Parts of the world are expected to experience severe weather for the rest of the year and into 2023, as part of a rare “triple dip La Nina” event, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
What is the “Triple-Dip” La Nina?
A “triple-dip” La Nina is a multiyear cooling of the surface temperature of the equatorial Pacific Ocean, which can cause droughts, fierce winds and heavy rainfall.
According to WMO, the current La Nina is projected to span three consecutive northern hemisphere winters. It began in September 2020.
If it continues for the next six months, it will be the first “triple-dip” La Nina event of the 21st century, WMO says.
How rare is this triple-dip?
It is exceptional to have three consecutive years with a la Nina event.
Its cooling influence is temporarily slowing the rise in global temperatures – but it will not halt or reverse the long-term warming trend.
La Nina’s are usually preceded by El Nino, a weather pattern that warms the surface of the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.
However, an El Nino event did not occur before the current La Nina.
Has it happened before? Will it happen again?
La Nina’s occurred several times between 1903 to 2010 and 2010 to 2012.
This would be the first “triple-dip” La Nina this century.
However, it is not unprecedented for the weather pattern to last more than nine months to a year, which is typical for a La Nina.
Evaluating the likely impact
In the Indian context, La Nina is associated with good rainfall during the monsoon season.
This is the opposite of El Nino which is known to suppress monsoon rainfall.
Thus, a continued spell of La Nina could lead to expectation of another year of good, or normal, rainfall during the monsoon.
Until now, the monsoon season this year has produced 7% more rain compared to normal. Last year, the seasonal rainfall was almost 100%.
But, even though powerful, ENSO condition is only one of the several factors affecting monsoon rainfall in India.
Impact on rainfall
There is no one-on-one correlation between the ENSO condition and the amount of rainfall.
Also, the influence of ENSO is at a macro level.
There are wide variations in rainfall at the local level, which are getting exacerbated by climate change.
Differential impacts of this triple-dip event
The continuance of La Nina further into 2023 is not bad news from the Indian standpoint. But it is not the same for many other regions where La Nina has very different impacts.
In most parts of the United States, for example, La Nina is associated with very dry winters.
In Australia and Indonesia, and generally in the tropical region, La Nina is expected to bring more rainfall.
The excessive rainfall in Pakistan, which is experiencing its worst flooding disaster, can also be blamed in part on La Nina.
It said that the persistence of La Nina was most likely to result in a worsening of the drought in Africa.
What is its climate change link?
Everyunusual weather event these days is attributed to climate change, but science is not conclusive right now.
The occurrences of El Nino or La Nina are not very regular.
Sometimes they emerge every two years, at other times there has been a gap of even seven years.
Historical records do not go very far in the past.
As a result, the natural variability of ENSO is not understood very clearly.
And when the natural variability itself is not clear, the influence of global warming is difficult to quantify.
But there is clearer evidence of another kind of linkage with global warming.
During La Nina years, the colder surfaces allow the oceans to absorb more heat from the atmosphere.
Consequently, the air temperatures tend to go down, producing a cooling effect.
The life of a UPSC aspirant is challenging and demanding. Add to that the pressure from family, job, life, college, etc. it can get pretty overwhelming. In the part conversation with aspirants and even our mentorship students, these issues have been highlighted. But you must understand that every single aspirant even toppers feel or used to feel stressed and overwhelmed by expectations, responsibilities, lack of time, etc.
At times this feeling is for a short burst of time but when you can’t shake that perpetual state of overwhelm, it can lead to chronic stress, anxiety, guilt, failure, inefficiency in preparation, wastage of attempts, and a host of associated physical and emotional symptoms that can seriously affect your well-being.
You need to deal with this feeling. But before that understanding the root cause behind your stress is important.
Work-UPSC Preparation: Working aspirants at times have too much to do, they are engaged in stressful, demanding jobs. End up routinely working evenings and weekends leaving no or very less time for preparation. Results in mismanaged or poor UPSC preparation.
Life-UPSC Preparation: Aspirants have a life, family, and friends and there might be life changes such as moving house, starting a new job, relationships/marriage, or taking care of family/baby. It has a direct impact on UPSC prep.
Traumatic experience. Such as bereavement, relationship breakup, illness, etc.
No prior experience in UPSC preparation or no one to guide leads to a perpetual feeling of getting lost in the vast syllabus and complex preparation cycle.
