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  • On Section 124A Supreme Court has aligned itself with the collective conscience

    Context

    The Supreme Court’s seminal intervention in a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of section 124A of the Indian Penal Code is a watershed moment in the progressive expansion of human rights jurisprudence.

    Abuse of sedition law

    • The slapping of sedition charges against political opponents and others in Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have confirmed that the abuse of the sedition law is no longer an aberration.
    • It has become a norm that has hollowed out the constitutional guarantee of fundamental rights and exposed individuals to the rigour of draconian laws unjustly invoked, outraging national sensitivities as never before.

    Significance of the move

    • In what is seen as a first in judicial history, the Supreme Court has virtually rendered redundant the provision of a criminal law without expressly declaring it as unconstitutional.
    • In an example of judicial statecraft, the court has shielded individuals against a harsh law without trenching on Parliament’s legislative remit or the executive’s command over policy decisions.
    • Plenary jurisdiction: Exercising plenary jurisdiction, the Supreme Court is expected to see through its suggestions/orders to the government, particularly when these concern the non-negotiable fundamental rights of citizens.
    • Suggestive jurisdiction: As an organ of the state, the Supreme Court’s suggestive jurisdiction is clearly in accord with its declared law (Nagaraj, 2006) that the state (of which the court is an integral constituent), is under a duty not only to protect individual rights but is also obliged to facilitate the same.
    • Validating the nations role: The court-inspired initiatives would also validate the nation’s preeminent role in the shaping of a new world order.

    Implications of the law

    • Nudging the government towards anti-lynching law: As with the sedition law, it can nudge the government to enact an anti-lynching humanitarian law as suggested by it and a comprehensive law against custodial torture.
    •  Law against custodial torture: The absence of an anti-custodial torture law, a glaring gap in the architecture of the criminal justice system, is inexplicable considering the command of Article 21, recommendations of the Select Committee of Rajya Sabha (2010), the Law Commission of India (2017) and the Human Rights Commission and the judgments of the Supreme Court (Puttaswamy, 2017; Jeeja Ghosh, 2016; and Shabnam, 2015).
    • Implications for the UAPA: It is expected likewise from the court to intervene suitably and read down the UAPA and other criminal laws that have been repeatedly misused to trample upon the civil liberties and rights of the people.

    Conclusion

    This is indeed the moment to seize, as the government reviews the nation’s legal structures. The initiatives suggested above are in aid of democracy anchored in the inviolability of human rights and would enhance India’s soft power in our engagement with the international community.

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  • Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill, 2021

    What is issue:

    A senior parliamentarian has expressed concern over the Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which is in the final stages of consultations in the Joint Parliamentary Committee.

    Biological Diversity Act (BDA), 2002: 

    • The BDA, 2002 was enacted for the conservation of biological diversity and fair, equitable sharing of the monetary benefits from the commercial use of biological resources and traditional knowledge.
    • The main intent of this legislation is to protect India’s rich biodiversity and associated knowledge against their use by foreign individuals.
    • It seeks to check biopiracy, protect biological diversity and local growers through a three-tier structure of central and state boards and local committees.
    • The Act provides for setting up of a National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) and Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) in local bodies.
    • The NBA will enjoy the power of a civil court.

    What are the proposed Amendments?

    The amendment bill seeks to reduce the pressure on wild medicinal plants by encouraging the cultivation of medicinal plants and Decriminalizes certain offences.

