Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Basmati Rice
Mains level: Not Much
In a bid to promote the business around basmati rice, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) notified standards for basmati rice. They will be enforced from August 1, 2023.
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
- The FSSAI is an autonomous body established under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.
- It has been established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 which is a consolidating statute related to food safety and regulation in India.
- It is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the regulation and supervision of food safety.
- It is headed by a non-executive Chairperson, appointed by the Central Government, either holding or has held the position of not below the rank of Secretary to the Government of India.
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Basmati Rice
- Basmati, pronounced is a variety of long, slender-grained aromatic rice which is traditionally grown in India, Pakistan, and Nepal.
- As of 2019, India accounted for 65% of the international trade in basmati rice, while Pakistan accounted for the remaining 35%.
- Many countries use domestically grown basmati rice crops; however, basmati is geographically exclusive to certain districts of India and Pakistan.
- India accounts for over 70% of the world’s basmati rice production.
- The areas which have a geographical indication are in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Western Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
What are the standards set out by FSSAI?
- Fragrance: Basmati has the characteristic fragrance identified with this variety and is free from artificial fragrances and colouring.
- Grain size: The authority has also set standards on parameters such as average size of grains and their elongation ratio after cooking.
- Vital contents: It has set the maximum limits for moisture, amylose content, uric acid, damaged grains and presence of non-basmati rice.
- Varieties included: The standards are applicable to brown basmati rice, milled basmati rice, parboiled brown basmati rice and milled parboiled basmati rice.
Economics of Basmati
- Basmati rice is exported out of India and had an annual forex earning of Rs 25,053 crore during 2021-22.
- India accounts for two-thirds of the global supply of basmati rice.
Significance of the move
- FSSAI hopes that the standards would protect consumer interest and ensure the quality of basmati rice.
- In 2020, India’s application for a geographical indication tag recognised in the European Union market was put on hold after Pakistan opposed the move.
- Before this, in 1997, Texas-based Company RiceTec developed American basmati varieties and patented them.
- These were introduced in the international market as ‘Kasmati’ and ‘Texmati’.
- However, the patent was contested in the year 2000 by the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India’s premier science and industry organisation, saying the term ‘basmati’ could be used only for rice grown in India and Pakistan.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Local Bubble
Mains level: Not Much
Researchers have generated a 3D magnetic map of the giant cosmic cavity called Local Bubble that surrounds the solar system could reveal the universe’s secrets, including questions about the origins of stars.
What is the Local Bubble?
- The Local Bubble is a 1,000-light-year-wide cavity or a super-bubble.
- It is a relative cavity in the interstellar medium (ISM) of the Orion Arm in the Milky Way.
- Local Bubble is thought to have originated from supernovae roughly 14 million years ago. Supernova is a cosmic explosion occurring when stars meet their end.
- Space is full of these super-bubbles that trigger the formation of new stars and planets and influence the overall shapes of galaxies.
How are they formed?
- Super-bubbles are comparable to holes in Swiss cheese. Supernova explosions blow holes in the cheese. New stars form around these holes.
- However, mechanisms powering the formation and expansion of the Local Bubble are not well-understood.
- Further, there is little information on how magnetic fields likely impact the bubble and local star formation.
- Max Planck has provided information on the magnetic alignment of cosmic dust. This alignment can indicate the orientation of the magnetic field acting on the dust particles.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Gangasagar Festival
Mains level: Not Much
Lakhs of pilgrims are descending on Sagar Island in the southernmost tip of West Bengal for the annual Gangasagar Mela, being held between January 12 and 14, to celebrate Makar Sankranti.
What is Gangasagar Mela?
- Every year during Gangasagar mela, devotees from all over the country gather at the confluence of the Ganga and the Bay of Bengal to take a sacred dip during Makar Sankranti (mid-January).
- The mela is said to be India’s second largest pilgrimage gathering after the Kumbh Mela.
- Gangasagar, the largest and the oldest living tradition in Bengal, has been mentioned in Indian epics such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata, putting its existence as early as 400 BCE.
- Legends suggest that the first Kapil Muni’s temple was constructed by Queen Satyabhama in 430 AD, and the present idol was established by Swami Ramanand in 1437, marking the beginning of a pilgrimage that remains timeless till today.
About Sagar Island
- Sagar Island is an island in the Ganges delta, lying on the Continental Shelf of Bay of Bengal about 100 km (54 nautical miles) south of Kolkata.
- This island forms the Sagar CD Block in the Kakdwip subdivision of South 24 Parganas district in the Indian State of West Bengal.
- Although Sagar Island is a part of the Sundarbans, it does not have any tiger habitation or mangrove forests or small river tributaries as is characteristic of the overall Sundarban delta.
- This island is a place of Hindu pilgrimage.
- Every year on the day of Makar Sankranti (14 January), hundreds of thousands of Hindus gather to take a holy dip at the confluence of river Ganges and Bay of Bengal and offer prayers (puja) in the Kapil Muni Temple.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Haj Pilgrimage
Mains level: Promoting religious tourism
The Union Minister for Minority Affairs has done away with the discretionary Haj quota for pilgrims, in keeping with Prime Minister’s resolve to end VIP culture in the country.
About Haj Pilgrimage
- The holy Haj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims.
- It is considered to be a mandatory religious duty for all adult Muslims physically and financially capable of doing so.
- The rites of pilgrimage are performed over five to six days, in Dhu al-Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic calendar.
How is it managed?
- For the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the pilgrimage poses a massive logistical challenge.
- Housing, feeding and facilitating safe pilgrimages for millions of pilgrims who descend upon Mecca from across the world during a brief period of time is difficult, to say the least.
- Thus, Saudi Arabia allots country-wise quotas which determine the total number of pilgrims who can make a journey from a particular country.
- These quotas are broadly allotted on the basis of the number of Muslims a country houses. However, the quotas are also major diplomatic issues.
- Every year, countries lobby Saudi Arabia for more slots. After a Covid-19-related lull, the pilgrimage will resume at its full scale in 2023.
How India manages this?
- India signed the Haj 2023 bilateral agreement with Saudi Arabia.
- According to the agreement, a total of 1,75,025 Indian Haj pilgrims will be able to perform Haj, reportedly the highest in history.
- This quota allotted to India is then further distributed by the Ministry of Minority Affairs and the Haj Committee of India (HCoI) to various stakeholders.
- According to the 2018-22 policy document, 70 per cent of India’s total quota goes to the HCoI and 30 per cent goes to private operators.
Distribution of Quotas
- Out of the total number of slots with the HCoI, 500 are held under the Government discretionary quota whereas the rest are distributed to different states on the basis of their Muslim population.
- A draw of lots is conducted in each state to determine who makes the journey in case the number of applicants exceed the number of slots available.
What are the haj discretionary quotas?
- The “Government discretionary quota” is further divided in two, 200 seats are with the Haj Committee itself and 300 are with people holding important offices at the Centre. These include,
- 100 with the President
- 75 with the Prime Minister
- 75 with the Vice President
- 50 with the Minister of Minority Affairs
- As per the old policy, these seats could be allocated to individuals who applied for the pilgrimage through normal means but were unsuccessful in getting a slot for the pilgrimage.
- This quota has now been abolished with these seats being added back to the general pool.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Marine Plastic pollution
Mains level: Marine Plastic pollution, reasons and initiatives by Government
Context
- India generates 55 million tonnes of municipal waste, of which only 37 per cent is treated, according to the Central Pollution Control Board. Only 60 per cent of the total collected plastic waste is recycled, while the fate of the remaining 40 per cent is not accounted.
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Geographical location and trade of India
- Huge coastline: India has a coastline spanning 7,517 kilometres. It is spread across eight states and borders a 2.02 million square kilometre of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
- Large coastal population: India’s eight coastal states house a population of 420 million. Of this, about 330 million live on or within 150 km of a coast. Three in four metro cities of the country are located on the coast. Coastal districts are home to nearly 14.2 per cent of the country’s total population.
- High trade waters and oceans: Around 95 per cent of India’s trade by volume and 68 per cent by value is executed through waterways.
- Rapid urbanization and changing lifestyle: Growing population, rapid urbanisation, shifting consumption pattern and changing lifestyles have resulted in the mismanagement of plastic waste, leading to the accumulation of municipal solid waste.
- Most plastic through land-based source: Most of these items, especially plastic items, contribute significantly to the growing burden of marine debris. Land-based sources account for most of the plastic in the water.
