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GS Paper: GS2

  • Explained: Birth of United Nations

    The United Nations completed 75 years this year. In order to commemorate the historic moment, world leaders have come together, at a one-day high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly.

    Try this:

    Q.Discuss the various success and failures of the United Nations. (150W)

    Birth of United Nations

    • The United Nations was born out of the horrors of World War II.
    • At the time of its foundation, it was primarily tasked with the goal of maintaining world peace and saving future generations from the evils of war.

    A historical backgrounder

    • The UN was born out of the ashes of yet another international organisation created with the intention of keeping war away.
    • The League of Nations was created in June 1919, after World War I, as part of the Treaty of Versailles.
    • However, when the Second World War broke out in 1939, the League closed down and its headquarters in Geneva remained empty throughout the war.
    • Consequently, in August 1941, American President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British PM Winston Churchill held a secret meeting aboard naval ships in Placenta Bay, located in the southeast coast of Newfoundland, Canada.

    The Atlantic Charter

    • The heads of the two countries discussed the possibility of creating a body for international peace effort and a range of issues related to the war.
    • Together they issued a statement that came to be called the Atlantic Charter. It was not a treaty, but only an affirmation that paved the way for the creation of the UN.
    • It declared the realization of “certain common principles in the national policies of their respective countries on which they based their hopes for a better future for the world.”

    The name ‘UN’

    • The United States joined the war in December 1941, and for the first time the term ‘United Nations’ was coined by president Roosevelt to identify those countries which were allied against the axis powers.
    • On January 1, 1942, representatives of 26 allied nations met in Washington DC to sign the declaration of the United Nations, which basically spelt out the war objectives of the Allied powers.
    • Over the next couple of years, several meetings took place among the Allied big four — The USA, the Soviet Union, the UK and China — to decide on the post-war charter that would describe the precise role of the UN.

    Coming to existence

    • The UN finally came into existence on October 24, 1945, after being ratified by 51 nations, which included five permanent members (France, the Republic of China, the Soviet Union, the UK and the US) and 46 other signatories.
    • The first meeting of the General Assembly took place on January 10, 1946.

    Its achievements

    • While at the time of its formation, the UN consisted of only 51 member states, independence movements and decolonization in the subsequent years led to an expansion of its membership.
    • At present, 193 countries are members of the UN.
    • It has also expanded its scope to resolve over a large number of global issues such as health, environment, and women empowerment among others.
    • Soon after its formation, it passed a resolution to commit to the elimination of nuclear weapons in 1946. In 1948, it created the World Health Organisation (WHO) to deal with communicable diseases like smallpox, malaria, HIV.
    • In 1950, the UN created the High Commissioner for Refugees to take care of the millions who had been displaced due to World War II.
    • More recently in 2002, the UN established the UN criminal court to try those who have committed war crimes, genocide, and other atrocities.

    Various criticisms

    • The UN has also met with its share of criticisms. In 1994, for instance, the organisation failed to stop the Rwandan genocide.
    • In 2005, UN peacekeeping missions were accused of sexual misconduct in the Republic of Congo, and similar allegations have also come from Cambodia and Haiti.
    • In 2011, the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan was unsuccessful in eliminating the bloodshed caused in the civil war that broke out in 2013.

  • Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2020

    The Centre is set to amend the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act and has proposed to make Aadhaar a mandatory identification document for all the office-bearers, directors and other key functionaries of an NGO or an association eligible to receive foreign donations.

    What are the news Amendments?

    (1) Prohibition to accept foreign contribution:

    • Under the Act, certain persons are prohibited to accept any foreign contribution.
    • These include election candidates, editor or publisher of a newspaper, judges, government servants, members of any legislature, and political parties, among others.
    • The Bill adds public servants (as defined under the Indian Penal Code) to this list.
    • Public servants include any person who is in service or pay of the government or remunerated by the government for the performance of any public duty.

    (2) Transfer of foreign contribution:

    • Under the Act, foreign contribution cannot be transferred to any other person unless such person is also registered to accept foreign contribution (or has obtained prior permission under the Act to obtain foreign contribution).
    • The Bill amends this to prohibit the transfer of foreign contribution to any other person. The term ‘person’ under the Act includes an individual, an association, or a registered company.