    • Biological resources sharing: Exempts Ayush practitioners from intimating biodiversity boards for accessing biological resources or knowledge (Vaids and Hakims)
    • Research promotion: Facilitates fast-tracking of research, simplify the patent application process
    • Bring in foreign investment: Seeks to bring more foreign investments in biological resources, research, patent and commercial utilisation, without compromising the national interest

    Need for the Amendment

    • Simplifying process: Concerns were raised by Ayush medicine, seed, industry and research sectors urging the government to simplify, streamline the profession.
    • Easing compliance: They urged govt to reduce the compliance burden to provide for a conducive environment for collaborative research and investments.
    • Access and Benefit-sharing: It also sought to simplify the patent application process, widen the scope of access and benefit-sharing with local communities.
    • Exemptions: Ayush practitioners have been exempted from the ambit of the Act, a huge move because the Ayush industry benefits greatly from biological resources in India.
    • Certain offences: Violations of the law related to benefit-sharing with communities, which are currently treated as criminal offences and are non-bailable, have been proposed to be made civil offences.
    • Imbibing Nagoya Protocol: This bill provides to reconcile the domestic law with free prior informed consent requirements of the 2010 Nayogya Protocol on ABS.

    Criticisms of the bill

    • No consultation: The bill has been introduced without seeking public comments as required under the pre-legislative consultative policy.
    • No profit-sharing: There are ambiguous provisions in the proposed amendment to protect, conserve or increase the stake of local communities in the sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity.
    • Commercialization: Activists say that the amendments were done to “solely benefit” the AYUSH Ministry.
    • Loopholes to Biopiracy: The Bill would mean AYUSH manufacturing companies would no longer need to take approvals.
    • Ignoring Bio-utilization: The bill has excluded the term Bio-utilization which is an important element in the Act.  Leaving out bio utilization would leave out an array of activities like characterization, incentivisation and bioassay which are undertaken with commercial motive.
    • Exotic plants cultivation: The bill also exempts cultivated medicinal plants from the purview of the Act but it is practically impossible to detect which plants are cultivated and which are from the wild.
    • De-licensing: This provision could allow large companies to evade the requirement for prior approval or share the benefit with local communities.

  • India’s Total Factor Productivity (TFP)

    India’s total factor productivity (TFP) growth has seen a moderate decline compared to the global experience, though it remains above that of emerging markets and developing economies, according to a recent report.

    What is Total factor productivity (TFP)?

    • Productivity levels measure the relationship between total products or output, and inputs or factors of production employed.
    • Labour productivity is a measure of total output divided by the units of labour employed in the process of production.
    • However, TFP is a measure of total output divided by a weighted average of inputs; i.e., labour and capital.
    • Improvements in TFP bring down production costs, raise output levels, and lead to a higher gross domestic product.
    • While total productivity measures all-inclusive productivity, TFP is a measure of production efficiency.

    How has India fared thus far?

    • A recent Reserve Bank of India (RBI) report points to a moderate decline in TFP growth compared to the global experience.
    • TFP growth rate for India during the 2010-2019 period was approximately 2.2%, as against -0.3% for emerging markets and developing economies.
    • During the pandemic, the TFP for India declined by 2.9% in 2020 and marginally improved by 0.1% in 2021.
    • In 2022, TFP growth rate is projected to increase to 2%.
    • As per estimates, TFP growth contributed to 30% of India’s GDP growth during 2010-2018.
    • It was largely driven by public administration, quality education and social works.

    What has been the TFP trend across the world?

    • Global productivity growth has witnessed a prolonged slowdown since 2010, with the deceleration sharper in emerging and developing economies.
    • This is ascribed to a weakening investment climate, and lower employment growth levels in developed economies, among others.
    • TFP growth for the world economy was 0.7% in 2021 and may shrink by 0.5% in 2022.

    What are the ways to improve TFP?

    • India’s initiatives around skill development and the new education policy are steps in the right direction, since they focus on boosting manpower employability.
    • Quality education, better healthcare, nurturing of innovation, introduction of efficient technology and processes in domestic companies and reduction in misallocation of resources can help improve TFP levels.
    • Though the country’s ranking in the Global Innovation Index, 2021 has improved to 46, it still has some distance to go.

    How can the industry improve productivity?

    • Improved TFP minimizes per-unit cost facilitating the horizontal expansion of consumption demand, thereby improving the standard of living.
    • Employers have fortunately started acknowledging the fact that manpower is an essential component in profit earnings.
    • Today, the focus has shifted to retaining talent, which is limited in supply.
    • This positive transformation seen after the pandemic needs to be further extended.

