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GS Paper: GS1

  • Positive Secularism is allowed: Student to SC in hijab case

    India believes in ‘positive secularism’ based on tolerance of all religious faiths and not ‘negative secularism’ followed in countries like France which holds that display of religion in public is offensive, said a student from Karnataka who has challenged the ban on wearing hijab to school.

    What is Positive Secularism?

    • Secularism is most commonly defined as the separation of religion from civic affairs and the state.
    • It may be broadened to a similar position seeking to remove or to minimize the role of religion in any public sphere.
    • Positive secularism is where the state plays an enabler role in the exercise of fundamental rights and the religious freedoms of all communities.

    What did the petitioner argue?

    • The petitioner replied that the Constitution itself says that all religions have to be treated with equal respect.
    • It said that the Supreme Court has also held in the Aruna Roy Judgment that there should be no discrimination on the ground of any religion.
    • It went on to say that the State should show ‘reasonable accommodation’ of Muslim students’ right to wear hijab to school as a part of her right to expression, religion and dignity.

    Circumstances where hijab can be prohibited in school

    The State can only restrict her right in three circumstances, the petition highlighted.

    1. One, to protect public order, morality and health.
    2. Two, to protect another fundamental right.
    3. Three, if such a restriction is authorised by a law made to regulate or restrict any economic, financial, political or secular activity which may be associated with religious practice or to provide for social welfare and reform.

    What was the judgment announced by Karnataka HC?

    • The HC held that wearing hijab is not an essential religious practice in Islam and is not, therefore, protected under by the right to freedom of religion guaranteed by Article 25 of the Constitution.
    • The court said it was a reasonable restriction that was constitutionally permissible.
    • The Bench also upheld the legality of the order prescribing guidelines for uniforms in schools and pre-university colleges under the provisions of the Karnataka Education Act, 1983.
    • The court said that school uniform will cease to be a uniform if hijab is also allowed.

    Also read

    [Burning Issue] Freedom of religion and attire

     

     

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  • Subash Chandra Bose

    boseContext

    • In the year of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, the nation pays tribute to Subhas Bose on September 8 as his statue rises tall next to India Gate.

    Crux of this article in simple words

    • The transfer of power to India took place on August 15, 1947. Had Bose and his Indian National Army (INA) succeeded, India would have attained freedom, not inherited it through a transfer of power.

    Brief of historical account of his career

    • Bose was the ninth child in 14 and the sixth son to Janakinath Bose, a lawyer from the Kayasth caste.
    • He passed matriculation in 1913 from Cuttack and joined the Presidency College in Kolkata (then Calcutta).
    • The teachings of Swami Vivekananda and Ramakrishna Paramhansa led to a spiritual awakening in Bose at the young age of 15.
    • Subhash Chandra Bose reached Singapore on July 2, 1943, at the invitation of Rash Behari Bose. He took charge as the President of the Indian Independence League and took over as the leader for East Asia.
    • On October 23 1943, with the help of the Japanese Army, Netaji declared war on the United States and Britain.
    • He was fondly called Netaji and was arrested 11 times in his freedom struggle and died under mysterious circumstances in an air crash over Taipei.

    boseHis vision for INA march in India

    • Creating revolutionary conditions: Bose had hoped to capture Imphal. That would give the INA a large number of Indian soldiers. Once this was achieved, fighting in India would create revolutionary conditions.
    • Organization of INA divisions at border: When the fighting commenced, the INA had only one division stationed on India’s borders. Another was on the move towards Burma. And the third was in the process of formation. All three divisions were expected to be in Burma by the time Imphal fell.
    • Rapid invasion from north east: Bose was confident of raising three more divisions from among the Indian troops that would fall to him after the capture of Imphal. With six divisions, the INA would be the single largest force in the region. The rapid advance into India would create the right conditions for the Indian army to switch sides along with the people of the Northeast.

    His famous quotes for value addition

    “It is our duty to pay for our liberty with our own blood.”