- Unfiltered waste carried by rivers: Unaccounted waste from urban agglomerations is carried by river systems to oceans for final dumping.
- High percentage of dumping of garbage: The country’s coastline contributes to its ecological richness, biodiversity and economy. Every year, thousands of tonnes of garbage, composed of plastics, glass, metals, sanitary products, clothes, etc., are dumped into it. However, plastics contribute a major portion of about 60 per cent of the total marine debris that reaches the oceans.
Initiatives by Government
- Beach clean-up initiatives: The Ministry of Earth Sciences, through its attached office National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), has undertaken beach clean-up initiatives, awareness programmes and beach litter quantification studies at regular intervals.
- Scientific study on marine pollution: Many studies have been conducted across coastal states and U Territories Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep. NCCR has initiated monitoring of the temporal and spatial distribution of marine litter along the Indian coasts and adjacent seas in 2018, 2019 and 2021.
- Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar campaign: An average of 0.98 metric tonnes of trash per km stretch of coastline, averaging a weight concentration of 0.012 kilograms per metre square, accumulated along the Indian coastline, noted Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar campaign, 2022.
- Attempt by TREE foundation: Attempts made by some organisations in rescuing marine species from the debris are worth mentioning. TREE Foundation, a Chennai-based non-profit, has been incessantly working on this. Their efforts on this front have shed light on the magnitude of the problem of ghost nets.
- Stakeholders approach: Over the last 20 years, through a multi-disciplinary approach involving people from all sections of society particularly unemployed youth from artisanal fishing communities, the foundation has saved and released more than 3,101,000 Olive Ridley turtles.
What should be the way forward?
- National Marine litter Policy of India: The National Marine litter Policy of India, announced in 2018, should be formulated.
- Plastic distribution study: Marine litter and microplastics distribution and characterization study should be conducted across the Indian coast.
- Coastal city forum: A forum of coastal cities should be created for ensuring cross-learning ecosystem and to build a synergetic association of urban local bodies and local administration located on the coast.
- Long term vision plan: A long-term vision plan should be developed for promoting partnerships among coastal towns, cities and urban administration for the reduction of marine litter and the creation of sustainable waste management ecosystems. Initiatives like a multi-stakeholder approach that will recognize knowledge, expertise, technology, research, capacity building and advocacy as key drivers to safeguard life below water can be beneficial.
- Awareness campaign: Regular beach clean-up and awareness programmes should be conducted instead of annual ones.
- Effective ban: Many states claim Single Use Plastic above 50 microns is banned, but on the ground, the ban is not effective. Steps can be taken to execute such legislations.
Conclusion
- Marine plastic pollution is killing the marine ecosystem, animals, plants and corals etc. apart from ocean trade land based plastic generation should be priorities while managing the marine pollution. Present approach of governments across the world is less than sufficient to tackle marine pollution.
Mains Question
Q. What are some of the initiatives to tackle the marine pollution in India? suggest the way forward to handle the menace of marine pollution.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: BIMSTEC
Mains level: Read the attached story
Context
- While the efficacy of multilateral cooperation is often questioned amidst the compelling the politics of force and global power politics, the world simply does not yet have any other alternative to structured cooperation. Much like the progress and relevance of multilateral cooperation, the fate of BIMSTEC too needs to contextualized in a world order that demands action and resolve.
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What is BIMSTEC?
- The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation: (BIMSTEC) 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 US$4.4 trillion (2022).
- Members: The BIMSTEC member states Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand are among the countries dependent on the Bay of Bengal.
- Poor connectivity and resources: On the one hand, the geographical limits of BIMSTEC suffer from poor intra-regional connectivity which is fundamental to enhancing economic engagement; on the other, the grouping itself is beleaguered by the lack of an institutional structure, operational blueprint, and financial resources.
- New found interest: The BIMSTEC has indeed shown intent in recent years with member nations taking the first steps since the organisation’s inception towards according the latter agency, mobility, and funds.
- Most recent activities: These include the adoption of a charter that accords the grouping a legal status; a reduction in the number of priority areas from 14 to seven pillars thereby allowing for more focused engagement, the signing of memorandums on technology transfer, diplomatic training and a master plan on connectivity all of which are of import to the grouping’s future as aspirational countries in a region that has already become the gravitational centre of global geopolitics.
- Outcome of economic and political stability: The ‘renewed interest’ after remaining dormant for over two decades is attributed to the economic and political stability and growth that member states (barring Myanmar) have witnessed together with the world’s interest being directed towards the opportunities and Indo-Pacific and an increasingly hostile China.
- BIMSTEC has lot of ground to cover: As a regional organisation, the BIMSTEC is, on paper, well-positioned to gear shared efforts towards the harnessing of economic, natural, and labour potential of member nations.
Understanding the Multilateral cooperation/Multilateralism
- Hybrid rather than binary affairs: An assessment of multilateralism has to move away from binary understandings of world architectures. They are in essence, hybrid affairs, combining universal aspirations such as human rights with a more prosaic system of managed competition. This format is here to stay.
- Achieving common objectives through collective strengths: Multilateral organisations help as facilitators of regional objectives by pooling the strengths of members for advancement, as lobbying entities for regional aspirations and demands on the global stage functions which form the core purpose of these groupings. But multilateralism also suffers from its own set of drawbacks.
- Political disagreements: Perhaps the biggest limitations of multilateral engagement are ineffectiveness and becoming unwieldy as they comprise several member countries in terms of certain types of decision-making, particularly, those which are political.
- This is particularly true of large regional or global organisations, with ASEAN being the exception that proves the rule.
- Mini-laterals: To mitigate this challenge, smaller and more focused undertakings began in recent years in the form of mini-lateral engagement to enable smaller, and more ‘like-minded’ nations to band together for function-based cooperation.
- BBIN as an example: In the South Asian region, an example of mini-lateral engagement is the BBIN sub-regional framework which has, however, because of the operational complexities, continued to struggle.
What should be the way forward?
- Addressing the illegal migration: Multilateral forums also allow for united articulations of challenges unique to particular regions. Among the BIMSTEC’s common challenges are irregular migration, environmental degradation, transnational crimes, terrorism and insurgencies and drug trafficking, the efforts towards the mitigation of many of which, particularly the issue of migration and climate action, need the involvement of the world’s major powers.
- Support through G20 presidency: India’s G20 presidency in 2023 offers a unique opportunity to leverage New Delhi’s enhanced position in global politics to usher support for BIMSTEC’s necessities and objectives.
- Intent is stronger than hurdles: The success of groupings be it large or small rests on intent shown by members regardless of operational, financial, political or institutional constraints.
- Finance, institutions and structure: A grouping that comprised members from what is frequently referred to as the least integrated region in the world, without sufficient financing, and devoid of institutional structures to guide its operations, there has been much to be concerned about regarding BIMSTEC. And yet, because the grouping has demonstrated intent, so far, BIMSTEC’s promise holds more sway than its impediments.
Conclusion
- BIMSTEC have suffered from lack of funding, dedicated institution and proper structuring of the grouping. Hopefully new mini-laterals (BBIN) will revive the BIMSTEC in much objective stronger and successful way. India should take the lead in revival of this multilateral forum.
Mains Question
Q. Analyze the present status of BIMSTEC. What are the weaknesses of BIMSTEC and suggest way forward?
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Kesavanananda Bharati Case, NJAC
Mains level: Collegium system, NJAC
The Vice-President while addressing the 83rd Conference of Presiding Officers said that the Kesavananda Bharati case judgment of 1973 set a bad precedent by seeking to establish judicial supremacy.
Kesavananda Bharati Case (1973)
- The Kesavananda Bharati judgement, was a landmark decision of the Supreme Court that outlined the basic structure doctrine of the Indian Constitution.
- The case is also known as the Fundamental Rights Case.
- The SC in a 7-6 decision asserted its right to strike down amendments to the constitution that were in violation of the fundamental architecture of the constitution.
- The Court asserted through the Basic Structure doctrine that the constitution possesses a basic structure of constitutional principles and values.
- Key outcomes were:
- Judicial Review: The Court partially cemented the prior precedent Golaknath v. State of Punjab, which held that constitutional amendments through Article 368 were subject to fundamental rights review, but only if they could affect the ‘basic structure of the Constitution’.
- Exceptions to Judicial Review: At the same time, the Court also upheld the constitutionality of the first provision of Article 31-C, which implied that amendments seeking to implement the Directive Principles, which do not affect the ‘Basic Structure,’ shall not be subjected to judicial review.
