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  • Private Sector Boost in India’s Space Industry

    Principal Scientific Adviser stated earlier this month that the government would soon come up with a new space policy that could initiate the rise of India’s own “SpaceX-like Ventures”.

    Prospects of the proposed Space Policy

    • The final version of the policy would soon be referred to the Empowered Technology Group for further examination.
    • The proposed move would increase private sector participation in the industry.
    • The policy document recognizes that India has not tapped into its complete potential in space sector.

    Why is development in the space sector important?

    Ans. Address wide range of problems

    (1) Climate Change

    • Satellites provide more accurate information on weather forecasts and assess (and record) long-term trends in the climate and habitability of a region.
    • By monitoring the long-term impact of climate change at regional, territorial, and national scales, governments would be able to devise more pragmatic and combative plans of action for farmers and dependent industries.
    • Additionally, they can also serve as real-time monitoring and early-warning solutions against natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, wildfires, mining etc.
    • Real-time tracking can also serve multiple purposes in defence.

    (2)  Connectivity

    • In this light, it must be noted that satellite communications, which are used to facilitate telecommunication services, are among the major categories for investment in the space technology sector.
    • Satellite communication can reach more remote areas where conventional networks would require a heavy complimenting infrastructure.
    • Additionally, as to reliability, the World Economic Forum had stated that satellite communication can help connect 49% of the world’s unconnected population.
    • Other prominent categories include spacecraft and equipment manufacturing.
    • What essentially needs to be remembered is that the strategic space avenue is an integration of the aerospace, IT hardware and telecom sectors.

    Where does India stand in the global space market?

    • As per SpaceTech Analytics, India is the sixth-largest player in the industry internationally having 3.6% of the world’s space-tech companies (as of 2021).
    • US holds the leader’s spot housing 56.4% of all companies in the space-tech ecosystem.
    • Other major players include UK (6.5%), Canada (5.3%), China (4.7%) and Germany (4.1%).
    • The Indian Space Industry was valued at $7 billion in 2019 and aspires to grow to $50 billion by 2024.

    Why does India matter in the global space-tech market?

    • The country’s standout feature is its cost-effectiveness.
    • India holds the distinction of being the first country to have reached the Mars’ orbit in its first attempt and at $75 million — way cheaper than Western standards.

    Future prospects of India’s private ‘Space’

    Ans. India may lead in space junk management

    • Almost 60-odd start-ups had registered with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) this year.
    • A majority of them were dealing in projects related to space debris management.
    • As space becomes more congested with satellites, the technology would thus help in managing ‘space junk’ (debris of old spacecraft and satellites).

    Where does India lack?

    Ans. Undisputedly, it is the finances

    • The US and Canada were the highest receivers of space-related investment in 2021.
    • The US’s space budget was $41 billion in 2021, $23.3 billion of which was focused on NASA.
    • India’s total budgetary allocation for FY2022-23 towards the Department of Space was ₹13,700 crore ($172 million).
    • Further, as per Tracxn data, funding into the sector’s start-ups (in India) nearly tripled to $67.2 million on a year-over-year basis in 2021.

    How is the private sector’s involvement regulated in India?

    • In June 2020, the Union government announced reforms in the space sector enabling more private players to provide end-to-end services.
    • The central idea was to bring forth a predictable policy and regulatory environment for them and additionally provide access to ISRO facilities and assets to improve their capacities.

    (1) Establishment of IN-SPACe

    • An announcement for the establishment of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) was made.
    • It was mandated the task of promoting, authorising and licensing private players to carry out space activities.
    • As an oversight and regulatory body, it is responsible for devising mechanisms to offer sharing of technology, expertise, and facilities free of cost to promote non-government private entities (NGPEs).
    • IN-SPACe’s Monitoring and Promotion Directorate oversees NGPE’s activities as per prescribed regulations and reports back in case any corrective actions or resolutions are required.
    • ISRO shares its expertise in matters pertaining to quality and reliability protocols, documentation, and testing procedure through IN-SPACe’s ‘interface mechanism’.

