Prelims Only | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways Etc.

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Solar energy targets of India

Mains level: Read the attached story

From less than 10 MW in 2010, India has added significant PV capacity over the past decade, achieving over 50 GW by 2022.

Solar energy in India

Solar photovoltaics (PV) has driven India’s push towards the adoption of cleaner energy generation technologies.
India is targeting about 500 GW by 2030, of renewable energy deployment, out of which ~280 GW is expected from solar PV.
This necessitates the deployment of nearly 30 GW of solar capacity every year until 2030.

Key components

A typical solar PV value chain consists of first fabricating polysilicon ingots which need to be transformed into thin Silicon wafers that are needed to manufacture the PV mini-modules.
The mini-modules are then assembled into market-ready and field-deployable modules.

Various challenges

There are challenges that need to be overcome for the sustainability of the PV economy.

(1) PV Modules

Indian solar deployment or installation companies depend heavily on imports.
It currently imports 100% of silicon wafers and around 80% of cells even at the current deployment levels.
India currently does not have enough module and cell manufacturing capacity.
India’s current solar module manufacturing capacity is limited to ~15 GW per year.
The demand-supply gap widens as we move up the value chain — for example, India only produces ~3.5 GW of cells currently.
India has no manufacturing capacity for solar wafers and polysilicon ingots.

(2) Field deployment

Also, out of the 15 GW of module manufacturing capacity, only 3-4 GW of modules are technologically competitive and worthy of deployment in grid-based projects.
India remains dependent on the import of solar modules for field deployment.

(3) Size and technology

Most of the Indian industry is currently tuned to handling M2 wafer size, which is roughly 156 x 156 mm2, while the global industry is already moving towards M10 and M12 sizes, which are 182 x 182 mm2 and 210 x 210 mm2 respectively.
The bigger size has an advantage in terms of silicon cost per wafer, as this effectively means lower loss of silicon during ingot to wafer processing.
In terms of cell technology, most of the manufacturing still uses Al-BSF technology, which can typically give efficiencies of ~18-19% at the cell level and ~16-17% at the module level.
By contrast, cell manufacturing worldwide has moved to PERC (22-23%), HJT(~24%), TOPCON (23-24%) and other newer technologies, yielding module efficiency of >21%.

(4) Land issue

Producing more solar power for the same module size means more solar power from the same land area.
Land, the most expensive part of solar projects, is scarce in India — and Indian industry has no choice but to move towards newer and superior technologies as part of expansion plans.

(5) Raw materials supply

There is a huge gap on the raw material supply chain side as well.
Silicon wafer, the most expensive raw material, is not manufactured in India.
India will have to work on technology tie-ups to make the right grade of silicon for solar cell manufacturing — and since >90% of the world’s solar wafer manufacturing currently happens in China.
It is not clear how and where India will get the technology.
Other key raw materials such as metallic pastes of silver and aluminium to form the electrical contacts too, are almost 100% imported.
Thus, India is more of an assembly hub than a manufacturing

(6) Lack of investment

India has hardly invested in this sector which can help the industry to try and test the technologies in a cost-effective manner.

Current govt policy

The government has identified this gap, and is rolling out various policy initiatives to push and motivate the industry to work towards self-reliance in solar manufacturing, both for cells and modules.
Key initiatives include:

40% duty on the import of modules and
25% duty on the import of cells, and
Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme to support manufacturing capex
Compulsion to procure modules only from an approved list of manufacturers (ALMM) for projects that are connected to state/ central government grids
Only India-based manufacturers have been approved

Way forward

India’s path to become a manufacturing hub for the same requires more than just putting some tax barriers and commercial incentives in the form of PLI schemes, etc.
It will warrant strong industry-academia collaboration in an innovative manner to start developing home-grown technologies which could, in the short-term.
It needs to work with the industry to provide them with trained human resource, process learnings, root-cause analysis through right testing and, in the long term, develop India’s own technologies.
High-end technology development requires substantial investment in several clusters which operate in industry-like working and management conditions, appropriate emoluments, and clear deliverables.

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Oil and Gas Sector – HELP, Open Acreage Policy, etc.

What is a Windfall Tax?

| Economics | Mains Paper 3: Indian Economy

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Windfall taxes

Mains level: Read the attached story

Finance Minister has defended the windfall tax imposed by the Centre on domestic crude oil producers, saying that it was not an ad hoc move but was done after full consultation with the industry.

What is a Windfall Tax?

Windfall taxes are designed to tax the profits a company derives from an external, sometimes unprecedented event — for instance, the energy price-rise as a result of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
These are profits that cannot be attributed to something the firm actively did, like an investment strategy or an expansion of business.
The US Congressional Research Service (CRS) defines a windfall as an “unearned, unanticipated gain in income through no additional effort or expense”.
One area where such taxes have routinely been discussed is oil markets, where price fluctuation leads to volatile or erratic profits for the industry.

When did India introduce this?

In July this year, India announced a windfall tax on domestic crude oil producers who it believed were reaping the benefits of the high oil prices.
It also imposed an additional excise levy on diesel, petrol and air turbine fuel (ATF) exports.
Also, India’s case was different from other countries, as it was still importing discounted Russian oil.

How is it levied?

Governments typically levy this as a one-off tax retrospectively over and above the normal rates of tax.
The Central government has introduced a windfall profit tax of ₹23,250 per tonne on domestic crude oil production, which was subsequently revised fortnightly four times so far.
The latest revision was on August 31, when it was hiked to ₹13,300 per tonne from ₹13,000.

Why govt. introduced windfall tax?

There have been varying rationales for governments worldwide to introduce windfall taxes like:

Redistribution of unexpected gains when high prices benefit producers at the expense of consumers,
Funding social welfare schemes, and
Supplementary revenue stream for the government

Why are countries levying windfall taxes now?

Prices of oil, gas, and coal have seen sharp increases since last year and in the first two quarters of the current year, although they have reduced recently.
Pandemic recovery and supply issues resulting from the Russia-Ukraine conflict shored up energy demands, which in turn have driven up global prices.
The rising prices meant huge and record profits for energy companies while resulting in hefty gas and electricity bills for households in major and smaller economies.
Since the gains stemmed partly from external change, multiple analysts have called them windfall profits.

Issues with imposing such taxes

Companies are confident in investing in a sector if there is certainty and stability in a tax regime.
Since windfall taxes are imposed retrospectively and are often influenced by unexpected events, they can brew uncertainty in the market about future taxes.
IMF says that taxes in response to price surges may suffer from design problems—given their expedient and political nature.
It added that introducing a temporary windfall profit tax reduces future investment because prospective investors will internalise the likelihood of potential taxes when making investment decisions.
There is another argument about what exactly constitutes true windfall profits; how can it be determined and what level of profit is normal or excessive.
Another issue is who should be taxed — only the big companies responsible for the bulk of high-priced sales or smaller companies as well— raising the question of whether producers with revenues or profits below a certain threshold should be exempt.

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

Fighting anaemia

op-ed snap | Governance | Mains Paper 2: Health & Education

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: iron fortification

Mains level: women health

Context

The recent National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) data shows anaemia rates increased from 53 per cent to 57 per cent in women and 58 per cent to 67 per cent in children in 2019-21.

Definition of anaemia

The WHO defines anaemia as a condition where the number of red blood cells or the haemoglobin concentration within them is lower than normal. This compromises immunity and impedes cognitive development.

Why anaemia is a concern?

Adverse effects of anaemia affect all age groups lower physical and cognitive growth and alertness among children and adolescents, and lesser capacity to learn and play, directly impacting their future potential as productive citizens.
Anaemia among adolescent girls (59.1 per cent) advances to maternal anaemiaand is a major cause of maternal and infant mortality and general morbidity and ill health in a community.

What causes anaemia?

Imbalanced diet: Cereal-centric diets, with relatively less consumption of iron-rich food groups like meat, fish, eggs, and dark green leafy vegetables (DGLF), can be associated with higher levels of anaemia.
Underlying factors: High levels of anaemia are also often associated with underlying factors like poor water quality and sanitation conditions that can adversely impact iron absorption in the body.
Iron deficiency is major cause: A diet that does not contain enough iron, folic acid, or vitamin B12 is a common cause of anaemia.
Some other conditions: That may lead to anaemia include pregnancy, heavy periods, blood disorders or cancer, inherited disorders, and infectious diseases.

Why is anaemia so high in the country?

Low vitamin intake: Iron-deficiency and vitamin B12-deficiency anaemia are the two common types of anaemia in India.
High population and nutrition deprivation: Among women, iron deficiency prevalence is higher than men due to menstrual iron losses and the high iron demands of a growing foetus during pregnancies.
Overemphasis on cereals: Lack of millets in the diet due to overdependence on rice and wheat, insufficient consumption of green and leafy vegetables could be the reasons behind the high prevalence of anaemia in India.