     

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  • Highlights of the Seoul Forest Declaration

    The participants from 141 countries gathered in person and online at the 15th World Forestry Congress in Seoul, Republic of Korea adopted the Seoul Forest Declaration.

    Seoul Forest Declaration

    • Shared responsibility: The Declaration urges that responsibility for forests should be shared and integrated across institutions, sectors and stakeholders.
    • Increased investment: Investment in forest and landscape restoration globally needs to triple by 2030 to meet internationally agreed commitments and targets on restoring degraded land.
    • Moving towards circular economy: One of the key takeaways was the importance of moving towards a circular bioeconomy and climate neutrality.
    • Innovative green financing mechanisms: To upscale investment in forest conservation, restoration and sustainable use, and highlighted the potential of sustainably produced wood as a renewable, recyclable and versatile material.
    • Decision-making: It urged the continued development and use of emerging innovative technologies and mechanisms to enable evidence-based forest and landscape decision-making.

    Other takeaways

    • Close cooperation among nations is needed to address challenges that transcend political boundaries.
    • This was strengthened at the Congress by the launch of new partnerships such as the:
    1. Assuring the Future of Forests with Integrated Risk Management (AFFIRM) Mechanism and
    2. Sustaining an Abundance of Forest Ecosystems (SAFE) Initiative

    Back2Basics: World Forestry Congress

    • The first World Forestry Congress first held in Rome in 1926. After that, it is held about every six years by the UN-FAO.
    • In 1954, FAO was entrusted with supporting Congress preparations in close cooperation with the host country and proudly continues to do so today. .
    • It has been providing a forum for inclusive discussion on the key challenges and way forward for the forestry sector.

     

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  • What are Urban Heat Islands?

    Several parts of the country are reeling under heat wave conditions. Cities, especially, are a lot hotter than rural areas. This is due to a phenomenon called an “urban heat island”.

    Urban Heat Island

    • An urban heat island is a local and temporary phenomenon experienced when certain pockets within a city experience higher heat load than surrounding or neighbouring areas on the same day.
    • The variations are mainly due to heat remaining trapped within locations that often resemble concrete jungles.
    • The temperature variation can range between 3 to 5 degrees Celsius.

    Why are cities hotter than rural areas?

    • Green cover: Rural areas have relatively larger green cover in the form of plantations, farmlands, forests and trees as compared to urban spaces.
    • Transpiration: Transpiration is a natural way of heat regulation. This is the scientific process of roots absorbing water from the soil, storing it in the leaves and stems of plants, before processing it and releasing it in the form of water vapour.
    • Heat-regulation: Urban areas are often developed with high-rise buildings, roads, parking spaces, pavements and transit routes for public transport. As a result, heat regulation is either completely absent or man-made.
    • Construction: Cities usually have buildings constructed with glass, bricks, cement and concrete all of which are dark-coloured materials, meaning they attract and absorb higher heat content.

    This forms temporary islands within cities where the heat remains trapped.

    How can urban heat islands be reduced?

    • The main way to cut heat load within urban areas is increasing the green cover; filling open spaces with trees and plants.
    • Other ways of heat mitigation include appropriate choice of construction materials, promoting terrace and kitchen gardens, and painting white or light colours on terraces wherever possible to reflect heat.

    What has NASA said on urban heat islands in India?

    • NASA recently pointed out heat islands in urban parts of Delhi, where temperatures were far higher than nearby agricultural lands.
    • It used its Ecosystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment (Ecostress) on the International Space Station.

     

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  • Buddhist heritage in Gujarat

    Prime Minister in Lumbini, on the occasion of Buddha Purnima, said that his birthplace Vadnagar in Gujarat’s Mehsana district had been a great centre for Buddhist learning centuries ago.