    (2) Establishment of NSIL

    • Additionally, constituted in March 2019, New Space India Ltd (NSIL), is mandated to transfer the matured technologies developed by the ISRO to Indian industries.
    • All of them are under the purview of the Ministry of Defence.
    • Private sector’s involvement in the long term, as with other commercial sectors, is believed to help spur investment and expertise in the realm which is capital-intensive and demands high technology.

     

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  • Only 4 States adopt Model Tenancy Law

    More than a year since the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry circulated the Model Tenancy Act (MTA), only four States had revised their tenancy laws to be in line with the MTA.

    What is the Model Tenancy Act?

    • MTA is aimed at opening up of the vacant housing stock for rental housing purposes and helping bridge the trust deficit that exists between tenants and landlords by clearly delineating their obligations.
    • The housing and urban affairs ministry had floated the draft model tenancy law in July 2019.

    Major provisions of MTA

    (1) Rent Court and Rent Tribunal:

    • To ensure speedy redressal of disputes, the Act calls for establishing a separate Rent Court and Rent Tribunal in every state/UTs to hear appeals for matters connected to rental housing.
    • Only the rent court and no civil court will have the jurisdiction to hear and decide the applications relating to disputes between landowner and tenant and matters connected with it.
    • It calls for the disposal of complaints and appeals by the Rent Court and Rent Tribunals within 60 days.

    (2) Tenancy Agreements:

    • It also seeks to establish an independent authority in every state and Union Territory for the registration of tenancy agreements.
    • Under the Act, unless otherwise agreed in the tenancy agreement, the landlord will be responsible for activities like structural repairs except those necessitated by damage caused by the tenant etc.
    • On his part, a tenant will be responsible for drain cleaning, switches and socket repairs, kitchen fixtures repairs, replacement of glass panels in windows, doors and maintenance of gardens and open spaces, among others.

    For residential and commercial properties

    • The Act will apply to premises let out for residential, commercial or educational use, but not for industrial use. It also won’t cover hotels, lodging houses, inns, etc.
    • This model law will be applied prospectively and will not affect existing tenancies.
    • It seeks to cover both urban as well as rural areas.
    • The Act says that a security deposit equal to a maximum of two month’s rent in the case of residential premises and a maximum of six month’s rent in the case of non-residential premises would have to be paid by the tenants.

    How will states implement it?

    • As per the MoU signed under PMAY-U, the states and union territories would legislate or amend the existing rental laws on the lines of the MTA.

    Why was a need felt to bring this on?

    (1) For a rental economy

    • Without a well-rounded rental policy and the proper implementation of the rental contracts, there was no sound mechanism to resolve tenant-landlord conflicts.
    • Property owners find it challenging to evict tenants if they misuse the property.
    • To steer clear of such complications, such property owners often chose to keep these homes vacant instead of renting them out.

    (2) Unattractive rental yield

    • In India, the rental yield for residential property is quite low, even in bigger cities. It is in the range of 1.5% to 3% of the capital values.
    • This has disincentivized people from investing in second or third homes which could be rented out.
    • Often, they also prefer to leave their properties vacant in case they return to India.
    • NRIs avoid leasing their residential properties for fear of squatters and dealing with the legalities of eviction.

    How will MTA help?

    (1) Unlocking homes

    • It will unlock vacant houses for rental purposes
    • It will enable the creation of adequate rental housing stock for all the income groups thereby addressing the issue of homelessness.

    (2) Helping migrants

    • Rental housing is a preferred option for students and migrants.
    • It will balance the rights of both landlords and tenants.

    (3) Effective negotiations

    • There is no monetary ceiling under MTA, which enables parties to negotiate and execute the agreement on mutually agreed terms.
    • It will give confidence to landlords to let out their vacant premises, the housing ministry said.
    • The Act also tries to address how a renter can legitimately increase the rent.