    (3) Aadhaar for registration:

    • The Act states that a person may accept foreign contribution if they have: (i) obtained a certificate of registration from central government, or (ii) not registered, but obtained prior permission from the government to accept foreign contribution.
    • Any person seeking registration (or renewal of such registration) or prior permission for receiving the foreign contribution must make an application to the central government in the prescribed manner.
    • The Bill adds that any person seeking prior permission, registration or renewal of registration must provide the Aadhaar number of all its office bearers, directors or key functionaries, as an identification document.
    • In case of a foreigner, they must provide a copy of the passport or the Overseas Citizen of India card for identification.

    (4) FCRA account:

    • Under the Act, a registered person must accept foreign contribution only in a single branch of a scheduled bank specified by them.
    • However, they may open more accounts in other banks for utilization of the contribution.
    • The Bill amends this to state that foreign contribution must be received only in an account designated by the bank as “FCRA account” in such branch of the State Bank of India, New Delhi, as notified by the central government.
    • No funds other than the foreign contribution should be received or deposited in this account.

    (5) Restriction in the utilization of foreign contribution:

    • Under the Act, if a person accepting foreign contribution is found guilty of violating any provisions of the Act or the unutilized or unreceived foreign contribution may be utilized or received, only with the prior approval of the central government.
    • This amendment Bill also seeks to prohibit the transfer of FCRA funds to other persons or organisations.
    • The Bill adds that the government may also restrict usage of unutilized foreign contribution for persons who have been granted prior permission to receive such contribution.
    • This may be done if, based on a summary inquiry, and pending any further inquiry, the government believes that such a person has contravened provisions of the Act.

    (6) Renewal of license:

    • Under the Act, every person who has been given a certificate of registration must renew the certificate within six months of expiration.
    • The Bill provides that the government may conduct an inquiry before renewing the certificate to ensure that the person making the application: (i) is not fictitious or benami, (ii) has not been prosecuted or convicted for creating communal tension and (iii) has not been found guilty of diversion or misutilisation of funds, among others conditions.

    (7) Reduction in use of foreign contribution for administrative purposes:

    • Under the Act, a person who receives foreign contribution must use it only for the purpose for which the contribution is received.
    • Further, they must not use more than 50% of the contribution to meeting administrative expenses. The Bill reduces this limit to 20%.

    (8) Surrender of certificate:

    • The Bill adds a provision allowing the central government to permit a person to surrender their registration certificate.
    • The government may do so if, post an inquiry, it is satisfied that such person has not contravened any provisions of the Act, and the management of its foreign contribution (and related assets) has been vested in an authority prescribed by the government.

    (9) Suspension of registration:

    • Under the Act, the government may suspend the registration of a person for a period not exceeding 180 days.
    • The Bill adds that such suspension may be extended up to an additional 180 days.

    Significance of the amendment

    1.Prevent misuse:

    • The annual inflow of foreign contribution has almost doubled between the years 2010 and 2019, but many recipients of foreign contribution have not utilised the same for the purpose for which they were registered or granted prior permission under the FCRA 2010.
    • Recently, the Union Home Ministry has suspended licenses of the six (NGOs) who were alleged to have used foreign contributions for religious conversion.

    2.Strengthen National security

    • Many persons were not adhering to statutory compliances such as submission of annual returns and maintenance of proper accounts.
    • Such a situation could have adversely affected the internal security of the country.

    3.Transparency and accountability

    • The new Bill aims to enhance transparency and accountability in the receipt and utilisation of foreign contributions and facilitating the genuine non-governmental organisations or associations who are working for the welfare of society.

    Criticism of the FCRA Bill, 2020

    • The legislation may be used to target political opponents and religious minorities.
    • Effects NGO Functioning: Due to the 20% cap, many NGOs will shut shop and many people will become jobless.
    • Inconsistency: On one hand the government invites foreign funds, but when such funds come for educational and charitable purposes, it is prevented.
    • High compliance rate: According to the GoI’s FCRA dashboard, there are 22,447 active FCRA registrations in India today. In 2018-19, 21,915 annual returns were filed – a compliance rate of 97.6%.
    • Double standards: PM CARES fund had received exemptions from complying with FCRA provisions when it is headed by Union cabinet ministers and administered by PMO officials.
    • Licence-Raj on NGOs: The Bill assumes that all NGOs receiving foreign grants are guilty and thus makes Aadhar of office bearers as mandatory requirement.
    • Bureaucratic Discretion: There is a thin line between enforcing transparency and using rules to allow official interference and harassment in the sector. Much of the present bill crosses that line and introduces a questionable degree of micro-management.

