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  • Foreign Policy Watch: India-Afghanistan

    Why India must engage Taliban

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

    Context

    It is good that India has extended humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan at this time through international agencies and not let its unhappiness with the Taliban’s policies come in the way.

    India’s  recent engagement with Afghanistan

    • Recently, the Ministry of External Affairs announced that a team led by J P Singh, Joint Secretary (PAI) “is currently on a visit to Kabul to oversee the delivery operations of our humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan”.
    • The MEA clearly implied that this engagement should be seen only in the limited context of assistance to the Afghan people
    • The continuance of humanitarian assistance can be only one, though an important, segment of interaction; other aspects, especially security issues and later, connectivity and investments, as Afghanistan stabilises, have to be part of the dialogue with the Taliban.

    Why Afghanistan matters to India’s security

    • Afghanistan impacts India’s security.
    •  It has, in the past, provided space to al Qaeda with which the Taliban had a special relationship.
    • Afghanistan has an ISIS presence too.
    • Of special concern to India are the Taliban’s ties with the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed.
    • A recent United Nations report has emphasised that the Taliban’s connections with these groups have not been severed.

    So, what should be India’s approach toward the Taliban?

    • It is argued that both “principle and pragmatism” demand that India should not do business with the Taliban.
    • However, Pakistan has continued to sponsor terror and yet India has continued to engage it and has maintained a diplomatic presence in Islamabad. 
    • India cannot argue that the diplomatic door must be kept open for Pakistan because it’s a neighbour while it can be shut on the Taliban because Afghanistan directly impacts Indian security.
    • Engagement with Taliban: An engagement with the Taliban would at least give an opportunity to convey Indian concerns directly and encourage those elements within the group who wish to open up its diplomatic choices.
    • Exploit contradiction: Far from being a monolith, the Taliban has significant tribal and regional contradictions.
    • Therefore, India should not leave the Afghan arena entirely to Pakistan and China because of the social manifestation of Taliban theology.
    • The Taliban is here to stay and for India, there is no alternative but to deal with it even while repeating, if it wishes, the mantra of inclusive government.
    • India should also maintain contacts with the leaders of the ousted Republic, especially as the Taliban itself wants them to return to the country.

    Conclusion

    All in all, the sooner India establishes a permanent presence in Kabul the better for the pursuit of national interests in the external sphere. This is not an exercise in evangelism but the cold and undeterred pursuit of interests.

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

    ASHA Program

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

    Context

    India’s one million Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) volunteers have received World Health Organization’s Global Health Leaders Awards 2022.

    Background of the ASHA program

    • In 1975, a WHO monograph titled ‘Health by the people’ and then in 1978, an international conference on primary health care in Alma Ata (in the then USSR and now in Kazakhstan), gave emphasis for countries recruiting community health workers to strengthen primary health-care services that were participatory and people centric.
    • Soon after, many countries launched community health worker programmes under different names.
    • India launched the ASHA programme in 2005-06 as part of the National Rural Health Mission.
    • The biggest inspiration for designing the ASHA programme came from the Mitanin (meaning ‘a female friend’ in Chhattisgarhi) initiative of Chhattisgarh, which had started in May 2002.
    • The core of the ASHA programme has been an intention to build the capacity of community members in taking care of their own health and being partners in health services.
    • Each of these women-only volunteers work with a population of nearly 1,000 people in rural and 2,000 people in urban areas, with flexibility for local adjustments.

    A well thought through and deliberated program

    • The ASHA programme was well thought through and deliberated with public health specialists and community-based organisations from the beginning.
    • 1] Key village stakeholders selected: The ASHA selection involved key village stakeholders to ensure community ownership for the initiatives and forge a partnership.
    • 2] Ensure familiarity: ASHAs coming from the same village where they worked had an aim to ensure familiarity, better community connect and acceptance.
    • 3] Community’s representative: The idea of having activists in their name was to reflect that they were/are the community’s representative in the health system, and not the lowest-rung government functionary in the community.
    • 4] Avoiding the slow process of government recruitment: Calling them volunteers was partly to avoid a painfully slow process for government recruitment and to allow an opportunity to implement performance-based incentives in the hope that this approach would bring about some accountability.