What is Iron fortification?

Iron fortification of food is a methodology utilized worldwide to address iron deficiency. Iron fortification programs usually involve mandatory, centralized mass fortification of staple foods, such as wheat flour.

Why need iron fortification?

Iron deficiency anaemia is due to insufficient iron.
Without enough iron, the body can’t produce enough of a substance in red blood cells that enables them to carry oxygen (haemoglobin).
Severe anaemia during pregnancy increases risk of premature birth, having a low birth weight baby and postpartum depression. Some studies also show an increased risk of infant death immediately before or after birth.

Success story / value addition

Nepal’s success story to improve maternal anaemia by national action plan .

Anaemia Mukt Bharat

The scheme aims to reduce the prevalence of anaemia in India.
It provides bi weekly iron Folic acid supplementation to all under five children through Asha workers.
Also, it provides biannual Deworming for children and adolescents. The scheme also establishes institutional mechanisms for advanced research in anaemia.
It also focuses on non-nutritional causes of anaemia.

We need to focus on the following interventions

Prophylactic Iron and Folic Acid supplementation.
Intensified year-round Behaviour Change Communication Campaign (Solid Body, Smart Mind).
Appropriate infant and young child feeding practices.
Increase in intake of iron-rich food through diet diversity/quantity/frequency and/or fortified foods with focus on harnessing locally available resources.
Testing and treatment of anaemia, using digital methods and point of care treatment, with special focus on pregnant women and school-going adolescents
Mandatory provision of Iron and Folic Acid fortified foods in government-funded public health programmes

Way forward

India’s nutrition programmes must undergo a periodic review.
The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), which is perceived as the guardian of the nation’s nutritional well-being must reassess itself and address critical intervention gaps, both conceptually and programmatically, and produce rapid outcomes.
The nutritional deficit which ought to be considered an indicator of great concern is generally ignored by policymakers and experts. Unless this is addressed, rapid improvement in nutritional indicators cannot happen.

Conclusion

When a person is anaemic, the capacity of his blood cells to carry oxygen decreases. This reduces the productivity of the person which in turn affects the economy of the country. Therefore, it is highly important to cover Anaemia under National Health Mission.

Mains question

Q. “Every second adolescent girl has anaemia. Every second woman of reproductive age is anaemic”. In this context do you think Women’s empowerment will not have any meaning without tackling anaemia? Discuss.

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Intellectual Property Rights in India

Patents in India

op-ed snap | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Intellectual Property Rights

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: KAPILA scheme

Mains level: IPR regime

Context

Increasing the efficiency of processing patent applications and wider academia-industry collaboration are crucial steps for patent system.

What is patent system?

A patent system is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention.

Why are patents important?

A patent is important because it can help safeguard our invention. It can protect any product, design or process that meets certain specifications according to its originality, practicality, suitability, and utility. In most cases, a patent can protect an invention for up to 20 years.

How to get patent?

To get a patent, technical information about the invention must be disclosed to the public in a patent application.
The patent owner may give permission to, or license, other parties to use the invention on mutually agreed terms.
The owner may also sell the right to the invention to someone else, who will then become the new owner of the patent.
Once a patent expires, the protection ends, and an invention enters the public domain; that is, anyone can commercially exploit the invention without infringing the patent.

Terms of Patent

Patents may be granted for inventions in any field of technology, from an everyday kitchen utensil to a nanotechnology chip.
An invention can be a product – such as a chemical compound, or a process, for example – or a process for producing a specific chemical compound.
Patent protection is granted for a limited period, generally 20 years from the filing date of the application.
Patents are territorial rights. In general, the exclusive rights are only applicable in the country or region in which a patent has been filed and granted, in accordance with the law of that country or region.

How patents can support inventors and improve lives

Recognize and reward: Patents recognize and reward inventors for their commercially-successful inventions. As such they serve as an incentive for inventors to invent. With a patent, an inventor or small business knows there is a good chance that they will get a return on the time, effort and money they invested in developing a technology. In sum, it means they can earn a living from their work.
Economic opportunity: When a new technology comes onto the market, society as a whole stands to benefit – both directly, because it may enable us to do something that was previously not possible, and indirectly in terms of the economic opportunities (business development and employment) that can flow from it.
Research and development (R&D): The revenues generated from commercially successful patent-protected technologies make it possible to finance further technological research and development (R&D), thereby improving the chances of even better technology becoming available in the future.
Opportunities for business growth: A patent effectively turns an inventor’s know-how into a commercially tradeable asset, opening up opportunities for business growth and job creation through licensing and joint ventures, for example.
Commercialization of a technology: Holding a patent also makes a small business more attractive to investors who play a key role in enabling the commercialization of a technology.
Spark new ideas: The technical information and business intelligence generated by the patenting process can spark new ideas and promote new inventions from which we can all benefit and which may, in turn, qualify for patent protection.
No freebies: A patent can help stop unscrupulous third parties from free riding on the efforts of the inventor.

What is KAPILA Initiative?

Full form: KAPILA is an acronym for Kalam Program for IP (Intellectual Property) Literacy and Awareness.
Guidelines for patent Filing: Under this campaign, students pursuing education in higher educational institutions will get information about the correct system of the application process for patenting their invention and they will be aware of their rights.
Encouragement to students: The program will facilitate the colleges and institutions to encourage more and more students to file patents.

Thing to remember

Remember one thing, ‘KAPILA’ Program is related to IP awareness. It sounds much like an animal husbandry related initiative.

Way ahead

As the patent system is a critical aspect of the national innovation ecosystem, investing in the patent ecosystem will help in strengthening the innovation capability of India.
The right interventions should be made for the promotion of the quality of patent applications and collaboration between academia and industry.

Mains question

Q. A patent can help stop unscrupulous third parties from free riding on the efforts of the inventor. Discuss this statement in context of protection of innovative ecosystem in India.

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Modern Indian History-Events and Personalities

Who was Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker?

Prelims Only | | Mains Paper 1: Modern Indian History

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker

Mains level: NA

Arattupuzha

A recently-released Malayalam film Pathonpatham Noottandu (‘Nineteenth Century’) is based on the life of Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker, a social reformer from the Ezhava community in Kerala who lived in the 19th century.

Who was Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker?

Born into a well-off family of merchants in Kerala’s Alappuzha district, Panicker was one of the most influential figures in the reformation movement in the state.
He challenged the domination of upper castes or ‘Savarnas’ and brought about changes in the lives of both men and women.
The social reform movement in Kerala in the 19th century led to the large-scale subversion of the existing caste hierarchy and social order in the state.
Panicker was murdered by a group of upper-caste men in 1874 at the age of 49. This makes him the ‘first martyr’ of the Kerala renaissance.

What was Panicker’s role in initiating social reforms?

Panicker is credited with building two temples dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, in which members of all castes and religions were allowed entry.
One was built in his own village Arattupuzha in 1852, and one in Thanneermukkom in 1854, another village in the Alappuzha district.
Some of his most significant contributions were in protesting for the rights of women belonging to Kerala’s backward communities.
In 1858, he led the Achippudava Samaram strike at Kayamkulam in Alappuzha.
This strike aimed to earn women belonging to oppressed groups the right to wear a lower garment that extended beyond the knees.
In 1859, this was extended into the Ethappu Samaram, the struggle for the right to wear an upper body cloth by women belonging to backward castes.
In 1860, he led the Mukkuthi Samaram at Pandalam in the Pathanamthitta district, for the rights of lower-caste women to wear ‘mukkuthi’ or nose-ring, and other gold ornaments.
These struggles played an important role in challenging the social order and in raising the dignity of women belonging to the lower strata of society in public life.

Other work

Apart from issues related to women, Panicker also led the first-ever strike by agricultural labourers in Kerala, the Karshaka Thozhilali Samaram, which was successful.
He also established the first Kathakali Yogam for the Ezhava community in 1861, which led to a Kathakali performance by Ezhavas and other backward communities, another first for them.

Try this PYQ:

Q. The Shri Narayan Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP) Movement(1902-03) was related to which of the following community?

a) Mopilla Community

b) South Indian Tea Planters

c) Ezhava Community in Kerala

d) North Eastern Tea Planters

Post your answers here.

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Pharma Sector – Drug Pricing, NPPA, FDC, Generics, etc.

What is National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM)?

Prelims Only | Governance | Mains Paper 2: Health & Education

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Essential Medicines

Mains level: Not Much

The latest National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) released September 13, 2022 by the Union health ministry added 34 new medicines and dropped 26 old ones from the previous list.

What is NLEM?

As per the World Health Organisation (WHO), Essential Medicines are those that satisfy the priority health care needs of the population.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare hence prepared and released the first National List of Essential Medicines of India in 1996 consisting of 279 medicines.
The list is made with consideration to disease prevalence, efficacy, safety and comparative cost-effectiveness of the medicines.
Such medicines are intended to be available in adequate amounts, in appropriate dosage forms and strengths with assured quality.
They should be available in such a way that an individual or community can afford.

