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Distribution: weekly

  • Use of statecraft for long-term solutions to security problems

    Context

    In many countries, both the authorities and security agencies are beginning to acknowledge the importance of resorting to statecraft as a vital adjunct to the role played by the security agencies.

    The important role of statecraft in security

    •  Statecraft involves fine-grained comprehension of inherent problems; also an ability to quickly respond to political challenges.
    • It further involves strengthening the ability to exploit opportunities as they arise, and display a degree of political nimbleness rather than leaving everything to the security agencies.
    • It entails a shift from reposing all faith in the security establishment to putting equal emphasis on implementation of policies and programmes.
    • Two prime examples which provide grist to the above proposition are the prevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir and the continuing problem involving Maoists.
    • The need to use statecraft to deal with quite a few other internal security problems — some of which have lain dormant for years — is also becoming more manifest by the day.

    Security issues in various regions

    • Jammu and Kashmir: While Jammu and Kashmir has been a troubled region ever since 1947, the situation has metamorphosed over the years.
    • No proper solution has emerged to a long-standing problem.
    •  Irrespective of the reasons for the latest upsurge in violence, what is evident is that Jammu and Kashmir has again become the vortex of violence.
    • Evidently, the doctrine of containment pursued by the Jammu and Kashmir police and security agencies is not having the desired effect.
    • In Jammu and Kashmir today, as also elsewhere, there is no all-in-one grand strategy to deal with the situation.
    • The missing ingredient is statecraft which alone can walk in step with the changing contours of a long-standing problem.
    • Punjab: The recent discovery of ‘sleeper cells’ in the Punjab clearly indicates the potential for the revival of a pro-Khalistan movement — which once ravaged large parts of the Punjab.
    • While pro-Khalistani sentiment is present in pockets in the United Kingdom and in Europe, it has not been in evidence in India for some time.
    • Hence, the recent attack by pro-Khalistan elements on the headquarters of the Punjab Police Intelligence wing in Mohali was a rude shock to the security establishment.
    • The incident is a reminder that militancy in the Punjab has not been permanently extinguished, and will need deft statecraft to nip it in the bud.
    • North-east: In India’s North-east, more specifically in the States of Assam and Nagaland, there are again incipient signs of trouble which, for the present, may need use of statecraft rather than the security forces. 
    • In Assam, the United Liberation Front of Asom–Independent (ULFA-I) is trying to revive its activities after a long spell of hibernation.
    • Likewise in Nagaland, where the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (I-M) has recently initiated a fresh push for a solution of the ‘Naga political issue’, the situation is pregnant with serious possibilities.
    • Both instances merit the use of statecraft so that the situation does not get out of hand.
    • South India: In the South, intelligence and police officials appear concerned about a likely revival of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)-sponsored activities in Tamil Nadu.
    • This stems from a possible revival of LTTE-sponsored militancy in Sri Lanka following the recent economic crises and uncertainty there.
    • This situation again needs deft statecraft to prevent a resurgence of the past.

    Conclusion

    India faces several challenges today, but the answer to this is neither grand strategy nor grand simplifications nor resort to higher doses of security. A properly structured set of policies, having liberal doses of statecraft in addition to a proper set of security measures, is the best answer to India’s needs, now and in the future.

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  • Pacific Nations reject China Security Pact

    China has suffered a big diplomatic humiliation in the pacific. 10 island nations in the region rejected China’s proposed security pact.

    Why in news?

    • Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi has returned empty-handed in a highly decorated visit to the Pacific Nations.
    • The secret deal that was to be brokered got leaked in public media, caused huge embarrassment to the Chinese.

    Conspicuous features of the Pact

    • China has had offered to radically ramp up its activities in the South Pacific, directly challenging the influence of the US and its allies in the strategically vital region.
    • The failed deal saw Beijing to:
    1. Train Pacific island police,
    2. Become involved in cybersecurity,
    3. Expand political ties,
    4. Conduct sensitive marine mapping and
    5. Gain greater access to natural resources on land and in the water
    • As an enticement, Beijing is offering millions of dollars in financial aid, the prospect of a potentially lucrative China-Pacific islands free trade agreement and access to China’s vast market.

    Why Pacific Nations rejected this lollipop?

    • The offer is perceived was “disingenuous” and would “ensure Chinese influence in government” and “economic control” of key industries.
    • The nations also cited a lack of regional consensus.