    “No great change in history has ever been achieved by discussions”

    boseAzad Hind Radio

    • This radio station was created to encourage countrymen to fight for freedom under the leadership of Subhas Chandra Bose.
    • The radio station used to broadcast news at weekly intervals in various languages like English, Hindi, Tamil, Punjabi, Urdu, etc.
    • The main aim for the formation of the Azad Hind Radio was to counter the broadcast of allied radio stations and to fill Indian nationals with pride and motivation to fight for freedom.

    The Rani Jhansi Regiment

    • Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was a firm believer of women’s power and women were also greatly inspired by his words.
    • He had always wanted to form an only women’s regiment and his dream came to fruition with the formation of the Rani Jhansi Regiment on 12th July 1943.
    • About 170 women cadets joined the force and their training camp was set in Singapore.
    • They were given ranks according to their educational background.
    • By November of 1943, this unit had more than 300 cadets as camps were also established in Rangoon and Bangkok.
    • The women cadets were given military and combat training, weapons training, and route marches. Some of them were also chosen for advanced training and some were also chosen for training as a nurse.
    • The Rani Jhansi Regiment mainly worked as care and relief givers.
    • The unit later disbanded after the fall of Rangoon and the withdrawal of the Azad Hind Government.

    Conclusion

    • Bose maintained that the Congress leaders wanted freedom in their lifetime. He believed that no revolutionary leader had the right to expect that. A movement, a fight, had to be passed on. Expecting freedom in one’s lifetime was bound to lead to compromises.

     

    Mains question

    Q. Netaji Subhas Bose was an exceptional leader who turned his vision into action. Critically analyse.

     

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  • What is the idea of Climate Reparation?

    Facing the worst flooding disaster in its history, Pakistan has begun demanding reparations, or compensation, from the rich countries that are mainly responsible for causing climate change.

    Why in news?

    • On the face of it, Pakistan’s demand for reparations appears to be a long shot, but the principles being invoked are fairly well-established in environmental jurisprudence.
    • In fact, Pakistan is not alone in making this demand.
    • Almost the entire developing world has for years been insisting on setting up an international mechanism for financial reparation for loss and damage caused by climate disasters.
    • The issue has come up repeatedly at international negotiations for climate change, and on other platforms.

    What is Climate Reparation?

    • At its heart, the demand for compensation for loss and damage from climate disasters is an extension of the universally acknowledged “Polluter Pays” principle.
    • This makes the polluter liable for paying not just for the cost of remedial action, but also for compensating the victims of environmental damage caused by their actions.
    • Climate justice is based on the notion of not being punished for someone else’s bad behaviour, but it does not sanction additional bad behaviour.

    Who are responsible for climate change?

    • In the climate change framework, the burden of responsibility falls on those rich countries that have contributed most of the greenhouse gas emissions since 1850, generally considered to be the beginning of the industrial age.
    • The United States and the European Union, including the UK, account for over 50% of all emissions during this time.
    • If Russia, Canada, Japan, and Australia too are included, the combined contribution goes past 65%, or almost two-thirds of all emissions.
    • Historical responsibility is important because carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere for hundreds of years, and it is the cumulative accumulation of carbon dioxide that causes global warming.

    What about developing countries?

    • A country like India, currently the third largest emitter, accounts for only 3% of historical emissions.
    • China, which is the world’s biggest emitter for over 15 years now, has contributed about 11% to total emissions since 1850.

    Why need climate reparations?

    • While the impact of climate change is global, it is much more severe on the poorer nations because of their geographical locations and weaker capacity to cope.
    • Countries that have had negligible contributions to historical emissions and have severe limitations of resources are the ones that face the most devastating impacts of climate change.

    Institutional mechanism for Climate Reparations

    (1) United Nations

    • The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the 1994 international agreement that lays down the broad principles of the global effort to fight climate change.
    • It explicitly acknowledges this differentiated responsibility of nations.
    • It makes it very clear that rich countries must provide both the finance and the technology to the developing nations to help them tackle climate change.
    • It is this mandate that later evolved into the $100 billion amount that the rich countries agreed to provide every year to the developing world.
    • While this promise is yet to be met, this $100 billion per year amount is not meant for loss and damage.
    • Climate disasters were not a regular occurrence in 1994, and as such the UNFCCC does not make a mention of loss and damage.
    • This particular demand emerged much later, and faced stiff resistance from the developed nations.