Why are we discussing it now?
Ans. Centre vs. Judiciary Tussle
- The doctrine forms the basis of power of the Indian judiciary to review and override amendments to the Constitution of India enacted by the Parliament.
- Since few days, Judiciary and Executive are at loggerheads.
- In political sphere, there is a greater resentment against the SC verdict striking down the NJAC Act.
- Comments over appointment/transfer of judges in non-transparent manner has become a very common.
National Judicial Appointment Commission (NJAC)
- The NJAC was a body that was proposed to make appointments of Chief Justices, Supreme Court judges, and High Court judges in a more transparent manner as compared to the existing collegium system.
- It sought to replace the Collegium System.
- It was proposed via the National Judicial Appointments Commission Bill, 2014.
- The bill was passed by both the houses; Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, and also received the President’s assent.
- The commission was established by the 99th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2014.
- The Act proposed that the members of NJAC would be composed of members from the legislative, judicial, and civil society.
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Reasons behind VP’s harsh comments
Ans. Parliamentary Supremacy (Mandate of the People) overpowers Basic Structure
- VP said that in a democratic society, “the basic” of any “basic structure” has to be the supremacy of the mandate of the people.
- Thus the primacy and sovereignty of Parliament and legislature is inviolable.
- He said all constitutional institutions — judiciary, executive and legislature— are required to remain confined to their respective domains and conform to the highest standards of propriety and decorum.
- He said the power of Parliament to amend the Constitution and deal with legislation should not be subject to any other authority.
Conclusion
- After analyzing both NJAC and the collegium system, it can be inferred that neither of the methods is complete and both lack certain aspects.
- Many former judges and legal experts are supporting the NJAC.
- However, legal jurists are divided on NJAC, with some supporting it while others calling for amendments to the Act.
- It is quite evident that neither the collegium system nor the NJAC is accurate; both have some shortcomings.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NFSA, PMGKAY
Mains level: Schemes related to food security
The Centre has named its new free foodgrain scheme under the National Food Security Act, 2013, as ‘Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY)’.
PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana
- PM had approved the new integrated food security scheme for providing free foodgrains for a year beginning January 1, 2023 to beneficiaries under the NFSA –
- Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY)
- Primary Household (PHH)
How is it different from earlier scheme?
- The difference between the two schemes is that about 81 crore NFSA beneficiaries were entitled to get free of cost 5 kg foodgrain per person in a month over and above their monthly entitlements.
- However, they were required to pay the subsidised rate of foodgrains (Rs 3 per kg rice, Rs 2 per kg wheat and Rs 1 per kg coarse grains) to purchase the quantity for which they were entitled–35 kg per Antyoday Anna Yojana Household and 5kg per person to a Priority Household in a month.
- In the new scheme, the government has done away with the subsided prices and is providing foodgrains free of cost for a year.
- Now the additional quantity, which was available during the Covid pandemic, will not be provided to these beneficiaries.
- They will receive as much quantity of foodgrains, for which they are entitled under the NFSA.
Implementation strategy
- For effective and uniform implementation of NFSA 2013, PMGKAY will subsume the two subsidy schemes of Department of Food & Public Distribution –
- Food Subsidy to FCI and
- Food Subsidy for decentralized procurement states dealing with procurement, allocation and delivery of free foodgrains to the states under NFSA
National Food Security (NFS) Act
- The NFS Act, of 2013 aims to provide subsidized food grains to approximately two-thirds of India’s 1.2 billion people.
- It was signed into law on 12 September 2013, retroactive to 5 July 2013.
- It converts into legal entitlements for the existing food security program of the GoI.
- It includes the Midday Meal Scheme, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme and the Public Distribution System (PDS).
- Further, the NFSA 2013 recognizes maternity entitlements.
- The Midday Meal Scheme and the ICDS are universal in nature whereas the PDS will reach about two-thirds of the population (75% in rural areas and 50% in urban areas).
- Pregnant women, lactating mothers, and certain categories of children are eligible for daily free cereals.
Key provisions of NFSA
- The NFSA provides a legal right to persons belonging to “eligible households” to receive foodgrains at a subsidized price.
- It includes rice at Rs 3/kg, wheat at Rs 2/kg, and coarse grain at Rs 1/kg — under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).
- These are called central issue prices (CIPs).
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: VSHORAD Missiles
Mains level: Man portable missiles and their significance
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) is set to procure the Very Short Range Air Defence System or VSHORAD (IR Homing) missile system.
VSHORAD Missile System
- Meant to kill low altitude aerial threats at short ranges, VSHORADS is a man portable Air Defence System (MANPAD).
- It is designed and developed indigenously by DRDO’s Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad, in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories and Indian Industry Partners.
- The missile is propelled by a dual thrust solid motor—incorporates many novel technologies including miniaturised Reaction Control System (RCS) and integrated avionics, which were successfully proven during the tests conducted last year.
- The DRDO has designed the missile and its launcher in a way to ensure easy portability.
Unique features
- Being man portable and lightweight compared to the other missile systems in the Army’s armoury, it can be deployed in the mountains close to the LAC at a short notice.
- Others like the Akash Short Range Surface to Air Missile System are heavier with a theatre air defence umbrella.
- They are perceived to be the best option for mountain warfare since they can be deployed quickly in rugged terrain.
Significance of the missile
- The development comes amid the ongoing military standoff with China at the LAC in eastern Ladakh and reports of air violations by China along the LAC last year.
- India has been in talks with Russia since 2018 to procure the Igla-S air defence missiles at a cost of $1.5 billion under the VSHORAD programme in a bid to replace the Russian Igla-M systems.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Japan's national security strategy, India- Japan relations
Context
- Japan’s National Security Strategy released in December is a remarkable document. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, China’s assertive rise, and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK-North Korea) provocations are listed as key developments creating for Japan the most severe and complex security environment since the end of the Second World War.
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What are Japan’s new concerns?
- Chinese increasing military power: Unconstrained by bilateral or multilateral agreements, Chinese military power is noted as growing exponentially. In less than a decade, the Chinese nuclear arsenal would match numbers currently held by the US and Russia. Expectations are low that the US would have the will or the capacity to bring China to the arms control table.
- DPRK is riding a runaway proliferation train: Having shaken off all the limits to its nuclear programme it pretended to accept during the Trump Administration, its nuclear programme is perhaps now unstoppable.
- The inadequacy of its current defence posture and its military alliance with the US: As underlined by the document, extended deterrence including nuclear weapons is the cornerstone of the US-Japan alliance. Its success until now allowed Japan the luxury of its three nuclear no’s policy no production, possession, or introduction of nuclear weapons on its territory.
What worries Japan in its future adequacy and the options
- The stated option: The National Security Strategy calls for Japan to strengthen the deterrence and response capabilities of its alliance with the US, including extended deterrence by the US, backed by its full range of capabilities, including nuclear.
- Possibility trends of nuclear-sharing by Japan: The unstated part is the possibility of nuclear-sharing by Japan. If implemented, this may be new to Asia but is a long-standing US practice with its key NATO allies in Europe. US willingness to share nuclear-powered submarines with Australia as part of AUKUS is an indicator of possible trends.
- Possibility of Japan itself acquiring nuclear weapons: The document makes no reference to this. But there are references to the US – in Japan’s view the world’s greatest comprehensive power finding it increasingly difficult to maintain a free and open international order. Behind Japanese politeness, the message is clear.
- Strategic autonomy in Japanese style: Significantly, the document adds that Japan would seek to strengthen its defence capabilities to the point at which Japan is able to take primary responsibility for its defence, without excluding support from the US.
- If Japan goes nuclear, India should welcome the decision: In our separate ways, India and Japan privileged nuclear disarmament as a priority. But there comes a time when this national preference must be subordinated to the demands of national security.
- Understanding the reason: India reached this conclusion reluctantly but with good reason in 1998. If Japan were to reach the same conclusion, it too would have good reason to do so.
- Ensuring self-defence capabilities and Upholding the sovereignty: Its technological capabilities are not in doubt. It is for Japan to exercise its inherent and inalienable right of ensuring the necessary means of self-defence. Thinking the unthinkable in terms of changing policy is an attribute of sovereignty, not its negation.
Way ahead
- Japan’s turn towards an explicit nuclear option will come, if at all, not out of choice but out of necessity.
- Its strategic predicament, laid bare by the document, is compounded by the lack of easy answers, a predicament that India should view with sympathy and understanding of a fellow Asian country.