    (4) Control over encroachments

    • It has proposed limiting the advance security deposits to two months’ rent and has also suggested heavy penalties for tenants who decide to overstay.
    • Those who do may have to shell out double the rent for two months and even four months.

    (5) Rights of tenants

    • The landowner cannot cut power and water supplies in case of a dispute and would have to provide a 24-hour notice to tenants to carry out repair work.
    • Should the landlords wish to increase the rent, they will need to provide a three-months notice to the tenants.
    • These measures would go a long way in protecting the rights of a tenant as it regulates the rent hikes that tenants have had to face.

    Challenges ahead

    While the proposals of the Act have been widely welcomed, their implementation may not be very simple.

    (1) Not binding nature

    • The Act is not binding on the states as land and urban development remain state subjects.
    • Like in the case of RERA, the fear is that states may choose not to follow guidelines, diluting the essence of the Model Act.

    (2) Issues over paltry rents

    • Also, the Model Act is prospectively applicable and will not affect the existing tenancies.
    • The repeal of rent control Acts can be governed by political exigencies.
    • This may be a complicated process in cities like Mumbai, where tenants have occupied residential properties in prime areas for absurdly low rents.

     

     

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  • 26th July 2022| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement(AWE)

    Topics for Today’s questions:

    GS-1          Population and associated issues

    GS-2         Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting  India’s interests.

    GS-3        Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.

    GS-4        Emotional intelligence-concepts, and their utilities and application in administration and governance.

    Question 1)

     

    Q.1 The window to realise India’s demographic potential is narrowing with time. Discuss in context of factors affecting the employability of Indian youth and their remedial measures. (10 Marks)

     

    Question 2)

    Q.2 “The combined financial firepower, human capital, and technology prowess available between the two countries would place the world on a safer and more stable plane. The India-US partnership is, in that sense, not a nicety but a necessity for the new multipolar world order.” Comment. (15 Marks)

    Question 3)

    Q.3 What are the reasons for discrimination or bias in the AI? How agreement reached at the UNESCO on AI governance could help deal with the issues with AI? (10 Marks)

    Question 4)  

    Q.4 What do you understand by conformity, compliance and obedience? Discuss their relevance in the context of civil services in India. (10 Marks)

     

    HOW TO ATTEMPT ANSWERS IN DAILY ANSWER WRITING ENHANCEMENT(AWE)?

    1. Daily 4 questions from General studies 1, 2, 3, and 4 will be provided to you.

    2. A Mentor’s Comment will be available for all answers. This can be used as a guidance tool but we encourage you to write original answers.

    3. You can write your answer on an A4 sheet and scan/click pictures of the same.

    4.  Upload the scanned answer in the comment section of the same question.

    5. Along with the scanned answer, please share your Razor payment ID, so that paid members are given priority.

    6. If you upload the answer on the same day like the answer of 11th  February is uploaded on 11th February then your answer will be checked within 72 hours. Also, reviews will be in the order of submission- First come first serve basis

    7. If you are writing answers late, for example, 11th February is uploaded on 13th February , then these answers will be evaluated as per the mentor’s schedule.

    8. We encourage you to write answers on the same day. However, if you are uploading an answer late then tag the mentor like @Staff so that the mentor is notified about your answer.

    *In case your answer is not reviewed, reply to your answer saying *NOT CHECKED*. 

    1. For the philosophy of AWE and payment: 
    CLICK HERE To join Daily AWE

  • NITI Aayog’s plan for rollout of Digital Banks

    Last week, federal think tank NITI Aayog released a report on digital banks, offering a template for their licensing in India. It said India already has a technology stack to facilitate digital banks.

    What are the planned Digital Banks?

    • Digital Banks or DBs are full-scale banks to be licensed under the Banking Regulation Act.
    • Unlike traditional banks, which require brick-and-mortar infrastructure or physical access points, digital banks simply leverage technology to provide banking services through mobile applications and internet-based platforms.
    • DBs behave like any other scheduled commercial bank, accepting deposits, giving loans etc.
    • They will follow prudential and liquidity norms at par with the commercial banks.
    • Globally, terms like “digital banks”, “neobanks”, “challenger banks”, and “virtual banks” are often used interchangeably.