    (2) Warsaw International Mechanism (WIM)

    • The WIM for Loss and Damages, set up in 2013, was the first formal acknowledgment of the need to compensate developing countries struck by climate disasters.
    • However, the progress on this front has been painfully slow.
    • No funding mechanism, or even a promise to provide funds, has come about.

    Pushback from Developed Countries

    • It is not hard to understand why the developed countries are dead against compensation claims.
    • They are struggling to put together even the $100 billion per year flow that they had reluctantly agreed to provide.
    • Further, loss and damage claims can easily spiral into billions of dollars, or even more.
    • The report said that the United States alone is estimated to have “inflicted more than $1.9 trillion in damages to other countries” due to its emissions.

    Issues with loss assessment

    • There are practical difficulties in estimating how much a country has actually suffered due to the actions of others.
    • To begin with, it has to be established that the disaster was caused by climate change.
    • Then there are non-economic losses as well, including loss of lives, displacement and migration, health impacts, and damage to cultural heritage.
    • Then there is this other step about assessing how much of the losses are due to the event itself, and what could be attributed to misgovernance.

    Conclusion

    • A lot of background work is going on to create the framework in which it would be possible to quantify the compensation due to an affected country.
    • What Pakistan has done, through its demands for reparations, is to call attention to this often neglected aspect.

     

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  • Pakistan floods may take away Mohenjo Daro’s World Heritage Tag

    Heavy floods in Pakistan has pushed the archeological site of Mohenjo Daro – near the bank of the Indus river – to the “brink of extinction”.

    What is the news?

    • Pakistan’s Department of Archaeology has said that Mohenjo Daro might be removed from the world heritage list, if urgent attention towards its conservation and restoration is not given.

    About Mohenjo Daro

    • Mohenjo Daro, a group of mounds and ruins, is a 5000-year-old archaeological site located about 80-km off the city of Sukkur.
    • It comprises the remnants of one of two main centres of the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation, the other one being Harappa, located 640 km to the northwest, in Punjab province.
    • Mohenjo Daro, which means ‘mound of the dead’, was one of the oldest cities of the world.
    • Known to be a model planned city of the ancient civilisation, the houses here had bathrooms, toilets and drainage system.
    • The sheer size of the city, and its provision of public buildings and facilities, suggests a high level of social organization.
    • Though in ruins, the walls and brick pavements in the streets are still in a preserved condition.

    How did it came to prominance

    • The ruins of the city remained undocumented for around 3,700 years, until 1920, when archaeologist RD Banerji visited the site.
    • Its excavation started in 1921 and continued in phases till 1964-65.
    • The site went to Pakistan during Partition.

    Other Indus Valley sites

    • The Indus Valley Civilisation spanned much of what is now Pakistan and the northern states of India (Gujarat, Haryana and Rajasthan), even extending towards the Iranian border.
    • Its major urban centres included Harappa and Mohenjo Daro in Pakistan, and Lothal, Kalibangan, Dholavira and Rakhigarhi in India.
    • Mohenjo Daro is considered the most advanced city of its time, with sophisticated civil engineering and urban planning.
    • When the Indus Valley Civilisation went into sudden decline around 19th century BC, Mohenjo Daro was abandoned.

    What next for the site

    • According to media reports, many streets and sewerage drains of the historical ruins have been badly damaged due to the floods.
    • However, the work of removing the sediments deposited due the flooding is still underway.
    • But if this kind of flooding happens again, the heritage site may once again get buried under the ground, archaeologists say.
    • It is expected that UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres will visit the site during his visit to Pakistan on September 11.
    • The visit might provide some clarity on if the site has lost some of its attributes that are necessary for it to retain its prestigious world heritage tag.