    Pls make observations about Pacific Island Nations:

     

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  • [Burning Issue] Sex Work as a Profession

    Context

    • In a significant order recognising sex work as a “profession”, the Supreme Court has directed that police should neither interfere nor take criminal action against adult and consenting sex workers.
    • A recent Bollywood movie is also nowadays perceived as an ode to sex workers honouring their struggle and spirit.

    Sex Work in India

    • It is said that sex work is the oldest profession in the world.
    • In India, their presence can be dated back to ancient times with scriptures mentioning their presence.
    • In later times, such women were considered the wives of a temple deity or a Devdasi, who saw their god in all their lovers.

    So, where does India stand?

    • Prostitution is not illegal in our country, but soliciting and public prostitution are.
    • Owning a brothel is also illegal, but because places like GB Road are already in place, these laws are rarely enforced.

    Legality check

    • According to the Indian Penal Code (IPC), prostitution in its broader sense is not really illegal per se.
    • But there are certain activities which constitute a major part of prostitution that are punishable under certain provisions of the act, which are:
    1. Soliciting prostitution services in public places
    2. Carrying out prostitution activities in hotels
    3. Indulging in prostitution by arranging for a sex worker
    4. Arrangement of a sexual act with a customer

    Sex Work, not Prostitution: Making the difference

    • Sex workers are adults who receive money or goods in exchange for consensual sexual services or erotic performances, either regularly or occasionally.
    • The term “sex worker” recognizes that sex work is work.
    • Prostitution, on the other hand, has connotations of criminality and immorality.
    • Many people who sell sexual services prefer the term “sex worker” and find “prostitute” demeaning and stigmatizing, which contributes to their exclusion from health, legal, and social services.

    How did the term ‘Prostitution’ materialized in India?

    • In the 1800s, it is reported that the British military established and maintained brothels for its troops to use across India.
    • A report by the BBC states that the girls, many in their early teens from poor, rural Indian families, were recruited and paid directly by the military, which also set their prices.
    • The British have long gone, but the earned infame continues in the country at prime locations of major cities such as GB Road (New Delhi), Budhwar Peth (Pune), Kamathipura (Mumbai) etc.
    • While some estimate that there are around 8,00,000 sex workers in India, the actual number could be as high as 20 lakh across the country.

    Perspectives on Sex Work

    Perspectives on sex workers’ rights generally fall into two categories.

    (1) Feminist perspective

    • It assumes that all people involved in sex work have been coerced, bribed, blackmailed or forced into the trade.
    • No woman could “choose” to be in sex work, and making money from sex thus becomes synonymous with sexual exploitation.
    • Following this perspective, the only approach to giving sex workers their rights is to “free” them from the flesh trade.

    (2) Legal-rational (Modern) perspective

    • It perceives sex work as legitimate business and expects to be treated as such.
    • Viewing sex as business provides a basis for organizing to solve many of the problems associated with commercial sex work.
    • They constitute an integral part of India’s informal sector economy.

    Various issues faced by Sex Workers

    (1) Various violence faced

    • Physical violence: They are often subjected to physical force such as- being slapped, pushed, shoved, hit, being kicked, dragged, beaten up and mutilation of genitals.
    • Sexual violence: Rape, gang rape, sexual harassment, being physically forced or psychologically intimidated to engage in sex or subjected to sex acts against one’s will or that one finds degrading or humiliating.
    • Psychological violence: Being insulted by labelling derogatory names; being humiliated or belittled in front of other people; being confined or isolated from family or friends; being threatened with harm to oneself or someone one cares about; verbal abuse etc.

    (2) Lifetime issues

    • Stigma and Marginalization: Sex work is not treated as work, but as a dirty and immoral lifestyle threatening to taint the “innocent” public.
    • Lack of access to justice: Their uncertain status in law result in judgments that often mark sex-workers as criminals and repeat offenders.
    • Social and civil exclusion: For sex workers, the State is an instrument of violence; feared, rather than seen as protectors of rights.  
    • Identity crisis: Most sex workers hide their identity and origin. They are often raided from their premises and are unable to return to their residences.
    • Denial of basic amenities: Due to this discrimination, women in sex work have been denied safety, proper healthcare, education and, most importantly, the right to practice the business of making money from sex.
    • Risks of violence: People in sex work are not only at a higher risk for violence, but they are also less likely to get protection from the police—often the very perpetrators of this violence.
    • Marginalization: Illiteracy, ignorance and fear of the medical establishment make it difficult for women to access healthcare.

