Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: ICAI
Mains level: Paper 3- Strengthening the ICAI's accountability
Context
The Lok Sabha has approved a Bill to amend the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949, the law that governs the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI).
What are the changes proposed in the Bill?
- Introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 17, 2021, and titled the Chartered Accountants, the Cost and Works Accountants and the Company Secretaries (Amendment) Bill, 2021.
- The key changes it proposes are in the area of discipline and governance and administration.
- 1] Discipline: The ICAI’s disciplinary committee and board of discipline will be chaired by non-chartered accountants (CA),
- Its elected council members will no longer be in a majority in them.
- 2] Governance and administration: The term of the ICAI’s Council will be raised from three to four years, the maximum number of consecutive terms for its elected members will be reduced to two from the current three;
- The ICAI’s Secretary will replace the ICAI’s president as its chief executive and perform the functions to be specified;
- The ICAI will appoint its auditor from the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India’s panel of CA firms;
- The Government will form a coordination committee for the ICAI and the Institutes of Cost Accountants and Company Secretaries of India.
- The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance has endorsed these changes and has further recommended an end to the ICAI’s monopoly in certification.
Challenges facing Chartered Accountancy and ICAI
1] Lacking critical thinking and analytical ability
- Senior industry managers say that many CAs do not have what it takes to succeed in the corporate world, i.e., analytical ability, critical thinking, appreciation of the business context, grasp of technology, and communication and presentation skills.
- CA students do not have in-class interaction.
- Also, the coaching is focused on cracking examinations rather than facilitating understanding and application.
2] Poor record in disciplining members
- The ICAI’s record in disciplining its members is even more problematic.
- There have been persistent complaints that the ICAI is lax in acting against errant members.
- In 2018, the Government had set up the National Financial Reporting Authority as India’s first independent regulator of accounting and audit.
- The proposed changes in the composition of the ICAI’s disciplinary arms will further limit its role.
- As a result, the ICAI will be effectively reduced to an examination board.
3] ICAI failed to keep pace with changes
- The ICAI was set up in 1949, largely as the Indian version of the U.K. institute
- Much of the work that CAs do and clamour for is a remnant of the licence raj.
- Many businesses and professions have changed beyond recognition as a result of the economic reforms initiated in 1991.
- The demutualised and technology-driven National Stock Exchange of India has transformed stock-broking.
- Indian IT and pharma companies now compete successfully with the best in the world.
- In contrast, CA has not kept pace with the changes in India’s dynamic economy and changing society.
- Overseas accountancy qualifications such as the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) are gaining popularity in India, perhaps because they are recognised worldwide, are more relevant to current and future needs, and are accepted even in India by global companies and global accounting firms.
4] Challenges posed by technology such as AI/ML
- Accounting and auditing are more amenable to the replacement of humans by technology.
- AI, robotics, and other technological advances are likely to reduce the need for human intervention in accounting.
- Also, recent administrative reforms aimed at enabling ease of doing business and ease of living, such as faceless tax assessment, easy filing of tax returns, prompt refunds, rising threshold for tax audit, and abolition of Goods and Services Tax audit have greatly reduced the availability of captive, government-mandated, make-work business for CAs.
Way forward
- Setting IIAs: The Parliamentary Committee’s suggestion to set up a string of Indian Institutes of Accounting (IIAs) on the lines of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) and the Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) is innovative.
- At one level, they will end the ICAI’s statutory monopoly over certification.
- More competition should result in better quality and higher standards of conduct.
Conclusion
The Bill and the Parliamentary Committee’s report can be seen as efforts to drag the ICAI to the contemporary world. It would be wise to read the proposed changes as a warning and respond maturely.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: ECTA
Mains level: Paper 2- INDAUS-ECTA
Context
Prime Ministers of India and Australis will preside virtually over the signing of a bilateral Free Trade Agreement(ECTA) negotiated in torturous detail over the last decade.
Background
- Negotiations for a bilateral Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement began in May 2011.
- But the negotiations continued in fits and starts, without significant progress or indeed real political direction.
- In June 2020, as part of the Joint Statement after establishing a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, it was decided to re-engage on a CECA.
- Consequently, at the 17th India-Australia Joint Ministerial Commission meeting in September 2021, CECA negotiations were re-launched.
- During virtual summit in 2022, India-Australia fleshed out areas of cooperation ranging from science and technology to climate change and defence to people-to-people ties, and included possibilities of joint surveillance and real-time intelligence sharing.
- On the eve of the summit, the Morrison government invested over USD 280 million to give a fillip to cooperation with India; to further grow its economic relationship and support jobs and businesses in both countries; as well as to empower the Indian diaspora.
About INDAUS-ECTA
- The INDAUS ECTA (India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement), reflects vision of the essential unity of the two countries.
- The ECTA deal is apparently fully in compliance with WTO rules and Article 24 of GATT.
- Article 24 of GATT allows countries to grant special treatment to one another by establishing a free-trade association, provided that “(1) duties and other trade restrictions would be eliminated on substantially all the trade among the participants, (2) the elimination of internal barriers occurred within a reasonable length of time….”
- The ECTA should give a boost to India’s labour-intensive manufacturing sector, with a considerable leg-up to the pharma, textile, gemstone and jewellery sectors.
- Indian students in Australia will find an easier pathway to employment, and there will be greater ease of visa for a range of skilled human capital from India in demand in Australia, including chefs and yoga instructors.
- Most of the farming and dairy sector seems to have been kept away from the present agreement.
- Australian coal will probably get relatively unfettered access to India.
Significance of the ECTA for India-Australia relations
- The ECTA represents a watershed moment in bilateral relations.
- ECTA is also a significant turning point for India’s foreign policy — both in terms of geo-strategy as well as geo-economics.
- Partnership with the convergence of interests: India and Australia today represent a partnership with a near complete convergence of interests and values.
- Shared concerns over China: Two multicultural, federal democracies that share concerns about stability in the Indo Pacific, are apprehensive about Chinese hegemonic designs, and are increasingly coordinating their policies, are natural partners of the future.
Conclusion
The ECTA signals that India’s relations with Australia — two central pivots of the Quad — are as strong and resilient as ever.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Boundary disputes in North-East
Assam and Meghalaya partially resolved a 50-year-old dispute along their 884.9 km boundary.
What is the news?