    Contribution of ASHA

    • It is important to note that even before the COVID-19 pandemic, ASHAs have made extraordinary contributions towards enabling increased access to primary health-care services; i.e. maternal and child health including immunisation and treatment for hypertension, diabetes and tuberculosis, etc., for both rural and urban populations, with special focus on difficult-to-reach habitations.
    • Over the years, ASHAs have played an outstanding role in making India polio free, increasing routine immunisation coverage; reducing maternal mortality; improving new-born survival and in greater access to treatment for common illnesses.

    Challenges

    • Linkages with AWW and ANM: When newly-appointed ASHAs struggled to find their way and coordinate things within villages and with the health system, their linkage with two existing health and nutrition system functionaries — Anganwadi workers (AWW) and Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) as well as with panchayat representatives and influential community members at the village level — was facilitated.
    •  This resulted in an all-women partnership, or A-A-A: ASHA, AWW and ANM, of three frontline functionaries at the village level, that worked together to facilitate health and nutrition service delivery to the community.
    • No fixed salary to ASHAs: Among the A-A-A, ASHAs are the only ones who do not have a fixed salary; they do not have opportunity for career progression.
    • These issues have resulted in dissatisfaction, regular agitations and protests by ASHAs in many States of India.

    Way forward

    • The global recognition for ASHAs should be used as an opportunity to review the programme afresh, from a solution perspective.
    • 1] Higher remuneration: Indian States need to develop mechanisms for higher remuneration for ASHAs.
    • 2] Avenues for career progression: It is time that in-built institutional mechanisms are created for capacity-building and avenues for career progression for ASHAs to move to other cadres such as ANM, public health nurse and community health officers are opened.
    • 3] Extend the benefits of social sector services: Extending the benefits of social sector services including health insurance (for ASHAs and their families) should be considered.
    • 4] Independent and external review: While the ASHA programme has benefitted from many internal and regular reviews by the Government, an independent and external review of the programme needs to be given urgent and priority consideration.
    • 5] Regularisation of temporary posts: There are arguments for the regularisation of many temporary posts in the National Health Mission and making ASHAs permanent government employees.

    Conclusion

    The WHO award for ASHA volunteers is a proud moment and also a recognition of every health functionary working for the poor and the underserved in India.  It is a reminder and an opportunity to further strengthen the ASHA programme for a stronger and community-oriented primary health-care system.

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

    Why the Gulf matters for India?

    | International Relations | Mains Paper 2: Indian Diaspora

    India has hit out at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) over its statement condemning the comments made by two Indian leaders in retaliation to the insults on Hindu deities.

    The spread of religious hatred should be condemned in any form.

    But do you think that the onus of secularism has been bestowed only on a particular religious community?

    It is often observed that the other community is free to make blasphemous comments on various deities in guise of the exercise of their freedom of speech!

    What is the news?

    • The remark had triggered outrage in the Islamic world.
    • Qatar and Kuwait summoned India’s Ambassadors and handed over to them protest notes.
    • India has categorically rejected and condemned the controversial remarks.

    Why is Gulf outraging?

    • Barring the Jewish state of Israel, the 10 other countries of the Gulf region — Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE, Oman, Jordan and Yemen — together account for one-fifth of the world’s Muslim population.
    • They are among the strongest voices of the Muslim world.

    Gulf countries and India

    • India has enjoyed centuries of good relations with countries like Iran, while smaller gas-rich nation Qatar is one of India’s closest allies in the region.
    • India shares good relations with most of the countries in the Gulf.
    • The two most important reasons for the relationship are oil and gas, and trade.
    • Two additional reasons are the huge number of Indians who work in the Gulf countries, and the remittance they send back home.

    How much trade does India do with countries in this region?

    • The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) substantial oil and gas reserves are of utmost importance for India’s energy needs.
    • The GCC includes UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait.
    • It has emerged as a major trading partner of India and has vast potential as India’s investment partner for the future.

