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GS Paper: GS2

  • Ensuring MGNREGA lives up to its potential

    With migrant workers returning home, work demand under MGNREGA is bound to rise. Sensing that the government increased the allocation to MGNREGA. This article suggests some steps to make the MGNREGA more effective in catering to this surge in the wake of the pandemic. Some issues that plague the scheme are also examined at the end. So, what are the suggestion? and what are the issues? Read to know….

    Acknowledgement of the importance of MGNREGA

    • The government made an allocation of an additional Rs 40,000 crore as part of the stimulus package.
    • This is an acknowledgement of the importance of MGNREGA.
    • The most important part of MGNREGA’s design is its legally-backed guarantee for any rural adult to get work within 15 days of demanding it.
    • This demand-based trigger enables the self-selection of workers and gives them an assurance of at least 100 days of wage employment.

    Let’s put allocation in context of World Bank recommendations

    • Since 2012, an average of 18 per cent of the annual budgetary allocation for MGNREGA has been spent on clearing pending liabilities from the previous years.
    • Even this financial year began with pending wage and material liabilities of Rs 16,045 crore.
    • An allocation of Rs 1 lakh crore for FY 2020-21 would mean that approximately Rs 84,000 crore is available for employment generation this year.
    • This will still be the highest allocation for MGNREGA in any year since the passage of the law.
    • However, the allocation, which amounts to 0.47 per cent of the GDP continues to be much lower than the World Bank recommendations of 1.7 per cent for the optimal functioning of the programme.

    Some immediate steps to ensure the MGNREGA lives up to its potential

    • First, state governments must ensure that public works are opened in every village.
    • Workers turning up at the worksite should be provided work immediately, without imposing on them the requirement of demanding work in advance.
    • Second, local bodies must proactively reach out to returned and quarantined migrant workers and help those in need to get job cards.
    • Third, at the worksite, adequate facilities such as soap, water, and masks for workers must be provided free of cost. For reasons of health safety, MGNREGA tools should not be shared between workers.
    • The government should provide a tool allowance to all workers — some states are already providing such an allowance.
    • Fourth, procedures for implementing MGNREGA must be simplified but not diluted.
    • The pandemic has demonstrated the importance of decentralised governance.
    • Gram panchayats and elected representatives need to be provided with adequate resources, powers, and responsibilities to sanction works, provide work on demand, and authorise wage payments to ensure there are no delays in payments.
    • Fifth, as per a study by the RBI, more than half the districts in the country are under-banked.
    • The density of bank branches in rural India is even more sparse.
    • At this time, payments need to not only reach bank accounts on time, but cash needs to reach the workers easily and efficiently.
    • The limited coverage of bank infrastructure in rural areas must not be made a hurdle.
    • Attempts to distribute wages in cash, sans biometric authentication, must be rolled out.
    • Sixth, there needs to be flexibility in the kinds of work to be undertaken, while ensuring that the community and the workers are the primary beneficiaries.

    Issuse with MGNREGA

    • Over the last few years, MGNREGA had begun to face an existential crisis.
    • Successive governments capped its financial resources, and turning it into a supply-based programme.
    • Workers had begun to lose interest in working under it because of the inordinate delays in wage payments.
    • With very little autonomy, gram panchayats had begun to find implementation cumbersome.
    • Barring a few exceptions, state governments were only interested in running the programme to the extent funds were made available from the Centre.
    • Allocating work on demand, and not having enough funds to pay wages on time was bound to cause great distress amongst the workers and eventually for the state too.
    • As a result, state governments had begun to implement MGNREGA like a supply-driven scheme, instead of running it like a demand-based guarantee backed by law.

    Consider the question “With migrant workers returning to villages in the wake of corona pandemic, demand for work is likely to increase. In light of this, discuss the utility of MGNREGA and challenges it may face.”

    Conclusion

    With nearly eight crore migrant workers returning to their villages, and with an additional allocation for the year, this could be a moment for the true revival of MGNREGA. A revival led by workers themselves.

    Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005

    • The Act aims at enhancing the livelihood security of people in rural areas by guaranteeing hundred days of wage employment in a financial year to a rural household whose adult members (at least 18 years of age) volunteer to do unskilled work.
    • The central government bears the full cost of unskilled labour, and 75% of the cost of material (the rest is borne by the states).
    • It is a demand-driven, social security and labour law that aims to enforce the ‘right to work’.
    • Ministry of Rural Development (MRD), Government of India in association with state governments, monitors the implementation of the scheme.

  • India to chair ‘WHO Executive Board’

    India would now be playing a more prominent role at the World Health Organisation (WHO), with Union Health Minister taking charge as chairman of the WHO Executive Board at its 147th session.  Dr Harsh Vardhan would succeed Dr Hiroki Nakatani of Japan.

    Practice question for Mains:

    Q. The World Health Organisation (WHO) had “missed the call” on the COVID-19 pandemic. Critically comment with context to the ongoing spat between the US and China.

    About WHO

    • The WHO is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health.
    • It is part of the U.N. Sustainable Development Group.
    • The WHO Constitution, which establishes the agency’s governing structure and principles, states its main objective as ensuring “the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health.”
    • It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, with six semi-autonomous regional offices and 150 field offices worldwide.

    The WHO Executive Board

    • The WHO is governed by two decision-making bodies — the World Health Assembly and the Executive Board.
    • The Board is composed of 34 members technically qualified in the field of health, with members being elected for three-year terms.
    • The Health Assembly is the WHO’s decision-making body and consists of 194 Member States.
    • The Board chairman’s post is held by rotation for one year by each of the WHO’s six regional groups: African Region, Region of the Americas, South-East Asia Region, European Region, Eastern Mediterranean Region, and Western Pacific Region.

    Functions of the Board

    • The main functions of the Board are to give effect to the decisions and policies of the Health Assembly, to advise it and generally to facilitate its work.
    • The Board and the Assembly create a forum for debate on health issues and for addressing concerns raised by the Member States.
    • Both the Board and the Assembly produce three kinds of documents — Resolutions and Decisions passed by the two bodies, Official Records as published in WHO Official publications, and Documents that are presented “in session” of the two bodies.

    Back2Basics: India at the WHO

    • India became a party to the WHO Constitution on 12 January 1948.
    • The first session of the South East Asia Regional Committee was held on October 4-5, 1948 in the office of the Indian Minister of Health, and was inaugurated by Jawaharlal Nehru, the first PM.
    • The first Regional Director for South-East Asia was an Indian, Dr Chandra Mani, who served between 1948-1968.
    • Currently, the post has again been occupied by an Indian appointee, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, who has been in office since 2014.
    • Since 2019, Dr Soumya Swaminathan has been the WHO’s, Chief Scientist.

    Also read:

    [Burning Issue] World Health Organization (WHO) And Coronavirus Handling

  • [pib] New ports and routes added under the Protocol on Inland Water Transit between India and Bangladesh

    India and Bangladesh have opened a new chapter in regional connectivity by expanding the scope of inland water transport mechanism that would enable to boost trade in the region.

    Note all the ports mentioned in the newscard and the image. Also, keep a tab on river systems of North east India.

    What is the news?

    • The Standing Committee on the Protocol and the Shipping Secretary level Talks are the institutional arrangements to discuss and make the Protocol more effective.
    • During the latest discussions key decisions were taken on the extension of protocol routes, the inclusion of new routes and declaration of new Ports of Call to facilitate trade between the two countries.

    New routes

    The number of Indo Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) routes is being increased from 8 to 10 and new locations are also added to the existing routes: –

    1) Inclusion of Sonamura- Daudkhandi stretch of Gumti river (93 Km) as IBP route:

    • It will improve the connectivity of Tripura and adjoining States with Indian and Bangladesh`s economic centres and will help the hinterland of both the countries.

    2) Rajshahi-Dhulian-Rajshahi Routes and its extension up to Aricha (270 km)

    • It will help the augmentation of infrastructure in Bangladesh as it would reduce the transportation cost of stone chips/aggregate to northern part of Bangladesh through this route. It will also decongest the Land Custom Stations on both sides.