- An agreement was signed between Assam CM and his Meghalaya counterpart in the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi.
- According to the partial boundary deal, Assam will get 18.51 sq. km of the 36.79 sq. km disputed area while Meghalaya will get the remaining 18.28 sq. km.
- The agreement is expected to pave the way for resolving disputes in the boundary and similar areas of difference between Assam and three other NE States.
What is the Assam-Meghalaya Boundary Dispute?
- Meghalaya, carved out of Assam as an autonomous State in 1970, became a full-fledged State in 1972.
- The creation of the new State was based on the Assam Reorganisation (Meghalaya) Act of 1969, which the Meghalaya government refused to accept.
- This was because the Act followed the recommendations of a 1951 committee to define the boundary of Meghalaya.
- On that panel’s recommendations, areas of the present-day East Jaintia Hills, Ri-Bhoi and West Khasi Hills districts of Meghalaya were transferred to the Karbi Anglong, Kamrup (metro) and Kamrup districts of Assam.
- Meghalaya contested these transfers after statehood, claiming that they belonged to its tribal chieftains.
- Assam said the Meghalaya government could neither provide documents nor archival materials to prove its claim over these areas.
- After claims and counter-claims, the dispute was narrowed down to 12 sectors on the basis of an official claim by Meghalaya in 2011.
Other boundary disputes in North-East
The states of the Northeast were largely carved out of Assam, which has border disputes with several states.
During British rule, Assam included present-day Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya besides Mizoram, which became separate state one by one. Today, Assam has boundary problems with each of them.
- Nagaland shares a 500-km boundary with Assam.
- In two major incidents of violence in 1979 and 1985, at least 100 persons were killed. The boundary dispute is now in the Supreme Court
- On the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh boundary (over 800 km), clashes were first reported in 1992, according to the same research paper.
- Since then, there have been several accusations of illegal encroachment from both sides, and intermittent clashes. This boundary issue is being heard by the Supreme Court.
- The 884-km Assam-Meghalaya boundary, too, witnesses flare-ups frequently. As per Meghalaya government statements, today there are 12 areas of dispute between the two states.
How did the two governments go about handling the issue?
- The two States had initially tried resolving the border dispute through negotiations but the first serious attempt was in May 1983 when they formed a joint official committee to address the issue.
- In its report submitted in November 1983, the committee suggested that the Survey of India should re-delineate the boundary with the cooperation of both the States towards settling the dispute.
- There was no follow-up action. As more areas began to be disputed, the two States agreed to the constitution of an independent panel in 1985.
- Headed by Justice Y.V. Chandrachud, the committee submitted its report in 1987.
- Meghalaya rejected the report as it was allegedly pro-Assam.
- In 2019, the Meghalaya government petitioned the Supreme Court to direct the Centre to settle the dispute. The petition was dismissed.
How was the ice broken?
- In January 2021, Home Minister urged all the north-eastern States to resolve their boundary disputes by August 15, 2022, when the country celebrates 75 years of Independence.
- It was felt that the effort could be fast-tracked since the region’s sister-States either had a common ruling party.
- In June 2021, the two States decided to resume talks at the CM level and adopt a “give-and-take” policy to settle the disputes once and for all.
- Of the 12 disputed sectors, six “less complicated” areas — Tarabari, Gizang, Hahim, Boklapara, Khanapara-Pilingkata and Ratacherra — were chosen for resolving in the first phase.
- Both States formed three regional committees, one each for a district affected by the disputed sectors.
What were the principles followed?
- These committees, each headed by a cabinet minister, were given “five principles” for approaching the issue.
- These principles are historical facts of a disputed sector, ethnicity, and administrative convenience, willingness of people and contiguity of land preferably with natural boundaries such as rivers, streams and rocks.
- The committee members conducted surveys of the disputed sectors and held several meetings with the local stakeholders.
- This paved the way for the March 29 closure of the six disputed sectors.
Issues with this settlement
- Officials in Assam said it was better to let go of areas where they did not have any administrative control rather than “live with an irritant forever”.
- However, residents in the other six disputed sectors feel the “give-and-take” template could spell disaster for them.
- The fear is more among non-tribal people who could end up living in a “tribal Meghalaya with no rights”.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Solid-state lithium ion battery
Mains level: Read the attached story
Lithium has been among the most sought-after mineral during the past few years, largely on the back of its usage in battery manufacturing.
India is at odds with a major import source for the mineral, China.
About Lithium
- Lithium is a chemical element with the symbol Li and atomic number 3.
- It is a soft, silvery-white alkali metal. Under standard conditions, it is the lightest metal and the lightest solid element.
- Like all alkali metals, lithium is highly reactive and flammable and must be stored in mineral oil.
- When cut, it exhibits a metallic lustre, but moist air corrodes it quickly to a dull silvery grey, then black tarnish.
- Lithium metal is isolated electrolytically from a mixture of lithium chloride and potassium chloride.
- It is a crucial building block of the lithium-ion rechargeable batteries that power electric vehicles (EVs), laptops and mobile phones.
Lithium-ion batteries
- A lithium-ion battery or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery.
- They are commonly used for portable electronics and electric vehicles and are growing in popularity for military and aerospace applications.
- A prototype Li-ion battery was developed by Akira Yoshino in 1985, based on earlier research by John Goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham, Rachid Yazami and Koichi Mizushima during the 1970s–1980s.
- In 2019, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was given to this trio “for the development of lithium-ion batteries”.
Global producers of lithium
- Australia and Chile have swapped positions as the world’s leading lithium-producing country over the past decade. In 2019, the world’s Top 5 lithium producers were:
- Australia – 52.9% of global production
- Chile – 21.5%
- China – 9.7%
- Argentina – 8.3%
- Zimbabwe – 2.1%
- The U.S. ranked 7th with 1.2% of the world’s lithium production.
- In 2019, the world’s Top 5 lithium reserves by country were:
- Chile – 55.5% of the world’s total
- Australia – 18.1%
- Argentina – 11.0%
- China – 6.5%
- U.S. – 4.1%
Why is India looking for lithium?
- India has been scouting for lithium reserves since the Centre’s push to boost the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in the country.
- The ₹18,000 crore production-linked incentive scheme for advanced chemistry cell (ACC) battery storage, a flagship incentive scheme for the industry has kicked off.
