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  • Police Reforms – SC directives, NPC, other committees reports

    Paramilitary Forces: Addressing Concerns and Demands

    op-ed snap | Security Issues | Mains Paper 3: Various Security Forces, Agencies & Their Mandates

    Paramilitary

    Central Idea

    • Last month, India observed the day of remembrance for the Pulwama attack that took place on February 14, 2019, which resulted in the death of 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel. The lesson learned is that there is an urgent need to address the grievances of paramilitary forces in terms of training, morale, and parity with regular armed forces to ensure the effectiveness of these forces in maintaining internal security.

    Background

    • The Forgotten Dantewada Attack: An earlier attack on April 6, 2010, in which 76 CRPF personnel were killed by left-wing extremists in Dantewada, has faded away from public attention despite being the deadliest attack on security forces in any counter-insurgency or anti-terrorist operations in independent India.
    • The Pulwama attack: The attack on February 14, 2019, claimed the lives of 40 personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), India’s largest paramilitary force. The Pulwama attack resulted in an unprecedented public outcry and evoked emotional responses across all sections of society. It is important to remember this incident to prevent a repeat in the future.

    Paramilitary

    Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)

    • Motto: “Service and Loyalty”
    • Logo: The CRPF logo features a crossed rifle and a light machine gun over a map of India, with a laurel wreath and the words “Central Reserve Police Force” written in both Hindi and English. The crossed rifles and the light machine gun represent the CRPF’s role in maintaining internal security, while the map of India signifies its national duty.
    • Establishment: CRPF is the largest Central Armed Police Force of India. It was established in 1939 as the Crown Representative’s Police (CRP) to assist British rulers in managing unrest and law and order issues. After India gained independence in 1947, it became the Central Reserve Police Force.
    • Responsibility: The CRPF is primarily responsible for maintaining internal security, counter-terrorism operations, and assisting the state police in maintaining law and order. It also assists in disaster management and protects vital installations.
    • Personnel and deployment: With more than 300,000 personnel, the CRPF is one of the most significant components of India’s internal security apparatus. It operates in a variety of environments, including urban, jungle, and mountainous terrain. The CRPF has also been deployed in international peacekeeping operations, such as in Haiti, Sudan, and Congo.

    Challenges Faced by Paramilitary Forces

    • Security threats: Paramilitary forces are often deployed in areas where there are security threats such as terrorist attacks, insurgencies, and border conflicts. These threats pose a significant risk to the lives of the personnel, and they have to be constantly vigilant to prevent any untoward incidents.
    • Pay and benefits: The Indian Army personnel receive higher pay, better benefits, and retirement benefits compared to paramilitary forces. The Indian Army also has a well-established pension system, while paramilitary forces have a Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).
    • Inadequate infrastructure: These forces often operate in remote areas with inadequate infrastructure, including basic facilities such as food, water, and shelter. This makes it challenging for the personnel to carry out their duties effectively, especially during long deployments.
    • Inadequate training: Proper training is essential for paramilitary personnel to carry out their duties effectively. However, due to budget constraints and a lack of resources, training is often inadequate, which can lead to inefficiencies and mistakes during operations.
    • De-induction of Army: The deinduction of the Indian Army from certain areas has led to the CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) and other paramilitary forces being tasked with carrying out hard duties, leading to overstretched personnel and compromised training.
    • Stress and mental health: The nature of the job is often stressful, and paramilitary personnel are frequently exposed to traumatic situations that can have long-term effects on their mental health. Unfortunately, mental health resources are often limited, and the stigma surrounding mental health issues can prevent personnel from seeking help.
    • Lack of modern equipment: Paramilitary forces require modern equipment and weapons to carry out their duties effectively. However, due to budget constraints and bureaucratic red tape, acquiring such equipment is often delayed, which puts the personnel at risk.

    Paramilitary

    Need for Parity and Better Treatment

    • Armed Forces of the union category: The Delhi High Court order of December 2022 that recognised the paramilitary as a force under the category of ‘Armed Forces of the union’ and underscores the need to address the genuine grievances of the paramilitary personnel.
    • Service facilities: The paramilitary force faces discrimination in matters ranging from pension to service facilities.
    • Old pension scheme: Former personnel and their families have demanded the old pension scheme for serving members of the paramilitary force.
    • Training: The training and morale of paramilitary personnel must be taken care of to maintain optimum performance and effectiveness.

