1. It’s time for India’s universities to join the world READ MORE  
2. Taxing the ‘obscenely’ wealthy may not be the right solution READ MORE
3. India is an unequal society. Do we need Oxfam to tell us this? READ MORE

1. Necessary pushback: On the Supreme Court Collegium’s reiteration of recommendations READ MORE  
2. Changing politics, incompatible Governors READ MORE
3. Aspirational Blocks Programme: Building blocks of Viksit Bharat READ MORE
4. Why Delhi has always been political tug-of-war READ MORE
5. A guardrail of democracy READ MORE
6. Respect judiciary READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Charaideo Moidams: India’s latest nominee to UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites READ MORE
2. What the dry, cold winter (so far) foretells for the rabi crop READ MORE
3. What is Liquified Natural Gas (LNG), and how it impacts the climate READ MORE
4. Explained | India’s plan to eradicate measles, rubella READ MORE
5. Employment days under Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Scheme at a five-year low READ MORE
6. China builds new dam in Tibet near Indian border READ MORE
7. Ayushman Bharat School Health and Wellness Programme has less than 50% uptake READ MORE
8. Of a bygone era: excavations reveal Buddhist monastery complex at Bharatpur of Bengal READ MORE
9. PM Modi calls for prison reforms and repeal of obsolete laws READ MORE

Main Exam

GS Paper- 1

1. Digital literacy in Rajasthan bridges gender gaps READ MORE
2. Explained | Why is China’s population shrinking? READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Necessary pushback: On the Supreme Court Collegium’s reiteration of recommendations READ MORE  
2. Changing politics, incompatible Governors READ MORE
3. Aspirational Blocks Programme: Building blocks of Viksit Bharat READ MORE
4. Why Delhi has always been political tug-of-war READ MORE
5. A guardrail of democracy READ MORE
6. Respect judiciary READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. It’s time for India’s universities to join the world READ MORE  
2. Taxing the ‘obscenely’ wealthy may not be the right solution READ MORE
3. India is an unequal society. Do we need Oxfam to tell us this? READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. The role Italy can play in the Indo-Pacific region READ MORE
2. Hopes for a new world order: Latest tidings from Ukraine conflict are a historic defeat of western hegemony READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Budget should repurpose subsidies while spending more on imparting modern skills to workforce READ MORE
2. Punjab’s agri policy must be all-encompassing READ MORE
3. FREEBIES MUST BE AVOIDED READ MORE
4. Revamping the IBC: Faster insolvency resolution is crucial READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. ‘Climate change can triple flood damage by atmospheric rivers’ READ MORE

TECHNOLOGY

1. Why artificial intelligence still has a long way to go READ MORE

SECURITY

1. Rise in attempts to revive militancy in Punjab, say speakers at police meet READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. Himalayan challenge: Prioritise sustainable development to save the hills READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Data ethics: What it means and what it takes READ MORE
2. Understanding Chat-GPT, And Why It’s Even Bigger Than You Think READ MORE
3. Knowing the difference between needs and wants READ MORE
4. Like netas, some players have also abused fame READ MORE
5. Born Free to Break Free READ MORE
6. Jacinda Ardern is a true Gandhian READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘New defense and security cooperation efforts are springing up across the Indo-Pacific’. In the light of statement, analyse how new security grouping in Indo-Pacific are fueling up regional tensions in region?
2. ‘Careful management of hydropower resources is essential to ensure its positive impacts on climate change and avoid transboundary river conflicts’. Comment on the statement in light of transboundary riven conflicts between India and neighboring countries.
3. ‘A system of checks and balances that prevents any one branch gaining the upper hand is essential for democratic functioning’. Comment on the statement in the light of recent stand-off between Judiciary and Executive.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or timid.
• The increasing number of wild animals and reduction of food and water sources due to the increasing presence of exotic species rather than native varieties lead to wild animals invading human habitats.
• Where the union government is busy stifling with the conduct of state governments through the post of the governor, one can only conclude that good governance is certainly not its top political priority.
• When the RBI governor is emphatic in his view that crypto currency is going to be the instrument for next financial crisis, the policy makers must act quickly to ensure that our economy is insulated from such a crisis.
• A bit of urgency on the part of the top court over the collegium would go a long way in smoothing its relationship with the Government. Two organs of the State bickering with each other all the time is not a good advertisement for either India or democracy.
• The court may have perhaps missed an opportunity to clarify the true extent or limits to the guarantee of the currency by the state.
• Technology can potentially meet the diverse needs of different demographic groups of workers, in terms of location, flexibility and hours of work.
• India’s population presents a chance for growth, but inequality and elderly care need attention.
• Like the larger policy framework within which they are set, the UGC’s draft rules emphasise quality without corresponding measures to safeguard equal access.
• To suggest that the basic structure doctrine is by itself unsanctioned is to place the Constitution at the legislature’s whim.
• A system of checks and balances that prevents any one branch gaining the upper hand is essential for democratic functioning.

50-WORD TALK

• Supreme Court has ushered transparency to some extent by making its position on the reiterated judges’ names public. But this should also extend to all candidates. Making these unsubstantial government arguments public can only intensify the executive-judiciary faceoff. This spat must end now. Larger public interest is at stake here
• The proposed new amendment to IT Rules seeks to give outsized, Orwellian powers to the government over the news media. The State cannot appropriate the right to declare an article false and force publishers and platforms to take it down. It’s shocking that this incredible overreach is even being proposed.
• If a robust national R&D, industrial and manufacturing base was deemed to be a critical determinant of composite military capability in the 20th century, it is axiomatic that in the current era, a high quality national education ecosystem is central to acquiring the kind of technological profile that a major power needs to deal with the complex challenges it will have to grapple with.

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: Advancement in many aspects of life is creating new opportunities, but in times of transition, the balance between the rights and obligations of citizenship is also changing. In this context, it is imperative to investigate changing nature of the social contract.

WHAT IS NEW SOCIAL CONTRACT?

A new social contract is not about higher taxes, more redistribution, and a bigger welfare state. It is about fundamentally reordering and equalizing how opportunity and security are distributed across society. This would increase productivity and more efficiently share risks around childcare, health, work, and old age that cause so much anxiety.

WHAT IS SOCIAL CONTRACT THEORY?

A social contract is a real or hypothetical agreement between a government and its people, setting out the rights and duties of each. The social contracts on which society is currently based largely emerged in the post-war era and are no longer fit for purpose. As we consider the impact and lessons from COVID, new social contracts could help bring about more equitable prosperity.
A social contract refers to an actual or hypothetical agreement between the ruled or between the ruled and the ruler, defining the rights and duties of each. Individuals being born into a state of nature, by exercising their reason and collective will agreed to form a society and a government. A social contract can also be viewed as to escape from the State of nature. Thus, a social contract can be of two forms:

• Firstly, a contract that led to the origin of the State: This contract simply spells out the willingness of the people to establish the State as the sovereign.
• A contract of government or a contract of submission: This contract deals with the course after the establishment of a State or society. It spells out the terms and conditions of governance and involves reciprocal obligations and promises on part of the ruler and the ruled. The most important of them is the promise of obedience made by citizens and the reciprocal promise of protection of citizens and good governance made by the King/Ruler/State.

The social contract is based on the express or implied consent of the people to give up some of the freedoms that they enjoyed in the State of nature in exchange for the protection of their remaining rights and the maintenance of social order.

Typical features

• Social contract theories often deal with the relationship between natural and legal rights.
• The theory explains why rational individuals would agree to give up their natural rights in favour of political order.
• The social contract theory maintains that the law and political order are human creations.

WHY IS THE NATURE OF SOCIAL CONTRACT CHANGING?

• Erstwhile responsibilities of the State are now an obligation of, and business case for, the private sector.
  o The needs of individuals today are disparate and heterogeneous and may no longer be met just through large investments in physical or social infrastructure, and are increasingly being addressed through niche solutions best offered by private enterprises.
• Atomization of work has constrained the extent to which individuals can organize and make demands.
  o The collectives and unions that traditionally acted as arbiters for the interests of a substantial stakeholder group are increasingly ineffective.
• Therefore, there is an additional need for a new guarantor of the relationship between individuals and the private sector that provides for purpose, paychecks, and protection

Mediating this new dimension of the relationship between individuals and the private sector will require a clear delineation and devolution of responsibilities and recourse.

New type of social security

FROM THE JOB SECURITY TO ECONOMIC SECURITY: A NEW ‘FORMALITY’

• Digitization is enabling unpredictable transformations in work across G20 countries and beyond.
  o One result of this is that the relationship between employers and employees has fundamentally changed, and so too have the responsibilities borne by employers.
• While a future social contract may not be able to credibly promise job security, it should be able to guarantee social and economic security. That is, the financial security (paychecks), and social security (protections) that were previously provided by full-time jobs, must now be provided through alternative means.
• The experiences of emerging G20 economies in contending with informality and constructing approximate securities for the informal workforce should inform such transformations in more advanced G20 economies.

FROM THE FACTORY TO THE CLOUD: A NEW POINT OF PROVISION

• Welfare systems based on a job/no-job binary and the workplace as the point of provision are too restrictive to account for the variation and variability in employment that are characteristics of work today.
  o Social benefits should no longer be linked to a specific job but available to individuals regardless of their employment status.
• In countries such as India, this has long been the subject of government plans – see for example the 2006 Report on Social Security for Unorganized Workers. There was an initial attempt to turn these recommendations into law in 2008.These endeavors essentially follow the trail blazed by South Africa, which wrote rights-based social protection for all workers into its constitution in the 1990s.

FROM ATOMIZATION TO SOLIDARITY: CONSTRUCTING CO-OPERATIVE NETWORKS

• Employment status shapes the extent to which labour laws are applicable, the access that workers have to labour unions and to each other. The individualization of labour therefore affects the power of workers, by constraining their ability to connect and organize.
  o State policy and private sector choices should actively aid in the construction of cooperative networks rather than hoping that new technology lets individuals-as-workers create them for themselves.
  o The private sector will have to accept that, while an organized workforce is one better able to bargain, an atomized potential workforce is one that will not be able to innovate or increase productivity through learning by doing.
• From Regulation to Devolution: A New Role for the Local
• Increasingly, the private sector is charged with activities in the provision of public goods and services that were previously the domain of the State – especially as the notion of “public good” expands.
  o Simultaneously, the collective organizing potential of an atomized workforce is being constrained, requiring a new guarantor of the relationship between individuals and the private sector.
  o Individuals themselves will participate in the new economy under many different guises – as entrepreneurs, savers, investors and workers – rendering the management of these economic interactions complex and difficult to manage by detached national regulators working in silos.
• At the most basic level, greater responsibility in governing this relationship, which is underwritten by a new dynamic should be given to local government, which is best positioned to arbitrate the above relationships.
  o Within the confines of a national policy framework, local government can ensure compliance, audit, provide licensing and address grievances inherent in the new relations outlined above.