    Losing world heritage tag

    • There are around 1,100 UNESCO listed sites across its 167 member countries.
    • Last year, the World Heritage Committee decided to delete the property ‘Liverpool – Maritime Mercantile City’ (UK) from the World Heritage List.
    • This was due to the irreversible loss of attributes conveying the outstanding universal value of the property.
    • Liverpool was added to the World Heritage List in 2004 in recognition of its role as one of the world’s major trading centres in the 18th and 19th centuries – and its pioneering dock technology, transport systems and port management.
    • Before that, the first venue to be delisted by the UNESCO panel was the Arabian Oryx Sanctuary in Oman, in 2007, after concerns over poaching and habitat degradation.
    • Another site to be removed from the World Heritage list in 2009 was Elbe Valley in Dresden, Germany, after the construction of the Waldschloesschen road bridge across the Elbe River.

    Back2Basics: UNESCO World Heritage Sites

    • A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area, selected by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for having cultural, historical, scientific or other forms of significance, which is legally protected by international treaties.
    • The sites are judged to be important for the collective and preservative interests of humanity.
    • To be selected, a WHS must be an already-classified landmark, unique in some respect as a geographically and historically identifiable place having special cultural or physical significance (such as an ancient ruin or historical structure, building, city, complex, desert, forest, island, lake, monument, mountain, or wilderness area).
    • It may signify a remarkable accomplishment of humanity, and serve as evidence of our intellectual history on the planet.
    • The sites are intended for practical conservation for posterity, which otherwise would be subject to risk from human or animal trespassing, unmonitored/uncontrolled/unrestricted access, or threat from local administrative negligence.
    • The list is maintained by the international World Heritage Program administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 “states parties” that are elected by their General Assembly.

    UNESCO World Heritage Committee

    • The World Heritage Committee selects the sites to be listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger.
    • It monitors the state of conservation of the World Heritage properties, defines the use of the World Heritage Fund and allocates financial assistance upon requests from States Parties.
    • It is composed of 21 states parties that are elected by the General Assembly of States Parties for a four-year term.
    • India is NOT a member of this Committee.

     

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  • Martand Temple in Kashmir

    In May this year, some pilgrims offered prayers inside the Martand Temple, an Archaeological Survey of India-protected (ASI) monument

    About Martand Sun Temple

    • The Martand Sun Temple is a Hindu temple located near the city of Anantnag in the Kashmir Valley.
    • It dates back to the eighth century AD and was dedicated to Surya, the chief solar deity.
    • The temple was destroyed by Sikandar Shah Miri in a bid to undertake mass conversion and execution of Hindus in the valley.
    • According to Kalhana, the Temple was commissioned by Lalitaditya Muktapida in the eighth century AD.
    • The temple is built on top of a plateau from where one can view whole of the Kashmir Valley.
    • From the ruins the visible architecture seems to be blended with the Gandharan, Gupta and Chinese forms of architecture.

    Why in news now?

    • According to ASI, prayers are allowed at its protected sites only if they were “functioning places of worship” at the time it took charge of them.
    • No religious rituals can be conducted at non-living monuments where there has been no continuity of worship when it became an ASI-protected site.

    What are the living/non-living monument?

    • If some activity, like any kind of worship, has been going on for years in the structure, then it is taken over as a living monument.
    • But where no activity has taken place, say an abandoned building, then it is declared a dead monument.
    • The latter is difficult to restore because it is generally covered by a lot of overgrowth.
    • The best-known example of a living ASI monument is the Taj Mahal in Agra, where namaz is held every Friday.

     

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  • Abnormal’ La Nina conditions impacting India’s monsoon

    In what may be termed as an uncommon ocean phenomenon, the prevailing La Nina conditions over the equatorial Pacific Ocean have entered the third consecutive year.

    What is the news?

    • The current La Nina phase has been prevailing since September 2020.
    • Since the 1950s, La Nina lasting for more than two years has been recorded only on six instances (see graph below), data by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) stated.
    • It confirmed that India’s La Nina conditions are here to stay till the end of 2022.