    What about digital banking units then?

    • The Union budget for FY23 proposed to establish digital banking units (DBUs) of scheduled commercial banks in 75 districts.
    • The objective is to ensure that the benefits of digital payments, banking and fintech innovations reach the grass-roots.
    • DBUs are treated as banking outlets, equivalent to a branch.
    • These units do not have a legal personality and are not licensed under the Banking Regulation Act.
    • Only existing commercial banks may establish DBUs. In contrast, digital banks will be licensed.
    • These banks are expected to ensure credit penetration to underserved MSMEs and retail customers.

    What purpose will digital banks serve?

    • Digital banks are expected to further innovation and support the underserved segments.
    • However, some believe that it will only cater to customers with some level of comfort with digital transactions.
    • According to them, RBI too is not comfortable with this model as the central bank believes that cash handling and credit decisions require physical branches.

    What does NITI Aayog suggest for DBs?

    • In the first phase, a restricted digital bank licence may be given, with limits in terms of volume/value of customers. In the second stage, the licensee will be put in a regulatory sandbox.
    • Finally, a ‘full-scale’ licence may be granted contingent on satisfactory performance.
    • A digital bank will be required to have initial capital of ₹20 crore while in the regulatory sandbox.
    • Upon progression from the sandbox, a full-stack digital business/consumer bank will be required to bring in ₹200 crore capital.

    What has been the global experience?

    • The UK has led the pack in terms of digital banks, with new entrants in the form of Monzo and Starling Bank.
    • Several jurisdictions in the South East Asian region have witnessed the rise of digital banks.
    • Hong Kong has issued separate licences for virtual banks.
    • As of May 2020, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority has licensed 8 entities out of 33 applications.
    • In South Korea, Kakao Bank and K Bank operate as internet banks licensed under the Banking Act.
    • The Philippines has approved six licenses for digital banks.

     

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  • Who was Raja Ravi Varma?

    Ahead of the 175th birth anniversary fete of the legendary artist Raja Ravi Varma, erstwhile royal family of Kilimanoor has urged the Union government to posthumously confer the Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian award, on him.

    Raja Ravi Varma

    • Raja Ravi Varma was born in April 1848 in Kilimanoor, Kerala, to a family which was very close to the royals of Travancore.
    • Often referred to as the father of modern Indian art, he is widely known for his realistic portrayal of Indian gods and goddesses.
    • While he majorly painted for the royalty, he is also credited for taking art to the masses with his prints and oleographs.
    • At a young age, he would draw animals and everyday scenes on the walls in indigenous colours made from natural materials such as leaves, flowers and soil.
    • His uncle, Raja Raja Varma, noticed this and encouraged his talent.
    • Patronised by Ayilyam Thirunal, the then ruler of Travancore, he learnt watercolour painting from the royal painter Ramaswamy Naidu, and later trained in oil painting from Dutch artist Theodore Jensen.

    How he become an artist of the royals?

    • Varma became a much sought-after artist for the aristocrats and was commissioned several portraits in late 19th century.
    • Arguably, at one point, he became so popular that the Kilimanoor Palace in Kerala opened a post office due to the sheer number of painting requests that would come in for him.
    • He travelled across India extensively, for work and inspiration.

    Fame as a notable painter

    • Following a portrait of Maharaja Sayajirao of Baroda, he has commissioned 14 Puranic paintings for the Durbar Hall of the new Lakshmi Vilas Palace at Baroda.
    • Depicting Indian culture, Varma borrowed from episodes of Mahabharata and Ramayana for the same.
    • He also received patronage from numerous other rulers, including the Maharaja of Mysore and Maharaja of Udaipur.
    • As his popularity soared, the artist won an award for an exhibition of his paintings at Vienna in 1873.
    • He was also awarded three gold medals at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893.

