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GS Paper: GS2

  • Taiwan Crisis

    As US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived upsetting China, India was keenly watching the developments, although it has not yet commented on it.

    What is the ‘One China’ policy?

    • It is the diplomatic acknowledgment of China’s position that there is only one Chinese government.
    • Taiwan’s government was set up by the Kuomintang, whose party logo is reflected in Taiwan’s flag
    • Initially, many governments including the US recognised Taiwan as they shied away from Communist China.
    • But the diplomatic winds shifted as China and the United States saw a mutual need to develop relations beginning in the 1970s, with the US and other countries cutting ties with Taipei in favour of Beijing.

    Why is China obsessed with Taiwan?

    • Taiwan is the largest producer of electronic chips, which are supplied to almost all the industries, from phones to laptops, watches to game consoles, industrial equipment to automotive, and aircraft and fighter jets.
    • TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) is the largest foundry in the world and holds around 65 percent of the global production of chips.
    • Any potential conflict with China would completely disrupt the entire supply chain of TSMC and labor availability, and could cause major shortage of electronic chips.
    • Additionally, China controls five percent of the global production of chips, which could also be affected.
    • This could further impact the already existing supply-demand gap for electronic components.

    India- Taiwan Relations

    Background

    • India does not have formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan yet, as it follows the One-China policy.
    • However, during then Chinese premier Wen Jiabao’s visit to India in December 2010, India did not mention support for the One-China policy in the joint communique.
    • In 2014, when PM Modi came to power, he invited Taiwan’s Ambassador Chung-Kwang Tien, along with Lobsang Sangay, president of the Central Tibetan Administration to his swearing-in.

    Diplomatic ties

    • While following the One-China policy, India has an office in Taipei for diplomatic functions — India-Taipei Association (ITA) is headed by a senior diplomat.
    • Taiwan has the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center (TECC) in New Delhi. Both were established in 1995.
    • Their ties focus on commerce, culture and education.
    • Now in their third decade, these have been deliberately kept low-profile, owing to China’s sensitivities.
    • For example, parliamentary delegation visits and legislature-level dialogues have stopped since 2017, around the time the India-China border standoff happened in Doklam.

    The new push

    • Any significant development in India-Taiwan relations runs the risk of meeting with a likely stern reaction from Beijing.
    • This explains India’s steady, albeit slow, outreach to Taiwan.
    • Given that India-China relations are not likely to witness a return to normalcy in the near future, India should consider adopting a bold, comprehensive and long-term approach to engage Taiwan.

     

     

  • What is the New START treaty?

    Russia is ready for talks with the United States on nuclear arms control even as Moscow and Washington have remained locked in a tense stand-off over Russia’s actions in Ukraine.

    The New START, INF and the Open Skies …. Be clear about the differences of these treaties. For example- to check if their inception was during cold war era etc.

    New START Treaty

    • The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) pact limits the number of deployed nuclear warheads, missiles and bombers and is due to expire in 2021 unless renewed.
    • The treaty limits the US and Russia to a maximum of 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads and 700 deployed missiles and bombers, well below Cold War caps.
    • It was signed in 2010 by former US President Barack Obama and then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
    • It is one of the key controls on the superpower deployment of nuclear weapons.

    Background of US-Russia Nuclear Relations

    • The US formally QUIT the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF)
    • The agreement obliged the two countries to eliminate all ground-based missiles of ranges between 500 and 5,500 km.

    When did nuclear disarmament begin?

    • In 1985, the two countries entered into arms control negotiations on three tracks.
    • The first dealt with strategic weapons with ranges of over 5,500 km, leading to the START agreement in 1991.
    • It limited both sides to 1,600 strategic delivery vehicles and 6,000 warheads.
    • A second track dealt with intermediate-range missiles and this led to the INF Treaty in 1987.
    • A third track, Nuclear, and Space Talks was intended to address Soviet concerns regarding the U.S.’s Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI) but this did not yield any outcome.