- However, the supply of lithium, which is largely an imported product, has declined.
- With India being in a diplomatic tussle with China, the supplies from the neighbouring country have declined and India too is looking for other import avenues.
Why has the supply of lithium declined?
- The supply of lithium has not been in line with the surge in demand from electric vehicle makers across the world.
- China also is witnessing a mismatch between demand and supply, which has led to a rise in prices.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Read the attached story
Mains level: IT Rules 2021
The Centre told the Delhi High Court that social media platforms must be held accountable for “subjugating and supplanting fundamental rights like the right to freedom of speech and expression, otherwise the same would have dire consequences for any democratic nation”.
What is the news?
- The Ministry’s submission came in response to a petition filed by a Twitter user whose account was suspended by the microblogging site for alleged violations of platform guidelines.
- The Twitter user said his account was suspended for the reason of “ban evasion” (creating an account when a similar account was earlier banned).
- The complainant said Twitter suspended his accounts without giving him an opportunity for a hearing.
Centre’s argument
- The Centre said when a Significant Social Media Intermediary (SSMI) such as Twitter takes a decision to suspend the whole or part of a user’s account on its own due to its policy violation, it should afford a reasonable opportunity to the user to defend his side.
- The exception, the Centre said, where the SSMIs could take such a decision include certain scenarios such as rape, sexually explicit material or child sexual abuse material, bot activity or malware, terrorism-related content etc.
- If an SSMI fails to comply with the above, then it may amount to a violation of IT Rules 2021, the Centre clarified.
- No platform or intermediary will be allowed to infringe upon the citizens’ rights, including but not limited to Articles 14, 19 and 21 guaranteed under the Constitution of India under the guise of violation of the platform’s policies unless it constitutes a violation of extant law in force.
What are the IT Rules 2021?
Why is this a matter of concern?
- Social media platforms must respect the fundamental rights of the citizens and should not take down the account itself or completely suspend the user account in all cases.
- Taking down the whole information or the user account should be a last resort.
- Only in cases where the majority of the contents/posts/tweets on an account are unlawful, the platform may take the extreme step of taking down the whole information or suspending the whole account.
Conclusion
- Hence it can be argued that undue discontinuance of social media accounts of any person is violative of fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14, 19 and 21.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Project NETRA
Mains level: Space Debris
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is building up its orbital debris tracking capability by deploying new radars and optical telescopes under the Network for Space Objects Tracking and Analysis (NETRA) project.
Project NETRA
- The project will give India its own capability in space situational awareness (SSA) like the other space powers — which is used to ‘predict’ threats from debris to Indian satellites.
- NETRA’s eventual goal is to capture the GEO, or geostationary orbit, scene at 36,000 km where communication satellites operate.
- The initial SSA will first be for low-earth orbits or LEO which have remote-sensing spacecraft.
- Under NETRA the ISRO plans to put up many observational facilities: connected radars, telescopes; data processing units and a control centre.
- They can, among others, spot, track and catalogue objects as small as 10 cm, up to a range of 3,400 km and equal to a space orbit of around 2,000 km.
- The NETRA effort would make India a part of international efforts towards tracking, warning about and mitigating space debris.
What NETRA consists of?
- In the plans are a high-precision, long range telescope in Leh and a radar in the North East.
- Along with them, we will also use the Multi-Object Tracking Radar (MOTR) that we have put up at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, and the telescopes at Ponmudi and Mount Abu to get a broad SSA picture.
- NORAD, or the North American Aerospace Defense Command, is an initiative of the U.S. and Canada that shares selective debris data with many countries.
- The new SSA centre would consolidate debris tracking activities that are now spread across ISRO centres.
- Currently there are 15 functional Indian communication satellites in the geostationary orbit of 36,000 km; 13 remote sensing satellites in LEO of up to 2,000 km; and eight navigation satellites in medium earth orbits.
Why Space debris matters?
- Space junk or debris consists of spent rocket stages, dead satellites, fragments of space objects and debris resulting from ASAT.
- Hurtling at an average speed of 27,000 kmph in LEO, these objects pose a very real threat as collisions involving even centimetre-sized fragments can be lethal to satellites.
- Last year, ISRO monitored 4,382 events in LEO and 3,148 events in the geostationary orbit where space objects closely approached Indian assets.
- Fragments from the Fengyun-1C satellite (part of the anti-satellite test (ASAT) by China in 2007) and the Cosmos 2251-Iridium satellite collision in 2009 accounted for the maximum number of these threats.
- The observations also covered 84 “close approaches of less than one km” between Starlink satellites and Indian assets.
Enhancing Space situational awareness (SSA)
- India, as a responsible space power, should have SSA as a part of a national capability, as in the U.S. This is a vital requirement for protecting our space assets and a force multiplier.
- The SSA has a military quotient to it and adds a new ring to the country’s overall security.
- It uses satellites, ground and air radars to secure its two countries against attacks from air, space or sea.
- With long-range tracking radars, the SSA also provides us the capability of an early warning system against ballistic missiles coming in at a height.
- Apart from radars and telescopes, he said India should also think of deploying satellites that track other satellites — as the U.S. and other space powers had done.
- Combined with other elements of military intelligence SSA would help us to understand motives behind any suspicious orbit changes of other satellites and to know if they were spying on or harming our spacecraft.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency (ALCE)
Mains level: Paper 2- India-Mexico relations
Context
In 2021, Mexico and India commemorated 71 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations. This article is written by the Foreign Minister of Mexico, who has been on his official visit to India.
Areas of cooperation between two countries
- Mexico and India are members of the G-20, which brings together 20 of the largest economies in the world and whose presidency in 2023 will be assumed by India.
- Non-permanent members of the security council: Both countries are non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council this year.
- At both forums, India and Mexico will contribute decisively to world peace and security, and will put poverty reduction at the centre of the multilateral debate.
- The health sector is another cornerstone of our exchanges.
- Mexico will strengthen its cooperation with India as one of the leading global producers of medicines and will also seek joint pharmaceutical manufacturing.
- Another key focus area of cooperation will be aerospace.
- Although it was started less than a decade ago, this has enormous potential for the Mexican Space Agency and for regional initiatives such as the recently established Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency (ALCE) of which Mexico is the founder.
- In the economic sphere, Mexico’s links with India, the sixth-largest economy in the world and our tenth-largest trading partner, undoubtedly offers a wide range of prospects for Mexico’s productive sectors.