    Nature of his artforms

    • Much of his celebrated art also borrows heavily from Indian mythology.
    • In fact, he is often credited with defining the images of Indian gods and goddesses through his relatable and more realistic portrayals often painted with humans as models.
    • The depictions include Lakshmi as the goddess of wealth, Saraswati as the goddess of knowledge and wisdom, and Lord Vishnu with his consorts, Maya and Lakshmi.

    How he took Indian art to the masses?

    • Raja Ravi Varma aspired to take his art to the masses and the intent led him to open a Lithographic Press in Bombay in 1894.
    • The idea, reportedly, came from Sir T Madhava Rao, former Dewan of Travancore and later Baroda, in a letter where he pointed out to Varma that since it was impossible for him to meet the large demand for his work, it would be ideal for him to send some of his select works to Europe and have them produced as oleographs.
    • Varma, instead, chose to establish a printing press of his own.
    • The first picture printed at Varma’s press was reportedly The Birth of Shakuntala, followed by numerous mythological figures and saints such as Adi Shankaracharya.

    Major works

    • It is believed that he had made around 7,000 paintings before his death at the age of 58.
    • But only one painting is now left in ‘Chithrashala,’ the artist’s studio at Kilimanoor Palace — an unfinished portrait of ‘Parsi lady’ which was his last work.
    • Some of his popular works include ‘Lady in the Moonlight’, ‘Nair Lady Adorning Her Hair’, ‘Malabar Lady with Violin’, ‘Lady with Swarbat’, and ‘Maharashtrian Lady with Fruits’.

    Try this PYQ:

     

    There are only two known examples of cave paintings of the Gupta period in ancient India. One of these is paintings of Ajanta caves. Where is the other surviving example of Gupta paintings?

    (a) Bagh caves

    (b) Ellora caves

    (c) Lomas Rishi cave

    (d) Nasik caves

     

    Post your answers here.

    Back2Basics: Bharat Ratna

    • Bharat Ratna – ‘Jewel of India’ is the highest civilian award of the country.
    • It is conferred for exceptional Service to the nation in various fields such as Science arts, literature and recognition of public service of the highest order.
    • The award can be granted posthumously and since its establishment, seven awards were granted posthumously.
    • The award was established by formal President of India Rajendra Prasad on 2nd January 1954.
    • The concept of awarding this award posthumously was not there in the original statute declared in January 1954.
    • Provision to award posthumously was finally added in January 1966 statute of this prestigious award.
    • The medallion is cast in Bronze.
    • The medallion is designed like the leaf of a pipal tree with a sunburst in the centre and Bharat Ratna is engraved underneath it.

     

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  • Tribal Revolts President Murmu invoked in her inaugural speech

    Addressing the nation after being sworn in, President Murmu invoked four tribal revolutions that she said had strengthened tribal contribution to the freedom struggle.

    [1] Santhal revolution

    • On June 30, 1855, over 10,000 Santhals were mobilised by their leaders — Kanho Murmu, Chand Murmu, Bhairab Murmu and Sidho Murmu – to revolt against the East India Company over oppression by revenue officials, zamindars, and corrupt moneylenders.
    • The landmark event in tribal history, referred to as Santhal Hul, took place in Bhognadih village in present-day Jharkhand.
    • Soon after their open rebellion, Santhals took to arms to resist imposition of East India Company laws.
    • The seeds of the protracted rebellion, however, were sown in 1832 where the East India Company created Damin-i-koh region in the forested belt of Rajmahal hills, and invited the Santhals to settle there.
    • Over the years, Santhals found themselves at the receiving end of exploitative practices aided by the British.
    • After the rebellion broke out in 1855, both sides continued clashing till the uprising was crushed in 1856.
    • The British defeated the Santhals using modern firearms and war elephants in decisive action in which both Sidho and Kanho died.

