Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Child custody issues
Central idea:
- Activists are calling on the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to take a stronger interest in child custody cases in Western countries.
- The call comes as the movie Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway, which focuses on the diplomatic row between India and Norway in 2011.
- The movie sheds light on cases where parents lose custody of their children over cultural differences in their upbringing.
Child Custody norms in India
- India’s child custody laws are governed by-
- Guardians and Wards Act of 1890: It recognizes the welfare of the child as the paramount consideration in custody matters.
- Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act of 1956: It deals with the custody and guardianship of Hindu children.
- Indian law generally gives custody of children to the mother in case of young children, but the father can also seek custody.
- In recent years, there have been calls to reform the law to provide more equal rights to fathers in custody battles.
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The story beyond: Bhattacharya Case
- The movie depicts real life story of a Bengali couple who had moved to Norway in 2007.
- Their child reportedly developed ‘autism-like’ symptoms in his early years and was placed in a family kindergarten.
- The family was reportedly under watch for months by the child welfare service and in May 2011, the authorities took away the couple’s children under the pretext of bad parenting.
- Finally the Norwegian authorities took the child away to their shelter home for almost 14 months.
What accounts to ‘bad’ parenting in Norway?
- Hand feeding: Norwegian authorities raised objection to the family hand-feeding the baby and equated it to force-feeding.
- Child sleeping with parents: They also had problems with children sleeping on the same bed as their parents- something that is very common in Indian households.
- Ban on physical discipline: Charges against the parents also included a slap by the parents – just once. Even mild physical discipline, such as a slap, is considered illegal in Norway.
- Lack of recreation: Authorities accused the couple that the children did not have enough room to play. They were also accused of providing “unsuitable” clothes and toys to their children.
About Norway’s Child Welfare Services
- The Child Welfare Services in Norway is commonly known as Barnevernet and is responsible for child protection in the country.
- The organization is very strict about child protection and applies strict regulations for all citizens living in the country, regardless of their cultural background.
- The primary responsibility of the Child Welfare Services is to implement measures for children and their families in situations where there are special needs in relation to the home environment.
- Assistance is provided through counseling, advisory services, and aid measures, including external support contacts, relief measures in the home, and access to daycare.
The Bhattacharya Case and Diplomatic Row
The case of the Bhattacharya couple, whose children were taken away by Barnevernet, caused a diplomatic row between Norway and India. The Bhattacharya had appealed to the foreign ministry to intervene in the case where the Child Welfare Services had taken their children away from them.
- Bias against non-citizens: The couple was accused of mistreating their children, but some claimed that the decision was biased against non-Norwegian citizens.
- State kidnapping of children: Human rights activists in India, called the incident “state kidnapping”.
- Labelling parents for being of unsound mind: In almost every case, they claim that one of the parents has a mental problem just to make their case stronger.
How did Norway response?
- After a diplomatic row between the two countries, the Norwegian authorities decided to award the custody of the children to their father’s brother, enabling him to bring them back to India.
Way forward
- The case highlights the need for transparent and unbiased decision-making processes in child welfare services, especially in cases involving non-native citizens.
- While child protection is of utmost importance, the authorities must ensure that their actions are fair, just, and not biased against any particular group or culture.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Monuments of National Importance
Mains level: Monuments of National Importance, Shedding the colonial legacy, Promoting India's rich heritage rationally
Central Idea
- The decolonization drive started by the present government in India to change the British mindset of those responsible for writing history books, which led to the neglect of important monuments and archaeological sites. The Economic Advisory Council’s report on Monuments of National Importance, which he sees as a significant step in the right direction for the preservation and designation of monuments that reflect Bharat’s history. There are some anomalies in the list of monuments of national importance and suggests changes in the way India looks at the preservation of monuments.
What are the recommendations given by the report?
- Rationalise and evolve criteria for India’s list of monuments: The report underlined the urgent need to rationalise India’s list of monuments of national importance and recommended that the ASI should evolve substantive criteria and a detailed procedure for declaring monuments to be of national importance.
- Book of detailed information: ASI should publish a book of notifications with detailed information about each MNI’s provenance, hand over protection and upkeep of monuments of local importance to respective states and denotify to the extent possible, all standalone antiquities like cannons and statues.
- Funds: Allocation of funds for the preservation of MNI should be increased and ASI should retain the proceeds generated from revenue streams like tickets, events, fees and other sources.
- Inadequate efforts: After India’s independence, little effort was made to correct the British mindset of those responsible for writing history books, which resulted in the neglect of monuments and archaeological sites.
- British view of India: History books continued to teach the history of India’s defeats and its enemies’ victories, which perpetuated the British view of India.
The Decolonization Drive under the present Government
- National Heroes: The present government led by PM Modi started the decolonisation drive to bring out the sagas of King Suheldev, Rani Durgavati, and Lachit Barphukan, among others.
- For example: The government highlighted the story of the founder-king of Delhi, Anangpal Tomar, and declared the neglected Anang Tal as a monument of national importance.
- Names, sites, insignia of national importance: The government also held national and international events at the Sindhu-Saraswati site of Dholavira and unveiled a new Shivaji-era inspired naval insignia.
Significance of this Report
- The Economic Advisory Council’s report on Monuments of National Importance is a significant step in the right direction.
- The report will bring a whiff of fresh thinking in the direction of preserving and designating monuments that reflect Bharat’s history.
- All the recommendations made by the report can be implemented without amending the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act and need only executive orders.
Anomalies in the List of Monuments of National Importance
- There are some anomalies in the list of monuments of national importance.
- There is not a single monument connected with the struggles of Dalits and B R Ambedkar’s life that has been declared a national monument.
- Some monuments, like Tota-Maina ki Qabar and Dadi Poti ka Gumbad, have no history, and nobody knows whether they should be declared as Monuments of National Importance.
- Therefore, all agencies working on monuments be unshackled from the British slave mindset and given into the hands of those who know their subject.
Conclusion
- There is hope that the Bibek Debroy-Sanjeev Sanyal report will bring a whiff of fresh thinking in the direction of preserving and designating monuments that reflect Bharat’s history. There is the need for an Archaeological Foundation to preserve the civilizational and revolutionary monuments of India.
Mains Question
Q. Discuss the recommendations given by the Economic Advisory Council’s report on Monuments of National Importance and its significance in preserving and designating monuments that reflect Bharat’s history.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Operation Greens Scheme
Mains level: Operation Greens Scheme; TOP farmers concerns and solution
Central Idea
- The Operation Greens scheme aimed to develop a value chain for reducing extreme price fluctuations in the three basic vegetables (tomatoes, onions, and potatoes), enhance farmers’ realizations, and improve their share of the consumer rupee. However, the scheme has not been successful in achieving its goals, as seen by the recent protests against low prices by onion and potato farmers.
![pib] Operation Greens Scheme - Civilsdaily](https://d18x2uyjeekruj.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Operation_green-3.png)
- The Operation Greens scheme is a government initiative launched in the 2018-19 Union budget by the present government.
- It aims to develop a value chain for reducing extreme price fluctuations in the three basic vegetables, including tomatoes, onions, and potatoes (TOP).
- The scheme was later expanded to 22 perishable crops in the 2021-22 budget.
- The government hopes that by developing a sustainable value chain for these perishable commodities, farmers will benefit from better price realization, while consumers will have access to quality products at reasonable prices.
Aim & Objectives:
- To enhance value realization of TOP farmers; reduction in post-harvest losses; price stabilization for producer and consumers and increase in food processing capacities and value addition.
- Price stabilisation for producers and consumers by proper production planning in the TOP clusters and introduction of dual-use varieties.
- Reducing post-harvest losses by creation of farm gate infrastructure, development of suitable agro-logistics, creation of appropriate storage capacity linking consumption centres.
- Increasing food processing capacities and value addition in the TOP value chain with firm linkages with production clusters.
