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  • NASA’s Gateway Lunar Orbiting Outpost

    NASA recently finalised the contract for the initial crew module of the agency’s Gateway lunar orbiting outpost.

    Note the following things about the Lunar Gateway:

    1. Parent Agency and other agencies involved

    2. Missions and celestial bodies to be studied

    3. Difference between Gateway and ISS

    What is NASA’s Gateway Lunar Orbit Outpost?

    • Essentially, the Gateway is a small spaceship that will orbit the Moon, meant for astronaut missions to the Moon and later, for expeditions to Mars.
    • While the project is led by NASA, the Gateway is meant to be developed, serviced, and utilized in collaboration with commercial and international partners: Canada (CSA), Europe (ESA), and Japan (JAXA).
    • The spaceship will have living quarters, laboratories for science and research and docking ports for visiting spacecraft.
    • Once docked to the Gateway, astronauts will be able to stay there for three months at a time, conduct science experiments and take trips to the surface of the Moon.

    Features of the Gateway

    • One of the most unique features of the Gateway is that it can be moved to other orbits around the Moon to conduct more research.
    • The Gateway will act as an airport, where spacecraft bound for the lunar surface of Mars can refuel or replace parts and resupply things like food and oxygen, allowing astronauts to take multiple trips to the Lunar surface and exploration of new locations across the Moon.

    How is it different from ISS?

    • Astronauts will use the Gateway at least once per year and not stay around the year as they do on the International Space Station (ISS).
    • Compared to the ISS, the Gateway is much smaller (the size of a studio apartment), while the ISS is about the size of a six-bedroom house.

  • Species in news: Pangolin

    China accorded the pangolin the highest level of protection and removed the scales of the endangered mammal from its list of approved traditional medicines amid links between wild meat and the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

    Practice question for mains:

    Q. What are Zoonotic Diseases? Discuss the hazards of importing zoonotic diseases through wildlife trade.

    About Pangolin

    IUCN status: Endangered

    • India is home to two species of pangolin.
    • While the Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) is found in northeastern India, the Indian Pangolin is distributed in other parts of the country as well as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
    • Both these species are protected and are listed under the Schedule I Part I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
    • Commonly known as ‘scaly anteaters’, the toothless animals are unique, a result of millions of years of evolution.
    • Pangolins evolved scales as a means of protection. When threatened by big carnivores like lions or tigers they usually curl into a ball.
    • The scales defend them against dental attacks from the predators.

    Pangolin in China

    • Pangolin meat is considered a delicacy in China and Vietnam.
    • Their scales which are made of keratin, the same protein present in human nails — are believed to improve lactation, promote blood circulation, and remove blood stasis.
    • These so-called health benefits are so far unproven.

    What makes pangolins the most trafficked animals in the world?

    • Their alleged health benefits in traditional Chinese medicines prompted a booming illicit export of scales from Africa over the past decade.
    • Officials quote trafficking price of Pangolin and its scale anywhere between Rs 30,000 and Rs 1 crore for a single animal.
    • Conservation of pangolins received its first shot in the arm when the 2017 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) enforced an international trade ban.

    How will China’s decision impact pangolin trafficking?

    • The immediate impact would be pangolin scales losing their legitimacy in traditional Chinese medicines. However, the history of the ban on wildlife trade in China is not encouraging.
    • The continued availability of tiger bone wine — believed to cure a host of conditions ranging from dysentery to rheumatism — despite its ban on tiger products in 1993. The price of elephant ivory plummeted by two-thirds after China banned it.
    • India, where the trade largely remains local, has been registering a decline from before China’s ban.
    • The trade-in pangolin scales are already showing a decreasing trend in India and the only trade is the trade-in live animals by unorganised traders, who ask for a few crores for each live animal.

  • International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

    The UN nuclear watchdog IAEA’s governing body began meeting as a row brews over Iran’s refusal to allow access to two sites where nuclear activity may have occurred in the past.

    Practice question for mains:

    Q. Discuss the role of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in enhancing nuclear accountability of the world.

