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  • Concerns with linking Aadhaar with Voter IDs

    adhaar

    Central idea: The article discusses the potential issues and concerns related to the Indian government’s proposal to link Aadhaar with Voter IDs.

    Total Aadhaar-Voter ID linkages

    • Around 60% of India’s electors now have their Aadhaar number linked to their name on the voter rolls.
    • It has achieved saturation of over 90% in States like Tripura, which went to the polls recently.
    • States like Gujarat and Delhi are lagging where only around 30% of the electorate has provided an Aadhaar number to election officials.

    What is the move about?

    • The linking is being carried out by filling Form 6B, which is provided by election officials going door-to-door to collect Aadhaar or alternate ID from registered voters.
    • The form was the result of the Election Laws (Amendment) Act passed in 2021 to allow the linking of Voter IDs and Aadhaar.
    • While the Election Commission (EC) maintains that providing an Aadhaar is optional, Form 6B requires voters to declare that they do not have an Aadhaar to avoid providing the number.

    Aadhaar-Voter ID linkage: Why does the government want this?

    • Accurate voter’s record: The EC conducts regular exercises to maintain an updated and accurate recordof the voter base.
    • Avoid duplicate voters: A part of this exercise is to weed out duplication of voters.
    • Identify unique voters: As per the government, linkage of Aadhaar with voter IDs will assist in ensuring that only one Voter ID is issued per citizen of India.

    Is the linking of Aadhaar with one’s Voter ID mandatory?

    • In December 2021, Parliament passed the Election Laws (Amendment) Act, 2021.
    • This was to amend the Representation of the People Act, 1950and Section 23(4) was inserted in the RP Act.
    • It states that the electoral registration officerMAY require voters to furnish their Aadhaar numbers to verify Authencity of voters list.

    Why there is such proposal for linking?

    The preference to use Aadhaar for verification and authentication, both by the state and private sector, stems from few reasons:

    • Increase in UID-holders:First, at the end of 2021, 99.7% of the adult Indian population had an Aadhaar card.
    • Most versatile document:This coverage exceeds that of any other officially valid document such as driver’s licence, ration cards, PAN cards etc. that are mostly applied for specific purposes.
    • Reliable source of authentication:Since Aadhaar allows for biometric authentication, Aadhaar based authentication and verification is considered more reliable, quicker and cost efficient when compared to other IDs.

    Issues with mandatory linking: Puttaswamy judgment highlights

    • Puttaswamy judgment:The above reasons do not suffice the mandating of Aadhaar except in limited circumstances as per the Puttaswamy judgment.
    • Indispensability of the purpose:It needs to be considered whether such mandatory linkage of Aadhaar with Voter ID would pass the test of being “necessary and proportionate” to the purpose of de-duplication which is sought to be achieved.
    • Constitutional ambiguity:In Puttaswamy, one of the questions that the Supreme Court explored was whether the mandatory linking of Aadhaar with bank accounts was constitutional or not.
    • Against informational autonomy: It is the right to privacy which would allow a person to decide which official document they want to use for verification and authentication.
    • Disenfranchisement: Some fear that linking Aadhaar with Voter IDs may exclude certain groups of people, such as those who do not have an Aadhaar card.

    Other judicial observations: Lal Babu Hussein (1995) Case

    • The Supreme Court had held that the Right to vote cannot be disallowed by insisting only on four proofs of identity.
    • The voters are entitled to rely on any other proof of identity and obtain the right to vote.

    What are the operational difficulties?

    • Aadhaar is not a citizenship proof:The preference to Aadhaar for the purposes of determining voters is puzzling as Aadhaar is only a proof of residence and not a proof of citizenship.
    • Excluding non-citizens is not easy:Verifying voter identity against this will only help in tackling duplication but will not remove voters who are not citizens of India from the electoral rolls.
    • Estimate of error rates in biometric based authentication:This certainly differs. As per the UIDAI in 2018, Aadhaar based biometric authentication had a 12% error rate.
    • Disenfranchisement of existing voters:Errors have led to the disenfranchisement of around 30 lakh voters in AP and Telangana before the Supreme Court stalled the process of linkage.

    Key concern: Right to Privacy

    • Some civil societies has highlighted that linking of the two databases of electoral rolls and Aadhaar could lead to the linkage of Aadhaar’s “demographic” information with voter ID information.
    • This could lead to violation of the right to privacy and surveillance measures by the state.
    • This would leave the EC with the option of verifying its information only through door-to-door checks.
    • There is a lack of enforceable data protection principlesthat regulate how authentication data will be used.

    Way forward

    • The govt should expedite the enactment of a data protection legislation that allays concerns of unauthorized processing of personal data held by the government.

     

  • ONDC will help small retail survive against large E-Com firms: Union Minister

    ondc

    Central idea: The article discusses the Indian government’s plan to launch the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) to support small retailers and businesses against large tech-based e-commerce firms.

    About ONDC

    • The ONDC is a private non-profit Section 8 company established by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) of the Government of India.
    • It aims to develop open e-commerce by creating a set of specifications designed to foster open interchange and connections between shoppers, technology platforms, and retailers.
    • It was incorporated on December 31, 2021, with an initial investment from Quality Council of India and Protean eGov Technologies Limited (formerly NSDL e-Governance Infrastructure Limited).

    What exactly is ONDC?

    • The ONDC is not an application, an intermediary, or software but a set of specifications.
    • The ONDC seeks to provide an open-source platform for digital commerce that will enable small retailers and businesses to compete with large e-commerce firms by providing them with access to a wider customer base and reducing the costs of doing business.

    What does one mean by ‘Open-sourcing’?

    • Free for all: An open-source project means that anybody is free to use, study, modify and distribute the project for any purpose.
    • Open licensing: These permissions are enforced through an open-source licence easing adoption and facilitating collaboration.

    What processes are expecting to be open-sourced with this project?

    • Several operational aspects including onboarding of sellers, vendor discovery, price discovery and product cataloguing could be made open source on the lines of Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
    • If mandated, this could be problematic for larger e-commerce companies, which have proprietary processes and technology deployed for these segments of operations.

    What does the DPIIT intend from the project?

    • ONDC is expected to-
    1. Digitize the entire value chain,
    2. Standardize operations,
    3. Promote inclusion of suppliers,
    4. Derive efficiencies in logistics and
    5. Enhance value for stakeholders and consumers

    Countering ‘Digital Monopoly’

    • Digital monopolies refer to a scenario wherein e-commerce giants or Big Tech companies tend to dominate and flout competition law pertaining to monopoly.
    • The Giants have built their own proprietary platforms for operations.
    • In March, India moved to shake up digital monopolies in the country’s $ 1+ trillion retail market by making public a draft of a code of conduct — Draft Ecommerce Policy, reported Bloomberg.
    • The government sought to help local start-ups and reduce the dominance of giants such as Amazon and Walmart-Flipkart.
    • The rules sought to define the cross-border flow of user data after taking into account complaints by small retailers.