- Setting up a market intelligence network to collect and collate real-time data on demand and supply and price of TOP crops.
Components:
- Short-term intervention by way of providing transportation and storage subsidy @ 50% and
- long-term intervention through value addition projects in identified production clusters with Grant-in-aid @ 35% to 70% of the eligible project cost subject to a maximum of Rs. 50 crore per project
Limited Success of Operation Greens Scheme
- Retail tomato prices: Tomato prices in wholesale markets have dropped significantly, but retail prices have not reduced much, indicating limited success.
- Low Onion price: Onion and potato farmers are protesting against low prices, highlighting the scheme’s lack of effectiveness.
- For instance: There are protests by Maharashtra’s onion growers against low prices, including relay hunger fasts, stoppage of auctions at major mandis, and a 200-km march to Mumbai. Similarly, potato farmers in Uttar Pradesh have demanded that the government procure their tuber at Rs 10 per kg, as against the ruling Rs 6-6.5/kg market price at Agra.
Reasons behind its limited success
- Problem Not with Lack of Storage or Processing Capacity: UP alone has an abundance of cold stores with ample capacity to store perishable goods like potatoes. Maharashtra’s growers have built enough kandha chawls to store onions for 4-6 months. Despite the creation of storage capacity, price volatility persists in milk and cane payment arrears to farmers.
- Price Volatility: The prices of TOP crops have been volatile, which has adversely affected both farmers and consumers. The prices of these commodities tend to fluctuate sharply due to seasonality, weather conditions, and other factors, resulting in uncertainty and instability in the market.
- Implementation Issues: The scheme’s implementation has been marred by delays, bureaucratic hurdles, and lack of coordination among various stakeholders, which has resulted in low participation and limited success.
- Lack of Market Linkages: Another reason for limited success is the lack of market linkages between producers and consumers. The farmers are unable to access markets directly, which leads to dependence on intermediaries who manipulate prices, resulting in price volatility.
Need for Price or Income Assurance for Farmers
- Investment: Investment in farm-gate, agri-logistics, and storage-cum-processing infrastructure needs to be encouraged.
- Assurance: Price or income assurance for farmers is necessary, especially for horticulture, dairy, and poultry producers who do not enjoy minimum support price benefits.
- Diversification: The future for Indian agriculture lies in crop diversification, which will spur greater consumption of foods incorporating proteins (pulses, milk, eggs, and meat) and micro-nutrients (fruits and vegetables), instead of only calories and carbohydrates.
- Deficiency price payments: The deficiency price payments or per-hectare direct income transfers could be the way forward.
Conclusion
- It is evident that the limited success of the Operation Greens scheme underscores the urgent need for a more comprehensive approach to address the challenges faced by TOP farmers. A more holistic approach is required that prioritizes farmer empowerment, investment in infrastructure, and promotion of crop diversification. By adopting such an approach, the government can not only mitigate the impact of price volatility on farmers but also achieve its broader goal of building a sustainable and resilient agricultural sector that benefits both producers and consumers alike.
Mains Question
Q. What is Operation Greens scheme? Analyse its limited success in achieving its objectives and Suggest measures to improve the scheme’s effectiveness.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Stunting, wasting, Human capital Index
Mains level: Undernutrition a significant challenge
“Healthy women and children are pillars of a flourishing society”
Central Idea
- Undernutrition is a serious public health issue leading to adverse health consequences and affecting the economy, especially in India. Early stimulation and nutrition interventions in infants and young children lead to improved outcomes in adult life. India ranks poorly on the Human Capital Index and has high levels of stunting, anaemia, and malnutrition. Evidence suggests investing in maternal and early-life nutrition leads to high returns on investment.
Undernutrition leads to adverse health consequences and affects the economy
- Child deaths: Undernutrition leads to 3.1 million child deaths annually, which accounts for 45 percent of all child deaths.
- High levels of stunting In India: India has unacceptably high levels of stunting (35.5 percent), despite marginal improvement over the years.
- Stunting affects per capita income: Two-thirds of India’s current workforce is stunted, which has enormous economic costs in terms of a decrease in per capita income. The average reduction in per capita income for developing countries is at 7 percent, with a high of 13 percent for India due to the high rates of stunting.
- Wasting in India: The economic losses incurred by India due to wasting are estimated at more than US $48 billion in terms of lifetime lost productivity.
- Anaemia: Another compounding factor is anaemia among young women, at 57 percent, which has lasting effects on their future pregnancies and childbirth. The situation further worsens when infants are fed inadequate diets, and there is inadequate sanitation and hygiene.
Investing in the well-being of women and children is an effective strategy
- Investing in early childhood: Evidence suggests that every additional dollar invested in quality early childhood programs yields a return of between US$6 and US$17.
- Better income in future: Early stimulation in infants is known to increase their future earnings by 25 percent. Stunting in childhood leads to impaired brain development, lower cognitive skills and education, leading to lower incomes in the future.
- For instance: According to estimates, children who are stunted earn 20 percent less as adults than children who are not stunted.
Increased investment in human capital brings economic growth
- Human capital is the real wealth: The human capital is the wealth of nations and is dependent on the health, nutrition, skills, and knowledge of people.
- Effective strategy: Evidence suggests investing in the well-being of women and children as an effective strategy for improved outcomes for children.
- India’s ranking in Human capital Index: India ranks 116 out of 174 countries as per the Human Capital Index, with a score of 0.49 that indicates a child born in India will be 49 percent productive if provided with complete education and good health.
- Education: Education to children plays a pivotal role in amassing human capital, improving productivity, and economic development. It has been advocated to target the 1000 days’ period from conception to two years of age for improving birth and nutrition outcomes.
Coupling nutrition-specific interventions with nutrition-sensitive programs
- Nutrition-sensitive interventions: Nutrition-sensitive interventions like water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) focus on the underlying determinants as poor sanitation can lead to stunting.
- Integrated water and sanitation improvement program: Evidence suggests both short term and long-term reductions in diarrhoea episodes (3-50 percent) through an integrated water and sanitation improvement program in rural India. WASH can bring significant gains in tackling childhood undernutrition and are important determinants of stunting.
- Nutrition of pregnant women and young children: Studies suggest long term benefits on adult human capital and health by improving the nutrition of pregnant women and young children.
- For instance: The first 1000 days of life is the time for rapid growth and development, and lack of good nutrition can lead to lifelong adverse consequences. This period is a critical window of opportunity as stunting sets in during this period and aggravates by the age of two years.
Disparities in Undernutrition Prevalence
- Data (NFHS 5) reveals that India has more stunted children in rural areas as compared to urban areas, possibly due to socio-economic variance.
- Stunting prevalence varies depending on mother’s education and household income,
- There is wide variation among regions, with high rates of stunting in states of Meghalaya (46.5 percent) and Bihar (42.9 percent) while states like Sikkim and Puducherry have lowest at 22.3 percent and 20 percent respectively.
- Notable inter-state and inter-district variation in terms of stunting prevalence.
- Investing in healthcare facilities is crucial for enhancing productivity, economic growth, and security in India.
- Addressing undernutrition is necessary for producing and maintaining a healthy, highly skilled workforce in India.
- Cost-effective investments in child health, nutrition, and education are necessary for improving public health and achieving economic growth in India.
Conclusion
- Healthy human capital is the true wealth of any nation. In India, undernutrition is a significant public health concern that not only affects the well-being of women and children but also has adverse economic implications. Therefore, addressing undernutrition is critical for creating a healthy, skilled workforce, ensuring economic growth and security in India.
Mains Question
Q. What is India’s ranking on the Human Capital Index, and how does investing in the well-being of women and children contribute to economic growth?
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: ICC
Mains level: Ukrainian War
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for war crimes for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights.