- Japan is also a strong supporter of the NPT, and its derivative non-proliferation regime but it is also painfully aware that the NPT does precious little to constrain China, nor for that matter DPRK.
- The gap between Japan’s security needs in a nuclearized world and its non-nuclear public sentiment was papered over in the past by US extended deterrence. It looks less likely that will be the case in the future.
Conclusion
- A multipolar Indo-Pacific can be truly multipolar only if Japan is assured of national defence through the means of its choosing. As a strategic partner and friend, we must keep faith that Japan will make the right decision at the right time.
Mains question
Q. Recently Japan released its National security strategy. In this backdrop discuss what concerns Japan and how India should view this development?
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Office of Governor in the state and related provisions
Mains level: Issues with role of Governor in the state, The case of Governor's activism
Context
- Governor of Tamil Nadu left the assembly session of house while chief minister was point out that governor skip the certain portion of the speech which he was suppose to read. This has again raised the questions over powers and functions of governor.
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History about powers of governor and assembly address
- Non-interference of Governors under British: A good governor must stay above politics and manifestly be seen as impartial and fair. In 1937, when the Congress won elections in seven provinces, it took office on the condition that the British governors would not interfere in the functioning of its ministries and refrain from exercising “discretion and special powers”.
- Special powers under the constitution: However, after Independence, India conferred the same special powers on governors.
- Yogender Singh Handa v. State of Rajasthan (1967): In 1967, Rajasthan Governor Sampuranand skip a part the speech. In Yogender Singh Handa v. State of Rajasthan (1967), the Rajasthan High Court held that some portion read by the governor was good enough to deem the whole address as read.
- Governor Padmaja Naidu case: On February 8, 1965, when her request for “silence, silence, permit me to address” was ignored, West Bengal Governor Padmaja Naidu left the assembly without delivering the ceremonial address. The Speaker took the chair and announced that the governor had been pleased to make her speech and lay a copy of her speech on the table of the House.
- Integral part of assembly: The governor is an integral part of the legislative assembly. He calls its sessions and he dissolves the House.
- Right to address first session of the house: Under Article 176(2(b), he has the right to address the first session of the House. This address is an integral part of constitutional symbolism and has huge significance.
- Powers of cabinet, not Governor’s: The Constitution gives no discretion to governors in the matter of convening the session of the assembly. Parliamentary democracy being the basic structure of our Constitution, this is the prerogative of the Cabinet though Article 174 does say that the governor from time to time summons the assembly to meet at such time and place “he thinks fit”.
- Nabam Rebia (2016) case: Governors have no business to question the purpose of convening the sessions of the House. A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court in Nabam Rebia (2016) had observed that the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh, J P Rajkhowa, who advanced the session of the assembly without the advice of the chief minister, had exceeded his jurisdiction as he had no discretion in convening the assembly session.
Legality of governor skipping the mandatory speech to assembly
- Governor cannot decline to give a speech: Justice B N Banerjee of the Calcutta High Court in Andul Gafoor Habibullah v. Speaker, West Bengal Assembly (1966) held that the governor cannot decline to deliver his address and refuse to fulfil his constitutional duty.
- Failure to address is irregularity not legality: The address under Article 176 is mandatory. However, the HC held that when the governor fails to deliver his address under Article 176 and walks out of the House after laying down the address on the table of the House, this is mere irregularity, not illegality.
- Non-judiciable in court: It cannot be questioned under Article 212, wherein the validity of the House proceedings cannot be challenged on the ground of mere irregularity in the procedure. The petitioner’s claim, in this case, was that since the House did not start its proceedings with the customary address by the governor, it has vitiated the proceedings of the House.
Implications: If governor refuses/fails to deliver assembly address?
- Possibility of constitutional crisis: Governors editing/deleting the speech may indeed create a constitutional crisis. The chief minister may refuse to defend the address in his response at the end of the debate on the governor’s address and with the chief minister commanding a majority, the House may reject the resolution on the governor’s speech.
- CM may need to resign: When the governor’s/president’s address faces such a defeat, it is considered a no-confidence motion and the chief minister or the prime minister as the case may be, needs to resign.
- Resignation over irregularity: Such a resignation for something that the government did not include in the ceremonial address but the governor had said on its own would not only be grossly unjust and unethical but absolutely undemocratic.
- Past precedence of resignation: Chief Minister Gurnam Singh of Punjab in 1967 had resigned when the governor’s address was defeated on the floor of the House. UP CM C B Gupta too had to resign in similar circumstances when a resolution thanking the governor was defeated in the UP assembly. Thus, the governor has no discretion in editing the address.
Conclusion
- Governor is neither a decorative emblem nor a glorified cipher. His powers are limited but he has an important constitutional role to play in the governance of the state and in strengthening federalism. He is the head of the state and all chief ministers, including the Tamil Nadu chief minister, must remember it. All governors too must remain true to their oath of preserving, protecting and defending the Constitution.
Mains Question
Q. What are the functions of the Governor with respect to addressing the assembly of the state? What may be the implications of the Governor skipping the address to assembly?
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Malnutrition, stunting, wasting etc
Mains level: Malnutrition in India
Context
- Between the National Family Health Survey (N
FHS)-4 (2015–16) and the fifth round (2019–2020), there has been a considerable increase in the number of malnourished children in India, and the progress made during the first half of the decade appears to have been undone. Malnutrition in the North-eastern states of India is worse than the country average.
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What is malnutrition?
- Malnutrition refers to deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in a person’s intake of energy and/or nutrients.
- For a child’s motor, sensory, cognitive, social, and emotional development, malnutrition has substantial long-term effects. It impedes productivity and academic progress.
The term malnutrition covers two broad groups of conditions
- Undernutrition: Undernutrition includes stunting (low height for age), wasting (low weight for height), underweight (low weight for age) and micronutrient deficiencies or insufficiencies (a lack of important vitamins and minerals).
- Overnutition: The other is overweight, obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases (such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer).
Did you know?
- Stunting, or low height for age, is a recognized risk factor for children’s delayed development.
- According to a study, a 1% reduction in adult height as a result of childhood stunting is linked to a 1.4% reduction in economic productivity.
- Children who are stunted, earn 20% less as adults.
- Upsurge in stunting: Four states in the Northeast Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura have seen an upsurge in stunting among children under the age of five. Stunting is highest in Meghalaya at 46.8 %, followed by Nagaland (32.7%), Tripura (32.3 %), and Mizoram (28.9%). In Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura, the percentage of kids who are stunted, wasting, underweight, or overweight has increased
- Levels of stunting decreased in Assam: The NFHS-5 shows Assam, Manipur and Sikkim have shown a drop in stunting levels. In Assam, stunting has decreased by almost one percentage point, although rates of overweight (2.3% to 4.9%), underweight (29.8% to 32.8%), and stunting (17% to 21.7%) have all increased, whereas that of wasting and underweight have decreased by more than 2% in each instance.
- Sikkim performs better than other NE states: As the number of stunted, wasting, and underweight children has dropped, Sikkim has done considerably better than other NE states so has Manipur, with a decrease in wasting from 6.8% to 9.9% in under-five children.
- Increase in no of overweight people in every NE state: Every state in the Northeast saw an increase in the number of overweight people, which amplifies the growing double burden of malnutrition in the states.
Appropriate foods and feeding practices show Higher immunity
- Feeding practices adequate only in Meghalaya and Tripura: The percentages of breastfeeding children receiving adequate complementary foods have improved only in Meghalaya and Tripura. Early initiation of breastfeeding is on the decline in six out of the eight northeastern states, with highest levels in Sikkim (33.5%) and Assam (15.3%).
- Reduction in exclusive breastfeeding rates (EBF): Sikkim, Tripura, and Manipur all exhibit a notable reduction in exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) rates. EBF in Sikkim is the lowest at 28.3 percent, far lower than the national average of 63.7 percent. Tripura demonstrated a gain of 39.5 percentage points in the practice of timely introduction of semi-solid food, whereas Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh showed a slight fall.
- All NE states except Assam performed well on diet adequacy: Minimum Adequate Diet (or diet adequacy) is a combined indicator of feeding frequency and diet variety. From 8% to 29.8%, there is a significant range throughout the northeastern states. All states, with the exception of Assam, have performed better on this measure than the nation as a whole.
- The situation with obesity is more complicated: Only Meghalaya and Nagaland have seen decreases, while the other six states have seen increases. It is heartening to see a declining trend in underweight women (BMI < 18.5) in all eight northeastern states.