Perfectionism. If everything always has to be perfect, you’re giving yourself a greater burden. Sometimes just getting through the day is a win. You don’t have to do it all perfectly too – you’re only human!
Pushing yourself too hard all in the wrong direction where results are not visible, and you don’t seem to be moving forward in your UPSC preparation.
We must understand that there are reasons that we can’t control but pinpointing the exact source of overwhelm is necessary which might not be possible on your own.
Below is the 7-step strategy to gain control of your UPSC Preparation.
1. Pinpoint the primary source of overwhelm.
It will tell you what you can control and what you can’t.
This is the first step. Ask yourself important questions like: “What one or two things, if taken off my plate would alleviate 80% of the stress that I feel right now?” It will at least give a sense of awareness as to what is causing you stress. Then only we can move towards solving the issue. At times finding the root cause on your own is difficult. You can reach out to senior UPSC mentors from CivilsDaily and have an open heart 1-1 FREE discussion.
Let us get our hands dirty. Start by writing down everything on your mind about your UPSC preparation status, mock tests and marks you have scored, tasks, and things you have to do including non-UPSC prep stuff. Next, check everything under your control and capture any to-dos, appointments, etc. on one hand and your status of UPSC preparation, on the other.
To avoid procrastination and wasting time you need to connect with your purpose. Make the link between your tasks and your bigger mission.
What’s your purpose in life? Who do you want to be?
Clarifying this will destroy the urge to procrastinate
You know your purpose, now identify the targets to get you there.
3. Set targets
Our mentorship students have their more than a year-long preparation broken down into small, measurable, and manageable chunks through Weekly and Monthly targets. You need to do the same. Break down those goals into smaller manageable targets or tasks. When a task is too big, you won’t know how to start. Break out the smallest next step.
Eg. You are yet to cover Laxmikant for Polity. Don’t aim for the full book. Set a target for just two chapters for the next three days.
Recheck your list, do all the to-dos you captured align with your goals and mission?
4. Prioritize ruthlessly: your tasks according to their importance and urgency
Not all the tasks you have listed and targeted will be UPSC preparation related. Even the targets under UPSC preparation might look equally important and urgent.
“Should I start with Ethics or Optional? Should I make notes now or write answers from current affairs?” Almost all of them look important.
Well, don’t get confused. If you are planning for UPSC 2023 this priority list will be different compared to the one planning for UPSC 2024.
For non-UPSC tasks basic rule is Time-sensitive items first. Next, rank for impact and value.
5. Plan out: make a timetable and a strategy
Talking about UPSC specifically your strategy should be unique to you. No two aspirants have the same set of problems, challenges, or learning styles. Your strategy or timetable will work for you as some past rankers’ timetables or strategies worked for them.
Moreover, this is something that requires expertise and skill. Don’t feel shy to ask for help in this. If you don’t have anyone to help you in this, let us get it done for you.
Spending time with your family and friends nourishes you. Keeping fit ensures you can enjoy life. Don’t neglect it.
6. Execute
Execution is far better and more effective when it is under the supervision of a mentor. Under an accountability system.
The hardest part of tackling overwhelm is to make time to organize yourself. So make it easy for yourself, follow the steps above, and create clarity for yourself. Connect your actions with your purpose and go execute.
Your execution will be far more effective and on track, if there is some supervising figure, a mentor, teacher keeping a check on the targets achieved, tasks completed, etc.
7. Analyze and evaluate your progress. Make necessary course corrections on a regular basis.
Situational awareness is a must when you want to achieve something big. It is very easy to get lost in execution. At regular intervals, you need to evaluate your progress. For UPSC aspirants it might take the form of prelims mocks tests, mains tests, essay writing, or maybe discussions.
Marks scored will give you an indication on your preparation level. Because self-evaluation is mostly ineffective it is advised to get someone experienced to help you. A mentor or UPSC ranker can easily evaluate your UPSC prep status, highlight the mistakes and suggest remedies.
Stressing and feeling guilty about past UPSC attempts or wasted preparation time is of no use. What matters is how well you can learn from the past, analyze and make changes in the present to make the future better.