    What is El Nino and La Nina?

    • While El Nino (Spanish for ‘little boy’), the more common expression, is the abnormal surface warming observed along the eastern and central regions of the Pacific Ocean (the region between Peru and Papua New Guinea).
    • The La Nina (Spanish for ‘little girl’) is an abnormal cooling of these surface waters.
    • Together, the El Nino (Warm Phase) and La Nina (Cool Phase) phenomena are termed as El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO).
    • These are large-scale ocean phenomena that influence the global weather — winds, temperature and rainfall. They have the ability to trigger extreme weather events like droughts, floods, hot and cold conditions, globally.
    • Each cycle can last anywhere between 9 to 12 months, at times extendable to 18 months — and re-occur after every three to five years.
    • Meteorologists record the sea surface temperatures for four different regions, known as Nino regions, along this equatorial belt.
    • Depending on the temperatures, they forecast either as an El Nino, an ENSO neutral phase, or a La Nina.

    Why has La Nina conditions continued for 3 years?

    • It is surprising that it has continued for the last three years. It may be good for India but not for some other countries.
    • Under climate change conditions, one must expect more such instances. Climate change could be a factor driving such anomalous conditions.

    Issues with La Nina

    • La Nina years are infamous for frequent and intense hurricanes and cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean and the Bay of Bengal.
    • Chances of more cyclones are likely due to multiple aiding factors, including high relative moisture and relative low wind shear over the Bay of Bengal.

     

    Try this PYQ:

    Q. La Nina is suspected to have caused recent floods in Australia. How is La Nina different from El Nino?

    1. La Nina is characterized by unusually cold ocean temperature in equatorial Indian Ocean whereas El Nino is characterized by unusually warm ocean temperature in the equatorial Pacific Ocean.
    2. El Nino has an adverse effect on south-west monsoon of India, but La Nina has no effect on monsoon climate.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    (a) Only 1

    (b) Only 2

    (c) Both 1 and 2

    (d) Neither 1 nor 2

     

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  • Glass ceiling needs to be broken to unlock women potential

    glass ceilingContext

    • According to available UNESCO data on some selected countries, India is at the lowest position, having only 14% female researchers working in STEM areas highlighting the presence of glass ceiling.

    What is glass ceiling?

    • A glass ceiling is a metaphor used to represent an invisible barrier that prevents women from rising beyond a certain level in a hierarchy. The metaphor was first coined by feminists in reference to barriers in the careers of high-achieving women.

    What Is a Gender-equal Society?

    • A society in which both women and men shall be given equal opportunities to participate voluntarily in activities in all fields as equal partners, and be able to enjoy political, economic, social and cultural benefits equally as well as to share responsibilities.

    How glass ceiling limits women progress?

    • Few opportunities: Due to deep-rooted biases, it is difficult for women to access many experiences and networks that are easily accessible to men.
    • Social barriers and gender norms: Personal barriers include notions of compromise and sacrifice that are ingrained in women. This feeds into how women present themselves. External barriers and cultural cues reinforce how men and women “ought” to behave.
    • Gender Inequity: Stereotypes related to gender brilliance or gender-based intrinsic aptitude generate inequity which remains unnoticed.
    • Low self-confidence: Our socio-cultural constructs reflect absolute patriarchy causing even women to be sceptical about their abilities, to accept the roles set for them in the household.

    glass ceiling The gender gap in employment

    • Around the world, finding a job is much tougher for women than it is for men. When women are employed, they tend to work in low-quality jobs in vulnerable conditions, and there is little improvement forecast in the near future.

    glass ceilingWhat are STEM areas?

    • STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics and refers to any subjects that fall under these four disciplines.

    What are the drivers at policy and programme level to promote women in STEM in India?