- Anaemia is increased: In six of the eight northeastern states, anaemia among women of reproductive age has increased, with Tripura worst at 67.2%, and Assam at 65.9%.
How malnutrition can be tackled in NE?
- Finding out the causes: Stunting among children in the Northeast is caused by a number of factors, including poor maternal health, a lack of antenatal care, inadequate infrastructure and healthcare facilities, inadequate feeding and nutrition for women, and limited access to education, clean drinking water, and sanitary facilities.
- For instance: Lack of toilets, drinking water and cooking fuels in the home environment have an impact on child malnutrition, according to a 2015 study on indigenous peoples in the Northeast.
- Improving the maternal nutrition: Manipur, Mizoram, and Sikkim fare better than the national average in most measures. Newborns’ chances of being stunted are decreased by better maternal nutrition prior to conception, throughout pregnancy, and after delivery. According to data for Sikkim, Manipur, and Mizoram, the risk of stunting decreases as the number of underweight mothers decreases.
- Upgrading the service availability: In the northeastern states, the use of supplementary food at the anganwadi centres (ANC) varies greatly, from about 35% in Arunachal Pradesh to 70% in Tripura. A low of 20.7% in Nagaland and a high of 79.4% in Manipur is the ANC coverage across the Northeast.
- Improving the required intake of Iron and Folic acid: All states have lower percentages of iron and folic acid (IFA) intake than the national average of 26%, with the exception of Manipur where 30.3% of pregnant women completed the full 180-day course of IFA tablets. Nagaland has the lowest rate, at just 4.1%. Overall, the NE states show a wide variation in service availability and uptake.
Note it down: The innovative programmes to enhance mother and child health
- Nutrition gardens: For example, the Assam government encouraged women in rural communities to develop “nutrition gardens” where they could grow vegetables.
- My school my Farm: “Kan Sikul, Kan Huan (My School, My Farm)” programme in the most impoverished and disaster-prone area in Mizoram-Lawngtlai.
- Lunchbox exchange: The “dibbi adaan pradaan (lunchbox exchange)” initiative in Hailakandi district of Assam for promoting better nutrition and variety in menu.
Conclusion
- Malnutrition in the Northeast has to be addressed holistically through the scaling up of direct nutrition interventions and the coupling of them with nutrition-sensitive measures to close the nutrition gap. In the long run, it could be beneficial to improve the monitoring and evaluation of current interventions by building on the POSHAN Abhiyaan and health projects.
Mains question
Q. What is Malnutrition? Malnutrition in the North-eastern states of India is worse than the country average. Discuss.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: JJ Act
Mains level: Heinous offences and Minors
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has come up with draft guidelines on the preliminary assessment of whether certain minors are to be tried under law as adults in particular cases, under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act.
Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 and Adults
- The JJ Act, 2015 replaced the Indian juvenile delinquency law, Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000.
- It allows for juveniles in conflict with Law in the age group of 16–18, involved in Heinous Offences, to be tried as adults.
- The Act also sought to create a universally accessible adoption law for India.
- It came into force from 15 January 2016.
Preliminary assessment as per the JJ Act
- Assessment of the offender child: The Act directs that the Board shall consider the mental and physical capacity of the child for committing the alleged offence, the ability to understand the consequences of the offence, and the circumstances in which the offence was committed.
- Psychological ‘trial’: It states that the Board can take the assistance of experienced psychologists or psychosocial workers or other experts. The Act also gives a disclaimer that the assessment is not a trial, but is only to assess the capacity of the child to commit and understand the consequences of the alleged offence.
- Arriving at conclusion: After the assessment, the Board can pass an order saying there is a need to try the said child as an adult and transfer the case to a children’s court with the relevant jurisdiction.
- Penalty: If tried as a minor, the child could be sent to a special home for a maximum of three years. If tried as an adult, the child can be sentenced to a jail term, except being sentenced to death or life imprisonment without the possibility of release.
Why has the NCPCR come up with draft guidelines now?
- The Supreme Court is hearing a case related to the murder of a Class 2 student in Haryana, allegedly by a 16-year-old.
- The task of preliminary assessment under the JJ Act is a ‘delicate task’, concluded SC.
- It said that the consequences of the assessment on whether the child is to be tried as an adult or a minor are “serious in nature and have a lasting effect for the entire life of the child”.
- It said that the assessment requires expertise and directed that appropriate and specific guidelines be put in place.
- It had left it open to the Central government and the National and State Commissions for the Protection of Child Rights to consider issuing the guidelines.
Major draft guidelines by NCPCR
The draft relying on already existing provisions in the Act says that the preliminary assessment has to determine following aspects:
- Physical capacity of the child: To determine the child’s ‘locomotor’ abilities and capacities, particularly with regard to gross motor functions such as walking, running, lifting, throwing…such abilities as would be required to engage in most antisocial activities.
- Mental capacity: To determine the child’s ability to make social decisions and judgments. It also directs assessments pertaining to mental health disorders, substance abuse, and life skills deficits.
- Circumstances in which the offence was allegedly committed: Psychosocial vulnerabilities of the child. This is to include life events, any trauma, abuse, and mental health problems, stating that the offence behaviour is a cumulative consequence of a lot of other circumstances.
- Ability to understand the consequences of the alleged offence: To determine the child’s knowledge or understanding of the alleged offence’s social, interpersonal and legal consequences. These include what others will say or perceive him, how it might affect his personal relationships and the knowledge of relevant laws, respectively.
- Building a rapport: It also states that the experts must be given an optimal opportunity to interact with the child to build a rapport. Experts can be from the field of child psychology and psychiatry. It also states they must undergo regular training.
- Others: Other reports that the Board is to rely on include the Social Investigation Report, Social Background Report an Individual Care Plan, statements of witnesses and interaction with parents, guardians, school staff, peer groups and neighbours.
Way forward
- Government should amend JJ Act 2015.
- Such an amendment would go a long way in providing the requisite balance between the rationales underlying the juvenile justice system and the criminal justice system and realizing the objectives professed by both.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: MIC
Mains level: Bhopal Gas Tragedy
The Supreme Court has grilled the Centre on how the settlement can be reopened, when Union Carbide has already paid over $ 470 million to the Bhopal gas tragedy victims, and also expressed concern over Rs 50 crore undisbursed funds.
Why in news?
- Union Carbide, now a part of Dow Jones – has not fulfilled its responsibility in terms of providing just compensation.
- Around 19 years after compensation was agreed upon, the Indian government filed a curative petition in 2010 to seek additional compensation from Dow, of more than ten times the amount it gave in 1989.
Bhopal Gas Tragedy
- On the night of December 2, 1984, one of the biggest industrial disasters to ever take place began unfolding in Bhopal.
- Harmful Methyl Isocyanate (MIC) gas started leaking from a nearby Union Carbide pesticide plant, eventually resulting in the Bhopal Gas tragedy.
- An estimated 3,000 people died within the first few days.
- Over time, similarly horrifying numbers of those who suffered life-long health issues would become known.
Health hazards of the disaster
- Its effects were such that apart from killing thousands of people in a short span of time, it led to disease and other long-term problems for many who inhaled the gas.
- The sources of water around the factory were deemed unfit for consumption and many handpumps were sealed.
- To date, the reproductive health of many of Bhopal’s women has been affected.
- Children born to those exposed to the gas have faced congenital health problems.
How did govt respond to the disaster?
The incident pointed to the lack of specific laws in India at the time for handling such matters. This changed after Bhopal.
- Environment (Protection) Act, 1986: It authorised the central government to take relevant measures and regulate industrial activity for environmental and public safety.
- Public Liability Insurance Act of 1991: It was also passed to provide public liability insurance for providing immediate relief to the persons affected by an accident occurring while handling any hazardous substance.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Ozone Layer, Ozone Hole
Mains level: Not Much
The ozone ‘hole’, once considered to be the gravest danger to planetary life, is now expected to be completely repaired by 2066, a scientific assessment has suggested.
What is Ozone and Ozone Layer?
- An ozone molecule consists of three oxygen atoms instead of the usual two (the oxygen we breathe, O2, makes up 21% of the atmosphere).
- It only exists in the atmosphere in trace quantities (less than 0.001%), but its effects are very important.
- Ozone molecules are created by the interaction of ultra-violet (UV) radiation from the Sun with O2 molecules.