How does Samanvaya Mentorship work? Introducing 3 layers of mentorship: Get IAS or UPSC ranker as your mentor
1. 1st step starts with this Samanvayacall: Once you fill in the form, we get on a 30-40 minute call with you to understand your prep level, working/ study constraints, and current strategies and create a step-by-step plan for the next week, next month and so on.
2. You are directed and given access to relevant resources and invite-only platform, Habitat where you can ask your daily doubts, discuss your test-prep questions and have real-time, live sessions on news and op-eds, and find your optional groups.
Daily target monitoring.
3. The third and the most personalized tier is the 1 on 1 mentor allotment who stays with you through the course of your UPSC preparation – always-on chat and on scheduled calls to help you assess, evaluate, and chart the next milestone of your IAS 2023-23 journey.
We will also connect you to a UPSC ranker or IAS, who will mentor you in this journey.
Layer 1: You will be assigned a dedicated in-house mentor who will keep track of our progress from start till your final interview.
Layer 2: Sajal Singh sir and the team will be constantly with you through various programs like Samachar Manthan, Prelims, Essay, etc.
Layer 3: A UPSC IAS ranker (one who has cleared this exam) will be supervising your progress as your super mentor.
Who are you?
Working Junta? If you are preparing for IAS 2023-24 and working simultaneously, we can help you design a timetable that fits right in your hectic schedule.
First-time prep? If you are in the last year of college or thinking of dropping a year and preparing for IAS 2023-24 full-time, we can help you pick the right books and craft a practical & personal strategy.
GS-1 History of the world will include events from 18th century such as industrial revolution, world wars, redrawal of national boundaries, colonization, decolonization, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism etc.— their forms and effect on the society.
GS-2 Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
GS-3 Public Distribution System- objectives, functioning, limitations, revamping
GS-4 Attitude: content, structure, function; its influence and relation with thought and behaviour; moral and political attitudes; social influence and persuasion.
HOW TO ATTEMPT ANSWERS IN DAILY ANSWER WRITING ENHANCEMENT(AWE)?
Daily 4 questions from General studies 1, 2, 3, and 4 will be provided to you.
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.
You can write your answer on an A4 sheet and scan/click pictures of the same.
Upload the scanned answer in the comment section of the same question.
Along with the scanned answer, please share your Razor payment ID, so that paid members are given priority.
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
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.
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*.
A two-judge Bench of the Supreme Court of India is presently hearing arguments on the correctness of a Karnataka High Court judgment that upheld the ban on the use of the hijab by students in Karnataka which raises question on doctrine of essentiality.
What is ‘doctrine of essentiality’?
A seven-judge Bench of the Supreme Court invented the doctrine of “essentiality” in the Shirur Mutt case in 1954. The court held that the term “religion” will cover all rituals and practices “integral” to a religion.
Importance doctrine of essentiality
In the legal framework, the doctrine of essentiality is a doctrine that has evolved to protect the religious practices that are essential or integral and does not violate any fundamental right. India being a secular country has discrete religious beliefs and to deny any is to violate the freedom of religion.
Why hijab is not an essential practice?
Wearing of hijab (head scarf) by Muslim women does not form a part of essential religious practices in Islamic faith and it is not protected under the right to freedom of religion guaranteed under Article 25 of the Constitution of India, the High Court of Karnataka declared on March 15 2022.
Is hijab essential part of Islam?
The Qur’an instructs Muslim women and men to dress modestly, and for some, the hijab is worn by Muslim girls and women to maintain modesty and privacy from unrelated males. According to the Encyclopedia of Islam and Muslim World, modesty concerns both men’s and women’s “gaze, gait, garments, and genitalia”.
How do you identify essential religion practice?
The Court observed that in order to determine whether or not a particular practice is an essential part of religion, the test must be whether the absence of the practice itself
Freedom to manage religious affairs Subject to public order, morality and health, every religious denomination or any section thereof shall have the right.
Examples of the essential religious practices test
While these issues are largely understood to be community-based, there are instances in which the court has applied the test to individual freedoms as well.
In a 2004 ruling, the Supreme Court held that the Ananda Marga sect had no fundamental right to perform the Tandava dance in public streets since it did not constitute an essential religious practice of the sect.
For example, in 2016, the Supreme Court upheld the discharge of an airman from the Indian Air Force for keeping a beard.
It distinguished the case of a Muslim airman from that of Sikhs who are allowed to keep a beard.
