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Debate: Minimum age of marriage for women
PM in his I-Day speech has announced that the central government has set up a committee to reconsider the minimum age of marriage for women during his address to the nation on the 74th Independence Day.

Try this question for mains:

Q.The different minimum age of marriage for women and men is a discriminatory provision. Analyse.

Back in debate
- The minimum age of marriage, especially for women, has been a contentious issue.
- The law evolved in the face of much resistance from religious and social conservatives.
- Currently, the law prescribes that the minimum age of marriage is 21 years and 18 years for men and women respectively.
Issue over majority
- The minimum age of marriage is distinct from the age of majority which is gender-neutral.
- An individual attains the age of majority at 18 as per the Indian Majority Act, 1875.
- The law prescribes a minimum age of marriage to essentially outlaw child marriages and prevents the abuse of minors.
What is the committee that the PM mentioned?
- The Union Ministry for WCD had set up a task force to examine matters pertaining to the age of motherhood, imperatives of lowering Maternal Mortality Ratio and the improvement of nutritional levels among women.
- The task force would examine the correlation of age of marriage and motherhood with health, medical well-being, and nutritional status of the mother and neonate, infant or child, during pregnancy, birth and thereafter.
- It will also examine the possibility of increasing the age of marriage for women from the present 18 years to 21 years.
How common are child marriages in India?
- UNICEF estimates suggest that each year, at least 1.5 million girls under the age of 18 are married in India.
- It makes our country home to the largest number of child brides in the world — accounting for a third of the global total.
- Nearly 16 per cent adolescent girls aged 15-19 are currently married.
Provisions for the minimum age for marriage
- Personal laws of various religions that deal with marriage have their own standards, often reflecting custom.
- For Hindus, Section 5(iii) of The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, sets 18 years as the minimum age for the bride and 21 years as the minimum age for the groom.
- However, child marriages are not illegal — even though they can be declared void at the request of the minor in the marriage.
- In Islam, the marriage of a minor who has attained puberty is considered valid.
- The Special Marriage Act, 1954 and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 also prescribe 18 and 21 years as the minimum age of consent for marriage for women and men respectively.
- Additionally, sexual intercourse with a minor is rape, and the ‘consent’ of a minor is regarded as invalid since she is deemed incapable of giving consent at that age.
Evolution of the law
- The IPC enacted in 1860 criminalised sexual intercourse with a girl below the age of 10.
- The provision of rape was amended in 1927 through The Age of Consent Bill, 1927, which declared that marriage with a girl under 12 would be invalid.
- The law faced opposition from conservative leaders of the Indian National Movement, who saw the British intervention as an attack on Hindu customs.
- A legal framework for the age of consent for marriage in India only began in the 1880s.
Comes in: The Sarda Act
- In 1929, The Child Marriage Restraint Act set 16 and 18 years as the minimum age of marriage for girls and boys respectively.
- The law, popularly known as the Sarda Act after its sponsor Harbilas Sarda, a judge and a member of Arya Samaj, was eventually amended in 1978 to prescribe 18 and 21 years as the age of marriage for a woman and a man respectively.
Contention over different legal standards
- There is no reasoning in the law for having different legal standards of age for men and women to marry. The laws are a codification of custom and religious practices.
- The Law Commission consultation paper has argued that having different legal standards “contributes to the stereotype that wives must be younger than their husbands”.
- Women’s rights activists have argued that the law also perpetuates the stereotype that women are more mature than men of the same age and, therefore, can be allowed to marry sooner.
- The international treaty Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), also calls for the abolition of laws that assume women have a different physical or intellectual rate of growth than men.
Why is the law being relooked at?
- Despite laws mandating minimum age and criminalizing sexual intercourse with a minor, child marriages are very prevalent in the country.
- From bringing in gender-neutrality to reduce the risks of early pregnancy among women, there are many arguments in favour of increasing the minimum age of marriage of women.
- Early pregnancy is associated with increased child mortality rates and affects the health of the mother.
Upholding the Constitution
- Petitioners, in this case, had challenged the law on the grounds of discrimination.
- It is argued that Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution, which guarantee the right to equality and the right to live with dignity, were violated by having different legal ages for men and women to marry.
- Two significant Supreme Court rulings can act as precedents to support the petitioner’s claim.
- In 2014, in the ‘NALSA v Union of India’ case, the Supreme Court, while recognising transgenders as the third gender, said that justice is delivered with the “assumption that humans have equal value and should, therefore, be treated as equal, as well as by equal laws”.
- In 2019, in ‘Joseph Shine v Union of India’, the Supreme Court decriminalized adultery, and said that “a law that treats women differently based on gender stereotypes is an affront to women’s dignity”.
August 17, 2020
Why has the Israel-UAE pact unsettled Palestine and Iran?
Last week Mr Trump has announced that Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had reached a peace agreement. Many countries, including the European powers and India, have welcomed it, while the Palestinian leadership, as well as Turkey and Iran, have lashed out at the UAE.