- Because UV radiation is more intense at higher altitudes where the air is thinner, it is in the stratosphere where most of the ozone is produced, giving rise to what is called the ‘ozone layer’.
- The ozone layer, containing over 90% of all atmospheric ozone, extends between about 10 and 40km altitude, peaking at about 25km in Stratosphere.
Why need Ozone Layer?
- The ozone layer is very important for life on Earth because it has the property of absorbing the most damaging form of UV radiation, UV-B radiation which has a wavelength of between 280 and 315 nanometres.
- As UV radiation is absorbed by ozone in the stratosphere, it heats up the surrounding air to produce the stratospheric temperature inversion.
What is Ozone Hole?
- Each year for the past few decades during the Southern Hemisphere spring, chemical reactions involving chlorine and bromine cause ozone in the southern polar region to be destroyed rapidly and severely.
- The Dobson Unit (DU) is the unit of measure for total ozone.
- The chemicals involved ozone depletion are chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs for short), halons, and carbon tetrachloride.
- They are used for a wide range of applications, including refrigeration, air conditioning, foam packaging, and making aerosol spray cans.
- The ozone-depleted region is known as the “ozone hole”.
Tropical Ozone Hole
- According to the study, the ozone hole is located at altitudes of 10-25 km over the tropics.
- This hole is about seven times larger than Antarctica, the study suggested.
- It also appears across all seasons, unlike that of Antarctica, which is visible only in the spring.
- The hole has become significant since the 1980s. But it was not discovered until this study.
What caused an ozone hole in the tropics?
- Studies suggested another mechanism of ozone depletion: Cosmic rays.
- Chlorofluorocarbon’s (CFC) role in depleting the ozone layer is well-documented.
- The tropical stratosphere recorded a low temperature of 190-200 Kelvin (K).
- This can explain why the tropical ozone hole is constantly formed over the seasons.
Try this PYQ
Q.Consider the following statements:
Chlorofluorocarbons, known as ozone-depleting substances are used:
- In the production of plastic foams
- In the production of tubeless tyres
- In cleaning certain electronic components
- As pressurizing agents in aerosol cans
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1, 2 and 3 only
(b) 4 only
(c) 1, 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Post your answers here:
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Paigah Tomb
Mains level: Not Much
The necropolis of noblemen dating from the Asaf Jahi era known as Paigah Tombs Complex in Hyderabad is set to be restored with funding by the US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation.
Who were the Paigahs?
- Paigah tombs are 200 years old and represent the final resting places of the Paigah Nobles of several generations.
- During the conquest of the Deccan region by Emperor Aurangzeb, the Paigahs came along with him.
- The House of Paigah was founded by Shams-ul-Umra I also known as Nawaz Abul Fatah Khan Tegh.
- Their ties with Nizams were further cemented through matrimonial alliances.
- They also constructed several palaces in the city and the notable amongst them are the famous Falaknuma Palace, Asman Garh Palace, Khursheed Jah Devdi and Vicar-ul-Umarahi palace.
- They were believed to be rich than the average Maharajah of the country.
Paigah Tombs
- Paigah Tombs are the tombs belonging to the nobility of Paigah family, who were fierce loyalists of the Nizams, served as statespeople, philanthropists and generals under and alongside them.
- They are among the major wonders of Hyderabad State which known for their architectural excellence as shown in their laid mosaic tiles and craftsmanship work.
Its architecture
- These tombs are made out of lime and mortar with beautiful inlaid marble carvings.
- It consists of marvelous carvings and motifs in floral designs and inlaid marble tile-works.
- It depicts Indo-Islamic architecture, a mix of both the Asaf Jahi and the Rajputana styles of architecture.
- There is fabulous stucco (plaster) work, representing the Mughal, Persian and Deccan style too.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Foreign university campus in India, benefits and challenges, way ahead
Context
- The 2020 National Education Policy (NEP) was a pathbreaking moment in the annals of Indian higher education. The policy envisions a complete overhaul and re-energising of the higher education system. The just announced University Grants Commission (Setting up and Operation of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India) Regulations, 2023, have re-ignited debates on the internationalization of Indian higher education.
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- Prohibitive costs of higher education, especially in developed countries: Indian students must pay approximately Rs 70 lakh per annum to study at Harvard, Yale or Stanford and over Rs 55 lakh per annum to study at Oxford or Cambridge. Tuition fees alone would be about 15 times more expensive than Indian private universities. The new proposal vitiates the NEP’s vision of equity and inclusion as it envisages higher education only for the super-rich.
- The establishment costs of top university campuses make the project unviable: The vision of uniform academic standards in both the parent university and its international campus is a noble aspiration. However, the reality is international campuses have become a second-rate option, primarily accessible to those unable to get admission to the main campus. The quality and excellence in teaching and research on overseas campuses cannot match those in their primary location.
- The landscape of global higher education has dramatically changed post-Covid: The idea of brick-and-mortar international campuses has given way to building solid partnerships, student and faculty mobility, exchange and immersion programmes, joint teaching and research opportunities, collaborative conferences and publications and the development of online and blended degree programmes. The global thinking around international collaborations has changed.
Steps to become a global leader in international education
- Greater autonomy to Indian universities as well as Institutions of Eminence (IoE): Indian universities, both public and private, are generally highly regulated and poorly governed. The ingrained institutional habit of regulatory bodies instructing universities on what they should be doing must stop. The government must pay greater attention to the IoEs and expand their scope and scale so that they become natural destinations for international students.
- Establishing universities more of global orientation and outlook: Establish global universities in India led by the public and the private sector to cater to the needs and aspirations of international students. India’s Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) is lopsided. The national GER is approximately 22 per cent but there are states, such as Tamil Nadu, with a GER of 52 per cent. We must build more public and private universities across the country, with greater autonomy, resources and better governance structures, minimising the role of the regulatory bodies.
- Provide more resources to all the Indian universities: Indian universities face acute resource scarcity. The NEP has envisaged a six per cent annual investment in higher education and a National Research Foundation to allocate additional resources. Government must encourage CSR and philanthropic initiatives with more tax incentives to enable private sector contributions to public and private universities.
- Breaking the barriers, bias and prejudices and hierarchy: The NEP envisages breaking the long-standing barriers between public and private institutions. But many biases and prejudices persist. An institutionalised hierarchy in the Indian higher education system replicates the caste system. First, the IITs and the IIMs are placed high in the pecking order, followed by the central universities. Next come the IISERs, NITs and much lower down are the state public universities.
- Establish a liberal and progressive regulatory ecosystem for Indian universities to attract international students: Much more than reforms in the education sector will be needed if India is to become a sought-after international destination for students from developing countries. Government must reform its visa processes and the FRRO registration procedures. There must be a significant improvement in the quality of infrastructure and hostels on university campuses. The safety, security and well-being of the students, especially women, must be ensured. Other forms of university towns and education cities can create a comprehensive ecosystem that will enable students and faculty to study, work and live in these communities.
What should be the India’s approach?
- Focus on becoming global higher education destination in our own right: Instead of enabling the creation of international campuses of universities from developed countries, we need to focus on becoming a global higher education destination in our own right.
- Assume leadership role to realise Vishwaguru aspiration: We will not realise the Vishwaguru aspiration by inviting prestigious foreign universities to locate campuses. We must assume the leadership role we had over 2,000 years ago when Nalanda, Takshashila, Vallabhi and Vikramshila attracted faculty and students from around the world.
- High quality education in affordable cost: We can be truly global leaders in providing high-quality education at an affordable cost. Likewise, we can produce high-quality research at a relatively lower cost.
- For instance: Indian scientists made a successful mission to Mars with a modest budget of $74 million, less than the production cost of $108 million for Gravity, a Hollywood film.
Conclusion
- The vision of India becoming a Vishwaguru cannot be achieved by outsourcing Indian higher education to international universities. Instead of enabling the creation of international campuses of universities from developed countries, it must focus on becoming a global higher education destination in its own right.
Mains question
Q. India strives to become a global leader in international education. Discuss what steps need to take and what should be the India’s approach?
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Global slowdown and India' economic growth
“The mantle of the G20 presidency has come at the right time, allowing India to influence the global agenda based on its own priority of accelerated, inclusive and resilient growth”
Context
- The pandemic has proven to be the breakout moment in India’s long overdue emergence as the world’s next engine of growth. New India is bearing fruit at a time when one-third of the world’s economy is facing a slowdown. Speaking at FICCI’s 95th annual general meeting, Finance Minister said that the upcoming budget will set the template for the next 25 years, which is India’s Amrit Kaal.