TYPES OF NEW SOCIAL CONTRACT

STAKEHOLDER CAPITALISM

• Market rules are badly in need of reform. The old rules have promoted short-term thinking that has allowed inequality to proliferate, and incentivized rampant consumption of natural resources. We must build on the momentum in reforming reporting and disclosure rules, including the establishment of the International Sustainability

SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND CAREER PATHWAYS

• The new contract defining the world of work should allow companies the flexibility to reshape their workforces to enable innovation and new hybrid ways of working and enable workers the flexibility to access career breaks and training that will help them thrive in a changing world.

RESPONSIBLE USE OF TECHNOLOGY

• The rise of disinformation threatens individual privacy and democratic processes on which functioning societies depend. A recent study found that roughly half of US adults (48%) now say the government should take steps to restrict false information, even if it means losing some freedom to access and publish content.
• There is considerable evidence that the flaws in the information ecosystem disproportionately impact the most vulnerable, especially the young and the economically dispossessed. Governments have struggled to move as quickly as the pace of innovation and would do well to expand their expertise and create special-purpose entities to find policy solutions.

THE CONCLUSION: Modern social contracts can facilitate economic opportunities and mobility for all; secure the societal consensus needed for a decisive approach to the climate crisis; enable technological innovation in service of social progress and foster more inclusive societies.

Questions
1. The creative gale of destruction demands a new social contract. Discuss.
2. The fundamental of the labour-capital is changing: such change demands new rights and duties. Elaborate.

[WpProQuiz 410]

1. Life is a spiral READ MORE
2. Live in peace, not in search of it READ MORE

1. Human-Animal Conflict Increasing in Kerala, Farmers Demand Scientific Measures for Prevention READ MORE
2. Quelea: Environmentalists protest Kenyan government’s move to poison millions of ‘feathered locusts’ READ MORE

1. Aging factory: On China’s population decline: The decline in China’s population will affect the rest of the world too READ MORE
2. An Ancient Recipe for Social Success READ MORE
3. ASER survey points to arduous path ahead READ MORE

1. There is hardly any autonomy at the panchayat level READ MORE
2. Collegium vs Centre: On elevation of a gay judge, constitutional morality vs majoritarian morality READ MORE
3. Appointments, disappointments: Is the wrong person appointed a judge? Is the right person rejected? Here’s what some judges say READ MORE
4. Taking on Govt: The Supreme Court has put up its communication with the Government on its website READ MORE
5. State Governments and the Role of Governors READ MORE

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Ministry of Tribal Affairs in collaboration with Indian Coast Guard, Ministry of Defence to present Adi Shaurya -Parv Parakram Ka, Military Tattoo and Tribal Dance at JLN Stadium in New Delhi READ MORE  
2. Forex reserves zoom by $10.417 billion to $572 billion READ MORE
3. Despite economic growth, urban youth find fewer jobs; hiring slows in export-dependent sectors READ MORE
4. Government policy muddle is stalling production of biodegradable plastic READ MORE
5. India can lead efforts to find new TB vaccine, says WHO’s former chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan READ MORE
6. SC allows caste census, says how else will Bihar fix quota READ MORE
7. Women get command roles in the Indian Army: why this is a remarkable achievement READ MORE
8. WEF 2023: Leaders say speed, cooperation, resilience can mend fragmented world READ MORE
9. NGT probe into cruise operating in Bhopal Ramsar wetland READ MORE
10. Quelea: Environmentalists protest Kenyan government’s move to poison millions of ‘feathered locusts’ READ MORE

Main Exam

GS Paper- 1

1. Aging factory: On China’s population decline: The decline in China’s population will affect the rest of the world too READ MORE
2. An Ancient Recipe for Social Success READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. There is hardly any autonomy at the panchayat level READ MORE
2. Collegium vs Centre: On elevation of a gay judge, constitutional morality vs majoritarian morality READ MORE
3. Appointments, disappointments: Is the wrong person appointed a judge? Is the right person rejected? Here’s what some judges say READ MORE
4. Taking on Govt: The Supreme Court has put up its communication with the Government on its website READ MORE
5. State Governments and the Role of Governors READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. ASER survey points to arduous path ahead READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. The inevitable geopolitical lens in Sri Lanka READ MORE
2. Maldives polls, India’s concerns READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Trade winds: On falling Indian exports READ MORE
2. CRYPTO-CURRENCIES SHOULD BE BANNED READ MORE
3. The Power Bill~I READ MORE
4. The Power Bill~II READ MORE
5. Growth of India’s NBFCs means more compliances, regulations. Go digital to keep track READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Human-Animal Conflict Increasing in Kerala, Farmers Demand Scientific Measures for Prevention READ MORE

TECHNOLOGY

1. Why artificial intelligence still has a long way to go READ MORE

SECURITY

1. Defence budget must be capability-driven READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. Himalayan challenge: Prioritise sustainable development to save the hills READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Life is a spiral READ MORE
2. Live in peace, not in search of it READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘New defense and security cooperation efforts are springing up across the Indo-Pacific’. In the light of statement, analyse how new security grouping in Indo-Pacific are fueling up regional tensions in region?
2. ‘Careful management of hydropower resources is essential to ensure its positive impacts on climate change and avoid transboundary river conflicts’. Comment on the statement in light of transboundary riven conflicts between India and neighboring countries.
3. ‘A system of checks and balances that prevents any one branch gaining the upper hand is essential for democratic functioning’. Comment on the statement in the light of recent stand-off between Judiciary and Executive.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Propaganda is a monologue that is not looking for an answer, but an echo.
• The increasing number of wild animals and reduction of food and water sources due to the increasing presence of exotic species rather than native varieties lead to wild animals invading human habitats.
• Where the union government is busy stifling with the conduct of state governments through the post of the governor, one can only conclude that good governance is certainly not its top political priority.
• When the RBI governor is emphatic in his view that crypto currency is going to be the instrument for next financial crisis, the policy makers must act quickly to ensure that our economy is insulated from such a crisis.
• A bit of urgency on the part of the top court over the collegium would go a long way in smoothing its relationship with the Government. Two organs of the State bickering with each other all the time is not a good advertisement for either India or democracy.
• The court may have perhaps missed an opportunity to clarify the true extent or limits to the guarantee of the currency by the state.
• Technology can potentially meet the diverse needs of different demographic groups of workers, in terms of location, flexibility and hours of work.
• India’s population presents a chance for growth, but inequality and elderly care need attention.
• Like the larger policy framework within which they are set, the UGC’s draft rules emphasise quality without corresponding measures to safeguard equal access.
• To suggest that the basic structure doctrine is by itself unsanctioned is to place the Constitution at the legislature’s whim.
• A system of checks and balances that prevents any one branch gaining the upper hand is essential for democratic functioning.

50-WORD TALK

• Supreme Court has ushered transparency to some extent by making its position on the reiterated judges’ names public. But this should also extend to all candidates. Making these unsubstantial government arguments public can only intensify the executive-judiciary faceoff. This spat must end now. Larger public interest is at stake here
• The proposed new amendment to IT Rules seeks to give outsized, Orwellian powers to the government over the news media. The State cannot appropriate the right to declare an article false and force publishers and platforms to take it down. It’s shocking that this incredible overreach is even being proposed.
• Suppose a robust national R&D, industrial and manufacturing base was deemed to be a critical determinant of composite military capability in the 20th century. In that case, it is axiomatic that in the current era, a high quality national education ecosystem is central to acquiring the kind of technological profile that a major power needs to deal with the complex challenges it will have to grapple with.

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.

INDIAN POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. WHAT IS ‘NIKAH HALALA’?

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE-GS-II-POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

THE CONTEXT: The Supreme Court said recently that it will set up a five-judge Constitution Bench to hear pleas challenging the constitutional validity of polygamy and nikah halala practice among Muslims.

THE EXPLANATION:

About Nikah halala:

• The term “Nikah” and “Halala” both are Arabic terms.
• “Nikah” means Marriage and “Halala” means to make something halal or permissible.
• The expression “Nikah Halala” literally means a marriage to make something halal or permissible.
• As per Muslim Law, a man cannot remarry his wife after he divorced her, unless the wife is married to another man and gets divorced from that man (second husband) or after the death of the second husband.
• Thus, the process of making the woman permissible for her first husband by giving her marriage to a third person with a pre-condition is known as Nikah Halala also known as Tahleel marriage.
• In this process, the third person consummates the marriage with the object to make the woman permissible for her first husband.
• Does the Quran permit this?There is no sanction in the holy Quran for such marriages.

Legality of Nikah halala in India:

• The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019 passed after the invalidation of triple talaq by the Supreme Court, is silent on nikah halala.
• The Act made instant triple talaq a criminal offence but steered clear of halala which takes place as a consequence of triple talaq.

2. WHAT IS A CHARGE SHEET?

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE-GS-II-POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

THE CONTEXT: The Supreme Court recently held the state is not obliged to provide the public free access to chargesheets by uploading them on police or government websites.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is a Chargesheet?

• According to Section 173 of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), a charge sheet is a report generated by police officers after investigating a case.
• It contains all the stringent records right from the commencement of investigation procedure of lodging an FIR to till the completion of investigation and preparation of final report.
• It contains the names of the people brought in the custody, the charges they are brought in for and the identity of the accusers.
• Once the charge sheet has been submitted to a court of law, prosecution proceedings against the accused begin.
• Time limit for filing a Charge Sheet:
• It is to be filed within 60 days from the date of arrest of the accused in cases triable by lower courts and 90 days in cases triable by Court of Sessions.
• If the charge sheet is not filed within the prescribed time mentioned above, the accused has a right to default bail.
• A charge sheet is distinct from the First Information Report (FIR).

What is the First Information Report (FIR)?

• It is a written document prepared by a Police officer based on information given by an aggrieved person or any other person either in writing or made orally about the commission of a Cognizable Offence.
• Investigation is started only after filing of the FIR.
• Who can file an FIR? Anyone can file a FIR, whether it is the victim, victim’s family or friends, or any witness to a crime.

An FIR can only be lodged in case of cognizable offences.

What is a Cognizable Offence?