    • Breaking myths and stereotypes around STEM is crucial to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 5 (gender equality) which includes women’s use of enabling technology, including ICT as a means of achieving economic empowerment and greater agency and also many other STEM-related SDGs.

    glass ceilingGovernment initiatives

    • GATI: It will be called GATI (Gender Advancement through Transforming Institutions). The DST is incorporating a system of grading institutes depending on the enrolment of women and the advancement of the careers of women faculty and scientists.
    • CURIE: For infrastructure in women’s universities
    • Vigyan Jyoti Scheme: Encourage girls in high school to pursue STEM
    • The Athena Swan Charter: is a framework which is used across the globe to support and transform gender equality within higher education (HE) and research.
    • KIRAN: (Knowledge Involvement in Research Advancement through nurturing) Scheme to encourage women Scientists
    • Indo-US Fellowship: for Women in STEMM (STEM and Medicine)

    Conclusion

    • Gender equality or parity will happen only when there is a change in mind-set and institutions consider women as assets rather than simply a diversity rectification issue. Policies that help women advance in science and society globally are needed. The world cannot afford to miss out on what women have to offer.

    Mains question

    Q. What do you understand by the term glass ceiling? Discuss how it has hampered the women participation in high end research STEM jobs by citing some government initiatives to address this.

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  • Heritage conservation

    heritage Context

    • Despite all the public talk of the importance of conserving our national heritage, the budget of the ASI, the primary institutional guardian of monuments, in 2021-22 has been reduced by more than Rs 200 cr.

    How do you define heritage?

    • Heritage is the full range of our inherited traditions, monuments, objects, and culture. Most important, it is the range of contemporary activities, meanings, and behaviours that we draw from them.

    Threats to Indian Heritage

    • Theft: The incidents of thefts have been observed usually from unprotected monuments, ancient temples. The thefts cases have also been seen in the protected monuments and museums as well. It is due to negligence of security guards in museums, monuments etc.
    • Smuggling: illicit traffic and smuggling in antiquities. Illicit traffic is motivated often by profit and sometimes by the demand for luxuries.
    • Tourism: Unregulated tourism, tourist activities run by touts, private agents have affected the art heritage places. The Culture Ministry of India has reported that up to 24 Indian monuments have been declared “untraceable” or “missing” by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
    • Issues with security of museums: Most of the museums are poorly guarded due to shortage of manpower leading to theft of artifacts, fire accidents etc.
    • Duplication: Fakes paintings and art forms leading to threat to livelihoods of artists.
    • Poor Maintenance: The state of the wall paintings in Ajanta caves is continuously getting worse, which can be attributed to humidity as well as to a lack of care.
    • Encroachment on monuments: Another miss from the ministry has been encroachments of monuments. Over 278 centrally protected monuments have been encroached upon or have illegal occupants, as per government data.

    heritage Why should we protect our heritage?

    • Evolution of human consciousness is a continuous process: History here serves as a laboratory and the past serves as a demarcation to understand the regional laws and social structures. This understanding helps in our progress towards an ideal society.
    • Pride of country: The art heritage is the identity and pride of our country. It is duty of every citizen to protect, preserve and perpetuate the cultural richness.
    • Tourism potential: for art monuments and museums is very high. Tourism generates revenue for the state as well as private artists due to the money-multiplier quality.
    • Infrastructure development: takes place in and around the areas. Eg. Hampi despite being a small town has excellent infrastructure.
    • Jobs: It creates jobs for a lot of people from art industry and tourism industry as well
    • Sense of belonging: It creates a feeling of oneness and a sense of attachment by enhancing a sense of belonging to a culture or a region.
    • Strengthen conviction: Every historical site has an important story to tell and these stories have inspired many people to strengthen their convictions and commitment to fight injustice and oppression.
    • Soft power: Art and culture is also a part of soft power in world politics.

    About Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)

    • The ASI is an attached office of the Ministry of Culture.
    • It was founded in 1861 by Alexander Cunningham who also became its first Director-General.
    • Under the provisions of the AMASR Act of 1958, the ASI administers more than 3650 ancient monuments, archaeological sites and remains of national importance.
    • These can include everything from temples, mosques, churches, tombs, and cemeteries to palaces, forts, step-wells, and rock-cut caves.