    Paramilitary

    Other key paramilitary and special forces in India

    • National Security Guard (NSG): NSG is a federal contingency force tasked with counter-terrorism and special operations. It was established in 1984 and operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
    • Border Security Force (BSF): BSF is a border guarding force responsible for guarding India’s land borders during peace time and preventing trans-border crimes. It was established in 1965 and operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
    • Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB): SSB is a border guarding force tasked with guarding India’s borders with Nepal and Bhutan. It was established in 1963 and operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
    • Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP): ITBP is a specialized mountain force responsible for guarding India’s borders with China. It was established in 1962 and operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
    • Assam Rifles: Assam Rifles is a paramilitary force responsible for maintaining law and order in the northeast region of India. It was established in 1835 and operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

    Conclusion

    • The observance of Pulwama day should serve as a reminder to avoid a repeat of the tragedy and calls for analysing the lessons learnt and taking corrective measures. It is important to listen to the genuine grievances of the paramilitary personnel to maintain their morale and enhance the security environment of the nation.

    Mains Question

    Q. Discuss the challenges faced by paramilitary forces In India? What needs to be done to maintain their morale and to ensure the effectiveness of these forces in maintaining internal security?

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  • Electoral Reforms In India

    E-Postal Ballot for Overseas Indian Voters

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

    post-vote

    Central idea: The Election Commission of India (EC) has proposed to facilitate the electronically-transmitted postal ballot system for overseas Indian voters.

    Why such a move?

    • The total number of overseas voters on January 1, 2023, was over 1.15 lakh.

    Measures taken

    • The Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, 2018 was passed by the Lok Sabha in August 2018 on the recommendation of the EC.
    • The Bill sought to enable overseas electors to cast their vote either in person or by proxy.
    • However, it lapsed when the 16th Lok Sabha was dissolved as it was pending in the Rajya Sabha.

    How can overseas voters currently vote in Indian elections?

    • Prior to 2010, an Indian citizen who is an eligible voter and was residing abroad for more than six months, would not have been able to vote in elections.
    • This was because the NRI’s name was deleted from electoral rolls if he or she stayed outside the country for more than six months at a stretch.
    • After the passing of the Representation of the People (Amendment) Act, 2010, eligible NRIs who had stayed abroad beyond six months have been able to vote, but only in person at the polling station where they have been enrolled as an overseas elector.
    • Just as any resident Indian citizen above the age of 18 years) is eligible to vote in the constituency where she/he is a resident, and overseas Indian citizens are also eligible to do so.
    • In the case of overseas voters, the address mentioned in the passport is taken as the place of ordinary residence and chosen as the constituency for the overseas voter to enrol in.

    How has the existing facility worked so far?

    • Hike in voters: From merely 11,846 overseas voters who registered in 2014, the number went up to close to a lakh in 2019. But the bulk of these voters (nearly 90%) belonged to just one State — Kerala.
    • Section 20-1A, Part III of the RP Act: It addresses this to some extent by qualifying “a person absenting himself temporarily from his place of ordinary residence shall not by reason thereof cease to be ordinarily resident therein.
    • Proxyprovisions: The Bill provided for overseas voters to be able to appoint a proxy to cast their votes on their behalf, subject to conditions laid down in the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961.
    • Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System: The ECI then approached the government to permit NRIs to vote via postal ballots similar to a system that is already used by service voters, (a member of the armed Forces of the Union; or a member of a force to which provisions of the Army Act, 1950 (46 of 1950) which is ETPBS. The ECI proposed to extend this facility to overseas voters as well.

    What is ETPBS and how does it function?

    • The Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 was amended in 2016to allow service voters to use the ETPBS.
    • Under this system, postal ballots are sent electronicallyto registered service voters.
    • The service voter can then download the ETPB(along with a declaration form and covers), register their mandate on the ballot and send it to the returning officer of the constituency via ordinary mail.
    • The post will include an attested declaration form(after being signed by the voter in the presence of an appointed senior officer who will attest it).
    • The postal ballot must reach the returning officer by 8 a.m.on the day of the counting of results.
    • In the case of NRI voters, those seeking to vote through ETPBS will have to inform the returning officer at least five days after notification of the election.

    Are postal ballots a viable means of voting?

    • The ETPBS method allowed for greater turnout among service voters in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.
    • With the increasing mobility of citizens across countries for reasons related to work, the postal ballot method has been internationally recognized.
    • A postal ballot mechanism that allows for proper authentication of the ballot at designated consular/embassy offices and an effective postal system should ease this process for NRIs.