NLEM in India

Drugs listed under NLEM — also known as scheduled drugs — will be cheaper because the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) caps medicine prices and changes only based on wholesale price index-based inflation.
The list includes anti-infectives medicines to treat diabetes such as insulin — HIV, tuberculosis, cancer, contraceptives, hormonal medicines and anaesthetics.
They account for 17-18 per cent of the estimated Rs 1.6-trillion domestic pharmaceutical market.
Companies selling non-scheduled drugs can hike prices by up to 10 per cent every year.
Typically, once NLEM is released, the department of pharmaceuticals under the ministry of chemicals and fertilisers adds them in the Drug Price Control Order, after which NPPA fixes the price.

Significance of EML

Drawing an essential medicines list (EML) is expected to result in better quality of medical care, better management of medicines and cost-effective use of health care resources.
This is especially important for a resource limited country like India.
The list of essential medicines is intended to have a positive impact on the availability and rational use of medicines.

Also read

What is the NPPA’s role in fixing drug prices?

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Goods and Services Tax (GST)

GST Council

| Economics | Mains Paper 3: Indian Economy

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: GST Council

Mains level: Not Much

The Union Finance Minister has heaped praises on Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council.

Why in news?

FM was reacting to a case made by Fifteenth Finance Commission chief N.K. Singh to set up a Fiscal Council with the Centre and States.
This is another such recommended body to act as a bridge between the GST Council and the Finance Commission.

What is the GST Council?

The GST regime came into force after the 101^st Constitutional Amendment was passed by both Houses of Parliament in 2016.
The GST Council – a joint forum of the Centre and the states — was set up by the President as per Article 279A (1) of the amended Constitution.
The members of the Council include the Union Finance Minister (chairperson), the Union Minister of State (Finance) from the Centre.
Each state can nominate a minister in-charge of finance or taxation or any other minister as a member.

Why was the Council set up?

The Council, according to Article 279, is meant to “make recommendations to the Union and the states on important issues related to GST, like the goods and services that may be subjected or exempted from GST, model GST Laws”.
It also decides on various rate slabs of GST.
For instance, an interim report by a panel of ministers has suggested imposing 28 per cent GST on casinos, online gaming and horse racing.
A decision on this will be taken at the Council meeting.

Recent reforms

The ongoing meeting is the first since a decision of the Supreme Court in May this year, which stated recommendations of the GST Council are not binding.
The court said Article 246A of the Constitution gives both Parliament and state legislatures “simultaneous” power to legislate on GST .
Recommendations of the Council are the product of a collaborative dialogue involving the Union and States.
This was hailed by some states, such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu, who believe states can be more flexible in accepting the recommendations as suited to them.

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Fertilizer Sector reforms – NBS, bio-fertilizers, Neem coating, etc.

Scientists remain sceptical about how Liquid Nano Urea benefits crops

Prelims Only | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Awareness in various sc and tech fields

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Liquid Nano Urea (LNU)

Mains level: Not Much

Liquid Nano Urea, a fertilizer patented and sold by the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Ltd. (IFFCO), has been approved by the government for commercial use because of its potential to substantially reduce the import bill, but several experts have questioned the science underlying its efficacy.

What is Liquid Nano Urea (LNU)?

Urea is chemical nitrogen fertiliser, white in colour, which artificially provides nitrogen, a major nutrient required by plants.
LNU is essentially urea in the form of a nanoparticle.
It is sprayed directly on the leaves and gets absorbed by the plant.
Fertilisers in nano form provide a targeted supply of nutrients to crops, as they are absorbed by the stomata, pores found on the epidermis of leaves.
According to IFFCO, liquid nano urea contains 4 per cent total nitrogen (w/v) evenly dispersed in water.
The size of a nano nitrogen particle varies from 20-50 nm. (A nanometre is equal to a billionth of a metre.)

Using LNU

The liquid nano urea produced by IFFCO Limited comes in a half-litre bottle priced at Rs 240, and carries no burden of subsidy currently.
By contrast, a farmer pays around Rs 300 for a 50-kg bag of heavily subsidised urea.
According to IFFCO, a bottle of the nano urea can effectively replace at least one bag of urea.

How efficient is LNU?

While conventional urea has an efficiency of about 25 per cent, the efficiency of liquid nano urea can be as high as 85-90 per cent.
Conventional urea fails to have the desired impact on crops as it is often applied incorrectly, and the nitrogen in it is vaporized or lost as a gas.
A lot of nitrogen is also washed away during irrigation.
Liquid nano urea has a shelf life of a year, and farmers need not be worried about “caking” when it comes in contact with moisture.

Significance of LNU

This patented product is expected to not only substitute imported urea, but to also produce better results in farms.
Apart from reducing the country’s subsidy bill, it is aimed at reducing the unbalanced and indiscriminate use of conventional urea.
It will help increase crop productivity, and reduce soil, water, and air pollution.

Why in news now?

Plants need nitrogen to make protein and they source almost all of it from soil bacteria which live in a plant’s roots and have the ability to break down atmospheric nitrogen, or that from chemicals such as urea into a form usable by plants.
Chemically packaged urea is 46% nitrogen, which means a 45-kg sack contains about 20 kg of nitrogen.
Contrastingly, nano urea sold in 500-ml bottles has only 4% nitrogen (or around 20 g).
How this can compensate for the kilograms of nitrogen normally required puzzles scientists.

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LGBT Rights – Transgender Bill, Sec. 377, etc.

LGBTQ leap forward for positive future growth of human rights

op-ed snap | Governance | Mains Paper 2: Governance, Transparency & Accountability, Citizens Charters,Health & Education

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: various judgments

Mains level: human rights

Context

Four years after landmark LGBTQ verdict: The march to full citizenship.

Why in news?

On September 6, 2018, exactly four years ago, in Navtej Singh Johar and Ors v Union of India, a five-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court, in a beautifully elaborate decision, liberated LGBTQI Indians from the darkness of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.

What is LGBTQ?

LGBTQ is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.

What is Section 377 of the IPC?

It reads – Unnatural offences: Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
The terms “carnal intercourse” and “against the order of nature” are not defined precisely anywhere in the code.

Role played by the judiciary hitherto

The Delhi High Court’s verdict in Naz Foundation vs Government of NCT of Delhi (2009) was a landmark in the law of sexuality and equality jurisprudence in India.
The court held that Section 377 offended the guarantee of equality enshrined in Article 14 of the Constitution, because it creates an unreasonable classification and targets homosexuals as a class.
In a retrograde step, the Supreme Court, in Suresh Kumar Koushal vs Naz Foundation (2013), reinstated Section 377 to the IPC.
However, the Supreme Court in Navtej Singh Johar & Ors. vs Union of India (2018) declared that the application of Section 377 IPC to consensual homosexual behaviour was “unconstitutional”.
This Supreme Court judgment has been a great victory to the Indian individual in his quest for identity and dignity.
It also underscored the doctrine of progressive realisation of rights.

What’s next?

Overarching legislation is needed to guarantee equality to all persons on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, sex, caste, religion, age, disability, marital status, pregnancy, nationality, and other grounds.
The law should impose obligations of equality and non-discrimination on all persons, public and private, and in the areas of education, employment, healthcare, land and housing and access to public places.
It should provide for civil remedies to stop discriminatory behaviour, costs and damages, and positive action to make reparations.
We need an equality law to define what equality would encompass.
Supreme Court comes held in its privacy judgment in K.S. Puttuswamy v. Union of India (2017) that equality and liberty cannot be separated, and equality encompasses the inclusion of dignity and basic freedoms.

Way forward

Schools and colleges must effect changes in curricula for a better understanding of the community.
People of a different sexual orientation or gender identity often narrate harrowing tales of bullying, discrimination, stigma and ostracization.
Gender-neutral restrooms should be compulsory in educational institutes and other places.
Parents too need to be sensitised, because the first point of misunderstanding and abuse often begins at home, with teenagers being forced to opt for “conversion” therapies.

Conclusion

Justice Chandrachud, speaking on the fourth anniversary of Johar and the journey ahead, while quoting the Beatles classic “All you need is love”, notes that “simply love is not enough”. Rights are necessary. Which will enhance dignity of the community.

Mains question

Q. “Silent segregation” on the grounds of gender, sexual orientation preferences are followed in several houses. Elucidate in context of LGBTQ issues. What Legal remedies are needed for its victims?

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

Public health should be led by doctor alone

op-ed snap | Governance | Mains Paper 2: Health & Education

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: NA

Mains level: Health care sector reforms

Context

Doctor shortages are creating hurdles in health emergency response

What is the crux of the article in simple words?

Medical qualification and expertise is necessary to deliver quality health services by medical professionals unlike by general health care workers who lack competency.