• It is one in which the police may arrest a person without warrant.
• The police are authorized to start investigation into a cognizable case on their own and do not require any orders from the court to do so.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

3. EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT INDIA’S CHIEF GUEST FOR REPUBLIC DAY 2023

TAGS PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE- GS-II-INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

THE CONTEXT: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi will be the first chief guest from his country at India’s Republic Day celebrations. This makes him only the fifth leader from the West Asian and Arab world to be the chief guest.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Location: Egypt is a transcontinental country situated in northeastern Africa and the Sinai Peninsula in Western Asia (Middle East).
• Capital: Cairo

Boundaries:

• The country borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Gulf of Suez and the Red Sea to the east.
• It is bordered by Libya in the west, the Palestinian territory (Gaza Strip) and Israel in the northeast, and Sudan in the south.
• It shares maritime borders with Cyprus, Turkey and Greece in the Mediterranean Sea, and with Jordan and Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea.
• Independence: Modern Egypt became independent in 1922.
• Population: With 12 million inhabitants (2021), Egypt is the most populous country in the Arab world.
• Language: Spoken language is Modern Standard Arabic; the colloquial language is the Egyptian-Arabic dialect (Masri).
• Islam is the dominant religion in Egypt with an estimated 85-90% of the population is Sunni Muslim.
• Major rivers: The famous River Nile is the only river that flows in Egypt throughout the year. Around 98% of the country’s population resides in the Nile River Valley.

Suez Canal:

• It is a 30 km (120 miles)-long artificial sea-level waterway located in Egypt.
• It connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Gulf of Suez, a northern branch of the Red Sea.
• It provides the shortest maritime route between Europe and the lands lying around the Indian and western Pacific oceans.
• It is one of the world’s most heavily used shipping lanes.

What is Exercise Cyclone-I?

• It is the first ever joint exercise between the special forces of the Indian Army and the Egyptian Army.
• Location: Jaisalmer in Rajasthan

ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

4. DECLINE IN NUMBER OF BIRDS IN KOLE WETLANDS

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE- GS-III- ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: Kole wetlands are located in Kerala. The Asian Water Bird Census recently reported that the number of birds in the wetland has reduced significantly. The number of water birds in the wetland has decreased from 15,959 in 2022 to 9,904. This is huge and the survey accuses unscientific construction in the region of the decline.

THE EXPLANATION:

What does the census say?

• The 2023 census was the 23rd AWC. Kole wetlands are of major concern due to the huge water bird population decline. The population decline was mainly due to habitat loss in the region. This occurs because of unscientific construction and waste dumping.

Rare birds in the Wetland

• In the 2023 census, the ornithologists spotted some rare birds. And therefore are more concerned about the expropriation of their home. Some of the rare birds spotted in the region are Amur Falcon, Wood Sandpiper, and Cattle Egret. Rare migratory birds were also spotted in the region such as Painted Storks, Whiskered Tern, Garganey, and Ibis.

About Asian Water Bird Census

• The census identifies and counts water birds and predominantly focuses on the declining population of the birds in wetlands. It is a part of the International Waterbird Census. These censuses are conducted by Wetland International. The census is conducted in different parts of the world such as Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and the Neotropics. Neotropics includes South America and Central America.

Asian Water Bird Census in India

• In India, the census was first conducted in 1987. The Bombay Natural History Society assists Wetlands International in conducting the survey in the country.

Significance

• The survey aids to get an outlook on the bird population. Has the bird population declined? Are more birds becoming endangered? Causes of bird population decline. Also, it helps in better implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and Convention on Migratory Species

5. ODISHA’S STRATEGY TO MITIGATE HUMAN-ELEPHANT CONFLICT

TAGS: GS-III- ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: The Forest Department of the Odisha recently submitted a Ten Pillar Strategy to mitigate Man-Elephant conflict in the state. There are more than 2000 elephants in the state of Odisha spread across the Bhitarkanika National Park, Similipal Tiger Reserve, DebrigarhSancturay, and Satkosia Tiger Reserve.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Today elephants are facing serious threats due to poaching, poisoning, electrocution, and road and train kill. Seldom have they indulged in human conflict due to loss of habitat. To bring in a solution and put an end to the human-elephant conflict, the Odisha Government has brought in a ten-point strategy.

Strategy

Zone-based approach to be adopted and there are three separate strategies for the following:

• Protection
• Prosecution
• Enforcement
• Strategy to improve elephant corridor
• Strategy to replenish elephant habitats
• People’s participation in spreading awareness
• Habitat management that will consider increasing the forest productivity
• Planting elephant food plants, bamboo plants
• Replenish water sources
• Solar fencing under Jana SurakyaGajaRakhya Scheme
• Control and prevention of forest fire

What is Zone based Approach?

• The approach was adopted from the state of Karnataka. Under the approach, the elephant habitats are to be divided into four broad zones. They are as follows:
  • Zone 1: Elephant Conservation Zone
  • Zone 2: Elephant-Human Coexistence Zone
  • Zone 3: Conflict Mitigation Zone
  • Zone 4: Elephant Removal Zone

Connect the Dots:

• Project Re-Hab

THE CONTEXT:  India ranks 132 out of 191 countries and territories on the 2021\-22 Human Development Index, tracking the global decline in human development. Ninety percent of countries have registered a reduction in their Human Development Index (HDI) value in 2020 or 2021, reversing much of the progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX (HDI) VALUE FOR 2021: AN OVERVIEW

• India’s Human Development Index (HDI) value for 2021 is 0.633, which put the country in the medium human development category.
• The global trend is toward a continued decline in human development, with many countries stagnating or moving down through the human development categories.

High human development economies like the Philippines and Venezuela have slipped to a medium development category. Latin America, the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South Asia have been hit particularly hard. India’s HDI value continues to exceed South Asia’s average human development.

• European states like Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Denmark, and Sweden remained the top performer.

ABOUT HDI

• HDI’ was started in 1990 as a composite measurement of development that challenged purely economic assessments of national progress.
• The HDI is a measure for assessing human development based on three basic dimensions:
• a long and healthy life
• access to knowledge
• access to a decent standard of living
• It captures inequality in the distribution of human development across the population at the country level.

FINDINGS ON INDIAN PERFORMANCE

1. Life expectancy: In 2021, India’s life expectancy at birth was recorded at 67.2 years.
2. Schooling: Expected years of schooling at 11.9 years, mean years of schooling at 6.7 years,
3. Gross National Income: The gross national income per capita stood at USD 6,590.
4. Gender Inequality Index: India has been ranked 122 on the Gender Inequality Index.

A NEW UNCERTAINTY COMPLEX

The COVID-19 pandemic, beyond its damage to people’s health and mental well-being, has also devastated economies and exacerbated gender inequality. Gender inequality witnessed a near-global rise – the world suffered a 6.7 percent increase in gender inequality. South Asian economies like Bangladesh and Bhutan bucked the trend and registered an improvement.

The report also suggests that stress, sadness, anger, and worry have been increasing over the last decade, now reaching record levels. On average, countries spend less than 2 percent of their healthcare budgets on mental health, which limits access to mental health services for citizens globally.

Uncertainty, inequality, and insecurity go hand in hand with polarization and lack of trust. Polarization and mistrust shrink our capacity for social dialogue and stifle collective action. Globally, less than 30 percent of people think most people can be trusted, its the lowest recorded value.

The world is not transitioning to a post-Covid-19 build-back-better scenario. On the contrary, developing countries in every region are entering a sharply divergent social, political, and economic period with especially sharp downside risks for the most vulnerable and regression in gender equality.

HOW CAN INDIA IMPROVE ITS RANKING?

• Developing and empowering human capital should be the top priority of the government. For this, health and education should be on the government’s priority list.

1. HEALTH

SDG Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.

CURRENT SITUATION

• The Centre and states spend approx. 1.2% of GDP on health in 2015-16, which is well below the world average of 5.99 per cent.
• Due to low investment in health and due to high out-of-pocket expenditure (85.6%, which according to the World Bank is among the highest in the world), nearly 60 million people are pushed further into poverty and into the poverty trap from that they are unable to escape.
• IMR (Infant Mortality Rate) which was 81 in 1990 reduced to 40 per 1,000 live births in 2015 (SRS, 2015). However, it still is much higher than the global average for the same period of 33.6 per 1,000 live births (World Health Statistics 2015).
• MMR (Maternal Mortality Rate) was reported at 174 in 2015 than 215 in 2010 (World Bank). Still, in absolute numbers, nearly 45,000 mothers die due to causes related to childbirth every year which accounts for 17% of such deaths globally.
• India has one of the lowest density of health workforce; with density of physicians (7 per 10 000 population) and nurses (17.1 per 10 000 population) as against the global average of 13.9 and 28.6 respectively (World Health Statistics, 2015).
• Government started the ‘Ayushman Bharat’ programme for providing the health insurance to the poor people but Solution of Indian healthcare crisis lies in “preventive and promotive” Healthcare instead of focussing on only “curative” healthcare.
• The country at present suffers from the triple burden of disease —
• The unfinished agenda of infectious diseases.
• The challenge of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), linked with lifestyle changes.
• Emergence of new pathogens causing epidemics and pandemics.

HOW TO IMPROVE HEALTH STATUS IN INDIA

A well-nourished and healthy population is necessary for building a futuristic workforce. Here, a four pronged approach is required:

• Raise public healthcare spending to 3 per cent of GDP;
• Increase commitment to Non-communicable diseases at par with infectious diseases;
• Develop a sustainable mechanism to fund universal healthcare;
• Build a robust referral and preventive healthcare mechanism to reduce the burden on tertiary care.

Leverage technology to transform public health. Modern technology has great potential in bringing efficiency in service delivery and enhancing the reach of the health services. Mobile technology holds great promise especially due to its ubiquitous nature.

2. EDUCATION

SDG Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning.

CURRENT SITUATION

NATIONAL HEALTH POLICY 2017

✔     It aims at achieving universal health coverage and delivering quality health care services to all at affordable cost.

✔    The policy is patient centric and quality driven. It addresses health security and make in India for drugs and devices.

✔    The policy proposes raising public health expenditure to 2.5% of the GDP in a time bound manner.

✔    It aims to raise public healthcare expenditure to 2.5% of GDP from the current 1.4%, with more than two-thirds of those resources going towards primary healthcare.

✔   It aims to reduce the total fertility rate (TFR) to 2.1 at the sub-national and national level by 2025, the mortality rate (MR) of children under 5 years of age to 23 per 1000 by 2025 and the maternal mortality rate (MMR) to 100 by 2020. It also aims to reduce the infant mortality rate to 28 by 2019 and reduce neo-natal mortality to 16 and still birth rate to ‘single digit’ by 2025.