    Back2Basics: NRI vs OCI

    Non-Resident Indian (NRI)

    • To mention it, NRI is someone who is not a resident of India.
    • However, the law is much more complicated and must be delved deeper to gain an inclusive insight into the sector.
    • A person is considered a resident of India if he/she has been staying in India for a minimum tenure of 182 days during the previous financial year of a particular year. OR
    • A person living in India for a total of 365 days during the previous four financial years and a minimum of 60 days during the last financial years is considered a citizen for a particular year.
    • Now an NRI or a non-resident of India is eligible to pay charges for only the first two situations, which means either the income received or earned in India.
    • Therefore, the NRI status also influences the enjoyable rights of that person.

    Overseas Citizen of India (OCI)

    • OCI is a card issued by the government of India that denotes that a non-resident or foreigner has been permitted to stay and work within Indian boundaries.
    • Hence, this card provides foreigners with an immigration status without any limited tenure.
    • There are cases where PIOs of specific categories are allowed for OCI cards that have migrated from India to foreign countries (except Pakistan and Bangladesh) if the other government agrees for dual citizenship.
    • An individual holding an OCI card can be an overseas citizen of India in layman’s language.
    • So an OCI is not a citizen of India, but the Indian government has given the cardholder permission to reside and work within the boundaries of India.
    • Residents migrating from Pakistan and Bangladesh are not eligible for holding the OCI card. Even if their parents are citizens of both countries, the applicants will be denied having an OCI card.

     

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  • Global Geological And Climatic Events

    Africa’s splitting plates could give birth to a new Ocean: Study

    | Enviro & Biodiversity | Mains Paper 1: Geographical Features & Their Location

    africa

    Central idea

    • Scientists predict a new ocean will be created as Africa splits into two separate parts connected to the East African Rift
    • This geological process will inevitably divide the continent resulting in new coastlines and sub-sea internet infrastructure but also will have significant repercussions

    What is Rifting?

    • The Earth’s lithosphere, comprising the crust and upper part of the mantle, is divided into tectonic plates that move in relation to each other at varying speeds.
    • Tectonic forces move the plates and can cause them to rupture, resulting in the formation of a rift and potentially leading to the creation of new plate boundaries.
    • Rifting refers to the geological process in which a single tectonic plate is split into two or more plates separated by divergent plate boundaries.
    • In the present day, the gradual separation of the Somali and Nubian tectonic plates is leading to the formation of a rift that could eventually lead to the creation of a new ocean basin.
    • The movement of tectonic plates is a fascinating geological phenomenon.

    Rifting in African Continent

    • The African continent is located on the African Plate, which is one of the Earth’s major tectonic plates.
    • The continent is characterized by a number of geological features, including rift valleys.

    Most profound feature: The East African Rift System

    • The East African Rift System is the most prominent example of rifting in Africa.
    • It stretches for over 6,000 kilometers from the Red Sea in the north to the Zambezi River in the south.
    • The rift system includes a series of interconnected rift valleys, volcanoes, and lakes.

    Causes of the East African Rift System

    • The rift system is caused by the movement of the African Plate away from the Arabian Plate and the Somalian Plate.
    • This movement creates tension in the Earth’s crust, causing it to pull apart and form a rift.

    Impact: Lakes Formed by Rifting

    • Over time, the rifting process has led to the formation of several large lakes in the region.
    • These lakes include Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika, and Lake Malawi.
    • They are believed to have formed as a result of the sinking of the land between the rift valleys.

    Future of Rifting in Africa

    • The rifting process is ongoing and may eventually lead to the splitting of the African continent into two or more separate land masses.
    • However, this process is expected to take millions of years and is not likely to have a significant impact on human populations in the near future.
    • The necessary evacuation of people and potential loss of lives will be an unfortunate cost of this natural phenomenon.
    • The emergence of new coastlines will unlock opportunities for economic growth
    • As the plates continue to split in the future, this phenomenon will result in the displacement of communities, settlements, and various flora and fauna.

    Conclusion

    • The movement of tectonic plates has significant implications for the continent’s future.
    • It is important to study and monitor these changes while remembering the power of the Earth’s natural forces and the impact they can have over time.
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  • Water Management – Institutional Reforms, Conservation Efforts, etc.

    Low Temperature Thermal Desalination (LTTD) Technology

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

    desalin-lttd

    The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) is making efforts to make its ongoing water provision project in Lakshadweep eco-friendly by eliminating emissions in its Low Temperature Thermal Desalination technology.

