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  • North-East India – Security and Developmental Issues

    Panel set up to implement Assam Accord

    | Indian Society | Mains Paper 1: Population & Associated Issues

    The Assam government on Saturday set up an eight-member sub-committee to examine and prepare a framework for the implementation of all clauses of the Assam Accord of 1985.

    What is Assam Accord?

    • The Assam Accord was a Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) signed the Government of India and the leaders of the Assam Movement.
    • It the movement demanded the identification and deportation of all illegal foreigners – predominantly Bangladeshi immigrants.
    • They feared that past and continuing large scale migration was overwhelming the native population, impacting their political rights, culture, language and land rights.
    • The Assam Movement caused the estimated death of over 855 people.
    • It ended with the signing of the Assam Accord in 1985.

    What are the major clauses of Assam Accord?

    • Clause 5: Foreigners Issue
    • Clause 6: Constitutional, Legislative & Administrative safeguards
    • Clause 7: Economic Development
    • Clause 9 : Security of International Border
    • Clause 10: Prevention of Encroachment of Government lands
    • Clause 11: Restricting acquisition of immovable property by foreigners
    • Clause 12: Registration of births and deaths

    Which clauses are being discussed?

    • A sub-committee has been tasked to examine and prepare a framework for implementation of all clauses of Assam Accord in general with special emphasis on Clause 6, Clause 7, Clause 9 and Clause 10.

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  • Health Sector – UHC, National Health Policy, Family Planning, Health Insurance, etc.

    What are the concerns of digital health mission?

    Schemes | Governance | Mains Paper 2: Government Scheme/Policies

    The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), was recently launched by the PM.

    About Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission

    • The pilot project of the National Digital Health Mission was announced by PM Modi during his Independence Day speech from the Red Fort on August 15, 2020.
    • The mission will enable access and exchange of longitudinal health records of citizens with their consent.
    • This will ensure ease of doing business for doctors and hospitals and healthcare service providers.

    The key components of the project include

    • Health ID for every citizen that will also work as their health account, to which personal health records can be linked and viewed with the help of a mobile application,
    • Healthcare Professionals Registry (HPR)
    • Healthcare Facilities Registries (HFR) that will act as a repository of all healthcare providers across both modern and traditional systems of medicine

    How will it work?

    • In order to be a part of the ABDM, citizens will have to create a unique health ID – a randomly generated 14-digit identification number.
    • The ID will give the user unique identification, authentication and will be a repository of all health records of a person.
    • The ID can also be made by self-registration on the portal, downloading the ABMD Health Records app on one’s mobile or at a participating health facility.
    • The beneficiary will also set up a Personal Health Records (PHR) address for the issue of consent, and for future sharing of health records.

    Major privacy issues involved

    • Informed Consent: The citizen’s consent is vital for all access. A beneficiary’s consent is vital to ensure that information is released.
    • Data leakages issue: Personalised data collected at multiple levels are a “sitting gold mine” for insurance companies, international researchers, and pharma companies.
    • Digital divide: Other experts add that lack of access to technology, poverty, and lack of understanding of the language in a vast and diverse country like India are problems that need to be looked into.
    • Data Migration: The data migration and inter-State transfer are still faced with multiple errors and shortcomings in addition to concerns of data security.

    Other challenges

    • Existing digitalization is yet incomplete: India has been unable to standardise the coverage and quality of the existing digital cards like One Nation One Ration card, PM-JAY card, Aadhaar card, etc., for accessibility of services and entitlements.
    • Lack of healthcare facilities: The defence of data security by expressed informed consent doesn’t work in a country that is plagued by the acute shortage of healthcare professionals to inform the client fully.
    • Lack of finance: With the minuscule spending of 1.3% of the GDP on the healthcare sector, India will be unable to ensure the quality and uniform access to healthcare that it hoped to bring about.

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  • Electoral Reforms In India

    Election Symbols after Party Split

    | Polity | Mains Paper 2: Representation Of People’s Act

    The Election Commission of India (ECI) has frozen an election symbol of a political party in Bihar to which a cabinet minister belonged.

    What are the Election Commission’s powers in a dispute over the election symbol when a party splits?

    • The question of a split in a political party outside the legislature is dealt by Para 15 of the Symbols Order, 1968.
    • It states that the ECI may take into account all the available facts and circumstances and undertake a test of majority.
    • The decision of the ECI shall be binding on all such rival sections or groups emerged after the split.
    • This applies to disputes in recognised national and state parties.
    • For splits in registered but unrecognised parties, the EC usually advises the warring factions to resolve their differences internally or to approach the court.