Charges against Putin
- The ICC issued the warrants because it believes that Putin bear individual criminal responsibility for the war crime of –
- Unlawful deportation of population and
- Unlawful transfer of population from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation
The ICC and its Background
- The ICC is a standing body created two decades ago to investigate war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity under a 1998 treaty known as the Rome Statute.
- The court is based in The Hague, a Dutch city that has long been a center for international law and justice.
- Many democracies joined the ICC, including close American allies such as Britain.
- However, the United States has kept its distance due to fears that the court may one day seek to prosecute American officials.
- Russia is also not a member.
Implications of the Warrants
- Human rights groups hailed the warrant as an important step toward ending impunity for Russian war crimes in Ukraine.
- The likelihood of a trial while Putin remains in power appears slim since the court cannot try defendants in absentia, and Russia has said it will not surrender its own officials.
- Putin’s isolation in the West deepens, and his movements overseas could be limited.
- If he travels to a state that is a party to the ICC, that country must arrest him according to its obligations under international law.
Possibility of Putin Facing Trial
- The ICC has no power to arrest sitting heads of state or bring them to trial, and instead must rely on other leaders and governments to act as its sheriffs around the world.
- A suspect who manages to evade capture may never have a hearing to confirm the charges.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: PM MITRA
Mains level: Not Much
The Centre has selected seven states in India to set up new textile parks under the PM MITRA (Mega Investment Textiles Parks) Scheme.
What is PM MITRA Scheme?
- The scheme was announced in October 2021, and the parks will be established by 2026-27.
- MITRA aims to enable the textile industry to become globally competitive, attract large investments, and boost employment generation and exports.
- It will create world-class infrastructure with plug and play facilities to enable create global champions in exports.
- It will be launched in addition to the Production Linked Incentive Scheme (PLI).
- It will give our domestic manufacturers a level-playing field in the international textiles market & pave the way for India to become a global champion of textiles exports across all segments”.
Its implementation
- An special purpose vehicle (SPV) owned by Centre and State Government will be set up for each park, which will oversee the implementation of the project.
- The Ministry of Textiles will provide financial support in the form of Development Capital Support up to ₹500 crore per park to the Park SPV.
- A Competitive Incentive Support (CIS) up to ₹300 crore per park to the units in PM MITRA Park shall also be provided to incentivize speedy implementation.
- Convergence with other Government of India schemes shall also be facilitated in order to ensure additional incentives to the Master Developer and investor units.
Envisaged Benefits
- The parks will boost the textiles sector in line with 5F (Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign) vision.
- The Centre envisages an investment of nearly ₹70,000 crore into these parks, with employment generation for about 20 lakh people.
- The parks will function as centres of opportunity to create an integrated textiles value chain, right from spinning, weaving, processing, dyeing and printing to garment manufacturing, all at a single location.
Need for such scheme
- Textile industry is critical to India’s economy, employing 4.5 crore people and contributing 7% of GDP. Despite its potential, the industry is facing challenges that need to be addressed.
- The unorganized textile industry in the country increased wastage and logistical costs, impacting the competitiveness of the country’s textile sector.
Challenges Faced by India’s Textile Industry
- High input costs due to high taxes and tariffs, inadequate infrastructure, and a lack of skilled labor.
- Competition from cheaper imports (ex. from Bangladesh) and a growing informal sector.
- Environmental concerns related to the industry’s high water usage, pollution, and hazardous waste disposal.
- The pandemic further disrupted supply chains and led to reduced demand.
Conclusion
- PM MITRA Parks represent a unique model where the Centre and State Governments will work together to increase investment, promote innovation, create job opportunities and ultimately make India a global hub for textile manufacturing and exports.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Starberry-Sense
Mains level: Not Much
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) have developed a low-cost star sensor for astronomy and small CubeSat class satellite missions.
What is Starberry-Sense?
- Based on commercial/off-the-shelf components, this star sensor costs less than 10% of those available in the market.
- It is made from a single-board Linux computer called Raspberry Pi, which is widely used among electronics hobby enthusiasts.
Benefits of Starberry-Sense
- Starberry-Sense can help small CubeSat class satellite missions find their orientation in space.
- The instrument can be used for CubeSats and other small satellite missions in the future.
- The position of stars in the sky is fixed relative to each other and can be used as a stable reference frame to calculate the orientation of a satellite in orbit.
Successful test
- The star sensor has successfully undergone the vibration and thermal vacuum test that qualifies it for a space launch and operations.
- These tests were conducted in-house at the environmental test facility located at the CREST Campus of IIA in Hosakote.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: National Champions Model for Infrastructure Development, Advantages and disadvantages
Central Idea
- Emerging economies struggle to provide functional and efficient infrastructure. Infrastructure has become a national aspiration good, a mechanism for job creation, and a necessity. The two biggest constraints on infrastructure provision are cost and public good component. This national champion’s model aims to incentivize private sector participation in infrastructure investments, but it also has its own set of challenges and limitations.
Traditional Financing Approaches and their Limitations
- The traditional approach to financing infrastructure has relied on tax revenues or government borrowing.
- However, this creates a vicious trap as poorer economies generate less tax revenue, which limits infrastructure investment, leading to a further spinoff that affects the growth of the economy and keeps the country poor.
- Increasing public borrowing domestically tends to crowd out private investment, exacerbating the problem.
The Public-Private Partnership Model and its Problems
- The Indian government tried to incentivize private sector participation in infrastructure investment by introducing the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) model in the early 2000s.
- While the PPP model led to the construction of a lot of infrastructure, it ended in an avalanche of non-performing assets with public sector banks, private sector bankruptcies, accusations of widespread corruption, and a change in government in 2014.
The National Champions Model and its Innovations
- The present government has modified the PPP approach by assigning the bulk of infrastructure provisioning for roads, ports, airports, energy, and communications to a few chosen industrial houses.
- This is the national champions model where the government picks a few large conglomerates to implement its development priorities.
- This model incentivizes national champions to build projects by providing subsidies to cover the costs.
- New aspects of the National Champions Model:
- National champions need control over existing projects with strong cash flows to incentivize investment in projects with low returns and negative cash flows.
- Public association of champions with the government’s national development policy generates a competitive advantage for the champions in getting domestic and foreign contracts.
- Access to some cash-rich projects allows national champions to borrow from external credit markets by using these entities as collateral, which lowers the cost of finance of other.
Benefits of National Champions Model
- Economic growth: National champions can contribute to economic growth by generating revenue, creating jobs, and investing in research and development.
- Strategic importance: The model can help ensure that the country has a strong presence in strategically important industries, such as defense or energy, which can be critical to national security.
- Export competitiveness: National champions can become leaders in their respective markets and compete effectively in global markets, which can increase exports and improve the country’s trade balance.
- Innovation: National champions can invest heavily in research and development, leading to technological advancements that can benefit the broader economy.
- Access to capital: National champions may be able to access capital more easily than smaller companies, allowing them to make larger investments and pursue growth opportunities.
The Problems with the National Champions Model
- Too big to fail: Market and regulatory treatment of conglomerates as too big to fail. This means that these companies are so large and important to the economy that their failure could cause widespread harm to the financial system and the economy as a whole. This opens the door to market hysteria, delayed discovery of problems, and spillovers of sectoral problems into systemic shocks. The recent troubles of the Adani companies in India highlight the potential risks associated with this approach.
- Encouraging market concentration that can be bad for efficiency and productivity: Concentrated markets reduce competition and can lead to higher prices, lower quality, and reduced innovation. When firms have market power, they have less incentive to improve their products or services, reduce costs, or innovate. This can result in lower overall productivity in the economy.
- The risk of turning the country into an industrial oligarchy: An industrial oligarchy is where a small group of powerful and influential conglomerates control a large portion of the economy. This can have negative consequences for economic growth, social mobility, and political stability. An oligarchy may be resistant to change and less responsive to the needs and aspirations of the broader population.