    (1) UAE

    • The UAE was India’s third largest trading partner in 2021-2022, and second largest for both exports ($28 billion) and imports ($45 billion) when these are counted individually.
    • In terms of total trade volume, the UAE ($72.9 billion) was behind the United States ($1.19 trillion) and China ($1.15 trillion).
    • The UAE accounted for 6.6% of India’s total exports and 7.3% of imports in the last financial year, up 68.4% since the previous year when international trade was impacted by the pandemic.

    (2) Saudi Arabia

    • At a total volume of $42.9 billion in 2021-22, Saudi Arabia was India’s fourth largest trading partner.
    • While exports were low at $8.76 billion (2.07% of India’s total exports), imports from Saudi Arabia were the fourth largest at $34.1 billion (7%), up 50% from the previous year.
    • Most of it was crude oil.

    (3) Iraq

    • It was India’s fifth largest trading partner in 2021-22 at $34.3 billion.

    (4) Qatar

    • The total trade was $15 billion, accounting for just 1.4% of India’s total trade, but the country is India’s most important supplier of natural gas.
    • Qatar accounts for 41% of India’s total natural gas imports.
    • The UAE accounts for another 11%.

    How much oil does India import?

    • More than 84% of India’s petroleum demand, which included crude oil and petroleum products, was met with imports.
    • The share of Persian Gulf countries in India’s crude imports has remained at around 60% over the last 15 years.
    • India sourced crude oil from 42 countries in 2021-22, up from 27 countries in 2006-07. Hence the sources are now more diversified.
    • In 2021-2022, the largest exporter of oil to India was Iraq, whose share has gone up from 9% in 2009-2010 to 22%.
    • Saudi Arabia has accounted for 17-18% of India’s oil imports for over a decade. Kuwait and UAE remain major oil exporters to India.
    • Iran used to be the second largest oil exporter to India in 2009-2010, its share went down to less than 1% in 2020-21, due to US sanctions.

    Why Gulf matters?

    Ans. Huge remittances

    • More than 13.46 million Indian citizens work abroad. If Persons of Indian Origin are added, this number goes up to over 32 million.
    • Counting only the 13.4 million non-resident Indians (NRIs), the Gulf has the largest numbers.
    • The UAE (3.42 million), Saudi Arabia (2.6 million) and Kuwait (1.03 million) together account for over half of all NRIs.
    • In terms of remittances from abroad, India was the largest recipient in 2020 at $83.15 billion, according to World Bank data.
    • This was nearly twice the remittances to the next highest recipient, Mexico, at $42.9 billion.
    • The UAE accounted for 26.9%, Saudi Arabia for 11.6%, Qatar for 6.4%, Kuwait for 5.5% and Oman for 3%.
    • Beyond the GCC, remittances from the US accounted for 22.9%, second only to the UAE.

     

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  • NPA Crisis

    What are Bad Banks?

    | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Indian Economy

    The finance ministry said the Rs 6,000-crore National Asset Reconstruction Company (NARCL) or bad bank is expected to take over the first set of non-performing accounts of banks next month.

    What is a Bad Bank?

    • A bad bank conveys the impression that it will function as a bank but has bad assets to start with.
    • Technically, it is an asset reconstruction company (ARC) or an asset management company that takes over the bad loans of commercial banks, manages them and finally recovers the money over a period of time.
    • Such a bank is not involved in lending and taking deposits, but helps commercial banks clean up their balance sheets and resolve bad loans.
    • The takeover of bad loans is normally below the book value of the loan and the bad bank tries to recover as much as possible subsequently.

    Bad Banks to be established

    • The NARCL-IDRCL structure is the new bad bank.
    • The National Asset Reconstruction Company Limited (NARCL) has already been incorporated under the Companies Act.
    • It will acquire stressed assets worth about Rs 2 lakh crore from various commercial banks in different phases.
    • Another entity — India Debt Resolution Company Ltd (IDRCL), which has also been set up — will then try to sell the stressed assets in the market.

    How will the NARCL-IDRCL work?

    • The NARCL will first purchase bad loans from banks.
    • It will pay 15% of the agreed price in cash and the remaining 85% will be in the form of “Security Receipts”.
    • When the assets are sold, with the help of IDRCL, , the commercial banks will be paid back the rest.
    • If the bad bank is unable to sell the bad loan, or has to sell it at a loss, then the government guarantee will be invoked.
    • The difference between what the commercial bank was supposed to get and what the bad bank was able to raise will be paid from the Rs 30,600 crore that has been provided by the government.