    Concerns over Iran

    • The latest row over access comes as a landmark deal between Iran and world powers in 2015 continues to unravel.
    • If IAEA passes a resolution critical of Iran, it would be the first of its kind since 2012.
    • Even though the two sites are not thought to be key to Iran’s current activities, the agency says it needs to know if past activities going back almost two decades have been properly declared and all materials accounted for.

    About IAEA

    • The IAEA is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons.
    • The IAEA has its headquarters in Vienna, Austria. It was established as an autonomous organisation on 29 July 1957.
    • Though established independently of the UN through its own international treaty, the IAEA reports to both the UN General Assembly and UN Security Council.

    Functions of IAEA

    • The IAEA serves as an intergovernmental forum for scientific and technical co-operation in the peaceful use of nuclear technology and nuclear power worldwide.
    • The programs of the IAEA encourage the development of the peaceful applications of nuclear energy, science and technology, provide international safeguards against misuse of nuclear technology and nuclear materials, and promote nuclear safety (including radiation protection) and nuclear security standards and their implementation.

  • What is the Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC)?

    Scientists have observed the fifth state of matter in space for the first time, offering unprecedented insight that could help solve some of the quantum universe’s most intractable conundrums.

    Try this question from CSP 2018

    Q. Consider the following phenomena:

    1. Light is affected by gravity.
    2. The Universe is constantly expanding.
    3. Matter warps its surrounding space-time.

    Which of the above is/are the prediction/predictions of Albert Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity, often discussed in media?

    (a) 1 and 2 only

    (b) 3 only

    (c) 1 and 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

    Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs)

    • Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) — the existence of which was predicted by Albert Einstein and Indian mathematician Satyendra Nath Bose almost a century ago — are formed when atoms of certain elements are cooled to near absolute zero (0 Kelvin, minus 273.15 Celsius).
    • At this point, the atoms become a single entity with quantum properties, wherein each particle also functions as a wave of matter.
    • BECs straddle the line between the macroscopic world governed by forces such as gravity and the microscopic plane, ruled by quantum mechanics.

    Why are BECs important?

    • Scientists believe BECs contain vital clues to mysterious phenomena such as dark energy — the unknown energy thought to be behind the Universe’s accelerating expansion.
    • But BECs are extremely fragile. The slightest interaction with the external world is enough to warm them past their condensation threshold.
    • This makes them nearly impossible for scientists to study on Earth, where gravity interferes with the magnetic fields required to hold them in place for observation.

    Studying BECs

    • NASA scientists unveiled the first results from BEC experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS), where particles can be manipulated free from Earthly constraints.
    • The microgravity onboard the ISS allowed them to create BECs from rubidium — a soft metal similar to potassium — on a far shallower trap than on Earth.
    • Microgravity at ISS allows confining atoms with much weaker forces. Microgravity also allowed the atoms to be manipulated by weaker magnetic fields, speeding their cooling and allowing clearer imaging.
    • Creating the fifth state of matter, especially within the physical confines of a space station, is no mean feat for NASA.

  • 16th june 2020| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement

    Important Announcement:  Topics to be covered on 17th June-

    GS-1  The Freedom Struggle – its various stages and important contributors/contributions from different parts of the country.

    GS-4 Attitude

    Question 1)

    Underlying the achievements of chatrapati Shivaji, describe how his policy was helpful in the expansion of Marathas? Also discuss the reasons for the fall of the Marathas. 10 marks

     

    Question 2)

    The South China Sea has been witnessing growing militarisation day by day. And how the South China Sea situation plays out will be critical for our security and well-being. In light of this, examine the basis on which India should also contest China’s unilateral claims in the area and scope of engagement with the ASEAN countries in this regard.10 marks

    Question 3)

    What is biosimilar technology? Discuss its application in the field of medicine.10 marks

    Question 4)  

    Virtue is not about practicing morality, the greatest virtue is to be inclusive of all life. Comment.10 marks

     

    Reviews will be provided in a week. (In the order of submission- First come first serve basis). In case the answer is submitted late the review period may get extended to two weeks.

    *In case your answer is not reviewed in a week, reply to your answer saying *NOT CHECKED*. If Parth Sir’s tag is available then tag him.