    Vadnagar’s ties with Buddhism

    • In 2014, the excavation work has brought up Buddhist relics and around 20,000 artefacts, some dating back to the 2nd century.
    • Among these are an elliptical structure and a circular stupa along with a square memorial stupa of 2×2 metres and 130 centimetres in height with a wall enclosure.
    • It is like a platform which has a chamber in the centre that resembles a pradakshina path.
    • Further, bowls said to be used by monks have been found during the excavations, which have a terracotta sealing with inscriptions of namassarvagyaya and a face-shaped pendant with tritatva symbol.
    • Sacred relics of the Buddha were even found in Devni Mori in Aravalli district of Gujarat.

    In travellers record

    • Vadnagar is mentioned often in the Puranas and even in the travelogue of the great Chinese traveler, Hiuen Tsang (7th century), as a rich and flourishing town.
    • He is believed to have visited the state in 641 AD.
    • It adds how some of the names attributed to Vadnagar in history are Chamatkarpur, Anandpur, Snehpur and Vimalpur.
    • It also had snippets about other Buddhist heritage sites in Gujarat, such as Junagadh, Kutch and Bharuch.

    Back2Basics: Places associated with Buddha

    These are three of the few holiest sites in Buddhism:

    1. Bodh Gaya in Bihar, the site of the enlightenment of Gautama Buddha under a tree and top site in the list of world heritage sites in India.
    2. Kesaria stupa is a Buddhist stupa in Kesariya, located at a distance of 110 kilometres (68 mi) from Patna, in the Champaran (east) district of Bihar, India. The first construction of the Stupa is dated to the 3rd century BCE. Kesariya Stupa has a circumference of almost 400 feet (120 m) and raises to a height of about 104 feet (32 m).
    3. Nalanda was a renowned Buddhist University in the ancient kingdom of Magadha (modern-day Bihar) in India.Buddhist texts describe it as a Mahavihara, a revered Buddhist monastery.
    4. Sarnath near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, the site of the first sermon (Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta), where Buddha taught about the Middle Way, the Four Noble Truths and Noble Eightfold Path.
    5. Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh, the site of the Buddha’s parinirvana and home of many famous meditation & prayer offering sites in India.

     

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  • 18th May 2022 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions

    [WpProQuiz 1009]

    [WpProQuiz_toplist 1009]

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  • Imp: Prelims 2022 || Must Read Locations for Prelims 2022 Part-I

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    1. Assam-Meghalaya border dispute partially resolved:

    With the signing of a “historic agreement”, Assam and Meghalaya have partially resolved a 50-yearold border dispute in six of the 12 sectors along
    their 885-km boundary.


    About the Dispute
    • Meghalaya was carved out of Assam as a separate state in 1972 but the new state had challenged the Assam Reorganisation Act, 1971, leading to dispute in 12 locations in the border areas.
    • These include the areas of Upper Tarabari, Gazang reserve forest, Hahim, Langpih, Borduar, Boklapara, Nongwah, Matamur, Khanapara-Pilangkata, Deshdemoreah Block I and Block II, Khanduli and Retacherra.
    • A major point of contention between Assam and Meghalaya is the district of Langpih in West Garo Hills bordering the Kamrup district of Assam.
    • Langpih was part of the Kamrup district of Assam during the British colonial period but after India’s Independence in 1947; it became part of the Garo Hills and Meghalaya.
    • Another point of contention is the Mikir Hills, which Assam considers to be its part.
    • Meghalaya has questioned Blocks I and II of the Mikir Hills, now Karbi Anglong region, being part of Assam.

    2. India’s 1st E-waste Park to be in Delhi: The Delhi government will build India’s first electronic waste eco-park in the national capital.


    • The e-waste eco-park will consist of an authorized refurbishing market as a secondary product sale market for batteries, electronic goods, laptops, chargers, mobiles and PCs.
    • This facility will consist of dismantling, refurbishing, segregation, plastic recycling, material wise storage, and testing, and precious metal extraction facilities, from Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) through high-end technologies.
    • There will be end-to-end processing of e-waste and zero landfill will be ensured.
    • It will provide integrated and environmentally-safe disposal of e-waste, using innovative technologies.