    Will a bad bank resolve matters?

    • From the perspective of a commercial bank saddled with high NPA levels, it will help.
    • That’s because such a bank will get rid of all its toxic assets, which were eating up its profits, in one quick move.
    • When the recovery money is paid back, it will further improve the bank’s position.
    • Meanwhile, it can start lending again.

    Why do we need a bad bank?

    • The idea gained currency during Rajan’s tenure as RBI Governor.
    • The RBI had then initiated an asset quality review (AQR) of banks and found that several banks had suppressed or hidden bad loans to show a healthy balance sheet.
    • However, the idea remained on paper amid lack of consensus on the efficacy of such an institution.
    • ARCs have not made any impact in resolving bad loans due to many procedural issues.
    • While commercial banks resume lending, the so-called bad bank, or a bank of bad loans, would try to sell these “assets” in the market.

    Good about the bad banks

    • The problem of NPAs continues in the banking sector, especially among the weaker banks.
    • The bad bank concept is in some ways similar to an ARC but is funded by the government initially, with banks and other investors co-investing in due course.
    • The presence of the government is seen as a means to speed up the clean-up process.
    • Many other countries had set up institutional mechanisms such as the Troubled Asset Relief Programme (TARP) in the US to deal with a problem of stress in the financial system.

    Back2Basics: NARCL

    • NARCL has been incorporated under the Companies Act and has applied to Reserve Bank of India for license as an Asset Reconstruction Company (ARC).
    • NARCL has been set up by banks to aggregate and consolidate stressed assets for their subsequent resolution.
    • Public Sector Banks will maintain 51% ownership in NARCL.
    • The NARCL will acquire assets by making an offer to the lead bank.
    • Once NARCL’s offer is accepted, then, IDRCL will be engaged for management and value addition.

     

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  • Parliament – Sessions, Procedures, Motions, Committees etc

    British PM faces No-Confidence Vote

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

    British Prime Minister will face a no-confidence vote that could oust him from power.

    What is No-Confidence Vote?

    • If the government has to demonstrate its strength on the floor of the House, it can have a motion of confidence.
    • However, the opposition parties (or any member) can move a motion expressing want of confidence (no confidence) in the Council of Ministers.
    • The procedure is laid down under Rule 198 of the rules of procedure and conduct of the business of the Lok Sabha.
    • A no-confidence motion need not set out any grounds on which it is based.
    • Even when grounds are mentioned in the notice and read out in the House, they do not form part of the no-confidence motion.

    Its procedure

    • A no-confidence motion can be moved by any member of the House.
    • It can be moved only in the Lok Sabha and not Rajya Sabha.
    • Rule 198 of the Rules of Procedure and conduct of Lok Sabha specifies the procedure for moving a no-confidence motion.
    • The member has to give written notice of the motion before 10 am which will be read out by the Speaker in the House.
    • A minimum of 50 members have to accept the motion and accordingly, the Speaker will announce the date for discussion for the motion.
    • The allotted date has to be within 10 days from the day the motion is accepted. Otherwise, the motion fails and the member who moved the motion will be informed about it.
    • If the government is not able to prove its majority in the House, then the government of the day has to resign.

    How is the voting done?

    These are the modes by which voting can be conducted:

    1. Voice vote: In a voice vote, the legislators respond orally.
    2. Division vote: In case of a division vote, voting is done using electronic gadgets, slips or in a ballot box.
    3. Ballot vote: The ballot box is usually a secret vote – just like how people vote during state or parliamentary elections.

    What happens if there is a tie?

    • Following the vote, the person who has the majority will be allowed to form the government.
    • In case there is a tie, the speaker can cast his vote.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.Consider the following statements regarding a No-Confidence Motion in India:

    1. There is no mention of a No-Confidence Motion in the Constitution of India.
    2. A Motion of No-Confidence can be introduced in the Lok Sabha only.

    Which of the statements given above is / are correct?