What is public health?

Public health has been defined as “the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals”.

Why there is need of qualification?

Lack of training: Health workers have no training in public health; they are grassroots-level service providers. Asking them to be part of public health cadre trivialises the profession of public health.
Separate profession: It is important to understand that public health is a separate profession with a specific set of competencies.

What are 4 pillars of public health?

Academics: Academics refers to a good understanding of evidence generation and synthesis by having a good grounding in epidemiology and biostatistics. These competencies are also critical for monitoring and evaluating programmes, conducting surveillance, and interpreting data and routine reporting.
Activism: Public health is inherently linked to ‘social change’ and an element of activism is core to public health. Public health requires social mobilisation at the grassroots level by understanding community needs, community organisation, etc. This requires grounding in social and behavioural sciences.
Administration: Administration refers to administering health systems at different levels from a primary health centre to the district, State, and national level. This includes implementing and managing health programmes, addressing human resource issues, supply and logistical issues, etc. It includes microplanning of programme delivery, team building, leadership as well as financial management to some extent.
Advocacy: In public health, there is little that one can do at an individual level; there must be communication with key stakeholders to change the status quo at different levels of government. This requires clear enunciation of the need, analysis of alternative set of actions and the cost of implementation or non-implementation. Good communication and negotiation skills are critical to perform this function. The related subjects are health policy, health economics, health advocacy and global health.

What are the hurdles in absorbing others as public health professionals?

Lack of skill: Many doctors and other health professionals work at the grassroots level and develop a good sense of public health due to their inclination. But they do not become public health professionals as they may not have the necessary skills. Nevertheless, they are valuable.
Lack of critical expertise: Clinicians with training in epidemiology and biostatistics would not qualify to be public health professionals as they lack not only other essential and critical expertise but also an appropriate perspective.
Compromise on quality:

Current challenges faced by public healthcare in India

Deficiency: The doctor-patient ratio of 1:1655 in India as against WHO norm of 1:1000 clearly shows the deficit of MBBS. While the government is working towards a solution and targeting to reach the required ratio, there is a need to relook at the overall medical education.
Post pandemic scenario: The lag in formal medical education has come up evidently post-pandemic when the nation saw the medical fraternity struggling to fill the doctor deficit.
Limited government seats: The number of seats available for medical education in India is far less than the number of aspirants who leave school with the dream of becoming doctors.
Lack of skills: Though the institutes are managing to hire professors and lecturers, there is a lack of technical skills. Finding faculties in clinical and non-clinical disciplines is difficult and there are very few faculty development programs for upskilling the existing lot.
Lack of infrastructure: The gap in digital learning infrastructure is currently the biggest challenge the sector is facing. There is an urgent need to adopt technology and have resources available to facilitate e-learning.
Lack of research and innovation: The medical research and innovation needs an added push as there haven’t been many ground-breaking research here. The education system needs to focus more on increasing the quality of research. Additionally since industry academia partnership is not available, hence innovation also takes a back-seat.

Conclusion

By establishing new medical colleges, the government can increase student intake as well as enhance equitable access to public health as separate profession. This will attract the best and the brightest people into this discipline, which is very important for the nation’s health. This is one lesson that we should learn from the pandemic.

Mains question

Q. What do you understand by public health? Do you think it is a separate profession requiring a specific set of competencies? Examine.

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

Gyanvapi -Kashi Vishwanath Temple Complex Dispute

| Indian Society | Mains Paper 1: Communalism, Secularism, Regionalism

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: NA

Mains level: Religious places issues in India

gyanvapi

The Varanasi District and Sessions Court has rejected the plea of the organization which manages the Gyanvapi mosque complex, challenging the maintainability of the civil suits filed by some women seeking the right to worship Goddesses on the outer wall of the complex.

About Gyanvapi Mosque

The Gyanvapi Mosque was built in 1669 during the reign of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, who ordered the demolition of the existing Vishweshwar temple at the site, and its replacement by a mosque.
The plinth of the temple was left untouched, and served as the courtyard of the mosque.
One of the walls too was spared, and it became the qibla wall, the most important wall in a mosque that faces Mecca.
Material from the destroyed temple was used to build the mosque, evidence of which can be seen today.
The name of the mosque is said to have derived from an adjoining well, the Gyanvapi, or Well of Knowledge.
An old sculpture of the Nandi bull inside the compound of the present Kashi Vishwanath Temple faces the wall of the mosque instead of the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.
It is believed that Nandi is in fact, facing the sanctum sanctorum of the original Vishweshwar temple.

The temple to Lord Shiva

For more than 100 years after the mosque was built, there was no temple at the site.
The present Kashi Vishwanath Temple was built in the 18th century by Rani Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore, immediately to the south of the mosque.
Over the decades it emerged as one of the most prominent and revered centres of the Hindu religion.
Many Hindus have long believed that the original deity of the erstwhile Vishweshwar temple was hidden by the priests inside the Gyanvapi well during Aurangzeb’s raid.
This has fired the desire to conduct puja and rituals at the sacred place where the mosque now stands.

Longstanding claims

From time to time, petitioners have laid claim to the mosque, saying it remains the original sacred place of Hindu worship.
The Ayodhya movement also aimed to “liberate” the Kashi-Vishwanath Temple-Gyanvapi mosque site and the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura as well.

What laws restrict such acts?

The Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 — which mandates that the nature of all places of worship, except the one in Ayodhya that was then under litigation, shall be maintained as it was on August 15, 1947.
It maintains that no encroachment of any such place prior to the date can be challenged in courts — applies to the disputed complex in Varanasi.

What was the case before the Court?

The temple worshipers side had argued that the mosque was built on the site of an older temple, while the another side pleaded that the mosque was built on Wakf premises.
The plea also said that The Places of Worship Act of 1991 barred the changing of the character of the mosque.
The case was initially heard by the Civil Judge (Senior Division), Varanasi, but it was transferred by the Supreme Court to the District Judge on grounds of the “complexity of the issues involved in the civil suit”.
The Supreme Court said it would wait for the district court’s decision on the mosque committee’s application before intervening in the matter.

Issue in Limelight

In April 2021, Fast Track Court Civil Judge ordered the Archaeological Survey of India to get a comprehensive archaeological physical survey” done of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple-Gyanvapi Mosque complex.
It was tasked to find out as to whether the religious structure standing at present at the disputed site is a superimposition, alteration or addition or there is a structural overlapping of any kind, with or over, any religious structure.
The mosque is not an ASI-protected site, and the ASI has no role in its maintenance or upkeep.

What are the people seeking now?

Worshippers find the cut-off date of August 15, 1947, is “arbitrary, irrational and retrospective” and prohibits Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, and Sikhs from approaching courts to “reclaim” their places of worship.
Such places, they argue, were “invaded” and “encroached” upon by “fundamentalist barbaric invaders”.
Certain groups have opposed the law even when it was introduced, arguing that the Centre has no power to legislate on “pilgrimages” or “burial grounds” which are under the state list.

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Roads, Highways, Cargo, Air-Cargo and Logistics infrastructure – Bharatmala, LEEP, SetuBharatam, etc.

GPS-based toll system to replace FASTag

Prelims Only | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways Etc.

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: FASTags, GPS

Mains level: Read the attached story

The government plans to start a GPS-based toll system in place of FASTag to ensure seamless payment and vehicle movement on national highways.

Why in news?

The move would end the role of toll plazas across the country.

How will a GPS-based tolling system work?

Vehicles will be fitted with an electronic device that can track their movement.
Highways will be geo-fenced, creating virtual boundaries. The system will use GPS or radio frequency identification technologies.
The software will recognize when a mobile device enters or leaves a particular area, and toll will be charged based on the distance travelled at the highway’s exit point.
As the system is based on sensors, there will be no need to stop at toll plazas.
Vehicles and users must be registered with the GPS toll system, linked to bank accounts that will be used to transfer toll payments.

What are FASTags?

FASTags are stickers that are affixed to the windscreen of vehicles and use Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to enable digital, contactless payment of tolls without having to stop at toll gates.
RFID uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags attached to objects.
The tags are linked to bank accounts and other payment methods.
As a car crosses a toll plaza, the amount is automatically deducted, and a notification is sent to the registered mobile phone number.

Issues with FASTags

Since the card is affixed to the windscreen, it can be easily misplaced, damaged or stolen.
The existing FASTag system, though faster than cash payments, still requires vehicles to stop at toll booths to enable reading of tags.
Also, the vehicle must wait till the gate is opened.
It has been observed that sometimes the toll fee is deducted twice from user account. Mostly, this happens due to a technical glitch.
Some card readers take longer time to read and register. Hence the purpose of saving time is itself defied.
Still, the wait time at toll booths is much more than the 30 seconds that was promised earlier.
Also, it has not helped reduce the number of toll booths.