    How did the EC deal with such matters before the Symbols Order came into effect?

    • Before 1968, the EC issued notifications and executive orders under the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961.
    • The most high-profile split of a party before 1968 was that of the CPI in 1964.
    • A breakaway group approached the ECI in December 1964 urging it to recognise them as CPI(Marxist). They provided a list of MPs and MLAs of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and West Bengal who supported them.
    • The ECI recognised the faction as CPI(M) after it found that the votes secured by the MPs and MLAs supporting the breakaway group added up to more than 4% in the 3 states.

    What was the first case decided under Para 15 of the 1968 Order?

    • It was the first split in the Indian National Congress in 1969.
    • Indira Gandhi’s tensions with a rival group within the party came to a head with the death of President Dr Zakir Hussain on May 3, 1969.

    Is there a way other than the test of majority to resolve a dispute over election symbols?

    • In almost all disputes decided by the EC so far, a clear majority of party delegates/office bearers, MPs and MLAs have supported one of the factions.
    • Whenever the EC could not test the strength of rival groups based on support within the party organisation (because of disputes regarding the list of office bearers), it fell back on testing the majority only among elected MPs and MLAs.

    What happens to the group that doesn’t get the parent party’s symbol?

    • The EC in 1997 did not recognise the new parties as either state or national parties.
    • It felt that merely having MPs and MLAs is not enough, as the elected representatives had fought and won polls on tickets of their parent (undivided) parties.
    • The EC introduced a new rule under which the splinter group of the party — other than the group that got the party symbol — had to register itself as a separate party.
    • It could lay claim to national or state party status only on the basis of its performance in state or central elections after registration.

     

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  • ISRO Missions and Discoveries

    IAO Hanle: A promising astronomical observatory

    Prelims Only | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Achievements Of Indians In S&T

    A new study shows that the Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) located in Hanle is one of the emerging sites for infrared and optical astronomy studies.

    About IAO Hanle

    • The IAO, located in Hanle at Mount Saraswati near Leh in Ladakh, has one of the world’s highest located sites for optical, infrared and gamma-ray telescopes.
    • It was established in 2001 and is operated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore.
    • It is currently the ninth highest optical telescope in the world, situated at an elevation of 4,500 meters.

    Note: University of Tokyo Atacama Observatory (TAO) located in the Atacama desert of Chile is the highest at an elevation of 5,640 m.

    Major telescopes at Hanle include:

    1. Himalayan Chandra Telescope (An optical-infrared telescope named after India-born Nobel laureate Subrahmanyam Chandrasekhar)
    2. GROWTH-India Telescope (A robotic optical telescope)
    3. High Altitude Gamma Ray Telescope

    Distinct factors of IAO Hanle

    • IAO Hanle offers a clear view of space among all observatories globally.
    • This is due to its advantages of more clear nights, minimal light pollution, background aerosol concentration, extremely dry atmospheric condition and uninterrupted monsoon.
    • Hanle site is as dry as Atacama Desert in Chile and much drier than Devasthal and has around 270 clear nights in a year and is also one of the emerging sites for infrared and submillimetre optical astronomy.
    • This is because water vapor absorbs electromagnetic signals and reduces their strength.

     

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  • Festivals, Dances, Theatre, Literature, Art in News

    Langa-Manganiyar Folk Music

    Prelims Only | History | Mains Paper 1: Arts & Culture

    Considered the repository of the Thar region’s rich history and traditional knowledge, the ballads, folklore and songs of the Langa-Manganiyar artistes are being preserved through an initiative for documentation and digitisation.

    Who are the Langa-Manganiyar?

    • The Langas and Manganiyars are hereditary communities of Muslim musicians residing mostly in western Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer and Barmer districts and in Pakistan’s Tharparkar and Sanghar districts in Sindh.
    • The music of the two marginalised communities, who were supported by wealthy landlords and merchants before Independence, forms a vital part of Thar desert’s cultural landscape.
    • The performances are in multiple languages and dialects including Marwari, Sindhi, Saraiki, Dhatti and Thareli.
    • The romantic tales revolving around legendary lovers such as Umar-Marvi, Heer-Ranjha, Sohni-Mahiwal, Moomal-Rana and Sorath-Rao Khangar have traditionally captivated audiences.