    What is LTTD Technology?

    • LTTD Technology is a desalination process that uses low-grade thermal energy, typically below 70°C, to evaporate seawater and produce fresh water.
    • The technology is designed to be efficient and cost-effective, and it has been successfully used in various locations worldwide to provide potable water.

    How does LTTD Technology work?

    • LTTD Technology works by using a low-grade thermal source, such as warm seawater, to heat up a chamber containing seawater.
    • As the seawater is heated, it evaporates and produces fresh water vapor.
    • The vapor is then condensed and collected, leaving behind concentrated seawater, which can be discharged back into the ocean.
    • The fresh water produced can be used for various purposes, such as drinking water, irrigation, or industrial applications.

    Benefits of this technology

    • One of the main benefits of LTTD Technology is that it uses low-grade thermal energy, which is readily available in many locations, especially in coastal areas.
    • This makes it a cost-effective and sustainable way of producing fresh water.
    • Additionally, LTTD Technology is modular and can be easily scaled up or down, depending on the water demand.
    • It also has a relatively low environmental impact compared to other desalination technologies.

    Challenges of LTTD Technology

    • One of the main challenges of LTTD Technology is that it requires a constant source of low-grade thermal energy, which can be affected by weather conditions and seasonal changes.
    • Additionally, the technology is relatively new and may require further research and development to optimize its efficiency and performance.

    How is NIOT working to make LTTD Technology emission-free?

    • NIOT is working on making LTTD Technology emission-free by using renewable energy sources, such as solar energy, to power the desalination process.
    • The goal is to reduce the carbon footprint of the technology and make it more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

    Try this MCQ:

    Q. The LTTD technology involves the use of which of the following processes to produce potable water?

    A) Reverse osmosis B) Distillation C) Filtration D) Chlorination

    Post your answer here.

     

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  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) Breakthrough

    What is GPT-4 and how is it different from ChatGPT?

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

    gpt

    Central idea: OpenAI announced GPT-4 as the next big update to the technology that powers ChatGPT and Microsoft Bing.

    What is GPT-4?

    • GPT-4 is a large multimodal model created by OpenAI that accepts images as input, making it a more advanced version of GPT-3 and GPT-3.5.
    • It exhibits human-level performance on various professional and academic benchmarks, and it can solve difficult problems with greater accuracy.

    How is GPT-4 different from GPT-3?

    • GPT-4 is multimodal, allowing it to understand more than one modality of information, unlike GPT-3 and GPT-3.5, which were limited to textual input and output.
    • It is harder to trick than previous models, and it can process a lot more information at a time, making it more suitable for lengthy conversations and generating long-form content.
    • It has improved accuracy and is better at understanding languages that are not English.

    GPT-4’s abilities

    • GPT-4 can use images to generate captions and analyses, and it can answer tax-related questions, schedule meetings, and learn a user’s creative writing style.
    • It can handle over 25,000 words of text, opening up a greater number of use cases that include long-form content creation, document search and analysis, and extended conversations.
    • It significantly reduces hallucinations and produces fewer undesirable outputs, such as hate speech and misinformation.

    Multilingual abilities of GPT-4

    • GPT-4 is more multilingual and can accurately answer thousands of multiple-choice questions across 26 languages.
    • It handles English best, with an 85.5% accuracy, but Indian languages like Telugu aren’t too far behind either, at 71.4%.

    Availability of GPT-4

    • GPT-4 has already been integrated into products like Duolingo, Stripe, and Khan Academy for varying purposes.
    • Image inputs are still a research preview and are not publicly available.
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  • LGBT Rights – Transgender Bill, Sec. 377, etc.

    Same-sex marriage: Petitions For Legal Recognition

    op-ed snap | Indian Society | Mains Paper 1: Salient features of Indian Society

    same-sex

    Central idea

    • Recently, the Supreme Court referred a batch of petitions seeking the legal recognition of same-sex marriages to a Constitution Bench. The Union government has opposed the petitions. Law Minister Kiren said that marriage is a matter of policy to be decided by Parliament and the executive alone.

    What is mean by Same-sex marriage?