    Success of INF

    • The INF Treaty was hailed as a great disarmament pact even though no nuclear warheads were dismantled.
    • As it is a bilateral agreement, it did not restrict other countries.
    • By 1991, the INF was implemented. USSR destroyed 1,846 and the US destroyed 846 Pershing and cruise missiles. 
    • Associated production facilities were also closed down.
    • INF Treaty was the first pact to include intensive verification measures, including on-site inspections.

    How has the nuclear behavior been?

    • With the end of the Cold War and the break-up of the USSR in end-1991, former Soviet allies were joining NATO and becoming EU members.
    • The U.S. was investing in missile defense and conventional global precision strike capabilities to expand its technological lead.
    • In 2001, the U.S. announced its unilateral withdrawal from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM Treaty).
    • The US also blamed Russia for not complying with the ‘zero-yield’ standard imposed by the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). This may indicate the beginning of a new nuclear arms race.

    Implications of the New Start

    • The 2011 New START lapsed in 2021. It may meet the fate of the INF Treaty.
    • The 2018 NPR envisaged the development of new nuclear weapons, including low-yield weapons.
    • China is preparing to operate its test site year-round with its goals for its nuclear force.
    • CTBT requires ratification by U.S., China, and Iran, Israel and Egypt and adherence by India, Pakistan and North Korea. It is unlikely to ever enter into force.

    Conclusion

    • A new nuclear arms race could just be the beginning. It may be more complicated because of multiple countries being involved.
    • Technological changes are bringing cyber and space domains into contention. It raises the risks of escalation.

     

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  • Corporal Punishment

    Three private school teachers in Pune have been booked under the Juvenile Justice Act over allegedly thrashing three Class 10 students, and threatening to grade them poorly in internal assessments

    What is Corporal Punishment?

    • By definition, corporal punishment means punishment that is physical in nature.
    • There is NO statutory definition of ‘corporal punishment’ targeting children in the Indian law.
    • The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 prohibits ‘physical punishment’ and ‘mental harassment’ under Section 17(1) and makes it a punishable offence under Section 17(2).

    Identifying corporal punishments

    • According to the Guidelines for Eliminating Corporal Punishment in Schools issued by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), physical punishment is understood as any action that causes pain, hurt/injury and discomfort to a child, however light.
    • Examples include hitting, kicking, scratching, pinching, biting, pulling the hair, boxing ears, smacking, slapping, spanking, hitting with any implement (cane, stick, shoe, chalk, dusters, belt, whip), giving electric shock and so on.
    • It includes making children assume an uncomfortable position (standing on bench, standing against the wall in a chair-like position, standing with school bag on head, holding ears through legs, kneeling, forced ingestion of anything, detention in the classroom, library, toilet or any closed space in the school.

    What else is included?

    • Mental harassment is understood as any non-physical treatment that is detrimental to the academic and psychological well-being of a child.
    • This includes sarcasm, calling names and scolding using humiliating adjectives, intimidation, using derogatory remarks for the child, ridiculing or belittling a child, shaming the child and more.

    Safeguards against corporal punishment

    • Section 17 of the Right to Education Act, 2009, imposes an absolute bar on corporal punishment.
    • Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act prescribes punishment for cruelty to children.
    • Violation would invite punishment of rigorous imprisonment upto five years and fine up to Rs 5 lakh.
    • If the child is physically incapacitated or develops a mental illness or is rendered mentally unfit to perform regular tasks or has risk to life or limb, then imprisonment may extend upto ten years.

    Exceptions

    • The RTE Act does not preclude the application of other legislation that relates to the violations of the rights of the child.
    • For example, booking the offenses under the IPC and the SC and ST Prevention of Atrocities Act of 1989.
    • In theory, corporal punishment is covered by all the provisions under Indian law that punish perpetrators of physical harm.

    What do NCPCR guidelines say about eliminating corporal punishment?

    The NCPCR guidelines for eliminating corporal punishment against children require every school to develop a mechanism and frame clear-cut protocols to address the grievances of students.