In 2015, the Supreme Court restored the Jain religious practice of Santhara/Sallekhana (a ritualistic fast unto death) by staying an order of the Rajasthan HC.
What is the Supreme Court’s judgement on Doctrine of Essentiality?
The doctrine of “essentiality” was invented by a seven-judge Bench of the Supreme Court in the ‘Shirur Mutt’ case in 1954.
It is a contentious doctrine evolved by the court to protect only such religious practices which were essential and integral to the religion.
The court held that the term “religion” will cover all rituals and practices “integral” to a religion, and took upon itself the responsibility of determining the essential and non-essential practices of a religion.
Referring to the Ayodhya case, the Constitution Bench had ruled in 1994 that A mosque is not an essential part of the practice of the religion of Islam and namaz (prayer) by Muslims can be offered anywhere, even in open.
How has the doctrine been used in subsequent years?
The ‘essentiality doctrine’ of the Supreme Court has been criticised by several constitutional experts.
Scholars of constitutional law have argued that the essentiality/integrality doctrine has tended to lead the court into an area that is beyond its competence, and given judges the power to decide purely religious questions.
As a result, over the years, courts have been inconsistent on this question — in some cases they have relied on religious texts to determine essentiality.
In others it relied on the empirical behaviour of followers, and in yet others, based on whether the practice existed at the time the religion originated.
Issues over the doctrine
In the beginning, the court engaged with the question of whether untouchability, manifested in restrictions on entry into temples, was an “essential part of the Hindu religion”.
After examining selected Hindu texts, it came to the conclusion that untouchability was not an essential Hindu practice.
The idea of providing constitutional protection only to those elements of religion which the court considers “essential” is problematic as it assumes that one element or practice of religion is independent of other elements or practices.
So, while the essentiality test privileges certain practices over others, it is, in fact, all practices taken together that constitute a religion.
How does essentiality square up against religious freedom?
Freedom of religion was meant to guarantee freedom to practice one’s beliefs based on the concept of “inward association” of man with God.
The apex court in ‘Ratilal Panachand Gandhi vs The State of Bombay and Ors’ (March 18, 1954) acknowledged that “every person has a fundamental right to entertain such religious beliefs as may be approved by his judgment or conscience”.
The framers of the Constitution wanted to give this autonomy to each individual. Scholars have argued that the essentiality test impinges on this autonomy.
The apex court has itself emphasised autonomy and choice in its Privacy (2017), 377 (2018), and Adultery (2018) judgments.
Its effect on society
Narrowing of safeguards to religious customs: It has allowed the Court to narrow the extent of safeguards available to religious customs by directly impinging on the autonomy of groups to decide for themselves what they deem valuable, violating, in the process, their right to ethical independence.
Negated legislation that might otherwise enhance the cause of socialjustice: It has also negated legislation that might otherwise enhance the cause of social justice by holding that such laws cannot under any circumstances encroach on matters integral to the practice of a religion. For example, in 1962, the Court struck down a Bombay law that prohibited excommunications made by the Dai of the Dawoodi Bohra community when it held that the power to excommunicate is an essential facet of faith and that any measure aimed at social welfare cannot reform a religion out of its existence.
A principle of anti-exclusion: Its application would require the Court to presume that a practice asserted by a religious group is, in fact, essential to the proponents of its faith. But regardless of such grounding, the Constitution will not offer protection to the practice if it excludes people on grounds of caste, gender, or other discriminatory criteria.
Conclusion
For now, any Court hearing a matter touching upon a matter of faith has the unenviable task of acting not merely as an expert on law but also as an expert on religion.
Mains question
Q. Every person has a fundamental right to entertain such religious beliefs as may be approved by his judgment or conscience. Critically examine in context of doctrine of essentiality.
In an interview earlier this month, Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw spoke about a comprehensive policy roadmap for India’s digital economy and digital governance.
What is digital governance ?
Electronic governance or e-governance can be defined as the usage of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) by the government to provide and facilitate government services, exchange of information, communication transactions and integration of various standalone systems and services.
What is “global digital governance”?
Global digital governance encompasses the norms, institutions, and standards that shape the regulation around the development and use of these technologies. Digital governance has long-term commercial and political implications.
Why is it important?