    For the philosophy of AWE and payment, check  here: Click2Join

  • [Burning Issue] India-Nepal Border Row

    Culturally speaking, India and Nepal share a great people to people interaction. But lately the two countries have been in news not for the camaraderie they share but the border tensions. Like China was not enough! In this article, we provide the explanation of the map related row that’s been brewing up. Also, a general outlay of the bilateral relation is discussed to provide a better understanding for your preparation.

    Context

    Construction of an 80-km-long road through the Lipulekh Pass got the 2 Himalayan neighbors into the fighting arena. The road was constructed with the purpose to reduce the travel time for Indian pilgrims visiting the religious shrine at Kailash-Mansarovar in Tibet. Nepal claims it to be violation of it’s borders.

    But first some geography – Lipulekh Pass

    • In Uttarakhand, Lipulekh Pass comes under Chaudans valley of Dharchula, a sub-district of Pithoragarh district in the Kumaon region where it links with the Byash Valley of Nepal and with Tibet, an Autonomous Region of China.
    • The famous pilgrimage to Mount Kailash that is also known as Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, traverses from this pass.
    • The 17,000-feet high Pass is located close to the disputed Kalapani area, which is claimed by both sides.

    So, what is the issue?

    • The inauguration of the “new road to Mansarovar” on May 8 by India’s defence minister has strained the relations between Nepal and India.
    • While India argues that Kalapani is a part of Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district, Nepal claims it falls in its Darchula district.
    • The 1816 Sugauli Treaty between Nepal and British India placed all the territories east of the Kali (Mahakali) river, including Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipu Lekh at the northwestern front of Nepal, on its side.
    • Lipu Lekh pass is 4 km northwest and Limpiyadhura 53 km west of Tinker pass.
    • The borders of Nepal, India and China intersect in this area.
    • Given the situation in 1961, Nepal and China fixed pillar number one at Tinker pass with the understanding that pillar number zero (the tri-junction of Nepal, India, and China) would be fixed later.

    The Treaty of Sugauli

    • Treaty of Sagauli, (March 4, 1816), an agreement between the Gurkha chiefs of Nepal and the British Indian government that ended the Anglo-Nepalese (Gurkha) War (1814–16).
    • By the treaty, Nepal renounced all claim to the disputed Tarai, or lowland country, and ceded its conquests west of the Kali River and extending to the Sutlej River.
    • Nepal remained independent, but it received a British resident with the status of an ambassador to an independent country rather than of the controlling agent of the supreme government in an Indian state.

    Why is Lipulekh important for India?

    • For India, the Lipulekh pass has security implications. After its disastrous 1962 border war with China, it was concerned about a possible Chinese intrusion through the pass and has been keen to hold on to the strategic Himalayan route to guard against any future incursions.
    • The link road via Lipulekh Himalayan Pass is also considered one of the shortest and most feasible trade routes between India and China.
    • The Nepalese reaction would probably have triggered in response to Chinese assertion.

    What is Nepal’s saying in all this?

    • Nepal claims Kalapani is a part of its territory, based on the Sagauli Treaty signed by Nepal’s Gurkha chiefs and British India on March 4, 1816, to end their three-year-long Anglo-Nepalese War.
    • It asserts that it ceded control of the areas west of the Kali River, as well as the disputed Tarai, but retained stretches east of the water body, including Limpiyadhura, Kalapani, and Lipulekh as per the agreement.
    • In 2015, Nepal had also expressed its disagreement over India and China agreed to include Lipulekh Pass as a bilateral trade route in a joint statement during PM Modi’s visit to Beijing.

    Indian stance

    • Nepal surrendered a part of its western territory in 1816 after its forces were defeated by the British East India company.
    • The subsequent Sugauli treaty defined the origin of the Kali river as Nepal’s border point with India. But the two countries differ on the source of the Kali river.
    • India argues that the exact coordinates of the river were not mentioned in the treaty and claims that improved survey techniques have redrawn the map in the years since.

    So has China been meddling?

    • The suspicion in Delhi is Kathmandu’s new-found confidence is because of Chinese backing.
    • The Indian army chief, General MM Naravane, has said publicly that Nepal “might have raised this problem at the behest of someone else” – an indirect reference to alleged Chinese interference.
    • And some mainstream right-wing media in India have called Nepal “China’s Proxy” for raising the border issue. The remarks did not go down well in Kathmandu.