    • Drop boxes are to be placed where the aggrieved person may drop his complaint and anonymity is to be maintained to protect privacy.
    • Every school has to constitute a ‘Corporal Punishment Monitoring Cell’ consisting of two teachers, two parents, one doctor, and one lawyer (nominated by DLSA).

    Who is entrusted with the responsibility to ensure children are protected?

    • There are relevant authorities earmarked to ensure the protection of children in schools.
    • Under Section 31 of the RTE Act, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and the State Commissions for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCRs) have been entrusted with the task of monitoring children’s right to education.
    • The state governments under their RTE rules have also notified block/district level grievance redressal agencies under the RTE Act.

     

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  • What rules govern Disposal of Seized Narcotics?

    The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has destroyed 30,000 kg of seized drugs at four locations – Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi and Guwahati — in the virtual presence of Union Home Minister.

    Destruction of Seized Narcotic Drugs

    • Section 52-A of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 allows probe agencies to destroy seized substances after collecting required samples.
    • Officials concerned must make a detailed inventory of the substance to be destroyed.
    • A five-member committee comprising the area SSP, director/superintendent or the representative of the area NCB, a local magistrate and two others linked to law enforcement and legal fraternity is constituted.
    • The substance is then destroyed in an incinerator or burnt completely leaving behind not any trace of the substance.

    Exact procedure that is followed

    • The agency first obtains permission from a local court to dispose of the seized narcotic substances.
    • These substances are then taken to the designated place of destruction under a strict vigil.
    • The presiding officer tallies the inventory made at the storeroom with that material brought to the spot.
    • The entire process is videographed and photographed.
    • Then one by one, all the packets/gunny bags of the substance/s are put in the incinerator.
    • As per rules, committee members cannot leave the place until the seized drugs have been completely destroyed.

    Which agency is authorized to carry out such an exercise?

    • Every law enforcement agency competent to seize drugs is authorized to destroy them after taking prior permission of the area magistrate.
    • These include state police forces, the CBI and the NCB among others.

    Why destroy seized drugs?

    • The hazardous nature of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances, their vulnerability to theft, substitution, and constraints of proper storage space are among the reasons that make agencies destroy them.
    • There have been instances when seized narcotics were pilfered from the storeroom.
    • To prevent such instances, authorities try to destroy seized drugs immediately after collecting the required samples out of the seized substances.

     

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  • How are Districts created?

    The West Bengal cabinet has approved the creation of seven new districts in the state.

    What are Districts?

    • India’s districts are local administrative units inherited from the British Raj.
    • They generally form the tier of local government immediately below that of India’s subnational states and territories.
    • A district is headed by a Deputy Commissioner/ Collector, who is responsible for the overall administration and the maintenance of law and order.
    • The district collector may belong to IAS (Indian Administrative Service).
    • Districts are most frequently further sub-divided into smaller administrative units, called either tehsils or talukas or mandals, depending on the region.

    How are new districts carved?

    • The power to create new districts or alter or abolish existing districts rests with the State governments.
    • This can either be done through an executive order or by passing a law in the State Assembly.
    • Many States prefer the executive route by simply issuing a notification in the official gazette.

    How does it help?

    • States argue that smaller districts lead to better administration and governance.
    • For example, in 2016, the Assam government issued a notification to upgrade the Majuli sub-division to Majuli district for “administrative expediency”.

    Does the Central government have a role to play here?

    • The Centre has no role to play in the alteration of districts or creation of new ones. States are free to decide.
    • The Home Ministry comes into the picture when a State wants to change the name of a district or a railway station.
    • The State government’s request is sent to other departments and agencies such as the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Intelligence Bureau, Department of Posts, Geographical Survey of India Sciences and the Railway Ministry seeking clearance.
    • A no-objection certificate may be issued after examining their replies.

     

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  • INSTC

    Context

    Last week, two 40-ft containers of wood laminate sheets crossed the Caspian Sea from Russia’s Astrakhan port, entered Iran’s Anzali port, continued their southward journey towards the Arabian Sea, entered the waters at Bandar Abbas and eventually reach Nhava Shiva port in Mumbai.