    Processes in the ONDC

    • Sellers will be onboarded through open networks. Other open-source processes will include those such as vendor and price discovery; and product cataloging.
    • The format will be similar to the one which is used in the Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
    • Mega e-commerce companies have proprietary processes and technology for these operations.
    • Marketplaces such as Amazon, Flipkart, Zomato, BigBasket and Grofers will need to register on the ONDC platform to be created by DPIIT and QCI.
    • The task of implementing DPIIT’s ONDC project has been assigned to the Quality Council of India (QCI).

    Why such a move by the govt?

    • This COVID pandemic has made every business to go digital.
    • India is a country with 700 million internet users of whom large crunch of population are active buyers on e-coms.
    • There are 9 platforms in the world which are billion user platform and all are private. This is the monopoly which the govt aims to hit.
    • No country would ever want a few (foreign) companies to control their domestic e-commerce ecosystem.
    • Countries like US are struggling to control their monopoly over the e-commerce giants leaving no space for Indian legislations to control these overseas companies.
    • In India Amazon, Walmart, Uber are controlling larger crunch of share in the market leaving very less scope for domestic companies to cope up with.

    Scope for ONDCs success

    • Over last 50 years India is dealing with Big Tech companies with responsibility and pragmatic manner. Now it is also coming with new policies to control them.
    • The drafting panel has extraordinary persons like Mr. Nandan Nilekani and others who were in Aadhar, NPCI, MyGov, Retail industry and these make it inclusive and innovative.
    • India has successfully executed various public digital platforms like JAM Trinity, Aadhar linked projects. India for sure can handle its digital ecosystem better in e-coms too.
    • Open-sourcing will benefit society at large as did the UPI.

    Issues that can be raised

    • Monopolies: Draft E-Commerce policy can raise resistance from companies like Amazon, Flipkart, and Walmart etc.
    • EODB concerns: They may raise hues over operability and ease of doing business.
    • Compliance burden: MSMEs have already raised the growing compliance burden for e-commerce.

    Other challenges

    • Every platform has its own challenges so would the ONDC may have.
    • While UPI was ruled out (BHIM being the first) people were reluctant in using it due to transaction failures.
    • With subsequent improvements and openness people and businesses are using it in every walks of life. So it would work with ONDC.

    Conclusion

    • Once adopted, ONDC will make sure consumer and seller interest will be protected as the UPI did.
    • Best is yet to come and we are in 4th industrial revolution where the Govt should strengthen itself accordingly and make businesses inclusive and restrict monopolies.

     

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  • India to send 20,000 MT of wheat to Afghanistan via Chabahar

    chabahar

    Central idea: The article discusses India’s plan to send 20,000 metric tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan through the Chabahar port in Iran.

    Why in new?

    • Last year, the Indian side announced its partnership with UNWFP (UN World Food Programme) for the delivery of 20,000 MTs of wheat for Afghan people through the Chabahar Port.

    UN World Food Programme

    • The WFP is a leading humanitarian organization that provides food assistance in emergencies and works to improve nutrition and food security in poor and conflict-affected areas.
    • It was established in 1961 and is a part of the United Nations system.
    • The WFP is funded entirely by voluntary contributions from governments, non-governmental organizations, and private donors.
    • The organization provides assistance to over 80 million people in around 80 countries every year.
    • The WFP delivers food and other essential supplies in times of crisis and supports communities to build resilience and achieve long-term food security.

     

    India’s Assistance to Afghanistan

    • India has been providing humanitarian aid and support to Afghanistan for several years, including food and medical supplies.
    • The latest shipment of wheat is a part of India’s continued efforts to assist Afghanistan during its humanitarian crisis.

    About Chabahar Port

    • In 2016, India signed a deal with Iran entailing $8 billion investment in Chabahar port and industries in Chabahar Special Economic Zone.
    • The port is being developed as a transit route to Afghanistan and Central Asia.
    • India has already built a 240-km road connecting Afghanistan with Iran.
    • All this were expected to bring cargo to Bandar Abbas port and Chabahar port, and free Kabul from its dependence on Pakistan to reach the outer world.
    • Completion of this project would give India access to Afghanistan and beyond to Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia and Europe via the 7,200-km-long multi-modal North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).

    India’s strategic vision for Chabahar

    When the first agreement for Chabahar was signed by then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2003, the plan had a three-fold objective:

    1. To build India’s first offshore port and to project Indian infrastructure prowess in the Gulf
    2. To circumvent trade through Pakistan, given the tense ties with India’s neighbour and build a long term, sustainable sea trade route and
    3. To find an alternative land route to Afghanistan, which India had rebuilt ties with after the defeat of the Taliban in 2001
    • Subsequently, PM Manmohan Singh’s government constructed the Zaranj -Delaram Highway in Afghanistan’s South.
    • It would help connect the trade route from the border of Iran to the main trade routes to Herat and Kabul, handing it over to the Karzai government in 2009.
    • In 2016, PM Modi travelled to Tehran and signed the agreement to develop Chabahar port, as well as the trilateral agreement for trade through Chabahar with Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani.

    Commencement of operations

    • Since the India Ports Global Chabahar Free Zone (IPGCFZ) authority took over the operations of the port in 2018, it has handled 215 vessels, 16,000 TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) and four million tons of bulk and general cargo.

    Why is it gaining importance?

    • In the last few years, a fourth strategic objective for the Chabahar route has appeared, with China’s Belt and Road Initiative making inroadsin the region.
    • The government hopes to provide Central Asia with an alternate route to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)through Iran for future trade.

    Why is the Chabahar dream taking so long to realise?

    • India’s quest for Chabahar has hit geopolitical road-blockafter road-block; the biggest issue has been over Iran’s relationship with western countries, especially the United States.
    • In years when western sanctionsagainst Iran increased, the Chabahar project has been put on the back-burner.
    • However, the nuclear talks resulted in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)in 2015 came into being, the Chabahar port has been easier to work on.
    • In 2018, the Trump administration put paid to India’s plans by walking out of the JCPOA and slapping new sanctions on dealing with Iran.
    • India also snapped ties with Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover in August 2021, which put an end to the humanitarian aid of wheat and pulses that was being sent to Kabul via Chabahar.
    • When India restarted wheat aid this year, it negotiated with Pakistan to use the land route to Afghanistan instead.

     

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  • UNEP pitches for Global Greenhouse Gas Monitoring Infrastructure

    greenhouse

    Central idea: The article discusses the United Nations’ development of a new system for tracking greenhouse gas emissions.

    Greenhouse Gases

    • Greenhouse gases are gases that trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere and contribute to the greenhouse effect.
    • Examples of greenhouse gases include-
    1. Water vapor (H2O)
    2. Carbon dioxide (CO2)
    3. Methane (CH4)
    4. Nitrous oxide (N2O)
    5. Fluorinated gases, including hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)
    6. Ozone (O3)
    • The greenhouse effect is a natural process that occurs when certain gases in the atmosphere absorb and re-emit infrared radiation from the sun, trapping heat and keeping the planet warm enough to sustain life.
    • Human activities such as burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial processes have significantly increased the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, leading to an enhanced greenhouse effect and causing global warming and climate change.

    Global Greenhouse Gas Monitoring Infrastructure

    • The new system, also known as the Common Global Standard for Sustainability, is being developed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
    • It will provide a standardized framework for measuring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions across various sectors, including agriculture, transport, and energy.