    3. Konark is going to be the first model town in Odisha: Konark is going to be the first model town in Odisha to shift from grid dependency to green energy. The Odisha government has planned to run the Sun Temple completely on solar energy.

    About Konark Sun Temple
    •The Sun Temple built in the thirteenth century was conceived as a gigantic chariot of Sun God, with twelve pairs of exquisitely ornamented wheels pulled by seven pairs of horses at Konark on the coastline of Odisha, India.
    •“Konarka” , the place bears a name composed of two World elements: Kona meaning corner and ARKA meaning the Sun.
    •The Sun god worshiped in Ark Kshetra is also called Konark.
    •The temple is attributed to king Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty about 1250 CE.
    •It is dedicated to the Hindu Sun God Surya.
    •This temple was called the “Black Pagoda” in European sailor accounts.
    •It forms part of the golden triangle of Odisha, along with Puri and
    Bhubaneswar, and attracts tourists, pilgrims, and history and art lovers.
    • The Sun Temple, Konârak is protected under the National Framework of India by the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act (1958) and its Rules (1959).

    4. Seagrass protection project underway along AP coast: The Centre has initiated a project across the states of Andhra Pradesh,
    Maharashtra, and Odisha on enhancing climate resilience of India’s
    coastal communities by protecting and restoring India’s natural
    ecosystems such as mangroves and seagrasses.

    About the Programme
    • The project had been undertaken at a total cost of US $130.269
    million (around Rs 1,000 crore) which includes a grant of US
    $43.419 million by Global Climate Fund (GCF) covering 24
    ecosystems in these selected states.
    • It aims to strengthen the climate resilience of coastal communities by
    protecting and restoring India’s natural ecosystems such as
    mangroves and seagrasses.
    • Under the programme, study of seagrasses along the coastlines is
    prominent.
    • Andhra Pradesh coast is an area of major study in the programme.

    5. Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh becomes 100th ‘Har
    Ghar Jal’ District    : Jal Jeevan Mission has achieved the significant milestone of
    providing tap water to every home of 100 districts across the country.

    About Jal Jeevan Mission
    •Jal Jeevan Mission is a central government initiative under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
    •It aims to ensure access to piped water for every household in India.
    •The mission’s goal is to provide to all households in rural India safe and adequate water through individual household tap connections by 2024.

    6. Himachal Pradesh gets 1st Biodiversity Park at
    Mandi    : Recently, Himachal Pradesh got the first biodiversity park to make its contribution towards the conservation of endangered Himalayan herbs.

    What are Biodiversity parks?
    •Biodiversity is the variety of plant and animal life in the world or in a particular habitat.
    •Biodiversity is measured by two major components: species richness, and species evenness.
    •Biological diversity is a precious resource intended for the continued existence of mankind, and hence, conserving biodiversity is concerned with restoring the equilibrium between humans & the atmosphere.

    7. Atal Tunnel makes it to World Book of Records: Recently, Atal Tunnel has officially been certified by the World Book of Records as the ‘World’s Longest Highway Tunnel above 10,000 Feet’, during a landmark ceremony in New Delhi.

    8. Chauri Chaura Incident: Recently, 100 years have passed since the Chauri Chaura incident which took place on February 4, 1922 at Chauri Chaura in the Gorakhpur district of British India.

    About ‘Chauri Chaura’ Incident
    • The incident took place on 4 February 1922 at Chauri Chaura in the Gorakhpur district of the United Province.
    • A large group of protesters participating in the Non-Cooperation Movement clashed with police who opened fire.
    • In retaliation the demonstrators attacked and set fire to a police station, killing all of its occupants.
    • The incident led to the death of three civilians and 22 policemen.
    • Mahatma Gandhi, who was strictly against violence, halted the non-co-operation movement on the national level on 12 February 1922, as a direct result of this incident.