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) Both 1 and 2

    (d) Neither 1 nor 2

     

    Post your answers here.

    Back2Basics:  What is a Trust-Vote?

    • A confidence motion or a trust vote is a procedure for the government to prove its majority in the House.
    • A trust vote can take place by way of a motion of confidence which is moved by the government or brought by the opposition.
    • It is a motion normally proposed by the Prime Minister to test the majority in the Lok Sabha.
    • Such an exercise normally takes place when a new government is set to be formed.
    • Any party will first have to prove its majority on the floor of the House before taking over.
    • A trust vote can also be brought about if a government resigns and another party stakes a claim to form the government.

     

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  • Modern Indian History-Events and Personalities

    Sant Kabir: the extraordinary poet-saint of the Bhakti Movement

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

    President Kovind inaugurated the Sant Kabir Academy and Research Centre Swadesh Darshan Yojana and paid tribute to the Bhakti saint, Kabir at Maghar, his resting place in Uttar Pradesh.

    Kabir and the Bhakti Movement

    • The Bhakti movement, which began in the 7th century in South India, had begun to spread across north India in the 14th and the 15th centuries.
    • The movement was characterized by popular poet-saints who sang devotional songs to God in vernacular languages.
    • Most of the preaching were meant for abolishing the Varna system and promoting Hindu-Muslim unity.
    • They emphasized an intense emotional attachment with God.

    Who was Sant Kabir?

    • One school within the Bhakti movement was the Nirguni tradition and Sant Kabir was a prominent member of it.
    • In this tradition, God was understood to be a universal and formless being.
    • Many of the saints of the Bhakti movement came from the ranks of the lower to middle artisanal classes.
    • Kabir was an alleged ‘low caste’ weaver (Julaha), Raidas was a leather worker and Dadu a cotton carder.
    • Their radical dissent against orthodoxy and rejection of caste made these poet-saints extremely popular among the masses and their ideology of egalitarianism spread across India.

    His life

    • He was born in Varanasi and lived between the years 1398 and 1448, or till the year 1518 according to popular belief.
    • He was from a community of ‘lower caste’ weavers of the Julaha caste, a group that had recently converted to Islam.
    • He learned the art of weaving, likely studied meditative and devotional practices under the guidance of a Hindu guru and grew to become an eminent teacher and poet-singer.
    • Kabir’s beliefs were deeply radical, and he was known for his intense and outspoken voice which he used to attack the dominant religions and entrenched caste systems of the time.
    • He composed his verses orally and is generally assumed to be illiterate.

    His literary works

    • Kabir’s compositions can be classified into three literary forms – dohas (short two liners), ramanas (rhymed 4 liners), sung compositions of varying length, known as padas (verses) and sabdas (words).
    • There are myriad legendary accounts on the other hand, for which there exists less of a factual historical basis.

    Kabir’s critique of religion and caste

    • Kabir is in modern times portrayed as a figure that synthesized Islam and Hinduism.
    • While he did borrow elements from different traditions, he very forcefully proclaimed his independence from them.
    • He did not only target the rituals and practices of both Hinduism and Islam, but also dismissed the sacred authority of their religious books, the Vedas and the Quran.
    • He even combined Allah and Ram in his poems.
    • He sought to eradicate caste distinctions and attempted to create an egalitarian society, by stressing the notion that a Bhakt (devotee) was neither a Brahmin nor an ‘untouchable’ but just a Bhakt.

    Kabir’s legacy

    • Kabir’s own humble origins and his radical message of egalitarianism fostered a community of his followers called the Kabir Panth.
    • A sect in northern and central India, many of their members are from the Dalit community.
    • All regard Kabir as their guru and treat the Bijak as their holy scripture.
    • The Bijak contains works attributed to Kabir and is argued by historians to have been written in the 17th century.
    • Several of Kabir’s verses and songs form a vital part of the Guru Granth Sahib.

    Try this PYQ from CSP 2019:

    Q.Consider the following statements:

    1.Saint Nimbarka was a contemporary of Akbar.

    2.Saint Kabir was greatly influenced by Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) Both 1 and 2

    (d) Neither 1 nor 2

     

    Post your answers here.