    Launch of INSTC

    • The journey of containers signalled the launch of the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a 7,200-km multi-modal transport corridor that combines road, rail and maritime routes connecting Russia and India via central Asia and Iran.
    • The legal framework for the INSTC is provided by a trilateral agreement signed by India, Iran and Russia at the Euro-Asian Conference on Transport in 2000.
    • Since then Kazakhstan, Belarus, Oman, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Syria have signed instruments of accession to become members of the INSTC.
    • Once fully operational, the INSTC is expected to reduce freight costs by 30% and journey time by 40% in comparison with the conventional deep sea route via the Suez Canal.
    • The corridor is expected to consolidate the emerging Eurasian Free Trade Area.

    Significance for India

    • Geopolitical link: The INSTC’s launch provides missing pieces of the puzzle about India’s refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
    • India’s investment in the INSTC is exemplified by its involvement in Iran’s Chabahar port and the construction of a 500-km Chabahar-Zahedan railway line.
    •  The India Ports Global Limited, a joint venture between the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust and Kandla Port Trust, will develop the port along with Iran’s Aria Banader.
    • IRCON International will contribute to constructing the railway line.
    • A special economic zone around Chabahar will offer Indian companies the opportunity to set up a range of industries.
    • The INSTC, thus, provides an opportunity for the internationalisation of India’s infrastructural state, with state-run businesses taking the lead and paving the way for private companies.

    Geopolitical significance for India

    • Access to Afghanistan and Central Asia: Once completed, this infrastructure will allow India access to Afghanistan and central Asia, a prospect strengthened by the Taliban government’s support for the project.
    • India can now bypass Pakistan to access Afghanistan, central Asia and beyond.
    • North-South transport corridor: The INSTC can shape a north-south transport corridor that can complement the east-west axis of the China-led Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
    • Non-alignment to multi-alignment: India’s founding role in both the INSTC and the Quad exemplify its departure from non-alignment to multi-alignment.
    • The INSTC offers a platform for India to closely collaborate with Russia, Iran and Central Asian republics. 
    • That two of its partners are subject to Western sanctions hasn’t prevented India from collaborating with the U.S., Japan and Australia as part of the Quad to create and safeguard a free and open Indo-Pacific.

    Conclusion

    As a transcontinental multi-modal corridor that aims to bring Eurasia closer together, the INSTC is a laudable initiative in its own right. That it helps India consolidate its multi-alignment strategy sweetens the deal.

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  • PM and President’s photos in Govt Ads: Judicial Interpretation

    The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu government to include the photographs of the President of India and Prime Minister in advertisements on the 44th Chess Olympiad underway in Chennai.

    Why in news?

    • The HC relied on a 2015 Supreme Court ruling that issued guidelines on government spending on advertisements.

    How can we classify Govt Ads with other political ads?

    The primary cause of government advertisement is to use public funds:

    • To inform the public of their rights, obligations, and entitlements
    • To explain Government policies, programs, services and initiatives.

    2015 Supreme Court’s Ruling

    • In Common Cause v Union of India, the Supreme Court sought to regulate the government expenditure on advertisements.
    • It essentially regulated the 2007 New Advertisement Policy of the Government of India.
    • The petitioners had argued that there is arbitrary spending on advertisements by the government.
    • The allegations ranged from wastage of public money for political mileage to using advertisements as a tool to manipulate media.
    • A three-judge Bench comprising then CJI P Sathasivam, and Justices Ranjan Gogoi and N V Ramana had set up a committee to suggest a better policy.

    What are the guidelines?

    • No endorsement: Patronization of any particular media house must be avoided and award of advertisements must be on an equal basis to all newspapers who may, however, be categorized depending upon their circulation.
    • The Government Advertisements (Content Regulation) Guidelines 2014 have five broad principles:
    1. Advertising campaigns are to be related to government responsibilities
    2. Materials should be presented in an objective, fair manner and designed to meet objectives of the campaign
    3. Advertisements must not directed at promoting political interests of a party
    4. Campaigns must be justified and undertaken in a cost-effective manner
    5. Advertisements must comply with legal requirements and financial regulations

    What did the Supreme Court rule?