    • Same-sex marriage is the legal recognition of a marriage between two individuals of the same sex.
    • It grants same-sex couples the same legal and social recognition, rights, and privileges that are traditionally associated with marriage, including property rights, inheritance rights, and the ability to make decisions for each other in medical emergencies.
    • The recognition of same-sex marriage varies around the world, with some countries legalizing it while others do not.
    • The issue has been the subject of much debate and controversy, with arguments for and against same-sex marriage based on religious, cultural, social, and legal considerations.

    Same-sex marriage in India

    • Same-sex marriage is currently not legally recognized in India.
    • Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which criminalized homosexuality, was struck down by the Supreme Court of India in 2018, which was a landmark decision for LGBTQ+ rights in the country.
    • However, there is still no law that allows same-sex couples to legally marry or have any legal recognition of their relationships.

    Government’s argument

    • In its affidavit to the Supreme Court, the government argued that the traditional concept of marriage, consisting of a biological man, woman and child, cannot be disrupted.
    • It claimed that recognising same-sex marriages could cause havoc in the system of personal laws.
    • As different from many liberal democracies, in India, aspects of marriage, succession and adoption are governed by religious personal laws.

    What petitioners are claiming?

    1. Same-sex marriage as a matter of rights
    • Any social policy is liable to judicial interference if rights are violated.
    • The petitioners rely on the rights to equality and non-discrimination as laid out in Articles 14 and 15.
    • The Constitution prohibits the state from discriminating on the basis of sex.
    • Sex has been interpreted by the Supreme Court in Navtej Singh Johar (2018) to include sexual orientation. Granting the right to marry to heterosexual couples and not to homosexual couples clearly discriminates on the basis of their sexual orientation.
    1. Same-sex marriage is a matter of privacy
    • Right to privacy: Supreme Court recognised this right to be part of the right to life and liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution in the celebrated Puttaswamy (2017) verdict.
    • What court said on privacy: Privacy includes at its core the preservation of personal intimacies, the sanctity of family life, marriage, procreation, the home and sexual orientation.
    • State currently denies this right: The right to privacy entails the right of the citizens to make decisions about their family life and marriage. The state currently denies same-sex couples this right.
    • The Special Marriage Act: The Special Marriage Act is a secular law which works alongside religious personal laws. Same-sex marriages can be recognised under the Special Marriage Act. The Act already speaks of marriages between any two persons which are solemnised under it. Any two persons can include two persons of the same sex.

    Special Marriage Act

    • The Special Marriage Act is a law in India that allows individuals of different religions or nationalities to marry each other.
    • It was enacted in 1954 and came into effect from 1955.
    • The Special Marriage Act allows for inter-caste and inter-religious marriages, and couples who register under this act are not required to change their religion or follow any religious rites or rituals.
    • The act also provides for divorce on certain grounds and maintenance to the spouse and children.

    Consider the situation in the United States

    • In Obergefell v Hodges (2015), the Supreme Court of the United States held that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marriage.
    • Thirty-one out of the 50 states in the United States have marriage laws that define marriage as between a man and a woman.

    Conclusion

    • The debate on legal recognition of same-sex marriages in India continues to be a contentious issue, with the government and petitioners presenting opposing views. However, given the complex social, cultural, and legal considerations, any decision regarding same-sex marriage should be carefully evaluated to ensure that it is inclusive and respects individual rights. Ultimately, it is important to arrive at a balanced and just solution that upholds the principles of equality and non-discrimination for all individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation.

    Mains Question

    Q. What do you understand by same-sex marriage? Describe same sex marriage situation in India by highlighting both the arguments.

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  • Women empowerment issues – Jobs,Reservation and education

    Women Leadership: Conditions To Unleash Her Potential

    op-ed snap | Governance | Mains Paper 3: Inclusive Growth & Issues

    Women

    Central Idea

    • Today the world is home to a transformative generation of 900 million adolescent girls and young women poised to shape the future of work and growth. If this cohort of young women could be equipped with the right resources and opportunities to nurture the 21st century skills, they would become the largest segment of women leaders, change-makers, entrepreneurs, and innovators in history.

    Women In India

    • India is home to one of the largest generations of girls and young women, has made significant progress across various domains, such as education, health, digital and financial inclusion, and leadership building, to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 5, which envisions a more gender-equal world by 2030.
    • To unleash the gender dividend and create conditions for female leadership to flourish, women at all levels of society must have inclusion in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT), bodily autonomy and safety, shared responsibility within the household, and equal participation in decision-making spaces.

    Women

    What are the necessary conditions that must be in place for Women leadership to thrive?