- Uneven playing field: The optics of an uneven playing field in terms of market access and selective regulatory forbearance that can become a significant deterrent for foreign investors.
Conclusion
- While infrastructure is a necessary condition for growth, it is not a sufficient one. Effective demand is the problem, as seen in the power sector, where the inability of the power distribution companies to recover payments was the issue. India is at an inflection point in its development path, and the national champions model has its pros and cons that needs to be analyzed before its consideration.
Mains Question
Q. What is National Champions Model for Infrastructure development in India? Discuss its advantages and disadvantages.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Child marriage, Reasons, Challenges and solutions
Central Idea
- When the Assam government launched a massive crackdown on child marriage, social activists pointed out that the root of the problem, i.e., limited access to education among women, is not being sufficiently addressed. National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data show that higher education levels could play a greater role than wealth in delaying a woman’s marriage. The data also reflect wide variations between the marital age of rural and urban women, and Dalit and upper-caste women.
Does education or wealth play a greater role in determining when a woman gets married?
- Education is significant: Education has a longer history of being significant in delaying a woman’s marriage.
- For instance: Depending on National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data, education has had a steady influence, while poverty has had an increasing influence over time.
- Poverty: Poverty is the greatest determinant of early marriage as the poor do not want to wait due to the increasing demand for dowry. Wealthier people are no longer marrying their daughters early.
Marriage plays a significant role in India as it serves multiple purposes.
- Most significant institution: It is considered the most significant institution for daughters as it fulfills the family’s responsibility towards them. For sons, the responsibility is to settle them in a job, which will hopefully lead to marriage.
- Social identity: Marriage is crucial for social identity, and a woman who remains single is an anomaly because almost everyone gets married.
- Sexual respectability: marriage is essential for sexual respectability as those who wish to have social respect have sexual relationships within marriage.
- Legitimate children: Marriage provides the option to have children, and having a child without a husband is completely unacceptable in the Indian context.
What advantages that families see in getting women married earlier instead of educating them further?
- Dowry: This dowry can be a significant financial burden for families, and getting their daughters married early may be seen as a way to reduce this expense. The more educated a girl, the more the boy has to be educated too and the higher the dowry.
- Transfer of responsibility: Families feel there is the responsibility of protecting her sexually before marriage. And that responsibility gets transferred to the boy’s family. After marriage, the girl goes to live with her husband’s family, so why spend on her education?
- Maintenance of caste and community lines: In some cultures, marrying within one’s own caste and community is essential to maintain social status and cultural traditions. Early marriage may be seen as a way to ensure that women are married within their caste and community and preserve cultural practices.
Women are increasingly getting access to education. Does this result in more empowerment?
- Advantages of Women’s Access to Education:
- Education provides women with knowledge and skills that lead to greater empowerment and the ability to make informed decisions about their lives.
- Educated women are more likely to participate in the workforce, earn higher wages, and have better health outcomes.
- Access to education can challenge traditional gender norms and stereotypes, creating new opportunities for women and girls.
- Education can increase women’s bargaining power within their families and communities, allowing them to negotiate for better living conditions, higher earnings, and greater autonomy.
- Challenges in Women’s Employment
- The female labor force participation rate is low at 25%, and job losses have been especially harmful to women.
- Despite increased access to education, there is a high proportion of educated but unemployed women.
- Women who enter the corporate sector often face hostility or are unable to balance domestic expectations with work demands.
- The conjugal contract between men and women remains largely unchanged, with women assuming the majority of domestic burdens and men often having power over family decisions.
- Impact of Age of Marriage
- Increasing the age of marriage may not automatically lead to greater empowerment, autonomy, or freedom for women.
- While delaying marriage may provide women with more opportunities to pursue education and careers, there is still a significant gender gap in employment and earnings.
- Low and declining employment rates may also result in a greater burden on marriage as a means of economic security.
Why women in SC/ST/OBC communities get married at younger age than even those in rural India?
- Socio-economic factors: Women in SC/ST/OBC communities tend to get married at younger ages than even those in rural areas due to a combination of social and economic factors.
- Sense of social disadvantage: Families who belong to these groups experience a sense of social disadvantage in the marriage market, but they are also often poor, with lower wealth quintiles being disproportionately populated by SC, ST, and OBCs.
- Caste and poverty: There is a fair deal of correlation between caste and poverty in these communities, with many lacking decent work and being vulnerable to violence from those higher in the hierarchy.
- Vulnerability: Girls from these communities are even more vulnerable to such issues, with Dalit girls being particularly susceptible to sexual predators as young upper-caste men feel that they have a right of access.
- Marriage as protection: Marriage can be seen as a form of protection for girls from these communities, but the issue of early marriage is complex and influenced by a range of factors.
Conclusion
- The issue of child marriage in India is complex and deeply rooted in societal norms, poverty, and caste systems. Despite the progress in education and women’s empowerment, there are still challenges. The issue of child marriage requires a comprehensive approach that addresses the underlying societal and economic factors that perpetuate the practice.
Mains Question
Q. Discuss the role of education and wealth in determining the age at which women get married in India.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Para Forces
Mains level: Paramilitary Forces and their mandate, challenges
Central Idea
- Last month, India observed the day of remembrance for the Pulwama attack that took place on February 14, 2019, which resulted in the death of 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel. The lesson learned is that there is an urgent need to address the grievances of paramilitary forces in terms of training, morale, and parity with regular armed forces to ensure the effectiveness of these forces in maintaining internal security.
Background
- The Forgotten Dantewada Attack: An earlier attack on April 6, 2010, in which 76 CRPF personnel were killed by left-wing extremists in Dantewada, has faded away from public attention despite being the deadliest attack on security forces in any counter-insurgency or anti-terrorist operations in independent India.
- The Pulwama attack: The attack on February 14, 2019, claimed the lives of 40 personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), India’s largest paramilitary force. The Pulwama attack resulted in an unprecedented public outcry and evoked emotional responses across all sections of society. It is important to remember this incident to prevent a repeat in the future.
Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)
- Motto: “Service and Loyalty”
- Logo: The CRPF logo features a crossed rifle and a light machine gun over a map of India, with a laurel wreath and the words “Central Reserve Police Force” written in both Hindi and English. The crossed rifles and the light machine gun represent the CRPF’s role in maintaining internal security, while the map of India signifies its national duty.
- Establishment: CRPF is the largest Central Armed Police Force of India. It was established in 1939 as the Crown Representative’s Police (CRP) to assist British rulers in managing unrest and law and order issues. After India gained independence in 1947, it became the Central Reserve Police Force.
- Responsibility: The CRPF is primarily responsible for maintaining internal security, counter-terrorism operations, and assisting the state police in maintaining law and order. It also assists in disaster management and protects vital installations.
- Personnel and deployment: With more than 300,000 personnel, the CRPF is one of the most significant components of India’s internal security apparatus. It operates in a variety of environments, including urban, jungle, and mountainous terrain. The CRPF has also been deployed in international peacekeeping operations, such as in Haiti, Sudan, and Congo.
Challenges Faced by Paramilitary Forces
- Security threats: Paramilitary forces are often deployed in areas where there are security threats such as terrorist attacks, insurgencies, and border conflicts. These threats pose a significant risk to the lives of the personnel, and they have to be constantly vigilant to prevent any untoward incidents.
- Pay and benefits: The Indian Army personnel receive higher pay, better benefits, and retirement benefits compared to paramilitary forces. The Indian Army also has a well-established pension system, while paramilitary forces have a Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).
- Inadequate infrastructure: These forces often operate in remote areas with inadequate infrastructure, including basic facilities such as food, water, and shelter. This makes it challenging for the personnel to carry out their duties effectively, especially during long deployments.
- Inadequate training: Proper training is essential for paramilitary personnel to carry out their duties effectively. However, due to budget constraints and a lack of resources, training is often inadequate, which can lead to inefficiencies and mistakes during operations.
