister recently announced the formation of a committee to draft a National Cooperation Policy document.

THE EXPLANATION:
• The 47-member committee will be headed by former Union Minister Suresh Prabhu. The committee also includes experts from the cooperative sector; Representatives of National/State/District and Primary Co-operative Societies; Secretaries (Cooperatives) and Registrars of Co-operative Societies of the States/UTs; and officers of Central Ministries/Departments.
• This policy is being prepared to realize the government’s vision of ‘Sahakar Se Prosperity’. Earlier the current National Policy on Cooperation was formulated in 2002.
• This Cooperative Policy Document is being prepared with a view to fulfill the mandate given to the new Ministry of Cooperation, which includes strengthening the cooperative movement in the country, deepening its reach at the grassroots level and promoting a cooperative based economic development model.

Co-operative Societies in India
There are about 8.5 lakh cooperative societies in India, with a member base of about 29 crores. These cooperatives are engaged in various activities like agro-processing, dairying, fisheries, housing, weaving, credit and marketing.

Ministry of Cooperation
The Ministry of Cooperatives has been constituted with the objective of providing a separate administrative, legal and policy framework to strengthen the cooperative movement in India. This ministry will work towards realizing the vision of ‘Sahakar Se Samridhi’ (Prosperity through Cooperation). Simultaneously, it will work to streamline processes for ease of doing business for cooperatives and enable the development of multi-state cooperatives.

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

3. MAITREE SUPER THERMAL POWER PROJECT

THE CONTEXT: Prime Minister and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina recently unveiled Unit-1 of Maitree Super Thermal Power Project.

THE EXPLANATION:
• It is located at Rampal in Bagerhat district of Khulna division of Bangladesh.
• The 1320 (2×660) MW coal-fired power plant is being set up at a cost of approximately $2 billion.
• The project is being developed under India’s concessional financing scheme and will add 1320 MW to Bangladesh’s national grid.
• It is being built by Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) for Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Private Limited (BIFPCL).
• The first unit of this super thermal power plant will go into commercial operation in early October and will be a major breakthrough in the growing cooperation in the Bangladesh-India power sector.
• Unit-II of the power plant, also known as the Rampal coal-fired power project, is expected to be commissioned early next year.
Once both the units of this mega power plant are commissioned, Maitree Super Thermal Power Project will be one of the largest power plants in Bangladesh.

Agreements signed between the two countries –
• Seven agreements related to water resources, railways, science and technology and space technology etc. have been signed during India-Bangladesh bilateral talks.
• During the bilateral talks, an agreement was signed between Prasar Bharati and Bangladesh Television to enhance cooperation in the broadcasting sector.
• An important agreement was also signed on the sharing of the waters of the Kushiyara River to benefit the Sylhet region of Bangladesh and the southern Assam region of India.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS

4. STATUS REPORT ON INDIA’S EXTERNAL DEBT 2021-22

THE CONTEXT: The External Debt Management Unit (EDMU), Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, recently released the 28th edition of the Status Report on India’s External Debt 2021-22.
THE EXPLANATION:

• Long term debt: USD 499.1 billion constituted the largest chunk of 80.4 per cent of total
• Short-term debt: USD 121.7 billion accounted for 19.6 per cent of total
• NRI deposits: Declined by 2 per cent to USD 139.0 billion
• Non-sovereign debt: Grew 6.1 per cent to USD 490.0 billion over the level as of end-March 2021
• Non-sovereign external debt: Estimated at USD 490.0 billion as at end-March 2022
• Sovereign debt: USD 130.7 billion rose higher by 17.1 per cent over its level a year ago
• Debt service ratio: It fell significantly to 5.2 per cent during 2021-22 from 8.2 per cent in the previous year.
• SDRs: Rose to US 5.5 billion as at end-March 2021
• Commercial borrowings, NRI deposits and short-term trade credit are the three biggest constituents of the non-sovereign debt, accounting for as much as 95.2 per cent.
• Short-term trade credit increased by 20.7 per cent to US$117.4 billion at the end of March 2022, thanks to a significant increase in imports during 2021-22.
• In a cross-country perspective, India’s external debt is modest, ranking 23rd globally.
• India’s stability in terms of different credit vulnerability indicators was better than that of low and middle income countries (LMICs) as a group and even better than many of them individually.

VALUE ADDITION:
What are Special Drawing Right (SDR)?
• This is a kind of reserve of foreign exchange assets comprising leading currencies globally and was created by the International Monetary Fund in the year 1969.
• SDR is often regarded as a ‘basket of national currencies’ comprising major currencies of the world – the US dollar, Euro, British Pound, Yen (Japan) & the Chinese renminbi (included in 2016).
• The composition of this basket of currencies is reviewed every five years wherein the weightage of currencies sometimes gets altered.
• SDR can be freely exchanged between the member countries instead of relying on the currency of any one particular country.

