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Exam Year: 2020

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    According to Nehru,’Speaker represents dignity & freedom of house & as House represents nation, Speaker becomes a symbol of nation’s freedom & liberty.’ Once a speaker, Always a speaker is a British system aimed to ensure neutrality of office of speaker.

    Issues in office of Speaker

    Combining presiding and quasi-judicial roles, causes conflict of interest.

    Partisan Bias – Delays in Manipur & Maharashtra defection cases (2020-23) benefited ruling coalitions.

    Unilateral Suspension Powers – Rule 374A allows mass suspensions (e.g., 146 MPs in 2023) without adequate checks.

    Money Bill – Aadhaar Act (2016) passed as Money Bill, bypassing Rajya Sabha scrutiny.

    Speaker remains party-affiliated, unlike the UK’s non-partisan model.

    Judicial Non-Interference (Art. 122) – Speaker’s discretion largely beyond judicial review.

    Weak Parliamentary Conventions – No codified norms; decisions often politically motivated.

    Decline in Deliberation – “Railroading” of bills (e.g., Farm Bills, 2020) reduces discussion quality.

    Executarian Speakership – Rising executive influence eroding neutrality and institutional integrity.

    Positive Implications of Adopting “Once a Speaker, Always a Speaker”

    Restored Neutrality – Permanent detachment from party politics enhances objectivity and moral authority.

    Improved Parliamentary Discipline – Equal enforcement of rules encourages constructive debate over disruption.

    Fair and Equal Treatment – Ensures equal opportunities for participation, giving every member’s voice due respect, irrespective of party affiliation.

    Better Executive Oversight – Impartial Speaker can ensure accountable functioning of government in Parliament.

    Building Consensus – A neutral Speaker fosters an environment conducive to consensus-building and cooperative decision-making.

    Impartial Decision-Making – Promotes fairness in-

    Rulings on points of order,

    Interpretation of parliamentary rules,

    Decisions on admissibility of bills and motions, and

    Protection of members’ rights and privileges.

    Upholding the Dignity of Office – Acts as a symbol of neutrality, integrity, and impartiality, thereby strengthening the moral authority of Parliament.

    Global Best Practice Alignment – Similar to UK model, where Speaker contests as “Speaker seeking re-election,” maintaining impartiality.

    Way Forward-

    Codify Speaker’s neutrality – mandatory resignation from political party upon election.

    Amend Rule 374A – require House concurrence for suspensions beyond one day.

    Limit Speaker’s Role in Anti-Defection Law- In the Keisham Meghachandra Singh case, the Supreme Court suggested that the current system could be replaced by a permanent tribunal.

    Introduce legislative due process – guarantee minimum debate standards. (Inspired by Rosalind Dixon’s theory of legislative dysfunction and Israel’s Quantinsky v. Knesset (2021), which annulled a rushed tax law for violating principle of participation.)

    Create a Standing Committee on Parliamentary Procedures to oversee the Speaker’s administrative decisions, particularly related to the agenda-setting and motion approvals.

    As M. Venkaiah Naidu observed, debate, discussion, and decision, which form the edifice of parliamentary democracy.” A truly impartial Speaker is the cornerstone of that edifice.

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    ​​Social development rests on improving human well-being, equity, and inclusivity. Health care is a key determinant of human capital formation and social progress.

    Importance of Geriatric Care

    India’s elderly (60+ years) population is projected to reach 19.5% by 2050 (UNFPA).

    A larger elderly population implies growing dependency ratios and burden on families and social welfare

    Healthy and active elderly contribute to knowledge transfer, social cohesion, and community engagement.

    Reduces healthcare expenditure through preventive and primary care, enhancing productivity of caregivers.

    Healthy ageing aligns with the SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

    Key Interventions

    National Programme for Health Care of the Elderly (NPHCE) – dedicated geriatric units in district hospitals.

    Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana (AVYAY) – integrated senior citizen welfare.

    Ayushman Bharat – provides insurance for elderly with chronic diseases.

    Importance of Maternal Healthcare

    Foundation of Human Development – Maternal health directly influences infant mortality, child nutrition, and family welfare.

    Promotes inter-generational well-being, preventing malnutrition and anaemia cycles.