✔   The policy talks about yoga in preventive healthcare system.

• The government spent nearly 3% of GDP on Education, which is lower than other developing and developed nations. World Bank data shows that countries like Brazil and South Africa were spending at least 6% of their GDP on education. The Kothari Education Commission had recommended an allocation of 6 percent of GDP on education, which has never been achieved.
• India ranked 104 out of 149 countries on the Legatum Prosperity Index 2016. The index takes health and education along with other measures of prosperity.
• There is a mismatch between learning outcomes and education spending trends. According to the 2016 Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), the percentage of children in standard five who can do division has declined from 42.5% in 2007 to 26% in 2016, while the percentage of those who can read a standard two text has worsened from 53% in 2006 to 48% in 2016.This decline has happened despite enhanced spending on school education.
• The problem of absenteeism of teachers is still a problem in India. According to a study, 23.6% of teachers in India’s government-run schools in rural areas were found absent during unannounced inspections.
• Spending on teachers training has one of the lowest priorities in expenditure.
• The educational system is out of tune with the job market despite having skill India programmer. Being placed at a poor 105 out of 130 nations in the WEF human capital index ranking clearly shows this. India is placed much below China, ranked 71st, and even Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka are better placed than it.

HOW TO IMPROVE EDUCATION STATUS IN INDIA

• There is a need to increase public spending on education at least to 6% as recommended by Kothari Commission.
• Increasing government spending alone, in education is not enough to improve educational outcomes. There is need to put in place better accountability and monitoring mechanisms to exploit the gains of increase in fiscal outlays on education.
• Also, the need is to overcome institutional inertia and outdated socio-cultural norms so that the gap between widening skills gaps and skilling systems can be bridged.
• Some structural changes which are needed for transforming education :
• Integration of higher education with skills and vocational education;
• Attracting the most credible talent to the teaching profession;
• Building global recognition to the education system; and
• Streamlining regulation to attract credible private sector entities to education.

INDIA LEAD THE WAY

• The report confirms that a business-as-usual policy and programmatic response are not tenable in the current circumstances.
• The report recommends implementing policies that focus on 3 Is – investment — from renewable energy to preparedness for pandemics and insurance—including social protection— to prepare our societies for the ups and downs of an uncertain world. While innovation in its many forms—technological, economic, cultural—can also build capacities to respond to whatever challenges come next.
• “Policies that focus on the 3Is will enable people to thrive in the face of uncertainty. India is already a frontrunner in these areas with its push towards renewable energy, boosting social security for the most vulnerable and driving the world’s largest vaccination drive through Co-WIN, supported by UNDP.
• Over the last decade, India has lifted a staggering 271 million out of multidimensional poverty. The country is improving access to clean water, sanitation, and affordable clean energy.
• India has also boosted access to social protection for vulnerable sections of society, especially during and after the pandemic, with a 9.8 percent increase in the budgetary allocation to the Social Services sector in 2021-22 over 2020-21.
• India’s international contributions to sustainable development continue to grow. A leader of the International Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster-Resilient Infrastructure, India is a champion of South-South cooperation and emerged as a major global supplier of COVID-19 vaccines and medicines. India’s climate leadership is demonstrated by its ambitious targets and commitment to net zero by 2070.
• The world’s largest democracy is also fast-tracking the implementation and monitoring of the SDGs at the national and sub-national levels to meet the ambitious goals.

THE WAY FORWARD

It is virtually impossible to learn future skills for future jobs. Even the best crystal gazing is unlikely to predict the changes across industries. However, there are certain quintessential for making a future ready workforce which should not be ignored by the government –

• A well-nourished and healthy population
• Access to high-speed internet,
• Multidisciplinary learning
• design thinking
• Data Science
• Information filtration capabilities.

The government requires investing quantitatively as well as qualitatively in human capital.

New Dimensions Need Inclusion: although, it is true that the concept of human development is a broader one than the traditional concept of development. But there are many other aspects such as civil and political rights, environmental quality, food and nutrition security, job security, health security and energy security should be added in the HDI.

Looking beyond the HDI at the Quality of Development.

THE CONCLUSION: HDI bring out a very real and necessary picture about India but India needs much more to achieve the vision of the superpower. The investment in human capital is the best option in this regard. Health and education will be the first basic inputs to develop and sustain a healthy, highly skilled workforce.

MAINS PRACTICE QUESTION

1. What is HDI? Evaluate India’s performance amidst the pandemic with respect to indicators of HDI.
2. Analyze the factors responsible for its consecutive low rank of India in the Human Development Index.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. THE BHOPAL DECLARATION

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE-GS-II-INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

THE CONTEXT: The Bhopal Declaration was released after a two-day meeting of Think-20 under G20 in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The Declaration was made by more than 300 intellectuals from India and abroad.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is Think 20 ?

The Think 20 (T20) is a forum of think tanks from G20 countries that provides policy recommendations to the leaders of the G20. It was created in 2012 to bring the expertise of think tanks from around the world to bear on the G20’s policy-making process, and it meets annually in the lead-up to the G20 summit.

Bhopal Declaration

• Emphasis on promoting traditional medicine systems like AYUSH
• Encouragement of value-oriented development in infrastructure
• Appeal for more inclusive development and care for all sections of society
• Special attention to children and development led by women
• Focus on bridging the gap between North and South
• Importance of localization in achieving G-20 sustainable development goals
• Necessity of triangular cooperation between government, society, and private organizations

What is Triangular cooperation?

• Triangular cooperation refers to a collaborative approach where three parties (typically government, private sector, and civil society) work together to achieve a common goal. It is used to leverage the strengths of each party and enhance the effectiveness of development cooperation. The approach can be used in various sectors such as health, education, and poverty reduction, and it aims to foster inclusive and sustainable growth.

India’s Role in Triangular Cooperation

• Importance of Indian model in changing global scenario
• Recognition of India’s crucial contribution to COVID-19 containment and response to Russia-Ukraine war.

ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

2. CHAMUNDI HILLS

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE-GS-III-ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: The citizens’ committee to save Chamundi Hills and its environment has resolved to press for clearance from the heritage committee before the implementation of development works at the hilltop under Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD).

THE EXPLANATION:

About Chamundi Hills:

• It is located in the city of Mysore, Karnataka.
• The average elevation is 1,060 meters.
• The famous Sri Chamundeshwari Temple dedicated to the Hindu goddess Chamundeshwari is situated on top of Chamundi hills.
• In the earlier days, the Hill was identified as ‘Mahabaladri’ in honour of God Shiva who resides in the ‘Mahabaleswara Temple’. This is the oldest temple on the hills.
• These hills have been mentioned in the ancient Hindu scriptures such as ‘Skanda Purana’.

Sri Chamundeshwari Temple:

• It is dedicated to the Goddess Chamundeshwari (Chamundi), deity of the Mysore Royal Family.
• This temple is about 1000 steps from the foot of the Chamundi hills.
• It is built in the Dravidian style of temple architecture.
• The temple has a quadrangular structure.
• It has an impressive seven-tier tower called ‘gopuram’ or ‘gopura’ and an equally imposing entrance which is known as ‘dwara’.

What is Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD) Scheme?

• The Government of India launched the PRASHAD scheme in the year 2014-2015 under the Ministry of Tourism.
• Is a Central Sector Scheme with complete financial assistance by the Government of India.
• This scheme focuses on developing and identifying pilgrimage sites across India for enriching the religious tourism experience.
• It aims to integrate pilgrimage destinations in a prioritized, planned and sustainable manner to provide a complete religious tourism experience. The growth of domestic tourism hugely depends on pilgrimage tourism.

PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

3. WHAT IS HAKKU PATRA?

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

THE CONTEXT: The Prime Minister recently launched the ‘Hakku Patra’ (land title deed) distribution drive by distributing title deeds (hakku patra) to about fifty thousand beneficiaries of newly declared revenue villages in Kalaburagi, Karnataka.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is Hakku Patra?

• The word ‘Hakku’ means “the right”, and ‘Patra’ means a “paper” or “document”.
• It is a legal document that states an individual’s rightful inheritance of a property.
• It is issued to the nation’s underprivileged section, including scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, urban slum dwellers, handicapped, and other disadvantaged populations.
• In most cases, the land on which the Hakku Patra is issued is government-owned with a specific set of conditions attached.

Hakku Patra distribution drive:

• It is a part of the Ambedkar Rural Housing Scheme of Karnataka.
• Under this, the government offers free registration of Hakku Patra land in the beneficiary’s name.
• Any house built on the Hakku Patra land should be used as the beneficiary’s house and not for rental purposes.

Benefits of Hakku Patra:

• It makes you the legitimate owner of your land or property by giving an up-to-date and official record of who owns the land.
• It is a state-guaranteed document.
• The title deeds enable owners to avail of bank loans with the said document.
• Hakku Patra registration resolves all types of disputes regarding the ownership or rights over the land.
• The document helps in preventing any encroachment via trespassing on the boundaries.

4. JAIPUR LITERATURE FESTIVAL

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

THE CONTEXT: The Jaipur Literature Festival is celebrated in the month of January in the city of Jaipur, the Pink city. The festival was introduced in 2006 and is the largest free literary festival in the world.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Nobel Laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah addressed the festival, Abdul received the Nobel prize in literature in 2021. He was honored for his works on the fate of the refugees and the effects of colonialism in the Gulf.
• The Festival is to focus on varied topics such as Artificial Intelligence, Geopolitics, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, crime fiction, translation, economics, etc.

Why is Jaipur Literature Festival Celebrated?

• To bring the literary experts, artists of different fields, and writers to a single platform
• To give space for the artists to indulge in a meaningful debate

Jaipur: Pink City

Jaipur is rich in architecture. In 1876, the city was completely painted pink upon the visit of Prince Albert. Albert was Queen Victoria’s husband. The city was painted pink to welcome him. Since then the city is widely called the Pink city.

5. INDO-EGYPT JOINT TRAINING EXERCISE CYCLONE-I

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

THE CONTEXT: The Indian and the Egyptian Armies are to conduct the first-ever joint exercise Cyclone-I. It is to be held in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan for 14 days.

THE EXPLANATION:

The exercise is the first of its kind as it brings the special forces of the countries to a common platform. Cyclone-I would help the armies exchange their culture and ethos. Also, they will foster interoperability and aid in boosting the diplomatic relation between the nations.