    Ports of Call

    • Port of call means an intermediate stop for a ship on its scheduled journey for cargo operation or taking on supplies or fuel.
    • The following are existing Ports of Call in the two countries on Indo-Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) route:
    India Kolkata Haldia Pandu Karimganj Silghat Dhubri
    Bangladesh Narayanganj Khulna Mongla Sirajganj Ashuganj Pangaon
    • Newly added: Two more extended Ports of Call have been added
    • Inclusion of Jogigopha in India and Bahadurabad in Bangladesh as new Port of Call will provide connectivity to Meghalaya, Assam and Bhutan.

    About the Protocol on Inland Water Transit

    • Bangladesh and India have a long-standing and time-tested Protocol on Transit and Trade through inland waterways of both countries.
    • This Protocol, which was first signed in 1972 (immediately after independence of Bangladesh), is a reflection of shared history and friendship between the two countries.
    • It was last renewed in 2015 for five years with a provision for its automatic renewal for a further period of five years giving long term assurance to various stakeholders.

  • Tracking Chinese diplomacy

    We are no stranger to the assertive nature of China in geopolitics. But had it always been the same? This article captures the transformation of the nature of Chinese diplomacy. Two personalities that had a profound impact on the nature of the diplomacy of that country are Zhou Enlai and Deng Xiaoping. Each of them imparted special characteristic to diplomacy. Now, that all seems lost from present China. Read the article to know about the contribution of two personalities and trends in Chinese diplomacy now.

    Zhou Enlai: Preference for Persuasion and compromise

    “All diplomacy is a continuation of war by other means.” – Zhou Enlai

    • If Mao Zedong represented the crude face of Chinese communism, then Zhou was the epitome of its refinement.
    • Zhou preferred to seduce his opponents through word and gesture in the pursuit of national self-interest.
    • Force was used rarely, and only when all other means of persuasion failed.
    • So, amid Korean War in 1950, when the U.S. Army crossed into North Korea, Zhou Enlai delivered message against crossing 38th Parallel through Indian Ambassador, instead publicly declaring this.
    • He chose to give diplomacy a chance.

    Role in First Indochina War

    • In 1954, the Chinese made their entry onto the world stage in Geneva.
    • The Vietnamese were winning against the French in the First Indochina War.
    • And the Americans were preparing to intervene fearing that another “domino” would fall to communism.
    • China’s self-interest lay in ending this war while denying the U.S. a foothold in its backyard.
    • Zhou’s strategy was to undermine western unity.
    • His watchwords were persuasion and compromise.
    • He even gave “face” to the French who had just lost to the Vietnamese in the battle of Dien Bien Phu, by travelling the “extra mile” to meet Prime Minister of France to secure the peace.

    Low profile at Afro-Asian Conference in Bandung

    • In 1955, at the Afro-Asian Conference in Bandung, Zhou used the same tactics to pursue another objective: Developing relations with leaders of the Afro-Asian countries.
    • He deliberately kept a low profile, allowing Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Indonesian President Sukarno to take the lead.
    • His tactic, he reported to Mao, was “not to be involved in provocative or disruptive debate”.
    • His guidance to his team was to “strive to expand the united front of the world peace force.“
    • He also instructed the team to create conditions for establishing diplomatic work or diplomatic relations between China and a number of Afro-Asian countries.

    So, how Zhou shaped China’s foreign policy?

    • Zhou’s style of diplomacy came to define Chinese foreign policy over the next half-century.
    • The strategy was consistent: avoid isolation, build solidarity with non-aligned countries, divide the West.
    • The tactics were called ‘united front’ — isolate the main threat by building unity with all other forces.
    • Under Zhou, diplomats of calibre kept handled the task of diplomacy with skill and held firm even in storms like the Cultural Revolution.
    • When the tide rose, these diplomatic fishermen gathered the fish — expanding China’s global presence and gaining international acceptability.
    • When it ebbed, they saw to it that the ship remained firmly moored.
    • They navigated the Cold War, playing the Soviets against the Americans.
    • To relieve pressure, Zhou opened border talks with the Soviets and channels to the U.S.
    • Public animosity did not deter him from turning on the full extent of his diplomatic skills on either Alexei Kosygin or Henry Kissinger.
    • In February 1972, he persuaded U.S. President Richard Nixon to abandon Taiwan.
    • It was a staggering act of diplomacy.

    Deng Xiaoping: hide our capacities and bide our time

    “Observe calmly; secure our position; cope with affairs calmly; hide our capacities and bide our time; be good at maintaining a low profile; and never claim leadership.”