The main objective of e-governance is to provide a friendly, affordable, and efficient interface between a government and its people. It is about ensuring greater transparency, accountability and objectivity, resulting in cost-effective and high-quality public service.
E-services: connecting individual citizens with their government
E-society: building interactions with and within civil society.
Is there a historical parallel to governing key economic sectors globally?
Digital economy is not unprecedented: Sectors critical to the global economy are subject to international cooperation frameworks and pacts. Therefore, the idea of setting up a single multilateral organization with a mandate to govern the digital economy is not unprecedented.
The International Commission for Air Navigation (ICAN): Global aviation has been regulated since 1903 when the International Commission for Air Navigation (ICAN) first met, subsequently replaced by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in 1947.
Bank for International Settlements (BIS): Similarly, the modern international banking system is governed by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), an institution initially set up in the interwar period in 1930 to oversee Germany’s reparations to the Allies under the Treaty of Versailles. The BIS acquired a more global mandate beginning in the 1950s and is now partially responsible for global financial stability.
Who are the key players in the global contest for digital governance?
China seeks to champion the concept of cyber sovereignty: An authoritarian vision drives the first model. Most notably, China is emerging as the standard-bearer for this model with its desire to “reinvent the internet.” China seeks to champion the concept of “cyber sovereignty,” allowing countries to control access to the internet, censor content, and institute data localization requirements, as a pretext to protecting individual national interests.
European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): Which provides a more democratic concept for digital governance. This model primarily seeks to protect the privacy and rights of internet users and online content consumers. Adopted with the overwhelming support of the European Parliament in 2014, the GDPR came into effect in May 2018, giving firms that rely on digital technologies the opportunity to modify their data usage and privacy policies. The adoption of the GDPR has been a turning point for global internet governance as consumers gained unprecedented control over their data in a manner that preserved freedom and openness online.
Why global digital governance is important?
Minimum rights and protections for platform workers: Under the G20, the International Labour Organisation has already placed a proposal in the employment working group for digital labour platforms to develop an international governance system determining minimum rights and protections for platform workers.
Implementation of central bank digital currency projects: Similarly, on digital money, a reincarnated Bretton Woods is being advocated to address the distrust in private currencies and to coordinate the implementation of central bank digital currency projects.
Digital taxation: Finally, in the deeply contested area of digital taxation, the OECD facilitated Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) negotiations and helped arrive at a global solution.
Digital sovereignty: The internet is splintering and digital sovereignty is now commonplace; yet, there is no better time for countries to come together and build a framework for global digital governance.
What are the big 5 tech companies called?
The Big Five tech giants—Apple, Amazon, Google (Alphabet), Meta, and Microsoft.
Conclusion
The rapid digitalisation of the world along with a new focus on trust in the global supply chains for digital products and services presents tremendous opportunities for India and its youth. It is now up to all of us to engage in a collective “sabka prayas” to realise New India’s economic potential.
Mains question
Q. The rapid digitalisation of the world along with a new focus on trust in the global supply chains for digital products and services presents tremendous opportunities for India. Comment.
The Supreme Court has referred to a Constitution Bench the question of how to provide accused in death penalty cases a “meaningful, real and effective” hearing of their mitigating circumstances before a trial judge.
Death Penalty: A backgrounder
Capital punishment, sometimes called death penalty, is execution of an offender sentenced to death after conviction by a court of law for a criminal offense.
It should be distinguished from extrajudicial executions carried out without due process of law.
The term death penalty is sometimes used interchangeably with capital punishment, though imposition of the penalty is not always followed by execution, because of the possibility of commutation to life imprisonment.
When is it awarded?
The term “Capital Punishment” stands for most severe form of punishment.
It is the punishment which is to be awarded for the most heinous, grievous and detestable crimes against humanity.
While the definition and extent of such crimes vary, the implication of capital punishment has always been the death sentence.
Special factors on the death penalty jurisprudence in India
(a) Increase in Sexual Offences
The report on death penalty published by NLU Delhi shows that the rate of awarding capital punishment to the offences of rape with murder is much higher than other offences.
There is no doubt that rape is one of the most heinous crimes.
(b) Sedition and waging War against India
India has seen many cases of treason, terrorism and seditious activities.
It is in fact the most vulnerable state for such crimes.
Judicial observations related to Death Penalty
The Supreme Court has always said that the death sentence should be given rarely.