    (3) Human-rights abuses

    Human-rights violations that should be considered in conjunction with violence against sex workers are:

    1. Money extortion by Police and Goons
    2. Denied or refused food or other basic necessities
    3. Refused or cheated of salary, payment or money that is due to the person
    4. Forced to consume drugs or alcohol
    5. Arbitrarily stopped, subjected to invasive body searches or detained by police
    6. Arbitrarily detained or incarcerated in police stations, detention centres and rehabilitation centres without due process
    7. Refused or denied health-care services
    8. Subjected to coercive health procedures such as forced STI and HIV testing, sterilization, abortions
    9. Deprived of sleep by force

    Why is it a vicious trap?

    • The stigma against a woman in sex work is not limited to the woman herself; it carries down to her children, regardless of their own professions or lifestyles.
    • Children of sex workers repeatedly report discrimination, ostracization and isolation felt on account of their mothers’ work.
    • Many are embarrassed by their home lives.
    • This has had significant effects on their education, as the drop-out rate in this community is particularly high.
    • Children abandon school for myriad reasons, ranging from exam performance to harassment by teachers and classmates.
    • Undoubtedly this harassment leads to lower self-esteem and a lack of motivation in school.

    Debunking myths about Sex Work

    Popular media fuels the image of women as either overly sexual outcastes who threaten the very structure of Indian family life. Indian laws and policies regarding sex work are crafted from a moralistic standpoint and people involved in sex work are defined by—and treated as— their “immoral” profession.

    In fact, women in sex work cannot be put into a box.

    • While there are certainly victims of trafficking in sex work today, the majority of women in sex work consent to doing it.
    • They have decided that making money from sex is a lucrative option for them and their families.
    • But traditionalists cannot divorce sex from its sacred and religious implications. Tawaif and Devdasi system is a testimony to this.

    Why sex work is not recognized/promoted in India?

    • A victimless crime: Prostitution creates a setting whereby crimes against men, women, and children become a commercial enterprise. It is an assault when he/she forces a prostitute to engage in sex scenes.
    • Evils of institutionalizing: Even with the decriminalization of prostitution, women and even children can still suffer from violence and physical abuse. People who are into this profession are prone to rape.  
    • Sexually transmitted diseases: Even if a worker is being tested every week for HIV, she will test negative for at least the first 4-6 weeks and possibly the first 12 weeks after being infected. This means that she can be a silent vector of the deadly virus.
    • Encourage human trafficking: Human trafficking, especially of girl children, is rampant in our country. With poverty driving some parents to sell their kids to sexual predators is alarming and if prostitution will be legal, more children will be coerced to be sex workers.

    Various policy moves

    (1) Ujjwala Scheme

    • The Ministry of Women and Child Development implements the Ujjawala Scheme.
    • It is a comprehensive scheme for prevention of trafficking and rescue, rehabilitation and re-integration of victims of trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation.
    • The protective and rehabilitative homes provide basic amenities such as food, clothing, medical care, legal aid, education for rescued children and vocational training to provide them alternate livelihood options.

    (2) Protection against forceful sex work

    • The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1986 is an amendment of the original act.
    • As per this act, prostitutes are to be arrested if they are found soliciting their services or seducing others.
    • Furthermore, call girls are prohibited from making their phone numbers public.
    • They can be punished for up to 6 months along with penalties if found doing so.

    (3) Constitutional safeguard

    Article 23 of the Indian Constitution, amended in 2014, includes the following provisions:

    1. Prohibition of human trafficking and forced labour.
    2. Traffic in human beings and bears and other similar forms of forced labour are prohibited and any contravention of this provision shall be an offence punishable in accordance with the law.
    3. Nothing in this article precludes the State from imposing compulsory service for public purposes, and the State shall not discriminate solely on the basis of religion, race, caste, or class, or any combination thereof, in imposing such service.

    Why they are still excluded in India?

    • No documentation of socio-economic status: Stigma related to their work and identity and the migratory nature of work prevents sex workers from accessing identification documents, essential to accessing entitlements. They are yet to have Aadhaar Cards.
    • Denial of formal education: Residence proof, father’s name and caste, and the ration card are some documents required for getting their children registered in schools.
    • Food insecurity: The Public Distribution System (PDS), meant for people below the poverty line to access food items cheaply, needs supporting proof of sex workers being below poverty line.
    • Denial of safe environment and labour protection: Sex work happens in informal settings and is an occasional form of income or a long term occupation. This includes access to benefits, legal redress for workplace grievances, adequate health and safety regulations.