    • In the 1980s, Deng Xiaoping took up the reins.
    • Deng supplemented Zhou’s strategy with a “24-Character Strategy” of his own(the above quote).

    Character of Chinese diplomacy in Deng Xiaoping’s time

    • “24-Character Strategy” became the ‘mantra’ of Chinese diplomacy.
    • Chinese diplomats measured their words and kept their dignity.
    • They projected power but rarely used more words than needed.
    • They were masters of their brief because Zhou had taught them that the real advantage in negotiations was to know more than the other side.
    • They flattered acquaintances, calling them “old friends”.
    • They built relationships by making it a point to engage the less friendly interlocutors with greater courtesies than friends.
    • Behind closed doors, they were tireless in reducing opposition through negotiation.
    • And skillfully in putting the onus of responsibility for failure on the other party.
    • And occasionally, they would hold out a veiled threat with a look of concern rather like an uncle anxious to save you from embarrassment.
    • But they rarely offended.

    Tumultuous period of 1980s and 1990s and entry into WTO

    • The 1980s and 1990s were the peak for Chinese diplomacy.
    • The U.S. President George Bush and Russian leader Mikhail Gorbachev visited China.
    • They normalised relations, settled borders and won hearts and minds through general financial help.
    • So effective was Chinese diplomacy that the Americans even broke their own sanctions imposed after the 1989 ‘Tiananmen Incident’, within a matter of four weeks.
    • A decade later, the U.S. and the European Union bought into Chinese assurances that it would soon transition to a market economy.
    • And helped steer China into the World Trade Organization.

    After Deng Xiaoping: Arrogance and threats in diplomacy

    • Deng died in 1997. China prospered just as Deng had imagined.
    • It began to occupy centre stage in world diplomacy, but the basics of Chines diplomacy started changing
    • A new generation of diplomats, with knowledge of the English language and a careerist mindset, has started to destroy the foundations set down by Zhou and Deng.
    • Arrogance has replaced humility.
    • Persuasion is quickly abandoned in favour of the stick when countries take actions contrary to Chinese wishes.
    • The Chinese pursue unilateralism instead of compromise in the South China Sea.
    • In place of ‘united front’ tactics, they are bent on creating irritations simultaneously with multiple China neighbouring countries.
    • Avenging the ‘Century of Humiliation’ that endured in the hands of western imperial powers from roughly 1839-1840 to 1949 is on their mind now.
    • To avenge that they adopt a one-size-fits-all approach.
    • But they forget that much of the world has done nothing to China and, indeed, shares a similar historical experience.
    • Statements of fact or reasoned opinion are seen by them as insult or humiliation.
    • Foreign governments are educated about their responsibilities in managing the media and the narrative, even as the Chinese manipulate the same media to serve their purposes.
    • They expect to receive gratitude for everything they do, including handling COVID-19, as if it was only done with the foreigner in mind.
    • The veneer of humility has thinned.
    • The reserves of goodwill are fast depleting. The ship seems to be adrift at sea.

    Questions related to China has been a recurrent theme in the UPSC papers. Consider the question asked in 2017  “China is using its economic relations and positive trade surplus as a tool to develop potential military power status in Asia. In light of this statement discuss its impact on India and her neighbours.”

    Conclusion

    In the post-pandemic world, India and the rest of the world will have to reckon the role played by China in the pandemic. In such a changing scenario India will do well to take note of the changing trends of Chinese diplomacy.

  • Israel swears in ‘Unity Government’

    Israel’s Parliament swore in its new unity government led by PM Netanyahu and his former rival Benny Gantz, ending the longest political crisis in their nation’s history.

    The strategic location of Gaza strip, West Bank, Dead Sea etc. creates a hotspot for a possible map based prelims question.  Consider this PYQ from 2015 CSP:

    Q. The area known as ‘Golan Heights’ sometimes appears in the news in the context of the events related to:

    a) Central Asia
    b) Middle East
    c) South-East Asia
    d) Central Africa

    What is a Unity Government?