Hence the benefits of using FASTag far outweigh the challenges.

Is FASTags a total failure?

Usage has increased since FASTag was made mandatory in 2021 after its launch in 2015.
Penetration has grown from nearly 16% in FY18 to 96.3% in FY22.
Total toll collection in FY18 was ₹21,948 crore, including ₹3,532 crore collected through FASTags.
In FY22, toll collection through FASTags increased sharply to ₹33,274 crore out of total toll collection of ₹34,535 crore.

How will GPS benefit highway users?

GPS tolling uses satellite-based navigation and requires no halting.
Also, vehicles can be charged only for their actual travel on a highway stretch.
Currently, toll is paid at toll booths which is fixed between two points of tolling and a user does not get any concession even if he/she exits before completing the full run between two toll plazas.
The new system should reduce the toll amount charged for travel on highways.

What is the progress so far on GPS tolling?

The Union road ministry has amended the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008, allowing for the collection of toll based on distance travelled on national highways.
This will facilitate the introduction of GPS tolling.
First trials may be done on the under-construction Mumbai-Delhi expressway which will be geo-fenced.
Also the cost of GPS devices needs to be considered at very beginning.

Way forward

The system needs a proper legislative framework, and a full launch is still years away. The government intends to introduce it in phases.
The road ministry is expected to amend the Motor Vehicles Act and create rules to facilitate GPS tolling as well as to penalize offenders.
Moreover, GPS will come with its own set of complications on calculating differential tolls.
Regulations and framework for these need to be developed first.

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Uniform Civil Code: Triple Talaq debate, Polygamy issue, etc.

Uniform Civil Code

| Polity | Mains Paper 1: Communalism, Secularism, Regionalism

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: UCC

Mains level: Need for UCC

uniform civil code

The expert committee formed by the Uttarakhand government to examine ways for the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) has launched a website, seeking public opinion on the plan.

What is a Uniform Civil Code?

A Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is one that would provide for one personal civil law for the entire country.
This would be applicable to all religious communities in their personal matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption etc.

Basis for Uniform Civil Code

Article 44, one of the Directive Principles of the Constitution lays down that the state shall endeavour to secure a UCC for the citizens throughout the territory of India.
These, as defined in Article 37, are not justiciable (not enforceable by any court) but the principles laid down therein are fundamental in governance.

Personal Laws And Uniform Civil Code: Timeline

# British period
During the British Raj, Personal laws were first framed mainly for Hindu and Muslims citizens.

# Start of 20th Century
In the beginning of the twentieth century, the demand for a uniform civil code was first put forward by the women activists. The objective behind this demand was the women’s rights, equality and secularism.

# 1940 – The Idea of Uniform Civil Code is born
The idea of Uniform Civil Code was tabled by the National Planning Commission (NPC) appointed by the Congress. There was a subcommittee who was to examine women’s status and recommends reforms of personal law for gender equality.

# 1947 – Question of UCC as a Fundamental Right
UCC was sought to be enshrined in the Constitution of India as a fundamental right by Minoo Masani, Hansa Mehta, Amrit Kaur and Dr. B.R Ambedkar.

# 1948 – Constitution Assembly debated UCC
Article 44 of the Indian Constitution i.e. Directive Principles of State Policy sets implementation of uniform civil laws which is the duty of the state under Part IV.

# 1950 – Reformist Bill passed
Reformist bills were passed which gave the Hindu women the right to divorce and inherit property. Bigamy and child marriages are outlawed. Such reforms were resisted by Dr. Rajendra Prasad.

# 1951 – Dr. Ambedkar Resigns
Dr. Ambedkar resigned from the cabinet in 1951 when his draft of the Hindu Code Bill was stalled by the Parliament.

# 1985 – Shah Bano Case
In this case, a divorced Muslim woman was brought within the ambit of Section 125 of Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 by the Supreme Court in which it was declared by the Apex court that she was entitled for maintenance even after the completion ofiddatperiod.

# 1995- Sarla Mudgal v. Union of India
In this case, Justice Kuldip Singh reiterated the need for the Parliament to frame a Uniform Civil Code, which would help the cause of national integration by removing contradictions based on ideologies. Therefore, the responsibility entrusted on the State under Article 44 of the Constitution whereby a Uniform Civil Code must be secured has been urged by the Supreme Court repeatedly as a matter of urgency.

# 2000 – Supreme Court advocates UCC
The case of Lily Thomas v. Union of India (2000),where the Supreme Court said it could not direct the centre to introduce a UCC.

# 2015 – The Debate lives through
The apex court refused to direct the government to take a decision on having a UCC.

# 2016 – Triple Talaq Debate
When PM asked the Law Commission to examine the issue.

# 2017 – Ruling of the Triple Talaq case
Triple Talaq (Talaq -e- biddat) was declared unconstitutional on August 22, 2017.

UCC vs. Right to Freedom of Religion

Article 25 lays down an individual’s fundamental right to religion
Article 26(b) upholds the right of each religious denomination or any section thereof to “manage its own affairs in matters of religion”
Article 29 defines the right to conserve distinctive culture

Reasonable restrictions on the Freedom of Religion

An individual’s freedom of religion under Article 25 is subject to “public order, health, morality” and other provisions relating to FRs, but a group’s freedom under Article 26 has not been subjected to other FRs.
In the Constituent Assembly, there was division on the issue of putting UCC in the fundamental rights chapter. The matter was settled by a vote.
By a 5:4 majority, the fundamental rights sub-committee headed by Sardar Patel held that the provision was outside the scope of FRs and therefore the UCC was made less important.

Minority Opinion in the Constituent Assembly

Some members sought to immunize Muslim Personal Law from state regulation.
Mohammed Ismail, who thrice tried unsuccessfully to get Muslim Personal Law exempted from Article 44, said a secular state should not interfere with the personal law of people.
B Pocker Saheb said he had received representations against a common civil code from various organisations, including Hindu organisations.
Hussain Imam questioned whether there could ever be uniformity of personal laws in a diverse country like India.
B R Ambedkar said “no government can use its provisions in a way that would force the Muslims to revolt”.
Alladi Krishnaswami, who was in favour of a UCC, conceded that it would be unwise to enact UCC ignoring strong opposition from any community.
Gender justice was never discussed in these debates.

Enacting and Enforcing UCC

Fundamental rights are enforceable in a court of law.
While Article 44 uses the words “state shall endeavour”, other Articles in the ‘Directive Principles’ chapter use words such as “in particular strive”; “shall in particular direct its policy”; “shall be obligation of the state” etc.
Article 43 mentions “state shall endeavour by suitable legislation” while the phrase “by suitable legislation” is absent in Article 44.
All this implies that the duty of the state is greater in other directive principles than in Article 44.

What are more important — fundamental rights or directive principles?

There is no doubt that fundamental rights are more important.
The Supreme Court held in Minerva Mills (1980): Indian Constitution is founded on the bed-rock of the balance between Parts III (Fundamental Rights) and IV (Directive Principles).
To give absolute primacy to one over the other is to disturb the harmony of the Constitution.
Article 31C inserted by the 42nd Amendment in 1976, however, lays down that if a law is made to implement any directive principle, it cannot be challenged on the ground of being violative of the FRs under Articles 14 and 19.

What about Personal Laws?

Citizens belonging to different religions and denominations follow different property and matrimonial laws which are an affront to the nation’s unity.
If the framers of the Constitution had intended to have a UCC, they would have given exclusive jurisdiction to Parliament in respect of personal laws, by including this subject in the Union List.
“Personal Laws” are mentioned in the Concurrent List.

Various customary laws

All Hindus of the country are not governed by one law, nor are all Muslims or all Christians.
Muslims of Kashmir were governed by a customary law, which in many ways was at variance with Muslim Personal Law in the rest of the country and was, in fact, closer to Hindu law.
Even on the registration of marriage among Muslims, laws differ from place to place.
In the Northeast, there are more than 200 tribes with their own varied customary laws.
The Constitution itself protects local customs in Nagaland. Similar protections are enjoyed by Meghalaya and Mizoram.
Even reformed Hindu law, in spite of codification, protects customary practices.

Why need UCC?

UCC would provide equal status to all citizens
It would promote gender parity in Indian society.
UCC would accommodate the aspirations of the young population who imbibe liberal ideology.
Its implementation would thus support the national integration.

Hurdles to UCC implementation

There are practical difficulties due to religious and cultural diversity in India.
The UCC is often perceived by minorities as an encroachment of religious freedom.
It is often regarded as interference of the state in personal matters of the minorities.
Experts often argue that the time is not ripe for Indian society to embrace such UCC.

These questions need to be addressed which are being completely ignored in the present din around UCC.

Firstly, how can uniformity in personal laws are brought without disturbing the distinct essence of each and every component of the society.
Secondly, what makes us believe that practices of one community are backward and unjust?
Thirdly, has other uniformities been able to eradicate inequalities that diminish the status of our society as a whole?