    Solving border disputes

    • Assuming that there is political buy-in from the leadership on both sides, the one workable solution is to seek some form of co-management or shared sovereignty for the disputed territory.
    • There are many bold possibilities: maybe there could be a joint deployment of military and police forces, as during the 1960s on the Nepal-China border.
    • Given the trade potential, both countries could also consider establishing a special economic zone.
    • Finally, it is in the interest of both that Indian and Nepali pilgrims can use the improved infrastructure in the Kalapani region to reach Mount Kailash.
    • The next steps should be approval of the strip maps by the respective governments (that of the Nepalese Government is still awaited), the resolution of the differences of opinion over Kalapani and Susta, and speeding up the erection of damaged or missing border pillars.

    Various facets of India-Nepal ties

    1. Cultural ties

    • While enjoying their own peculiarities, both India and Nepal share a common culture and ways of life.
    • Religion is perhaps the most important factor and plays a predominant role in shaping the cultural relations between these two countries, marked by a cross country pilgrimage on Char Dham Yatra, Pashupatinath Temple and some Buddhist sites.
    • A considerable section of Nepalese comprises of Madhesi population which has familial & ethnic ties with states of Bihar, UP.

    2. Strategic ties

    • Nepal is a buffer state between India and China.
    • Several Nepali Citizens are also deployed in Indian defence forces as well.

    3. Political ties

    • Constitutional turmoil is not new in Nepal. India has played a vital role in the democratic transition in Nepal against the monarch King Gyanendra.
    • Nepali Congress (NC) is one of the country’s oldest parties which supports relations with India, but the communist parties show a tilt towards China.

    4. Economic ties

    • Nepal is an important export market for India.
    • Himalayan rivers flowing through Nepal can be used for Hydroelectric power projects which will benefit border states of UP, Bihar and other adjacent areas.
    • There are three major water deals between Nepal and India, namely the Kosi Agreement, the Gandak Treaty and the Mahakali Treaty. India also exports Power to Nepal.
    • Also, Nepal is the largest borrower of Indian Currency in South Asia.

    India’s importance to Nepal

    • India is the nearest foreign employer to Nepali Citizens, which provides various avenues of work and ease in assimilation into a foreign culture.
    • Nepal’s reluctance to Mandarin has overturned several Nepali students into Indian universities.
    • India is the only potential neighbour who could harness Nepal’s hydropower.
    • Moreover, Indian tourists are the major movers of Nepal’s tourism sector.

    Major Irritants in bilateral ties

    1) Nepali nationalism and Anti-India sentiments

    • Anti-India Sentiment in Nepal is largely politically motivated as it is wrongly perceived as India’s backing to Monarchy.
    • The widening gap in understanding each other’s concerns has helped feed Nepali nationalism and create a dense cloud of distrust and suspicion between the two countries.
    • The gap widened after India chose to impose an economic blockade in response to Nepal’s sovereign decision to promulgate a democratic constitution.

    2) China factor

    • Increasing Chinese presence in Nepal is one of the major concern for India. China’s move to extend the rail link to its border with Nepal can reduce its dependence on India.
    • Fundamentally these Chinese agencies are building up anti-India sentiments in Nepal.
    • Nepal’s assent for “One Belt One Region” (OBOR) initiative of China is viewed by India with suspicion.
    • Nepal has been slowly fallen prey to China’s inroad debt trap policy.

    3) India has ignored the changing political narrative for long

    • The reality is that India has ignored the changing political narrative in Nepal for far too long.
    • For too long India has invoked a “special relationship”, based on shared culture, language and religion, to anchor its ties with Nepal.
    • The 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship which was sought by the Nepali authorities in 1949 is viewed as a sign of an unequal relationship, and an Indian imposition.

    4) Open borders

    • The issue of open borders has also been a point of debate in Nepal in recent years- Nepalese people argue that India is benefiting more from it than Nepal.
    • It has an open border with India which leads to problems such as illegal migrants, counterfeit currency entry, drug and human trafficking.