    • A national unity government, government of national unity (GNU), or national union government is a broad coalition government consisting of all parties (or all major parties) in the legislature.
    • Such a coalition is usually formed during a time of war or another national emergency.
    • A general coalition government is a form of government in which political parties cooperate, reducing the dominance of any one party within that “coalition”.

    Practice question for mains:

    Q. Discuss the role and significance of Leader of Opposition and the Opposition Party and their constructive criticism in a Parliamentary form of government.

    What is the Israeli deal?

    • Israel’s unity government starts work amid the coronavirus pandemic and after a political crisis that saw three inconclusive elections and left the country in political limbo for more than 500 days.
    • The coalition government was agreed last month between veteran right-wing leader Netanyahu and the centrist Gantz, a former army chief.
    • The incoming government has aimed to apply Israeli sovereignty over West Bank settlements.
    • The govt. now aims to push on with controversial plans to annex large parts of the occupied West Bank.

    Significance

    • Netanyahu said that it’s time to apply the Israeli law and write another glorious chapter in the history of Zionism citing the issue of Jewish settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory.
    • Such a move is seen likely to cause international uproar and inflame tensions in the West Bank.
    • The region is home to nearly three million Palestinians and some 400,000 Israelis living in settlements considered illegal under international law.

    Back2Basics

    West Bank Annexation plans

    U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss plans to annex parts of the West Bank.

    The strategic location of Gaza strip, West Bank, Dead Sea etc. creates a hotspot for a possible map based prelims question.  Consider this PYQ from 2015 CSP:

    Q. The area known as ‘Golan Heights’ sometimes appears in the news in the context of the events related to:

    a) Central Asia
    b) Middle East
    c) South-East Asia
    d) Central Africa

    Where is West Bank Located?

    • The West Bank is located to the west of the Jordan River.
    • It is a patch of land about one and a half times the size of Goa, was captured by Jordan after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
    • Israel snatched it back during the Six-Day War of 1967 and has occupied it ever since.
    • It is a landlocked territory, bordered by Jordan to the east and Israel to the south, west, and north.
    • Following the Oslo Accords between the Israeli government and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) during the 1990s, part of the West Bank came under the control of the Palestinian Authority.
    • With varying levels of autonomy, the Palestinian Authority controls close to 40 percent of West Bank today, while the rest is controlled by Israel.

    Back2Basics: Gaza Strip

    • The Gaza Strip is a small boot-shaped territory along the Mediterranean coast between Egypt and Israel.
    • A couple of years later in 2007, Hamas, an anti-Israel military group, took over Gaza Strip. The militia group is often involved in violent clashes with the Israeli Defence Forces.
    • While Palestine has staked claim to both territories — West Bank and Gaza Strip — Israel’s objective has been to keep expanding Jewish settlements in these regions.

  • Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) Visa Issue

    In a bid to allay fears of the OCI cardholders over the temporary suspension of their long-term visas, the Ministry for External Affairs has said the government will soon take an appropriate decision.

    UPSC may ask a statement based question in prelims considering various privileges of the OCI cardholders.

    What is the issue?

    • A large number of Indian citizens whose children are OCI cardholders and several people of Indian-origin having the card are unable to travel to India, even for emergency reasons, because of the temporary suspension of their long-term visa.

    Who is an Overseas Citizen?

    • An OCI is a category introduced by the government in 2005.
    • Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) of certain categories as specified in the Citizenship Act, 1955 are eligible for being OCI cardholders.
    • Some of the benefits for PIO and OCI cardholders were different until 2015 when the government merged these two categories.
    • The MHA defines an OCI as a person who was a citizen of India on or after January 26, 1950; or was eligible to become a citizen of India on that date; or who is a child or grandchild of such a person, among other eligibility criteria.
    • According to Section 7A of the OCI card rules, an applicant is not eligible for the OCI card if he, his parents or grandparents have ever been a citizen of Pakistan or Bangladesh.

    Privileges to an OCI

    • OCI cardholders can enter India multiple times, get a multipurpose lifelong visa to visit India, and are exempt from registering with Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) no matter how long their stay.
    • If an individual is registered as an OCI for a period of five years, he/she are eligible to apply for Indian citizenship.
    • At all Indian international airports, OCI cardholders are provided with special immigration counters.
    • OCI cardholders can open special bank accounts in India, they can buy the non-farm property and exercise ownership rights and can also apply for a driver’s license and PAN card.
    • However, OCI cardholders do not get voting rights, cannot hold a government job and purchase agricultural or farmland.
    • They cannot run for public office either, nor can they travel to restricted areas without government permission.