The strategic location of Gaza strip, West Bank, Dead Sea etc. creates a hotspot for a possible map based prelims question.

Consider this PYQ:

Q. The area is known as ‘Golan Heights’ sometimes appears in the news in the context of the events related to: (CSP 2015)

a) Central Asia
b) Middle East
c) South-East Asia
d) Central Africa

The Israel-UAE Pact
- The UAE and Israel would establish formal diplomatic relations and in exchange, Israel would suspend its plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank.
- Israeli PM Netanyahu had earlier vowed to annex the Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
- But now, as part of the agreement, Israel “will suspend declaring sovereignty over areas” of the West Bank and “focus its efforts on expanding ties with other countries in the Arab and Muslim world”.
A timeline of Israel-Arab Conflict

Arab-Israeli ties have historically been conflict-ridden.
- Arab countries, including Egypt, Transjordan, Syria and Iraq, fought their first war with Israel in 1948 after the formation of the state of Israel was announced.
- The war ended with Israel capturing more territories, including West Jerusalem than what the UN Partition Plan originally proposed for a Jewish state.
- After that, Israel and Arab states fought three more major wars — the 1956 Suez conflict, the 1967 Six-Day War and the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
- After the 1967 war in which Israel captured the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip from Egypt, East Jerusalem and the West Bank from Jordan and the Golan Heights from Syria.
- Arab countries convened in Khartoum and declared their famous three “‘Nos’ — no peace with Israel, no talks with Israel and no recognition of Israel.
- But it did not last long. After the death of Egypt President Gamal Abdel Nasser, his successor Anwar Sadat started making plans to get Sinai back from Israel.
- His efforts, coupled with American pressure on Israel, led to the Camp David Accords of 1978 with Israel’s withdrawal.
Significance of the deal
- It’s a landmark agreement given that the UAE is only the third Arab country and the first in the Gulf region to establish diplomatic relations with Israel.
- In 1994, Jordan became the second Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel.
- The UAE-Israel agreement comes after 26 years. If more countries in the Gulf follow the UAE’s lead, it would open a new chapter in Arab-Israel ties.
Why did the UAE sign the agreement?
- The old enmity between Arab countries and Israel has dissipated.
- The Sunni Arab kingdoms in the Gulf region such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE had developed backroom contacts with Israel over the past several years.
- One of the major factors that brought them closer has been their shared antipathy towards Iran.
- Arab countries have signalled that they are ready to live with Israel’s occupation of Palestine.
What do Arab countries want from Israel?
- Arab countries expect a major change in the status quo on West Bank annexation which would put Israel under political and diplomatic pressure.
- The UAE-Israel agreement has averted that outcome.
- If a Democratic Party (Trump’s opposition and Obama’s allegiance) comes to power and restores the Iran deal, both the Israeli and the Arab blocs in West Asia would come under pressure to live with an empowered Iran.
- A formal agreement and enhanced security and economic ties make the Arab and Israeli sides better prepared to face such a situation.
- So there is a convergence of interests for the UAE, Israel and the U.S. to come together in the region.
Where does it leave the Palestinians?
- Unlike the past two Arab-Israeli peace agreements, Palestinians do not figure prominently in the current one.
- In the present UAE-Israel deal, Israel has not made any actual concession to the Palestinians.
- The Palestinians are understandably upset. They called the UAE’s decision “treason”.
Geopolitical implications of the deal
- The agreement could fast-track the changes that are already underway in the region.
- The Saudi bloc, consisting of Egypt, the UAE, Bahrain and others, see their interests being aligned with that of the U.S. and Israel and their support for Palestine, which Arab powers had historically upheld.
- Turkey and Iran now emerge as the strongest supporters of the Palestinians in the Muslim world.
- This tripolar contest is already at work in West Asia. The UAE-Israel thaw could sharpen it further.
Also read:

