THE CONTEXT: Faced with depleting groundwater levels and a drought in the Cauvery basin, Karnataka is facing severe water crisis. The problem encompasses Mandya and Mysuru districts, where a major Cauvery River watershed and the Krishnaraja Sagar dam are located, and both are important sources of water to Bengaluru.

ISSUES:

• Failed monsoon: One of the reasons for the water crisis is failed monsoon with scarcity of rains in the year 2023 that has resulted in a major crisis, especially in the arid regions of north Karnataka. Erratic rainfall is not new to Karnataka. A Coffee Agro-forestry Network (CAFNET) project assessed 60 years of data and found the rainy season over Kodagu had shrunk by two weeks in three decades while annual rainfall seemed to undulate in a 12-14-year cycle.
• Shortage of water in Cauvery: Reports have suggested that the ‘insufficient’ rainfall in 2023 following the surplus in 2022 has resulted in under-replenishment of the Cauvery River.
• Wider crisis: Karnataka is facing one of its worst droughts in recent years. While Bengaluru’s water shortage has attracted national attention, the situation in other parts, especially north Karnataka, is particularly acute and the effects of the crisis are wider. The situation is worse further away from the city’s centre. This is ironic because these areas do not receive piped water from the Cauvery and depend on groundwater and water tankers.
• Crisis due to urbanisation: One of the major reasons for the crisis is rapid urbanisation which has left no space for thriving of natural ecosystem. For example, Seasonal lakes have since dwindled, while perennial lakes have been stifled by concretisation and sewage.
• Lack of preparation: The crisis now has aggravated due to Bengaluru’s lack of preparation, despite being one of India’s wealthiest urban municipalities and home to many research institutions.
• Issue with groundwater: Bengaluru consumes roughly 1,400 million litres a day each from the Cauvery and groundwater reserves. The groundwater recharge rate is much lower while the Cauvery’s was compromised by last year’s ‘deficient’ rain.
• Climate change: Climate change is a crisis of time as it leads to non-linear changes that lead to disproportionate, and irreversible, outcomes, forcing underprepared governments to mount rapid responses to issues that have been building up for decades.

WHAT KARNATAKA GOVT IS DOING TO OVERCOME WATER CRISIS?

• To address this pressing issue, the state government has devised a plan involving the utilization of milk tankers from the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) to transport water to Bengaluru.
• Additionally, the government intends to take control of private borewells within the city and its vicinity.
• Chief Minister of Karnataka announced in the 2024-2025 budget speech the commencement of Phase-5 of the Cauvery project in a bid to alleviate the water shortage. The ambitious project aims to provide 110 litres of drinking water daily to 12 lakh people, with an allocated budget of Rs 5,550 crore.

THE WAY FORWARD:

• Invent new water conservation technologies: In areas where aquifers are drying up and rainwater is increasingly unpredictable, there is a need for innovation. To cope with freshwater scarcity there is a need to develop conservation technologies.
• Promote Water Conservation: Implementing water conservation measures at individual, community, and national levels is crucial. This includes promoting rainwater harvesting, efficient irrigation techniques, and minimising water wastage in domestic, industrial, and agricultural sectors.
• Invest in Infrastructure: There is a need for adequate financial resources for water infrastructure development, maintenance, and rehabilitation. For this innovative financing mechanisms such as public-private partnerships, water tariffs, and user fees to mobilise funding for water projects needs to be implemented.
• Improve irrigation and agricultural practices: There is a need to promote sustainable agriculture by encouraging farmers to adopt water-efficient farming practices such as drip irrigation, precision agriculture, crop rotation, and agroforestry. Providing incentives and subsidies for implementing water-saving technologies can facilitate this transition.
• Community-based governance and partnerships: There is a need to ensure more effective governance at the grassroots-level. It gives communities ability to implement effective policy changes on a state and national scale.
• Develop and enact better policies and regulations: As water scarcity complicates food security and pollution, governments need to redefine their role and enact better policies and regulations.

THE CONCLUSION:

To effectively address the issue of water scarcity there is a need for holistic management and urgent legislation for restoration of natural water resources. By fostering inclusive participation from all stakeholders and implementing sound policies that prioritise long-term sustainability over short-term gains, India can pave the way towards a sustainable future to ensure access to safe and reliable groundwater.

UPSC PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q.1 Suggest measures to improve water storage and irrigation system to make its judicious use under the depleting scenario. (2020)

Q.2 Climate change, overexploitation, and policy measures have combinedly turned India into a water-stressed economy. Discuss. (2021)

MAINS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Q.1 Depletion of water resources due to overuse and decline in water supplies due to climate change is pushing India closer to the tipping point of water scarcity. Discuss this statement in light of recent water shortages in Karnataka.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/crisis-of-time-on-parched-karnataka-and-its-water-woes/article67935630.ece

THE CONTEXT: The state of employment in India highlights the predominance of informal employment among the working population. It is noted that a significant portion of Indians earns their livelihood through labour, with about 90% engaged in informal jobs characterized by insecurity and lower earnings. Examining the Periodic Labour Force Survey data shows improvement in the Labour Force Participation Rate and a decline in unemployment rates, mainly driven by self-employment and women in rural areas.