    Instruments used

    • The Langa’s main traditional instrument is the sindhi sarangi; Manganiyar’s is the kamaicha.
    • Both are bowed stringed instruments with skin membrane sounding boards and many sympathetic strings.
    • Both Langas and Manganiyars sing and play the dholak (double-headed barrel drum), the kartal(wooded clappers), the morchan (jaws harp), and the ubiquitous harmonium.

    Try answering this PYQ:

    Q. Consider the following pairs:

    Tradition: State

    1. Chapchar Kut: festival Mizoram
    2. Khongjom Parba ballad: Manipur
    3. Thang Ta dance: Sikkim

    Which of the pairs given above is/are correct?

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 1 and 2

    (c) 3 only

    (d) 2 and 3

     

    Post your answers here.

     

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  • Historical and Archaeological Findings in News

    Chola inscriptions on qualifications for civic officials

    Prelims Only | Indian Society | Mains Paper 1: Arts & Culture

    In the Kancheepuram district of Tamil Nadu, some Chola-era inscriptions on Kanthaleeswarar Temple bear testimony to the qualifications required for members of the village administrative council.

    Inscription details: Kudavolai System

    • The Kudavolai system was very vital and unique feature of administration of villages of Cholas.
    • In the system one representative is elected from each ward and every village had 30 wards.
    • The village administrative committee was called as variyam.
    • The election was unique as names of contestants were written on palm leaf and put in a pot.

    Taxation details

    • The rulers were considerate while taxing agricultural produce.
    • For areca nuts, only 50% tax would be collected for the first 10 years after cultivation. Farmers would pay full tax only after the trees started yielding fruits.
    • Similarly, 50% tax was imposed on banana crops until the yield.

    Though a tough one, but try answering this PYQ:

    Q.In the context of the history of India, consider the following pairs:

    Term: Description

    1. Eripatti: Land revenue from which was set apart for the maintenance of the village tank
    2. Taniyurs: Villages donated to a single Brahmin or a group of Brahmins
    3. Ghatikas: Colleges generally attached to the temples

    Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

    (a) 1 and 2

    (b) 3 only

    (c) 2 and 3

    (d) 1 and 3

     

    Post your answers here.

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  • Textile Sector – Cotton, Jute, Wool, Silk, Handloom, etc.

    Khadi industry in India

    | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Indian Economy

    Context

    The Prime Minister has repeatedly stressed his support for khadi, cottage industries, crafts and handlooms.

    About Khadi

    • Genuine khadi or khaddar is woven from short-stapled organically grown cotton.
    • The beauty is in its uneven texture and colours, as cotton bolls are not all pure white in every region.
    • Fabrics being made today in the name of khadi are modified spin-offs that look more like handloom fabric, with mill-produced yarn, screen printed and often mixed with mill-made polyester.

    Issues

    • Restriction of scope: According to the Khadi Mark Regulations (KMR) of 2013, no textile can be sold or otherwise traded by any person or institution as khadi or a khadi product in any form if the khadi mark tag issued by KVIC is missing.
    • This restricts the scope of trade to a few approved entities, thereby creating recognisable barriers to enter the market for khadi.
    • Restrictive certification process: The certification process described in Chapter V (Clause 20 (a)) of the KMR requires accredited agencies to perform an on-site verification of hand-spinning and hand-weaving processes.”
    • Yarn must be procured only from KVIC depots or the Cotton Corporation of India, descriptions of mechanisation and electrification are ambiguous.
    • There are so many restrictions that most producers have no incentive and many small bodies are unable to pay Rs 50,000 for certification.
    • Multiple authorities: Hand-spinning and weaving are also part of craft skills. Only the hand-spun part is additional in khadi.
    • But today KVIC, on its website and in its catalogue, has visibly non-hand-spun silk-printed saris, polyester fabrics and others that seem clearly machine-printed.
    • The KVIC online catalogue has products like industrially-made suitcases, bags and wallets which are under MSME, but with a “khadi” label.
    • This points to the need for bringing khadi and all handicrafts together in one ministry.

    Conclusion

    Gandhi did not intend to create a police state for the khadi sector, full of acts and rules that put production in a straitjacket. Perhaps, some courageous producers can try circumventing all this by using the word “khaddar” on their labels instead.

