INDIAN POLITY

1. THE DOCTRINE OF PLEASURE

THE CONTEXT: Kerala Governor and the State government have major differences over multiple issues. The latest controversy has arisen after he sought the resignation of several vice-chancellors following a Supreme Court judgment setting aside the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor of a technology university.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is the concept?

• The pleasure doctrine is a concept derived from English common law, under which the crown can dispense with the services of anyone in its employ at any time. In India, Article 310 of the Constitution says every person in the defence or civil service of the Union holds office during the pleasure of the President, and every member of the civil service in the States holds office during the pleasure of the Governor.
• However, Article 311 imposes restrictions on the removal of a civil servant. It provides for civil servants being given a reasonable opportunity for a hearing on the charges against them. There is also a provision to dispense with the inquiry if it is not practicable to hold one, or if it is not expedient to do so in the interest of national security. In practical terms, the pleasure of the President referred to here is that of the Union government, and the Governor’s pleasure is that of the State government.
• Under Article 164, the Chief Minister is appointed by the Governor; and the other Ministers are appointed by the Governor on the CM’s advice. It adds that Ministers hold office during the pleasure of the Governor. In a constitutional scheme in which they are appointed solely on the CM’s advice, the ‘pleasure’ referred to is also taken to mean the right of the Chief Minister to dismiss a Minister, and not that of the Governor.

Role of University Grants Commission:

• Although Education comes under the Concurrent List, but entry 66 of the Union List — “coordination and determination of standards in institutions for higher education or research and scientific and technical institutions” — gives the Centre substantial authority over higher education.
• According to the UGC Regulations, 2018, the “Visitor/Chancellor” — mostly the Governor in states — shall appoint the VC out of the panel of names recommended by search-cum-selection committees.
• Higher educational institutions, particularly those that get UGC funds, are mandated to follow its regulations.
• These are usually followed without friction in the case of central universities but are sometimes resisted by the states in the case of state universities.

About Vice-Chancellor:

• Vice chancellors lead the university’s academic and administrative departments.
• They may serve on several university councils, assist with policy development and academic planning, prepare budgets, and maintain the institution’s positive image.
• As per the University Grants Commission (UGC) Guidelines, the Visitor/Chancellor shall appoint the Vice Chancellor out of the panel of names recommended by the search-cum-selection committee.
• The Governor of the state is the honorary chancellor of all State owned universities.

2. ARE THERE ANTI-SUPERSTITION LAWS IN INDIA?

THE CONTEXT: The recent brutal murders of two women as part of “ritualistic human sacrifices” in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala have left the country in shock. The murders have sparked a debate about the prevalence of superstitious beliefs, black magic and witchcraft in India.

THE EXPLANATION:

How prevalent are superstitious killings in India?

• As per the 2021 report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), six deaths were linked to human sacrifices, while witchcraft was the motive for 68 killings.
• The maximum number of witchcraft cases were reported from Chhattisgarh (20), followed by Madhya Pradesh (18) and Telangana (11).
• In 2020, India saw 88 deaths due to witchcraft and 11 died as part of ‘human sacrifices’, the NCRB report states.

Legal provisions against superstition

• In India, there is no central law that exclusively deals with crimes related to witchcraft, superstition, or occult-inspired activities.
• Article 51A (h) of the Indian Constitution makes it a fundamental duty for Indian citizens to develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform.
• In the absence of a nationwide legislation, a few States have enacted laws to counter witchcraft and protect women from deadly ‘witch-hunting’.

Precedence set by States

• Bihar was the first State to enact a law to prevent witchcraft, identification of a woman as a witch and eliminate torture, humiliation and killing of women.
• The Prevention of Witch (Daain) Practices Act came into force in October 1999.
• A similar law was passed in Jharkhand in 2001 — the Prevention of Witch (Daain) Practices Act.
• In Maharashtra, the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013.
• It was passed after the murder of anti-superstition activist Dr. Narendra Dabholkar.

What about Central Legislation?

• Certain sections of the Indian Penal Code enlist penalties applicable for such incidents.
• Section 302 (punishment for murder) takes cognisance of human sacrifice, but only after the murder is committed.
• Section 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) works to discourage such practices.
• Other provisions under the Drugs and Magic Remedies Act of 1954 also aim to tackle the debilitating impact of various superstitious activities prevalent in India.

HEALTH ISSUES

3. WHAT IS MYOSITIS?

THE CONTEXT: Recently,Samantha Ruth Prabhu- Southern film actress revealed that she has been diagnosed with an autoimmune condition called Myositis.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is myositis?

It is a rare condition that causes muscles to become weak, painful and tired. Myo means muscle, itis means inflammation. When muscles are inflamed, they may be swollen and susceptible to pain.