    [2] Paika rebellion

    • In several recent descriptions, the 1817 Paika Rebellion in Odisha’s Khurda is referred to as the “original” first war of Indian Independence.
    • That year, the Paikas – a class of military retainers traditionally recruited by the kings of Odisha – revolted against the British colonial rulers mainly over being dispossessed of their land holdings.
    • In the run-up to the revolt, the British had dethroned and exiled the Khurda king in 1803, and then started introducing new revenue settlements.
    • For Paikas, who were into rendering martial services in return for hereditary rent-free land (nish-kar jagirs) and titles, this disruption meant losing both their estates and social standing.
    • The trigger for the revolt came as some 400 Kondhs descended from the Ghumusar area to rise against the British.
    • Bakshi Jagabandhu Bidyadhar Mohapatra Bharamarbar Rai, the highest-ranking military general of the banished Khurda king, led an army of Paikas to join the uprising of the Kondhs.
    • The Paikas set fire to government buildings in Banapur, killed policemen and looted the treasury and the British salt agent’s ship docked on the Chilika.
    • They then proceeded to Khurda and killed several British officials.
    • Over the next few months, the Paikas fought bloody battles at several places, but the colonial army gradually crushed the revolt.
    • Bakshi Jagabandhu escaped to the jungles, and stayed out of reach of the British until 1825, when he finally surrendered under negotiated terms.

    [3] Kol revolt

    • The Kols, tribal people from the Chhota Nagpur area, rose in revolt against the British in 1831.
    • The trigger here too was the gradual takeover of tribal land and property by non-tribal settlers who were aided by new land laws.
    • The simmering discontent over the economic exploitation of the original inhabitants led to an uprising led by Buddhu Bhagat, Joa Bhagat and Madara Mahato among others.
    • The Kols were joined by other tribes like the Hos, Mundas and Oraons.
    • The tribals fought with traditional weapons taking the battle to colonial forces who finally overpowered them with modern weaponry.
    • The uprising, which spread to areas like Ranchi, Hazaribagh, Palamau, and Manbhum and continued for almost two years before being snuffed out, mainly targeted colonial officials and private money-lenders.

    [4] Bhil uprising

    • After the British intruded into the Bhil territory in Maharashtra’s Khandesh region, the tribals pushed back fearing exploitation under the new regime in 1818.
    • The revolt was led by their leader, Sewaram and was brutally crushed using the British military might.
    • This uprising again erupted in 1825 as the Bhils sought to take advantage of reverses being suffered by the British in the first Anglo-Burmese war.

    Also read:

    Important Rebellions and Peasant Movements

     

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  • IIT-Bombay to help treat Mumbai’s Sewage with new tech

    To prevent sludge and sewage from stormwater drains from flowing into the sea, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has planned in-situ treatment of sewage from the drains with the help of N-Treat Technology developed by IIT-B.

    What is N-Treat technology?

    • N-Treat is a seven-stage process for waste treatment that uses screens, gates, silt traps, curtains of coconut fibres for filtration, and disinfection using sodium hypochlorite.
    • According to the detailed project report for N-Treat, it is a natural and environment-friendly way of sewage treatment.
    • It’s setup takes place within the nullahs channels that is through the in-situ or on-site method of treatment, and does not require additional space.

    What does the process involve?

    (1) Screening

    • The first stage involves screening to prevent the entry of floating objects such as plastic cups, paper dishes, polythene bags, sanitary napkins, or wood.
    • IIT-B has proposed to install three coarse screens, the first with 60 mm spacing for removal of large floating matter, the second with 40 mm spacing, and the third with 20 mm spacing.

    (2) Slit trap

    • The second stage has proposed construction of a silt trap, which creates an inclination and ‘parking spot’ on the bed of the nullah for sedimentation.

    (3) Bio zones

    • The next three stages are installation of ‘bio zones’ in the form of coconut fibre curtains that will act as filters and promote growth of biofilm to help in decomposition of organic matter.
    • A floating wetland with aquatic vegetation planted on floating mats has been proposed.