    Back2Basics

    https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/explained-how-an-indian-citizen-is-defined/

  • Jammu and Kashmir notifies amended domicile certificate rules

    The J&K administration has notified the J&K grant of domicile certificate procedure rules 2020 and set a fast track process in motion to issue the certificates within a stipulated time of 15 days.

    Practice mains question:

    Discuss how the new domicile rules for the UT of Jammu and Kashmir would enable its full integration with the mainstream India.

    New domicile rules

    • Domicile certificates have now been made a basic eligibility condition for appointment to any post under the Union Territory of J&K following the amendments in the previous Act.
    • These rules provide a simple time-bound and transparent procedure for issuance of domicile certificates in such a manner that no category of person is put to any inconvenience.
    • There is a timeline of 15 days for issuance of certificates. Under the amended rules, eligible non-locals can also apply for the certificate.
    • To make the process transparent and time-bound, any officer not able to issue the certificate would be penalized â‚č50,000. The amount would be recovered from his salary.
    • The new process will allow West Pakistan refugees, safai karamcharis and children of women who married non-locals to apply for jobs here.

    Who can avail the domicile certificates?

    • All Permanent Resident Certificate holders and their children living outside J&K can apply for the certificates.
    • Kashmiri migrants living in or outside J&K can get domicile certificates by simply producing their Permanent Residence Certificate (PRC), ration card copy, voter card or any other valid document.
    • A special window is also provided to migrants who have not registered with the Relief and Rehabilitation department.
    • Bonafide migrants can apply with the Relief and Rehabilitation department by providing documents like electoral rolls of 1988, proof of registration as a migrant in any State in the country or any other valid document.

    Earlier Criteria for Domiciles

    Satisfying any of the criteria mentioned below, a person would be deemed as a domicile of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir:

    • A person who has resided for a period of 15 years in the UT of J&K or
    • A person who has studied for a period of seven years and appeared in Class 10th/12th examination in an educational institution located in the UT of J&K
    • Someone who is registered as a migrant by the Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner (Migrants)
    • Children of Central government officials, All India Services, PSUs, autonomous body of Centre, Public Sector Banks, officials of statutory bodies, Central Universities, recognised research institutes of Centre who have served in J&K for a total period of 10 years
    • Children of such residents of J&K who reside outside J&K in connection with their employment or business or other professional or vocational reasons but their parents fulfil any of the conditions provided

    Job criteria for new domiciles

    • The domiciles will be eligible for the purposes of appointment to any post carrying a pay scale of not more than Level 4.
    • The Level 4 post comprises positions such as gardeners, barbers, office peons and waterman and the highest rank in the category is that of a junior assistant.
    • The reservation for domiciles would not apply to Group A and Group B posts, and like other UTs, recruitment would be done by the UPSC.

    Must read:

    [Burning Issues] J&K New Domicile Rules

  • Afghan Power-Sharing Deal

    Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and political rival Abdullah Abdullah have signed a power-sharing agreement two months after both declared themselves the winner of last presidential election.

    Practice question for mains:

    Q. India’s reluctance to enter into talks with the Taliban in Afghan peace process needs a rethink. Comment.

    The Deal

    • The deal calls for Abdullah to lead the country’s National Reconciliation High Council and some members of Abdullah’s team would be included in Ghani’s Cabinet.
    • Ghani would remain President of the war-torn nation.
    • The Reconciliation Council has been given the authority to handle and approve all affairs related to Afghanistan’s peace process.

    Why such a deal?

    • Afghanistan has been in political disarray since the country’s Election Commission in December announced Mr. Ghani had won the September 28 election with more than 50% of the vote.
    • Abdullah had received more than 39% of the vote, according to the EC, but he and the Elections Complaint Commission charged widespread voting irregularities.
    • Ghani and Mr. Abdullah both declared themselves president in parallel inauguration ceremonies in March.
    • The discord then prompted the Trump administration to announce it would cut $1 billion in assistance to Afghanistan if the two weren’t able to work out their differences.