    • It largely accepted the committee report except on a few issues:
    1. The appointment of an ombudsman to oversee the implementation of the guidelines
    2. A special performance audit of government spending
    3. An embargo on publication of advertisements on the eve of elections
    • The ruling mandated that government advertisements will not contain a political party’s symbol, logo or flag.
    • They are required to be politically neutral and must refrain from glorifying political personalities.

    What about photographs in advertisements?

    • The Supreme Court agreed with the committee’s suggestion that photographs of leaders should be avoided and only the photographs of the President/ PM or Governor/ CM shall be used for effective government messaging.
    • Then-Attorney General had opposed the recommendation arguing that if the PM’s photograph is allowed in the advertisement, then the same right should be available to his cabinet colleagues as the PM is the “first among the equals”.
    • The court, while restricting the recommendation to the photos of the President and Prime Minister, added the photograph of the Chief Justice of India to that list of exceptions.

    What are the takeaways from the SC and HC verdicts?

    • The SC ruling stepped into content regulation, which is a facet of the right to freedom of speech and expression, and was also in the domain of making policy.
    • This raised questions on the judiciary stepping on the executive’s domain.
    • The SC ruling did not mandate publication of the photograph of the PM and President, but only restricts publication of photos of government officials other than the President, PM, CJI, CM and the Governor.
    • In an opposition-ruled state such as Tamil Nadu, exclusion of the PM’s photos is seen as a political move.
    • The HC said that considering the “national interest” in the issue, the “excuses taken by the state” cannot be accepted.

     

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  • Kerala tops in holding Assembly sittings in 2021

    Kerala, which slipped to the eighth slot in holding Assembly sittings during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, returned to the top spot in 2021, with its House sitting for 61 days, the highest in the country.

    State Assemblies for 2021 Report

    • The report on the functioning of State Assemblies for 2021 is published by the PRS Legislative Research (PRS), a New Delhi-based think tank.

    How did other states fare?

    • Odisha followed Kerala with 43 sitting days; Karnataka 40, and Tamil Nadu 34 days.
    • But for the top three States, the average number of sittings of State legislatures would have been far lower than the present figure of 21 days.
    • Of the 28 State Assemblies and one Union Territory’s legislature, 17 met for less than 20 days.
    • Of them, five — Andhra Pradesh, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura and Delhi — met for less than 10 days.
    • The figures for Uttar Pradesh, Manipur and Punjab were 17, 16 and 11, respectively.
    • Andhra Pradesh with 20 ordinances and Maharashtra with 15 followed Kerala.

    Why is this ranking significant?

    • The National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution (2000-02), headed by former Chief Justice of India M.N. Venkatachaliah, had prescribed the standards for working of legislatures.
    • The Houses of State (/Union Territory) legislatures with less than 70 members, for example, Puducherry, should meet for at least 50 days a year and other Houses (Tamil Nadu), at least 90 days.
    • The Presiding Officers’ conference, held in Gandhinagar in January 2016, suggested State legislatures hold a minimum of 60 days of sittings in a year.
    • Between 2016 and 2021, the PRS points out, 23 State Assemblies met for an average of 25 days.
    • As for the ordinance route, which should be, according to the Supreme Court, used under exceptional circumstances, 21 out of 28 States promulgated ordinances last year.

     

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  • PMLA has SC’s approaval

    Context

    The Supreme Court has upheld the constitutional validity of the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), calling it a “unique and special legislation” and underlining the powers of the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) to hold inquiries, arrest people and attach property.

    Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA)

    • PMLA, 2002 is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted by the NDA government to prevent money laundering and to provide for confiscation of property derived from money laundering.
    • It was enacted in response to India’s global commitment (including the Vienna Convention) to combat the menace of money laundering.
    • PMLA and the Rules notified there under came into force with effect from July 1, 2005.
    • The act was amended in the year 2005, 2009 and 2012.