West Bank Annexation Plan
August 17, 2020
Expansion of the National Cadet Corps (NCC)
In his I-Day speech, PM spoke about the expansion of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) in coastal and border districts of India.

Try this question:

Q.The Shekatkar Committee recommendations sometimes seen in the news are related to:

a) Modernization of Railways b) Modernization of Defence c) Road Infrastructure d) Cashless Payments

About NCC
- The NCC, which was formed in 1948, has its roots to British era uniformed youth entities like University Corps or University Officer Training Corps.
- It enrols cadets at the high school and college level and also awards certificates on completion of various phases.
- Headed by a Director-General of three-star military rank, the NCC falls under the purview of MoD and is led by serving officers from the Armed forces at various hierarchical positions.
- The NCC currently has 17 regional directorates which govern the NCC in units in various states or groups of states and union territories.
- Each school and college units have Associate NCC Officers and cadets are also assigned various leadership roles in the form of cadet appointments.
- NCC has a dual funding model where both the centre and states or union territories provide budgetary support.
Training the cadets
- The NCC cadets receive basic military training at various levels and also have academic curriculum basics related to Armed forces and their functioning.
- Various training camps, adventure activities and military training camps are an important aspect of NCC training.
- NCC cadets have played an important role over the years in relief efforts during various emergency situations.
- During the ongoing pandemic, over 60,000 NCC cadets have been deployed for voluntary relief work in coordination with district and state authorities across the country.
PM’s announcement
- Expansion of NCC in the border and coastal area has been under consideration of the Ministry of Defence for quite some time.
- PM took this I-Day to announce that from the 173 coastal and border districts, one lakh cadets, a third of them girls, will be trained.
- Currently, the NCC has the strength of around 14 lakh cadets from Army, Navy and Air Force wings.
- Border and coastal areas will get trained manpower to fight with disasters. Youth will acquire the required skills for careers in armed forces.
Significance of expansion
- In the coastal regions, where youth are already familiar with the sea, the training will increase interest in careers in Navy, Coast Guard and also Merchant shipping avenues.
- In the border area, the trained cadets can play an important role in various contingencies and also in supporting roles to the Armed forces in various roles.
August 17, 2020
What is the National Health ID System?
In his address to the nation on Independence Day, the PM has launched the National Digital Health Mission which rolls out a national health ID for every Indian.

Try this question for mains:

Q.What is the National Health ID System? How will it benefit transforming healthcare facilities in India?

National Health ID System
- This system finds its roots in a 2018 NITI Aayog proposal to create a centralised mechanism to uniquely identify every participating user in the National Health Stack.
- It will be a repository of all health-related information of a person.
- According to the National Health Authority (NHA), every patient who wishes to have their health records available digitally must start by creating a Health ID.
- Each Health ID will be linked to a health data consent manager — such as National Digital Health Mission (NDHM).
- The Health ID is created by using a person’s basic details and mobile number or Aadhaar number.
- This will make it unique to the person, who will have the option to link all of their health records to this ID.
What was the original proposal for the health ID?
- The National Health Policy 2017 had envisaged creation of a digital health technology eco-system aiming at developing an integrated health information system.
- In the context of this, the central government’s think-tank NITI Aayog, in June 2018, floated a consultation of a digital backbone for India’s health system — National Health Stack.
- As part of its consultation, NITI Aayog proposed a Digital Health ID to greatly reduce the risk of preventable medical errors and significantly increase the quality of care.
Stakeholders in the national health ID
- As envisaged, various healthcare providers — such as hospitals, laboratories, insurance companies, online pharmacies, telemedicine firms — will be expected to participate in the health ID system.
Back2Basics:

https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/national-digital-health-mission-ndhm/
August 17, 2020
Tweets against CJI amounts to Criminal Contempt
A three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court has found a famous civil rights lawyer guilty of criminal contempt by ‘scandalizing the court’.