    Economic Impact – Reduces healthcare costs, improves labour participation of women,

    Healthier mothers mean healthier children and better learning outcomes, strengthening the human capital base.

    Key Interventions

    Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) – incentives for institutional deliveries and nutrition.

    POSHAN 2.0 – integration of health and nutrition for pregnant and lactating women.

    LaQshya and SUMAN – focus on quality maternal and newborn care.

    Challenges in Maternal and Geriatric Healthcare

    Shortage of geriatric specialists, gynaecologists, and ASHA workers in rural areas.

    Regional Disparities – Maternal mortality in Assam (195) vs. Kerala (19).

    Out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) remains 40%, pushing poor households into poverty.

    Focus remains on curative rather than preventive health.

    Social and Cultural Barriers

    Patriarchal norms restrict women’s access to healthcare and nutrition.

    Elderly often face neglect, isolation, and financial insecurity.

    Way Forward

    Increase Public Health Expenditure to 2.5% of GDP as per National Health Policy 2017.

    Strengthen Home-Based Care Models and palliative services for the elderly.

    Decentralize Planning and Monitoring via Panchayati Raj Institutions. (Kerala Model)

    Strengthen ASHAs, ANMs, and geriatric caregivers at village level.

    Use of telemedicine (eSanjeevani) and digital records for continuum of care.

    A life-cycle approach to health is essential to achieve equitable and sustainable development and achieve Viksit Bharat @2047.

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    The COVID-19 pandemic inflicted dual shock on India – a public health crisis compounded by economic devastation, thereby reversing a decade of hard-won poverty-reduction gains.

    COVID-19 Pandemic Accelerating Class Inequalities in India

    K-Shaped Recovery – While 84% of households suffered income decline in 2020-21, India’s billionaires grew from 102 to 142, with collective wealth of the top 100 hitting INR 57.3 lakh crore.

    Billionaire vs. Working-Class – Between 2020 to 2022, Indian billionaires saw wealth increase by 121%, while the bottom 50% saw their income share fall to just 13% of national income.

    Informal Sector impact- CMIE data shows 122 million people lost jobs in April 2020 alone; three-quarters were small traders and wage labourers in the informal sector.

    Digital Divide – Fewer than 15% of rural Indian households have internet access (42% urban), making technology-driven remote work and education inaccessible during lockdowns. (UNICEF)

    Gender-Class Compounding – 37.1% of women lost jobs in April 2020 versus 27.7% of men; by April 2021, women accounted for 73% of job losses, with recovery far slower for urban women.

    The top 1% own nearly 40.6% of India’s total wealth; in contrast, the bottom 50% (700 million people) own around 3% of total wealth. (Oxfam)

    Capital vs. Labour – Corporate Tax cut from 30% to 22% (2019) combined with pandemic-era surge in equity markets rewarded capital owners, while wages of casual workers stagnated or collapsed.

    Access to Quality Healthcare – high out-of-pocket expenditure in private hospitals

    Education Inequality – School dropout rates nearly doubled in 2021-22. Rates for SC (22.5%), ST (26.9%) and OBC (20%) children at the secondary level far exceeded the general category (15.6%).

    Unpaid Care Burden (Hidden Class-Gender Tax)- During the pandemic, women’s unpaid care work grew by nearly 30%; on average (UN Women.)

    COVID-19 Pandemic Accelerating Poverty in India

    Extreme Poverty – More than 4.6 crore Indians fell into extreme poverty in 2020 – nearly half of the global new poor that year, according to the United Nations.

    Mass Job Losses – CMIE data shows the highest single-month job loss of 123.8 million persons in April 2020, affecting over 30% of the total workforce

    Migrant Worker Crisis – Over one crore migrant workers returned home during the lockdown without any livelihood or social security.

    Informal Economy Collapse – ILO estimated approximately 400 million workers in India’s informal economy were at risk of falling deeper into poverty during the pandemic

    Food Insecurity due to loss of livelihood. World Food Programme estimated 130 million additional food-insecure persons globally.

    Wage Collapse – A CEP survey of urban workers (May-July 2020) found earnings fell 48% on average compared to pre-COVID months of January-February 2020.