Conclusion
Links between India and Mexico have evolved positively in recent years, demonstrating the complementarities between two ancient countries, rich in history and diversity. In this spirit, we will take a firm step towards a tangible alliance to showcase this evolution, which could result in mutual benefits.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Centre for Bay of Bengal Studies (CBS)
Mains level: Paper 2- Quest for a stronger BIMSTEC
Context
Sri Lanka is gearing up to host the Fifth Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit, now in its silver jubilee year. The summit is being held in virtual/hybrid mode and Sri Lanka is the current BIMSTEC chair.
Why BIMSTEC matters for India and the region
- The unique ecology of BIMSTEC is witnessing enriched political support and commitment from India.
- India has made the Bay of Bengal integral to India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ and ‘Act East’ policies which can accelerate the process of regional integration.
- Significance in economic and strategic space: Finalising the BIMSTEC Charter; BIMSTEC Master Plan for Transport Connectivity; BIMSTEC Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters; BIMSTEC Technology Transfer Facility (TTF); cooperation between diplomatic academies/training institutions; and a template of Memorandum of Association for the future establishment of BIMSTEC centres/entities present signs of optimism.
- BIMSTEC as a centre of Indo-Pacific: With a re-emergence of the idea of the ‘Indo-Pacific’ region, the growing economic, geopolitical and security connections between the Western Pacific and the Indian Ocean regions are creating a shared strategic space.
- The Bay of Bengal is evolving as the centre of the Indo-Pacific region again.
- The renewed focus has given a new lease of life to the developmental efforts in the region, in particular BIMSTEC.
Way forward for BIMSTEC
1] Political support and strong commitment from all member countries
- With a changed narrative and approach, the Bay of Bengal has the potential to become the epicentre of the Indo-Pacific idea — a place where the strategic interests of the major powers of East and South Asia intersect.
- Potential of BIMSTEC: There is a greater appreciation of BIMSTEC’s potential due to geographical contiguity, abundant natural and human resources, and rich historical linkages and a cultural heritage for promoting deeper cooperation in the region.
- Political support and strong commitment from all member countries are crucial in making BIMSTEC a dynamic and effective regional organisation.
2] Boost connectivity
- Connectivity is essential to develop a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable Bay of Bengal region.
- The BIMSTEC Master Plan for Transport Connectivity will provide the necessary boost to connectivity.
- Therefore, BIMSTEC needs to address two dimensions of connectivity – one, upgrading and dovetailing national connectivity into a regional road map; and two, development of both hard and soft infrastructures.
3] Enhance cooperation in different areas
- There is growing involvement of educational institutions, industries and business chambers through various forums and conclaves which are helping to enhance cooperation in the areas of education, trade and investments, information technology and communication among others.
- India has implemented its promise to set up a Centre for Bay of Bengal Studies (CBS) at Nalanda University, Bihar for research on art, culture and other subjects related to the Bay of Bengal.
4] Strengthen the institutional capacity of the BIMSTEC Secretariat
- The BIMSTEC Secretariat coordinates, monitors and facilitates the implementation of BIMSTEC activities and programmes. The leaders must agree to strengthen the institutional capacity of the BIMSTEC Secretariat.
- Charter for BIMSTEC: Approval of a charter for BIMSTEC during the summit will further augment its visibility and stature in international fora.
Conclusion
The quest for economic growth and the development of the BIMSTEC region can be achieved with single-minded focus and cooperation among the member counties. In this endeavour, India has a key role in accelerating regional cooperation under the BIMSTEC framework and in making it vibrant, stronger and result-oriented.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: BIMSTEC
Mains level: Read the attached story
Addressing the ministerial of the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi–Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation), EAM S. Jaishankar urged closer cooperation and connectivity among the members.
What is BIMSTEC?
- The BIMSTEC formed in 1997 is an international organisation of seven South Asian and Southeast Asian nations, housing 1.73 billion people and having a combined gross domestic product of $3.8 trillion (2021).
- The BIMSTEC member states – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand – are among the countries dependent on the Bay of Bengal.
- Leadership is rotated in alphabetical order of country names. The permanent secretariat is in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
- A BIMSTEC free trade agreement is under negotiation (c. 2018), also referred to as the mini SAARC.
Objectives of BIMSTEC
There are 14 main sectors of BIMSTEC along technological and economic cooperation among South Asian and Southeast Asian countries along the coast of the Bay of Bengal.
- Trade & Investment
- Transport & Communication
- Energy
- Tourism
- Technology
- Fisheries
- Agriculture
- Public Health
- Poverty Alleviation
- Counter-Terrorism & Transnational Crime
- Environment & Disaster Management
- People-to-People Contact
- Cultural Cooperation
- Climate Change
About the proposed BIMSTEC FTA Framework
- The BIMSTEC FTA has been signed by all member nations to stimulate trade and investment in the parties, and attract outsiders to trade with and invest in the BIMSTEC countries at a higher level.
- Subsequently, the “Trade Negotiating Committee” (TNC) was set up, with Thailand as the permanent chair, to negotiate in areas of trade in goods and services, investment, economic co-operation, trade facilitations and technical assistance for LDCs.
- Once negotiation on trade in goods is completed, the TNC would then proceed with negotiation on trade in services and investment.
Others
(1) BIMSTEC Coastal Shipping Agreement draft
- It was discussed on 1 December 2017 in New Delhi, to facilitate coastal shipping within 20 nautical miles of the coastline in the region to boost trade between the member countries.
- Compared to the deep sea shipping, coastal ship require smaller vessels with lesser draft and involve lower costs.
- Once the agreement becomes operational after it is ratified, a lot of cargo movement between the member countries can be done through the cost effective, environment friendly and faster coastal shipping routes.
(2) BIMSTEC Master Plan for Transport Connectivity
- The BIMSTEC Master Plan for Transport Connectivity, finalized under India’s chairmanship of the expert group last year, envisages a seamless multimodal transport system across the region.
- This will stimulate intra-regional trade and investment in the region.
- It identifies 264 projects requiring an investment of $ 126 billion over a ten year horizon from 2018–2028.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Startup India Initiative
Mains level: Success of the scheme
A research, reviewing India’s entrepreneurial policy Startup India, affirmed its positive impact in reducing regional entrepreneurial disparities.