- De-induction of Army: The deinduction of the Indian Army from certain areas has led to the CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) and other paramilitary forces being tasked with carrying out hard duties, leading to overstretched personnel and compromised training.
- Stress and mental health: The nature of the job is often stressful, and paramilitary personnel are frequently exposed to traumatic situations that can have long-term effects on their mental health. Unfortunately, mental health resources are often limited, and the stigma surrounding mental health issues can prevent personnel from seeking help.
- Lack of modern equipment: Paramilitary forces require modern equipment and weapons to carry out their duties effectively. However, due to budget constraints and bureaucratic red tape, acquiring such equipment is often delayed, which puts the personnel at risk.
- Armed Forces of the union category: The Delhi High Court order of December 2022 that recognised the paramilitary as a force under the category of ‘Armed Forces of the union’ and underscores the need to address the genuine grievances of the paramilitary personnel.
- Service facilities: The paramilitary force faces discrimination in matters ranging from pension to service facilities.
- Old pension scheme: Former personnel and their families have demanded the old pension scheme for serving members of the paramilitary force.
- Training: The training and morale of paramilitary personnel must be taken care of to maintain optimum performance and effectiveness.
Other key paramilitary and special forces in India
- National Security Guard (NSG): NSG is a federal contingency force tasked with counter-terrorism and special operations. It was established in 1984 and operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
- Border Security Force (BSF): BSF is a border guarding force responsible for guarding India’s land borders during peace time and preventing trans-border crimes. It was established in 1965 and operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
- Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB): SSB is a border guarding force tasked with guarding India’s borders with Nepal and Bhutan. It was established in 1963 and operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
- Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP): ITBP is a specialized mountain force responsible for guarding India’s borders with China. It was established in 1962 and operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
- Assam Rifles: Assam Rifles is a paramilitary force responsible for maintaining law and order in the northeast region of India. It was established in 1835 and operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Conclusion
- The observance of Pulwama day should serve as a reminder to avoid a repeat of the tragedy and calls for analysing the lessons learnt and taking corrective measures. It is important to listen to the genuine grievances of the paramilitary personnel to maintain their morale and enhance the security environment of the nation.
Mains Question
Q. Discuss the challenges faced by paramilitary forces In India? What needs to be done to maintain their morale and to ensure the effectiveness of these forces in maintaining internal security?
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NRI, OCI, PIO
Mains level: E-Postal Ballot system
Central idea: The Election Commission of India (EC) has proposed to facilitate the electronically-transmitted postal ballot system for overseas Indian voters.
Why such a move?
- The total number of overseas voters on January 1, 2023, was over 1.15 lakh.
Measures taken
- The Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, 2018 was passed by the Lok Sabha in August 2018 on the recommendation of the EC.
- The Bill sought to enable overseas electors to cast their vote either in person or by proxy.
- However, it lapsed when the 16th Lok Sabha was dissolved as it was pending in the Rajya Sabha.
How can overseas voters currently vote in Indian elections?
- Prior to 2010, an Indian citizen who is an eligible voter and was residing abroad for more than six months, would not have been able to vote in elections.
- This was because the NRI’s name was deleted from electoral rolls if he or she stayed outside the country for more than six months at a stretch.
- After the passing of the Representation of the People (Amendment) Act, 2010, eligible NRIs who had stayed abroad beyond six months have been able to vote, but only in person at the polling station where they have been enrolled as an overseas elector.
- Just as any resident Indian citizen above the age of 18 years) is eligible to vote in the constituency where she/he is a resident, and overseas Indian citizens are also eligible to do so.
- In the case of overseas voters, the address mentioned in the passport is taken as the place of ordinary residence and chosen as the constituency for the overseas voter to enrol in.
How has the existing facility worked so far?
- Hike in voters: From merely 11,846 overseas voters who registered in 2014, the number went up to close to a lakh in 2019. But the bulk of these voters (nearly 90%) belonged to just one State — Kerala.
- Section 20-1A, Part III of the RP Act: It addresses this to some extent by qualifying “a person absenting himself temporarily from his place of ordinary residence shall not by reason thereof cease to be ordinarily resident therein.
- Proxyprovisions: The Bill provided for overseas voters to be able to appoint a proxy to cast their votes on their behalf, subject to conditions laid down in the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961.
- Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System: The ECI then approached the government to permit NRIs to vote via postal ballots similar to a system that is already used by service voters, (a member of the armed Forces of the Union; or a member of a force to which provisions of the Army Act, 1950 (46 of 1950) which is ETPBS. The ECI proposed to extend this facility to overseas voters as well.
What is ETPBS and how does it function?
- The Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 was amended in 2016to allow service voters to use the ETPBS.
- Under this system, postal ballots are sent electronicallyto registered service voters.
- The service voter can then download the ETPB(along with a declaration form and covers), register their mandate on the ballot and send it to the returning officer of the constituency via ordinary mail.
- The post will include an attested declaration form(after being signed by the voter in the presence of an appointed senior officer who will attest it).
- The postal ballot must reach the returning officer by 8 a.m.on the day of the counting of results.
- In the case of NRI voters, those seeking to vote through ETPBS will have to inform the returning officer at least five days after notification of the election.
Are postal ballots a viable means of voting?
- The ETPBS method allowed for greater turnout among service voters in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.
- With the increasing mobility of citizens across countries for reasons related to work, the postal ballot method has been internationally recognized.
- A postal ballot mechanism that allows for proper authentication of the ballot at designated consular/embassy offices and an effective postal system should ease this process for NRIs.
Back2Basics: NRI vs OCI
Non-Resident Indian (NRI)
- To mention it, NRI is someone who is not a resident of India.
- However, the law is much more complicated and must be delved deeper to gain an inclusive insight into the sector.
- A person is considered a resident of India if he/she has been staying in India for a minimum tenure of 182 days during the previous financial year of a particular year. OR
- A person living in India for a total of 365 days during the previous four financial years and a minimum of 60 days during the last financial years is considered a citizen for a particular year.
- Now an NRI or a non-resident of India is eligible to pay charges for only the first two situations, which means either the income received or earned in India.
- Therefore, the NRI status also influences the enjoyable rights of that person.
Overseas Citizen of India (OCI)
- OCI is a card issued by the government of India that denotes that a non-resident or foreigner has been permitted to stay and work within Indian boundaries.
- Hence, this card provides foreigners with an immigration status without any limited tenure.
- There are cases where PIOs of specific categories are allowed for OCI cards that have migrated from India to foreign countries (except Pakistan and Bangladesh) if the other government agrees for dual citizenship.
- An individual holding an OCI card can be an overseas citizen of India in layman’s language.
- So an OCI is not a citizen of India, but the Indian government has given the cardholder permission to reside and work within the boundaries of India.
- Residents migrating from Pakistan and Bangladesh are not eligible for holding the OCI card. Even if their parents are citizens of both countries, the applicants will be denied having an OCI card.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: East African Rift, Various lakes
Mains level: Read the attached story
Central idea
- Scientists predict a new ocean will be created as Africa splits into two separate parts connected to the East African Rift
- This geological process will inevitably divide the continent resulting in new coastlines and sub-sea internet infrastructure but also will have significant repercussions
What is Rifting?
- The Earth’s lithosphere, comprising the crust and upper part of the mantle, is divided into tectonic plates that move in relation to each other at varying speeds.
- Tectonic forces move the plates and can cause them to rupture, resulting in the formation of a rift and potentially leading to the creation of new plate boundaries.
- Rifting refers to the geological process in which a single tectonic plate is split into two or more plates separated by divergent plate boundaries.
- In the present day, the gradual separation of the Somali and Nubian tectonic plates is leading to the formation of a rift that could eventually lead to the creation of a new ocean basin.
- The movement of tectonic plates is a fascinating geological phenomenon.