    Rural poverty – SC/ST communities, casual labourers and self-employed were the most impacted

    Risk of child labour increased in India as job losses in the informal sector, inadequate social protection, and financial pressure led employers to use children as cheap labour, compounded by school dropouts and orphanhood from COVID deaths.

    Reverse Migration of labourers created excess pressure on the rural economy and agriculture, creating a poverty trap as overcrowded agriculture could not absorb them with dignified livelihood

    The pandemic revealed India’s structural inequalities, highlighting the urgent need for inclusive welfare, universal healthcare, social security, and resilient livelihoods.

    Tribals

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    Lord Curzon, serving as Viceroy from 1899 to 1905, epitomized imperial paternalism. Driven by an explicit belief in “White Man’s Supremacy,” his policies unintentionally converted India’s moderate elitist protest into an aggressive mass-based nationalist movement.

    Evaluation of Curzon’s Key Policies

    Bengal Partition (1905): Divided the province on religious lines to fracture nationalist unity under the guise of administrative convenience.

    Universities Act (1904): Placed higher education under strict state control to suppress anti-colonial political activism among students.

    Calcutta Corporation Act (1899): Drastically reduced elected Indian members, explicitly undermining local self-governance.

    Economic & Strategic Reforms: Created the Cooperative Credit Societies Act (1904) to help peasants and pursued expansionist moves in Tibet.

    Official Secrets Act (1904): Extended the definition of “sedition” to restrict freedom of the press and curb public criticism against official high-handedness.

    Established the Central Criminal Intelligence Department (CID) to keep tight political surveillance on emerging nationalist leaders.

    Long-Term Implications on the National Movement

    Catalyzed Extremism: His blatant disregard for public opinion discredited moderate constitutional methods, bringing radical leaders like Lal-Bal-Pal to the forefront.

    Sparked the Swadeshi Movement: The partition triggered India’s first major mass struggle, introducing indigenous economic boycott tactics and fostering Atmasakti (self-reliance).

    Institutionalized Communalism: Splitting Bengal along religious fault lines deliberately deepened political communalism, eventually leading to the creation of the Muslim League (1906).

    Cultural Renaissance: His high-handedness backfired into a revival of national pride, inspiring patriotic art, vernacular literature, and historical preservation.

    Enlarged the Social Base: The anti-partition agitations successfully brought women, students, and urban workers into active street politics for the first time.

    Curzon’s aggressive imperialism accelerated the absolute collapse of British rule in India.

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    Thomas Friedman, (The Lexus and the Olive Tree), defines globalization as the inexorable integration of markets, nation-states, and technologies, making it farther, faster, deeper, and cheaper.

    Globalization threatening diversity and pluralism in India

    Cultural Homogenization Trend: Western fast food and consumer habits slowly replace diverse local traditions and lifestyles. Eg: McDonaldization.

    Endangerment of Tribal Languages: Eg: UNESCO reports classifying over 190 Indian tribal dialects as critically endangered languages.

    Decline of Traditional Arts: Influx of mass-produced, cheap western entertainment items reduces market demand for unique local crafts. Eg: Electronic plastic toys replacing handmade clay crafts.

    Westernization of Youth Attire: Eg: Jeans and t-shirts completely replacing traditional clothing like dhoti and mundu among youth.

    Rise of Consumerist Individualism: Market-driven lifestyles weaken community-centric bonds and traditional joint-family support systems. Eg: increasing numbers of senior citizen care homes.

    Monopolization of Mass Media: Global streaming giants dominate entertainment platforms, sidelining small, diverse regional cinema industries.

    Erosion of Local Festivals: Local seasonal festivals are being overshadowed by “Global Spending Days” like Black Friday, Valentine’s Day, and Halloween.

    Global economic mining demands frequently force indigenous communities off their ancestral forest lands. Eg: mining in the Niyamgiri hills affecting the local Dongria Kondh tribe.

    Dietary Habit Uniformity: Processed, global packaged food items slowly displace diverse, nutritious regional cuisines and grains.

    Shift in Value Systems

    Individualism and consumerism replacing community-centric norms.

    Nuclear Family over traditional joint family structures.

    Architectural Sameness- The rise of “Generic Cities” characterized by glass-and-steel skyscrapers ignores regional climate-responsive architecture.