    Need for the new system

    • The current system for tracking greenhouse gas emissions is fragmented and lacks standardization, making it difficult to compare emissions across different sectors and countries.
    • The new system aims to address this issue by providing a standardized framework for measuring and reporting emissions.

    Benefits offered

    • The new system will provide a more accurate and comprehensive picture of greenhouse gas emissions across different sectors and countries.
    • It will enable policymakers and businesses to develop more effective strategies for reducing emissions and mitigating the impacts of climate change.

    Challenges

    • The success of the new system will depend on the willingness of countries and businesses to adopt and implement it.
    • There may be resistance from some countries and businesses that are reluctant to disclose their emissions data or make changes to their current reporting practices.

     

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  • Real Time Train Information System (RTIS) Project

    train

    The article discusses the partnership between Indian Railways and ISRO for real-time train tracking.

    Real Time Train Information System (RTIS) Project

    • Indian Railways has signed a MoU with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) to use satellite-based technology for real-time train tracking.
    • The technology will be used to provide real-time information on the exact location and movement of trains across the country.

    How does it work?

    • The system will use ISRO’s satellite-based GPS technology, called the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), to track the location of trains.
    • The system will also use other advanced technologies, such as satellite imagery and geo-fencing, to provide real-time information on train movements.

    Applications of RTIS

    • RTIS gives mid-section updates with a periodicity of 30 seconds.
    • The Train Control can now track the location and speed of RTIS-enabled locomotives/train more closely, without any manual intervention.
    • It allows passengers to get the real-time location or train running status of a train on their smartphone.

    Benefits offered

    • The system will help to improve the efficiency and safety of train operations in India.
    • It will provide accurate and real-time information on train movements, which will help to reduce delays and improve scheduling.
    • The system will also help to enhance the overall passenger experience by providing real-time information on train status and location.

    Future plans

    • Indian Railways plans to use the technology for other applications, such as monitoring the health of trains and their components.
    • The partnership with ISRO is part of Indian Railways’ larger digital transformation initiative, which aims to leverage technology to improve the efficiency and safety of train operations.

     

  • India pitches for International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA)

    cat

    India has proposed to launch International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) to protect big cats and assured support over five years with guaranteed funding of $100 million.

    International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA)

    • It is a proposed mega-global alliance that will work toward the protection and conservation of the seven major big cats — tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, puma, jaguar, and cheetah.
    • Membership to the alliance will be open to 97 ‘range’ countries, which contain the natural habitat of these big cats, as well as other interested nations, international organizations, etc.

    Proposed objectives

    • The alliance’s purpose is to provide a platform for the dissemination of information on benchmarked practices, capacity building, resources repository, research and development, awareness creation, etc. on the protection and conservation of big cats.
    • Its major activities will include advocacy, partnership, knowledge e-portal, capacity building, eco-tourism, partnerships between expert groups and finance tapping.

    Financial outlay

    • After the first five years, IBCA will be supported by India’s ‘total grant assistance’ of $100 million.
    • It is expected to sustain itself through membership fees, and contributions from bilateral and multilateral institutions and the private sector

    Governance Structure

    • A General Assembly consisting of all member countries.
    • A Council of at least seven but not more than 15 member countries elected by the General Assembly for a term of 5 years, and a Secretariat.
    • Upon the recommendation of the Council, the General Assembly will appoint the IBCA Secretary General for a specific term.

    India’s success in tiger conservation

    • India has been successful in tiger conservation, with its tiger population increasing from 1,411 in 2006 to 2,967 in 2019.
    • India’s success in tiger conservation has been attributed to measures such as habitat restoration, anti-poaching efforts, and community participation.

    What lies ahead?

    • India plans to expand its conservation efforts to other big cat species, such as lions and leopards.
    • India also plans to work with other countries to promote conservation efforts for big cats on a global scale.
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  • 7th Mar 23 | Nikaalo Prelims- Mini test 5 (Important Constitutional Amendments, Recent Acts passed)

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  • Adopt a Heritage project and Monument Mitras: The Scrutiny

    Monument

    Central Idea

    • Businesses that enter agreements with ASI to adopt sites are going to be known as Monument Mitras. The tenfold increase in the number of sites being brought under the ambit of the controversial ‘Adopt a Heritage’ scheme of 2017 raises concerns. Unless the ‘revamped’ scheme is suspended, the nation’s precious pluralistic heritage stands at the threshold of obliteration.

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    Monument

    All you need to know about Adopt a Heritage project

    • Initiative of Ministry of Tourism: The ‘Adopt a Heritage’ scheme was launched by the Indian government in September 2017 under the aegis of the Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Culture, and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
    • Objective: The main objective of the scheme is to provide world class tourist facilities at the various natural/cultural heritage sites, monuments and other tourist sites to make them tourist friendly, enhance their tourist potential and cultural importance in a planned and phased manner across the country.
    • Primary focus: The project primarily focuses on providing basic amenities that include cleanliness, public convenience, drinking water, ease of access for tourists, signage etc. and advanced amenities like TFC, Souvenir shop, Cafeteria etc.
    • Monument Mitra: The public, private sector companies and individuals will develop tourist amenities at heritage sites. They would become ‘Monument Mitra’ and adopt the sites essentially under their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activity.

    What are the concerns?

    • Current plan side-lines the ASI mandate: The current plan also side-lines the mandate of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and abandons The Sarnath Initiative, guidelines devised by the ASI, the Getty Trust, U.S., the British Museum, and National Culture Fund to safe keep excavated objects and present them to visitors in an engaging manner.
    • Undermine local communities and their relationships with historical sites: Guided tours led by employees of large businesses who have received permission to adopt a monument may endanger livelihoods of those who have lived near the site and made a living by regaling visitors with stories of its colourful past.
    • Excessive wear and tear: The potential of big businesses to underwrite a monument’s illumination is also troubling. Night tourism will also pull electricity away from rural homesteads and hospitals.
    • It may alter historical character of monuments which are not under ASI: There are some monuments selected for the scheme that are not protected by the ASI and are in States without Archaeology Directorates. One fears that businesses that sign agreements with the Union Ministry of Culture to adopt these monuments will be able to alter their historical character without much opposition.

    Monument

    What might Corporate India instead do to look after the nation’s-built heritage?

    • Businesses can help citizens understand why monuments matter: This can be done by earmarking CSR funds for grants for researching, writing, and publishing high quality textbooks, and developing imaginative and effective ways of teaching history.
    • For instance: Corporates might also follow the lead taken by Sudha Murthy and N.R. Narayana Murthy in giving gifts to organizations such as the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute in Pune to continue their missions of writing history by rationally coordinating the textual record and the archaeological evidence.
    • Skillful conservation: Industrial houses can support the meaningful conservation of heritage buildings by looking within. Their CSR funds can be used to purchase new equipment that release fewer noxious gases that darken and corrode marble buildings and discharge fewer effluents into rivers, thus making these water bodies less likely to serve as breeding grounds of microbes that gather on the walls of ancient buildings erected on riverbanks and cause their decay.
    • For instance: In the past, Tata Sons, ONGC, and other companies have regularly contributed funds to organisations training individuals in much needed restoration skills and creating jobs for them.
    • Collaborative efforts: The private sector’s resources and expertise may also help the ASI and State Archaeology Directorates to secure monuments from dams, mining projects, defacement, and looting.