    Recent Supreme Court Directive: Key Takeaways

    (1) Recognition to profession and personal dignity

    • Sex Work is a profession whose practitioners are entitled to dignity and equal protection under law.
    • Criminal law must apply equally in all cases, on the basis of ‘age’ and ‘consent’.
    • It need not be gainsaid that notwithstanding the profession, every individual in this country has a right to a dignified life under Article 21 of the Constitution, the court observed.
    • The order was passed after invoking special powers under Article 142 of Constitution.

    (2) Cautions to Police

    • It is clear that the sex worker is an adult and is participating with consent, the police must refrain from interfering or taking any criminal action.
    • The Bench ordered that sex workers should not be “arrested or penalised or harassed or victimised” whenever there is a raid on any brothel.
    • Since voluntary sex work is not illegal and only running the brothel is unlawful.
    • Basic protection of human decency and dignity extends to sex workers and their children, the court noted.
    • A child of a sex worker should not be separated from the mother merely on the ground that she is in the sex trade, the court held.
    • Further, if a minor is found living in a brothel or with sex workers, it should not be presumed that the child was trafficked.

    (3) Taking cognisance of sexual crimes against sex workers

    • The court ordered the police to not discriminate against sex workers who lodge a criminal complaint of offence committed against them is of a sexual nature.
    • Sex workers can also be victims of sexual assault should be provided every facility including immediate medico-legal care.
    • The court said media should take “utmost care not to reveal the identities of sex workers, during arrest, raid and rescue operations.

    What will change if the Policymakers endorse the Court’s direction?

    • Sex workers will be accorded equal legal protection.
    • If a sex worker reports a criminal/sexual or other type of offence, the police will take it seriously and act in accordance with the law.
    • If a brothel is raided, the sex workers involved will not be arrested, penalised, harassed, or victimised.
    • Any sex worker who is a victim of sexual assault will be given all of the same services as a survivor of sexual assault, including immediate medical attention.
    • Provisions similar to those of Transgenders will be extended to sex workers.

    Sex work in other countries

    Some countries choose to outright ban the practice, while others have attempted to regulate prostitution and provide health and social benefits to sex workers.

    Here are a few examples of countries where prostitution is legal:

    • New Zealand: Prostitution has been legal since 2003. There are even licenced brothels operating under public health and employment laws, and they get all the social benefits.
    • France: Prostitution is legal in France, though soliciting in public is still not allowed.
    • Germany: Prostitution is legalised and there are proper state-run brothels. The workers are provided with health insurance, have to pay taxes, and they even receive social benefits like pensions.
    • Greece: The sex workers get equal rights and have to go for health checkups as well.
    • Canada: Prostitution in Canada is legal with strict regulations.

    Way forward

    • Decriminalization: It is a prerequisite to ensure the physical and emotional inviolability of sex workers, their right to life, right to freedom of labour, health and reproductive and sexual rights.
    • Trafficking and should not be conflated with sex work:  Trafficking of Adult Persons and Trafficking of Children should be dealt with under two separate laws to ensure that consenting adults are not infantilised and children are given justice.
    • Rehabilitation with consent: Shut down compulsory detention or rehabilitation centres for people involved in sex work. Instead, provide sex workers with evidence-based, voluntary, community empowerment services.
    • Participation in policy making: Ensure participation of sex work organisations in drafting/ amending laws, policies and programs relevant to them and in its eventual implementation process as the govt did for Transgenders.
    • Policing reforms: Sensitivity to issues faced by sex workers should be made a part of training for police personnel, public prosecutors and the judiciary in partnership with community organisations of sex workers.
    • Human rights protection: Strengthen National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and increase their accountability to respond to complaints or initiate suo moto action reports of violence against sex workers.
    • Access to justice: Ensure Free Legal Services are available in rural areas for sex workers and offered by lawyers who have been trained in issues faced by sex workers.

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  • E-governance

    Context

    There are several reforms and governance initiatives that have successfully steered India to its current strength.

    Contribution of Digital India program

    • A report carding of Digital India’s performance shows impressive progress.
    • Thus far, the government has transferred more than Rs 17 lakh crore through DBT while saving Rs 2.2 lakh crore.
    • Today, India has the world’s fastest-growing and most vibrant startup ecosystem with close to 70,000 registered startups and around 100 unicorns, with a unicorn coming up every week.
    • GST regime: Thanks to the most significant reform in indirect taxation through the GST and tax compliance, India has registered its highest ever collections.
    • Revenue increased from Rs 22 lakh crore in FY 21 to Rs 27 lakh crore in FY 22 — a whopping 22 per cent growth.
    • Role in India’s response to pandemic: Digital India played a significant role in India’s response to the pandemic.
    • It ensured that the government could reach people in remote parts of the country.
    • Health, education and other essential services migrated swiftly to the online mode.