    Aspirational Shift – Youth associating prestige with global careers while devaluing local professions and knowledge systems.

    Counter Argument: Globalisation Strengthening Diversity and Pluralism

    Glocalization of Food Culture: Eg: McDonald’s creating localized vegetarian menus like McAloo Tikki exclusively for Indian markets.

    International recognition to India’s ancient spiritual heritage. Eg: The United Nations declaring June 21 as the official International Day of Yoga.

    Digital Preservation of Folkways: Eg: Tribal painters using online portals to directly sell Madhubani and Warli art worldwide.

    Revival of Ayurvedic Products: Global wellness trends have created a booming international market for traditional Indian medicines.

    International Expansion of Bollywood: Global media tools allow Indian cinema to project its multi-ethnic diversity to worldwide audiences. Eg: RRR

    Global Diaspora Cultural Links: Eg: Grand Diwali and Holi celebrations organized inside prominent venues like the US White House.

    International focus on sustainable food systems has popularised India’s native ancient superfoods globally.

    The United Nations celebrated the International Year of Millets driven by India’s proposal.

    Makhana as superfood

    International intellectual property laws help protect unique regional products from cheap foreign imitations. Eg: Geographical Indication (GI) tags for items like Darjeeling Tea and Pashmina.

    Hybrid Inter-Cultural Art Genres: Eg: The popular evolution of unique musical styles like Coke Studio’s classical-rock fusions.

    Deep-rooted pluralism, regional diversity, and civilisational depth ensure that globalisation in India produces Cultural Hybridization and enriches India’s cultural fabric.

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    The RPA, 1951 provides the statutory framework for conducting elections and maintaining the integrity of India’s democratic process.

    Procedure of Disqualification

    Under Articles 103 & 192, President or Governor’s Decision acts on the advice of the Election Commission.

    Election Petition (Section 80, RPA, 1951) in the High Court within 45 days of result declaration. Appeal to SC within 30 Days

    Positive Impacts of Simplification

    Enhances Public Trust

    Improves Integrity of the Electoral Process

    Strengthens Rule of Law

    Promotes Ethical Politics

    Upholds Constitutional Morality

    Thus, simplification of disqualification provisions are needed to ensure the trinity of Ethics, Accountability and Fairness of electoral process.

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    Several steel plants are located away from raw material regions due to changes in technology, transport, market orientation, and globalisation.

    Traditional Factors for Location

    Proximity to Iron Ore Deposits and Flux Materials (Limestone & Dolomite) – Eg- Bhilai Steel Plant (Chhattisgarh) and Rourkela Steel Plant (Odisha)

    Proximity to Coal Fields

    Bokaro (Jharkhand) and Durgapur (West Bengal)

    Ruhr Valley in Germany

    Water Supply – Eg- TISCO (Jamshedpur) at confluence of the Subarnarekha and Kharkai rivers

    Factors Responsible for the Shift in Location

    Market-Oriented Location – Near Consumption Centres.

    Mini-Steel Plants in Delhi-NCR/Haryana

    Detroit, USA

    Development of efficient transport networks reduces transport cost of raw materials. Eg- Eg- Iron ore transported from Odisha to Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.

    Coastal Location for imported raw materials –

    Vizag Steel Plant and JSW Steel (Vijayanagar) using imported coal via ports.

    Japanese steel plants are located on reclaimed land in coastal areas

    Availability of Power Supply – Electric furnaces and new technologies depend more on power than coal proximity. Eg- Salem Steel Plant (Tamil Nadu).

    Technological Advancements – Modern mini steel plants using scrap and sponge iron.

    JSW Steel, Tarapur (Maharashtra)

    Steel Scrap-based plants in Punjab

    Availability of Flat Land for Expansion – Large integrated plants need extensive land near urban-industrial regions.

    Agglomeration Economies – Proximity to engineering, automobile, and construction industries ensures demand. Eg- Steel units near the Mumbai-Pune industrial belt.

    Government Policies for balanced regional development. Eg- Salem Steel Plant (Tamil Nadu) was established to boost the industrial economy of Southern India.

    This shift reflects the growing importance of global raw material sourcing, efficient logistics, and agglomeration economies.