    5) Madhesis Issue

    • Madhesis share extensive cross-border ethnic and linguistic links with India. India’s involvement in Nepali politics and the upsurge in Madhesi have deep roots in history and unless resolved.
    • Madhesis protest and India’s blockade soured the relations for the worst.

    Way Forward

    • The onus is on India to rethink on a long-term basis how to recalibrate its relationship with Nepal provided Nepal should not ignore its relations with India.
    • Broader engagement from both sides is essential towards finding a solution that satisfies both sides.
    • There are many possible modalities. Maybe it could include joint military deployment, special access rights for Nepali citizens or even a free-trade zone with China.
    • The India-Nepal border issues appear more easily solvable, so long as there is political goodwill and statecraft exercised on both sides.

    The way to move forward is to formally approve the strip maps, resolve the two remaining disputes, demarcate the entire India-Nepal boundary, and speedily execute the work of boundary maintenance.

    Conclusion

    The Indian road was not built overnight and the Nepal government was surely aware and monitoring the situation in Kalapani over the preceding months and years.

    But now the row appears to have reached an impasse. The Nepal PM’s earlier remarks on a solution, with possible road leasing to India, is a welcome step towards de-escalation. As both countries are laying claim to the same piece of land, the time has come for both countries to sit for talks to solve this issue.

    But since then, we have only seen repeated moves from both sides that have raised the temperature, further politicized the issue and thus made the dialogue more difficult. Nepal’s earlier demands were focused on the withdrawal of troops from Kalapani; its recent position now includes the insistence of Limpiyadhura as the headwaters.

    India may continue to defuse the crisis through back channels but this is no longer sustainable as the dispute had become a “permanent irritant” after Nepal’s new map.

    Based on their history of friendly relations and driven by pragmatism, it should not be difficult for India and Nepal to think out of the box and find a practical solution. Delhi and Kathmandu could lead the way to liberate the subcontinent from the sovereignist, nationalist and territorial logic that continues to leave everyone in the region worse off.

     

    References

    https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/05/india-nepal-border-dispute-200528085916240.html

    https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-52967452

    https://theprint.in/talk-point/nepal-map-row-has-india-provoked-kathmandu-or-is-china-instigating-trouble-for-new-delhi/426470/

     

    Foreign Policy Watch: India-Nepal

  • The need for an anti-discrimination law

    India has a unique distinction of being a democracy without comprehensive legislation to back the constitutional right of equality. This lack of legislation gives rise to certain issues. Every time the case of discrimination is brought the discriminating party claims that he is at liberty to do so. Not only this, in a certain case, the Supreme Court also endorsed such restrictive interpretation. All this points to the need for the comprehensive legislation.

    Indirect and unintended discrimination

    • More than 70 years after Independence, our society remains rife with structural discrimination.
    • These prejudices, which pervade every aspect of life, from access to basic goods, to education and employment, are sometimes manifest.
    • But, on other occasions, the discrimination is indirect and even unintended. 
    • The forms that it takes were perhaps best explained by the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Griggs vs. Duke Power Co. (1971).
    • There, the court held that an energy company had fallen foul of the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964 — which made racial discrimination in private workplaces illegal.
    • The company had insisted on a superfluous written test by applicants for its better entry-level jobs.
    • Although, on the face of it, this requirement was race-neutral, in practice it allowed the company to victimise African-Americans.
    • In a memorable judgment, invoking an Aesop fable, Chief Justice Burger wrote that “tests or criteria for employment or promotion may not provide equality of opportunity merely in the sense of the fabled offer of milk to the stork and the fox.”
    • On the contrary, the law, he said, resorting again to the fable, “provided that the vessel in which the milk is proffered be one all seekers can use.”
    • That is, that it wasn’t merely “overt discrimination” that was illegal but also “practices that are fair in form, but discriminatory in operation”.