Judgments against:
(a) Mithu vs State of Punjab (1983):
The Supreme Court ruled that the mandatory death penalty is unconstitutional.
It struck down Section 303 in the IPC, which entailed a mandatory death sentence for a person who commits murder while serving a life term in another case.
The Supreme Court ruled Section 303 violated Articles 14 (right to equality) and 21 (right to life) since an unreasonable distinction was sought to be made between two classes of murders.
(b) State of Punjab vs Dalbir Singh (2012):
Similarly, the Supreme Court ruled that mandatory death penalty as punishment for crimes under Section 27 (3) of the Arms Act, 1959, was unconstitutional.
(c) Channulal Verma vs State of Chhattisgarh (2018):
In Channulal, the Supreme Court, through Justice Kurian Joseph noted that the time was appropriate to review the constitutionality of the death penalty and take into consideration reformative aspects of punishment
Judgments in favour:
In Jagmohan Singh vs State of UP’ (1973), then in ‘Rajendra Prasad vs State of UP’ (1979), and finally in ‘Bachan Singh vs State of Punjab’ (1980) the Supreme Court affirmed the constitutional validity of the death penalty.
It said that if capital punishment is provided in the law and the procedure is a fair, just and reasonable one, the death sentence can be awarded to a convict.
This will, however, only be in the “rarest of rare” cases, and the courts should render “special reasons” while sending a person to the gallows.
Avenues available to a Death-Row Convict
Confirmation by HC: After a trial court awards the death penalty, the sentence must be confirmed by a High Court. The sentence cannot be executed till the time the High Court confirms it, either after deciding the appeal filed by the convict, or until the period allowed for preferring an appeal has expired.
Review Petition: If the High Court confirms the death penalty and it is also upheld by the Supreme Court, a convict can file a review petition.
Curative Petition: If the review petition is rejected, the convict can file a curative petition for reconsideration of the judgment.
Mercy Petition: Under Article 72 of the Indian Constitution, the President shall have the power to grant pardons, reprieves, respites, or remissions of punishments or to suspend, remit or commute the sentence of any convicted person.
Debate over Death Penalty
Arguments in favor:
Forfeiture of life: Supporters of the death penalty believe that those who commit murder, because they have taken the life of another, have forfeited their own right to life.
Moral indignation of the victim: It is a just form of retribution, expressing and reinforcing the moral indignation not only of the victim’s relatives but of law-abiding citizens in general.
Highest form of Justice: For heinous crimes such as the Nirbhaya Gangrape Case, no other punishment could have deterred the will of the convicts.
Deterrent against crime: Capital punishment is often justified with the argument that by executing convicted murderers, we will deter would-be murderers from killing people.
Proportional punishment: The guilty people deserve to be punished in proportion to the severity of their crime.
Prevailing lawlessness: The crimes we are now witnessing cannot be addressed by simple punishments. We are seeing horrific attacks on women, young girls, minority communities and Dalits etc.
Prevention of crime is non-existent: Despite of stringent regulations, it is certainly visible that some crimes can never be prevented in our society.
Arguments against:
Eye for an eye: Reformative justice is more productive, that innocent people are often killed in the search for retribution, and that “an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.
Deterrence is a myth: Death penalty is not a deterrent to capital crimes state that there is no evidence to support the claim that the penalty is a deterrent.
Political tool of suppression: The authorities in some countries, for example Iran and Sudan, use the death penalty to punish political opponents.
Reverence for life’ principle: Death penalty is an immoral punishment since humans should not kill other humans, no matter the reasons, because killing is killing.
Stigma against killing: With the introduction of lethal injection as execution method, medical professionals participate in executions. Many professionals have now refused to administer such deaths.
Skewed justice systems: In many cases recorded by Amnesty International, people were executed after being convicted in grossly unfair trials, on the basis of torture-tainted evidence and with inadequate legal representation.
Discriminatory nature: The weight of the death penalty is disproportionally carried by those with less advantaged socio-economic backgrounds or belonging to a racial, ethnic or religious minority.
Penalizing the innocents: The risk of executing the innocent precludes the use of the death penalty. Our colonial history has witnessed many such executions.
Other issues with such executions
(a) Socio-Economic Factors
The recent statistics shows that the death row prisoners in India are more from the backward classes of the society.