    Climate change: Significant threat to India’s historical monuments

    • Sanchi Stupa: The 3rd-century BC Buddhist monument in Madhya Pradesh is facing a threat from increasing rainfall and humidity. The stone is deteriorating due to the changes in weather patterns, leading to the loss of carvings and sculptures.
    • Mahabalipuram Monuments: The 7th-century rock-cut monuments in Tamil Nadu are facing a threat from sea-level rise and erosion. The monuments, which are located close to the shore, are being battered by the waves, leading to the loss of sculptures and carvings.
    • Sun Temple, Konark: The 13th-century temple, made of Khondalite stone, is facing a threat from rising temperatures and humidity. The stone is expanding and contracting due to the changes in temperature, leading to cracks and erosion.
    • Hampi Monuments: The 14th-century monuments in Karnataka are facing a threat from heavy rainfall and flooding. The monuments, which are made of granite, are being eroded by the rainwater, leading to the loss of carvings and sculptures.
    • Rajasthan’s Shekhawati’s murals: Shekhawati is known for its beautifully painted havelis with intricate frescoes and murals. Greater fluctuations in temperature are peeling away Shekhawati’s murals.
    • Ladakh’s stucco houses: Higher rainfall is leading Ladakh’s stucco houses to crumble. The traditional way of building houses in Ladakh is under threat due to climate change, which is affecting the durability of the structures.
    • Taj Mahal: The monument built in the 17th century, is facing a threat from rising pollution and changing weather patterns. The white marble is turning yellow due to air pollution.
    • Sea forts in Maharashtra: Rising sea levels are leading to water percolation into forts along Maharashtra’s coast. Salination is eating into their foundations.

    Monument

    Conclusion

    • Currently, India’s progress in diverse fields is being projected at G-20 events across the nation. By embracing forward-thinking principles of historical preservation, businesses, government agencies, and civil society groups can showcase India’s genuine progress in this arena. Maybe their efforts will inspire more citizens to participate in the pressing task of safeguarding India’s pluralistic heritage.

    Mains Question

    Q. What is Adopt a Heritage project? Why there needs a scrutiny of such project, highlight the concerns and suggest what else can be done?

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  • Climate Change: Role of International Courts

    Climate Change

    Central Idea

    • A group of 16 countries has launched a gallant effort to fight the problem of climate change an existential threat to human civilization at the United Nations (UN). Led by Vanuatu an island country in the South Pacific Ocean, the group seeks an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the issue of climate change.

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    What is International Court of Justice (ICJ)?

    • The ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations (UN). It was established in 1945 and is located in The Hague, Netherlands.
    • It has the authority to settle legal disputes between states and to provide advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by the UN General Assembly, the Security Council, and other authorized UN bodies.
    • The ICJ is composed of 15 judges elected for nine-year terms by the UN General Assembly and the Security Council.
    • Its decisions are binding and final, and the court’s role is to settle legal disputes in accordance with international law.

    Climate Change

    ICJ has two types of jurisdictions: Contentious and Advisory

    • Contentious: Contentious jurisdiction refers to the ICJ’s authority to resolve legal disputes between consenting states. Decisions made under contentious jurisdiction are binding
    • Advisory:
    • Advisory jurisdiction allows the UN General Assembly (UNGA), the Security Council (SC), and other specialized bodies of the organization to request the ICJ’s opinion on a legal question.
    • The ICJ’s advisory opinions are non-binding. However, they hold significant normative weight and serve to clarify international law on relevant issues.
    • The ICJ’s advisory opinion on climate change can be useful in climate-related litigation at the national level.

    Emergence of Vanuatu’s initiative

    • Failure to deliver concrete solutions to Climate Change: Notwithstanding the presence of several international legal instruments on climate change such as the UNFCC, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement, the international community has fallen short of delivering concrete solutions to the problem of climate change.
    • COP-27 Fails to Resolve Differences: The recently concluded 27th UN Climate Change Conference (COP-27) where countries failed to narrow their differences on critical issues such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Countries were unable to reach a consensus on meaningful action.
    • Vulnerability of Small Island Developing (SID) states:
    • SID states such as Vanuatu are most vulnerable to rising temperatures and sea levels.
    • Accordingly, in September 2021, Vanuatu launched an initiative, through the UNGA, to seek an advisory opinion from the ICJ to clarify the legal obligations of all countries to prevent and redress the adverse effects of climate change.
    • Since then, the initiative has gathered momentum with more than 100 countries backing the idea. Specifically, the draft resolution piloted by Vanuatu seeks answers to the following questions from the ICJ.

    The Legal questions

    1. What are the international law obligations of countries toward the protection of the climate system from anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases for the present and future generations?
    • Answer: The ICJ will interpret existing climate change law and use customary international law to fill gaps, including the ‘no-harm’ (states are under an obligation that activities within their jurisdiction do not damage other countries) principle, to clarify the Paris Agreement.
    1. What are the legal consequences for states that have caused significant harm to the climate system, the SID states and other people of the present and future generations?
    • Answer: Demands for climate reparations are made as part of climate justice, where historically high-emitting rich countries compensate developing countries affected by climate change. The ICJ can provide legal principles for the ‘loss and damage’ fund.

    Confusion over loss and damage fund

    • Little clarity on funding: At COP-27, it was agreed to establish a loss and damage fund to financially assist vulnerable developing countries. However, there is little clarity on which countries will provide the funding.
    • Historical responsibility yet to be determined: Moreover, the connection between funding and the historical responsibility of developed countries in emissions is yet to be determined.

    Role of International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS)

    • It is not just the ICJ whose advisory opinion is being sought: The Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law, comprising countries like Antigua and Barbuda and Tuvalu, has sought the advisory opinion of the Hamburg-based ITLOS.
    • To determine obligations under UNCLOS: ITLOS has been asked to determine countries’ obligations under United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea regarding marine pollution, which is linked to ocean warming, sea level rise, and acidification.

    Climate Change

    Conclusion

    • As part of a multi-pronged approach to saving our planet, one should welcome the role of international courts. Developed countries and groupings like the G-20 should support these laudable initiatives of the SID states. Environment and climate sustainability are important themes of G-20. India, as the president of the G-20, should take a lead given its relentless emphasis on LiFE (developing environment-friendly lifestyle) campaign.

    Mains Question

    Q. What is Loss and damage fund? Discuss the legal questions that Vanuatu seeks to clarify through the ICJ.

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  • 7th Mar 23 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions

    7th Mar 23 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions

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  • Nikaalo Prelims Spotlight || Important Constitutional Amendements, Recent Acts passed

    Dear Aspirants,

    This Spotlight is a part of our Mission Nikaalo Prelims-2023.

