GS Paper: GS1

Central idea

The central idea underscores the need for a bottom-up approach, private sector engagement, and innovative models like the SPARK project to bring about attitudinal shifts, economic opportunities, and social recognition for persons with disabilities, ultimately fostering a more equitable and inclusive global development agenda.

Key Highlights:

• Disability Intersectionality: Disability intersects with social, economic, and gender vulnerabilities, necessitating comprehensive consideration for equitable action.
• Global Disability Statistics: Globally, 1.3 billion people live with disabilities, with 80% in developing countries and 70% residing in rural areas.
• Exclusionary Systems: Current systems designed for non-disabled persons lead to exclusion, resulting in higher instances of poverty, limited education access, and social discrimination for people with disabilities.
• Importance of Language: The distinction between “for” and “by” in disability inclusion is crucial. Inclusion should involve persons with disabilities in the process, not just for them.
• Economic Impact: Inclusion of persons with disabilities in the economy could boost global GDP by 3% to 7%, emphasizing the economic benefits of inclusion.
• Employment Scenario: Current employment scenarios limit job opportunities for persons with disabilities, contradicting the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
• Rural Challenges: Persons with disabilities in rural areas face heightened challenges, including limited access to education, employment, and exclusion from developmental schemes.
• UDID Card and Government Schemes: In India, UDID cards and various government schemes exist for persons with disabilities, emphasizing the need for awareness and last-mile connectivity of benefits.
• SPARK Project: The ILO and IFAD’s SPARK project focuses on disability inclusion in rural areas, with Disability Inclusion Facilitators (DIFs) leading awareness and engagement efforts.

Key Challenges:

• Awareness and Accessibility: Limited awareness and accessibility to government benefits for persons with disabilities, particularly in rural areas.
• Societal Perception: Persons with disabilities often face societal perceptions that view them as objects of charity rather than active participants in decision-making processes.
• Climate Calamities: Rural areas with high agricultural dependence face increased risks from climate calamities, further impacting persons with disabilities.
• Private Sector Engagement: While a robust legal framework exists, greater engagement with the private sector is crucial for promoting the employment of persons with disabilities.

Key Quotes:

• “For is often used when a person is receiving something and By is to identify the agent performing an action.”
• “Disability inclusion is rooted in assuring the rights of persons with disabilities and recognizing the economic benefits of inclusion.”
• “It is about time that the voices and needs of persons with disabilities be prioritized at the center of the global development agenda.”

Key Terms:

• Intersectionality: The interconnected nature of social categorizations such as disability, gender, and economic status, which creates overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage.
• UDID Card: Unique ID for persons with disabilities, a card established as part of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (2016) in India.
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): A collection of 17 global goals set by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all.
• Disability Inclusion Facilitators (DIFs): Individuals trained to engage with communities, raise awareness, and identify barriers to inclusion for persons with disabilities.

Key Phrases:

• Economic Consequences of Exclusion: Refers to the impact on the global GDP when excluding persons with disabilities from the workforce, as highlighted in the ILO study.
• Last-Mile Connectivity: Ensuring the final leg of delivery or accessibility of government benefits to the remotest areas, especially in the context of persons with disabilities.
• Social Development Dimension: Viewing disability inclusion not only as a matter of rights but also as a crucial aspect of social development.

Key Statements:

• “Disability as an identity and entity exists at the intersection of multiple vulnerabilities — social, economic, and gender — with each facet requiring careful consideration when conceptualizing action for equity.”
• “The inclusion of persons with disabilities into the economy can help boost global GDP between 3% to 7%, as per the study by the International Labour Organization.”
• “It is about time that the voices and needs of persons with disabilities be prioritized at the center of the global development agenda.”

Key Examples and References:

• The SPARK Project: Implemented by the ILO and IFAD, the SPARK project in Maharashtra demonstrates successful inclusion efforts led by persons with disabilities.
• International Labour Organization (ILO): Referenced for its study on the economic consequences of excluding persons with disabilities from the workforce.
• Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (2016): Legislation in India that includes provisions for UDID cards and various schemes for persons with disabilities.

Key Facts:

• Global Disability Statistics: Approximately 1.3 billion people globally live with some form of disability, with 80% residing in developing countries.
• Rural Challenges: In India, 70% of persons with disabilities live in rural areas, facing greater challenges in accessing education and employment opportunities.
• Economic Impact: Inclusion of persons with disabilities in the workforce could boost global GDP by 3% to 7%, according to the ILO study.

Key Data:

• Percentage of Global Population with Disabilities: 1.3 billion people, equivalent to nearly the entire population of India.
• Percentage of Persons with Disabilities in Developing Countries: 80%, with 70% residing in rural areas.
• Impact on Global GDP: Inclusion of persons with disabilities can boost global GDP by 3% to 7%, according to the ILO.