    Way Forward

    • NGOs are helpful in implementing government schemes at the grassroots. They fill the gaps, where the government fails to do their jobs.
    • The government must stick to the ancient Indian ethos of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam as the framework for its global engagement and should not act with vendetta against the NGOs who criticize its working.
    • Seamless sharing of ideas and resources across national boundaries is essential to the functioning of a global community, and should not be discouraged unless there is reason to believe the funds are being used to aid illegal activities.

  • Roles, functions and limitations of Parliamentary Committees

    The government pushed through two crucial agriculture Bills in Rajya Sabha, rejecting Opposition demands to refer them to a Select Committee of Rajya Sabha.

    Try this PYQ:

    With reference to the Parliament of India which of the following Parliamentary Committees scrutinizes and reports to the House whether the powers to make regulations, rules, sub-rules, bylaws, etc. conferred by the Constitution or delegated by the Parliament are being properly exercised by the Executive within the scope of such delegation?(CSP 2018)

    (a) Committee on Government Assurances

    (b) Committee on Subordinate Legislation

    (c) Rules Committee

    (d) Business Advisory Committee

    What is a Parliamentary Committee?

    • It means a Committee which is appointed or elected by the House or nominated by the Speaker and which works under the direction of the Speaker and presents its report to the House or to the Speaker and the Secretariat for which is provided by the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

    By their nature, Parliamentary Committees are of two kinds: Standing Committees and Ad hoc Committees.

    1. Standing Committees are permanent and regular committees which are constituted from time to time in pursuance of the provisions of an Act of Parliament or Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha. The work of these Committees is of continuous nature. The Financial Committees, DRSCs and some other Committees come under the category of Standing Committees.
    2. Ad hoc Committees are appointed for a specific purpose and they cease to exist when they finish the task assigned to them and submit a report. The principal Ad hoc Committees are the Select and Joint Committees on Bills. Railway Convention Committee, Joint Committee on Food Management in Parliament House Complex etc also come under the category of ad hoc Committees.

    Why need Parliamentary Committee?

    • Parliament scrutinizes legislative proposals (Bills) in two ways. The first is by discussing it on the floor of the two Houses.
    • This is a legislative requirement; all Bills have to be taken up for debate.
    • The time spent debating the bills can vary. They can be passed in a matter of minutes, or debate and voting on them can run late into the night.
    • Since Parliament meets for 70 to 80 days in a year, there is not enough time to discuss every Bill in detail on the floor of the House.

    Its role in the passage of a Bill

    • The debate in the house is mostly political and does not go into the technical details of a legislative proposal.
    • The second mechanism is by referring a Bill to a parliamentary committee. It takes care of the legislative infirmity of debate on the floor of the House.
    • However, referring to Bills to parliamentary committees is not mandatory.

    And what is a Select Committee?

    • India’s Parliament has multiple types of committees.
    • They can be differentiated on the basis of their work, their membership and the length of their tenure. First are committees that examine bills, budgets and policies of ministries.
    • These are called departmentally related Standing Committees. There are 24 such committees and between them, they focus on the working of different ministries.
    • Each committee has 31 MPs, 21 from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha.
    • The main purpose is to ensure the accountability of Government to Parliament through a more detailed consideration of measures in these committees.
    • The purpose is not to weaken or criticize the administration but to strengthen by investing in with more meaningful parliamentary support.

    When does a committee examine a Bill?

    • Bills are not automatically sent to committees for examination. There are three broad paths by which a Bill can reach a committee.
    • The first is when the minister piloting the Bill recommends to the House that his Bill be examined by a Select Committee of the House or a joint committee of both Houses.
    • Last year Electronics and IT Minister moved a motion in Lok Sabha referring the Personal Data Protection Bill to a Joint Committee.
    • If the minister makes no such motion, it is up to the presiding officer of the House to decide whether to send a Bill to a departmentally related Standing Committee.

    What happens when a bill goes to a Committee?

    • Sending a Bill to any committee results in two things.
    • First, the committee undertakes a detailed examination of the Bill. It invites comments and suggestions from experts, stakeholders and citizens.
    • The government also appears before the committee to present its viewpoint.
    • All this results in a report that makes suggestions for strengthening the Bill. While the committee is deliberating on a Bill, there is a pause in its legislative journey.
    • It can only progress in Parliament after the committee has submitted its report. Usually, parliamentary committees are supposed to submit their reports in three months, but sometimes it can take longer.