The death row prisoners belong to backward classes and religious minorities and the majority of convicts’ families are living in adjunct poverty.
These people who are backward both in economic and social respects, are not in a position to here expensive lawyers and get proper representation in the Court.
(b) Delayed Execution
The law provides for a long process before the execution of the convicts actually takes place.
The unexplained delay in execution can be a ground for commutation of death penalty, and an inmate, his or her kin, or even a public-spirited citizen could file a writ petition seeking such commutation.
Their trials are often cruelly forced to endure long periods of uncertainty about their fate.
Way forward: Law Commission recommendations on death penalty
The Law Commission of India in its 262nd Report (August 2015) recommended that:
Death penalty be abolished for all crimes other than terrorism related offences and waging war.
Measures such as police reforms, witness protection scheme and victim compensation scheme should be taken up expeditiously by the government.
It felt that time has come for India to move towards abolition of the death penalty. However the concern is often raised that abolition of death penalty for terrorism-related offences and waging war, will affect national security.
Further, the Commission sincerely hopes that the movement towards absolute abolition will be swift and irreversible
The Centre is likely to soon decide on setting up a national commission to study the social, economic and educational status of Dalits who converted to religions other than Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism.
What is the news?
Several petitions are pending before the Supreme Court seeking Scheduled Caste (SC) reservation benefits for Dalits who converted to Christianity or Islam.
Dalit Convertees and Quota Benefits
The original rationale behind giving reservation to Scheduled Castes was that these sections had suffered from the social evil of untouchability, which was practised among Hindus.
Under Article 341 of the Constitution, the President may specify the castes, races or tribes or parts of or groups within castes, races or tribes which shall…be deemed to be Scheduled Castes.
The first order under this provision was issued in 1950, and covered only Hindus.
Following demands from the Sikh community, an order was issued in 1956, including Sikhs of Dalit origin among the beneficiaries of the SC quota.
In 1990, the government acceded to a similar demand from Buddhists of Dalit origin, and the order was revised to state: “No person who professes a religion different from the Hindu, the Sikh or the Buddhist religion shall be deemed to be a member of Scheduled Caste.”
Does this religion-based bar apply to converted STs and OBCs as well?
It does not.
The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) website states, “The rights of a person belonging to a Scheduled Tribe are independent of his/her religious faith.”
Following the implementation of the Mandal Commission report, several Christian and Muslim communities have found place in the Central and state lists of OBCs.
What efforts have been made to include Muslims and Christians of Dalit origin among SCs?
After 1990, a number of Private Member’s Bills were brought in Parliament for this purpose.
In 1996, a government Bill called The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Orders (Amendment) Bill was drafted, but in view of a divergence of opinions, the Bill was not introduced in Parliament.
Then government headed by PM Manmohan Singh set up two important panels:
Ranganath Misra Commission: The National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities, popularly known as the Ranganath Misra Commission, in October 2004 and
Sachar Committee: A seven-member high-level committee headed by former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Rajinder Sachar to study the social, economic, and educational condition of Muslims in March 2005.
What did they recommend?
The Sachar Committee Report observed that the social and economic situation of Dalit Muslims and Dalit Christians did not improve after conversion.
The Ranganath Misra Commission, which submitted its report in May 2007, recommended that SC status should be completely de-linked from religion and Scheduled Castes should be made fully religion-neutral like Scheduled Tribes.
Reception to these recommendations
The report was tabled in Parliament in 2009, but its recommendation was not accepted in view of inadequate field data and corroboration with the actual situation on the ground.
Few studies, commissioned by the National Commission for Minorities, was also not considered reliable due to insufficient data.
What lies ahead?
Based on the recommendations of the Ranganath Misra Commission, there are some petitions pending before the Supreme Court, seeking reservation benefits for Christians and Muslims of Dalit orgin.
In the last hearing, a three-judge Bench gave the Solicitor General of India three weeks’ time to present the stand of the Union government on the issue.
The ninth session of the governing body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) has recently begun in New Delhi.
Theme of this years event
The theme of the meeting is ‘Celebrating the Guardians of Crop Diversity: Towards an Inclusive Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework’.
What is the Plant Treaty?
The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) was adopted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations November 3, 2001.
It was signed in 2001 in Madrid, and entered into force on 29 June 2004.