    1. Cultivating Agency:
    • Given the socio-economic barriers that adolescent girls confront from their earliest years that the work to cultivate their agency must begin early.
    • India’s initiatives across various domains, such as education, health, digital and financial inclusion, and leadership building, to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 5, which envisions a more gender-equal world by 2030.
    1. Inclusion in ICT:
    • Inclusion in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for women at all levels of society is very important.
    • As access to digital technology increasingly becomes an arena of opportunity and basic service, EdTech can bridge the accessibility gap in education through hybrid learning models, even where girls’ access to schooling is restricted by harmful norms.
    1. STEM Education:
    • The prevailing stereotypes that characterize STEM education as a traditionally masculine domain, even though over 43% of Indian STEM graduates are women.
    • The gender norms that disproportionately allocate domestic and care responsibilities to women, representation of men as leaders of STEM, finance, and entrepreneurial fields in the public perception, and institutional mechanisms are some of the barriers that explain why increased women’s representation in STEM education does not translate into work participation.
    • There is need of inclusion of grade-appropriate STEM, financial education, and entrepreneurship syllabi into the educational curriculum for girls to counter these stereotypes actively.
    1. Bodily Autonomy and Safety
    • Empowering women to make decisions about their bodies and be free from all forms of violence and harassment is very important.
    • These basic conditions are critical to enable women and young girls to chart the trajectory of their personal and professional lives.
    1. Sport for Leadership
    • The sporting activities can promote leadership, self-sufficiency, and teamwork. The inclusion of adolescent girls and young women in sports can build their self-confidence, strengthen self-belief, and impart the nuances of teamwork.
    • The National Sports Policy and inclusion programs for children from vulnerable communities, which have seen remarkable success.
    1. Redistribute Care Work
    • The backbone of thriving families, communities, and economies largely falls on women, increasing in times of crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
    • It is crucial to recognize, reduce and redistribute unpaid care and domestic work, so that women may enjoy economic opportunities and outcomes on an equal footing to men.
    • The policies that provide services, social protection and basic infrastructure, promote sharing of domestic and care work between men and women, and create more paid jobs in the care economy, which are urgently needed to accelerate progress on women’s economic empowerment.

    Do you know?  STEM education

    • STEM education refers to a curriculum that focuses on four academic disciplines: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
    • STEM education is designed to promote and enhance the critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills of students, while also encouraging their creativity and innovation.
    • The curriculum typically integrates these four subjects to show how they are interconnected and applicable to real-world problems.
    • STEM education is becoming increasingly important in today’s world, as technology continues to advance and the demand for skilled workers in these fields grows.

    Women

    Conclusion

    • Nurturing the leadership abilities of adolescent girls and young women is crucial for breaking down restrictive gender norms and barriers and accelerating progress across the Sustainable Development Goals. By working together to empower girls and women, we can create a more gender equal world and unlock the full potential of the next generation of female leaders.

    Mains Question

    Q. What are the necessary conditions that must be established for female leadership to flourish in India?

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  • Foreign Policy Watch: India-China

    China-India: Facilitating an Asian Century

    op-ed snap | International Relations | Mains Paper 2: India & Its Neighborhood – Relations,Issues relating growth and development, employment

    China

    Central idea

    • China’s recent developments in steady growth, people’s well-being, opening up, and win-win cooperation, as well as its willingness to strengthen communication and coordination with India, can provide new opportunities for all countries in the world, especially neighbouring countries. importance of China-India relations and their role in facilitating an Asian Century.

    China’s focus areas of development 

    • Modernization: China is currently advancing modernization in all fronts, based on its practices, and a focus on high-quality development.
    • Overall development: The country aims to modernize its huge population, ensuring common prosperity for all, material and cultural-ethical advancement, harmony between humanity and nature, and peaceful development.
    • New opportunities: China’s development will create new opportunities for all countries, especially neighbouring countries.