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  • Minority Issues – SC, ST, Dalits, OBC, Reservations, etc.

    Do we need to count caste in census?

    DOMR | Indian Society | Mains Paper 1: Population & Associated Issues

    • A continuous and unabated push towards including caste in the forthcoming census enumeration has finally ended with the Union government position into the Supreme Court.
    • The Centre had decided as a matter of policy not to enumerate caste-wise population other than Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

    Must read:

    Complex count: On caste census

    Existing issue: Delay in the Census itself

    • That a decadal exercise has faced discontinuation with the pandemic is damaging enough, which will require reconstruction for the year 2021.
    • We are also not sure how the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, who could not conduct the census on time, will be able to add any other additional questions including enumeration of caste.
    • The Election Commission did its job in conducting elections during Covid-19 but not the Census Commissioner.

    Why caste cannot be included at this hour?

    • In the midst of an uncertain environment, conducting a census is unavoidable since it is not an overnight exercise.
    • Imposing the collection of caste information may dilute the exercise at the very least and send wrong signals regarding its purpose.

    Why we should let the Census go its way?

    There need to be sincere efforts towards putting systems in place in context to the Census.

    (a) Population Enumeration

    • There is a need conduct the population enumeration at the earliest and providing an update of India’s population dynamics in comparable terms to be read against the past.
    • The absence of population enumeration and its discontinuation can have implications for gauging the evolving changes as well as its prospects.

    (b) Age-sex composition

    • Census offer some tentative clues towards the age-sex composition of the population under varying sets of assumptions.
    • Besides, it offers more detailed information — on households, assets, marital status, education, migration etc since the last census of 2011.
    • Moreover it would provide accurate data about India’s large chunk of population which is ageing.

    (c) Impact of the Pandemic

    • A decade of rapid fertility declines and rising mobility needs serious assessment in terms of its impact on the population dynamics.
    • In the absence of any clue regarding population, together with a pandemic with its devastating course of fatalities, the need for a population enumeration is all the more urgent.
    • Estimated and projected numbers can serve as approximations to the extent of the assumptions being realistic and accurate.

    (d) Planning for the next FYP

    • A 14th five-year plan being in the offing makes it a crucial year to have the real numbers towards making the planning exercise effective.
    • Preparing our human capital of quality and adaptability to the emerging labour market is the need of the hour, and at the same time.

    Impediments created by including Caste

    An attribute like caste being obtained in a census exercise makes matters complex on multiple grounds such as:

    • Caste within Caste: Given the differences in caste hierarchies across various regions of the country, a comparative reading along with generating a common hierarchy may be a challenge.
    • Caste over occupation linked predicaments: Further, caste linked deprivation or adversity may not be as common as occupation linked predicaments, which become easier to compare across states/regions.
    • Anonymity and bias: An intimate and personalised attribute like caste may have its differential exposition between urban and rural residents. Urban residents’ need for anonymity can always bias the reporting on caste.
    • Identity crisis: Above all, recognition and adherence to caste identity is to a large extent shaped by progressive ideals, cosmopolitanism and education, which has its own regional divide in the country between the north and the south.

    Other concerns

    • Accuracy of reporting: With such complexities associated with divulging caste identity, one cannot be sure of its accuracy in reporting on the one hand and the possible bias linked to other attributes on the other.
    • Existing status-quo: The attributes obtained in the census like age, sex, residence, occupation and religion in themselves have not received adequate exploration to add to the understanding of differential population dynamics.
    • Non-intervention: Considering caste with its wide-ranging count as another fresh attribute may not be of worth as neither will it offer sensible outcome differences nor facilitate identification for intervention.

    Way forward

    • The census enumeration should be a priority and the proposed digital enumeration should become more effective in generating required data of quality and accuracy.
    • The upcoming census is certain to reveal interesting realities of population dynamics that go beyond the narrow and regressive outlook of the caste count to help gauge the transformation in human capital.

    Conclusion

    • In fact, attributes like caste and religion that are not modifiable should be less important compared to modifiable attributes like education, occupation and other endowment linked attributes.
    • Hence, the moral lies in rising above ascribed attributes in defining outcomes to that of achieved ones.
    • Such an approach has a dual advantage of gauging distribution across attributes as well as their response to outcomes.

     

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  • Swachh Bharat Mission

    2nd phase of SBM-U and AMRUT Mission

    Schemes | Governance | Mains Paper 2: Government Scheme/Policies

    The PM has launched the second phase of the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation.