Try this question for mains:

Q.What is Contempt of Court? Discuss, how free speech can lead to the contempt of courts?

Contempt of Court
- According to the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, contempt of court can either be civil contempt or criminal contempt.
- Civil contempt means willful disobedience to any judgment, decree, direction, order, writ or another process of a court or willful breach of an undertaking given to a court.
- On the other hand, criminal contempt means the publication (whether by words, spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representations, or otherwise) of any matter or the doing of any other act whatsoever which
1. Scandalizes or tends to scandalize, or lowers or tends to lower the authority of, any court; or
2. Prejudices, or interferes or tends to interfere with, the due course of any judicial proceeding; or
3. Interferes or tends to interfere with, or obstructs or tends to obstruct, the administration of justice in any other manner.
What did the court rule in this case?
- The tweets had the effect of attempting to destabilize Indian democracy.
- A defamatory publication concerning “the judge is a serious impediment to justice”.
- The court could not ignore the disrespect and disaffection created by the “scurrilous” tweets.
- If such an attack is not dealt with a requisite degree of firmness, it may affect the national honour and prestige in the comity of nations.
A suo motu action
- The prior consent of the Attorney General (AG) of India is not required to suo motu initiate the inherent contempt powers of the Supreme Court.
- The Contempt of Court Act of 1971 cannot limit this power of the court. The statute only provides the procedure in which such contempt is to be initiated.
- The suo motu contempt powers of the top court are drawn from Article 129 of the Constitution, which says the Supreme Court, as a court of record, has the power to punish for contempt of itself.
What would be the penalty?
- The Contempt of Court Act of 1971 punishes with imprisonment that may extend to six months or fine of ₹ 2,000 or both.
- This is provided in case the accused may be discharged or the punishment awarded may be remitted on apology being made to the satisfaction of the court.
Also read:

Explained: What is Contempt of Court?
August 17, 2020
RBI’s Positive Pay system
The new ‘Positive Pay’ mechanism was recently introduced by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Try this PYQ:

With reference to digital payments, consider the following statements:
1. BHIM app allows the user to transfer money to anyone with a UPI-enabled bank account.
2. While a chip-pin debit card has four factors authentication, BHIM app has only two factors of authentication.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (CSP 2018)

a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
What is the move?
- Issuers will be able to send all details to their bank, thereby ensuring faster clearance of cheques above Rs 50,000.
- All cheques will be processed as per the information sent by the account holder at the time of issuance of cheques.
- This will cover approximately 20 per cent of transactions by volume and 80 per cent by value.
- It will make cheque payments safer and reduces instances of frauds.
What is Positive Pay Mechanism?
- Positive Pay is a fraud detection tool adopted by banks to protect customers against forged, altered or counterfeit cheques.
- It crosses verifies all details of the cheque issued before funds are encashed by the beneficiary.
- In case of a mismatch, the cheque is sent back to the issuer for examination.
- By following such a system, a bank knows of a cheque being drawn by the customer even before it is deposited by the beneficiary into his/her account.
How does the mechanism work?
- Under Positive Pay feature, the issuer will first share the details of the issued cheque like cheque number, date, name of the payee, account number, amount and the likes through his/her net banking account.
- Along with this, an image of the front and reverse side of the cheque is also required to be shared, before handing it over to the beneficiary.
- When the beneficiary submits the cheque for encashment, the details are compared with those provided to the bank through Positive Pay.
- If the details match, the cheque is honoured. However, in the case of mismatch, the cheque is referred to the issuer.
- In this way, any cheque where any sort of fraud has happened cannot be cleared at all and hence, a depositor’s money can be protected.
August 17, 2020
In news: Mauritius Oil Spill
A Japanese ship recently struck a coral reef resulting in an oil spill of over 1,000 tonnes into the Indian Ocean near Mauritius.