Way forward

It should be the duty of the religious intelligentia to educate the community about its rights and obligations based on modern liberal interpretations.
A good environment for the UCC must be prepared by the government by explaining the contents and significance of Article 44 taking all into confidence.
Social reforms are not overnight but gradual phenomena. They are often vulnerable to media evils such as fake news and disinformation.
Social harmony and the cultural fabric of our nation must be the priority.

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Economic Indicators and Various Reports On It- GDP, FD, EODB, WIR etc

IIP gives us true health of our economy

op-ed snap | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Effects Of Liberalization On The Economy, Changes In Industrial Policy and their effects on Industrial Growth

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: particulars of IIP

Mains level: economic indicator

Context

India’s statistics ministry generates only one high-frequency gauge of economic activity. And that lone barometer, the index of industrial production (IIP), is completely broken.

What is IIP?

The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) is an index that indicates the performance of various industrial sectors of the Indian economy. It is a composite indicator of the general level of industrial activity in the economy.

How is IIP calculated?

IIP is calculated as the weighted average of production relatives of all the industrial activities. In the mathematical calculation Laspeyre’s fixed base formula is used.

What are the Core Industries in India?

The main or the key industries constitute the core sectors of an economy.
In India, there are eight sectors that are considered the core sectors.
They are electricity, steel, refinery products, crude oil, coal, cement, natural gas and fertilizers.

Which has highest weightage in IIP?

The eight core sector industries in decreasing order of their weightage: Refinery Products> Electricity> Steel> Coal> Crude Oil> Natural Gas> Cement> Fertilizers.

Why is IIP important?

IIP is the only measure on the physical volume of production. It is used by government agencies including the Ministry of Finance, the Reserve Bank of India, etc. for policy-making purposes. IIP remains extremely relevant for the calculation of the quarterly and advance GDP estimates.

Who releases IIP data?

The IIP data is compiled and published by CSO every month.
CSO or Central Statistical Organisation operates under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
The IIP index data, once released, is also available on the PIB website.

How useful are monthly IIP figures to draw a conclusion about India’s growth?

IIP figures are monthly data and as such it keeps going up and down.
In fact, the release calls them “quick estimates” because they tend to get revised after a month or two.

IIP Index Components

Mining, manufacturing, and electricity are the three broad sectors in which IIP constituents fall.
The relative weights of these three sectors are 77.6% (manufacturing), 14.4% (mining) and 8% (electricity).
Electricity, crude oil, coal, cement, steel, refinery products, natural gas, and fertilizers are the eight core industries that comprise about 40 per cent of the weight of items included in the IIP.

Basket of products

Primary Goods (consisting of mining, electricity, fuels and fertilisers)
Capital Goods (e.g. machinery items)
Intermediate Goods (e.g. yarns, chemicals, semi-finished steel items, etc)
Infrastructure Goods (e.g. paints, cement, cables, bricks and tiles, rail materials, etc)
Consumer Durables (e.g. garments, telephones, passenger vehicles, etc)
Consumer Non-durables (e.g. food items, medicines, toiletries, etc)

IIP base year change

The base year was changed to 2011-12 from 2004-05 in the year 2017.

Way ahead

IIP remains extremely relevant for the calculation of the quarterly and advance GDP (Gross Domestic Product) estimates.

Mains question

Q. What do you understand by IIP? How it helps us to understand economic health?

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G20 : Economic Cooperation ahead

G20 summit will open pandora of opportunities

op-ed snap | International Relations | Mains Paper 2: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and agreements involving India

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: members of G20

Mains level: opportunities for India

Context

India is going to be at the centre stage of geopolitical spectrum as India will be hosting G20 summit presidency from December 2022. As Harsh V. Shringla, India’s chief G20 coordinator and former Foreign Secretary, (Amitabh kant is G20 Sherpa of India) recently said, “Our G20 Presidency would place India on the global stage, and provide an opportunity for India to place its priorities and narratives on the global agenda.”

What is G20 (Group of Twenty)?

Composed of most of the world’s largest economies: 19 countries plus European Union, including both industrialized and developing nations. Together, its members represent more than 80% of the world’s GDP, 75% of international trade and 60% of the world’s population.
Role: To address major issues related to the global economy such as international financial stability, climate change mitigation, and sustainable development.
It is an Intergovernmental forum.
Strategic role: The G20 holds a strategic role in securing global economic growth and prosperity.

India and the presidency of G20 summit

In November this year, the 17th G20 Heads of State and Government Summit will take place in Bali.
After Indonesia, India will assume the presidency of the G20 from December 1, 2022 to November 30, 2023.
By hosting the summit of the G20, India will have the opportunity to assume centre stage in proposing and setting the global agenda and discourse.
India can assert its political, economic and intellectual leadership while hosting the G20 presidency.
Further it Provides India an opportunity to also champion the causes of developing and least developed countries.
India could invite and engage countries from Africa and South America to ensure better and more balanced representation at the G20.

Challenges before India:

Global

World affected by the pandemic: Uneven vaccine availability has been flagged by many countries. Vaccine issue upset some countries.
Ukraine conflict: According to external affairs ministers Dr.S.Jaishankar due to Ukraine conflict world is divided and this poses the challenge for India to bring rival camp on same stage
Climate change: Divergent view of developed and developing countries on climate change can be the bone of contention between west and the rest.
The rise of an assertive China: To maintain the delicate balance between NATO, G7 on the on hand while Russia and china on the other (as India is part of both QUAD and SCO).

Domestic

Economic challenges: Such as stagflation, unemployment, exchange rate, declining prospects for exports and rising trade deficit.
Terrorism: Cross border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.

Indonesia has focused on three key pillars in its presidency of G20 presidency:

Global health architecture: president of Indonesia Joko Widodo talked about a global contingency fund for medical supplies, building capacity in developing countries to manufacture vaccines and the creation of global health protocols and standards.
Sustainable energy transition: as part of its roadmap to reach net zero by 2060, Indonesia had slashed the coverage area of forest fires sevenfold. The country has restored peatlands and rehabilitated 50,000 hectares of mangrove forests.
Digital transformation

What India can address?

Issues of global concern: Terrorism, climate change, stagflation etc.
Domestic and regional: economic recovery, trade and investment, unemployment, patent waivers on diagnostics, therapeutics, vaccines etc.
Greater co-operation and co-ordination: free trade agreements, supply chain resilience mechanism, stressing on green and digital transformations in the economy and its impact on societal well-being.
Other important Areas :such as technology transfer, assistance towards green economy, greater access to trade for developing countries, addressing debt distress of countries by offering sustainable aid and loan programmes, tackling food and energy prices/security for vulnerable economies etc.

Why G20 summit presidency is an opportunity for India?

India exchange the G20 presidency with Indonesia and chose 2023 instead of 2022 to host the G20 countries.
India wanted to showcase its prowess in its 75^th year of independence as cornerstone of new emerging world order. As India is part of Quad and SCO BRICS -the warring factions at world stage, it’s an opportunity in crisis to become the bridge of the divided world.
India is hosting the summit in Kashmir. World media will be in the Kashmir. In the direct message to world India will again assert that Kashmir is an integral part of India.

Way ahead

As India will be hosting G20 and SCO summits, India will be central in outlining key priority areas. India can assert its political, economic and intellectual leadership which will have to address issues that help in cement the Fault-line in the world order.
India’s leadership could define the coming years and decades of global discourse and avenues of cooperation.

Other related Information

SCO (Shanghai Co-operation Organization):

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a Eurasian political, economic and security organization. It is the world’s largest regional organization, 40% of the world population, and more than 30% of global GDP.
Members: The Shanghai Five group was created on 26 April 1996; China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan.

QUAD:

Known as the ‘Quadrilateral Security Dialogue’ (QSD), the Quad is an informal strategic forum comprising four nations, namely – United States of America (USA), India, Australia and Japan.
One of the primary objectives of the Quad is to work for a free, open, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.

G7:

The Group of Seven (G7) is an inter-governmental political forum consisting of Canada, France Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. In addition, the European Union is a ‘non-enumerated member.

Mains Question

Q. India can take advantage of G20 for its economic growth and security architecture. Discuss.

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Wildlife Conservation Efforts

Cheetah reintroduction

op-ed snap | Enviro & Biodiversity | Mains Paper 3: Conservation, Environmental Pollution & Degradation, Eia

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: NA

Mains level: environment conservation

Context

This is the world’s first intercontinental translocation of a carnivore. It is even more unique because this is the first time cheetahs has reintroduced in an unfenced protected area (PA).
The Government is preparing to translocate the first batch from South Africa and Namibia to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.