    Use of technology for governance amid pandemic

    • Digital India played a significant role in India’s response to the pandemic.
    • It ensured that the government could reach people in remote parts of the country.
    • Health, education and other essential services migrated swiftly to the online mode.
    • It would not be an aberration to say that post-Covid, India emerged as a preeminent nation in the use of technology for governance.

    Conclusion

    The rapid digitalisation of the world along with a new focus on trust in the global supply chains for digital products and services presents tremendous opportunities for India and its youth.  It is now up to all of us to engage in a collective “sabka prayas” to realise New India’s economic potential.

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  • What is the West Nile Virus?

    The Kerala health department is on alert after the death occurred due to the West Nile Virus.

    West Nile Virus

    • The West Nile Virus is a mosquito-borne, single-stranded RNA virus.
    • According to the WHO, it is a member of the flavivirus genus and belongs to the Japanese Encephalitis antigenic complex of the family Flaviviridae.

    How does it spread?

    • Culex species of mosquitoes act as the principal vectors for transmission.
    • It is transmitted by infected mosquitoes between and among humans and animals, including birds, which are the reservoir host of the virus.
    • Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds, which circulate the virus in their blood for a few days.
    • The virus eventually gets into the mosquito’s salivary glands.
    • During later blood meals (when mosquitoes bite), the virus may be injected into humans and animals, where it can multiply and possibly cause illness.
    • WNV can also spread through blood transfusion, from an infected mother to her child, or through exposure to the virus in laboratories.
    • It is not known to spread by contact with infected humans or animals.

    Symptoms of WNV infection

    • The disease is asymptomatic in 80% of the infected people.
    • The rest develop what is called the West Nile fever or severe West Nile disease.
    • In these 20% cases, the symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, body aches, nausea, rash, and swollen glands.
    • Severe infection can lead to encephalitis, meningitis, paralysis, and even death.
    • It is estimated that approximately 1 in 150 persons infected with the West Nile Virus will develop a more severe form of the disease.
    • Recovery from severe illness might take several weeks or months.
    • It usually turns fatal in persons with co-morbidities and immuno-compromised persons (such as transplant patients).

     

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  • [Sansad TV] Mudda Aapka: Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF)

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    Context

    • India agreed to be a part of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF), a US-led economic grouping comprising 12 countries.
    • The recent Quad meet in Tokyo initiated the path for negotiations among the ‘founding members.’

    What is IPEF?

    • It is a US-led framework for participating countries to solidify their relationships and engage in crucial economic and trade matters that concern the region, such as building resilient supply chains battered by the pandemic.
    • It is not a free trade agreement. No market access or tariff reductions have been outlined, although experts say it can pave the way to trade deals. 

    Members of IPEF

    • The member nations include Australia, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
    • It includes seven out of 10 members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), all four Quad countries, and New Zealand.
    • Together, these countries account for 40 per cent of the global GDP. 

    Four pillars of IPEF

    1. Trade that will include digital economy and emerging technology, labor commitments, the environment, trade facilitation, transparency and good regulatory practices, and corporate accountability, standards on cross-border data flow and data localisations;
    2. Supply chain resilience to develop “a first-of-its-kind supply chain agreement” that would anticipate and prevent disruptions;
    3. Clean energy and decarbonization that will include agreements on “high-ambition commitments” such as renewable energy targets, carbon removal purchasing commitments, energy efficiency standards, and new measures to combat methane emissions; and
    4. Tax and anti-corruption, with commitments to enact and enforce “effective tax, anti-money laundering, anti-bribery schemes in line with [American] values”.

    How do members participate?  

    • Countries are free to join (or not join) initiatives under any of the stipulated pillars but are expected to adhere to all commitments once they enrol.
    • Negotiations are meant to determine and list the provisions under each pillar and open the floor for countries to choose their ‘commitments’.
    • The framework would be open to other countries willing to join in the future provided they are willing to adhere to the stipulated goals and other necessary obligations.