    Role of the US

    • A peace agreement between the U.S. and the Taliban signed February 29 calls for U.S. and NATO troops to leave Afghanistan.
    • It was seen at the time as Afghanistan’s best chance at peace in decades of war.
    • Since then, the U.S. has been trying to get the Taliban and the Afghan government to begin intra-Afghan negotiations, but the political turmoil and personal acrimony between the two impeded talks.

    Also read:

    Afghan peace and India’s elbow room

    Back2Basics

    [Burning Issue] The US-Taliban Peace Agreement

  • [pib] Star Ratings of Garbage Free Cities

    The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has released the Star rating of garbage-free cities for the assessment year 2019-2020.

    Practice question for mains:

    Q. Discuss how the Swachh Bharat Mission has become a people’s movement in India. Also, discuss how it has managed to instill a behavioural change amongst the citizens.

    About Star Rating Protocol

    • The Star Rating Protocol was launched by the MoHUA in January 2018 to institutionalize a mechanism for cities to achieve Garbage Free status and to motivate cities to achieve higher degrees of cleanliness.
    • The protocol has been devised in a holistic manner including components such as the cleanliness of drains & water bodies, plastic waste management, managing construction & demolition waste, etc.
    • While the key thrust of this protocol is on Solid waste management(SWM), it also takes care of ensuring certain minimum standards of sanitation through a set of prerequisites defined in the framework.
    • The new protocol considers ward-wise geo-mapping, monitoring of SWM value chain through ICT interventions like Swachh Nagar App and zone-wise rating in cities with a population above 50 lakh.

    Performance of cities

    • Accordingly, as per the 2020 survey, 6 cities have been graded 5 stars, 65 Cities rated 3 Star and 70 Cities rated 1 Star.

    5 Star Cities

    ULB Name State Final Rating
    Ambikapur Chhattisgarh 5 Star
    Rajkot Gujarat 5 Star
    Surat Gujarat 5 Star
    Mysore Karnataka 5 Star
    Indore Madhya Pradesh 5 Star
    Navi Mumbai Maharashtra 5 Star

    Assessment under the protocol

    • To ensure that the Protocol has a SMART framework, the MoHUA has developed a three-stage assessment process.
    • In the first stage, ULBs populate their progress data on the portal along with supporting documents within a particular timeframe.
    • The second stage involves a desktop assessment by a third-party agency selected and appointed by MoHUA.
    • Claims of cities that clear the desktop assessment are then verified through independent field-level observations in the third stage.

    Significance

    • This certification is an acknowledgement of the clean status of Urban Local Bodies and strengthened SWM systems as well as a mark of trust and reliability akin to universally known standards.

    Back2Basics: Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM)

    • SBM is a nation-wide campaign in India for the period 2014 to 2019 that aims to clean up the streets, roads and infrastructure of India’s cities, towns, urban and rural areas.
    • The objectives of Swachh Bharat include eliminating open defecation through the construction of household-owned and community-owned toilets and establishing an accountable mechanism of monitoring toilet use.
    • Run by the GoI, the mission aims to achieve an “open-defecation free” (ODF) India by 2 October 2019, the 150th anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi by constructing 90 million toilets in rural India.
    • The mission will also contribute to India reaching Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), established by the UN in 2015.
    • It is India’s largest cleanliness drive to date with three million government employees and students from all parts of India participating in 4,043 cities, towns, and rural areas.
    • The mission has two thrusts: Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (“gramin” or ‘rural’), which operates under the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation; and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (‘urban’), which operates under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

  • Unanimity at WHO

    WHO has been in news recently for all the wrong reasons. This article focuses on wide-ranging support for the resolution calling for the inquiry into the origin of the novel coronavirus. With this resolution, WHO has a chance to redeem its credibility. Until recently China seemed to be in the control of the global narrative on the pandemic. And now we witness near-unanimous support to this resolution.