Startup India Initiative
- The Startup India campaign was first announced by PM Modi during his speech on 15 August 2015 address from the Red Fort.
- The action plan for this initiative is focusing on three areas:
- Simplification and Handholding.
- Funding Support and Incentives.
- Industry-Academia Partnership and Incubation.
- An additional area relating to this initiative is to discard restrictive States Government policies within this domain, such as License Raj, Land Permissions, Foreign Investment Proposals, and Environmental Clearances.
- It was organized by the Department for promotion of industry and internal trade (DPI&IT).
The success of the scheme
- Minister for Commerce and Industry has informed the Lok Sabha that the entrepreneurial portal had more than 65,000 startups registered.
- Of which, 40 attained the ‘unicorn’ status in the last twelve months, bringing the total as of date to 90.
- India now ranks third among global startup eco-systems.
- The networking, training and mentoring facilities provided by Startup India alongside entrepreneurship outreach campaigns in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, helped address regional entrepreneurial disparities in India.
Limitations to its success
(1) Heavy concentration in megacities
- Entrepreneurship continues to be “highly concentrated” in three megacities, namely, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi NCR.
- India’s venture capital industry is also clustered in and around these three cities.
- Such concentration can lead to increased economic inequality and hinder emergence of entrepreneurs from industries other than those belonging to the clusters.
(2) Narrow Representation
- The Startup India Action Plan document has no mention of the words ‘caste’, ‘tribe’, ‘marginalised’, ‘indigenous’ or ‘social group’.
- Additionally, the policy’s reliance on technology does not take into consideration India’s digital divide, especially with respect to urban and rural areas.
(3) Few Women in the industry
- There is an under-representation of women and marginalized caste groups in the national startup ecosystem.
Dedicated measures to support Women
- 10% of the fund in the Fund of Funds operated by Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has been reserved for women-led startups.
- Further, all the alternate investment funds where the SIDBI takes equity have been mandated to contribute 20% in business which are women led.
- There is a capacity-building program and a dedicated webpage for women on the portal.
Way ahead
- There is a need for policies and progressive strategies from governments to encourage startups and provide access and assistance in key areas including tax clarity, incubation, affordability and licensing.
- In any case, governments should be well prepared and dedicated to creating a culture of startups to impact the entrepreneurial ecosystem in their cities, countries and citizens.
Also read:
[Burning Issue] Five Years of Startup India Scheme
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Indian Rhino
Mains level: Not Much
The population of the greater one-horned or Indian rhinoceros in the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve has increased by 200 (from 2413 in 2018) in four years, the latest census of the flagship animal has revealed.
About Indian Rhino
- The Indian rhinoceros also called the greater one-horned rhinoceros and great Indian rhinoceros is a rhinoceros native to the Indian subcontinent.
- It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and Schedule I animal in the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
- It once ranged across the entire northern part of the Indian Subcontinent, along the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra River basins, from Pakistan to the Indian-Myanmar border.
- Poaching for rhinoceros horn became the single most important reason for the decline of the Indian rhino.
Why are Rhinos poached for horns?
- Ground rhino horn is used in traditional Chinese medicine to cure a range of ailments, from cancer to hangovers, and also as an aphrodisiac.
- In Vietnam, possessing a rhino horn is considered a status symbol.
- Due to demand in these countries, poaching pressure on rhinos is ever persistent against which one cannot let the guard down.
Try this PYQ:
Q. Consider the following statements:
- Asiatic lion is naturally found in India only.
- Double-humped camel is naturally found in India only.
- One-horned rhinoceros is naturally found in India only.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Post your answers here.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Sariskta TR
Mains level: Forest fires
A massive fire has broken out in the Sariska Tiger Reserve and Air Force helicopters equipped with water sprays are battling to bring it under control.
Sariska Tiger Reserve
- Sariska Tiger Reserve is a tiger reserve in Alwar district, Rajasthan.
- It stretches over an area of 881 sq km comprising scrub-thorn arid forests, dry deciduous forests, grasslands, and rocky hills.
- This area was a hunting preserve of the Alwar state and was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1958.
- It was given the status of a tiger reserve making it a part of India’s Project Tiger in 1978.
- It is the first reserve in the world with successfully relocated tigers.
- It is a part of the Aravalli Range and the Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests eco-region.
Existential threats
- It is rich in mineral resources, such as copper.
- In spite of the Supreme Court’s 1991 ban on mining in the area, marble mining continues to threaten the environment.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Bay Of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem (BOBLME) project
Mains level: Paper 2- BIMSTEC-challenges and opportunities
Context
As world attention remains focused on the war in Ukraine, leaders of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) will attend a summit meeting of the regional organisation.
Fourteen pillars for special focus
- Founded in 1997, the seven-member BIMSTEC includes the littoral states of India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar (Thailand is a member too) and the land-locked states of Nepal and Bhutan.
- BIMSTEC has identified 14 pillars for special focus.
- These are trade and investment, transport and communication, energy, tourism, technology, fisheries, agriculture, public health, poverty alleviation, counter terrorism and transnational crime, environment and disaster management, people-to-people contact, cultural cooperation and climate change.
- While each sector is important, the segmented approach has resulted in aspirations rather than action.
- The upcoming summit is an opportunity to take concrete steps to address critical challenges confronting the region.
Challenges facing Bay of Benga
1] Threat facing marine ecosystem
- The Bay is an important source of natural resources for a coastal population of approximately 185 million people.
- The Bay of Bengal is home to a large network of beautiful yet fragile estuaries, mangrove forests of around 15,792 square kilometres, coral reefs of around 8,471 sq.km, sea grass meadows and mass nesting sites of sea turtles.
- Loss of mangrove and coral reefs: The annual loss of mangrove areas is estimated at 0.4% to 1.7% and coral reefs at 0.7%. I
- Increasing sea levels: It is predicted that the sea level will increase 0.5 metres in the next 50 years.
- Cyclonic storms: Moreover, there have been 13 cyclonic storms in the last five years.
- According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Bay of Bengal is one of IUU fishing hotspots in the Asia-Pacific.
- The pressing challenges that confront the Bay of Bengal include the emergence of a dead zone with zero oxygen where no fish survive;
- Leaching of plastic from rivers as well as the Indian Ocean;
- Destruction of natural protection against floods such as mangroves; sea erosion;
- Growing population pressure and industrial growth in the coastal areas and consequently, huge quantities of untreated waste flow.