    You can check the broad timetable of Nikaalo Prelims here

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    7h Mar 2023

    Important Constitutional amendments 

    Following Are The Major Amendments Made In The Constitution

    First Amendment Act, 1951

    1. It empowers the states to make socio-economic justice with socially and economically backward classes.
    2. It was aimed at land reforms and Zamindari abolition.
    3. Added the ninth schedule to protect anti-zamindari laws from judicial review.
    4. Added public order, friendly relations with foreign states, and incitement to an offense as the additional grounds for reasonable restrictions on the freedom of speech and expression. It also made it justiciable.
    5. It provided that state trading and nationalization of any business would not be considered against the right to trade or business.

    Fourth Amendment Act, 1955

    1. Empowered state to nationalize any trade.
    2. Provided that the compensation amount given by the state for the acquisition of property, can not be challenged in court on the grounds of insufficiency.
    3. Added more laws in the ninth schedule and expanded the scope of article 31 (C).

    Seventh Amendment Act, 1956

    1. Reorganized the Indian states as 14 states and 6 UTs. Abolished the old A, B, C, and D categorization of states.
    2. Provided the common high court for two or more states, and extended the jurisdiction of HC to UTs. Also provided additional acting judges to HC

    Ninth Amendment Act, 1960

    1. Provided for the cession of the Indian territory named Berubari Union ( West Bengal) to Pakistan as a commitment made under the Indo-Pakistan Agreement (1958). (The amendment was made for the reason that, under article 3, the parliament can alter the area of a state, however, it does not include the cession of Indian territory to a foreign state. It can only be done by amending the constitution itself.)

    Tenth Amendment Act, 1961

    Acquired the Dadra, Nagar and Haveli as a Union Territory from Portugal.

    Eleventh Amendment Act, 1961

    1. Provided the new procedure of election for the vice president by introducing an electoral college.
    2. Also clear that any vacancy in the appropriate electoral college would not be the reason to challenge the election of the President or vice president.

    Twelfth Amendment Act, 1962

    Added Goa, Daman and Diu to the Indian Union.

    Thirteenth Amendment Act, 1962

    Made Nagaland a state and provided special provisions for it.

    Fourteenth Amendment Act, 1962

    1. Added Puducherry to the Indian Union.
    2. The Union Territories of Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Goa, Daman and Diu, and Puducherry are provided with legislatures and a council of ministers.

    Seventeenth Amendment Act, 1964

    1. Made fair compensation (based on market value) compulsory for the state for the acquisition of privately cultivated land.
    2. Added 44 other Acts in the Ninth Schedule.

    Eighteenth Amendment Act, 1966

    1. provided that the Parliament can form a new state by uniting a part of a state or a union territory to another state or union territory.
    2. Created Punjab and Haryana as new states.

    Twenty-First Amendment Act, 1967

    Added Sindhi as the 15th language in the Eighth Schedule.

    Twenty Fourth Amendment Act, 1971

    This Amendment Act was brought in the aftermath of the Golaknath case (1967) in which the Supreme Court held that the Parliament could not take away any fundamental rights through the constitutional amendment.

    1. It made it clear that the parliament has the power to amend any part of the constitution including article 13 by using article 368.
    2. Made it obligatory for the President to give assent to a Constitutional Amendment Bill.

    Twenty-Fifth Amendment Act, 1971

    1. Curtailed the fundamental right to property.
    2. It made it clear that a law made to fulfill the provisions of the Directive Principles contained under Article 39 (b) or (c) cannot be challenged on the ground it violates the fundamental rights given in Articles 14, 19, and 31.

    Twenty-Sixth Amendment Act, 1971

    It removes the privy purses and privileges of the former monarchical rulers of princely states.

    Thirty First Amendment Act, 1973

    Reason for the Amendment:

    1. An increase in the population of India was revealed in the Census of 1971.
    2. Increased the number of Lok Sabha seats from 525 to 545.

    Thirty-Third Amendment Act, 1974

    It changed Articles 101 and 190 and provided that The Chairman/Speaker of the house can reject the resignation of MP if he found it ingenuine or non-voluntary.

     

    Thirty-Fifth Amendment Act, 1974

    1. It changed the protectorate status of Sikkim and assigned it a status of an associate state of the Indian Union.
    2. The Tenth Schedule was added to fix the terms and conditions of such engagement of Sikkim with the Indian Union.

    Thirty-Sixth Amendment Act, 1975

    Gave a full-fledged State status to Sikkim and repealed the Tenth Schedule.

    Thirty-Eighth Amendment Act, 1975

    1. Provided that the declaration of emergency by the President can not be challenged in a court of law.
    2. Provided that the promulgation of ordinances by the President, governors, and administrators of Union territories can not be challenged in a court of law.
    3. Provided that the President could declare different proclamations of national emergency on different grounds simultaneously.

    Forty-second Amendment Act, 1976

    It is also known as the ‘ Mini-constitution’, as it made very comprehensive changes to the constitution of India.

    1. It amended the preamble and added the words – socialist, secular, and integrity.
    2. Added Fundamental Duties for the citizens by including new Part IV A.
    3. Exclusively made cabinet advice binding on the president.
    4. By adding Part XIV A, it provided for administrative tribunals and tribunals for other matters
    5. It froze the seats for the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies census till 2001, on the basis of 1971.
    6. Restricted the judicial review for the constitutional amendment act.
    7. Limited the power of judicial review and writ jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and high courts.
    8. Increased the tenure of Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies from 5 to 6 years.
    9. Included new Directive Principles – (a) equal justice and free legal aid, (b) participation of workers in the management of industries, and (c) protection of the environment, forests, and wildlife.
    10. Provided the proclamation of national emergency now for a part of the territory of India.
    11. Raised the one-time duration of the President’s rule in a state from earlier 6 months to one year.
    12. Created the All-India Judicial Service.

    Forty-four Amendment Act, 1978

    This was also the comprehensive amendment which was mainly brought to undo the actions of the 42nd amendment. It also introduced some important provisions.

    1. Changed the term of the Lok Sabha and the state legislative assemblies again to the original 5 years.
    2. Provided the president can send back the advice of the cabinet for reconsideration.
    3. changed the phrase “internal disturbance” with “armed rebellion” as a ground to proclaim a national emergency.
    4. Removed the right to property from the list of Fundamental Rights and provided it only as a legal right.
    5. Provided that fundamental rights under articles 20-21 can not be suspended during a national emergency.

    Fifty-second Amendment Act, 1985

    The Tenth schedule was added as a measure to the anti-defection issues.

    Sixty-First Amendment Act, 1989

    The legal voting age changed from 21 to 18 years for Lok Sabha as well as Legislative Assemblies.

    Sixty-ninth Amendment Act 1991

    1. It provided a special status to Delhi as the ‘National Capital Territory of Delhi.’
    2. Provided a legislative assembly and the council of ministers for Delhi.

    Seventy-first Amendment Act 1992

    Added Konkani, Manipuri, and Nepali languages in the Eighth Schedule.

    Seventy-Third Amendment Act 1992

    1. Provided constitutional status for the Panchayati Raj institutions.
    2. Added Part-IX and 11th Schedule

    Seventy-fourth Amendment Act 1992

    1. Provided constitutional status for the Urban local bodies.
    2. Part IX-A and the 12th Schedule were added.

    Eighty-sixth Amendment Act 2002

    1. Provided the Right to Education as a fundamental right (part III of the Constitution).
    2. The new article inserted Article 21A which made free and compulsory education for children between 6-14 years.
    3. Added a new Fundamental Duty under Article 51 A.