    Reasons for the creation of IPEF

    • US regaining lost credibility: IPEF is also seen as a means by which the US is trying to regain credibility in the region after Trump pulled out of the Trans Pacific Partnership TPP).
    • Rising Chinese influence: Since then, there has been concern over the absence of a credible US economic and trade strategy to counter China’s economic influence in the region.
    • Competing RCEP: It is also in the 14-member Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, of which the US is not a member (India withdrew from RCEP).
    • “Pivot to Asia” strategy: US has intensified its engagement with the wider Asia-Pacific region to advance its economic and geopolitical interests.

    India’s perception of IPEF

    • PM Modi described the grouping as born from a collective desire to make the Indo-Pacific region an engine of global economic growth.
    • India has called for common and creative solutions to tackle economic challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.

    What does it have to do with China?  

    • The US strategists believe the US lacks an economic and trade strategy to counter China’s increasing economic influence in the region since 2017.
    • US companies are looking to move away from manufacturing in China.
    • IPEF would therefore offer an advantage to participating countries, allowing them to bring those businesses into their territory.
    • However, it officially excluded Taiwan despite its willingness and economic merit to join.
    • This exhibits Washington’s geopolitical caution.

    Reactions from the opponents

    • Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi criticized the initiative as an attempt to further economic decoupling from China.
    • He argued that the initiative, and the US Indo-Pacific strategy as a whole, created divisions and incited confrontation. It is destined to be ultimately be a failure.
    • Taiwan was excluded in order to appease key “fence-sitter” countries such as Indonesia whose governments feared angering China.

    Issues with IPEF framework

    • IPEF would neither constitute a ‘free trade agreement,’ nor a forum to discuss tariff reductions or increasing market access.
    • Unlike a traditional trade agreement, the US administration will not need congressional approval to act under the IPEF. Hence its legal status is questionable.
    • This also raises doubts among potential participants about their reluctance to offer significant concessions under the agreement.
    • The volatility of US domestic politics has raised concerns about IPEF’s durability.
    • Unlike traditional FTAs, the IPEF does not subscribe to the single undertaking principle, where all items on the agenda are negotiated simultaneously.

    Given the divisive nature of American politics, it is unclear whether the IPEF will survive past the Biden administration.

    Way forward

    • The IPEF’s launch in Tokyo was symbolic in nature; bringing the IPEF to fruition will involve significant domestic and international challenges.
    • Without ratification by Congress, the IPEF’s fortunes will remain in limbo.
    • Going forward, the US and the founding partners need to develop the process and criteria by which other countries from the region will be invited to join the negotiations on the IPEF.

    Conclusion

    • The Quad’s plan would take several years to ultimately fructify but it is moving in the right direction.
    • There is no doubt these plans will extend to the new economic alliance as many of its members are powerhouses in the technology sector.

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  • What are Community Forest Rights?

    The Chhattisgarh government has become the only second state in the country to recognize the Community Forest Resource (CFR) rights of a village inside a national park.

    What is the news?

    • The CFR rights of tribals living in a hamlet inside the Kanger Ghati National Park in Bastar district, were recognised.
    • It gave the community the power to formulate rules for forest use.

    Try this PYQ first:

    Q.Under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, who shall be the authority to initiate the process for determining the nature and extent of individual or community forest rights or both?

    (a) State Forest Department

    (b) District Collector/Deputy Commissioner

    (c) Tahsildar/Block Development Officer/Mandal Revenue Officer

    (d) Gram Sabha

     

     

    [wpdiscuz-feedback id=”wi5gjmhhdk” question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”1″]Post your answers here.[/wpdiscuz-feedback]

    What is a Community Forest?

    • The community forest resource area is the common forest land that has been traditionally protected and conserved for sustainable use by a particular community.
    • The community uses it to access resources available within the traditional and customary boundary of the village; and for seasonal use of landscape in case of pastoralist communities.
    • Each CFR area has a customary boundary with identifiable landmarks recognised by the community and its neighboring villages.
    • It may include forest of any category – revenue forest, classified & unclassified forest, deemed forest, DLC land, reserve forest, protected forest, sanctuary and national parks etc.

    Legal basis for Community Forest Resource (CFR) rights

    • The CFR rights are acknowledged under the Section 3(1) (i) of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act.
    • This is commonly referred to as the Forest Rights Act or the FRA.
    • It aims to provide for recognition of the right to “protect, regenerate or conserve or manage” the community forest resource.
    • These rights allow the community to formulate rules for forest use by itself and others and thereby discharge its responsibilities under Section 5 of the FRA.