2] Security threats
- Security threats such as terrorism, piracy and tensions between countries caused by the arrests of fishermen who cross maritime boundaries are additional problems.
- The problem of fishermen crossing into the territorial waters of neighbouring countries affect India and Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and Myanmar (also Pakistan on the west coast).
Way forward
1] Tap the blue economy potential of Bay of Bengal by creating a regional mechanism
- There are many opportunities to develop maritime trade, shipping, aquaculture and tourism.
- The BIMSTEC Summit must create a new regional mechanism for coordinated activities on maritime issues of a transboundary nature.
- There is also a need for greater scientific research on the impact of climate change in general and on fisheries in particular.
- Cooperation on marine research: At present, there is limited cooperation between countries of the region in marine research.
- The use of modern technology and improved fishing practices can go a long way in restoring the health of the Bay.
2] Focus on the marine environmental protection
- Marine environmental protection must become a priority area for cooperation in the Bay of Bengal.
- Develop regional protocols: Regional protocols need to be developed and guidelines and standards on pollution control established.
- Need for home-grown solutions: There is a need for home-grown solutions based on the capabilities of local institutions and for mutual learning through regional success stories.
- Regional framework for data collection: There is a need to create regional frameworks for data collection.
- Participatory approaches must be evolved for near-real-time stock assessment and the creation of a regional open fisheries data alliance.
- The Bay of Bengal Programme (BOBP), an inter-governmental organisation based in Chennai, is doing good work to promote sustainable fishing.
- A Bay Of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem (BOBLME) project is also being launched by the FAO with funding from the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and others.
- The BIMSTEC summit must express full support for both BOBP and BOBLME.
- The summit must mandate officials to come up with measures to curtail unsustainable as well as IUU fishing.
- Harmonisation of laws in littoral states: Laws and policies in littoral states must be harmonised and the humanitarian treatment of fishermen ensured during any encounter with maritime law enforcement agencies.
Conclusion
The challenges that confront the Bay of Bengal region brook no more delay. BIMSTEC must arise, awake and act before it is too late.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Paper 2- Building blocks of India's foreign policy
Context
This is the edited excerpts from the lecture delivered by India’s External Affairs Minister at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi on March 24.
Relevance of foreign policy at personal level
- Through a good foreign policy, our everyday needs from the world must be better met.
- And since we are a collective as a country, our national security must be assured.
- Foreign policy being the link to the outside, it should enable us to draw what we seek.
- This could be in terms of technology or capital, best practices, or even work opportunities.
- And obviously, we would all like to be strong; we would like to look good and we would like to feel appreciated.
Recent instances in which India’s foreign policy directly influence the common man
- Through Operation Ganga, Indian students stuck in Ukraine were brought home.
- It was the result of intervention by India’s foreign policy apparatus at the highest levels in Russia and Ukraine to ensure the ceasing of fire for safe passage.
- When the first wave of Covid hit India in 2020, we scrambled across the world to secure PPEs, masks and ventilators.
- And we did so in a seller’s market as the demand far exceeded supply.
- The second wave in 2021 saw a similar spike in demand for oxygen and specialised medicines from abroad.
- Locating, negotiating and contracting supplies became the priority for Indian diplomacy. And it bent its back to deliver.
Influence of foreign policy at the collective level
- When it comes to security, external or internal, diplomacy could be a preventive, a mitigator or a problem-solver.
- It can help raise awareness of a shared threat, just as it can find partners against common dangers.
- And then there is the economy, with its search for investment, technology and best practices.
- In each of these sectors, foreign relationships can accelerate India’s progress.
- And cumulatively, they expand employment and improve your quality of life.
- It also matters to all of us what other nations think of India, our culture and our way of life.
Role of foreign policy in delivering on development
- The most effective foreign policy is one that delivers on development.
- In Asia, all modernising economies have single-mindedly focused their external interactions on obtaining capital, technology and best practices from abroad.
- It may be information technology or auto manufacturing, food production or food processing, metros or bullet trains, space capabilities or nuclear energy; the fruits of foreign collaboration are there today for all of us to see.
- Newer challenges like green growth and climate action have started to open up still more possibilities.
- All this happens because of our ability to identify, engage, negotiate and leverage opportunities of interest abroad across many many domains.
Building blocks of India’s foreign policy
- The six broad objectives that were spelt out to the policy-makers and implementers were clear.
- 1] Shaping global perception: We must bring about a change of thinking in the world about us.
- 2] Partnership on equal terms: The partnerships we should create should be on more equal terms, and with smaller countries, more generous.
- 3] Shaping the global agenda: The global agenda and the big issues of our times should be shaped by India as much as possible.
- 4] Leveraging foreign policy for domestic progress: Foreign relationships should be actively explored and leveraged for domestic development and progress.
- 5] People-centric foreign policy: The very conceptualisation of foreign policy should be more people-centric.
- 6] Our culture, traditions and thoughts should percolate our own articulation as well as influence international debates and initiatives.
- Yoga and Ayurveda were obvious examples in this regard.
Conclusion
As we mark 75 years of independence, Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, there is good cause to be confident about our prospects. But to be so, it is equally important to be aware of the opportunities and challenges that the world currently presents. And surely, we can be so once we appreciate how much foreign policy really matters.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: CUET
Mains level: Paper 2- CUET and related issues
Context
UGC introduced the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) for admissions in undergraduate courses in 45 central universities in the country.
Benefits of Common University Entrance Test (CUET)
- Deals with the issue of uneven quality of different boards: In a country like ours, because of the uneven quality of different school boards, there is a huge trust deficit and suspicion about the academic quality of even the “toppers”.
- Eliminate the need for multiple exams: Furthermore, this centralised test would free the tension-ridden youngsters from the pressure of writing multiple entrance tests in different colleges/universities.
- Eliminate the inflated cut-off: Likewise, the supremacy of the CUET score/ranking in the selection process would invariably eliminate inflated cut-offs for admissions in “branded” colleges.
- It would avoid subjective biases, cherish objectivity, and quantify and measure one’s mental aptitude and domain knowledge in a specific discipline.
Issues with the CUET
- 1] Impact on true learning: the dominant structure of education prevalent in the country is essentially book-centric and exam-oriented.