Objectives of the exercise

• The exercise is to honour the professional skills of the armies.
• It will focus on skills necessary to fight in desert terrain undertaking reconnaissance, counter-terrorism, and other special operations.
• The armies will share their experience, professional knowledge, and tactics
• The exercise aims to build trust between the countries

Training and Drills

• 30-40 special forces are participating in the exercise.
• The armies will engage and get trained in combat free fall, sniping, surveillance, etc.

India-Egypt

• Exercise Desert Warrior is held between the Air Forces of the countries.
• In 2006, the Defense Committee was formed. The committee is responsible for framing key defense decisions between the countries. The sixth meeting of the committee was held in 2016.
• Trade between India and Egypt was 7.26 billion USD in 2021.

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Spot Bellied Eagle Owl spotted in Seshachalam forest of Andhra Pradesh for the first time READ MORE  
2. ‘RBI to guide inflation towards 4% target by 2024’ READ MORE
3. Women officers in command soon READ MORE
4. National Export Co-operative Society to export farm, non-farming products in three months READ MORE
5. Scrapping of scheme did not raise price of rice: Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra READ MORE
6. Study finds ‘hybrid immunity’ most effective against severe Covid: the findings, implications explained READ MORE
7. FAME probe: Six more EV makers under scanner READ MORE
8. Indo-Bangla Friendship Pipeline set to start by February READ MORE
9. Madhya Pradesh: Bhopal Declaration released after discussion in two-day meeting of Think-20 under G20 in Bhopal READ MORE

Main Exam

GS Paper- 1

1. Recycled waste glass can help solve sand shortages READ MORE
2. New Report Shows Alarming Changes in the Entire Global Water Cycle READ MORE
3. Babies & jobs: Lesson for India from China’s population decline is to get many more of its working age groups into work READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Judging a decade of the POCSO Act: There needs to be a review of the way the Act has been implemented, as there are still imperfections despite its impact READ MORE
2. If government wants a place in the collegium, that’s not unreasonable READ MORE
3. Machines for migrants: Inclusion of migrant voters is important READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. What is key to controlling diabetes? Awareness or wealth? READ MORE
2. Why more kids are going to school but learning less READ MORE
3. Drop in reading ability: Need to plug gaps red-flagged by ASER READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. The inevitable geopolitical lens in Sri Lanka READ MORE
2. Maldives polls, India’s concerns READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Ethanol blending crucial to cut oil imports but doubling it will hurt India’s food security READ MORE
2. FCI clean-up: Corruption taint overshadows any positive work READ MORE
3. Is This a Lost Decade for Indian Manufacturing? READ MORE
4. Why demonetisation verdict is significant for India’s digital currency pilot project READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Cost of green clearance violations: Recalling 3 cases opened by NGT READ MORE
2. How India Can Achieve the New Biodiversity Goals READ MORE

TECHNOLOGY

1. Fourth industrial revolution: ‘4IR is not real’ READ MORE

SECURITY

1. Defence budget must be capability-driven READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. Joshimath crisis is a warning from the Himalayas READ MORE
2. Monitor construction in the Himalayas to avoid tragedy READ MORE
3. Stop meddling with nature now: Joshimath is not an isolated incident. It is happening all over Uttarakhand. The govt must stop all hydro power project immediately READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Life is a spiral READ MORE
2. Live in peace, not in search of it READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘New defense and security cooperation efforts are springing up across the Indo-Pacific’. In the light of statement, analyse how new security grouping in Indo-Pacific are fueling up regional tensions in region?
2. ‘Careful management of hydropower resources is essential to ensure its positive impacts on climate change and avoid transboundary river conflicts’. Comment on the statement in light of transboundary riven conflicts between India and neighboring countries.
3. ‘A system of checks and balances that prevents any one branch gaining the upper hand is essential for democratic functioning’. Comment on the statement in the light of recent stand-off between Judiciary and Executive.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• There’s a certain nostalgia and romance in a place you left.
• New defense and security cooperation efforts are springing up across the Indo-Pacific, between some Quad members and those outside the grouping.
• Emerging and critical technologies, including space, cyber, and information security, found mention in the statement, with the goal “to strengthen mission assurance, interoperability, and operational cooperation, including through enhanced collaboration in space domain awareness.”
• Careful management of hydropower resources is essential to ensure its positive impacts on climate change and avoid transboundary river conflicts.
• In law, the government has no primacy in the appointment of judges yet it has succeeded on multiple occasions to frustrate the recommendations of the collegium. It appears, though, that what the government really wants is primacy — not just a consultative role — in the appointment of judges.
• The court may have perhaps missed an opportunity to clarify the true extent or limits to the guarantee of the currency by the state.
• Technology can potentially meet the diverse needs of different demographic groups of workers, in terms of location, flexibility and hours of work.
• India’s population presents a chance for growth, but inequality and elderly care need attention.
• Like the larger policy framework within which they are set, the UGC’s draft rules emphasise quality without corresponding measures to safeguard equal access.
• To suggest that the basic structure doctrine is by itself unsanctioned is to place the Constitution at the legislature’s whim.
• A system of checks and balances that prevents any one branch gaining the upper hand is essential for democratic functioning.

50-WORD TALK

• Having had this long experience of underfunding and underutilisation, maybe it is time for a fixed amount to be transferred every year to a defence modernisation fund that can be managed by the RBI or a designated bank. This fund should be drawn upon to make acquisitions in a time-bound manner. A necessary concomitant would be transparent acquisition processes, whether it’s from domestic or foreign sources. The defence budget should not be viewed as a drain on the national economy.
• Constitutionally minded citizens and civil society groups need to stand up to collectively raise their voices and demand that the Central government and its functionaries stop the public attacks on the collegium and the judiciary, abide by the spirit of the Constitution and respect its values, ethos and proprieties.

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. Life is a spiral READ MORE
2. Live in peace, not in search of it READ MORE

1. Recycled waste glass can help solve sand shortages READ MORE
2. New Report Shows Alarming Changes in the Entire Global Water Cycle READ MORE
3. Cost of green clearance violations: Recalling 3 cases opened by NGT READ MORE
4. How India Can Achieve the New Biodiversity Goals READ MORE

1. Babies & jobs: Lesson for India from China’s population decline is to get many more of its working age groups into work READ MORE
2. What is key to controlling diabetes? Awareness or wealth? READ MORE
3. Why more kids are going to school but learning less READ MORE
4. Drop in reading ability: Need to plug gaps red-flagged by ASER READ MORE

1. Judging a decade of the POCSO Act: There needs to be a review of the way the Act has been implemented, as there are still imperfections despite its impact READ MORE
2. If government wants a place in the collegium, that’s not unreasonable READ MORE
3. Machines for migrants: Inclusion of migrant voters is important READ MORE
4. Monitor construction in the Himalayas to avoid tragedy READ MORE

[WpProQuiz 409]

THE CONTEXT: Recently in the historical Judgement, SC axed 51-year-old restriction on the abortion rights of women and upheld that single women can get equal abortion rights. In the Judgement by the Supreme Court bench headed by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud concluded that unmarried women in consensual relationships are also entitled to equal safe and legal abortions. In this write up, we will analyse in detail about the issues related to abortion and marital rape in India.

WHAT WAS THE CASE ABOUT IN THE SUPREME COURT?

• The Court was hearing the case of a 25-year-old single woman whose request to end a pregnancy before 24 weeks was denied by the Delhi High Court.
• The Court ruled that unmarried women should be included by Rule 3B of the MTP Rules, using a “purposive” view of the MTP Act.

 KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE JUDGEMENT

• The Supreme Court ruled the rights available to married women under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act,1971, to abort a foetus will also be available to unmarried ones.
• If Rule 3B(c) is understood as only for married women, it will perpetuate the stereotype that only married women indulge in sexual activities. This is not constitutionally sustainable.
• The bench said the artificial distinction between married and unmarried women cannot be sustained and that women must have the autonomy to have free exercise of these rights.
• While stressing reproductive autonomy is closely linked to bodily autonomy, the Court ruled that the Right to choose contraception, the number of children and whether or not to abort have to be taken without the influence of social factors.
• The consequences of unwanted pregnancy on a woman cannot be undermined, and the health of the foetus depends on the mother’s mental wellbeing.
• The Court held the interpretation of the MTP Act has to reflect the societal realities.
• The bench referred to parliamentary debate statistics on unsafe abortions and to a Global Health Study by the British Medical Journal, which had concluded that 67 per cent of abortions were unsafe.
• It added that denying access to safe abortion will increase people resorting to unsafe abortions.
• Pointing to the abortion rights for rape survivors, the Court said married women may also form part of a class of survivors of sexual assault and rape as it is quite possible that a woman may become pregnant on account of a non-consensual act by the husband.
• In this context, the Court said the meaning of rape must include the meaning of marital rape solely within the meaning of the MTP Act and Rules.
• The Court also held the MTP Act and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act has to be read harmoniously and there is no need to disclose the identity of minors under the MTP Act.
• The bench ruled pregnancy is the sole prerogative of a woman and the circumstances may vary for each, and various economic, cultural or social factors play a part in this.

 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE JUDGEMENT

RIGHT TO LIFE AND PERSONAL LIBERTY

• According to Justice Chandrachud, an unmarried woman has the same freedom to decide whether or not to have children as a married woman under the reproductive autonomy, dignity, and privacy rights guaranteed by Article 21 of the Constitution.

RIGHT TO EQUALITY

• The Judgement ensured that it was against the Right to equality before the law and equal protection (Article 14) to deny single or unmarried pregnant women thethe Right to abortion.
• It will ensure that single women seeking abortions beyond 20 weeks cannot be turned down on the basis that the statute is too restrictive.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF REPRODUCTIVE AUTONOMY

• The SC stated that reproductive autonomy “means that every pregnant woman has the intrinsic right to choose to undergo or not to undergo an abortion without any approval or authorisation from a third party”. acknowledging this gap and labelling the law as “provider-centric”.
• The Right to bodily autonomy underlies the choice of whether to carry a pregnancy to term or end it prematurely.

DOCTORS NEED NOT REPORT THE IDENTITY OF MINORS SEEKING ABORTION

• The Judgement clarified that the Registered Medical Practitioner, only on request of the minor and the guardian of the minor and does not need to disclose the identity and other personal details of the minor in the information provided under Section 19(1) of the POCSO Act.

DISCOURAGE THE ILLEGAL PRACTICE OF ABORTIONS

• Legalisation of abortions will also discourage the illegal practice of abortions done through untrained, unauthorised paramedics which are hazardous for the health and future fertility of the child bearer.