    Nature of rights included

    • CFR rights, along with Community Rights (CRs) under Sections 3(1)(b) and 3(1)(c), which include: nistar rights and rights over non-timber forest products, ensure sustainable livelihoods of the community.
    • ‘Nistar’ means the concession granted for removal from forest coupes (small trees) on payment at stipulated rates, specified forest produce for bonafide domestic use, but not for barter or sale.
    • These rights give the authority to the Gram Sabha to adopt local traditional practices of forest conservation and management within the community forest resource boundary.

    Why is the recognition of CFR rights important?

    • Aimed at undoing the “historic injustice” meted out to forest-dependent communities due to curtailment of their customary rights over forests, the FRA came into force in 2008.
    • It is important as it recognises the community’s right to use, manage and conserve forest resources, and to legally hold forest land that these communities have used for cultivation and residence.
    • It also underlines the integral role that forest dwellers play in the sustainability of forests and in the conservation of biodiversity.
    • It is of greater significance inside protected forests like national parks, sanctuaries and tiger reserves as traditional dwellers then become a part of management of the protected forests.

    How many CFR certificates have been given in Chhattisgarh?

    • According to state government officials, Chhattisgarh has recognised nearly 4,000 CFR rights in the state.
    • Kanger Ghati National Park is the second national park, after Simlipal in Odisha, where CFR rights have been recognised.

     

     

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  • Allow Surrogacy For Single Men, Mothers: Delhi HC

    The Delhi High Court issued a notice to the Union government on a petition challenging some provisions of the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act and the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act.

    Issues raised by the petition

    • Currently, the laws does not allow single men to have child through surrogacy.
    • Married women can only avail surrogacy services if they are unable to produce a child due to medical conditions.
    • Otherwise, for women to avail of surrogacy services, they must be aged between 35 and 45 and widowed or divorced.
    • Women can only offer surrogacy if they are aged between 25 and 35 and married with at least one biological child.
    • The laws also require a surrogate to be genetically related to the couple who intend to have a child through this method, their petition said.

    Basis of the Petition

    • The personal decision of a single person about the birth of a baby through surrogacy, i.e., the right of reproductive autonomy is a facet of the right to privacy guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.
    • Thus, the right to privacy of every citizen or person affecting a decision to bear or beget a child through surrogacy cannot be taken away.

    Distinct features of the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021

    • Definition of surrogacy: It defines surrogacy as a practice where a woman gives birth to a child for an intending couple with the intention to hand over the child after the birth to the intending couple.
    • Regulation of surrogacy: It prohibits commercial surrogacy, but allows altruistic surrogacy which involves no monetary compensation to the surrogate mother other than the medical expenses and insurance.
    • Purposes for which surrogacy is permitted: Surrogacy is permitted when it is: (i) for intending couples who suffer from proven infertility; (ii) altruistic; (iii) not for commercial purposes; (iv) not for producing children for sale, prostitution or other forms of exploitation; and (v) for any condition or disease specified through regulations.
    • Eligibility criteria: The intending couple should have a ‘certificate of essentiality’ and a ‘certificate of eligibility’ issued by the appropriate authority ex. District Medical Board.

    Eligibility criteria for surrogate mother:

    • To obtain a certificate of eligibility from the appropriate authority, the surrogate mother has to be:
    1. A close relative of the intending couple;
    2. A married woman having a child of her own;
    3. 25 to 35 years old;
    4. A surrogate only once in her lifetime; and
    5. Possess a certificate of medical and psychological fitness for surrogacy.
    • Further, the surrogate mother cannot provide her own gametes for surrogacy.

    Also read

    [Burning Issue] Surrogacy in India

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  • System of Rice Intensification (SRI) Technique

    Experts in Punjab has said that System of Rice Intensification (SRI) Technique is beneficial for the soil, environment and farmers at par with the Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR) technique.

    What is SRI technique?

    • SRI was first developed in Madagascar in the 1980s and since then several countries in the world have been practising it, including India.
    • It promises to save 15 to 20% ground water, improves rice productivity, which is almost at a stagnant point now.
    • Experts said that it gives equal or more produce than the conventional rice cultivation, with less water, less seed and less chemicals.
    • The net effect is a substantial reduction in the investments on external inputs.

    How does it take place in the field and in which soil?

    • First, the field is prepared by ploughing.
    • It should be laser levelled before transplanting for proper water management and efficiency for a good crop stand.
    • Then irrigation is applied in the field which is not a flooding of field like traditional methods but less than that of a well irrigated field.
    • Then 10-12 days old nursery (young paddy plants) along with soil particles around the root with minimum disturbance to the roots are transplanted in lines.
    • They are marked at a distance of 10 inches from each other with the help of a rope meter.