    Initiatives by ASI

    • Museums: ASI’s museums are customarily located right next to the sites that their inventories are associated with “so that they may be studied amid their natural surroundings and not lose focus by being transported”. A dedicated Museums Branch maintains a total of 44 museums spread across the country.
    • Publications by ASI: Epigraphia Indica, Ancient India, Indian Archaeology: A Review (Annually).
    • Library: Central Archaeological Library in the National Archives building in Janpath, New Delhi.

    Issues and Challenges ahead of ASI

    • To restore or not: Issue is that technically speaking- ruins are seldom “restored” in original state. This is because in absence of documentation- archaeologists are left to conjecture what buildings may have looked like when they were originally built.
    • Personnel Management Issues: Higher Authorities of ASI are traditionally from IAS Cadre. In-house specialist must be promoted for better coordination b/w technical and managerial aspects of restoration
    • Issues explored in CAG Report: 92 monuments are untraceable with no database on artifacts. Poor Documentation of Protected Monuments/Artifacts. Paucity of funds (Eg- Red fort gardens lie unkempt).

    Conclusion

    • It is the duty of every citizen to value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture. Preservation and conservation of India’s rich cultural heritage and promotion of all forms of art and culture, both tangible and intangible, is essential and assumes a lot of importance.

    Mains question

    Q. Safeguarding the Indian heritage is the need of the moment. What are the challenges faced in safeguarding them? What steps would you suggest to protect them?

     

     

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  • Old age poverty is getting worse if not addressed soon

    old age povertyContext

    • India’s old age poverty will be big by 2050. Only 2% informal workers have invested in NPS.
    • Poverty is about not having enough money to meet basic needs including food, clothing and shelter. However, poverty is more, much more than just not having enough money.

    Why is age a cause of poverty?

    • The “oldest-old”, aged 80 years or over, are less able to work than younger older persons; are more likely to have spent their savings; and are most in need of age-appropriate health and long-term personal care services.

    How age induces poverty in India?

    • India has no legal provisions for income security of the elderly, making the impacts of ageing far harsher for those who are already economically vulnerable.
    • Deteriorating brain and muscle capacity are largely non-negotiable facts of life, limiting one’s ability to get a job or remain employed.

    Reasons for old age poverty

    old age poverty

    • Dependency: A large section of the senior population in India is still dependent on the joint family set up for their senior care and post-retirement needs, with financial planning for retirement taking a back seat.
    • High population: An increase in the number of seniors in India will reduce the percentage of India’s human resource capital and its ability to drive economic growth.
    • Low insurance penetration: This highlights the inadequacy and underscores the critical need to streamline retirement planning schemes and strengthen the pension programs in the country. There is a lacks of social security framework.

    Data to remember

    People employed in the unorganised sector form around 90 per cent of India’s workforce.

    How to assure wellness and dignity to elders?

    • Income security in the form of monthly pensions either state-assured or employment-linked has been one of the most prevalent modes of assuring continued wellness and dignity against the life-shock of ageing.

    old age povertyAddressing the roadblock

    • Universal pension program: Income security in later years stems from multiple sources such as pensions, insurances (medical and life), Investments. This provides an opportunity for India to create a universal pension program for its 1.3 billion people.
    • Financial incentives: There is a pressing need to promote and facilitate fiscal planning in the early years and supplement it with senior-friendly tax structures and integrated insurance products. Such measures can help provide multiple income options to seniors to help them embrace a lifestyle of their choice.
    • Regulatory mechanism: A regulatory mechanism will set a viable base rate for the interest accrued on senior citizen deposits and ensure market dips don’t affect retirement income and senior-specific saving plans.

    Case study

    • Rwanda has achieved roughly 2 million voluntary micro-pension enrolments (30 per cent of its adult population) within three years by making digital account activation easy and simple for informal workers.