Critical Analysis:

• Bi-Directional Link: Evidence shows a connection between disability, poverty, nutrition, and hunger, emphasizing the need for inclusive opportunities and employment in rural areas.
• Societal Perceptions: Persons with disabilities often face societal perceptions that view them as objects of charity rather than active participants in decision-making processes.
• Private Sector Engagement: The importance of engaging the private sector and building confidence in hiring workers with disabilities is highlighted.

Way Forward:

Prioritize the voices and needs of persons with disabilities at the core of the global development agenda for genuine inclusion and social justice. This involves awareness, engagement, and a bottom-up approach to disability inclusion, especially in rural areas.

 

Central Idea:

• The Maratha community’s demand for reservation in education and employment stems from a crisis of dominance, influenced by urban and rural challenges.

Urban Crisis:

• Well-paid jobs in urban areas, historically held by Marathas, have rapidly disappeared since the late 1990s.
• Large-scale manufacturing industries and establishments providing such jobs have closed or downsized, leading to increased competition for fewer opportunities.
• Marathas, historically socially superior, used their dominant caste position to secure a significant share of jobs, particularly in the public sector.
• Economic liberalization and the shrinkage of public sector jobs have intensified competition among Marathas for limited opportunities.

Rural Crisis:

• Closure of factories has led to the return of workers to villages, disrupting the pattern of workers retiring in villages and their offspring working in cities.
• Rural youth face challenges migrating to urban areas for better-paying jobs, impacting the financial support they traditionally provided to family members in villages.
• Informal sector jobs become the primary option for rural Maratha youth, diminishing their social standing and pride in rural settings.
• The focus on secure public sector jobs, which have also decreased, becomes crucial for rural Maratha youth.

Education Challenges:

• Increased aspirations for higher education among Marathas face a decline in government institutions and a rise in private unaided colleges with exorbitant fees.
• Marathas, with limited financial resources, compete for a limited number of open-category seats in public institutions.
• Decrease in government-run educational institutions exacerbates the challenges faced by Maratha aspirants.

Crisis of Dominance:

• The combination of urban and rural crises contributes to a crisis of dominance for the Marathas.
• Disturbance of caste hierarchy norms due to Dalit mobility and OBC economic and political assertion adds to Marathas’ anxiety.
• The demand for reservation reflects the need for increased formal sector jobs and the expansion of public educational institutions to address the crisis.

Key Highlights:

• Maratha community demands reservation in education and public employment, intensifying since 2016.
• Historically, Marathas dominated well-paid jobs, but recent urban and rural crises have led to increased competition and challenges.
• Closure of manufacturing industries, decreasing public sector jobs, and rural youth’s struggles contribute to the crisis.
• Educational aspirations face challenges with a decline in government institutions and increased private college fees.

Key Challenges:

• Disappearance of well-paid urban jobs, increased competition, and shrinking public sector employment.
• Rural crisis disrupts the traditional pattern of workers retiring in villages and offspring working in cities.
• Decline in government-run educational institutions, limited open-category seats, and rising private college fees.

Key Terms and Phrases:

• Urban crisis, rural crisis, crisis of dominance, economic liberalization, formal sector jobs.
• Reservation, Maratha mobilization, well-paid jobs, private unaided colleges, public sector employment.

Key Examples and References:

• Maratha protests since 2016, closure of manufacturing industries, decreased public sector jobs.
• Disturbance in traditional caste hierarchies due to Dalit mobility and OBC economic and political assertion.

Key Facts and Data:

• Marathas historically occupied over 29% of open-category jobs in government.
• Jobs in the private formal sector increased from 2% to 3.5%.
• Contractual government jobs increased from 0.7 million to 15.9 million in 2017-18.
• Only 22.2% of colleges are managed by the government as of 2019.

Critical Analysis:

• Maratha crisis stems from economic shifts, urban-rural dynamics, and disturbance in caste hierarchies.
• Limited opportunities, competition, and declining public sector jobs contribute to the community’s mobilization.
• Educational challenges add to the complexity, demanding a comprehensive solution.

Way Forward:

• Address urban and rural crises by creating more formal sector jobs.
• Expand public educational institutions and implement large-scale scholarship programs.
• Focus on inclusive policies to reduce competition and restore traditional patterns of employment.

Conclusion:

• The Maratha mobilization for reservation is rooted in the challenges posed by the disappearance of well-paid jobs, urban-rural dynamics, and the disruption of traditional caste hierarchies. Addressing these challenges requires a focus on creating more opportunities in the formal sector and expanding accessible public education.