    09. Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve bags TX2 award: Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (Erode district, Tamil Nadu) has been given the prestigious TX2 award after its tiger numbers doubled to 80 since 2010.

    About STR
    • Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary and Tiger Reserve is a protected area and tiger reserve along the Western Ghats in the Erode District of Tamil Nadu.
    • First declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 2008 and enlarged in 2011, it covers a forest area of 1,411.6 km2 (545.0 sq mi) and is the largest wildlife sanctuary in Tamil Nadu.
    • In 2013, it became the fourth tiger reserve as a part of Project Tiger in the state of Tamil Nadu.

    10. : Adi Shankaracharya’s birthplace to become A National Monument:

    About Adi Shankaracharya
    •Adi Shankaracharya was born in Kalady in Kerala in 788 C.E and disappeared in the year 820 C.E at the young age of 32.
    •He was an exceptional child as Adi Shankara had become fluent in Sanskrit by the age of two. By four, he was comfortably reciting scriptures including Vedas.
    •The burning quest for attaining superior knowledge from an early age pushed Adi Shankara to leave his home and set on the search for a guru.
    •His quest ended with Govid Bhagvatpad at Omkareshwar (Madhya Pradesh) on the bank of Narmada river.
    •Adi Shankaracharya championed the Advait branch of philosophy that declared that god and humans were not two. He then set out to spread the message of his guru.

  • [Sansad TV] Perspective: Judicial Reforms

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    Context

    • Chief Ministers of States and Chief Justices of High Courts (CMCJs) participated in a joint conference in the national capital to discuss various aspects of the justice delivery system.
    • Participating in the inaugural session PM Modi said that judicial reform is not merely a policy matter and Human sensitivities should be kept in the centre of all the deliberations on this issue.

    Key takeaways from the CMCJ summit

    • PM stressed on the importance of Mediation as an important tool for the settlement of pending cases in the courts, especially at the local level.
    • CJI N V Ramanna in his remarks said a National Judicial Infrastructure Authority should be created for the standardization and improvement of judicial infrastructure which currently needs urgent attention.
    • Both CJI and Prime Minister also highlighted the need to promote local languages in the courts so that people of the country feel connected with the judicial process.

    The main subjects that were discussed, are as under:

    • Infrastructure of Subordinate Courts
    • Performance of Morning/Evening and Holiday Courts
    • Conditions of Jails with particular reference to under trial prisoners
    • Implementation of Information and Communication Technology
    • Strengthening the Legal-Aid Programmes
    • Strengthening of Juvenile Justice System
    • Utilization of grants
    • Review of Quality Legal Education Programmes in the States
    • Post-Retirement benefits to Judges
    • Model Courts and the Establishment of Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division High Courts
    • Filling up vacancies in the High Courts

    Indian Judiciary: A Backgrounder

    • Our Judicial system has been the nation’s moral conscience keeper.
    • It speaks truth to political power, upholds the rights of citizens, mediates between Centre-state conflicts, provides justice to the rich and poor alike, and on several momentous occasions, saved democracy itself.
    • Despite its achievements, a gap between the ideal and reality has been becoming clear over the years.
    • The justice delivery is slow, the appointment of judges is mired in controversy, disciplinary mechanisms scarcely work, hierarchy rather than merit is preferred, women are severely under-represented, and constitutional matters often languish in the Supreme Court for years.
    • As Justice Chelameswar said in his dissent in the NJAC judgment, the courts must reform, so that they can preserve.

    Challenges to the judicial system

    • Lack of infrastructure of courts
    • High vacancy of judges in the district judiciary
    • Pendency of Cases
    • Ineffective planning in the functioning of the courts
    • Delay in the delivery of judgements
    • Lack of transparency in appointment and transfers.
    • Corruption
    • Undertrials serving Jail
    • Outdated laws ex. Section 124A IPC

    What led to under-performance of Indian Judiciary?