    (4) Florafts

    • Aside from a floating bed on the surface, IIT-B has proposed suspending floating rafts vertically, called florafts.
    • Their hanging roots would provide a large surface area for passive filtration as well as development of microbial consortium.
    • In the floating wetlands, plants acquire nutrition directly from the water column for their growth and development, thus reducing the organic as well as inorganic pollutants.
    • The final stage for sewage treatment will include disinfection using sodium hypochlorite, to kill the bacteria in the water.

    How will it be used by BMC?

    • A senior civic official said: “BMC approached IIT-B to submit a Detailed Project Report for the project.
    • The N-Treat method suggested to the civic body is cost-effective, as it does not require manual pumping, and saves electricity, and does not require extensive manpower for maintenance.”
    • The floating matter will be removed daily, silt deposits from the silt traps will be removed once in four months, and plants will be trimmed as required.
    • The floating matter collected every day will be disposed of at the nearest municipal waste collection point daily.

     

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  • Law panel to examine Simultaneous Elections

    The issue of holding simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections had been referred to the Law Commission for a practicable road map and a framework can be worked out, the Union Law Minister informed the Lok Sabha.

    What are simultaneous polls?

    • Currently, elections to the state assemblies and the Lok Sabha are held separately — that is whenever the incumbent government’s five-year term ends or whenever it is dissolved due to various reasons.
    • This applies to both the state legislatures and the Lok Sabha. The terms of Legislative Assemblies and the Lok Sabha may not synchronize with one another.
    • For instance, Rajasthan faced elections in late 2018, whereas Tamil Nadu will go to elections only in 2021.
    • But the idea of “One Nation, One Election” envisages a system where elections to all states and the Lok Sabha will have to be held simultaneously.

    Simultaneous polls in India

    • India had concurrent elections for the first two decades.
    • Starting from the first general elections of free India in 1951 and the next three cycles of elections, the country witnessed concurrent Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
    • Exceptions to these were a few states like Kerala where a mid-term election was held in 1960 on the premature dissolution of the Assembly.
    • In Nagaland and Pondicherry where the Legislative Assembly was created only after the 1962 general elections.

    End of the era

    • The fourth Lok Sabha constituted in 1967 was dissolved prematurely in 1971 ahead of its normal term resulting in a mid-term Lok Sabha election.
    • This was the beginning of the end of simultaneous elections in India.
    • Extension of the term of Lok Sabha during the National Emergency declared in 1975 and the dissolution of Assemblies of some States after the 1977 Lok Sabha election further disturbed this cycle.
    • Currently, there are at least two rounds of Assembly general elections every year.

    Making simultaneous elections a reality

    • Sections 14 and 15 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, empower the Election Commission to notify elections any time during the last six months of the term of the House and not earlier than that.
    • Therefore, if the terms of the Houses are expiring within a window of three to four months, it would be legally possible to hold elections simultaneously to constitute the new Houses.
    • In other words, to contemplate simultaneous elections, we need, as a starting point, a situation where the Lok Sabha and the Legislative Assemblies of all States and UTs have their terms ending together.

    Synchronizing the terms of the Houses

    • Both the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies (ordinarily) have a term of five years.
    • Article 83 of the Constitution provides for the tenure of Lok Sabha. Identical provisions are present in Article 172(1) regarding the term of the Legislative Assemblies.

    There is no duplication of work in preparing the electoral rolls for the two elections and hence no extra labor or expenditure is involved on this count.

    What is required?

    • This necessarily calls for either extending the terms of several of the Houses or curtailing of terms or a combination of both, that too by two to three years in some cases.
    • For enabling such curtailing or extension of the term, the relevant Articles of the Constitution mentioned above will have to be suitably amended.

    Why Simultaneous Elections?

    Two seemingly relevant factors in favor of simultaneous elections, as opposed to separate elections, are:

    1. Effort saving: Simultaneous elections reduce labour, time and expenditure in the conduct of elections; and
    2. Instances of pause in governance are addressed if elections are conducted in one go instead of staggered elections.