    Inquiry of the origin of the virus

    • International attention is riveted on the question of an inquiry into the origin of the corona-virus.
    • The call for an international investigation was first voiced formally by the Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison.
    • Beijing reacted with open threats of trade sanctions. But Canberra pushed the investigation ahead.
    • It is working with the European Union to promote a resolution at this week’s World Health Assembly (WHA), which brings ministers from all the member states of the WHO.
    • The resolution also calls for an “impartial, independent and comprehensive” evaluation into the international response to the corona pandemic.
    • The WHA has 194 members.
    • So, the entire international community — has a voice in addressing the key issues raised by the corona crisis by debating the resolution.

    Wide support to the resolution

    • According to media reports, the resolution is close to gaining support from two-thirds of the WHA’s 194 members.
    • Australia and the EU hope to have the resolution approved unanimously.
    • Since the resolution does not mention China by name, Canberra and Brussels hope Beijing will not oppose the resolution.
    • They also hope to persuade Washington, which wanted tougher language including references to China, to endorse the resolution.
    • Whatever the fate of the resolution, the wide-ranging support it has got amidst the vocal Chinese opposition is impressive.

    So, how effective is the resolution?

    • To be sure, the resolution was watered down to get the maximum possible backing at the WHO.
    • But it is said to have enough teeth to dig deep into the issues raised by the corona crisis.

    How China controlled the corona narrative until now?

    • A few weeks ago, it seemed China and the Director-General of WHO, had full control over the corona narrative on the issues involved.
    • The Trump administration’s aggressive questioning of China’s role and WHO DG’s role had not gone down well.
    • Nor did the US threat to cut off funding for the WHO.
    • Within the US itself, opposition Democrats and the foreign policy establishment has attacked Trump for trying to “divert attention”.
    • China’s success in quickly getting things under control at home and its expansive mask diplomacy seemed to give Beijing an upper hand at the WHO.
    • China’s growing clout in the developing world and bilateral economic levers against major developed countries, including in Europe, appeared to insure against any serious international questioning of its handling of the virus.
    • What factors played the role in the passing of the resolution?
    • 1) The public pressure from the US concentrated minds at the WHO.
    • 2) Some quiet diplomacy by middle powers, including India, appears to have created the political basis for learning the right lessons from the pandemic and preventing similar eruptions in the future.

    Is it a setback for China?

    • Some observers see a unanimous approval of the resolution as a diplomatic setback for Beijing.
    • Since limiting the demands for an external inquiry has been a major political priority for Beijing.
    • There are similar demands at home for an investigation into a crisis that led to an enormous loss of life in China and punishing those responsible.
    • The leadership in Beijing is not comfortable with these demands.

    Issues with the WHO that India must pay attention to

    1. International norms for early detection

    • There is the need to develop new international norms that will increase the obligations of states and the powers of the WHO in facilitating early detection and notification of pandemics.
    • This will involve finding ways to bridge the contested notions of state sovereignty and collective security.

    2. Funding of the WHO

    • If you have a club that depends on donations rather than membership fees, donors will inevitably set the agenda.
    • Over the decades, the WHO has become ever more reliant on voluntary contributions from governments and corporations rather than assessed contributions from the member states.
    • This is going to leave the WHO rather vulnerable to pressures.

    3. WHO’s focus should be on fewer objectives

    • India must also ask if the WHO is trying to do too many things.
    • The WHO’s initial successes came when it focused on a few objectives like combatting malaria and the elimination of smallpox.
    • A limited agenda might also make the WHO a more effective organisation.

    Way forward for India

    • India knows it is one thing to pass to a resolution and entirely another to compel a great power like China to comply.
    • Any current effort to understand the origin and spread of the COVID-19 virus and a long-term strategy to deal with future pandemics must necessarily involve more than a measure of Chinese cooperation.
    • Sustained engagement with Beijing, then, is as important for Delhi as deeper cooperation with Washington and the “Quad plus” nations.
    • India should also focus on more intensive engagement with the non-aligned nations in promoting a new global regime on preventing and managing pandemics.

    Consider the question “Corona pandemic and its handling by the WHO resulted in the loss of its credibility. But the collective efforts of the nations which resulted in the passage of the resolution for inquiry of the origin of the virus, could soften the blow the credibility of WHO had suffered. Comment.”

    Conclusion

    For India, the widespread support for the resolution is a vindication of its early call for transparency and accountability in the responses of China and the WHO to the pandemic. India should take initiative to ensure the reforms at WHO and the formation of global order for preventing and managing the global order.