    Eighty-eighth Amendment Act 2003

    Provided Service Tax under Article 268-A – which was levied by Union and collected and appropriated by the Union as well as the States.

    Ninety-second Amendment Act 2003

    Added Bodo, Dogri (Dongri), Maithili, and Santhali in the Eighth schedule

    Ninety-fifth Amendment Act 2009

    Provided for the extended reservation for the SCs and STs and special representation to the Anglo-Indian community in the Lok Sabha and the state legislative assemblies for ten more years (Article 334).

    Ninety-seventh Amendment Act 2011

    1. Part IX-B added to the constitution for cooperative societies and made it a constitutional right.
    2. The right to form cooperative societies became a fundamental right under Article 19.
    3. Article 43-B was inserted as a DPSP to promote cooperative societies.

    101st Amendment Act, 2016

    Provided for Goods and Service Tax (GST).

    102nd Amendment Act, 2018

    The National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) became a constitutional body.

    103rd Amendment Act, 2019

    Granted 10% Reservation for Economically Weaker Sections of citizens of classes other than the classes mentioned in clauses (4) and (5) of Article 15

    104th Amendment Act, 2020

    Changed the reservation of seats for SCs and STs in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies from Seventy years to Eighty.

    Ended the reservation of seats for the Anglo-Indian community in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

    Recent Acts passed

    1. New Delhi International Arbitration Centre
    (Amendment) Act, 2022
     
    2. Energy Conservation (Amendment) Act, 2022
     
    3. Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Act, 2022
     
    4. Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Second
    Amendment) Act, 2022
     
    5. Central Universities (Amendment) Act, 2022
     
    6. Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment)
    Act, 2022
     
    7. Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022
     
    8. Chartered Accountants, the Cost and Works
    Accountants and the Company Secretaries (Amendment) Act, 2022
     
    9. Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment)
    Act, 2022
     
    10. National Anti-Doping Act, 2022
     
    11. Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Amendment Act, 2022
     
    12. Indian Antarctic Act, 2022
     
    13. Family Courts (Amendment) Act, 2022
     
    14. Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes)
    Orders (Amendment) Act, 2022
     
    15. Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Fourth
    Amendment) Act, 2022.
     
    Refer website https://prsindia.org/acts/parliament?title=&year=2022 to read more about the acts passed in 2022 and 2023.
     
     
     
     
     
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    3-Day UPSC Workshop for UPSC 2023 & 2024 | Make your UPSC Prep effective and result oriented

    (Click) Register FREE for 3 Days UPSC Workshop | Get Recorded sessions

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    10th March 2023 (Friday), 7:30 P.M

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    By Sukanya Rana, Mains Program Head, Civilsdaily

    11th March 2023 (Saturday), 7:30 P.M

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    12th March 2023 (Sunday), 7:30 P.M

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  • India close to Hindu Rate of Growth: Raghuram Rajan

    hindu

    Central idea: Former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan has warned that India is “dangerously close to the Hindu rate of growth”.

    What is Hindu Rate of Growth?

    • The “Hindu Rate of Growth” is a term used to describe the slow growth rate of the Indian economy between the 1950s and the 1980s.
    • It was coined by the Indian economist Raj Krishna in the 1970s.
    • During this period, the Indian economy grew at an average rate of around 3.5% per year, which was much lower than other developing countries like South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.
    • The term is considered controversial as it suggests that the slow growth rate was a result of cultural or religious factors rather than economic policies and structural issues.
    • However, the term is still used in academic and policy discussions to refer to the slow growth of the Indian economy during this period.

    Features of Hindu Rate of Growth

    The then features which led to the coining of this term were-

    • Low GDP growth rate: The term refers to the period from the 1950s to the 1980s when India’s economy grew at an average rate of around 3.5% per year, which was much lower than other developing countries.
    • Slow Industrialization: The industrial sector was dominated by a few public sector companies, and the private sector was heavily regulated.
    • Stagnant Agriculture: There was little investment in agriculture, and the sector was not given much priority in government policies.
    • License Raj: India had a socialist economic model with heavy government regulation. The License Raj system required permits and licenses for businesses, creating a bureaucratic and corrupt system that hindered innovation and entrepreneurship.
    • Import Substitution: India followed a policy of import substitution, where the government tried to develop domestic industries by protecting them from foreign competition. This led to a lack of competition, low quality of products, and high prices.
    • Inefficient Public Sector: The public sector dominated the economy, but it was inefficient, unproductive, and plagued by corruption. Public sector companies were often overstaffed and poorly managed, resulting in low productivity.
    • Lack of Foreign Investment: India was not attractive to foreign investors during this period, and there was little foreign investment in the economy. The government imposed strict controls on foreign investment, and the regulatory environment was not conducive to foreign investment.

    Concerns flagged by Rajan

    Rajan noted that India’s economic growth rate had been declining even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country.

    (a) Decline in GDP growth rate

    • India’s economic growth rate had fallen to 4.5% in the September quarter of 2019, before the pandemic hit in early 2020.
    • During the pandemic, the Indian economy contracted sharply, with GDP falling by 7.7% in the 2020-21 fiscal year.
    • The economy has rebounded somewhat, with the IMF forecasting GDP growth of 9.5% for the current fiscal year.

    (b) Lower growth potential than hyped

    • However, Rajan noted that India’s potential growth rate is likely to be lower than in the past, due to factors such as an aging population, a decline in the working-age population, and sluggish investment.
    • He also cited the country’s poor performance on human development indicators, such as education and health, as a constraint on growth.

    Key suggestions

    • Rajan called for measures to address the structural factors that are holding back growth, such as investment in infrastructure and education, and improving the ease of doing business in India.
    • He also emphasized the importance of macroeconomic stability and maintaining fiscal discipline, to avoid inflation and currency depreciation.
    • He also called for measures to address inequality, such as better targeting of subsidies to those who need them most.

    Conclusion

    • Overall, Rajan’s remarks suggest that India faces significant challenges in maintaining high levels of economic growth, and that structural reforms will be needed to address these challenges.

     

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  • 6th Mar 23 | Mini test 4 (Judgements and Important Provisions/Articles/Schedules of the Indian Constitution)

    6th Mar 23 | Mini test 4 (Judgements and Important Provisions/Articles/Schedules of the Indian Constitution)

    [WpProQuiz 1262]

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  • Ayurveda Practice: Significant Challenges

    practice

    Central Idea

    • Ayurveda graduates face significant challenges in pursuing a career in Ayurvedic practice due to widespread scepticism about the efficacy of Ayurvedic theories and practices. Despite the publicity campaigns to promote Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH), the fact is that there is a trust-deficit in these systems.

    What is National AYUSH Mission?

    • Department of AYUSH, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India has launched National AYUSH Mission (NAM) during 12th Plan for im­plementing through States/UTs.
    • The basic objective of NAM is to promote AYUSH medical systems through cost effective AYUSH services, strengthening of educational systems, facilitate the enforcement of quality control of ASU &H drugs and sustainable availability of ASU & H raw-materials.
    • It envisages flexibility of implementation of the programmes which will lead to substantial participation of the State Governments/UT.
    • The NAM contemplates establishment of a National Mission as well as corresponding Missions in the State level.

    practice

    What is Ayurveda?