Rifting in African Continent
- The African continent is located on the African Plate, which is one of the Earth’s major tectonic plates.
- The continent is characterized by a number of geological features, including rift valleys.
Most profound feature: The East African Rift System
- The East African Rift System is the most prominent example of rifting in Africa.
- It stretches for over 6,000 kilometers from the Red Sea in the north to the Zambezi River in the south.
- The rift system includes a series of interconnected rift valleys, volcanoes, and lakes.
Causes of the East African Rift System
- The rift system is caused by the movement of the African Plate away from the Arabian Plate and the Somalian Plate.
- This movement creates tension in the Earth’s crust, causing it to pull apart and form a rift.
Impact: Lakes Formed by Rifting
- Over time, the rifting process has led to the formation of several large lakes in the region.
- These lakes include Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika, and Lake Malawi.
- They are believed to have formed as a result of the sinking of the land between the rift valleys.
Future of Rifting in Africa
- The rifting process is ongoing and may eventually lead to the splitting of the African continent into two or more separate land masses.
- However, this process is expected to take millions of years and is not likely to have a significant impact on human populations in the near future.
- The necessary evacuation of people and potential loss of lives will be an unfortunate cost of this natural phenomenon.
- The emergence of new coastlines will unlock opportunities for economic growth
- As the plates continue to split in the future, this phenomenon will result in the displacement of communities, settlements, and various flora and fauna.
Conclusion
- The movement of tectonic plates has significant implications for the continent’s future.
- It is important to study and monitor these changes while remembering the power of the Earth’s natural forces and the impact they can have over time.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: LTTD
Mains level: Desalination of seawater
The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) is making efforts to make its ongoing water provision project in Lakshadweep eco-friendly by eliminating emissions in its Low Temperature Thermal Desalination technology.
What is LTTD Technology?
- LTTD Technology is a desalination process that uses low-grade thermal energy, typically below 70°C, to evaporate seawater and produce fresh water.
- The technology is designed to be efficient and cost-effective, and it has been successfully used in various locations worldwide to provide potable water.
How does LTTD Technology work?
- LTTD Technology works by using a low-grade thermal source, such as warm seawater, to heat up a chamber containing seawater.
- As the seawater is heated, it evaporates and produces fresh water vapor.
- The vapor is then condensed and collected, leaving behind concentrated seawater, which can be discharged back into the ocean.
- The fresh water produced can be used for various purposes, such as drinking water, irrigation, or industrial applications.
Benefits of this technology
- One of the main benefits of LTTD Technology is that it uses low-grade thermal energy, which is readily available in many locations, especially in coastal areas.
- This makes it a cost-effective and sustainable way of producing fresh water.
- Additionally, LTTD Technology is modular and can be easily scaled up or down, depending on the water demand.
- It also has a relatively low environmental impact compared to other desalination technologies.
Challenges of LTTD Technology
- One of the main challenges of LTTD Technology is that it requires a constant source of low-grade thermal energy, which can be affected by weather conditions and seasonal changes.
- Additionally, the technology is relatively new and may require further research and development to optimize its efficiency and performance.
How is NIOT working to make LTTD Technology emission-free?
- NIOT is working on making LTTD Technology emission-free by using renewable energy sources, such as solar energy, to power the desalination process.
- The goal is to reduce the carbon footprint of the technology and make it more sustainable and environmentally friendly.
Try this MCQ:
Q. The LTTD technology involves the use of which of the following processes to produce potable water?
A) Reverse osmosis B) Distillation C) Filtration D) Chlorination
Post your answer here.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: GPT-4
Mains level: Not Much
Central idea: OpenAI announced GPT-4 as the next big update to the technology that powers ChatGPT and Microsoft Bing.
What is GPT-4?
- GPT-4 is a large multimodal model created by OpenAI that accepts images as input, making it a more advanced version of GPT-3 and GPT-3.5.
- It exhibits human-level performance on various professional and academic benchmarks, and it can solve difficult problems with greater accuracy.
How is GPT-4 different from GPT-3?
- GPT-4 is multimodal, allowing it to understand more than one modality of information, unlike GPT-3 and GPT-3.5, which were limited to textual input and output.
- It is harder to trick than previous models, and it can process a lot more information at a time, making it more suitable for lengthy conversations and generating long-form content.
- It has improved accuracy and is better at understanding languages that are not English.
GPT-4’s abilities
- GPT-4 can use images to generate captions and analyses, and it can answer tax-related questions, schedule meetings, and learn a user’s creative writing style.
- It can handle over 25,000 words of text, opening up a greater number of use cases that include long-form content creation, document search and analysis, and extended conversations.
- It significantly reduces hallucinations and produces fewer undesirable outputs, such as hate speech and misinformation.
Multilingual abilities of GPT-4
- GPT-4 is more multilingual and can accurately answer thousands of multiple-choice questions across 26 languages.
- It handles English best, with an 85.5% accuracy, but Indian languages like Telugu aren’t too far behind either, at 71.4%.
Availability of GPT-4
- GPT-4 has already been integrated into products like Duolingo, Stripe, and Khan Academy for varying purposes.
- Image inputs are still a research preview and are not publicly available.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Same-sex marriage, Issues, constitutional provisions , Read the attached article
Central idea
- Recently, the Supreme Court referred a batch of petitions seeking the legal recognition of same-sex marriages to a Constitution Bench. The Union government has opposed the petitions. Law Minister Kiren said that marriage is a matter of policy to be decided by Parliament and the executive alone.
What is mean by Same-sex marriage?
- Same-sex marriage is the legal recognition of a marriage between two individuals of the same sex.
- It grants same-sex couples the same legal and social recognition, rights, and privileges that are traditionally associated with marriage, including property rights, inheritance rights, and the ability to make decisions for each other in medical emergencies.
- The recognition of same-sex marriage varies around the world, with some countries legalizing it while others do not.
- The issue has been the subject of much debate and controversy, with arguments for and against same-sex marriage based on religious, cultural, social, and legal considerations.
Same-sex marriage in India
- Same-sex marriage is currently not legally recognized in India.
- Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which criminalized homosexuality, was struck down by the Supreme Court of India in 2018, which was a landmark decision for LGBTQ+ rights in the country.
- However, there is still no law that allows same-sex couples to legally marry or have any legal recognition of their relationships.
- In its affidavit to the Supreme Court, the government argued that the traditional concept of marriage, consisting of a biological man, woman and child, cannot be disrupted.
- It claimed that recognising same-sex marriages could cause havoc in the system of personal laws.
- As different from many liberal democracies, in India, aspects of marriage, succession and adoption are governed by religious personal laws.
What petitioners are claiming?
- Same-sex marriage as a matter of rights
- Any social policy is liable to judicial interference if rights are violated.
- The petitioners rely on the rights to equality and non-discrimination as laid out in Articles 14 and 15.
- The Constitution prohibits the state from discriminating on the basis of sex.
- Sex has been interpreted by the Supreme Court in Navtej Singh Johar (2018) to include sexual orientation. Granting the right to marry to heterosexual couples and not to homosexual couples clearly discriminates on the basis of their sexual orientation.
- Same-sex marriage is a matter of privacy
- Right to privacy: Supreme Court recognised this right to be part of the right to life and liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution in the celebrated Puttaswamy (2017) verdict.
- What court said on privacy: Privacy includes at its core the preservation of personal intimacies, the sanctity of family life, marriage, procreation, the home and sexual orientation.
- State currently denies this right: The right to privacy entails the right of the citizens to make decisions about their family life and marriage. The state currently denies same-sex couples this right.
- The Special Marriage Act: The Special Marriage Act is a secular law which works alongside religious personal laws. Same-sex marriages can be recognised under the Special Marriage Act. The Act already speaks of marriages between any two persons which are solemnised under it. Any two persons can include two persons of the same sex.