    What are the missions?

    [A] Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0

    The Mission will focus on ensuring complete access to sanitation facilities to serve additional populations migrating from rural to urban areas in search of employment and better opportunities over the next 5 years.

    • Complete liquid waste management in cities in less than 1 lakh population to ensure that all wastewater is safely contained, collected, transported, and treated so that no wastewater pollutes our water bodies.
    • Source segregation- Under Sustainable Solid Waste Management, greater emphasis will be on source segregation.
    • Material Recovery Facilities and waste processing facilities will be set up, with a focus on phasing out single-use plastic.
    • Construction & demolition waste processing facilities will be set up.
    • Mechanical sweepers deployed in National Clean Air Programme cities and in cities with more than 5 lakh population.
    • Remediation of all legacy dumpsites will be another key component of the Mission.

    [B] AMRUT 2.0

    • Water management: It will build upon the progress of AMRUT to address water needs, rejuvenate water bodies, better manage aquifers, reuse treated wastewater, thereby promoting circular economy of water.
    • Water supply: It would provide100% coverage of water supply to all households in around 4,700 ULBs.
    • Sewerage: It will provide 100% coverage of sewerage and septage in 500 AMRUT cities.
    • Rejuvenation of water bodies and urban aquifer management: It will be undertaken to augment sustainable fresh water supply.
    • Recycle and reuse of treated wastewater: It is expected to cater to 20% of total water needs of the cities and 40% of industrial demand.
    • Pey Jal Survekshan: It will be conducted in cities to ascertain equitable distribution of water, reuse of wastewater and mapping of water bodies.

    Back2Basics:

    All about the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan

     

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  • Goods and Services Tax (GST)

    GST collections hit 5-month high

    Prelims Only | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Indian Economy

    India’s gross Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenues crossed ₹1.17 lakh crore in September, hitting a five-month high.

    Take a look towards the share of GST in government earnings for the previous fiscal:

    UPSC can ask about the majority component of the Revenue Receipts of the govt. See how Corporate tax is nearing the GST revenues.

    Do you think it will surpass GST revenue when the economy is fully recovered?

    What is the news?

    • September’s revenues were 23% higher than a year ago and 27.3% more than collections in the pre-pandemic month of September 2019.
    • Revenues from import of goods were 30% higher while indirect tax collected on domestic transactions, including the import of services, were 20% higher in September, compared to the same month in 2020.
    • Among the major States, GST revenues grew 29% in Karnataka, 28% in Gujarat, followed by 22% in Maharashtra and 21% each in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
    • Telangana recorded a 25% surge in revenues, while Odisha saw a sharper 40% rise.

    Significance

    • This clearly indicates that the economy is recovering at a fast pace.
    • Coupled with economic growth, anti-evasion activities, especially action against fake billers have also been contributing to the enhanced GST collections.
    • It is expected that the positive trend in the revenues will continue and the second half of the year will post higher revenues.

    Issues underlying

    • Though GST revenues are picking up pace after the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, revenue buoyancy under GST is being seen as a concern.
    • This is especially after the legally mandated compensation to states for revenue shortfall from the GST implementation comes to an end in June 2022.

    Back2Basics: Goods and Services Tax

    • The GST is a value-added tax levied on most goods and services sold for domestic consumption.
    • It was launched into operation on the midnight of 1st July 2017.
    • It subsumed almost all domestic indirect taxes (petroleum, alcoholic beverages, and stamp duty are the major exceptions) under one head.
    • The GST is paid by consumers, but it is remitted to the government by the businesses selling the goods and services.
    • GST is levied at four rates viz. 5%, 12%, 18% and 28%. The schedule or list of items that would fall under these multiple slabs is worked out by the GST council.

    Types

    • The GST to be levied by the Centre is called Central GST (CGST) and that to be levied by the States is called State GST (SGST).
    • Import of goods or services would be treated as inter-state supplies and would be subject to Integrated Goods & Services Tax (IGST) in addition to the applicable customs duties.

    The GST Council

    • It is a constitutional body (Article 279A) for making recommendations to the Union and State Government on issues related to GST.
    • The GST Council is chaired by the Union Finance Minister and other members are the Union State Minister of Revenue or Finance and Ministers in charge of Finance or Taxation of all the States.
    • It is considered as a federal body where both the centre and the states get due representation.

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