    The primary factors contributing to docket explosion and arrears as highlighted by Justice Malimath Committee report are as follows:

    • Population explosion
    • Litigation explosion
    • Hasty and imperfect drafting of legislation
    • Plurality and accumulation of appeals (Multiple appeals for the same issue)
    • Inadequacy of judge strength
    • Failure to provide adequate forums of appeal against quasi-judicial orders
    • Lack of priority for disposal of old cases (due to the improper constitution of benches)

    Recent developments:

    Proposal for the creation of National Judicial Infrastructure Corporation (NJIC)

    • The CJI has pitched to set up a National Judicial Infrastructure Corporation (NJIC) to develop judicial infrastructure in trial courts.
    • He indicated a substantial gap in infrastructure and availability of basic amenities in the lower judiciary.
    • There is a dearth of court halls, residential accommodation, and waiting room for litigants in trial courts, especially in smaller towns and rural areas.
    • Experience shows that budgetary allocation for state judiciary often lapses since there is no independent body to supervise and execute such works.
    • NJIC is expected to fill this vacuum and overcome problems related to infrastructure.

    Way forward

    • Creating NJIC: It will bring a revolutionary change in the judicial functioning provided the proposed body is given financial and executive powers to operate independently of the Union and the State governments.
    • Appointment reforms: There are many experts who advocate the need to appoint more judges with unquestionable transparency in such appointments.
    • Creating All Indian Judiciary Services: It would be a landmark move to create a pan-India Service that would result in a wide pool of qualified and committed judges entering the system.
    • Technology infusion: The ethical and responsible use of AI and ML for the advancement of efficiency-enhancing can be increasingly embedded in legal and judicial processes. Ex. SUPACE.
    • Legal education: This should be in alignment with the evolving dynamics of the law must be propagated in trial and constitutional courts. This will improve the competence of the judicial system.
    • Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR): ADR mechanisms should be promoted for out-of-court settlements. Primary courts of appeal should be set up.

  • Public health engineering

    Context

    As we confront the public health challenges emerging out of environmental concerns, expanding the scope of public health/environmental engineering science becomes pivotal.

    Why does India need a specialised cadre of public health engineers

    • Achieving SDGs and growing demand for water consumption: For India to achieve its sustainable development goals of clean water and sanitation and to address the growing demands for water consumption and preservation of both surface water bodies and groundwater resources, it is essential to find and implement innovative ways of treating wastewater.
    •  It is in this context why the specialised cadre of public health engineers, also known as sanitation engineers or environmental engineers, is best suited to provide the growing urban and rural water supply and to manage solid waste and wastewater.
    • Limited capacity: The availability of systemic information and programmes focusing on teaching, training, and capacity building for this specialty cadre is currently limited.
    • Currently in India, civil engineering incorporates a course or two on environmental engineering for students to learn about wastewater management as a part of their pre-service and in-service training.
    • However, the nexus between wastewater and solid waste management and public health issues is not brought out clearly.
    • India aims to supply 55 litres of water per person per day by 2024 under its Jal Jeevan Mission to install functional household tap connections.
    • The goal of reaching every rural household with functional tap water can be achieved in a sustainable and resilient manner only if the cadre of public health engineers is expanded and strengthened.
    • Different from the international trend: In India, public health engineering is executed by the Public Works Department or by health officials. This differs from international trends.

    Way forward

    • Introducing public health engineering as a two-year structured master’s degree programme or through diploma programmes for professionals working in this field must be considered to meet the need of increased human resource in this field.
    • Interdisciplinary field: Furthermore, public health engineering should be developed as an interdisciplinary field.
    • Engineers can significantly contribute to public health in defining what is possible, identifying limitations, and shaping workable solutions with a problem-solving approach.
    • Public health engineering’s combination of engineering and public health skills can also enable contextualised decision-making regarding water management in India.

    Conclusion

    Diseases cannot be contained unless we provide good quality and adequate quantity of water. Most of the world’s diseases can be prevented by considering this. Training our young minds towards creating sustainable water management systems would be the first step.

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