Special Marriage Act
- The Special Marriage Act is a law in India that allows individuals of different religions or nationalities to marry each other.
- It was enacted in 1954 and came into effect from 1955.
- The Special Marriage Act allows for inter-caste and inter-religious marriages, and couples who register under this act are not required to change their religion or follow any religious rites or rituals.
- The act also provides for divorce on certain grounds and maintenance to the spouse and children.
Consider the situation in the United States
- In Obergefell v Hodges (2015), the Supreme Court of the United States held that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marriage.
- Thirty-one out of the 50 states in the United States have marriage laws that define marriage as between a man and a woman.
Conclusion
- The debate on legal recognition of same-sex marriages in India continues to be a contentious issue, with the government and petitioners presenting opposing views. However, given the complex social, cultural, and legal considerations, any decision regarding same-sex marriage should be carefully evaluated to ensure that it is inclusive and respects individual rights. Ultimately, it is important to arrive at a balanced and just solution that upholds the principles of equality and non-discrimination for all individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation.
Mains Question
Q. What do you understand by same-sex marriage? Describe same sex marriage situation in India by highlighting both the arguments.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Women empowerment, Reforms to thrive Women leadership
Central Idea
- Today the world is home to a transformative generation of 900 million adolescent girls and young women poised to shape the future of work and growth. If this cohort of young women could be equipped with the right resources and opportunities to nurture the 21st century skills, they would become the largest segment of women leaders, change-makers, entrepreneurs, and innovators in history.
- India is home to one of the largest generations of girls and young women, has made significant progress across various domains, such as education, health, digital and financial inclusion, and leadership building, to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 5, which envisions a more gender-equal world by 2030.
- To unleash the gender dividend and create conditions for female leadership to flourish, women at all levels of society must have inclusion in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT), bodily autonomy and safety, shared responsibility within the household, and equal participation in decision-making spaces.
What are the necessary conditions that must be in place for Women leadership to thrive?
- Cultivating Agency:
- Given the socio-economic barriers that adolescent girls confront from their earliest years that the work to cultivate their agency must begin early.
- India’s initiatives across various domains, such as education, health, digital and financial inclusion, and leadership building, to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 5, which envisions a more gender-equal world by 2030.
- Inclusion in ICT:
- Inclusion in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for women at all levels of society is very important.
- As access to digital technology increasingly becomes an arena of opportunity and basic service, EdTech can bridge the accessibility gap in education through hybrid learning models, even where girls’ access to schooling is restricted by harmful norms.
- STEM Education:
- The prevailing stereotypes that characterize STEM education as a traditionally masculine domain, even though over 43% of Indian STEM graduates are women.
- The gender norms that disproportionately allocate domestic and care responsibilities to women, representation of men as leaders of STEM, finance, and entrepreneurial fields in the public perception, and institutional mechanisms are some of the barriers that explain why increased women’s representation in STEM education does not translate into work participation.
- There is need of inclusion of grade-appropriate STEM, financial education, and entrepreneurship syllabi into the educational curriculum for girls to counter these stereotypes actively.
- Bodily Autonomy and Safety
- Empowering women to make decisions about their bodies and be free from all forms of violence and harassment is very important.
- These basic conditions are critical to enable women and young girls to chart the trajectory of their personal and professional lives.
- Sport for Leadership
- The sporting activities can promote leadership, self-sufficiency, and teamwork. The inclusion of adolescent girls and young women in sports can build their self-confidence, strengthen self-belief, and impart the nuances of teamwork.
- The National Sports Policy and inclusion programs for children from vulnerable communities, which have seen remarkable success.
- Redistribute Care Work
- The backbone of thriving families, communities, and economies largely falls on women, increasing in times of crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
- It is crucial to recognize, reduce and redistribute unpaid care and domestic work, so that women may enjoy economic opportunities and outcomes on an equal footing to men.
- The policies that provide services, social protection and basic infrastructure, promote sharing of domestic and care work between men and women, and create more paid jobs in the care economy, which are urgently needed to accelerate progress on women’s economic empowerment.
Do you know? STEM education
- STEM education refers to a curriculum that focuses on four academic disciplines: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
- STEM education is designed to promote and enhance the critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills of students, while also encouraging their creativity and innovation.
- The curriculum typically integrates these four subjects to show how they are interconnected and applicable to real-world problems.
- STEM education is becoming increasingly important in today’s world, as technology continues to advance and the demand for skilled workers in these fields grows.
Conclusion
- Nurturing the leadership abilities of adolescent girls and young women is crucial for breaking down restrictive gender norms and barriers and accelerating progress across the Sustainable Development Goals. By working together to empower girls and women, we can create a more gender equal world and unlock the full potential of the next generation of female leaders.
Mains Question
Q. What are the necessary conditions that must be established for female leadership to flourish in India?
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: India-china Trade, development and Bilateral Relations
Central idea
- China’s recent developments in steady growth, people’s well-being, opening up, and win-win cooperation, as well as its willingness to strengthen communication and coordination with India, can provide new opportunities for all countries in the world, especially neighbouring countries. importance of China-India relations and their role in facilitating an Asian Century.
China’s focus areas of development
- Modernization: China is currently advancing modernization in all fronts, based on its practices, and a focus on high-quality development.
- Overall development: The country aims to modernize its huge population, ensuring common prosperity for all, material and cultural-ethical advancement, harmony between humanity and nature, and peaceful development.
- New opportunities: China’s development will create new opportunities for all countries, especially neighbouring countries.
The development of China in recent years
- Steady Growth:
- In 2022, China’s economy grew by 3%, and the country added a total of 12.06 million urban jobs.
- The country’s GDP increased to 121 trillion yuan (approximately $18 trillion), registering an annual growth rate of 5.2% over the past five years and an annual growth of 6.2% over the past decade, with GDP increasing by nearly 70 trillion yuan.
- China’s economic strength is steadily reaching new heights.
- People’s Well-being:
- China has historically resolved absolute poverty, with the alleviation of close to 100 million rural residents from poverty.
- Over 70% of the government’s expenditure went toward ensuring people’s well-being.
- Basic old age insurance covers 1.05 billion people, an increase of 140 million. Living standards continue to witness new improvements.
- Opening Up:
- In 2022, China’s total volume of trade in goods exceeded 40 trillion yuan, registering an annual growth rate of 8.6%.
- China’s actual use of foreign capital was up by 8%, and the country remained one of the top destinations for foreign investors.
- The overall tariff level continues to fall, from 9.8% to 7.4%. China’s doors to the outside world are opening even wider.
- Win-Win Cooperation
- In the period 2013-2021, China’s contribution to global economic growth averaged 38.6%, higher than that of G7 countries combined (25.7%).
- More than 100 countries have expressed their support, and over 60 countries have joined the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative (GDI) since Chinese President, Xi Jinping, proposed it in a speech at the United Nations General Assembly in 2021.
- Emerged as Representatives: As neighboring and ancient civilizations, China, and India are representatives of developing countries and emerging economies.
- National rejuvenation: Both countries are currently in the process of national rejuvenation and a crucial period of modernization where challenges need to be overcome and problems need to be solved.
- Interests than differences: China and India have far more common interests than differences.
China- India Trade
- China and India are important trading partners, with bilateral trade volume reaching $135.984 billion in 2022.
- Although there is a trade deficit, India’s import of equipment and materials from China reduces the overall cost of Made-in-India products, benefits Indian downstream industries and consumers, enhances the competitiveness of Indian exports, and in turn facilitates India’s integration into global industrial and supply chains.
Facilitating an Asian Century
- Chinese Foreign Minister recently stated that the development and revitalization of China and India embody a boost to the force of developing countries, which will change the destiny of a third of the world’s population and have a bearing on the future of Asia and beyond.
- This echoes what India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had expressed in 2022 that the Asian Century will happen when China and India come together.