    China

    The development of China in recent years

    1. Steady Growth:
    • In 2022, China’s economy grew by 3%, and the country added a total of 12.06 million urban jobs.
    • The country’s GDP increased to 121 trillion yuan (approximately $18 trillion), registering an annual growth rate of 5.2% over the past five years and an annual growth of 6.2% over the past decade, with GDP increasing by nearly 70 trillion yuan.
    • China’s economic strength is steadily reaching new heights.
    1. People’s Well-being:
    • China has historically resolved absolute poverty, with the alleviation of close to 100 million rural residents from poverty.
    • Over 70% of the government’s expenditure went toward ensuring people’s well-being.
    • Basic old age insurance covers 1.05 billion people, an increase of 140 million. Living standards continue to witness new improvements.
    1. Opening Up:
    • In 2022, China’s total volume of trade in goods exceeded 40 trillion yuan, registering an annual growth rate of 8.6%.
    • China’s actual use of foreign capital was up by 8%, and the country remained one of the top destinations for foreign investors.
    • The overall tariff level continues to fall, from 9.8% to 7.4%. China’s doors to the outside world are opening even wider.
    1. Win-Win Cooperation
    • In the period 2013-2021, China’s contribution to global economic growth averaged 38.6%, higher than that of G7 countries combined (25.7%).
    • More than 100 countries have expressed their support, and over 60 countries have joined the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative (GDI) since Chinese President, Xi Jinping, proposed it in a speech at the United Nations General Assembly in 2021.

    China

    China-India Relations

    • Emerged as Representatives: As neighboring and ancient civilizations, China, and India are representatives of developing countries and emerging economies.
    • National rejuvenation: Both countries are currently in the process of national rejuvenation and a crucial period of modernization where challenges need to be overcome and problems need to be solved.
    • Interests than differences: China and India have far more common interests than differences.

    China- India Trade

    • China and India are important trading partners, with bilateral trade volume reaching $135.984 billion in 2022.
    • Although there is a trade deficit, India’s import of equipment and materials from China reduces the overall cost of Made-in-India products, benefits Indian downstream industries and consumers, enhances the competitiveness of Indian exports, and in turn facilitates India’s integration into global industrial and supply chains.

    China

    Facilitating an Asian Century

    • Chinese Foreign Minister recently stated that the development and revitalization of China and India embody a boost to the force of developing countries, which will change the destiny of a third of the world’s population and have a bearing on the future of Asia and beyond.
    • This echoes what India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had expressed in 2022 that the Asian Century will happen when China and India come together.

    Conclusion

    • China’s development and its relationship with India are important for the region and the world. Both countries are in the process of modernization and face challenges that need to be overcome. China and India are important trading partners, and their cooperation can facilitate an Asian Century and contribute to peace and stability in the region and beyond.

    Mains Question

    Q. Provide your insights on the role of China and India in shaping the destiny of the developing countries and their impact on the future of Asia and beyond

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  • Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanism – NCA, Lok Adalats, etc.

    Foreign lawyers, firms can operate in India: Bar Council

    | Polity | Mains Paper 2: Executive & Judiciary

    bar

     

    Central Idea: The Bar Council of India (BCI) has opened up law practice in India to foreign lawyers and law firms. It has framed the ‘Bar Council of India Rules for Registration of Foreign Lawyers and Foreign Law Firms in India, 2021’.

    About Bar Council of India (BCI)

    • The BCI is a statutory body established under the section 4 of Advocates Act 1961 that regulates the legal practice and legal education in India.
    • Its members are elected from amongst the lawyers in India and as such represents the Indian bar.
    • It prescribes standards of professional conduct, etiquettes and exercises disciplinary jurisdiction over the bar.
    • It also sets standards for legal education and grants recognition to universities whose degree in law will serve as a qualification for students to enroll themselves as advocates upon graduation.

    History

    • In March 1953, the ‘All India Bar Committee’, headed by S. R. Das, submitted a report which proposed the creation of a bar council for each state and an all India bar council as an apex body.
    • It was suggested that the all-India bar council would regulate the legal profession and set the standard of legal education.
    • The Law Commission of India was assigned the job of assembling a report on judicial administration reforms and helps India to reform justice and equity to whole country.
    • In 1961, the Advocates Act was introduced to implement the recommendations made by the ‘All India Bar Committee’ and ‘Law Commission’.

    Functions

    The functions of the Bar Council are to:

    1. Lay down standards of professional conduct and etiquette for advocates.
    2. Lay down procedure to be followed by disciplinary committees
    3. Safeguard the rights, privileges and interests of advocates
    4. Promote and support law reform
    5. Deal with and dispose of any matter which may be referred by a State Bar Council
    6. Promote legal education and lay down standards of legal education.
    7. Determine universities whose degree in law shall be a qualification for enrollment as an advocate.
    8. Conduct seminars on legal topics by eminent jurists and publish journals and papers of legal interest.
    9. Organise and provide legal aid to the poor.
    10. Recognise foreign qualifications in law obtained outside India for admission as an advocate.
    11. Manage and invest funds of the Bar Council.
    12. Provide for the election of its members who shall run the Bar Councils.