    • Sanskrit word: Ayu means life, and Veda means knowledge or science Hence it is “The Science of Life.”
    • Ayurveda is a traditional system of medicine that originated in India more than 5,000 years ago.
    • It was taught orally from one generation to another by accomplished masters.
    • Some of this knowledge was later put into writing, but much of it remains inaccessible.
    • The principles of many natural healing systems, including Homeopathy and Polarity Therapy, have their roots in Ayurveda.

    What are the reasons for the public’s skepticism towards Ayurveda?

    • Failed to keep the pace: The Ayurveda establishment has failed to keep pace with the intellectual and scientific advances of the times.
    • Archaic theories and lack of evidence-based quality: Archaic theories that are apt to arouse suspicion in the minds of educated patients are peddled as sophisticated dogmas. Treatments are not subjected to straightforward testing as they are claimed to be based on these theories
    • Perception that Ayurvedic treatments are slow to heal: Ayurveda treatments are slow to heal is another common view that characterises the public image of Ayurveda.

    What are the challenges faced by Ayurveda graduates in pursuing a career in practice?

    • Practical usability is limited: Limited practical usability of ancient medical wisdom taught in college training
    • Lack of vibrant ecosystem of Research: Dependence on personal experimentation due to a lack of a vibrant ecosystem of science and research. The Research process involves a lot of trial and error with patients and predictably leads to an erosion of the practitioner’s reputation.
    • Necessity of complementing Ayurveda with modern medicine: Inability to treat all primary-care illnesses, necessitating complementing with modern medicine, which is prohibited in most states.
    • Unhealthy competition and advertisements: Competition from gimmickry and publicity-based practitioners.

    practice

    How can appropriate policy-making help solve these challenges?

    • Proper training: Rejuvenating primary care by training Ayurveda graduates to become good primary-care doctors.
    • Evidence-based appraisal of Ayurveda: Conducting a vigorous evidence-based appraisal of Ayurvedic theories and practices to sift the usable from the obsolete
    • Practice modern medicines: Statutory decision to allow Ayurveda graduates to practice modern medicine in stipulated primary care areas

    Practice

    Conclusion

    • Ayurveda prioritizes patient benefit over gratification and emphasizes prevention through balance, diet, lifestyle, and herbs. Sustainable treatment requires a gradual transition to wellness. Ayurveda, science, and public welfare all stand to gain. What is needed is sincerity, straight-thinking, and some adventurism on the part of stakeholders.

    Mains Question

    Q. What is Ayurveda? Despite of the efforts to promote Ayurveda, the graduates face significant challenges in pursuing a career in Ayurvedic practice. Discuss.

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  • India-Bangladesh Relations: The Golden Chapter

    Bangladesh

    Central Idea

    • In recent years, Bangladesh-India relations have entered the Golden Chapter in their relations. Setting the seal on this bilateral bonhomie, The Prime Minister of Bangladesh has been invited by the Indian Prime Minister to attend the G20 Summit as a special guest. Bangladesh is the only South Asian country to be on India’s guest list. India’s invitation to Bangladesh as its guest speaks volumes of the high priority the country accords its immediate eastern neighbor and ‘best friend’ in the neighborhood’.

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    India-Bangladesh ties: An organic transformation

    • India’s links with Bangladesh are civilization, cultural, social and economic.
    • There is much that unites the two countries – a shared history and common heritage, linguistic and cultural ties, and passion for music, literature and the arts.
    • It is also worth recalling that India shares its longest border of 4,096.7 kilometres with Bangladesh, which is also the fifth-longest border in the contemporary world.
    • With the onset of economic liberalization in South Asia, they forged greater bilateral engagement and trade.

    Bangladesh

    In Depth: Why Bangladesh is cardinally important to India?

    1. India’s largest trading partner in South Asia
    • Bangladesh emerged as India’s largest trading partner: In 2021-22, Bangladesh emerged as India’s largest trading partner in South Asia and India is Bangladesh’s second-largest trading partner and its largest export market in Asia. Despite the pandemic, bilateral trade has grown at an unprecedented rate of 14 per cent
    • Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement: The two countries are also preparing to sign the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, for substantial enhancement of trade and commercial partnerships between the two countries.
    1. Gateway for India’s Northeast
    • Strategic location: Efforts have been made in recent years by both Bangladesh and India to improve connectivity between Bangladesh and India’s Northeast, which is geographically located between West Bengal and landlocked Northeastern states.
    • Initiatives to Improve Connectivity: Initiatives such as inviting India to use Chattogram and Mongla ports, adding new ports and protocol routes to the shared inland waterway network, constructing the Maitri and Padma Setu bridges, and the upcoming Akhaura-Agartala rail line, aim to provide better trade and transport connectivity. The Mitali Express has also been operationalized for bi-weekly journeys between New Jalpaiguri and Dhaka.
    • Important for stability and security issues: Bangladesh has been an outstanding partner of India on security issues, especially with its zero-tolerance attitude towards terrorism. On several occasions, Bangladesh has arrested and handed over insurgents from the separatist militant groups in the Northeast (United Liberation Front of Asom) to India.
    • A central pillar in India’s Neighbourhood First and Act East Policies
    • Bay of Bengal’s Increasing Strategic Significance: The increasing strategic significance of the Bay of Bengal, heightened by China’s rising and assertive presence in this maritime space has led India to bolster relations with the Bay littorals to ensure its pre-eminence in the Bay, which it considers to be a primary area of interest.
    • Important  for India’s Eastern Neighborhood Policy: Furthermore, as its western front remains troubled, India is increasingly trying to build stronger relations with its eastern neighbourhood to realise its Indo-Pacific aspirations.
    • As china trying to make inroads, India Reviving and Cultivating Cooperation: As China also tries to make inroads into Bangladesh to gain a stronger foothold in the Bay region, India has felt an added impetus to nurture its relationship with the country, reviving age-old bonds and cultivating new avenues for cooperation.
    • India’s Vaccine Maitri Initiative For example: In the pandemic, India prioritised Bangladesh and supplied 10.3 crore vaccine doses to the country, making it the largest recipient of its Vaccine Maitri initiative. The gesture was generously reciprocated, by providing of

    Bangladesh

    Key Areas of Cooperation on India’s G20 Agenda

    1. Climate change and disaster management
    • Green Development, Climate Finance and LiFE’: As the name suggests, the segment is devoted to developing environmental consciousness and understanding the impact of climate change with a particular focus towards not only climate finance and technology, but also ensuring just energy transitions for developing nations across the world.
    • For instance: Both countries agreed to cooperate on climate change with particular attention to the Sundarban area which is facing challenges due to climate-induced sea level rise.
    • Disaster risk reduction: Both India and Bangladesh experience frequent disasters such as cyclones originating from the turbulent Bay of Bengal. Consequently, the two countries signed an MoU on Disaster Management in 2021, to mitigate this transnational threat.
    1. Transition to renewable energy
    • Energy transition and cooperation: As energy transitions are an important issue in India’s G20 mandate, recently, Bangladesh announced its target of generating 40 percent of power from clean energy by 2041. India-Bangladesh have increased cooperation in the energy sector.
    • Projects for instance: With projects such as the Friendship Pipeline and Maitree Super Thermal Power Project, and agreed to enhance cooperation in energy efficiency and clean energy, including biofuels.
    • Cyber security
    • Cyber security cooperation: Cyber security is an intrinsic aspect of Digital Public Infrastructures (DPI’s) and also happens to be one of the areas in which India-Bangladesh have agreed to cooperate.
    • Joining hands to enhance AI and cyber security: In June 2022, both countries decided to expand their strategic partnership to enhance Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cyber security.