- Either rote learning or strategic learning (a gift of coaching centres) is its essence; and far from learning and unlearning with joy, wonder and creativity, young students become strategists or exam-warriors.
- In the coming years, schools are going to lose their relevance as students and parents are likely to rely primarily on gigantic coaching centres and fancy Ed Tech companies.
- 2] No scope for subjective interpretation: The MCQ-centric “objective” tests diminishes what every genuine learner needs — creative exploration, interpretative understanding and self-reflexivity.
- In the name of “objective” tests, our students are deprived of the hermeneutic art of interpretation and skill of argumentation and compelled to reduce everything into an “objective” fact, we would do great damage to their creativity.
Conclusion
For real transformation, we have to see beyond the CUET, work on the quality of schools and creatively nuanced life-affirming pedagogy; and we must think of honest and fair recruitment of spirited teachers, and relative autonomy of academic institutions.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: WPI and CPI
Mains level: Paper 3- Inflation challenge
Context
Despite being legally mandated to keep inflation in check, RBI has persisted with easy monetary policy, even as inflationary pressures have increased. We need to understand why, and what could be the repercussions.
Inflation problem in India
- For most of the past two years, CPI (consumer price index) inflation has been hovering close to the 6 per cent upper threshold of the RBI’s target band.
- Inflation averaged 6.1 per cent during the pandemic period (April 2020 to June 2021), despite a massive collapse in aggregate demand.
- Then in January 2022, as food prices recovered, headline inflation once again crossed the upper threshold of the inflation targeting band.
- Inflationary pressures do not seem to be diminishing either. Instead, they continue to build up.
- The standard measure of inflation “in the pipeline” is WPI (wholesale price index) inflation, since price increases at the wholesale level tend to translate into retail inflation in due course.
- Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has resulted in a sharp increase in global commodity prices, including prices of crude oil, edible oils, and fertilisers.
- Indian firms are already adapting to this situation, passing on commodity price increase to retail prices.
Issues with RBI’s stance
- Standard economics gives us a guide for how central banks should react in a situation like this.
- Two conditions: It says that monetary policy should accommodate the first round of commodity price increase, but only under certain conditions, notably that inflation is initially on target, and expectations are firmly anchored.
- But neither condition holds at present. Inflation is already too high, and so are expectations.
- An argument is nonetheless being made that monetary policy should not be tightened when inflation is driven by supply-side factors, as it can adversely impact growth.
- This is fallacious. When there are supply constraints, using easy monetary policy to boost demand is not going to boost output.
- And if firms are expecting high inflation, this will send things into a vicious spiral, as they will increase their prices even more in advance of any input price pressures.
- Surely the RBI is aware of all of this. So why is it still not acting on it?
Why RBI is ignoring inflationary pressure?
- Growth concerns: The problem seems to be that governments all over the world are worried about growth.
- The US Federal Reserve has been slow to raise rates even as inflation has reached a four-decade high. The European Central Bank has been even slower to react.
- Fiscal dominance in India: In India, monetary policy also suffers from a strong fiscal dominance.
- As a result, not only is the RBI expected to support growth, it is also expected to keep the government’s borrowing costs in check, which is in direct conflict with its inflation targeting objective.
Implications of RBI ignoring inflationary pressure
- Aggressive reduction in interest rates: A decade ago, we were in a similar situation when RBI delayed its response because it was focusing on growth.
- When inflation subsequently took off, it reached double digits and the RBI had to raise interest rates aggressively to bring it down.
- That was a very painful adjustment.
- Impact on credibility of the RBI: In addition, if the RBI does allow inflation to take off, there will be long-lasting repercussions for its credibility.
- Unachrored expectation: if the public sees the RBI consistently ignoring inflation, expectations can rapidly get unanchored, and then it becomes very costly to bring it down.
Conclusion
To conclude, inflation is best addressed by the central bank using monetary policy, not by the government adjusting taxes. The RBI needs to urgently revisit its inflation forecast and its monetary policy stance in order to avoid potentially painful adjustments down the road.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, 2022
Mains level: Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, 2022
The bill that would allow the police and prison authorities to collect, store and analyse physical and biological samples, including retina and iris scans, was introduced in the Lok Sabha.
Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill
- It authorises law enforcement agencies to collect, store and analyse physical and biological samples of convicts and other persons for the purposes of identification and investigation in criminal matters.
- It seeks to repeal the Identification of Prisoners Act 1920 which provided for the collection of only fingerprints and footprints.
- The said Act, in its present form, provides access to a limited category of persons whose body measurements can be taken.
- As per the Bill, any state government OR Union Territory administration may notify an appropriate agency to collect, preserve and share the measurements of a person of interest in their respective jurisdictions.
Why need such law?
- The world has undergone technological and scientific changes, crime and its trend have increased.
- Advanced countries across the globe are relying on new “measurement” techniques for reliable results.
- It was felt necessary to expand the “ambit of persons” whose measurements can be taken as this will help investigating agencies gather sufficient legally admissible evidence and establish the crime of the accused person.
- The Bill will not only help our investigation agencies but also increase prosecution.
- There is also a chance of an increase in conviction rates in courts through this.
Key features of the Bill
The Bill seeks to:
- Define “measurements”: To include finger impressions, palm-print and foot-print impressions, photographs, iris and retina scan, physical, biological samples and their analysis, etc.;
- Empower the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB): To collect, store and preserve the record of measurements and for sharing, dissemination, destruction and disposal of records;
- Empower a Magistrate: To direct any person to give measurements; a Magistrate can also direct law enforcement officials to collect fingerprints, footprint impressions and photographs in the case of a specified category of convicted and non-convicted persons;
- Empower police or prison officers: To take measurements of any person who resists or refuses to give measurements
- Authorises police to record signatures, handwriting or other behavioural attributes: Referred to in section 53 or section 53A of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, for the purposes of analysis.
Notable feature: Maintenance of Record
- The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) will be the repository of physical and biological samples, signature and handwriting data that can be preserved for at least 75 years.
- The record of these measurements will be retained in digital or electronic form for a period of seventy-five years from the date of collection.
- The court or Magistrate, for reasons to be recorded in writing, can direct agencies to maintain the records.
- The records are to be destroyed in the case of any person who has not been previously convicted of an offence punishable under any law with imprisonment for any term.