    Let’s look into 2 cases in India

    1. Madhu vs. Northern Railway

    • The verdict in Griggs was notably applied in the Delhi High Court’s 2018 judgment in Madhu vs. Northern Railway.
    • There, the Railways had denied free medical treatment to the wife and daughter of an employee which they would otherwise have been entitled to under the rules.
    • The Railways contended that the employee had “disowned” his family and had had their names struck off his medical card.
    • The court held that to make essential benefits such as medical services subject to a declaration by an employee might be “facially neutral”, but it produced a disparate impact, particularly on women and children.
    • But while this case concerned discrimination by the state, entry barriers to goods such as housing, schools and employment tend to function in the realm of private contracts.

    Is Article 15 applicable in private contracts?

    •  The Constitution is markedly vocal on this too.
    • Article 15(2) stipulates that citizens shall not on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth be denied access to shops, public restaurants, hotels and places of public entertainment.
    • Yet, on occasion, this right, which applies horizontally, inter se individuals, comes into conflict with the rights of persons to associate with others, often to the exclusion of certain groups.

    2. Zoroastrian Cooperative Housing Society vs District Registrar Co-operative Societies (Urban) and Others

    • This is why every time a case of discrimination is brought, the party that discriminates claims that he possesses a liberty to do so, that he must be free to act according to his own sense of conscience.
    • The Supreme Court in 2005 endorsed one such restrictive bond, when it ruled in favour of a bye-law of a Parsi housing society that prohibited the sale of the property to non-Parsis.
    • This right to forbid such a sale, the Court ruled, was intrinsic in the Parsis’ fundamental right to associate with each other.
    • But in holding thus, the judgment, as Gautam Bhatia points out in his book, The Transformative Constitution, not only conflated the freedom to contract with the constitutional freedom to associate but also overlooked altogether Article 15(2).

    Let’s look into the scope of Article 15(2)

    • At first blush, Article 15(2) might appear to be somewhat limited in scope.
    • But the word “shops” used in it is meant to be read widely.
    • A study of the Constituent Assembly’s debates on the clause’s framing shows us that the founders explicitly intended to place restrictions on any economic activity that sought to exclude specific groups.
    • For example, when a person refuses to lease her property to another based on the customer’s faith, such a refusal would run directly counter to the guarantee of equality.

    India: A country with no legislative backing to the fundamental right to equality

    • India is unique among democracies in that a constitutional right to equality is not supported by comprehensive legislation.
    • In South Africa, for example, a constitutional guarantee is augmented by an all-encompassing law which prohibits unfair discrimination not only by the government but also by private organisations and individuals.

    Consider the question “Discrimination partakes different forms. And due to lack of any legislation backing the Right to Equality, this right is just as capable of being threatened by acts of private individuals as they are by the state.” In light of this, discuss the need for an act backing the Right to Equality and right against discrimination.”

    Conclusion

    Any reasonable conception of justice would demand that we look beyond the intentions of our actions, and at the engrained structures of society.  To that end, the idea of enacting a law that will help ameliorate our ways of life, that will help reverse our deep-rooted culture of discrimination, is worth thinking about.

  • Skill University

    This article highlights the utility of skill education in India. There are several benefits in its adoption. But it would require several regulatory changes. So, what are these changes?Read to know…

    3 issues with our university education

    •  The differential lockdown outcomes for skilled and unskilled workers highlight our university system’s pre-existing conditions. These are-
    • 1) Broken employability promises.
    • 2) Poor employer connectivity.
    • 3) Poor return on private investment that frustrate parents and students.

    4 ways in which skill university differs from traditional university

    • A skill university differs from a traditional university in four ways.
    • 1) It prays to the one god of employers; for governance, faculty, curriculum, and pedagogy.
    • 2) It has four classrooms; on-campus, on-line, on-site, and on-the-job.
    • 3) It offers modularity between four qualifications; certificates, diplomas, advanced diplomas, and degrees.
    • 4) And it has four sources of financing — employers, students, CSR, and loans though employers contribute more than 95 per cent of the costs.
    • Fro example,  in the case of Gujrat government’s skill university, 97 per cent of the university’s budget comes from employers.