Try this PYQ:

Q.Recently, “oil zapper’’ was in the news. What is it? (CSP 2011)

(a) It is an eco-friendly technology for the remediation of oily sludge and oil spills.

(b) It is the latest technology developed for undersea oil exploration.

(c) It is a genetically engineered high biofuel-yielding maize variety.

(d) It is the latest technology to control the accidentally caused flames from oil wells.

What caused the Mauritius oil spill?
- A Japanese vessel struck a coral reef resulting in an oil spill of over 1,000 tonnes into the Indian Ocean.
- The ship was carrying an estimated 4,000 tonnes of oil.
- The accident had taken place near two environmentally protected marine ecosystems and the Blue Bay Marine Park Reserve, which is a wetland of international importance.
How dangerous are oil spills?
- Oil spills affect marine life by exposing them to harsh elements and destroying their sources of food and habitat.
- Further, both birds and mammals can die from hypothermia as a result of oil spills.
- For instance, oil destroys the insulating ability of fur-bearing mammals, such as sea otters.
- It also decreases the water repellency of birds’ feathers, without which they lose their ability to repel cold water.
Some major incidents
- Some of the world’s largest oil spills include the Persian Gulf War oil spill of 1991 when more than 380 million gallons of oil was poured into the northern Persian Gulf by Iraq’s forces.
- The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is also considered to be among the largest known accidental oil spills in history.
- Starting April 20, 2010, over 4 million barrels of oil flowed over a period of 87 days into the Gulf of Mexico.
How is the oil spill cleaned?
- There are a few ways to clean up oil spills including skimming, in situ burning and by releasing chemical dispersants.
- Skimming involves removing oil from the sea surface before it is able to reach the sensitive areas along the coastline.
- In situ burning means burning a particular patch of oil after it has concentrated in one area.
- Releasing chemical dispersants helps break down oil into smaller droplets, making it easier for microbes to consume, and further break it down into less harmful compounds.
- Natural actions in aquatic environments such as weathering, evaporation, emulsification, biodegradation and oxidation can also accelerate the recovery of an affected area. But these occur differently in freshwater and marine environments.
August 17, 2020
[pib] Sarabhai Crater
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has named a crater captured by Chandrayaan 2 Orbiter after Vikram Sarabhai.

Try this PYQ:

What do you understand by the term Aitken Basin? (CSP 2012)

(a) It is a desert in southern Chile which is known to be the only location on earth where no rainfall takes place

(b) It is an impact crater on the far side of the Moon

(c) It is a Pacific coast basin, which is known to house large amounts of oil and gas

(d) It is a deep hypersaline anoxic basin where no aquatic animals are found

Sarabhai Crater
- “Sarabhai” Crater is named after Dr Vikram Sarabhai and around 250 to 300 kilometres east of this Crater is where the Apollo 17 and Luna 21 Missions had landed.
- The crater captured in 3D images shows that the Crater has a depth of around 1.7 Kms taken from its raised rim and the slope of Crater walls is in between 25 to 35 degree.
- These findings will help the Space Scientists to understand further the process of the lunar region filled with lava.
Who was Vikram Sarabhai?
- Sarabhai was an Indian physicist and astronomer who initiated space research and helped develop nuclear power in India.
- He is internationally regarded as the Father of the Indian Space Program.
- Known as the cradle of space sciences in India, the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) was founded in 1947 by him. He was the founder of ISRO.
- He started a project for the fabrication and launch of an Indian satellite.
- As a result, the first Indian satellite, Aryabhata, was put in orbit in 1975 from a Russian cosmodrome.
August 17, 2020
Eye-Opener Coming Up! Catch the First Basic Economic Prelims Test (16th August) to Re-imagine How You Look At UPSC Prelims
Click here to enroll for the Prime Prelims TS 2021

What was it that initially made Great Britain bleed but subsequently helped it to secure a smashing victory in the second world war? Enigma it was. Alan Turing built the “Turing Machine” that helped decrypt the seemingly unbreakable German Code. Then something very astonishing followed. Great Britain exploited the loopholes of the Enigma itself and the Germans lost without having the slightest hint of Enigma being compromised.