About Asiatic Cheetah

Feature: Cheetah, the world’s fastest land animal was declared extinct in India in 1952.
Status: The Asiatic cheetah is classified as a “critically endangered” species by the IUCN Red List, and is believed to survive only in Iran.
Reintroduction: It was expected to be re-introduced into the country after the Supreme Court lifted curbs for its re-introduction.
Extinction: From 400 in the 1990s, their numbers are estimated to have reached to 50-70 today, because of poaching, hunting of their main prey (gazelles) and encroachment on their habitat.

What caused the extinction of cheetahs in India?

Reduced fecundity and high infant mortality in the wild
Inability to breed in captivity
Sport hunting
Bounty killings

Why reintroduce Cheetahs?

Climate Change Mitigation: It will enhance India’s capacity to sequester carbon through ecosystem restoration activities in cheetah conservation areas and thereby contribute towards the global climate change mitigation goals.
Reintroductions of large carnivores have increasingly been recognized as a strategy to conserve threatened species and restore ecosystem functions.
The cheetah is the only large carnivore that has been extirpated, mainly by over-hunting in India in historical times.
India now has the economic ability to consider restoring its lost natural heritage for ethical as well as ecological reasons.

Why was Kuno National Park chosen for Cheetah Reintroduction?

Both Cheetah and Asiatic Lions share the same habitats semi-arid grasslands and forests that stretch across Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh.
The rainfall, temperature, and altitude in the Sheopur district, where Kuno is situated, are equivalent to those of South Africa and Namibia.
In addition, Kuno contains a diverse population of prey species, including peafowl, wild pigs, gazelle, langurs, chital, sambhar, and nilgai.

What are the Other Recent Initiatives for Wildlife Conservation in India?

Legal Framework:

Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
Environment Protection Act, 1986
The Biological Diversity Act, 2002

India’s Collaboration with Global Wildlife Conservation Efforts:

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS)
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
Global Tiger Forum (GTF)

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Citizenship and Related Issues

Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019

| Polity | Mains Paper 2: Indian Constitution - historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: CAA

Mains level: Read the attached story

A three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) U U Lalit will hear the challenge to the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

What is Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019?

The act is sought to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955 to make Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, and Christian illegal migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, eligible for citizenship of India.
In other words, it intends to make it easier for non-Muslim immigrants from India’s three Muslim-majority neighbours to become citizens of India.
Under The Citizenship Act, 1955, one of the requirements for citizenship by naturalization is that the applicant must have resided in India during the last 12 months, as well as for 11 of the previous 14 years.
The amendment relaxes the second requirement from 11 years to 6 years as a specific condition for applicants belonging to these six religions, and the aforementioned three countries.
It exempts the members of the six communities from any criminal case under the Foreigners Act, 1946 and the Passport Act, 1920 if they entered India before December 31, 2014.

Key feature: Defining illegal migrants

Illegal migrants cannot become Indian citizens in accordance with the present laws.
Under the CAA, an illegal migrant is a foreigner who: (i) enters the country without valid travel documents like a passport and visa, or (ii) enters with valid documents, but stays beyond the permitted time period.
Illegal migrants may be put in jail or deported under the Foreigners Act, 1946 and The Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920.

Exceptions

The Bill provides that illegal migrants who fulfil four conditions will not be treated as illegal migrants under the Act. The conditions are:

they are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis or Christians;
they are from Afghanistan, Bangladesh or Pakistan;
they entered India on or before December 31, 2014;
they are not in certain tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, or Tripura included in the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution, or areas under the “Inner Line” permit, i.e., Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, and Nagaland.

Controversy with the Act

Country of Origin: The Act classifies migrants based on their country of origin to include only Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Other religious minorities ignored: It is unclear why illegal migrants from only six specified religious minorities have been included in the Act.
Defiance of purpose: India shares a border with Myanmar, which has had a history of persecution of a religious minority, the Rohingya Muslims.
Date of Entry: It is also unclear why there is a differential treatment of migrants based on their date of entry into India, i.e., whether they entered India before or after December 31, 2014.
Against the spirit of Secularism: Further, granting citizenship on the grounds of religion is seen to be against the secular nature of the Constitution which has been recognised as part of the basic structure that cannot be altered by Parliament.

Basis of challenging in Supreme Court

The challenge rests primarily on the grounds that the law violates Article 14 of the Constitution that guarantees that no person shall be denied the right to equality before law or the equal protection of law in the territory of India.

The Supreme Court has developed a two-pronged test to examine a law on the grounds of Article 14.

First, any differentiation between groups of persons must be founded on “intelligible differentia”
Second, that differentia must have a rational nexus to the object sought to be achieved by the Act

Simply put, for a law to satisfy the conditions under Article 14, it has to first create a “reasonable class” of subjects that it seeks to govern under the law.
Even if the classification is reasonable, any person who falls in that category has to be treated alike.

What happens next?

The listing of the CAA challenge indicates that the hearing will be fast-tracked.
The court will have to ensure that all pleadings, written submissions are filed and served to the opposite party before it is listed for final hearing.
Some petitioners could also seek a referral to a larger Constitution Bench.
However, the challenge is to a statute and does not directly involve interpretation of the Constitution.
These issues are also likely to be debated before the court allots time for the final hearing.

Way forward

India is a constitutional democracy with a basic structure that assures a secure and spacious home for all Indians.
Being partitioned on religious grounds, India has to undertake a balancing act for protecting the religious minorities in its neighbourhood.
These minorities are under constant threat of persecution and vandalism.
India needs to balance its civilization duties to protect those who are prosecuted in the neighbourhood.

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Climate Change Impact on India and World – International Reports, Key Observations, etc.

Why Cloudbursts forecast in India still remains elusive?

| Enviro & Biodiversity | Mains Paper 1: Important Geophysical Phenomena

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Cloudburst

Mains level: Flash floods and cloudbursts

cloudbursts

The characteristics of cloud burst events remain elusive, and our efforts in monitoring and forecasting them is at an embryonic stage.

Cyclones can be predicted about one week in advance. However, cloudburst forecasts still remain elusive.

What is Cloudbursts?

A cloudburst is a localised but intense rainfall activity.
Short spells of very heavy rainfall over a small geographical area can cause widespread destruction, especially in hilly regions where this phenomenon is the most common.
Not all instances of very heavy rainfall, however, are cloudbursts.
A cloudburst has a very specific definition: Rainfall of 10 cm or more in an hour over a roughly 10 km x 10-km area is classified as a cloudburst event.
By this definition, 5 cm of rainfall in a half-hour period over the same area would also be categorized as a cloudburst.

Which clouds do burst?

Cloudburst events are often associated with cumulonimbus clouds that cause thunderstorms and occasionally due to monsoon wind surges and other weather phenomena.
Cumulonimbus clouds can grow up to 12-15 km in height through the entire troposphere (occasionally up to 21 km) and can hold huge amounts of water.
Tall cumulonimbus clouds can develop in about half an hour as the moisture updraft happens rapidly, at a pace of 60 to 120 km/hr.
A single-cell cloud may last for an hour and dump all the rain in the last 20 to 30 minutes, while some of these clouds merge to form multi-cell storms and last for several hours.
However, cloudbursts are not defined based on cloud characteristics and do not indicate clouds exploding. Cloudbursts are defined by the amount of rainfall.

How is it different from normal rainfall?

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), 100 mm of rain in an hour is called a cloudburst.
Usually, cloudbursts occur over a small geographical region of 20 to 30 sq. km.

When do they occur?

In India, cloudbursts often occur during the monsoon season, when the southwesterly monsoon winds bring in copious amounts of moisture inland.
The moist air that converges over land gets lifted as they encounter the hills.
The moist air reaches an altitude and gets saturated, and the water starts condensing out of the air forming clouds.
This is how clouds usually form, but such an orographic lifting together with a strong moisture convergence can lead to intense cumulonimbus clouds taking in huge volumes of moisture that is dumped during cloudbursts.

How common are cloudbursts?

Cloudbursts are not uncommon events, particularly during the monsoon months.
Most of these happen in the Himalayan states where the local topology, wind systems, and temperature gradients between the lower and upper atmosphere facilitate the occurrence of such events.
However, not every event that is described as a cloudburst is actually, by definition, a cloudburst.
That is because these events are highly localized.
They take place in very small areas which are often devoid of rainfall measuring instruments.

Climate change and cloudbursts: How are they related?

Climate change is projected to increase the frequency and intensity of cloudbursts worldwide.
As the air gets warmer, it can hold more moisture and for a longer time. We call this the Clausius Clapeyron relationship.
A 1-degree Celsius rise in temperature may correspond to a 7-10% increase in moisture and rainfall.
This increase in rainfall amount does not get spread moderately throughout the season.
As the moisture holding capacity of air increases, it results in prolonged dry periods intermittent with short spells of extreme rains.
Deeper cumulonimbus clouds will form and the chances of cloudbursts also increase.

Why are they so destructive?