    5 ways in which the universities are broken globally

    • First is broken promises.
    • The world produced more graduates in the last 35 years than 700 years before.
    • Second is broken financing.
    • More than 50 per cent of $1.5 trillion in student debt was expected to default even before the COVID pandemic.
    • Indian bank education loans have high NPAs.
    • The third is broken inclusiveness.
    • The system works for privileged urban males studying full-time, but today’s students are likely to be female, poor, older, rural, or studying part-time.
    • Fourth is broken flexibility.
    • Employed learners will cross traditional learners in three years, but they need on-demand, on-the-go, always-on, rolling admissions, continuous assessment, and qualification modularity.
    • And finally is broken openness. 
    • Google knowing everything makes learning how to learn a key 21st-century skill.
    • Yet too many universities are stuck in knowing.

    Let’s look into the regulatory changes needed for the Skill University

    • Skill universities are a scalable, sustainable, and affordable vehicle to massify higher education by innovations in finance.
    • But they need regulatory change.

    Following are the 3 types of regulatory changes needed

    1. Changes needed in the  UGC Act of 1956

    •  Clause 8.2.6 needs to be rewritten to equalise four classrooms -online, on-site, on-campus, and on-job-and section 22 (3) to recognise apprenticeship linked degree programmes.
    • The UGC Teacher Regulations of 2018 need rewriting: Clause 3.3.(I),(II) to redefine the qualifications, roles and numbers of teachers required, and clause 4 to recognise industry experience as a teaching qualification.
    • The UGC Online Regulations 2018 need to be rewritten: Clause 4(2) and 7(2)(3) to allow innovation, flexibility, credit frameworks, and relevance in online curriculums.
    • Clause 7(2)(2) to allow universities to work with any technology platforms.

    2. Changes needed in NAAC IQAC regulations

    • Criteria 1 and 1.2.2 to include work-based learning and work integrated learning.
    • Criteria 1.1.3 to include life skills and proctored/evaluated internships.
    • Criteria 2 and 2.3.1 to integrate online learning with university programmes.
    • Criteria 2 and 2.4.1, 3 and 6 need to be modified to recognise teachers with industry experience, and include industry-based research.
    • Criteria 4 and 4.1.2 to include industry workplaces and online classrooms as campus extensions.
    • Criteria 5 and 5.2.1 needs to be rewritten to incorporate apprenticeships.

    3. Changes needed in Apprenticeship Act of 1961

    • Clause 2, 8, 9, 21 and 23 of The Apprenticeship Act of 1961 also needs to be modified to allow and lift the licence raj for degree-linked apprentices and recognise skills universities.

    Consider the question “Skill universities, which would go a long way in increasing the employability in India are need of the hour. In light of this, examine the issues that the skill education faces and suggest the changes our education system needs to impart the proper skill education.”

    Conclusion

    Covid crisis has amplified the problems with our education system. So, the adoption of skill universities will help us improve the skill of our youth and achieve more inclusive employment, employability and education.

  • Need for fiscal decentralisation

    Covid pandemic has turned the fiscal health of states from bad to worse. This article highlights the role of the Finance Commission as a neutral arbiter in the Centre-state relation in achieving the delicate balance. It has highlighted certain issues that the commission has to consider when it submits its report. So, what are those issues? Read to know…

    Disruption in fiscal consolidation and impact on Centre-state relations

    • Due to COVID, there is a  collapse in general government revenues and the consequent rise in the deficit levels.
    • It has disrupted the glide path of fiscal consolidation.
    • But it has also deepened the faultlines in Centre-state fiscal relations. 
    • The Centre is trying to claw back the fiscal space ceded to the states and assert its dominance over the country’s fiscal architecture.
    • This coupled with the fiscal constraints exposed by the pandemic have made it harder to maintain the delicate balance needed to manage the contesting claims of the Centre and the states

    Why the 15th Finance Commission report is critical for decentralisation

    • It will be ironic if the ongoing health crisis that has ended up exposing the limitations of a centralised approach, ends up reversing the trend towards fiscal decentralisation.
    • The Commission’s report will be critical on two counts:
    • First, it will determine how India’s fiscal architecture is reshaped.
    • Second, how Centre-state relations are reset as the country attempts to recover from the COVID-19 shock.