For a UPSC Aspirant, isn’t the “unpredictable” paper setting pattern of UPSC a modern-day Enigma? But what if there was a “Turing Machine” that could break into this “Unbreakable” code of UPSC? For your amusement, there is one.

Talking about UPSC Civil Services Prelims, mock test series has become a Categorical Imperative. But which one truly breaks the “UPSC Enigma”? How about one made by Frontline Warriors themselves (Veteran Aspirants) who have successfully cleared prelims five or six times consecutively? Isn’t the collective wisdom of these “Alan Turings” the closest version of a “UPSC Turing Machine”?

Now, let us speak about the test in question. It’s the sixth test of the newly launched Prelims Test Series for 2021 by CivilsDaily. It’s a Basic Economics Test. Let’s see how it is the first step towards breaking the “UPSC Enigma”:
1. CD Special Questions:
These questions are special due to their;
- Mind-Twisting Nature (Deceptive questions that fool you exactly as UPSC does in the real exam)
- Exclusiveness (These Perspectives / Themes are only available in CD tests).
Have a look –

Q1)With reference to Tax Buoyancy, consider the following statements:

1.It is a measure of the responsiveness of the tax receipts with respect to GDP.

2.A tax is said to be buoyant if the tax revenues decreases more than proportionately in response to a rise in national income or output.

3.Tax Buoyancy is also known as bracket creep.

Which of the statements mentioned above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Try guessing the right answer to this seemingly simple yet tricky question.

2. Tikdams:

These are Logical Solving Techniques that help you attempt questions despite having little or no idea about the question. It’s almost like getting a master key to the prelims paper. Have a look –

Q2) With reference to Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT), consider the following statements:

1. It was effectively introduced in India by the Finance Act of 1987

2. It’s aim is to bring Zero Tax Companies into tax realm.

3. It only applies to private companies and not to public companies.

Which of the statements mentioned above is/are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
The test explains this basic question by using a Technique we call “Extreme Exaggeration” (assuming you don’t know the correct answer).

3. Evidence-Based Question Framing:

To keep close to the real demand of the exam. Have a look –

3)With reference to WTO, consider the following statements regarding Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights(TRIPS):

1.TRIPS was concluded during Uruguay Round.of WTO negotiations.

2. Prior to the TRIPS, IPR concerning the trade were governed by the Paris Convention of 1863.

Which of the statements mentioned above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
4) Consider the following statements regarding the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Gross Value Added (GVA):

1.GDP represents the sum total of Gross Value added in all sectors without adjusting for taxes and subsidies by the government.

2. While the GDP is estimated by the Central Statistical Office (CSO), GVA is estimated by the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI).

3. GVA data helps in tracking the growth of a particular sector in the economy.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 1 only
- 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
Now, UPSC has asked multiple questions on the basic economic functioning of the economy. You can’t afford to err on a probable question that may be asked on similar lines.

4. Is the test really BASIC?

Framing random questions irrespective of the difficulty level of the tests is like serving the same wine in different bottles. Have a look –

4) Which of the following can be considered as an intermediate goods?

1. Sugar used for making sweets in sweets shop.

2. Refrigerator and milk used by ice cream shop owner.

3. Steel used in production of cars.

Select the correct statements using the code given below:
- 1 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
The motive to incorporate such questions in the basic test is to garner a general idea of the topics before you as an aspirant are mentally ready to face the advanced tests.

5. Conceptual vs Factual Categorisation:

It lets you realise your comparative strength in different types of questions. Have a look –

Q3. Which of the following statements is NOT correct with reference to Floating Exchange Rate?
- The exchange rate is determined by the forces of demand and supply.
- The government never intervenes and allows the market to function and determine the true value of exchange rate.
- The exchange rate reflects the true value of the domestic currency
- The foreign investors avoid investing in such countries
This is a basic Conceptual question. If you get this wrong, you need to rework the concepts of Monetary Dynamics which is an important aspect of Economy Syllabus.