5. MOODY’S RETAINS INDIA’S BAA3 RATING WITH STABLE OUTLOOK

THE CONTEXT: Moody’s Investors Service recently announced its decision to maintain India’s sovereign credit rating at a minimum investment grade of ‘Baa3’ and continue with its “stable” outlook on the country.

THE EXPLANATION:
• According to Moody’s, India’s economic growth rate in the current financial year will be 7.6 percent as compared to 8.7 percent in the previous financial year 2021-22. At the same time, the growth rate of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is estimated to be 6.3 percent in 2023-24.
• According to Moody’s, right now India’s biggest challenges include things like low per capita income, rising government debt, low debt capacity and limited government effectiveness.
• Also, rising challenges to the global economy, including the Russo-Ukraine war, high inflation and a hike in policy rates by central banks, will adversely affect the ongoing recovery in India in the financial years 2022-23 and 2023-24.
• Moody’s said that if India’s economic growth is faster than expected, then it may increase the rating further. This can happen only after implementing economic and financial sector reforms.
• The rating agency expects the quality of the Indian banking system to improve further as the economy emerges out of the pandemic. As this improves, conditions will be favorable for banks and this will strengthen business confidence.
About Moody’s Investors Service
Moody’s Investors Service, often referred to simply as Moody’s, is the bond credit rating business of Moody’s Corporation. This organization provides financial research globally on bonds issued by government and commercial organizations. Moody’s, along with Fitch Group and Standard & Poor’s, are considered the big three credit rating agencies. Its headquarter is in New York.

THE GOVERNMENT SCHEMES IN NEWS

6. SETU – SUPPORTING ENTREPRENEURS IN TRANSFORMATION AND UPSKILLING PROGRAMME

THE CONTEXT: The Minister of Commerce and Industry launched the US Startup SETU – Supporting Entrepreneurs in Transformation and Upskilling programme in the Bay Area of San Francisco.

THE EXPLANATION:
What is SETU?
SETU or Supporting Entrepreneurs in Transformation and Upskilling is an Indian government initiative to help budding entrepreneurs and start-up in India to US-based investors and start-up ecosystem leaders with mentorship and assistance in various areas.
Aim of SETU:
SETU is designed to break the geographical barriers between mentors based in US that are willing to invest in entrepreneurship and sunrise startups in India.

MAARG
The interaction will be supported through the mentorship portal under the Startup India initiative MAARG, or the Mentorship, Advisory, Assistance, Resilience, and Growth program, which is a single-stop solution finder for startups in India.
The core functions of MAARG are:
• to improve ease of access,
• use Artificial Intelligence for Matchmaking,
• schedule meetings virtually,
• host masterclasses,
• provide a custom dashboard for relevant information, analytics, features, etc.,
• host cohort-based programs that will allow startup ecosystem enablers to become a part of the program
• enable outcome driven activities.

THE PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

7. THREE INDIAN CITIES IN UNESCO NETWORK OF LEARNING CITIES

THE CONTEXT: Recently, three cities in India have joined the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities. These include two cities Thrissur and Nilambur in Kerala and Warangal in Telangana.

THE EXPLANATION:
• Warangal is the second UNESCO recognition for Telangana. Earlier, Ramappa Temple in Mulugu district was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
• This time, Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, South African city Durban and UAE city Sharjah have been included in this list of UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities.
• In the year 2022, 77 cities from 44 countries of the world including India have been included in this list.
• The inclusion of these cities will encourage exchange of ideas with other cities and share among themselves the methods of systems already implemented in these cities.
• Nilambur (Kerala)
• Nilambur is a famous eco-tourism destination in Kerala. Majority of the population here is dependent on agriculture and allied industries.
With Nilambur included in this list, sustainable development through community ownership, gender equality, inclusivity will be further promoted. As well as creating employment opportunities in the city and achieving the goals of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Thrissur (Kerala):
Thrissur, an important center of academic and research institutions, is considered the cultural capital of Kerala. It is also known as gold art and jewelery industry in particular. By being included in this UNESCO list, Thrissur will benefit the world with its intellectual, educational and jewelery arts and will itself benefit from cultural inclusion.

Warangal:
Warangal is a city with rich cultural heritage of Telangana. It is a major tourist destination of the state. More than 32 lakh tourists visit here every year. The economy of Warangal mainly depends on agricultural and industrial centres. The development of this city will further accelerate after it is included in the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities.

UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities:
• Launched in 2013, the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities (GNLC) is an international policy based network. It aims to ensure the development of all learning cities by sharing ideas and arts with other cities. So far, 294 cities from 76 countries are included in this list.
• The network supports the achievements of all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but primarily focused on SDG 4 (‘Ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all) and SDG 11 (making human habitats sustainable, inclusive, safe).

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