     

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  • Historical and Archaeological Findings in News

    Ancient sculptures recovered from Australia, US

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

    Ten antiquities (sculptures) retrieved from Australia and the United States were handed over to the Government of Tamil Nadu.

    Some of the returned antiquities, and how they had gone missing:

    (1) Dvarapala:

    • Retrieved in 2020 from Australia, this stone sculpture belongs to the Vijayanagar dynasty dating to the 15th-16th century.
    • He is holding a gada in one hand and has another leg raised up to the level of his knee.
    • The sculpture was burgled from Moondreeswaramudayar Temple, Tiruneveli in1994.

    (2) Nataraja:

    • Retrieved in 2021 from the US, this image of Nataraja, a depiction of Shiva, in his divine cosmic dance form, is in tribhanga posture, standing on the lotus pedestal.
    • It is dateable to the 11th-12th century. Possibly, ananda tandava or the Dance of Bliss is portrayed here.
    • The sculpture was burgled from the strong room of Punnainallur Arulmigu Mariyamman Temple, Thanjavur, in 2018.

    (3) Kankalamurti:

    • Retrieved in 2021 from the US, Kankalamurti is depicted as a fearsome aspect of Lord Shiva and Bhairava.
    • The sculpture is four-armed, holding ayudhas such as damaru and trishula in the upper hands and a bowl and a trefoil shaped object, as a treat for the playful fawn, in the lower right hand.
    • The idol is dateable to the 12th-13th century, and was stolen from Narasinganadhar Swamy Temple, Tirunelveli in 1985.

    (4) Nandikeshvara:

    • Retrieved in 2021 from the US, this bronze image of Nandikeshvara is dateable to the 13th century.
    • It is shown standing in tribhanga posture with folded arms, holding an axe and a fawn in the upper arms, with his forearms in namaskara mudra.
    • This sculpture was stolen from Narasinganadhar Swamy Temple, Tirunelveli, in 1985.

    (5) Four-armed Vishnu:

    • Retrieved in 2021 from the US, dateable to the 11th century, and belonging to the later Chola period.
    • The sculpture has Lord Vishnu standing on a padma pedestal holding attributes such as shankha and chakra in two hands; while the lower right hand is in abhaya mudra.
    • It was stolen from Arulmigu Varadharaja Perumal Temple, Ariyalur, in 2008.

    (6) Goddess Parvati:

    • Retrieved in 2021 from the US, the image depicts a Chola-period sculpture dateable to the 11th century.
    • She is shown holding a lotus in the left hand whereas the right is hanging down near her kati.
    • This sculpture was also stolen from Arulmigu Varadharaja Perumal Temple, Ariyalur in 2008.

    (7) Standing child Sambandar:

    • Retrieved in 2022 from Australia. Sambandar, the popular 7th-century child saint, is one of the Muvar, the three principal saints of South India.
    • The sculpture is dateable to the 11th century.
    • The legend goes that after receiving a bowl of milk from Goddess Uma, the infant Sambandar devoted his life to composing hymns in praise of Lord Shiva.
    • The sculpture displays the saint’s childlike quality, while also empowering him with the maturity and authority of a spiritual leader.
    • It was stolen from Sayavaneeswarar Temple, Nagapattinam, between 1965 and 1975.

     

     

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

    Malnutrition in India is a worry in a modern scenario

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

    Context

    The country’s response to its burden of malnutrition and growing anaemia has to be practical and innovative.

    What is malnutrition?

    • Malnutrition refers to deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in a person’s intake of energy and/or nutrients.
    • The term malnutrition covers 2 broad groups of conditions.
    • One is ‘undernutrition’—which includes stunting (low height for age), wasting (low weight for height), underweight (low weight for age) and micronutrient deficiencies or insufficiencies (a lack of important vitamins and minerals).
    • The other is overweight, obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases (such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer).

    What are the root causes of malnutrition in India?

    The following three deficits are the root cause of malnutrition in India.