Causes: It is usually caused by a problem with the immune system, where it mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. In most cases, the exact cause of myositis is unknown and therefore considered idiopathic.

Prevalence: Around 4-22 cases per one lakh population. Myositis can affect both children and adults. With the exception of one type of myositis, women are more likely to be affected by this disease than men.

Types of myositis:

• Dermatomyositis
• Inclusion-body myositis
• Juvenile myositis
• Polymyositis
• Toxic myositis

Symptoms: The general symptoms may include muscle pain and soreness, fatigue, trouble swallowing, and difficulty breathing.

Treatment: Since there is no one medical treatment that fits all, immunosuppressant drugs are recommended along with physical therapy, exercise, stretching, and yoga which can help keep muscles strong and flexible and prevent muscle atrophy.

ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

4. CENTRE’S NOD TO TERAI ELEPHANT RESERVE

THE CONTEXT: The Centre has approved the setting up of the Terai Elephant Reserve (TER) at Dudhwa-Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh. The Terai Elephant Reserve is the 3rd Elephant Reserve in India.

THE EXPLANATION:

About Terai Elephant Reserve

• The Terai Elephant Reserve will be established in Dudhwa-Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh. It will span across 3,049 sq km area. It will be the 33rd elephant reserve to be set up in India. It will be in the joint forest regions of Dudhwa and Piliphit tiger reserves that are involved in the conservation of tiger, Asian elephant, swamp deer and one-horned rhinoceros.
• It is the third elephant reserve to get approval from the Union Environment Ministry in the past three months under Project Elephant, with the other two being Lemru in Chhattisgarh and Agasthymalai in Tamil Nadu.

Why is TER significant?

• The establishment of the new elephant reserve will help conserve the trans-boundary migration of elephant populations. It will help protect the neighbouring villages in the Indo-Nepal border area of Uttar Pradesh.
• It will also help in the management of grassland and elephant corridor in Dudhwa and Piliphit tiger reserves. Tiger reserves’ conservation efforts and the elephant reserve plans will supplement each other, making activities like drinking water management, maintenance and renovation of wildlife corridors, capacity building of forest personnel, mitigation of human-animal conflict and others more economical.
• Due to the absence of financial constraints, forest officials of the tiger reserves can compensate villagers for the damages of crops and houses caused by elephants without requiring state government’s funding. This will ensure the welfare of both the wildlife in protected areas and residents of nearby villages.

VALUE ADDITION:

What is Project Elephant?

• Project Elephant was launched by the Central Government in 1992 to provide financial and technical aid to states for the protection of free-ranging population of wild Asian elephants.
• This centrally sponsored scheme aims to ensure long-term survival of Asian elephants in their natural habitats by protecting them, their habitats and migration corridors.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

5. A NEW TARGET FOUND TO COMBAT AMR SALMONELLA

THE CONTEXT: Recent studies have found the emergence of multi-drug resistant Salmonella typhimurium DT104 that causes infections in humans and cattle.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The rapid and unselective use of traditional antibiotics gives rise to the emergence of drug resistant phenotype in typhoidal and non-typhoidal Salmonella serovars, which has increased the difficulties in curing Salmonella-induced food-borne illnesses (majorly typhoid or paratyphoid fever, gastroenteritis, and diarrhoea) worldwide.

What is Salmonella typhimurium?

• Salmonella typhimurium ST313, an invasive non-typhoidal Salmonella serovar, causes bloodstream infection in the malnourished and immunocompromised population of sub-Saharan Africa.
• Recent studies have reported the emergence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) phenotype in Salmonella tphimurium DT104, which causes infection in humans and cattle.

Conferring protection

• The MDR phenotype in this pathogen was provided by Salmonella Genomic Island-1 (SGI-1), which confers protection against a wide range of antibiotics, including ampicillin (pse-1), chloramphenicol/florfenicol (floR), streptomycin/spectinomycin (aadA2), sulphonamides (sul1), and tetracycline (tetG) (ACSSuT).
• Further emergence of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) S. Typhimurium ST313 (having multi-drug resistant (MDR) and resistance against extended-spectrum beta-lactamase and azithromycin) in Africa posed a significant threat to global health.

Recent studies reported an annual incidence of as many as 360 cases of typhoid fever per 1,00,000 people, with an annual estimate of 4.5 million cases and 8,930 deaths (0.2% fatality rate) in India.

PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

6. KALANAMAK RICE, ‘BUDDHA’S GIFT TO PEOPLE’

THE CONTEXT: Recently, Indian Agriculture Research Institute has successfully tested two new dwarf varieties — Pusa Narendra Kalanamak 1638 and Pusa Narendra Kalanamak 1652 — in Uttar Pradesh that give double the yield.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is Kalanamak Rice?