    What happens after the report?

    • The report of the committee is of a recommendatory nature. The government can choose to accept or reject its recommendations.
    • Very often the government incorporates suggestions made by committees. Select Committees and JPCs have an added advantage.
    • In their report, they can also include their version of the Bill. If they do so, the minister in charge of that particular Bill can move for the committee’s version of the Bill to be discussed and passed in the House.

  • New versions of labour codes – key proposals and concerns

    The government has introduced new versions of three labour codes – Industrial Relations Code Bill, 2020, Code on Social Security Bill, 2020 and Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code Bill, 2020.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.Disguised unemployment generally means:

    (a) A large number of people remain unemployed

    (b) Alternative employment is not available

    (c) Marginal productivity of labour is zero

    (d) Productivity of workers is low

    What are the key proposals?

    (1) Industrial Relations Code Bill, 2020

    • In this, the government has proposed to introduce more conditions restricting the rights of workers to strike, alongside an increase in the threshold relating to layoffs and retrenchment.
    • The Code has raised the threshold for the requirement of a standing order — rules of conduct for workmen employed in industrial establishments — to over 300 workers.
    • This implies industrial establishments with up to 300 workers will not be required to furnish a standing order, a move which experts say would enable companies to introduce arbitrary service conditions for workers.
    • These steps are likely to provide more flexibility to employers for hiring and firing workers without government permission.

    (2) Social Security Code

    • It proposes a National Social Security Board which shall recommend to the central government for formulating suitable schemes for different sections of unorganised workers, gig workers and platform workers.
    • Also, aggregators employing gig workers will have to contribute 1-2 per cent of their annual turnover for social security, with the total contribution not exceeding 5 per.

    (3) Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code

    • This code has defined inter-state migrant workers as the worker who has come on his own from one state and obtained employment in another state, earning up to Rs 18,000 a month.
    • The proposed definition makes a distinction from the present definition of only contractual employment.
    • The Code, however, has dropped the earlier provision for temporary accommodation for workers near the worksites.
    • It has though proposed a journey allowance — a lump sum amount of fare to be paid by the employer for to and fro journey of the worker to his/her native place from the place of his/her employment.

    What are the other proposals for workers?

    • The IR Code Bill has also proposed a worker re-skilling fund.
    • The contributions for the fund are only detailed from the employer of an industrial establishment amounting to fifteen days wages last drawn by the worker immediately before the retrenchment along with the contribution from such other sources.
    • The mention of ‘other sources’ for funding the re-skilling fund is vague.

    What are the concerns raised over the new labour codes?

    • Analysts say the increase in the threshold for standing orders will water down the labour rights for workers in small establishments having less than 300 workers.
    • The increase is uncalled for and shows the government is very keen to give tremendous amounts of flexibility to the employers in terms of hiring and firing.
    • Dismissal for alleged misconduct and retrenchment for economic reasons will be completely possible for all the industrial establishments employing less than 300 workers.
    • The Industrial Relations Code also introduces new conditions for carrying out a legal strike.
    • The time period for arbitration proceedings has been included in the conditions for workers before going on a legal strike as against only the time for conciliation at present.

  • [pib] E-Gram Swaraj Portal

    A unified tool e-Gram SWARAJ portal has been developed by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj for effective monitoring and evaluation of works taken up in the Gram Panchayats.

    e-Gram SWARAJ

    • It unifies the planning, accounting and monitoring functions of Gram Panchayats.
    • Its combination with the Area Profiler application, Local Government Directory (LGD) and the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) renders easier reporting and tracking of Gram Panchayat’s activities.
    • It provides a single-window for capturing Panchayat information with the complete Profile of the Panchayat, details of Panchayat finances, asset details, activities taken up through Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) etc.

  • Hate speech in India

    Context

    • Sudarshan TV case will have several implication for the regulation of free speech.
    • In principle, Indian law allows prior restraint on broadcasting. This prior restraint should be used sparingly and must meet a high constitutional bar.
    • Indian law also allows regulation for hate speech.

    Maintaining the equilibrium

    • The government feared that if it did not have the power to regulate speech, it will threaten the stability of society.
    • The hate and violence got the state to betray its own liberal commitments
    • Liberals never acquired the confidence of people to let go of  state regulation in the name of defending the republic.
    • The spread of hate speech and its political consequences are now infinitely greater.
    • The situation, where communication mediums are used to target communities, are not outside the realm of possibility.
    •  It is for this reason we still have so many restraints on speech.