ISSUES:

• High Informal Employment: About 90% of the Indian workforce is engaged in informal employment, characterized by precarious conditions such as lack of job security, absence of employment benefits, and lower earnings. This vast informal sector includes casual labourers and the self-employed, often without formal contracts or social security.
• Stagnant Earnings Across Employment Types: Despite overall economic growth, the earnings for a significant portion of the workforce have not improved substantially. For instance, the all-India average daily earnings increased by only about ₹10 (in 2010 prices) between 2017-18 and 2021-22, a mere 4% increase. This stagnation is particularly concerning for the self-employed and regular wage/salaried workers, whose earnings have not seen real growth during this period.
• Shift Towards Lower Quality Employment: There is a concerning trend regarding the quality of employment, where there has been a considerable rise in unpaid family labor. This category has shifted from 26% to 31.4% in the self-employed sector between 2017-18 and 2021-22. This shift indicates a move away from secure and well-paying employment to more precarious and less financially rewarding work.
• Demographic Dividend Not Fully Leveraged: India is currently experiencing its demographic dividend, a period where the working-age population exceeds the non-working-age share, offering a potential boost to economic growth. However, the economy is not fully leveraging this opportunity due to the predominance of low-quality, low-productivity jobs. This underutilization of human capital could hinder India’s ability to maximize the economic benefits of its demographic dividend.
• Moderate Increase in Casual Workers’ Earnings: While the earnings for casual workers have seen some increase (from ₹162 a day in 2017-18 to ₹196 a day in 2021-22, approximately a 20% increase), this growth is modest when considering the overall economic context. Moreover, even with this increase, the earnings of casual workers barely surpass the poverty line, highlighting the persistent issue of low wages in the labor market.
• Lack of Significant Improvement in Employment Quality: The most desirable employment category, regular wage, and salaried workers, has not seen any actual increase in its share of total employment or average earnings. This stagnation is concerning as it suggests that the labor market is not generating higher-quality jobs that offer better security and wages.
• Economic Growth Not Translating into Better Labor Market Outcomes: Despite improvements in macroeconomic indicators like the GDP growth rate, these gains are not translating into significant improvements in the labour market regarding job creation, job quality, or wage growth. This disconnect raises questions about the inclusivity and sustainability of India’s economic growth model.

THE WAY FORWARD:

• Promoting Formal Employment: To address the high rate of informal employment, policies could be implemented to incentivize formalization, such as simplifying business registration processes, offering tax benefits, and providing support services for small businesses to transition into the formal sector. Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Protsahan Yojana (PMRPY) was designed to incentivize employers to create new employment, where the government pays the total employer’s contribution towards EPF and EPS for new employees. As of March 2019, PMRPY had generated over 1.2 crore jobs, according to the Indian Ministry of Labour & Employment.
• Enhancing Skill Development: Investing in vocational training and education can improve the workforce’s skill set, making them more suitable for higher-quality jobs. This could involve partnerships between the government, private sector, and educational institutions to align training programs with market needs. The Skill India initiative, launched in 2015, aims to train over 400 million people in India in different skills by 2022. The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) has trained more than 2.5 million people as part of the Skill India mission.
• Creating Quality Jobs: Economic policies could focus on sectors with the potential for high productivity and job creation. This might include investing in infrastructure, technology, and industries that have a multiplier effect on the economy. The Make in India program, launched in 2014, aims to transform India into a global manufacturing hub, which could create quality jobs and improve productivity. The program has increased Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), with FDI inflow growing from $16 billion in 2013-14 to $60 billion in 2016-17.
• Improving Wage Policies: The Code on Wages, 2019, aims to regulate wage and bonus payments in all employments in any industry, trade, business, or manufacturing. The code seeks to benefit about 50 crore workers from organized and unorganized sectors.
• Leveraging the Demographic Dividend: The National Youth Policy of India focuses on youth empowerment and creating opportunities for them. India has one of the youngest populations in the world, with a median age of 28 years as of 2020, which presents a significant opportunity for economic growth.
• Addressing Labor Market Imperfections: The National Career Service (NCS) in India aims to bridge the gap between job seekers and employers by providing a platform for job matching. NCS has over 1 crore active job seekers registered and thousands of employers.

THE CONCLUSION:

The growth in self-employment, especially among unpaid family workers, and earnings stagnation for salaried and self-employed individuals are worrying trends. These issues are critical from a welfare perspective and have broader macroeconomic implications, affecting consumer expenditure and economic growth. Addressing these challenges is paramount, especially as India navigates its demographic dividend, to ensure that economic growth translates into tangible improvements in the job market and earnings for its working population.