    Constitution

    • As per the Advocates Act, the BCI consists of members elected from each state bar council, and the Attorney General of India and the Solicitor General of India who are ex officio members.
    • The council elects its own chairman and vice-chairman for a period of two years from among its members.
    • Assisted by the various committees of the council, the chairman acts as the chief executive and director of the council.

    Why such move?  

    • The BCI notification also stated that the Rules would help to address the concerns expressed about the flow of Foreign Direct Investment into the country.
    • The Rules would also help make India a hub for international commercial arbitration.

    Move to benefit Indian lawyers

    • The rules enable foreign lawyers and law firms to “practice foreign law, diverse international law and international arbitration matters in India on the principle of reciprocity in a well-defined, regulated and controlled manner”.
    • The BCI said that the move would benefit Indian lawyers, whose standards of proficiency in law are comparable with international standards.
    • The legal fraternity in India is not likely to suffer any disadvantage since the move would be mutually beneficial for lawyers from India and abroad.

    How foreign lawyers can begin operating in India?

    • The Rules prescribe that foreign lawyers and firms would not be entitled to practice law in India without registration with the BCI.
    • Foreign lawyers and law firms are not allowed to practice Indian law in any form or before any court of law, tribunal, board or any other authority legally entitled to record evidence on oath.
    • However, the restriction does not apply to law practice by a foreign lawyer or foreign law firm on a ‘fly in and fly out basis’ for the purpose of giving legal advice to a client in India on foreign law or international legal issues.
    • In such a case, the lawyer or firm cannot have an office in India, and their practice cannot exceed 60 days in any 12-month period.

    Requirements for foreign lawyers and firms

    A primary qualification required from foreign lawyers and firms is-

    1. Certificate from the competent authority of their country that they are entitled to practice law in that country.
    2. Undertaking that they shall not practice Indian law in any form or before any court of law, tribunal, board or any other authority legally entitled to record evidence on oath.

     

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  • Trade Sector Updates – Falling Exports, TIES, MEIS, Foreign Trade Policy, etc.

    India’s Foreign Trade Policy set to be revised from April 1

    | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Indian Economy

     

    trade

    Central idea: The revision of India’s Foreign Trade Policy, which has been unchanged since 2015 and due for three years, may finally be announced by the end of this month.

    What is a Foreign Trade Policy?

    • India’s Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) is a set of guidelines for goods and services imported and exported.
    • These are developed by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), the Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s regulating body for the promotion and facilitation of exports and imports.
    • FTPs are enforceable under the Foreign Trade Development and Regulation Act 1992.

    What is India’s Foreign Trade Policy?

    • In line with the ‘Make in India,’ ‘Digital India,’ ‘Skill India,’ ‘Startup India,’ and ‘Ease of Doing Business initiatives, the Foreign Trade Policy (2015-20) was launched on April 1, 2015.
    • It provides a framework for increasing exports of goods and services, creating jobs, and increasing value addition in the country.
    • The FTP statement outlines the market and product strategy as well as the steps needed to promote trade, expand infrastructure, and improve the entire trade ecosystem.
    • It aims to help India respond to external problems while staying on top of fast-changing international trading infrastructure and to make trade a major contributor to the country’s economic growth and development.

    Issues with FTP (2015-2020)

    • Acting on Washington’s protest, a WTO dispute settlement panel ruled in 2019 that India’s export subsidy measures are in violation of WTO norms and must be repealed.
    • Tax incentives under the popular Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) (now renamed as RODTEP Scheme)and Service Exports from India Scheme (SEIS) programmes were among them.
    • The panel found that because India’s per capita gross national product exceeds $1,000 per year, it may no longer grant subsidies based on export performance.

    Why such a delay in Foreign Trade Policy?

    • Geopolitical uncertainty: The geo-political situation is not suitable for long-term foreign trade policy, said Union Commerce Minister.
    • Global recession: Currently, fears of a recession in major economies like the US and Europe have escalated a panic among investors.
    • Decline in USD inflows: Foreign investors have begun to pull back their money from equities.
    • Rupee depreciation: The US Dollar is at a 22-year high, while the Rupee hit a new all-time low of $81.6.
    • Huge trade deficit: The trade deficit widened by more than 2-folds to $125.22 billion (April – August 2022) compared to $53.78 billion in the same period last year.
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