     

    Government intervention to improve elderly wellness

    • A strong and sustained political commitment,
    • A statutory pension sector regulator,
    • A well-designed and low-cost NPS product architecture,
    • Credible and well-regulated NPS intermediaries,
    • Securities market capable of delivering high returns,
    • Near-universal banking and mobile penetration,
    • The India Stack infrastructure with Aadhaar for easy eKYC, and UPI for secure digital payments.

    Conclusion

    • The government, Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) and the NPS industry now need to urgently put their heads together and address the obvious supply and demand side barriers. Every day is precious. After all, pension exclusion is akin to climate change. It needs immediate attention. By 2050, India’s problem of old age poverty will have become way too large, too late, too expensive and entirely irreversible.

    Mains question

    Q. Nearly 400 million young, economically active Indians are slowly walking towards extreme old age poverty in this context how will you explain and analyse the term old age poverty? Suggest some dynamic measures to address this problem.

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  • Challenging the Special Marriage Act, 1954

    The Supreme Court has dismissed a writ petition challenging the Constitutional validity of certain provisions of the Special Marriage Act, 1954 under which couples seek refuge for inter-faith and inter-caste marriages.

    What is Special Marriage Act, 1954?

    • The Special Marriage Act, 1954 (SMA) was enacted to facilitate the marriage of couples professing different faiths, and preferring a civil wedding.
    • However, some practical problems arise in registering such marriages.
    • The law’s features on prior public notice being given and objections for the safety and privacy of those intending to marry across religions.
    • To overcome this, many settle for marriage under the personal law of one of them, with the other opting for religious conversion.

    What does the petition seek?

    • The Supreme Court dismissed a writ petition challenging the Constitutional validity of certain provisions of the SMA under which couples seek refuge for inter-faith and inter-caste marriages.
    • The writ petition has called these provisions violative of Article 21, which guarantees the right to privacy.
    • Under this act, the couples require to give a notice of 30 days before the date of marriage inviting objections from the public.
    • The provisions contravene Article 14 on prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste and sex as well as Article 15 on right to equality as these requirements are absent in personal laws.

    What did the court say?

    • The SC Bench rejected the writ petition on the grounds that the petitioner was no longer an aggrieved party as she had already solemnised her marriage under SMA.
    • The petitioner’s lawyers said that they were now deliberating on an alternative approach to initiate this litigation such as through a public interest litigation involving other victims.
    • Another writ petition is admitted by the Supreme Court in 2020 and the government’s reply to is awaited.

    What are the provisions that have been challenged?

    • Section 5 of the SMA requires couples getting married under it to give a notice to the Marriage Officer 30 days before the date of marriage.
    • Section 6 requires such a notice to be then entered into the Marriage Notice Book maintained by the Marriage Officer, which can be inspected by any person desirous of inspecting the same.
    • These notices have to be also affixed at a “conspicuous place” in the office of the Marriage Officer so that anyone can raise an objection to the marriage.
    • Section 7 provides the process for making an objection such as if either party has a living spouse, is incapable of giving consent due to “unsoundness of mind” or is suffering from mental disorder resulting in the person being unfit for marriage or procreation.
    • Section 8 specifies the inquiry procedure to be followed after an objection has been submitted.

    Why are these provisions contentious?

    • The provisions throw the personal information of the individuals open to public scrutiny. This may result into vigilantism.
    • This seriously damages one’s right to have control over her or his personal information and its accessibility.
    • By making the personal details of the couple accessible to everyone, the very right of the couple to be the decision makers of their marriage is being hampered by the state.

    How do these provisions make couples vulnerable?

    • These public notices have been used by anti-social elements to harass couples getting married.
    • For many who often marry without their parent’s consent this can be life-threatening.
    • Many states publicly share the details of couples marrying under SMA on their websites.
    • Many also complain about the behaviour of the staff at the SDM’s office who often delete or delay applications and dissuade couples from marrying under SMA.
    • With as many as 11 States passing anti-conversion (or so-called love-jihad) laws, parents and the State are now armed to punish and harass such couples.

     

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