COVERS THE MARITAL RAPE

• The Judgement ensures that pregnancies rose due to the marital rape are also covered under the Rape definition of MTP exception. This will be significant recognition of marital rape as one of the crimes against women by SC.

THE ABORTION LAWS IN INDIA 

How did abortion laws come about in India?

• In the 1960s, in the wake of a high number of induced abortions taking place, the Union government ordered the constitution of the Shantilal Shah Committee to deliberate on the legalisation of abortion in the country.
• In order to reduce maternal mortality owing to unsafe abortions, the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act was brought into force in 1971. This law is an exception to the Indian Penal Code (IPC) provisions of 312 and 313 and sets out the rules of how and when a medical abortion can be carried out.
• Under Section 312 of the IPC, a person who “voluntarily causes a woman with child to miscarry” is liable for punishment, attracting a jail term of up to three years or fine or both, unless it was done in good faith where the purpose was to save the life of the pregnant woman.
• This section effectively makes unconditional abortion illegal in India. Section 313 of the IPC states that a person who causes the miscarriage without the consent of the pregnant woman, whether or not she is in the advanced stages of her pregnancy, shall be punished with life imprisonment or a jail term that could extend to 10 years, as well as a fine.

How has the MTP Act evolved from 1971 to 2021?

• The latest amendment to the MTP Act was made in 2021. Before that new rules were introduced in 2003 to allow the use of the newly discovered abortion medicine misoprostol, to medically terminate a pregnancy up to seven weeks into it. Broader amendments to the original Act were introduced in 2020 and the amended Act came into force in September 2021.
• Under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Act, 2021, abortion is permitted after medical opinion under stipulated circumstances. The 2021 Act increased the upper limit of the gestation period to which a woman can seek a medical abortion to 24 weeks from 20 weeks permitted in the 1971 Act. But this renewed upper limit can only be exercised in specific cases. Gestational age, calculated in weeks, is the medical term to describe how far along the pregnancy is and is measured from the first day of the woman’s last menstruation or period.

THE MEDICAL TERMINATION OF PREGNANCY (AMENDMENT) ACT, 2021

Under the 2021 Act, medical termination of pregnancy is permitted if it is backed by medical opinion and is being sought for at least one of the following reasons —

• If the continuation of the pregnancy would involve a risk to the life of the pregnant woman
• If its continuation would result in grave injury to the woman’s physical or mental health (if the pregnancy is a result of rape or failure of contraceptive used by the pregnant woman or her partner to limit the number of children or to prevent pregnancy, the anguish caused by its continuation would be considered to be a grave injury to the mental health of the pregnant woman)
• In the case of a substantial risk that if the child was born, it would suffer from serious physical or mental abnormality

The pregnancy can be terminated upto 24 weeks of gestational age after the opinion of two registered medical practitioners under these conditions —

• If the woman is ​​either a survivor of sexual assault or rape or incest.
• If she is a minor.
• If her marital status has changed during the ongoing pregnancy (i.e. either widowhood or divorce).
• If she has major physical disabilities or is mentally ill.
• On the grounds of foetal malformation incompatible with life or if the child is born, it would be seriously handicapped.
• If the woman is in humanitarian settings or disaster, or emergency situations as declared by the government.
• Besides, suppose the pregnancy has to be terminated beyond the 24-week gestational age. In that case, it can only be done on the grounds of foetal abnormalities if a four-member Medical Board, as set up in each State under the Act, gives permission to do so.
• The law, notwithstanding any of the above conditions, also provides that where it is immediately necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman, abortion can be carried out at any time by a single registered medical practitioner.
• Under the 2021 Act, Unmarried women can also access abortion under the above-mentioned conditions, because it does not mention the requirement of spousal consent. If the woman is a minor, however, the consent of a guardian is required.

IS TERMINATING A PREGNANCY A CRIMINAL OFFENCE IN INDIA?

• Voluntarily terminating a pregnancy is a criminal offence under the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (IPC). The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1971 authorizes medical doctors (with specific specialization) to abort a pregnancy on certain grounds. Pregnancy can be terminated at any time up to 12 weeks if one doctor agrees, and up to 20 weeks if two doctors agree. Only where the pregnancy’s continuation will endanger the pregnant woman’s life, cause grave harm to her mental or physical health (including rape and refusal to utilize birth control), or result in foetal abnormalities is it permissible to terminate the pregnancy. Termination is also permitted at any time during the pregnancy if it is necessary to save the life of the woman concerned.
• MTPA 2021  alters the MTPA 1971 to raise the upper limit for abortion from 20 to 24 weeks for certain types of women, removes the limit in cases of significant foetal abnormalities, and establishes state-level Medical Boards. It also adds that as medical technology advances, the maximum limit for terminating pregnancies may be raised, particularly for vulnerable women. According to Bill’s Statement of Objects and Reasons, multiple cases have been brought in the Supreme Court and different High Courts requesting authorization to terminate pregnancies at stages beyond the Act’s 20-week restriction based on foetal abnormalities or pregnancies in cases of rape.

ISSUES IN THE PRESENT LAW

• The MTP Act, first enacted in 1971 and then amended in 2021, certainly makes ‘medical termination of pregnancy legal in India under specific conditions. However, this Act is framed from a legal standpoint to primarily protect medical practitioners because under the Indian Penal Code, “induced miscarriage” is a criminal offence.
• This premise points to a lack of choice and bodily autonomy of women and rests the decision of abortion solely on the doctor’s opinion. The MTP Act also only mentions ‘pregnant woman’, thus failing to recognise that transgender persons and others who do not identify as women can become pregnant.
• As the law does not permit abortion at will, critics say that it pushes women to access illicit abortions under unsafe conditions. Statistics put the annual number of unsafe and illegal abortions performed in India at 8,00,000, many of them resulting in maternal mortality.
• The acceptance of abortion in Indian society is situated in the context of population control and family planning. But, most importantly, after more than 50 years of the MTP Act, women and transgender persons face major obstacles in accessing safe abortion care.

These are seven examples:

1. They may not even be aware that abortion is legal or know where to obtain one safely;
2. Since the MTP Act does not recognise abortion as a choice, they need the approval of medical professionals even in the first few weeks of the pregnancy;
3. Unmarried and transgender people continue to face stigma and can be turned away from health facilities, forcing them to resort to unsafe care;
4. Fourth, mandatory reporting requirements under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Bill (POCSO), 2011 law against child sexual offences, impact privacy and hinder access of adolescents to safe abortion services;
5. Many are still coerced into agreeing to a permanent or long-term contraceptive method as a prerequisite for getting abortion services;
6. Healthcare providers may impose their own morality by insisting on ‘husbands’ or ‘parental’ consent for abortion. Even women seeking abortion care in health facilities are often mistreated and not provided medications for pain relief;
7. Despite laws prohibiting sex determination, the illegal practice persists. The mushrooming of unregulated ultrasound clinics in India continues to facilitate the illegal practice of sex determination, resulting in unsafe abortions and female foeticide.

JUDICIAL INTERVENTIONS IN CASES OF ABORTIONS

• In the landmark 2017 Right to Privacy judgement in Justice K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India and others, the Supreme Court had held that the decision by a pregnant person on whether to continue a pregnancy or not is part of such a person’s Right to privacy as well and, therefore, the Right to life and personal liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution.
• Several women annually approach the apex court and High Courts when medical boards reject their application to access MTP beyond the gestational upper limit (now 24 weeks), seeking permission to abort a pregnancy, mostly in cases where it is a result of sexual assault or when there is a foetal abnormality.

WHAT ARE THE CRITICISMS AGAINST THE ABORTION LAW IN INDIA?

• According to a 2018 study in the Lancet, 15.6 million abortions were accessed every year in India as of 2015. The MTP Act requires abortion to be performed only by doctors with specialisation in gynaecology or obstetrics. However, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s 2019-20 report on Rural Health Statistics indicates that there is a 70% shortage of obstetrician-gynaecologists in rural India.
• As the law does not permit abortion at will, critics say that it pushes women to access illicit abortions under unsafe conditions. Statistics put the annual number of unsafe and illegal abortions performed in India at 8,00,000, many of them resulting in maternal mortality.

WHAT IS MARITAL RAPE?

MARITAL RAPE – DEFINITION

“Marital rape” or “spousal rape” can be defined as having sexual intercourse with one’s spouse without the latter’s assent or consent forcefully. It is unwanted sexual intercourse that usually involves a man using force, the threat of force or physical violence on his wife when she does not give consent to have it.

TYPES OF MARITAL RAPE

Battering rape

• In this type of rape, women have to undergo both physical and sexual violence in their marital relationship.
• Some are battered during the sexual violence, or the rape may follow a physically violent episode where the husband wants to make up and coerces his wife to have sex against her will.
• It is the most common form of marital rape found in India and a majority of marital rapes fall in this category.
• More than 45% of marital rapes in India are battering rapes.

Force-only rape

• This type of marital rape involves the usage of necessary force by the husband to coerce their wives into sexual intercourse.
• These assaults are typically inflicted on spouses (wives) who have refused sexual intercourse.
• It does not involve battering or physical violence.

Obsessive rape/sadistic rape

• This type of marital rape involves torture or perverse sexual acts.
• It tends to be very violent and may result in physical injuries.

 WHAT HAS THE COURT REMARKED ON MARITAL RAPE

• According to the Court, a husband’s act of sexual assault or rape against his wife is included in the definition of “sexual assault” or “rape” in Rule 3B(a).
• Marital rape must therefore be included in the definition of rape for the sole purpose of the MTP Act and any rules and regulations made thereunder.
• Any alternative interpretation would force a woman to carry a child and raise it with a partner who abuses her physically and psychologically.

WHY IS MODERN INDIA STILL NOT ACCEPTING MARITAL RAPE AS A RAPE?

DEFINITION

• The definition of rape codified in Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) includes all forms of sexual assault involving non-consensual intercourse with a woman.

NON-CRIMINALIZATION

• Non-Criminalization of marital rape in India emanates from Exception 2 to Section 375.

EXEMPTION

• Section 375 defines rape and lists seven notions of consent which, if vitiated, would constitute the offence of rape by a man. However, the provision contains a crucial exemption, Sexual intercourse or sexual acts by a man with his own wife, the wife not being under eighteen years of age, is not rape.

MARRIAGE AS PERPETUAL CONSENT

• As per current law, a wife is presumed to deliver perpetual consent to have sex with her husband after entering marital relations. The concept of marital rape in India is the epitome of what we call an “implied consent”. Marriage between a man and a woman here implies that both have consented to sexual intercourse, and it cannot be otherwise.