    Challenges in regulation of speech

    • Almost every regulation of speech, no matter how well intentioned, increases the power of the state.
    • But now, in the current context, empowering the state is a frightening prospect as well.
    • The issue is fundamentally political and we should not pretend that fine legal distinctions will solve the issue.
    • An over-reliance on legal instruments to solve fundamentally social and political problems often backfires.

    3 lessons to learn

    • 1) The more the state regulates, the more it politicises the regulation of speech, and ultimately legitimate dissent will be the victim.
    • 2) There is a whole bunch of laws and regulation already on the books for regulation, these have been ineffective because of institutional dysfunction.
    • 3) Social media operates on a set of monetising incentives. But broadcast media is also based on political economy.
    • The granting of licences has always been a political affair; the pricing structures set by the TRAI have perverse consequences for quality and competition.
    • Our current media landscape is neither a market nor a state. The more the underlying political economy of media is broken, the less likely it is that free speech will stand a chance.

    Way forward

    • Not post facto content regulation, but a market structure that can help provide more checks and balances.
    • Not let bad media drive out good.
    • The Court suo motu setting up a regulatory framework does not inspire confidence. It is not its jurisdiction to begin with.
    •  This is something for Parliament to think about.

    Conclusion

    The government must walk the tight rope of regulation and safeguarding the rights of all.

  • Role for India in Afghan peace push

    The U.S. objectives

    • Following  4 were the states as objectives of the Afghan peace process.
    • 1) An end to violence by declaring a ceasefire.
    • 2) An intra-Afghan dialogue for a lasting peace.
    • 3) The Taliban cutting ties with terrorist organisations such as al Qaeda.
    • 4)  U.S. troop withdrawal.

    Evolving Indian stand in the peace process

    • India’s vision of a sovereign, united, stable, plural and democratic Afghanistan is one that is shared by a large constituency in Afghanistan, cutting across ethnic and provincial lines.
    • At Doha meeting, India’s External Affairs Ministerreiterated that the peace process must be “Afghan led, Afghan owned and Afghan controlled”.
    • But Indian policy has evolved from its earlier hands-off approach to the Taliban.
    • U.S. and Russian representatives suggested if India had concerns regarding anti-India activities of terrorist groups, it must engage directly with the Taliban. In other words.

    Limited interest of the major powers

    • Major powers have limited interests in the peace process.
    • The European Union has made it clear that its financial contribution will depend on the security environment and the human rights record.
    • China can always lean on Pakistan to preserve its security and connectivity interests.
    • For Russia, blocking the drug supply and keeping its southern periphery secure from extremist influences is key.
    • That is why no major power is taking ownership for the reconciliation talks, but merely content with being facilitators.

    Conclusion

    A more active engagement will enable India to work with like-minded forces in the region to ensure that the vacuum created by the U.S. withdrawal does not lead to an unravelling of the gains registered during the last two decades.

  • Indus Water Treaty turns 60

    September 19 this year marks the 60th anniversary of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) between India and Pakistan.

    Tap to read more about Indus River System:

    Drainage System | Part 3

    Indus Waters Treaty, 1960

    • The Indus Waters Treaty is a water-distribution treaty between India and Pakistan, brokered by the World Bank signed in Karachi in 1960.
    • According to this agreement, control over the water flowing in three “eastern” rivers of India — the Beas, the Ravi and the Sutlej was given to India
    • The control over the water flowing in three “western” rivers of India — the Indus, the Chenab and the Jhelum was given to Pakistan
    • The treaty allowed India to use western rivers water for limited irrigation use and unrestricted use for power generation, domestic, industrial and non-consumptive uses such as navigation, floating of property, fish culture, etc. while laying down precise regulations for India to build projects
    • India has also been given the right to generate hydroelectricity through the run of the river (RoR) projects on the Western Rivers which, subject to specific criteria for design and operation is unrestricted.

    Based on equitable water-sharing

    • Back in time, partitioning the Indus rivers system was inevitable after the Partition of India in 1947.
    • The sharing formula devised after prolonged negotiations sliced the Indus system into two halves.
    • Equitable it may have seemed, but the fact remained that India conceded 80.52 per cent of the aggregate water flows in the Indus system to Pakistan.
    • It also gave Rs 83 crore in pounds sterling to Pakistan to help build replacement canals from the western rivers. Such generosity is unusual of an upper riparian.
    • India conceded its upper riparian position on the western rivers for the complete rights on the eastern rivers. Water was critical for India’s development plans.