UPSC PAST YEAR QUESTIONS:

Q.1) While we found India’s demographic dividend, we ignore the dropping rates of employability. What are we missing while doing so? Where will the jobs that India desperately needs come from? Explain. (2014)

Q.2) Demographic Dividend in India will remain only theoretical unless our manpower becomes more educated, aware, skilled, and creative.” What measures have been taken by the government to enhance the capacity of our population to be more productive and employable? (2016)

MAINS PRACTICE QUESTION:

Q.1) Examine the trends in the Indian labor market concerning the rise in the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) and the decline in unemployment rates since 2017-18. Discuss the implications of these trends on the quality of employment and earnings, particularly in the context of the informal sector and demographic dividend.

SOURCE:

https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/indias-suboptimal-use-of-its-labour-power/article67929725.ece

THE CONTEXT: Prime Minister visited the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir after the 2019 constitutional changes aimed to showcase developmental progress and central schemes’ achievements. Meanwhile, opposition and regional parties criticized the visit and the portrayal of these changes as achievements, highlighting the absence of political engagement and the restoration of rights.

ISSUES:

• Bifurcation and Removal of Special Status: The erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into two Union Territories and stripped of its special constitutional status in 2019, which has led to various political and social ramifications.
• Development vs. Political Rights: While the government focuses on developmental achievements and economic opportunities in J&K, critics argue that restoring political and democratic rights, which have been curtailed since 2019, is crucial for the region’s stability and integration.
• Criticism from Regional Parties: Regional parties like the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) express disappointment with the government’s narrative, particularly regarding the treatment of Article 370, arguing that it adds insult to the injuries of the natives.
• Call for Statehood and Elections: There is a push for restoring Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood and conducting assembly elections to address political grievances and initiate a broader political process in the region.
• Challenges Beyond Development: While developmental initiatives are highlighted, the region continues to face challenges, including militancy and detentions, underscoring the situation’s complexity beyond economic measures.
• Public Opinion in the Valley: It is indicated that while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may use its Kashmir policy to influence its support base, there remains a crucial need to consider and address the public opinion within Jammu and Kashmir itself for lasting peace and integration.

THE WAY FORWARD:

• Conducting Assembly Elections: Holding free, fair, and transparent elections envisioned by the Supreme Court for the state assembly could empower locals, ensuring their representation and participation in the democratic process.
• Boosting Local Economy through Investment: Encouraging investment in critical sectors like tourism, agriculture, handloom, and handicrafts to generate employment and boost the economy.
• Infrastructure Development: Focusing on developing critical infrastructure such as roads, healthcare, and education facilities to improve the quality of life and economic prospects.
• Cultural Preservation and Promotion: Promoting and preserving the rich cultural heritage of J&K, ensuring that development and modernization do not come at the cost of cultural identity.
• Countering Militancy with Intelligence: Strengthening intelligence operations to prevent militancy and ensure the safety of civilians and security forces.
• Community Policing and Engagement: Implementing community policing initiatives to build trust between security forces and the local population, facilitating better cooperation in maintaining peace.
• Rehabilitation and Reintegration Programs: Creating programs for the rehabilitation and reintegration of youth involved in militancy, providing alternatives, and preventing recidivism.

THE CONCLUSION:

The complex issues in Jammu and Kashmir require a balanced approach prioritizing development and political restoration. Foundational steps like building trust, restoring statehood, and conducting fair elections can address challenges and integrate the region with India.

UPSC PAST YEAR QUESTIONS:

Q.1) To what extent is Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, bearing marginal note “Temporary provision concerning the State of Jammu and Kashmir”, temporary? Discuss the prospects of this provision in the context of Indian polity. (2016)

Q.2) The banning of ‘Jamaat-e – islaami’ in Jammu and Kashmir brought into focus the role of over-ground workers (OGWs) in assisting terrorist organizations. Examine the role played by OGWs in helping terrorist organizations in insurgency-affected areas. Discuss measures to neutralize the influence of OGWs. (2019)

Q.3) Winning ‘Hearts and Minds’ in terrorism-affected areas is essential in restoring the population’s trust. Discuss the measures adopted by the Government in this respect as part of the conflict resolution in Jammu and Kashmir. (2023)

MAINS PRACTICE QUESTION:

Q.1) Examine the impacts of the bifurcation and removal of special status on Jammu and Kashmir in 2019, focusing on the socio-political and economic dimensions. Critically analyze the measures taken by the government to address these challenges and suggest a way forward for the holistic development and integration of the region with the rest of India.

SOURCE:

https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/heart-of-the-matter-on-the-prime-ministers-visit-to-kashmir/article67929261.ece