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A gloomy global outlook
- Prospectus of global growth: According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), global growth will nearly halve to 3.2 per cent in 2022 and fall further to 2.7 per cent in 2023, reflecting stalling growth in the US, China and the Euro Zone.
- Global inflation: Higher food and energy prices have led to global inflation peaking at 8.8 per cent in 2022 which is, however, expected to decline to 6.5 per cent in 2023 and 4.1 per cent in 2024.
- Developed nations are struggling to tame inflation: Developed nations have adopted excessive stimulus measures. According to a report by the McKinsey Global Institute, in 2020 and 2021, households globally added $100 trillion to global wealth on paper as asset prices soared and $39 trillion in new currency and deposits were minted and debt and equity liabilities increased by about $50 trillion and $75 trillion, respectively, as governments and central banks stimulated economies.
- Russia- Ukraine conflict inflicting fiscal pain: Meanwhile, the continuing Russia-Ukraine conflict is inflicting fiscal pain beyond the immediate region
- Disrupted supply chain by China’s covid policy: While China’s Covid policy has disrupted supply chains, which are now once again threatened by a potential fallout of an abrupt reversal.
- India’s inflation is largely imported: India’s own fight against inflation, which is largely imported, has been aided by fiscal and monetary policy working in tandem with a little help from easing commodity prices.
- Fastest-growing large economy in the world: However, India stands out as a rare bright spot with the economy estimated to grow around 7 per cent in FY23 and a growth forecast of 6.1-6.5 per cent in FY24, thus retaining the tag of the fastest-growing large economy in the world.
- Inflation coming down within RBI’s tolerance level: In an encouraging sign, retail inflation eased to 5.88 per cent in November, thus coming within the RBI’s tolerance band after 11 months. While it is too early to declare victory in terms of taming inflation, policymakers must now chart out a path that prioritises growth
- India likely to overtake Japan and Germany to become 3rd largest economy: Having recently surpassed the UK to become the world’s fifth-largest economy, India is likely to overtake Japan and Germany before the end of the decade to become the third-largest economy in the world.
- What made this possible: Reforms aimed at enhancing ease of doing business and reducing the cost of doing business in a large, unified domestic market along with a focus on boosting the manufacturing sector through the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes, which are helping attract large investments including in critical areas like semiconductors.
What India has to share with the world?
- G20 leadership to bring about structural transformation: Its priority as G20 president is to focus on areas, which have the potential to bring about structural transformation leading to accelerated, inclusive and resilient growth.
- Concept of LiFE for a sustainable lifestyle: Similarly, the concept of LiFE (Lifestyle for the Environment) draws upon ancient sustainable traditions to reinforce modern-day environmentally conscious practices.
- Knowledge sharing: Finally, knowledge sharing in areas like digital public infrastructure and financial inclusion will enable the wider adoption of disruptive technologies.
Conclusion
- Investors both domestic and global must now come forward and participate in the India growth story which, in turn, will give a much-needed boost to global growth going ahead. Speaking at the World Economic Forum last year, PM Modi said “Make in India, Make for the World”. There has never been a better time to invest in India and reap the benefits of what it has to offer.
Mains question
Q. At a time when one-third of the world’s economy is facing a slowdown India stands at a brighter spot Discuss. Highlight what India has to share with the world?
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Tackling online child abuse, Challenges and efforts.
Context
- With the increasing popularity of social media platforms, utilisation of education apps and shift to online classes, children these days have a much higher chance of being exposed to harmful content. Hence, the need to secure children’s welfare and safety online is more urgent than ever.
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Online Child Sexual Abuse
- Definition: Online child sexual abuse and exploitation refers to activities such as the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), live streaming sexual assault of minors, obtaining sexually explicit material, exhibitionism and meeting the abuser in-person.
- Psychological harm to children: This poses serious harm to children who experience psychological stress such as anxiety, trauma, and depression.
- Behavioural changes: It can also lead to behavioural changes like drug and alcohol abuse, self-harm, and lower motivation for academics.
- Problems in adult life: It doesn’t end there, as the consequences of online sexual abuse in childhood are far-reaching and may well extend into adulthood bringing forth issues with intimacy and affecting interpersonal relationships.
- Encryption and anonymity: The rapidly evolving digital landscape and advances in information technology have given rise to better encryption services and the dark net, which provide a safe cover of anonymity to offenders, allowing them to engage in child sexual abuse.
- Pace of response is still slow: Needless to say, the danger and complexity of online abuse has escalated at an alarming rate and needs to be dealt with swiftly. Moreover, the ubiquitous nature of the internet and online interaction has made it so that almost all cases of child sexual abuse feature a virtual aspect. Therefore, a broad perspective and a systems-level approach should be considered when deciding on strategies to tackle online child sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSEA).
- Limited capacity of police: Broadly speaking, the main administrative challenges when dealing with OCSEA are limited law enforcement capacities, gaps in legislative framework, and a lack of awareness and urgency around the issue.
- Understaffing of workforce: The workforce in relevant social welfare organisations is understaffed. The need of the hour is close collaboration between non-traditional partners from the industry, government ministries dealing in technological communication, and law enforcement. Provisions should be in place to prevent future cases and safeguard the victims or survivors.
Efforts by India in fighting OCSEA
- Improved mechanism and new tools: India have made a significant effort to tackle the wave of rising OCSEA cases in recent years. Not only has it improved the mechanism for reporting online offences against children, but it has also developed new tools and software to control and remove the presence of CSAM on social media and other platforms.
- Sensitise school and boosting capacity: Efforts have also been made to sensitise schools and boost the technological capacity of law enforcement agencies to further deal with the issue. Although this four-pronged model has shown some promising results, it is surpassed by the exponential rise in cases across the country.
What are steps that can be taken?
- Evaluate and improve the governance systems: It is imperative to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of cross-sectoral governance mechanisms that are set up to systematise the national response to child sexual abuse material.
- Fast tracking the cases: The huge backlog for cases of OCSEA in India must also be fast-tracked. As for prevention, institutionalising the collection of national-level data on CSAM can also assist in strengthening children’s online security. The recent Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022 issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology can provide an opportunity to meet this exigency.
- Clear mandate and responsibility of stakeholders: There should be further development of clear mandates and creation of a logical framework of roles and duties of all relevant stakeholders within standard operating procedures for investigation. Continuous dialogue between the industry, government and other collaborators, with a distinct agenda and division of responsibilities is necessary.
- Training of enforcement agency: Industry partners, in particular the IT industry, must be provided with suitable training and awareness of the magnitude of OCSEA, along with proper toolkits and guidance. Promoting a systematic and constant approach to training the judiciary and prosecution on CSAM can prove beneficial, if centred around child-sensitive protocols.
- Reparation for victims: In the same vein, comprehensive remedies or reparations for victims are just as important and need to be handled by a specialised workforce.
- Parental and community training: Basic online safety measures, parental support initiatives and community awareness training can be integrated into existing education programmes for violence prevention, and sensitising the most vulnerable audience. Existing systems must be evaluated by monitoring and documenting their overall effectiveness and accessibility, including assessment of relevant hotlines and portals (checking to see if they are linked to relevant referral systems), and analysing context-specific reasons for limitations.
- Ethical media reporting: Dedicated effort must be made to aid ethical and informed media reporting on relevant cases.
Conclusion
- A collaborative effort of various institutions across the nation is required to build a safer cyberspace. The highest priority is assessment of current OCSEA response systems and reporting mechanisms, stricter implementation of prevention laws, and adequate resources to sustain these efforts. The end goal must be to ensure long-term safeguards for online platforms that allow secure navigation for minors and a disruption of the actions of offenders.
Mains Question
Q. What are the challenges in fight against online child sexual exploitation and abuse? What steps can be taken to tackle OCSEA?
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Pravasi Bhartiya Divas
Mains level: Contribution of Indian Diaspora
Inaugurating the 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention on, Prime Minister said Indians living overseas are “brand ambassadors” of the country on foreign soil. The theme of the PBD Convention is “Diaspora: Reliable partners for India’s progress in Amrit Kaal”.
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD)
- PBD is a celebratory day observed (starting in 2003) on 9 January to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community towards the development of India.
- The day commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to Mumbai on 9 January 1915.
- Established in 2000, it is sponsored by the Ministry of External Affairs.
History of the Indian expat
- The 19th and early 20th centuries saw thousands of Indians shipped to those countries to work on plantations in British colonies, which were reeling under a labour crisis due to the abolition of slavery in 1833-34.