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    The decade of the 1920s marked a watershed moment in the Indian national movement, shifting it from an elitist, constitutional struggle into a mass-based political phenomenon.

    Various Ideological Strands in the National Movement Since the 1920s

    Gandhian Ideology (Satyagraha and Non-Violence)

    Integrated truth, non-violence (Ahimsa), and civil disobedience to convert a middle-class movement into a mass struggle.

    Brought rural masses, artisans, and the illiterate population into active political agitation.

    Constructive Programme Focus: Emphasized Khadi, village industries, and the eradication of untouchability to build social self-reliance.

    Eg: Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-22) and Civil Disobedience Movement (1930).

    Revolutionary Nationalism

    Advocated for the violent overthrow of British imperialism, capturing the imagination of radicalized urban youth.

    Secular and Socialist Evolution: Transitioned from religious-patriotic undertones to explicit anti-imperialist, socialist-republican goals.

    Dramatized Protests: Created powerful symbolic actions that inspired nationwide defiance against British authorities. Eg- Kakori Train attack

    Eg: Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, and the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA).

    Peasant and Agrarian Ideology

    Linked the national anti-British struggle with immediate agrarian grievances like high rents and forced evictions.

    Organized localized peasant unions (Kisan Sabha) to demand structural land reforms.

    Eg: Swami Sahajanand Saraswati founded the All India Kisan Sabha (1936) and the Bardoli Satyagraha (1928) led by Patel.

    Communist Ideology

    Working-Class Radicalization through trade unionism and collective strikes.

    Anti-Imperialist-Anti-Capitalist Nexus

    Eg: M.N. Roy founded the Communist Party of India (1920) and the growth of the Girni Kamgar Union.

    Socialist Ideology (Within the Congress)

    Radical Internal Reform: Worked within mainstream political platforms to tilt economic policies toward state-led industrial planning and social equality.

    Attracted the younger generation of educated leaders who were dissatisfied with conservative compromise politics.

    Eg: Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose leading the Congress Socialist Party (CSP) formed in 1934.

    Feminist and Women’s Ideology

    Transitioned women from traditional domestic roles into active political agitators and picketers on city streets.

    Demanding Equal Legal Rights: Linked the fight against foreign colonial rule with domestic struggles for female suffrage, labor laws, and education.

    Armed and Subversive Participation: Participated actively in underground revolutionary missions, breaking the stereotype of passive resistance.

    Eg: Sarojini Naidu leading the Salt Satyagraha at Dharsana, and Pritilata Wadedar participating in the Chittagong Armoury Raid.

    Dalit and Depressed Classes Ideology

    Substantive Social Democracy: Argued that political freedom from the British was meaningless without social freedom from the oppressive caste hierarchy.

    Institutional Legal Guarantees: Fought for separate electorates, reservation of seats, and constitutional safeguards for marginalized communities.

    Assertion of Basic Human Dignity: Organized mass civil rights movements to secure access to public water bodies and temples.

    Eg: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar established the Depressed Classes Institute (1924) and led the Mahad Satyagraha (1927).

    Tribal and Indigenous Ideology

    Defending Forest Sovereignty: Fought passionately against British colonial forest laws that disrupted traditional tribal community economies.

    Guerrilla Warfare Tactics: Used traditional archery and terrain knowledge to stage highly effective ambush operations against British police forces.

    Eg: Alluri Sitarama Raju leading the Rampa Rebellion (1922-24) in the Andhra hills.

    Ideological Strands Weakening the National Movement

    Rise of Communal Ideology: The institutionalization of the Muslim League’s two-nation theory severely fractured national unity, culminating in the tragedy of Partition.

    The Capitalist-Landlord Conservative Pull: Wealthy business magnates and feudal princely states frequently funded moderate political factions to slow down radical land and labor reforms.

    Fragmented Caste Intersections: The deep polarization between upper-caste mainstream nationalists and Dalit leaders over separate electorates.

    Severe ideological rifts between right-wing conservatives and left-wing socialists within the Congress led to institutional deadlocks. Eg: The ideological fallout leading to Subhas Chandra Bose’s exit at the Tripuri Crisis (1939).

    The influx of diverse ideological streams after the 1920s successfully transformed the Indian national movement into a vibrant, multi-layered struggle.

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