• Kalanamak, a traditional variety of paddy with a black husk and a strong fragrance, which is considered a gift from Lord Buddha to the people of the Sravasti when he visited the region after enlightenment, is all set to get a new look and name. Grown in 11 districts of the Terai region of northeastern Uttar Pradesh and in Nepal, the traditional variety has been prone to lodging, a reason for its low yield.
• The traditional Kalanamak rice is protected under the Geographical Indication (GI) tag system. It’s recorded in the GI application that Lord Budhha gifted Kalanamak paddy to the people of Sravasti so that they remembered him by its fragrance.
• It has also been featured in the book ‘Speciality Rices of the World’ by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

A tall problem

The problem with the traditional variety of Kalanamak paddy is that it’s tall and prone to lodging, which badly impacted grain filling and quality. The yield, as a result, fell drastically, and the market for the rice dwindled, too. The traditional Kalanamak paddy’s yield is barely two to 2.5 tonnes per hectare.

PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTION

QUESTION OF THE DAY

Q1. ‘Bio-Village 2’ recently seen in news, gives emphasis on –

a) How to minimise the damage caused by natural disasters

b) Use of renewable energy sources in village

c) Use of biogas for cooking purpose in villages

d) Use of biomass in sustainable manner in villages

Answer: A

Explanation:

• In collaboration with the Bio-Technology department, the Tripura Renewable Energy Development Authority (TREDA) has established the country’s first bio-village at Daspara, Tripura.
• Solar power is used to meet the energy needs of 64 Daspara families. The Bio-Technology department has encouraged villagers who were previously solely reliant on agriculture and fishing to establish piggeries and begin goat-rearing.
• Some villages of Tripura have ascended to the level of Bio-Village 2. Bio-Village 2 emphasizes how to minimize the damage caused by natural disasters. In this, full attention is given to improve the quality of life of the people through various measures. There is complete focus on Solar Energy, Biogas, Bee Keeping and Bio Fertilizers. Overall, Bio-Village 2 is going to lend a lot of strength to the campaign against climate change.

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

THE IDEA OF FREEBIES

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

THE COMPLEX ISSUE OF FREEBIES

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

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

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

REASONS FOR THE RISE OF FREEBIE CULTURE DURING ELECTIONS

CONSTITUTIONAL MANDATE FOR THE WELFARE OF THE CITIZENS

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

POLITICAL MANDATE

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

HISTORICAL BAGGAGE

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

COMPETITIVE POLITICS AND DOMINO EFFECT

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

ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT OF FREEBIES

WELFARE STATE

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

GLARING INEQUALITY IN THE SOCIETY

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

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

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

ECONOMIC PUSH

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

SOCIAL STABILITY

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

INCENTIVES FOR THE RICH

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

CUSHION DURING EMERGENCIES

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

ARGUMENTS AGAINST FREEBIES

UNDERMINES THE SPIRIT OF DEMOCRACY

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

FALL IN PRODUCTIVITY

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

FISCAL STRESS

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

DISCOURAGES THE HONEST TAXPAYER

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

SECTORAL COLLAPSE

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

WASTAGE OF RESOURCES

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

ALLEGED INFRINGEMENT OF CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS

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

LANGUOR AMONG THE MASSES

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

THE ANALYSIS OF THE ISSUE

• India could face the prospect of sub-national bankruptcies if States continued to dole out freebies to influence the electorate, Fifteenth Finance Commission Chairperson NK Singh cautioned, terming the political competition over such sops a “quick passport to fiscal disaster”.
• We must strive instead, for a race to efficiency through laboratories of democracy and sanguine federalism where states use their authority to harness innovative ideas and solutions to common problems which other states can emulate.
• If the political parties go for effective economic policies where the welfare policies or government schemes have good reach without any leakages or corruption and it is targeted at the right audience, then infrastructure and development will take care of itself and the people will not require such kinds of freebies.
• Central government’s debt-to-GDP ratio is supposed to be 40% but now it has crossed 90%of the GDP, while the states have managed to keep their debt-to-GDP ratio at almost 27% in FY2020. Hence the problem of fiscal stability is more pressing at the level of the centre.
• Political parties shall also provide the roadmap for achieving the targets mentioned in the manifesto and also the rationale behind for enlisting such targets.
• Certain freebies are important to cushion or safeguard the socio-economic fabric such as the basic healthcare facilities, school education, subsidized ration etc. Such interventions by the government, guide the economy in the long term growth by strengthening the human capital.
• Freebies during the crises situation also help in sustaining the economic cycle through demand pull growth such as in COVID times.
• Qualified freebies such as the ascribed conditions of creating public assets through MGNREGA also contribute in more than one way in economic growth by increasing the productive capacity of the population.

THE WAY FORWARD:

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

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