    1. Will the burden of reducing debt/gdp  fall equally on Centre and state?

    • The glide path of fiscal consolidation laid out by the FRBM review committee had envisaged bringing down general government debt to 60 per cent of GDP by 2022.
    • This is unlikely to materialise now.
    • Factoring in the additional borrowings, the debt-to-GDP ratio may well be over 80 per cent this year.
    • Thus the fiscal consolidation roadmap will have to be reworked.
    •  As per its terms of reference, the Finance Commission will lay out the new path to be followed by both Centre and states.
    • But the question is: Will the burden of debt reduction fall equally upon the Centre and states?
    • Or will the Commission allow the Centre to have greater leeway when it comes to fiscal consolidation?

    2. Will the conditional extension of borrowing limit be formalised?

    •  Recently, the Centre eased the states’ budget constraint, allowing them to borrow more this year.
    • But this extra borrowing was conditional upon states implementing reforms in line with the Centre’s priorities.
    • Despite protests, most states are likely to comply with the conditions, to varying degrees.
    • But the issue is: As the hit from the ongoing crisis spreads over multiple years, state governments may want to maintain their expansionary fiscal stance next year as well.
    • Then, will the Finance Commission, in line with its terms of reference, go along with the Centre’s stance and recommend imposing conditions on additional borrowing and formalise this arrangement?
    • It is difficult to see such an arrangement being rolled back once formalised.

    3. GST compensation cess

    • The GST council, in which the Centre effectively has a veto, is yet to clearly spell out its views on the extension of the compensation cess to offset states losses beyond the five-year period.
    • The Commission will have to weigh in on this too.
    • At this time the Centre is struggling to fulfil its promise of assuring states their GST revenues.
    • In such situation, will the Commission argue in favour of extending the compensation period, as states desire, but, perhaps, lowering the assured 14 per cent growth in compensation and linking it to nominal GDP growth?
    • As GST revenue accounts for a significant share of states’ income, how this plays out will also have a bearing on their ability to bring down their debt levels.

    4. Issue of tax devolution

    • In some sense, accepting the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission was a fait accompli.
    • The terms of reference of the 15th Finance Commission points to the present government’s desire to claw back the fiscal space offered to the states.
    • But is clawing back fiscal space now a prudent approach?
    • A cash-strapped Centre will surely welcome greater say over the diminished resources.
    • And there a strong argument for the Centre to have far greater fiscal space than it currently enjoys.
    • This is partly because the fiscal multiplier of central government capital spending is greater than that by the states.
    • But also the nature of politics may well push in that direction.
    • Centralisation of political power may well lead to demands for centralisation of resources.
    • However, surely fiscal space can be created by a review of the Centre’s own spending programme.

    Need to relook at the Centre’s expenditure priorities

    • Over the past decades, there has been a substantial increase in the Centre’s spending on items on the state and concurrent list.
    •  This shift has occurred even as grants by the Centre to states exceed the former’s revenue deficit.
    • This, as some have pointed out, effectively means that the Centre is borrowing to transfer to states.
    • Surely, a relook at the Centre’s expenditure priorities would create greater fiscal space for it.

    What the Finance Commission can do?

    • Any attempt to shift the uneasy balance in favour of the Centre will strengthen the argument that this government’s talk of cooperative federalism serves as a useful mask to hide its centralising tendencies.
    • As a neutral arbiter of Centre-state relations, the Finance Commission should seek to maintain the delicate balance in deciding on contesting claims.
    • This may well require giveaways especially if states are to be incentivised to push through legislation on items on the state and concurrent list.
    • The fiscal stress at various levels of the government necessitates a realistic assessment of the country’s macro-economic situation, the preparation of a medium-term roadmap, as well as careful calibration of the framework that governs Centre-state relations.
    • At this critical juncture, the Finance Commission should present the broad contours of the roadmap.
    • Though it could request for another year’s extension to present its full five-year report citing the prevailing uncertainty.

    Consider the question “COVID pandemic has put the States in the dire fiscal position. What we need is more of the fiscal decentralisation now.” In light of this, along with other factors, elaborate on the role 15th Finance Commission could play in this regard.

    Conclusion

    Finance Commission has to play an important role in achieving the delicate balance in the conflicting domain of finance by addressing the concerns of both the players.

  • 15th June 2020 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions

    [WpProQuiz 461]

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