So come be a part of our “UPSC Enigma” Breaking Endeavour. Like Great Britain, we shall emerge VICTORIOUS.

Click here to enrol for the Prime Prelims TS 2021
August 15, 2020
[Burning Issue] One Year since the Repeal of Art. 370
Exactly a year back, on August 5, 2019, the government of India revoked the special status granted under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. The move was made on the promise of a better life for every Kashmiri in terms of social and economic parameters.

So, with one year anniversary, it is the perfect opportunity to analyze what the move has meant for the common people. Did it bring them the development as promised? The article looks at some of the changes that the state has seen in the last 1 year, no judgments(promise!).

Background

Read the complete thread here at:

[Burning Issue] Reorganization of Jammu and Kashmir

Visible impacts of the move

(Obviously, the impacts from the repeal of Article 370 cannot be studied in isolation from impacts of COVID in the region.)

(A) Political Impacts

The legal talk
- The abrogation of special status has extended the reach of Parliament and Indian Constitution over the region in its entirety.
- The reorganization appendix gives an insight to which former laws passed by the state have been retained, repealed, and which central laws have been extended:
- Example: 164 laws – 153 state laws and 11 Governor’s Acts – have been repealed; 166 state laws have been retained; 7 state laws have been retained with amendments; 106 central laws have been made applicable.
- The Right to Information Act, 2005 and the Representation of People Act, 1951 are among the laws being extended to the UT in entirety.
New Domicile Rules
- This year center came out with a new list of criteria for attaining domicile in J&K.
- Since then, 4 lakh people in Jammu and Kashmir have been issued domicile certificates.
- A significant proportion has been given out to those who despite living or serving in the state for years were not considered the residents of the state due to the provisions of Artice 35A, which now stands repealed.
Reduction in Corruption
- The CMS-India Corruption Study 2017 placed Jammu and Kashmir among the top corrupt states in India, stating that 84 per cent of the people surveyed perceived increased corruption in public services.
- With corruption almost becoming second nature to the political elites and administrators, the immediate casualty in J&K has been effective governance and justice.
- This has undermined the trust of the Kashmiris in democracy and shattered their faith in the legitimacy of the politico-administrative setup, posing a direct challenge to peace operations.
- The situation has relieved(for now) since the abrogation of special status and paves the way for curbing corrupt practices.
(B) Social Impacts

Public perception of the move
- The abrogation of autonomy without the consent of the Kashmiris has raised the threat perception among the people regarding their identity and culture.
- The lost ‘autonomy’ and Art. 370 had a symbolic and emotional significance for Kashmir’s people.
New Low in Education
- The continued shutdowns and internet blockade has severely affected college and university students and so has the digital learning.
- College students and research scholars, for instance, have not been able to fill the online forms for competitive exams, scholarship grants and research papers.
- Most of the hostels in Kashmir University are shut indefinitely.
Rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits
- Construction of 6,000 transit accommodations for accommodating 3000 Kashmiri migrants and 849 flats have been constructed so far.
- The Centre also reimburses monthly cash relief to the eligible Kashmiri migrants settled in Jammu.
- Since the year 2014, the monthly cash relief has been enhanced twice i.e. from Rs 6600/- per family to Rs 10,000/- per family in 2015 and to Rs 13,000/- per family in 2018.
Era of social security measures
- The government introduced an array of insurance schemes including the Atal Pension Yojana in the newly carved Union Territory.
- The Centre also launched 85 people-oriented development schemes, like PM-KISAN, PM-KISAN-Pension, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, and Stand-Up India in Jammu and Kashmir.
(C) Economic Impact