Refusal to Comply
- Resistance to or refusal to allow the taking of measurements under this Act shall be deemed to be an offence under section 186 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC);
- No suit or any other proceeding shall lie against any person for anything done, or intended to be done in good faith under this Act or any rule made thereunder;
- Central government or state government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, make rules for carrying out the purposes of this Act;
- Manner of collection, storing, preservation of measurements and sharing, dissemination, destruction and disposal of records under sub-section (1) of section 4;
Issues with the Bill
- Un-constitutionality: The proposed law will be debated against Article 20(3) of the Constitution, which is a fundamental right that guarantees the right against self-incrimination.
- Violation of Article 21: The Bill also seeks to apply these provisions to persons held under any preventive detention law.
- Legislative competence of Centre: The Bill was beyond the legislative competence of Parliament as it violated fundamental rights of citizens, including the right to privacy.
- Contentious provisions: The Bill proposes to collect samples even from protesters engaged in political protests.
- Lack of clarity: Several provisions are not defined in the Bill itself.. For instance, the statement of objects says it provides for collection of measurements for “convicts and other persons” but the expression “other persons” is not defined.
- Other: While the jurisprudence around the right to be forgotten is still in an early stage in India, the Puttaswamy judgment discusses it as a facet of the fundamental right to privacy.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Definition and identification of Minorities
Mains level: Minority population issues
In an affidavit filed in the top court, the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs said “state governments can also declare a religious or linguistic community as a ‘minority community’ within the state”.
Why in news?
- The Centre was responding to a petition filed stating that the followers of Judaism, Baha’ism and Hinduism — who are the real minorities in Ladakh, Mizoram, Lakshadweep, Kashmir, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Punjab and Manipur.
- They however cannot establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.
- The Centre said the allegation was “not correct”.
- The government’s affidavit explained that Parliament and State legislatures have concurrent powers to enact laws to provide for the protection of minorities and their interests.
Various states on Minorities
- The Centre gave the example of how Maharashtra notified ‘Jews’ as a minority community within the State.
- Again, Karnataka notified Urdu, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi, Tulu, Lambadi, Hindi, Konkani and Gujarati as minority languages within the State.
Who are the Minorities?
- Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Jain and Zorastrians (Parsis) have been notified as minority communities under Section 2 (c) of the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992.
- As per the Census 2011, the percentage of minorities in the country is about 19.3% of the total population of the country.
- The population of Muslims are 14.2%; Christians 2.3%; Sikhs 1.7%, Buddhists 0.7%, Jain 0.4% and Parsis 0.006%.
- Minority Concentration Districts (MCD), Minority Concentration Blocks and Minority Concentration Towns, have been identified on the basis of both population data and backwardness parameters of Census 2001 of these areas.
Defining Minorities
- The Constitution recognizes Religious minorities in India and Linguistic minorities in India through Article 29 and Article 30.
- But Minority is not defined in the Constitution.
- Currently, the Linguistic minorities in India are identified on a state-wise basis thus determined by the state government whereas Religious minorities in India are determined by the Central Government.
- The Parliament has the legislative powers and the Centre has the executive competence to notify a community as a minority under Section 2(c) of the National Commission for Minorities Act of 1992.
Article 29: It provides that any section of the citizens residing in any part of India having a distinct language, script, or culture of its own, shall have the rights of minorities in India to conserve the same. Article 29 is applied to both minorities (religious minorities in India and Linguistic minorities in India) and also the majority. It also includes – rights of minorities in India to agitate for the protection of language.
Article 30: All minorities shall have the rights of minorities in India to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice. Article 30 recognises only Religious minorities in India and Linguistic minorities in India (not the majority). It includes the rights of minorities in India to impart education to their children in their own language.
Article 350-B: Originally, the Constitution of India did not make any provision with respect to the Special Officer for Linguistic minorities in India. However, the 7th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1956 inserted Article 350-B in the Constitution. It provides for a Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities appointed by the President of India. It would be the duty of the Special Officer to investigate all matters relating to the safeguards provided for linguistic minorities under the Constitution.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Microplastics
Mains level: Microplastics Contamination
A study by researchers from The Netherlands has found Microplastics in blood samples. About half of these were PET (polyethylene tertraphthalate) plastics, which is used to make food grade bottles.
What are Microplastics?
- Microplastics are tiny bits of various types of plastic found in the environment.
- The name is used to differentiate them from “macroplastics” such as bottles and bags made of plastic.
- There is no universal agreement on the size of microplastics. It defines microplastic as less than 5mm in length.
- However, for the purposes of this study, since the authors were interested in measuring the quantities of plastic that can cross the membranes and diffuse into the body via the blood stream.
- Hence they agreed on an upper limit on the size of the particles as 0.0007 millimetre.
What were the plastics that the study looked for in the blood samples?
- The study looked at the most commonly used plastic polymers.
- These were polyethylene tetraphthalate (PET), polyethylene (used in making plastic carry bags), polymers of styrene (used in food packaging), poly (methyl methylacrylate) and poly propylene.
- They found a presence of the first four types.
Significance of the study
- Making a human health risk assessment in relation to plastic particles is not easy, perhaps not even possible, due to the lack of data on exposure of people to plastics.
- In this sense, it is important to have studies like this one.
- The authors of the paper also remark that validated methods to detect the tiny (trace) amounts of extremely small-sized (less than 10 micrometre) plastic particles are lacking.
- Hence this study, which builds up a methods to check the same, is important.
Health hazard of microplastics
- It is not yet clear if these microplastics can cross over from the blood stream to deposit in organs and cause diseases.
- The report point out that the human placenta has shown to be permeable to tiny particles of polystyrene ( 50, 80 and 24 nanometre beads).
- Experiments on rats where its lungs were exposed to polystryrene spheres (20 nanometre) led to translocation of the nanoparticles to the placental and foetal tissue.
- Oral administration of microplastics in rats led to accumulation of these in the liver, kidney and gut.
- Further studies have to be carried out to really assess the impact of plastics on humans.
Try this PYQ:
Q. Why is there a great concern about the ‘microbeads’ that are released into environment?
(a) They are considered harmful to marine ecosystems.
(b) They are considered to cause skin cancer in children.
(c) They are small enough to be absorbed by crop plants in irrigated fields.
(d) They are often found to be used as food adulterants.
Post your answers here.
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