    India plays resilient

    • That the treaty has remained “uninterrupted” is because India respects its signatory and values trans-boundary Rivers as an important connector in the region in terms of both diplomacy and economic prosperity.
    • There have been several instances of terror attacks which could have prompted India, within the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, to withdraw from the IWT.
    • However, on each occasion, India chose not to do so.

    Significance of the treaty

    • It is a treaty that is often cited as an example of the possibilities of peaceful coexistence that exist despite the troubled relationship.
    • Well-wishers of the treaty often dub it “uninterrupted and uninterruptible”.
    • The World Bank, which, as the third party, played a pivotal role in crafting the IWT, continues to take particular pride that the treaty functions.

    Need for a rethink

    • The role of India, as a responsible upper riparian abiding by the provisions of the treaty, has been remarkable.
    • However, of late, India is under pressure to rethink the extent to which it can remain committed to the provisions, as its overall political relations with Pakistan becomes intractable.

  • Power, problems and potential of federalism

    The article analyses the issues of distribution of powers under the Constitution and the issues linked with it.

    Debate on the role of Centre and states

    • There is an argument for the need to re-examine the distribution of powers under the Seventh Schedule so as to rationalise the Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSSs).
    • Under the Centrally Sponsored SchemesCentre extends support in sectors pertaining to the State List.
    • Spending by the Centre on a state subject like health and need for states’ contribute to a Union subject like defence is considered.
    • However, the constitutional assignments between the Centre and subnational governments in federations, are done broadly on the basis of their respective comparative advantage.
    • That is why the provision of national public goods is in the federal domain and those with the state-level public service span are assigned to the states.

    3 settled issues in the debate

    • The debate seems to have settled on at least three counts.
    • One, the federal organisation of powers can be revisited and reframed.
    • Two, the CSSs must continue but they should be restructured.
    • Three, there is a need for an appropriate forum to discuss the complex and contentious issue of reviewing federal organisation of powers and restructuring of central transfers.

    Review of the subjects in lists

    • In spite of health being a state subject, the response to collective threats linked to the subject required some kind of organisation of federal responsibilities on a functional basis.
    • A typical response is to recommend shifting subjects to the Concurrent List to enable an active role for the Centre.
    • The High-Level Group, constituted by the 15th Finance Commission, recommended shifting health from the State to the Concurrent List.
    • A similar recommendation was made earlier by the Ashok Chawla Committee for water.

    Challenges

    • Shifting of subjects from the State to Concurrent List in times of acute sub-nationalism, deep territorialisation and competitive federalism is going to be challenging.

    Way forward

    • The most collective threats and the challenges of coping with emerging risks of sustainability are linked to either the State List subjects or require actions by states — water, agriculture, biodiversity, pollution, climate change.
    • This extended role of ensuring security against threats to sustainability of resources forms a new layer of considerations.
    • This should define the contours of a coordinated response between the Centre and States — as it happened during the pandemic.
    • In fact, such threats and challenges require the states to play a dominant role.
    • At the same time, the Centre must expand its role beyond the mitigation of inter-state externalities and address the challenges of security and sustainability.

    Consider the question “The federal organisation of powers under the Constitution’s Seventh Schedule needs review. In light of this, examine the problems faced by the distribution and suggest the challenge the review would face.”

    Conclusion

    The ongoing friction between the Centre and the states over GST reforms tells us that consensus-building is not a one-time exercise. It has to allow sustained dialogue and deliberation. Perhaps it is time to revisit the proposal for an elevated and empowered Inter-State Council.

  • What is Queen’s Counsel?

    India has suggested Pakistan appointing a Queen’s Counsel for the Kulbhushan Jadhav case to ensure a free and fair trial.

    Queen’s Counsel

    • In the UK and in some Commonwealth countries, a Queen’s Counsel during the reign of a queen is a lawyer who is appointed by the monarch of the country to be one of ’Her Majesty’s Counsel learned in the law’.
    • The position originated in England.
    • Some Commonwealth countries have either abolished the position, or re-named it so as to remove monarchical connotations, for example, ’Senior Counsel’ or ’Senior Advocate’.
    • Queen’s Counsel is an office, conferred by the Crown that is recognised by courts.
    • Senior Advocate Harish Salve earlier this year has been appointed as Queen’s Counsel (QC) for the courts of England and Wales.