Agriculture
- The apple industry in Kashmir, worth INR 80 billion which contributes 8 per cent of J&K’s GDP, has been worst affected.
- The farmers have highlighted their troubles in selling the produce in the local APMCs.
- Threats from militants, coupled with the government’s severe clampdown delayed the harvest for over a month, dealing a crippling blow to the industry during the peak harvest season.
Industries
- Core sectors of the economy of J&K have witnessed a steep decline after the abrogation of Article 370.
- The communications blockade, curfews, and militant threats has taken a toll on the economy of Kashmir by INR 178.78 billion.
- More than 90,000 jobs in the sectors of handicraft and information technology have been lost.
Tourism
- Tourism, which forms 8-10% of J&K’s GDP, is in shambles after the lockdown.
- Less than 50,000 tourists visited the U.T. between August and December 2019.
(D) Security Impacts
- According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), the lockdown and increase in Army presence led to a decrease in terrorism-related deaths.
- Lesser fatalities: There has been a decrease in terrorism-related deaths.
- Youth joining militancy: The number of local recruits has increased. In 2020, until March, 87.5% of the militants killed were locals according to SATP.
- Border intrusion: Infiltration attempts along the LoC, however, remain high as Pakistan-based terrorist groups continue to try to send more militants in the Valley.
- Reduced covert attacks: There have been fewer improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and grenade attacks this year.
(E) Geopolitical Impacts
- The abrogation of Article 370 has also led to the internationalization of the Kashmir conflict.
- Dividing Ladakh from J&K has not only fulfilled the demands of the people of the region but also has sent a clear message to China that it is an integral part of India where Indian constitution holds despite China sometimes claiming it to be its own territory.
- Visibly after that, we have witnessed the increased cases of transgression by the Chinese PLA in Ladakh.
- UNSC has met two times for closed-door meetings on the situation in Kashmir.
- Pakistan’s quest for garnering Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) support these days is quite prominent than earlier.
Was Art. 370 the real problem?
- Article 370, over the decades, was diluted many times but despite these dilutions, it bore great symbolic and psychological significance for Kashmiris.
- It also displayed India’s asymmetric federalism, which granted differential rights to certain federal subunits, often in recognition of their distinctive ethnic identity.
- For sure, the educational and health sectors in J&K should be have been improved but the reason for the underperformance of the educational and health sectors in Kashmir is not Article 370.
- While private enterprises could set up industries in the former State on leased land, as they have over the years, acquisition of land by public sector enterprises from outside the State was never a problem.
- Private investors do not set up shop in Kashmir due to militancy which is a product of an existing conflict; not because of Articles 370 or 35A.
Way Forward

(1) Building trust
- The foremost challenge for New Delhi is rebuilding trust.
- To rebuild the trust deficit and to win over the confidence of the Kashmiris, the government must immediately repeal the PSA – which should have become ultra vires, in the first place.
- This will create a sense of oneness among the Kashmiris and will help change their perception towards New Delhi.
(2) Addressing the distress
- Due attention must be given to address rural economic distress created after the unprecedented, unseasonal snowfall in November.
- The government should compensate all the farmers with a farm credit or a loan waiver as it is done in other states.
(3) Approaching with soft policies
- New Delhi should ensure that the land’s pluralism is defended by assiduously handling the identity, cultural and religious issues.
- In the present state of affairs, the political process is being hijacked and political leaders are under detention.
- The release of the political class will send a positive signal.
(4) Lifting the internet blackout
- The government must immediately lift the internet blackout in all educational institutions.
- Prolonging the internet curfew any longer will only alienate the students and the youth, who are already hurt and angered at the Centre’s unilateral action.
(5) Resume educational institutions
- Without any delay, the Centre must also announce the establishment of modern higher education institutions and IITs in its new UT.
- Quality manpower is a prerequisite for the promised economic growth of the region.
- Simultaneously, the Centre should actively help to restore regular functioning of closed educational institutions that have been shut since a year and equip them with all modern scientific facilities.
- The Centre must also announce a new set of attractive scholarships for Kashmiri students.
Conclusion

Now is the time to renew ties with the region by initiating a series of serious and sincere interlocution measures to win over the confidence of the alienated population.

It is necessary that focus on pressing local issues increases and we nurture new local leadership, so that, the grip of the political elite in the Valley loosens.

Kashmir is known for its glorious past and it is high time that this glory returns to the valley.
August 15, 2020

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