- As part of the second wave of migration, nearly 20 lakh Indians went to Singapore and Malaysia to work in farms.
- The third and fourth wave saw professionals heading to western countries and workers going to the Gulf and west Asian countries in the wake of the oil boom.
Numbers and geographical spread
- There are 4.7 crore Indians living overseas. The number includes NRIs, PIOs, OCIs, and students.
- Excluding students, the number stands at 3.22 crore, including 1.87 crore PIOs and 1.35 crore NRIs.
- According to the World Migration Report, prepared by the International Organisation for Migration under the UN, India has the largest emigrant population in the world.
- It is the top origin country globally, followed by Mexico, Russian and China.
Indian Diaspora: Historical perspective
- Imperialism led-migration: The incorporation of the British Empire in India can be linked to the existence of modern Indian Diaspora all over the world.
- Indentured labor: Dating back to the nineteenth century, Indian indentured labor was taken over to the British colonies in different parts of the world.
- World Wars: In the post-World War II period, most of the Indian labor and professionals got scattered and it was a worldwide phenomenon.
- European reconstruction: The reconstruction of Europe after the war was provided by Indians and other South Asians, particularly in the United Kingdom and Netherlands.
- Modern brain-drain: Most recently, Indians have made their presence visibly felt in professions in countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia.
Major sections of Indian Diaspora
(1) Indians in the Gulf
- Around 8.5 million Indians live and work in the Gulf countries, one of the largest concentrations of migrants in the world.
- The geographical and historical proximity makes it a convenient destination for Indians.
- Today migrants from across India are working and living in the Gulf countries (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and Kuwait).
(2) Indians in USA
- In recent decades the population has grown substantially, with 2.4 million Indian immigrants resident in the United States as of 2015.
- This makes the foreign-born from India the second-largest immigrant group in the US after Mexicans.
Categorizing Indian’s abroad
Overseas Indians, officially known as Non-resident Indians (NRIs) or Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs), are people of Indian birth, descent or origin who live outside the Republic of India:
- Non-Resident Indians (NRI): NRIs are Indians who are residents of foreign countries.
- Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs): The PIO category was abolished in 2015 and merged with the OCI category. However, existing PIO cards are valid till December 31, 2023. PIO refers to a foreign citizen (except a national of Pakistan, Afghanistan Bangladesh, China, Iran, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Nepal) who at any time held an Indian passport, or who or either of their parents/ grandparents/great grandparents was born and permanently resided in India as defined in Government of India Act, 1935, or who is a spouse of a citizen of India or a PIO.
- Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs): A separate category of OCI was carved out in 2006. An OCI card was given to a foreign national who was eligible to be a citizen of India on January 26, 1950, was a citizen of India on or at any time after January 26, 1950, or belonged to a territory that became part of India after August 15, 1947. Minor children of such individuals, except those who were a citizen of Pakistan or Bangladesh, were also eligible for OCI cards.
Significance of Indian diaspora
(A) Contribution in the freedom struggle
- Mahatma Gandhi’s struggle for ending institutionalized discrimination against Indians in South Africa became an inspiring legend for enduring sentimentalism about the diaspora in modern India.
- The diaspora also became a vehicle for promoting the cause of Indian independence among the political elites of major countries.
- As the independence movement gathered momentum at home, it began to influence many Indian communities abroad.
(B) Diaspora as Cultural extension
- The act of migration is not just limited to geographical limits; rather it is a cultural extension.
- Let us take the example of the Sikh community. The Sikhs are one of the largest migrants from India to the UK, Canada and many other countries.
- They have very well maintained their culture and ethnic existence for decades.
(C) Remittances
- Money sent home by migrants is one of the largest financial inflows to developing countries.
- The latest World Bank Migration and Development Brief, released in November 2022, said, For the first time a single country, India, is on track to receive more than $100 billion in yearly remittances.
- In 2020, India and China received the largest amounts of international remittances in Asia, with a combined total of more than $140 billion, it added.
(D) Diaspora as ‘Agents of change’
- Diaspora acts as ‘agents of change’ facilitating and enhancing investment, accelerating industrial development, and boosting international trade and tourism.
- Diaspora’s motives to invest in India are long-lasting as many of them wish to establish a long-term base in India.
(E) Technological development and entrepreneurship
- Another tangible long-term advantage in nurturing ties with an active diaspora is an accelerated technological sector and increased socio-economic development.
- Some examples to illustrate this phenomenon are Bengaluru, Gurugram and Hyderabad as thriving IT hubs that not only house multinational companies (MNCs) but also multiple Indian start-ups.
(F) Enhancing India’s global say
- India’s permanent membership to the UNSC can become a reality with support from the diaspora.
- Apart from political pressures and ministerial and diplomatic level lobbying, India can leverage its diaspora to influence states such as Canada and Mexico to support India’s membership
Most Importantly,
(G) Diaspora diplomacy
- The diaspora’s ability to spread Indian soft power, lobby for India’s national interests, and contribute economically to India’s rise is now well-recognized.
- A less tangible but important advantage in having a large immigrant group is “diaspora diplomacy”.
- The recent engagement of Indian leaders in US general elections is a continuation of the extraordinary political investment in engaging the Indian diaspora.
India’s engagement with Diaspora: A policy-wise perspective
- Many of the themes of India’s contemporary diaspora policy had their origins in the approach of the Indian national movement before independence.
- The nationalist backlash against the Indian communities in Africa and Asia in the 1950s and 1960s saw Delhi consciously distance itself from the diasporic communities.
- As India turned inwards, Delhi also took a dim view of the “brain drain” as many well-trained Indians began to look for opportunities elsewhere.
- It was only in the late 1980s that Delhi began to rethink its approach to the diaspora.
Change in recent years
- PM Rajiv Gandhi was the first to appreciate the potential role diaspora could play in advancing national development and improving India’s ties with the US.
- In 2000, the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was commenced to be celebrated and also led to the formation of a separate Ministry for Overseas Indians under PM AB Vajpayee.
- Other innovative initiatives like the Know India Programme (KIP) and Study India Programme (SIP) were launched.
- These have engaged the youth living abroad and the Tracing the Roots Scheme, through which some Indians have been able to trace their roots in India.
Most recent initiatives
- India has been following the spirit of 4 Cs i.e. Connect – Contribute – Celebrate – Care.
- There is a dedicated Diaspora Welfare Officer.
- The authorities have been ensuring 100 percent grievance redressal through E-Migration Portal, Madad Portal, and CPGRAMS.
Various policy initiatives
- Education: NRI seats are reserved in all the medical, engineering and other professional colleges.
- Voting rights: The Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill 2017 the provision would help non-resident Indians (NRIs) to participate in the electoral process through ‘proxy voting’.
- Know India Program (KIP): It is a flagship initiative for Diaspora engagement which familiarizes Indian-origin youth (18-30 years) with their Indian roots and contemporary India has been refashioned.
- Minimum Referral Wages (MRW): A number of policies were announced keeping in mind the protection of welfare and interest of Indians abroad; for example, the 2014 Minimum Referral Wages (MRW).
- Easing the passport facility: The last three years saw the launch of Head Post Offices as passport centers enabling thousands more to apply for a passport.
Challenges faced by Diaspora
- Racial antagonism: Rising incidence of hate speech and crimes against Indians by the locals due to racism, and communalism emboldened by coming of nationalist and ultra-nationalist governments to power in many countries.
- Protectionism: Fear of losing jobs and educational opportunities to outsiders has resulted in stricter visa rules in many countries including the USA, Australia, etc.
- Terrorism: Sectarian crisis, increasing terrorist activities and war in the Middle East countries (Yemen, Oman, Libya, Syria etc) leave our diaspora vulnerable to attacks.
- Political Polarization: Many Indians abroad are turning against India since the change of government and some extreme right wing factionists.
- Anti-national tendencies: India has had problems with negative campaigning and foreign funding, coming from abroad, for separatist movements like the Khalistan movement.
Way forward
- India has enjoyed being viewed more favourably by the world since 2014, and the diaspora can further these perceptions.
- India needs both additional resources as well as better systems to deal with the recurring challenges of supporting citizens abroad.
- The diaspora can step up and act as Indian ‘ambassadors’, as it is insufficient and ineffective for a country or its missions abroad to rely only on press releases to change public opinion.
- The diaspora can provide the requisite strategic impulse, which makes it all the more important to unlock their potential.
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