    [1] How is effort saving possible?

    • Electoral roll: Polling stations for Lok Sabha and Legislative Assembly elections are the same. So is the electoral roll.
    • Labour: There is no duplication of work in preparing the electoral rolls for the two elections and hence no extra labour or expenditure is involved on this count.
    • Logistics: In the conduct of elections, all logistic arrangements are replicated for the two elections when the same drill can cater to both the elections if held together.
    • Security: This will also mean saving in terms of human resources. Another area of saving in simultaneous elections would be in the deployment of the Central Police Force.

    [2] Governance pause can be avoided

    • Instances of pause in governance is due to the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
    • MCC is a set of behavior guidelines for candidates and political parties that comes into operation from the date election is announced by the Election Commission.
    • A crucial part of the MCC is the restrictions on the party in power.  If all elections are held together, the restrictions under MCC will be through in one go.

    [3] Help reduce campaign expenses

    • Simultaneous elections can bring considerable savings in the election propaganda campaign expenditure for the political parties.
    • Given that political funding is a major factor in the increasing menace of corruption, the move to reduce campaign expenditure is a welcome initiative.

    [4] Voter turnout

    • A nationwide election could push up the voter turnout since a once-in-five-years event is bound to attract more enthusiastic participation across all sections.
    • Frequent elections can bring in the election-fatigue factor at least among some sections of electors.
    • The simultaneous elections help address the fatigue element and the usually observed urban apathy in voting. Better electors’ participation will further add to the credibility of the election.

    Exceptions to this debate: Local Bodies’ Elections

    • The local bodies’ elections have not been considered for the analysis here.
    • This is for the reason that the elections to local bodies cannot be clubbed with the proposed simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha.

    Why?

    • The elections to local bodies are conducted under the superintendence, direction, and control of a different constitutional authority, namely, the respective State Election Commission.
    • Holding local bodies’ elections along with the other elections will require the team of the same polling officials to report to and take instructions from two different authorities simultaneously.
    • There is a distinct set of polling stations too for local bodies’ elections.
    • Further, the litigation forum before which these elections can be challenged is different.

    Challenges in ensuring simultaneous elections in India:

    [1] Synchronizing the Houses

    • Bringing the terms of all the Houses to sync with one another necessarily calls for either extending the terms of several of the Houses or curtailing of terms or a combination of both.
    • This may be by two to three years in some cases.
    • For this, relevant Articles of the Constitution will have to be suitably amended.

    [2] Midterm dissolution cannot be controlled

    • Even if the terms of the Houses are in sync as a one-time measure, we will still need an adequate legal safeguard in place to avoid mid-term dissolution and protect the simultaneous elections cycle.
    • This can be a tough task in conventionally fragile states with smaller assemblies with coalitions.

    [3] EVM related expenses

    • One aspect that could offset the savings would be the doubling of expenses on electronic voting machines (EVMs).
    • Considering that the incidental recurring expense in the storage and security of the EVMs will also be a considerable amount.
    • The overall expenditure in holding elections may not see any substantial dip on account of simultaneous elections.

    Arguments against the idea

    • National and state issues are different, and holding simultaneous elections is likely to affect the judgment of voters.
    • Since elections will be held once in five years, it will reduce the government’s accountability to the people. Repeated elections keep legislators on their toes and increase accountability.
    • When an election in a State is postponed until the synchronized phase, President’s rule will have to be imposed in the interim period in that state.
    • This will be a blow to democracy and federalism.

    Way forward

    • We need an adequate legal safeguarding place to avoid mid-term dissolution and protect the simultaneous elections cycle.
    • For maintaining the electoral cycle, some countries have legal provisions to the effect that for a ‘no-confidence motion’.
    • Their proposed resolution also contains a constructive ‘vote of confidence in an alternative government to continue with the tenure.

     

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