    1) Dietary deficit

    • There is a large dietary deficit among at least 40 per cent of our population of all age groups, shown in— the National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau’s Third Repeat Survey (2012), NFHS 4, 2015-16, the NNMB Technical Report Number 27, 2017.
    • Our current interventions are not being able to bridge this protein-calorie-micronutrient deficit.
    • The NHHS-4 and NFHS-5 surveys reveal an acute dietary deficit among infants below two years, and considerable stunting and wasting of infants below six months.
    • Unless this maternal/infant dietary deficit is addressed, we will not see rapid improvement in our nutritional indicators.

    2) Information deficit at household level

    • We do not have a national IEC (information, education and communication) programme that reaches targeted households to bring about the required behavioural change regarding some basic but critical facts.
    • For example, IEC tells about the importance of balanced diets in low-income household budgets, proper maternal, child and adolescent nutrition and healthcare.

    3) Inequitable market conditions

    • The largest deficit, which is a major cause of dietary deficiency and India’s chronic malnutrition, pertains to inequitable market conditions.
    • Such market conditions deny affordable and energy-fortified food to children, adolescents and adults in lower-income families.
    • The market has stacks of expensive fortified energy food and beverages for higher income groups, but nothing affordable for low-income groups.

    The vicious cycle of malnutrition

    • Link with mother: A child’s nutritional status is directly linked to their mother.
    • Poor nutrition among pregnant women affects the nutritional status of the child and has a greater chance to affect future generations.
    • Impact on studies: Undernourished children are at risk of under-performing in studies and have limited job prospects.
    • Impact on development of the country: This vicious cycle restrains the development of the country, whose workforce, affected mentally and physically, has reduced work capacity.

    Marginal improvement on Stunting and Wasting

    • The National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) has shown marginal improvement in different nutrition indicators, indicating that the pace of progress is slow.
    • This is despite declining rates of poverty, increased self-sufficiency in food production, and the implementation of a range of government programmes.
    • Children in several States are more undernourished now than they were five years ago.
    • Increased stunting in some states: Stunting is defined as low height-for-age.
    • While there was some reduction in stunting rates (35.5% from 38.4% in NFHS-4) 13 States or Union Territories have seen an increase in stunted children since NFHS-4.
    • This includes Gujarat, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Kerala.
    • Wasting remains stagnant: Wasting is defined as low weight-for-height.
    • Malnutrition trends across NFHS surveys show that wasting, the most visible and life-threatening form of malnutrition, has either risen or has remained stagnant over the years.

    Prevalence of anaemia in India

    • What is it? Anaemia is defined as the condition in which the number of red blood cells or the haemoglobin concentration within them is lower than normal.
    • Consequences: Anaemia has major consequences in terms of human health and development.
    • It reduces the work capacity of individuals, in turn impacting the economy and overall national growth.
    • Developing countries lose up to 4.05% in GDP per annum due to iron deficiency anaemia; India loses up to 1.18% of GDP annually.
    • The NFHS-5 survey indicates that more than 57% of women (15-49 years) and over 67% children (six-59 months) suffer from anaemia.

    Way forward

    1] Increase investment:

    • There is a greater need now to increase investment in women and children’s health and nutrition to ensure their sustainable development and improved quality of life.
    • Saksham Anganwadi and the Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nourishment (POSHAN) 2.0 programme have seen only a marginal increase in budgetary allocation this year (₹20,263 crore from ₹20,105 crore in 2021-22).
    • Additionally, 32% of funds released under POSHAN Abhiyaan to States and Union Territories have not been utilised.

    2] Adopt outcome oriented approach on the nutrition programme

    • India must adopt an outcome-oriented approach on nutrition programmes.
    • It is crucial that parliamentarians begin monitoring needs and interventions in their constituencies and raise awareness on the issues, impact, and solutions to address the challenges at the local level.
    • Direct engagement: There has to be direct engagement with nutritionally vulnerable groups and ensuring last-mile delivery of key nutrition services and interventions.
    • This will ensure greater awareness and proper planning and implementation of programmes.
    • This can then be replicated at the district and national levels.

    3] Increase awareness and mother’s education

    • With basic education and general awareness, every individual is informed, takes initiatives at the personal level and can become an agent of change.
    •  Various studies highlight a strong link between mothers’ education and improved access and compliance with nutrition interventions among children.