    Objectives of PMLA

    The PMLA seeks to combat money laundering in India and has three main objectives:

    • To prevent and control money laundering.
    • To confiscate and seize the property obtained from the laundered money; and
    • To deal with any other issue connected with money laundering in India.

    Issues with the PMLA

    • Opacity: The Enforcement Case Report (the analogue of an FIR) is not shared with the accused.
    • Nor are the full grounds of arrest shared with you.
    • Bail cannot be granted without hearing the prosecution and you are required to prove your innocence to get bail.
    • Lack of clarity in definition: The definition of crime under this Act is elastic.
    • The sovereign has immense latitude to define what counts as the relevant crime.
    • It can also in a classic instance of rule by law change the presumption of innocence.
    • Lack of safeguard: The list of crimes included overrides similar crimes in other parts of the law.
    • The code has an exceptional procedure of its own that can trump the safeguards of the Criminal Code of Procedure.
    • In theory, the law provides safeguards against attaching properties, but those safeguards are weak and do not allow for even reasonable exceptions that might be necessary for your dignity or continuing with your business or livelihood.
    • Mere possession of the proceeds of a crime, without any surrounding consideration of how one came to be in possession of the proceeds, makes it an offence.
    • That the state officials are not classed as police. But they, in some respects, have even more power than the police.
    • Use of Money Bill route: The law itself has been enacted by using the controversial Money Bill route.
    • Low conviction rate: The conviction rate under this law is very low, less than 0.5 per cent.
    • Misuse of law: The stringent provisions and vagueness in definitions in the law make it susceptible to misuse against a political opponenet.
    • International context: Post 9/11, there was concern with terrorist financing and arguably many international treaties actually weakened, rather than strengthened, individual rights protections.
    • The goal of international treaties is laudable.
    • But the rhetoric of international treaties is often used to override domestic rights safeguards.

    Conclusion

    There is a need for a review of the various provision and definitions in the law and their utility.

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  • Better time for Sports in India: PM

    Noting that the most prestigious FIDE 44th Chess Olympiad had for the first time come to India — the home of chess — during the 75th year of freedom from colonial rule, PM Modi said there had never been a better time for sports in India.

    Sports in India

    • Physical activity is fundamental to human beings:  The report states that having a fundamental right to literacy would mean identifying the intrinsic value of physical activity to human living.
    • Part of elementary education: It would mean not seeing physical activity as an end in itself, and the establishment of physical activity/ physical education as a core component of the education curriculum.
    • Supportive to other FRs: A fundamental right to physical literacy would actualise and enhance the enjoyment of other fundamental rights. It would go a long way in enhancing the opportunities and freedom to express oneself.
    • Enhancing life quality: A physically literate individual would have a more fulfilling life of higher quality than one who is not.  Physical literacy, as a building block, would go a long way in the promotion and realisation of the right to health and the right to education.
    • Religion as a barriers: Some sports like swimming and athletics require attire that does not fully cover a woman’s body and are against the laws of some religions. They are often debated in light of modesty of the sportspersons beings violated.
    • Associated social reforms: Many women perceive sports as an opportunity to escape the confines of a highly regulated life. They use it as a tool to show their potential and tackle the patriarchal mindset. Further success of sportspersons like Mary Kom, Saina Nehwal, etc. have played a pivotal role in curbing the problems of child marriage and son meta preference.

    Issues with Sports in India

    • Poor performance in competitions: India has the worst population to medals ratio at the Olympics. We find our medal tally at the Olympics to be hopelessly out of sync with our 1.3 billion population.
    • Regressive attitude towards sports: Our attitude towards sport and physical well-being is another debilitating factor. Traditionally, India has not been a sports nation where many deserving candidates are discouraged right at the starting level.
    • Economic divide: It hard reality which we consistently refuse to acknowledge. Athletes are not generated from the comfortable classes, they invariably come often from the middle and lower economic strata.
    • Incentivization: There is more focus on post-success incentivization rather than pre-success support in India. For instance, the Haryana Government announced a 6 crore reward after Neeraj Chopra won the gold medal in Tokyo Olympics 2020.