    Benefits over DSR technique

    • Unlike DSR, which is suitable only for mid to heavy textured soils, SRI is suitable in all types of soil including less fertile soil as in such soil the number of seedlings can be increased to double.
    • Under SRI 2kg seed is required to grow a nursery for one acre against 5kg seed required in the traditional method.

    Does the SRI method require continuous flooding after transplantation of nursery?

    • In traditional sowing from the day of transplanting till the crop turns 35-40 days fields are kept under flood-like conditions.
    • And then fields are filled every week till a few weeks before harvesting.
    • But SRI doesn’t require continuous flooding, it needs intermittent irrigation.
    • Indeed the plants’ roots should not be starved for oxygen through flooding.
    • Irrigation is given to maintain soil moisture near saturation initially, and water is added to the field when the surface soil develops hairline cracks.

    What are the limitations of SRI?

    • If unchecked, greater weed growth will cause substantial loss of yield.
    • In Punjab, it is not promoted by the government except demonstration plots sown over a decade ago.
    • It can be sustainable if organic inputs in the soil structure are maintained.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.With reference to the current trends in the cultivation of sugarcane in India, consider the following statements:

    1. A substantial saving in seed material is made when ‘bud chip settlings are raised in a nursery and transplanted in the main field.
    2. When direct planting of setts is done, the germination percentage is better with single-budded setts as compared to setts with many buds.
    3. If bad weather conditions prevail when setts are directly planted, single-budded setts have better survival as compared to large setts.
    4. Sugarcane can be cultivated using settlings prepared from tissue culture.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    (a) 1 and 2 only

    (b) 3 only

    (c) 1 and 4 only

    (d) 2,3 and 4 only

     

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  • Booker Prize awarded to first Indian language book

    Author Geetanjali Shree’s translated Hindi novel, Tomb of Sand, became the first Indian language book to win the International Booker Prize.

    Note: Such topics hold very little relevance for CSE prelims. However, last year experience make such topics more uncertain. Still such topics hold relevance for other exams such as CAPF and state PSCs.

    What is the Booker Prize?

    • The Booker Prize is one of the best-known literary awards for fiction writing in English, including both novels and collections of short stories.
    • It was first awarded in 1969.
    • Every year a panel of judges decides the best work of the year, with the criteria being that it must be written in English and published in the UK and Ireland.
    • This panel of judges is picked from among eminent cultural historians, writers, professors, and novelists, and others from related fields.
    • For the Booker Prize, the winner receives £50,000.

    About the book

    • The 2018 novel titled ‘Ret Samadhi’ was translated by Daisy Rockwell and published as ‘Tomb of Sand’ in 2021.
    • The prize is one of two literary awards given out annually by the Booker Prize Foundation, a charity whose stated aim is to “promote the art and value of literature for the public benefit”.

    What about the International Booker Prize?

    • The International Booker Prize began in 2005.
    • A biennial prize initially, it was then awarded for a body of work available in English, including translations, with Alice Munro, Lydia Davis and Philip Roth becoming some of the early winners.
    • In 2015, the rules of the International prize changed to make it an annual affair.
    • The new rules stipulated that it will be awarded annually for a single book, written in another language and translated into English.
    • The £50,000 prize money is divided equally between the author and translator each year.

    Why is it called the ‘Booker’?

    • The Booker Prize, from 1969 to 2001, was named simply after the Booker Group Limited – a British food wholesale operator that was its initial sponsor.
    • The Man Group, an investment management firm based in the UK, began to sponsor the prize in 2002 and it thus came to be known as The Man Booker Prize.
    • The Man Group ended their sponsorship in 2019.
    • Crankstart, an American charitable foundation, has been the sponsor after that. The prize name has changed back to the ‘Booker’ since then.

    Who have been some prominent winners?

    • Prominent winners of the coveted prize include Margaret Atwood (‘The Testaments’), Yann Martel (‘Life of Pi’), and Julian Barnes (‘The Sense of an Ending’).
    • Many Indian-origin writers have won the Booker in the past, such as Arundhati Roy (‘The God of Small Things’), Salman Rushdie (‘Midnight’s Children’), Kiran Desai (‘The Inheritance of Loss’), and Aravind Adiga (‘The White Tiger’).
    • Shree is the first Indian to win an international prize.

     

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