The consequences of these events, however, are not confined to small areas.
Because of the nature of terrain, the heavy rainfall events often trigger landslides and flash floods, causing extensive destruction downstream.
This is the reason why every sudden downpour that leads to destruction of life and property in the hilly areas gets described as a “cloudburst”, irrespective of whether the amount of rainfall meets the defining criteria.
At the same time, it is also possible that actual cloudburst events in remote locations aren’t recorded.

Detecting cloudbursts

Satellites are extensively useful in detecting large-scale monsoon weather systems.
However the resolution of the precipitation radars of these satellites can be much smaller than the area of individual cloudburst events, and hence they go undetected.
Weather forecast models also face a similar challenge in simulating the clouds at a high resolution.
The skillful forecasting of rainfall in hilly regions remains challenging due to the uncertainties in the interaction between the moisture convergence and the hilly terrain.
There also involves the cloud microphysics, and the heating-cooling mechanisms at different atmospheric levels.
Multiple radars can be a quick measure for providing warnings, but radars are an expensive affair, and installing them across the country may not be practically feasible.

Solutions to cloudbursts forecast

Multiple doppler weather radars can be used to monitor moving cloud droplets and help to provide nowcasts (forecasts for the next three hours).
A long-term measure would be mapping the cloudburst-prone regions using automatic rain gauges.
If cloudburst-prone regions are co-located with landslide-prone regions, these locations can be designated as hazardous.

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Tourism Sector

Sustainable Tourism in India

op-ed snap | Economics | Mains Paper 2: Ministries & Departments Of The Government

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: NA

Mains level: tourism as economic driver

Context

Ministry of Tourism identified Tourism Industry’s potential as a Sunrise Industry.
There is a need for tourism analysts to hold tourism planners accountable.

What is tourism?

Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours.

Types of tourism

Domestic tourism: Refers to activities of a visitor within their country of residence and outside of their home (e.g. a Indian visiting other parts of India)
Inbound tourism: Refers to the activities of a visitor from outside of country of residence (e.g. a Spaniard visiting Britain).
Outbound tourism: Refers to the activities of a resident visitor outside of their country of residence (e.g. an Indian visiting an overseas country).

What does sustainable tourism mean?

Sustainable tourism is defined by the UN Environment Program and UN World Tourism Organization as “tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities.”

What is the main importance of tourism?

Tourism boosts the revenue of the economy, creates thousands of jobs, develops the infrastructures of a country, and plants a sense of cultural exchange between foreigners and citizens.

Why tourism is needed?

Tourism is not a fad. It is a compulsion driven by the urge to discover new places. Because we have this compulsion to venture into the unknown, we need each other. When humans travel, meet and exchange ideas, civilisation flourishes.

What should be done to promote tourism?

National Tourism Authority: A separate National Tourism Authority (NTA) should be established for executing and operationalizing various tourism related initiatives. Simple, flexible and elegant processes will be laid down to allow for nimbleness.
National Tourism Advisory Board: A National Tourism Advisory Board (NTAB) should be set up to provide overall vision, guidance and direction to the Development of Tourism Sector in the country.
Creating Synergy in Tourism Eco System: In order to ensure synergy at various levels of Government and with the Private Sector, it is important to have a well-defined framework in place.
Quality Tourism Framework: A robust framework for quality certification of products and services across all segments like accommodation providers, tour operators, adventure tour operators, service providers like spa and wellness, guides, restaurants etc. should be laid down.
Enhancing the existing luxury tourism products: The existing tourism products such as Nilgiri Mountain Railway, Palace on Wheels etc. should be enhanced and their numbers will also be increased. Haulage charges will be rationalised to make luxury trains viable.
Railways can be a game changer: For tourism Railways have presence in most parts of the country. Most of the tourist destinations in the country are connected by rail. Railways is also in the process of connecting more places especially the strategic locations that also are tourist places with limited connectivity at present. Indian Railways is working towards promoting tourism in the country by operating more trains connecting tourists’ destinations and also by providing an array of products starting from luxury tourist trains to budget catering tourist trains

What is MICE tourism of Gujarat?

The acronym “MICE” stands for “Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions”, and is essentially a version of business tourism that draws domestic and international tourists to a destination.
The policy aims to make Gujarat one of the top five MICE tourism destinations in the country.

Way forward

Enhance the contribution of tourism in Indian economy by increasing the visitation, stay and spend
Create jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities in tourism sector and ensure supply of skilled work force
Enhance the competitiveness of tourism sector and attract private sector investment
Preserve and enhance the cultural and natural resources of the country
To ensure sustainable, responsible and inclusive development of tourism in the country

Conclusion

We know that India has the highest tourism potential of any country. That is because we have every terrain and climate zone, and a range of customs, traditions, cuisines, crafts, art forms and festivals unmatched by any other nation. We should monetize our potential through putting comprehensive National tourism policy in place.

Mains question

Q. What should be done to transform our tourist destinations to provide world class visitor experience making India one of the topmost destinations for sustainable and responsible tourism?

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J&K – The issues around the state

Kashmiri pandits

op-ed snap | Indian Society | Mains Paper 1: Communalism, Secularism, Regionalism

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: NA

Mains level: national integration

Context

Recent events of targeted killings of Kashmiri pandits and other Hindus by the militants in the valley lead to the protests which once again brought forward the question of their right to return and the safety of minorities living in the valley

Who are the Kashmiri pandits?

The Kashmiri Pandits are one of the highest ranked Brahman castes who are the natives of the valley, locally known as pundits.
They were the minority in the valley comprising only 5% of the total population.
Traditionally dependent on agriculture and small-scale business and one of the favored sections in the administration.

What is the conflict?

Radical Islamists and militants started targeting the Kashmiri pundits putting in front the option of either of conversion or persecution.
The Growth of militancy in the 1990s forced Kashmiri pandits to leave the valley in greater numbers. They started migrating to the other states, leaving every belonging behind and seeking refuge in other parts.
While many of them started migrating some decided to stay back in their homeland.
Conflict arose between radical Islamists organization and the Hindus leading to the mass killings of the Kashmiri Hindus in waves which is termed as exodus.

What has been done so far?

After the Pandit exodus from the Valley in the 1990s, the first few years of this century saw government efforts to send Pandits back to the Valley.
Under the Prime Minister’s return and rehabilitation of Kashmir migrants scheme, created government postings in the Valley for Kashmiri Pandit “migrant” youth.
Mostly, teachers and these government employees have lived in protected high security enclaves, but their work requires them to leave these enclaves and mingle with the rest of the population. Another segment, known as “non-migrant” Pandits because they never left the Valley, has lived in their own homes, without state-provided protection.

What is CDR?

Centre for dialogue and reconciliation (CDR) is a Delhi-based think-tank incorporated in March 2001, aims to be a catalyst for peace in South Asia.
CDR working for the peace-building process in Jammu Kashmir, supported the initiative of dialogue between the two communities as a part of self-assessment, acknowledging the mistakes.

What did CDR do in Kashmir?

CDR supported the initiative for a dialogue proposed by two prominent young Kashmiris one a Muslim and the other a Pandit both who have witnessed the violence of 1990 and the subsequent years.
They believe in the principle of talking could lead to healing.
It led to CDR’s ‘Shared Witness’, a Pandit-Muslim dialogue series, in December 2010.
Public intellectuals and other influential persons from both communities were participants

Observations of the dialogue

The dialogue series coincided with the launching of the Prime Minister’s job scheme.
Dialogues created a social environment that enabled Kashmiri Pandits to take up government postings in the Valley.
They focused on the events in and around 1990, and the incidents that triggered the displacement of the Pandit community.
By the third dialogue, participants were sharing individual experiences that did not fit into the narrative that each community had built about the other.
The process of the conversation lead them to think on the actual reason behind the conflict, was it communal differences, or was it only religion?

From the eyes of the pandits

Pandits were aggrieved that the Muslims did not protest the Pandit killings, not even when the killers claimed them. That greater responsibility lay with the Muslims as they were the majority.
If some social organizations had acted quickly, the exodus could have been stopped.
They observed that the Pandit community too had suffered from a lack of leadership.
They demand an apology and to set up of possible “Truth commission”

What do the Muslims say?

The Muslim participants felt the Pandits were in denial of the struggle of the Muslims in the Valley, who were facing violence from the system.
The Kashmiri Muslim was always portrayed as being misguided, aided, and abetted by Pakistan.
The protest in Kashmir was not against religion but against structures of power and oppression.

What is the Current situation?

The fresh spate of targeted killings of Kashmir pandits created an environment of fear and provided a major setback to their rehabilitation in the Kashmir valley.

Way ahead:

We need urgent civil society engagement between communities in Kashmir once again.
The government can enable it, but individuals and civil society will need to create conditions on the ground. They will have to encourage people to give up the blame game.

Mains question

Q. Dialogue can bring peace in Kashmir valley. Critically examine.

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