    4] Monitoring

    • There should be a process to monitor and evaluate programmes and address systemic and on the ground challenges.
    • A new or existing committee or the relevant standing committees meet and deliberate over effective policy decisions, monitor the implementation of schemes, and review nutritional status across States.

    Conclusion

    We must ensure our young population has a competitive advantage; nutrition and health are foundational to that outcome.

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

    Accessible India Campaign

    | Governance | Mains Paper 2: Laws, Institutions & Bodies Constituted For The Vulnerable Sections

    With its deadline of June 2022 almost up, the status of targets under the Accessible India Campaign (AIC) is likely to be discussed during a meeting of the Central Advisory Board on Disability.

    What is Accessible India Campaign?

    • Accessible India Campaign or Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan is a program that is launched to serve the differently-able community of the country.
    • The flagship program has been launched on 3 December 2015, the International Day of People with Disabilities.
    • The program comes with an index to measure the design of disabled-friendly buildings and human resource policies.
    • The initiative also in line with Article 9 of the (UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) which India is a signatory since 2007.
    • The scheme also comes under the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995 for equal Opportunities and protection of rights which provides non-discrimination in Transport to Persons with Disabilities.

    Recent developments

    • The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) released the Harmonised Guidelines and Standards for Universal Accessibility in India 2021.
    • Drafted by a team of the IIT-Roorkee and the National Institute of Urban Affairs of the MoHUA, the revised guidelines aim to give a holistic approach.
    • Earlier, the guidelines were for creating a barrier-free environment, but now they are focusing on universal accessibility.

    Key highlights

    • Ramps: The guidelines provide the gradient and length of ramps — for example, for a length of six metres, the gradient should be 1:12. The minimum clear width of a ramp should be 1,200 mm.
    • Beyond PwDs: While making public buildings and transport fully accessible for wheelchair users is covered in the guidelines, other users who may experience temporary problems have also been considered. For instance, a parent pushing a child’s pram while carrying groceries or other bags, and women wearing saris.
    • Women friendly: Built environment needs for accessibility for women should consider diverse age groups, diverse cultural contexts and diverse life situations in which women operate. Diverse forms of clothing (saris, salwar-kameez, etc.) and footwear (heels, kolhapuri chappals, etc.) require a certain orientations.
    • Accessibility symbols: The guidelines call for accessibility symbols for PwD, family-friendly facilities and transgender to be inclusively incorporated among the symbols for other user groups.
    • Targeted authorities: The guidelines are meant for State governments, government departments and the private sector, as well as for reference by architecture and planning institutes.

    Policy measures for PwDs

    • India is a signatory to the UN Convention the Right of Persons with Disabilities, which came into force in 2007.
    • The Union Minister for Social justice and Empowerment has also launched the “Sugamya Bharat App” to complain for ease accessibility for PwDs.
    • India has its dedicated the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, which is the principal and comprehensive legislation concerning persons with disabilities.

     

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

    What are Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLATs)?

    Prelims Only | International Relations | Mains Paper 2: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and agreements involving India

    The CBI is in the process of sending requests to several countries seeking information under the MLATs about those involved in the online sexual abuse of minors and circulation of child pornographic material on social media platforms.

    What are MLATs?

    • The MLATs in criminal matters are the bilateral treaties entered between the countries for providing international cooperation and assistance.
    • These agreements allow for the exchange of evidence and information in criminal and related matters between the signing countries.

    Benefits of Treaty

    • It enhances the effectiveness of participating countries in the investigation and prosecution of crime, through cooperation and mutual legal assistance.
    • It will provide a broad legal framework for tracing, restrain and confiscation of proceeds and instruments of crime as well as the funds meant to finance terrorist acts.
    • It will be instrumental in gaining better inputs and insights in the modus operandi of organized criminals and terrorists.
    • These in turn can be used to fine-tune policy decisions in the field of internal security.

    Enforcing MLATs in India

    • The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is the nodal Ministry and the Central authority for seeking and providing mutual legal assistance in criminal law matters.
    • The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) may be involved in this process when such requests are routed through diplomatic channels by these Ministries.
    • Section 105 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) speaks of reciprocal arrangements to be made by the Centre with the Foreign Governments

     

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