LEGAL PROVISIONS FOR MARITAL RAPE IN INDIA

• As marital rape in India is not an offence, there is no specific legal provision in India to deal with it. It is entirely dependent on the understanding of courts how they interpret the existing laws to counter this social malaise.
• Under Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC),1860 which deals with “rape”, “marital rape” is defined as an exceptional clause where it is said – “sexual intercourse by a man with his own wife, the wife not being under 15 years of age, is not rape.”  The Indian judiciary has raised the age from 15 to 18. Thus, marital rape is viewed as rape only when the spouse is below the age of 18 years and it is not a crime when the wife is above this age.
• Under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) which has provisions for punishment for rape, it is said that those who commit crimes such as rape should be punished with not less than 7 years reaching up to 10 years or life imprisonment which may often include fine.
• However, if the lady raped is a man’s own particular spouse and is not under 12 years old, then he may be detained for a term which may reach out to 2 years with a fine or with both.
• This shows that even if there is a provision for punishment for marital rape in Indian law, it is milder as compared to other rape cases.
• As per the provisions of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 (POCSO Act), marital rape is a type of domestic or local violence. Under this Act, a lady can go to Court and get a legal partition from her husband for marital rape.
• However, women in India can file cases against marital rape on the grounds of cruelty or domestic violence and obtain judicial separation from their husbands (divorce).
• In 1993, it was declared that any violence against women, including marital rape, was recognized as violative of women’s Fundamental Human Rights provided to her under international laws in the U.N Declaration on Elimination of Violence Against Women (DEVAW).

CRIMINALIZING OF MARITAL RAPE: AN ANALYSIS

ARGUMENTS FOR

1. Shortcomings in existing laws:

• It is often said that the Domestic Violence Act, 2005 deals with marital rape in India and thus there is no need to criminalize it under separate law.
• However, the Domestic Violence Act, 2005 is considered to be a civil law by the courts, and thus the accused can get away without any jail term.
• Another problem is that while the term “sexual abuse” is mentioned, the act doesn’t explicitly define “rape” as is defined in section 375 of the IPC.
• Thus, the current law has no provision if a woman wants to file a criminal case against her husband if her husband is raping her.

2. Protection of fundamental rights of women:

• The criminalization of marital rape would help protect the basic rights of women such as the Right to live with human dignity, the Right to sexual privacy, the Right to bodily self-determination and the Right to equality.
• The UN Committee on Elimination of Discrimination against Women had twice (in 2007 and 2014) urged India to criminalise marital rape on similar grounds. It views marital rape as a sort of discrimination against women that violates the principles of equality of rights and respect for human dignity.

ARGUMENTS AGAINST

1. Potential misuse of the law :

• There is a high possibility of misuse of this law since it is related to a very personal and sensitive subject like sex between a married couple.
• Records say that around 85% of dowry cases turn out to be false while a majority of cases registered under 498A are false or a mistake of fact or law or a civil dispute.
• Given such a state of affairs, making marital rape a criminal offence would prove to be a disaster harming social harmony.

2. Burden of proof:

• The concept of burden of proof is a complex issue.
• When marital rape would be considered a crime, there will be a burden either on the wife to prove the offence or the husband to prove himself innocent, and therefore it will be very difficult to apply.

3. Threat to the institution of marriage:

• Marriage is a concept that is built around the idea of love, trust and respect. However, many argue that criminalizing marital rape will make the parties in a relationship try to be “legally careful” in the normal course of affairs, fearing the occurrence of such situations or coming up of such allegations.
• Similarly, if wives accuse husbands falsely of committing such offences this may lead to the breakdown of the institution of marriage.

4. Against privacy:

• Some argue that making marital rape a crime would allow the State to interfere in the personal affairs of individuals.
• This will be a violation of the Right to privacy inherent in the Right to life guaranteed under Article 21 in the Indian Constitution.

THE WAY FORWARD

AWARENESS GENERATION

• It is essential for healthcare workers, dais, and Asha workers to “spread the message to all women across the board about availability of accredited termination clinics both in the government and in the private sector.

BROADER VIEW

• Bodily autonomy and reproductive rights must be viewed from three lenses — legal, medical, and social.
• Only when women and non-binary pregnant people enjoy absolute autonomy over their own bodies by these parameters, can one claim that India is showing the way to the C

HOLISTIC APPROACH

• We should strive for inclusivity, complete bodily autonomy, and reproductive equity. The government needs to ensure that all norms and standardised protocols in clinical practice to facilitate abortions are followed in health care institutions across the country.
• Along with that, the question of abortion needs to be decided on the basis of human rights, the principles of solid science, and in step with advancements in technology.

FILLING THE GAPS IN EXISTING LAWS

• Marital rape is a complex issue that needs a deep and detailed discussion. Criminalizing marital rape will not merely help. Rather there is a need for rectifying and filling the gaps in existing laws and doing away with archaic ones that tend to function against the well-being of women and the society as a whole. Public consultation and discussion with all the stakeholders may be the way forward.

THE CONCLUSION: The decision of whether or not to bear a child is central to a woman’s life, to her well-being and dignity. She ought to be the one deciding it for herself. When government superintends that decision for her, she is being treated as less than a fully adult human accountable for her own choices. We need to bestow much greater support to women who may want to conceive and raise their children, but opting out of it for financial, psychological, health, or relationship reasons Criminalising abortion does not stop abortions, it just makes abortion more unsafe.

QUESTION FOR MAINS EXAMINATION:

Q1 . India’s abortion laws are one of the most progressive across the world. In light of the recent supreme court judgement, critically analyse the abortion laws in India.

Q2. While most of the developed world has penalised marital rape, surprisingly, there is no law to protect married women against marital rape in India”. Discuss the need for a law against marital rape in India and the challenges associated while legislating such a law.

SOCIAL JUSTICE- GOVERNANCE

1. THE ANNUAL STATUS OF EDUCATION REPORT 2022

TAGS: GS-II- GOVERNANCE

THE CONTEXT: The ASER Report 2022 released recently revealed that almost all (98.4%) students in the age bracket of 6-14 years are now enrolled in schools.

Highlights of ASER 2022:

• In ASER 2022 Survey, 7 lakh candidates from 19,060 schools in 616 districts were surveyed to calculate the learning outcomes post-pandemic on school children.
• Enrollment has gone from 97.2 per cent in 2018 to 98.4 per cent in 2022.
• As many as 72.9 per cent of the surveyed students go to government schools.
• In only three states, the number of girls not going to school is above 10% – Madhya Pradesh (17%), Uttar Pradesh (15%), and Chhattisgarh (11.2%).
• Nationally, children’s basic reading ability has dropped to pre-2012 levels, reversing the slow improvement achieved in the intervening years.
• In both government and private schools, only 20.5% students of Class 3 can read, compared to 27.3% in 2018.
• The proportion of Class 5 students who can read has dropped to 42.8% in 2022, compared to 50.5% in 2018.

VALUE ADDITION:

About ASER Survey:

• It is a citizen-led household survey that provides estimates of the enrolment status of children aged 3-16 and the basic reading and arithmetic levels of children aged 5-16 at the national, state and district level.
• ASER is published by NGO Pratham, and the survey has been conducted every year since 2005.
• The survey reaches children in the age group of 3-16 in almost all rural districts of India.
• It uses household rather than school-based sampling.

ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

2. YANGTZE FINLESS PORPOISE

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE- GS-III- ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: Scientists recently found that checking sand mining in Dongting lake in China can help the rebounding of the population of the Yangtze finless porpoise.

THE EXPLANATION:

• Previous reports had shown the porpoise were pushed out of certain stretches of their habitat due to sand mining.
• The Chinese government announced a crackdown on illegal sand mining along the entire length of the river Yangtze.

ABOUT YANGTZE FINLESS PORPOISE

• The Yangtze River, the longest river in Asia is home to these porpoises.
• Yangtze finless porpoise is known for its mischievous smile and has a level of intelligence comparable to that of a gorilla.
• These are very small compared to whales and slow-moving inhabitants
• These are good indicators of the health of their environment.
• Conservation status:
  o IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered

3. WHAT IS SEDGE WARBLER?

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE- GS-III- ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: Birders and ornithologists recently in the State of Kerala spotted a migratory bird the Sedge Warbler.

THE EXPLANATION:

• The sedge warbler is a medium-sized warbler of marshes, reedbeds and wetlands that can be spotted singing from perches on reeds and willow bushes.
• The male sedge warbler introduces random phrases into its repertoire which is known for mimicking.
• The male warbler never sings the same song twice; he attracts more mates the more phrases his song has.
• These are insectivores in nature.
• Distribution and habitat:
  o It breeds across Europe and western and central Asia and is migratory. After feeding up post-breeding, they migrate quickly across southern Europe and the Sahara from August to September.
  o All sedge warblers spend winter in sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal in the west to Ethiopia in the east, and as far south as the eastern Cape Province of South Africa and northern Namibia.
• Conservation status:
  o IUCN Red List: Least concern

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS

4. WHAT IS THE ADVANCE AUTHORISATION SCHEME?

TAGS:GS-III- ECONOMY- GOVERNMENT SCHEMES

THE CONTEXT: Recently, the directorate general of foreign trade (DGFT) simplifies the composition fee for export obligation extension under the advance authorisation scheme.

THE EXPLANATION:

About the Advance authorisation scheme:

• An advance authorisation scheme allows duty-free import of inputs, which have to be mandatorily used in products that are required to be exported within a specified time.
• They are not allowed to sell the products in the domestic market.
• Advance Authorization is valid for 12 months from the date of issue of such Authorization.
• The revised composition fee formula is based on a specific rate for different levels of the ‘CIF (cost, insurance, freight) value of authorisation.
• The fees levied under these 3 slabs; at ₹5,000 for a cost, insurance, freight (CIF) value of advance authorization license valued at up to ₹2 crores, ₹10,000 for a value between ₹2 crore and 10 crores, and ₹15,000 for value over ₹10 crores.
• The simplification of calculations for composition fees helps in automation and faster service delivery by making the process more efficient and easier to understand.

Exemptions under Advance Authorisation Scheme

• Under the Advance Authorisation Scheme, the following duties are exempt: basic customs duty, education cess, social welfare cess, anti-dumping duty, countervailing duty, and safeguard duty. IGST and compensation cess are also exempted.