Conclusion
- China’s development and its relationship with India are important for the region and the world. Both countries are in the process of modernization and face challenges that need to be overcome. China and India are important trading partners, and their cooperation can facilitate an Asian Century and contribute to peace and stability in the region and beyond.
Mains Question
Q. Provide your insights on the role of China and India in shaping the destiny of the developing countries and their impact on the future of Asia and beyond
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Bar Council
Mains level: Foreign legal professionals in India
Central Idea: The Bar Council of India (BCI) has opened up law practice in India to foreign lawyers and law firms. It has framed the ‘Bar Council of India Rules for Registration of Foreign Lawyers and Foreign Law Firms in India, 2021’.
About Bar Council of India (BCI)
- The BCI is a statutory body established under the section 4 of Advocates Act 1961 that regulates the legal practice and legal education in India.
- Its members are elected from amongst the lawyers in India and as such represents the Indian bar.
- It prescribes standards of professional conduct, etiquettes and exercises disciplinary jurisdiction over the bar.
- It also sets standards for legal education and grants recognition to universities whose degree in law will serve as a qualification for students to enroll themselves as advocates upon graduation.
History
- In March 1953, the ‘All India Bar Committee’, headed by S. R. Das, submitted a report which proposed the creation of a bar council for each state and an all India bar council as an apex body.
- It was suggested that the all-India bar council would regulate the legal profession and set the standard of legal education.
- The Law Commission of India was assigned the job of assembling a report on judicial administration reforms and helps India to reform justice and equity to whole country.
- In 1961, the Advocates Act was introduced to implement the recommendations made by the ‘All India Bar Committee’ and ‘Law Commission’.
Functions
The functions of the Bar Council are to:
- Lay down standards of professional conduct and etiquette for advocates.
- Lay down procedure to be followed by disciplinary committees
- Safeguard the rights, privileges and interests of advocates
- Promote and support law reform
- Deal with and dispose of any matter which may be referred by a State Bar Council
- Promote legal education and lay down standards of legal education.
- Determine universities whose degree in law shall be a qualification for enrollment as an advocate.
- Conduct seminars on legal topics by eminent jurists and publish journals and papers of legal interest.
- Organise and provide legal aid to the poor.
- Recognise foreign qualifications in law obtained outside India for admission as an advocate.
- Manage and invest funds of the Bar Council.
- Provide for the election of its members who shall run the Bar Councils.
Constitution
- As per the Advocates Act, the BCI consists of members elected from each state bar council, and the Attorney General of India and the Solicitor General of India who are ex officio members.
- The council elects its own chairman and vice-chairman for a period of two years from among its members.
- Assisted by the various committees of the council, the chairman acts as the chief executive and director of the council.
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Why such move?
- The BCI notification also stated that the Rules would help to address the concerns expressed about the flow of Foreign Direct Investment into the country.
- The Rules would also help make India a hub for international commercial arbitration.
Move to benefit Indian lawyers
- The rules enable foreign lawyers and law firms to “practice foreign law, diverse international law and international arbitration matters in India on the principle of reciprocity in a well-defined, regulated and controlled manner”.
- The BCI said that the move would benefit Indian lawyers, whose standards of proficiency in law are comparable with international standards.
- The legal fraternity in India is not likely to suffer any disadvantage since the move would be mutually beneficial for lawyers from India and abroad.
How foreign lawyers can begin operating in India?
- The Rules prescribe that foreign lawyers and firms would not be entitled to practice law in India without registration with the BCI.
- Foreign lawyers and law firms are not allowed to practice Indian law in any form or before any court of law, tribunal, board or any other authority legally entitled to record evidence on oath.
- However, the restriction does not apply to law practice by a foreign lawyer or foreign law firm on a ‘fly in and fly out basis’ for the purpose of giving legal advice to a client in India on foreign law or international legal issues.
- In such a case, the lawyer or firm cannot have an office in India, and their practice cannot exceed 60 days in any 12-month period.
Requirements for foreign lawyers and firms
A primary qualification required from foreign lawyers and firms is-
- Certificate from the competent authority of their country that they are entitled to practice law in that country.
- Undertaking that they shall not practice Indian law in any form or before any court of law, tribunal, board or any other authority legally entitled to record evidence on oath.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Foreign Trade Policy
Mains level: India's foreign trade policy
Central idea: The revision of India’s Foreign Trade Policy, which has been unchanged since 2015 and due for three years, may finally be announced by the end of this month.
What is a Foreign Trade Policy?
- India’s Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) is a set of guidelines for goods and services imported and exported.
- These are developed by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), the Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s regulating body for the promotion and facilitation of exports and imports.
- FTPs are enforceable under the Foreign Trade Development and Regulation Act 1992.
What is India’s Foreign Trade Policy?
- In line with the ‘Make in India,’ ‘Digital India,’ ‘Skill India,’ ‘Startup India,’ and ‘Ease of Doing Business initiatives, the Foreign Trade Policy (2015-20) was launched on April 1, 2015.
- It provides a framework for increasing exports of goods and services, creating jobs, and increasing value addition in the country.
- The FTP statement outlines the market and product strategy as well as the steps needed to promote trade, expand infrastructure, and improve the entire trade ecosystem.
- It aims to help India respond to external problems while staying on top of fast-changing international trading infrastructure and to make trade a major contributor to the country’s economic growth and development.
Issues with FTP (2015-2020)
- Acting on Washington’s protest, a WTO dispute settlement panel ruled in 2019 that India’s export subsidy measures are in violation of WTO norms and must be repealed.
- Tax incentives under the popular Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) (now renamed as RODTEP Scheme)and Service Exports from India Scheme (SEIS) programmes were among them.
- The panel found that because India’s per capita gross national product exceeds $1,000 per year, it may no longer grant subsidies based on export performance.
Why such a delay in Foreign Trade Policy?
- Geopolitical uncertainty: The geo-political situation is not suitable for long-term foreign trade policy, said Union Commerce Minister.
- Global recession: Currently, fears of a recession in major economies like the US and Europe have escalated a panic among investors.
- Decline in USD inflows: Foreign investors have begun to pull back their money from equities.
- Rupee depreciation: The US Dollar is at a 22-year high, while the Rupee hit a new all-time low of $81.6.
- Huge trade deficit: The trade deficit widened by more than 2-folds to $125.22 billion (April – August 2022) compared to $53.78 billion in the same period last year.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Smart Cities Mission
Mains level: Not Much
Central idea: The Govt asks 20 worst-performing cities to improve as June 2023 Smart Cities Mission deadline nears.
What is the Smart Cities Mission?
- The Smart Cities Mission is an initiative of the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry that was launched by PM on June 25, 2015.
- Cities across the country were asked to submit proposals for projects to improve municipal services and to make their jurisdictions more liveable.
- Between January 2016 and June 2018 (when the last city, Shillong, was chosen), the Ministry selected 100 cities for the Mission over five rounds.
Deadline of the project
- The projects were supposed to be completed within five years of the selection of the city.
- However, in 2021 the Ministry changed the deadline for all cities to June 2023, which was earlier the deadline for Shillong alone.
What kinds of projects were proposed?
- Project proposals ranged from making certain stretches of roads more accessible and pedestrian-friendly to more capital-intensive ones like laying water pipelines and constructing sewage treatment plants.
- All 100 cities have constructed Integrated Command and Control Centres.
- These centres monitor all security, emergency and civic services.
- During the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, many of these centres were converted into emergency response units by the cities.
What is the status of the projects?
- As of March 3, 100 cities have issued work orders for 7,799 projects worth Rs 1.80 lakh crore.
- Out of these, 5,399 projects worth Rs.1.02 lakh crore have been completed, and the rest are ongoing.
- Only around 20 cities are likely to meet the June deadline. The rest will need more time.
- Shillong has completed just one of its 18 proposed projects.
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