    Significance of physical education and sports

    • Physical development: Fitness, Health
    • Mental development: It improves decision-making and collective action. It also acts as stress buster.
    • Character/ personality development: It instils confidence, team spirit, team coordination, group work)

    Benefits of augmenting sports career

    • Alternative career development: For those for whom opportunities are few, and jobs are scarce, sport becomes a powerful mobility device. A strong sports sector encourages an average/ poor academic student to make a career in sports.
    • Reaping demographic dividend: India is having a very young population and is soon going to become the world’s youngest country. In such a scenario, a robust sports sector can help in reaping the potential demographic dividend.
    • Revenue generation: Developing robust sports infrastructure in the country will allow India to host a greater number of international events. Such hosting boosts tourism in the country and results in enhancing the revenue and employment in the region. Ex. IPL
    • Promotes the spirit of Unity in Diversity: People cheer for the Indian athletes and Indian teams at international events. An improvement in sports automatically fosters the spirit of brotherhood amongst the people of diverse nations. For instance, the Pan India support enjoyed by Indian cricket team enhances belongingness between India’s north and south.

    Reasons for India’s poor performance

    India’s below-par performance in sports can be attributed to the combination of all the factors discussed below:

    • Lack of facilities: We have thousands of education centres all over the country, but there are very few schools and colleges which have adequate facilities for any sport.
    • Regional discrepancies: The spending of money is concentrated in major cities where facilities do exist, but the broad-based structure to tap and develop talent is missing. The facilities wherever they are created are confined to a few popular games like cricket, hockey, football, tennis, etc.
    • Burden of ill-health: Mother and child health is an all-time contested issue in India. This may well be attributed to weather conditions, poor economic condition generally-due to which nutrition is not available to most of our children.
    • Narrow perception: The parents are keen that their kids should do well studies to get a degree and ultimately fetch a good job. Playing for long hours regularly is considered a waste of time.
    • Lesser academia for physical education: There are few Sports Colleges which are genuinely making efforts to produce national-level sportsmen, but their number is so small that no perceptible impact is seen due to their existence.
    • Lack of training: Another reason for our poor performance in sports is the lack of required number of trainers, coaches and psychotherapists. There is also a dearth of quality coaching or the qualified coaches.
    • Non-interest: The west often accuse that Indians lack the killer’s instinct. The zest and enthusiasm necessary to win over the opponent is naturally absent in the Indian psyche.
    • Obsession for few sports: There is no doubt that cricket and hockey plays a major unifying role in India. However, other sports and sportsperson are often discouraged due to such obsessions.
    • Performance anxiety: A high degree of pressure is inflicted upon a sportsperson to perform or else be prepared to live a vulnerable life. This sometimes creates excessive mental stress in them or induces them to resort to unethical means like doping.

    Various initiatives for sports promotion

    The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports has formulated the following schemes to promote sports in the country, including in rural, tribal and backward areas:

    1. Khelo India Scheme
    2. Assistance to National Sports Federations
    3. Special Awards to Winners in International sports events and their Coaches
    4. National Sports Awards, Pension to Meritorious Sports Persons
    5. Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay National Sports Welfare Fund
    6. National Sports Development Fund; and
    7. Running Sports Training Centres through Sports Authority of India

    Way forward

    • Sports is a state subject and therefore uniformity in sports-specific activities of various states in India is extremely important for providing equal sporting opportunities to all the citizens of the country.
    • We have to take collective action to create a system and a proper environment whereby the young talent is spotted and developed in right earnest.
    • Integration of sports with education to introduce sports culture in India is the need of the hour.
    • The allocation of funds to sport, as a percentage of budget, can be increased for broad-basing sports in this country.
    • There is also a need to develop a culture in whole country by spreading awareness in society by telling benefit of sports in life.

     

     

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