VALUE ADDITION:

DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF FOREIGN TRADE (DGFT)

• About: Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) organisation is an attached office of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and is headed by Director General of Foreign Trade. It is responsible for formulating and implementing the Foreign Trade Policy with the main objective of promoting India’s exports.
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Functions: Licensing of imports and exports. Regulate, restrict or prohibit exports and imports. It plays an advisory role to the Government on Policy measures pertaining to national and international economic scenarios.

PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

5. WHAT DOES THE TERM ‘GREENBACK ‘ INDICATE?

TAGS: PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE

THE CONTEXT: The rupee weakened sharply against the US dollar recently amid sparse trading volumes as some foreign banks purchased the greenback, likely on account of overseas investors exiting the domestic market.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is Greenback?

• A greenback is a term for U.S. paper dollars.
• It was legal tender by law backed by the United States government.
• The issuance was primarily intended to cover up the expenses of the American Civil War.

Why is it called Greenback?

• Since the backside of this paper money is inked in green color, it got the name greenback.
• Because they were not fully backed by gold, greenbacks lost value and caused inflation in the economy.
• Even though they were not minted after the nineteenth century, the terminology is now used in reference to the United States Dollar.

What is greenback trading?

• Traders in the foreign exchange market use the term greenback to refer to the United States Dollar.
• Hence it indicates the trading in the United States Dollar or U.S. dollar index.

[WpProQuiz 408]

THE CONTEXT: Recently, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visited to the United States and the reform of the United Nations has been a central theme. He met with his counterparts from Germany, Brazil and Japan under The Group of Four (G4) banner following the BRICS meeting. The group is primarily focused on UN Security Council (UNSC) reform, and permanent membership of the body for G4 members, among others. The G4 also reiterated their commitment to pushing forward reform and expressed dissatisfaction at the lack of progress in this regard.

PERMANENT MEMBERS OF UNSC

WHAT IS UNSC?

• One of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security.
• 15 members, consisting of 5 veto-wielding permanent members (China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, and the United States) and 10 elected non-permanent members with two-year terms.
• This basic structure is set out in Chapter V of the UN Charter.

THE PERMANENT MEMBERS

• The current permanent were made permanent members in the charter when the United Nations was founded.
• These countries were the victors in World War II and China was their ally.

WHY IS THERE A NEED OF REFORMS IN THE PRESENT SITUATION?

LONG GAP SINCE THE LAST REFORM

• It was expanded only once in 1963 to add 4 non-permanent members.
• Since then, the membership of the United Nations has increased from 113 to 193 without any change in the composition of the UNSC.

UNBALANCED SITUATION

• No permanent member from Africa, despite around 75% of work of the UNSC focused on Africa.
• Unable to respond effectively to the emerging international conflicts and other humanitarian crises.

EXCLUSIVE NUCLEAR CLUB

• There has been criticism that all the members are nuclear powers.
• Only addresses the permanent members’ strategic interests and political motives; for example, protecting the oil-rich Kuwaitis in 1991 but poorly protecting resource-poor Rwandans in 1994.
• The number of permanent members should be expanded to include non-nuclear powers.

USE OF VETO POWER

• Since 1982, the US has vetoed 32 Security Council resolutions critical of Israel, more than the total number of vetoes cast by all the other Security Council members.
• The practice of the permanent members meeting privately and then presenting their resolutions to the full council as a fait accompli has also drawn fire.
• Two blocks created within the five members try to obstruct resolutions of each other.

ITS EFFECTIVENESS AND RELEVANCE

• In most high-profile cases, there are essentially no actions taken for violating a Security Council resolution.
• During the Darfur crisis, Janjaweed militias, allowed by elements of the Sudanese government, committed violence against an indigenous population, killing thousands of civilians.

IRONIC CONDITION

• The main purpose of UN is to maintain peace and stability in the world.
• Five permanent members of the UN Security Council are top five largest arms-dealing countries in the world.

THE REFORMS IN UNSC

WHAT SHOULD BE THE APPROACH?

• Must reflect contemporary global realities.
• For this purpose, the reform of the UN, including the expansion of the UNSC in both permanent and non-permanent categories, is essential.

THE STAND OF PERMANENT MEMBERS

The USA:

• It is in support of Security Council reform, as long as its veto power is not taken away.

Russia and China:

• The time had not come for any serious negotiations on the subject.

 France:

• It supported the addition of five new permanent members, including India, without any objection to veto being extended to them.

THE UK:

• Supported the G-4 without the power of veto.

THE MODEL OF KOFI ANNAN IN THIS REGARD

In 2005, the Former UN secretary general presented two models for a total of 24 seats in the council.

Model A: Six new permanent seats, with no veto being created, and three new two-year term non-permanent seats, divided among the major regional areas.

Model B: No new permanent seats, but create a new category of eight four-year renewable-term seats and one new two-year non-permanent and non-renewable seat, divided among the major regional areas.

G-4 AND THEIR DEMAND

MEMBERS

• The candidates usually mentioned are Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan.

WHY DO THEY DESERVE IT?

• All are in top ten in terms of GDP (nominal and PPP both).
• Germany is the largest economy in Europe and the highest UN budget contributor from Europe.
• Japan is the third largest economy in the world and, after the US second largest budget contributor to the UN.
• Brazil is the largest country in Latin America in terms of population, GDP and land area.
• India has the world’s second-largest population and is the world’s largest liberal democracy. It is also the world’s fifth-largest economy by nominal GDP and third-largest by purchasing power parity.

INDIA AND PERMANENT MEMBERSHIP

THE PROSPECTS

• India well deserves a permanent seat in the UN Security Council.
• The l
• Largest democracy in the world, home to 1/6th of mankind, 3rd largest economy.
• One of the largest peace-keeping contributors to the UN and given its credentials in world peace and interests of the developing countries.

INDIA’S EFFORTS IN THIS REGARD

• Campaigns this cause at various meetings, summits conferences and forums to win support from world nations.
• Gets support from friend countries in bilateral talks and relations.
• Separately, India is spearheading a group of around 42 developing countries from Asia, Africa and Latin America– called the L.69 Group, which has demanded on the UNSC reform front.
• Received a lot of support from a majority of countries, mostly developing.
• In September, foreign ministers of G4 countries met in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly to push their case for reform of the UNSC.

HOW CAN INDIA BECOME A PERMANENT MEMBER?

• The Security Council reform can only occur if two-thirds of UN member states vote in favour, along with an affirmative vote from all the permanent members.
• Effectively, even if India secures the support of two-thirds of UN members, it would still need the five permanent members not to use the veto.

ANALYSIS OF THE ISSUE

VETO POWER AND ITS IMPORTANCE

• The veto right, or the UN Charter’s requirement for the SC Permanent Members’ unanimity, remains the cornerstone of the UN system, which was created to guard peace and security after the Second World War.
• This is not a privilege but a reflection of the high responsibility of the P5 for maintaining peace and security, which reflects both the historical contribution that the Permanent Members made to establish the UN and their continued practical role in the world.
• At the same time, it reflects the wisdom of the founders of the UN, who foresaw a multi-centric world order, which is a reality now.
• The veto remains an important factor that keeps the UNSC members together and motivates them to seek balanced decisions.

SHOULD INDIA ACCEPT THE PERMANENT MEMBERSHIP WITHOUT A VETO?

NO

• Without veto, there will be no credibility for new members.
• They cannot oppose the decision of the UNSC, which affect their interest.
• There will be no change in the present situation because old members can veto any proposal of new members.
• Without the veto, new members will be as like non-permanent members and India served seven times as a non-permanent member, which was ineffective to address India’s and associated concerns.

YES

• Should not allow it to have a veto over the process of council reform.
• Veto should not be an issue, at least for the present.
• After finding permanent membership, India can seek further reforms strongly.
• At least, India will present and vote in every matter, which will be helpful to India.
• Two members favour giving veto, which is a positive signal and can be used in future.
• It will help create an effective image in world politics.

ANALYSIS OF THE ANNAN MODEL

Model A

• Europe will get another permanent seat. It will be hotly contested between Germany, Italy and Spain. Europe will also get 2 non-renewable 2 year seats. These will pass among the European Members of the UN.
• Nigeria and South Africa and hotly tipped for them but there could be other challengers. Africa will get 2 new permanent seats. Africa will also get 4 non-renewable 2 year seats.
• Asian-Pacific Region will also get 2 new permanent seats and there will be plenty of competition between Australia, Japan, India, Pakistan and others for them. The Asian-Pacific region will get 4 non-renewable 2 year seats.
• The America’s will get 1 new permanent seat contested by Brazil, Argentina, Canada, Mexico and other countries. The America’s will also get 4 non-renewable 2 year seats.

Model B

• Europe will get 2 new renewable 4 year seats and 1 non-renewable 2 year seat.
• Africa will get 2 renewable 4 year seats and 4 non-renewable seats.
• The Asian-Pacific Region will get 2 renewable 4 seats year and 3 non-renewable 2 year seats.
• The America’s will get 2 renewable 4 year seats and 3 non-renewable 2 year seats.

Under each model, Africa, Americas, Asian-Pacific and Europe will each have 6 seats representing their views on the Security Council. Of course, no change is recommended in the number of veto-holding members.

For this model Germany, Japan, Brazil and India have pledged to vote for each other in getting the new permanent seats on the council.

THE WAY FORWARD:

• The P-5 is not at all enthusiastic about opening their club to others. But the present configuration of the Security Council should help in projecting the argument that the permanent membership needs to reflect the changed realities of the world.
• In order to enhance regional representation, there is consensus that the council must be enlarged to improve the current makeup, giving more weight to regions such as Africa, the Asia-Pacific and Latin America/Caribbean states, especially when most agenda issues centre on these regions.
• While an enlarged Council should address any democratic deficit and improve multilateralism, a modest increase has been preferred by P5 members to ensure it remains effective and does not descend into a talk shop unable to act quickly.India should pursue the lead offered by the US to end the deadlock over the Security Council’s expansion.

THE CONCLUSION: To play a significant role, India needs to have a permanent seat at the institution that was built to uphold global peace, security, and order. This has become too clear to all those who matter that the old order necessarily needs to go through the process of accommodation. The support from the five Nordic countries and France indicates that these propositions are getting more and more included in the world’s assessment of India.

QUESTION FOR MAINS EXAMINATION:

Q1.The world’s major countries seek permanent membership of the UN Security Council (UNSC). Discuss the major hurdles in securing a permanent seat for India in the UNSC.

Q2.Discuss the Role and significance of the UNSC, is there a need to reform UNSC? why should India be given permanent membership? Discuss.

Q3. Reforms are necessary to make the UNSC more legitimate, effective, and representative in character and correct historical injustices in South Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Examine.