It is the first legally-binding international instrument to formally acknowledge the enormous contribution of indigenous people and small-holder farmers as traditional custodians of the world’s food crops.
It also calls on nations to protect and promote their rights to save and use the seeds they have taken care of for millennia.
The parties to this treaty have come together after nearly three years to discuss governance of agricultural biodiversity and global food security.
Objectives of the treaty
The treaty aims at:
Guaranteeing food security through the conservation
Exchange and sustainable use of the world’s plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA)
Fair and equitable benefit sharing arising from its use, as well as
Recognition of farmers’ rights.
Key feature: Annex 1 Crops
The treaty has implemented a Multilateral System (MLS) of access and benefit sharing, among those countries that ratify the treaty, for a list of 64 of some of the most important food and forage crops essential for food security and interdependence.
The genera and species are listed in Annex 1 to the treaty. The treaty facilitates the continued open exchange of food crops and their genetic materials.
The list of plant genetic material included in the Multilateral System of the Treaty is made of major food crops and forages.
The Forages are also divided in legume forages and grass forages.
They were selected taking into account the criteria of food security and country interdependence
In order to reduce the use of chemical fertilisers by incentivising states, the Union government plans to introduce a new scheme – PM PRANAM, which stands for PM Promotion of Alternate Nutrients for Agriculture Management Yojana.
What is the PM PRANAM scheme?
The proposed scheme intends to reduce the subsidy burden on chemical fertilisers.
This burden if uneased, is expected to increase to Rs 2.25 lakh crore in 2022-2023, which is 39% higher than the previous year’s figure of Rs 1.62 lakh crore.
The scheme will not have a separate budget and will be financed by the “savings of existing fertiliser subsidy” under schemes run by the Department of fertilisers.
Subsidies under the PRANAM
Further, 50% subsidy savings will be passed on as a grant to the state that saves the money and that 70% of the grant provided under the scheme can be used for asset creation related to technological adoption of alternate fertilisers.
It would create alternate fertiliser production units at village, block and district levels.
The remaining 30% grant money can be used for incentivising farmers, panchayats, farmer producer organisations and self-help groups that are involved in the reduction of fertiliser use and awareness generation.
The government will compare a state’s increase or reduction in urea in a year, to its average consumption of urea during the last three years.
How much fertiliser does India require?
The kharif season (June-October) is critical for India’s food security, accounting for nearly half the year’s production of foodgrains, one-third of pulses and approximately two-thirds of oilseeds.
A sizable amount of fertiliser is required for this season.
The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare assesses the requirement of fertilisers each year before the start of the cropping season, and informs the Ministry of Chemical and fertilisers to ensure the supply.
The amount of fertiliser required varies each month according to demand, which is based on the time of crop sowing, which also varies from region to region.
For example, the demand for urea peaks during June-August period, but is relatively low in March and April, and the government uses these two months to prepare for an adequate amount of fertiliser for the kharif season.
Why is the scheme being introduced?
Due to increased demand for fertiliser in the country over the past 5 years, the overall expenditure by the government on subsidy has also increased.
The final figure of fertiliser subsidy touched Rs 1.62 lakh crore in 2021-22.
The total requirement of four fertilisers — Urea, DAP (Di-ammonium Phosphate), MOP (Muriate of potash), NPKS (Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium) — increased by 21% between 2017-2018 and 2021-2022, from 528.86 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) to 640.27 LMT.
PM PRANAM, which seeks to reduce the use of chemical fertiliser, will likely reduce the burden on the exchequer.
The proposed scheme is also in line with the government’s focus on promoting the balanced use of fertilisers or alternative fertilisers in the last few years.
Try this PYQ:
Q.What are the advantages of fertigation in agriculture? (CSP 2020)
1.Controlling the alkalinity of irrigation water is possible.
2.Efficient application of Rock Phosphate and all other phosphatic fertilizers is possible.
3.Increased availability of nutrients to plants is possible.
4.Reduction in the leaching of chemical nutrients is possible.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1, 2 and 3 only
(b) 1,2 and 4 only
(c) 1,3 and 4 only
(d) 2, 3 and 4 only
[wpdiscuz-feedback id=”5sbme0lwks” question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”1″]Post your answers here.[/wpdiscuz-feedback]
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