    Way ahead: Forging better multilateralism

    • Within G20, a priority for India is to promote reformed multilateralism which cultivates accountable, inclusive, just, equitable and representative multipolar international systems, fit for addressing contemporary challenges.
    • As one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, Bangladesh will become even more important for India in future.
    • In many of the multilateral platforms in India’s neighbourhood (an area India seeks to influence), Bangladesh is also a member, for e.g., SAARC, BIMSTEC, and IORA.
    • The country’s support is, therefore, necessary, if India’s G20 aspiration is to find a reflection in regional multilateral platforms.

    Bangladesh

    Conclusion

    • As India tries to shape the global agenda through G20 it needs Bangladesh’s support to translate many of these ideas into action in its neighbourhood. This will lend further credibility to its presidency and in the long run, some of these nascent areas of cooperation may add pages to the “Golden Chapter” in India-Bangladesh relations.
  • 6th Mar 23 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions

    6th Mar 23 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions

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  • Doubling Farmers’ Income: An Assessment

    Doubling

    Central Idea

    • Recently, Prime Minister shared his dream of doubling farmers’ incomes in the year when India completes 75 years of Independence and enters Amrit Kaal. Now that we have entered Amrit Kaal, it is a good time to revisit that dream and see if it has been fulfilled, and if not, how best it can be done. It was a noble dream because unless the incomes of farmers go up, we cannot have sustained high growth of overall GDP.

    What is Doubling Farmers Income scheme?

    • Doubling farmers’ income is a target set by the government of India in February 2016 to be achieved by 2022-23.
    • To promote farmers’ welfare, reduce agrarian distress and bring parity between income of farmers and those working in non-agricultural professions.
    • Doubling Farmers Income can directly have a positive effect on the future of agriculture.

    Doubling

    Doubling Farmers Income: A Noble Vision

    • Improved Farm Machinery and Advanced Technologies: If the income earned by the farmer is doubled, they will have access to better farm machinery and advanced technologies, leading to increased productivity, better quality of seeds, and improved farming techniques.
    • Increased Agricultural Productivity: Doubling farmers’ income means increasing agricultural productivity, which is essential for meeting the growing demand for food in the country.
    • Improved Quality of Crops: Increasing the income of farmers will not only increase agricultural production but also improve the quality of crops, which is crucial for ensuring food security and meeting quality standards for exports.
    • Growth of Indian Economy: Doubling farmers’ income will contribute to the growth of the Indian economy by increasing rural demand for goods and services, creating employment opportunities, and boosting overall economic growth.
    • Reduced Incidents of Farmer Suicides: Financial stress is one of the leading causes of farmer suicides in India. Doubling farmers’ income will provide them with financial security, which will reduce the incidents of farmer suicides and improve their overall well-being.

    Government efforts in this direction

    • Fertilizer subsidy: Fertilizer subsidy budget crosses Rs 2 lakh crore. Even when global prices of urea crossed $1,000/metric tonne, the Indian price of urea remained flat at around $70/tonne. This is perhaps the lowest price in the world.
    • PM-Kisan: The government has allocated Rs 60,000 crore to its flagship PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana for the financial year 2023-24.
    • PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana: Further, many small and marginal farmers also get free ration of at least 5 kg/person/month through the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana.
    • Subsidies and crop insurance: There are also subsidies for crop insurance, credit and irrigation (drip). States also dole out power subsidies in abundance, especially on irrigation. Even farm machinery for custom hiring centres is being subsidised by many states.

    Evaluation: Impact of all these policies on farmers’ incomes and on environment

    • Impact of Input Subsidies and Output Trade Policies on Farmers’ Income: While Input subsidies help raise farmers’ incomes by reducing the cost of inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, and irrigation. Output trade and marketing policies adopted by the government, such as the ban on exports of wheat or the 20% export tax on rice, can suppress farmers’ incomes.
    • Pro-Consumer Approach: The current policy approach is pro-consumer rather than pro-farmer, which is a fundamental problem with our policy framework.
    • Environmental Damage Caused by Subsidized Inputs and Uncontrolled Procurement Policies: The excessive subsidization of inputs like fertilizers and power, coupled with uncontrolled procurement of paddy and wheat in certain states, is causing severe environmental damage. There is a growing need to rationalize these policies.

    Doubling

    Way ahead

    • It is crucial to assess the net impact of input subsidies and output trade policies on farmers’ income to understand where they stand.
    • Realign the support policies keeping in mind environmental outcomes.
    • Millets, pulses, oilseeds, and much of horticulture could perhaps be given carbon credits to incentivise their cultivation. They consume less water and fertilisers. We need to make subsidies/support crop-neutral.
    • It is crucial to adopt policies that are pro-farmer and promote their interests, support income growth, and enhance overall economic growth.
    • Agriculture today needs innovations in technologies, products, institutions and policies for more diversified high-value agriculture that is also planet friendly.

    Notes for Good marks

    Agriculture: Crucial sector of the Indian Economy

    • Employment: Agriculture engages the largest share of the workforce (45.5 per cent in 2021-22 as per PLFS). Agriculture provides direct employment to around 50% of the Indian population, and it indirectly supports the livelihoods of millions more in allied industries such as agro-processing, transportation, and marketing.
    • Food and nutritional security: Agriculture is essential for meeting the food requirements of the country. India is one of the largest producers of rice, wheat, and other cereals, and it is also a significant producer of fruits, vegetables, and spices.
    • Contribution to GDP: Agriculture is a significant contributor to India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), accounting for around 17% of the country’s total GDP.
    • Foreign exchange earnings: India is a leading exporter of agricultural products such as Basmati rice, spices, tea, and cotton. The export of these products earns valuable foreign exchange for the country.
    • Rural development: Agriculture plays a vital role in the development of rural areas by providing employment and income opportunities, promoting entrepreneurship, and improving the standard of living in these areas.
    • Environmental sustainability: Agriculture is closely linked to the environment, and sustainable agricultural practices can help conserve natural resources, reduce carbon emissions, and promote ecological balance.

    Doubling

    Conclusion

    • On the question of doubling farmers’ income, we must realize it is going to take time. It can be done by increasing productivity through better seeds and better irrigation. It will have to be combined with unhindered access to the markets for their produce. Further, diversifying to high-value crops, and even putting solar panels on farmers’ fields as a third crop will be needed. It is only with such a concerted and sustained effort we can double farmers’ incomes.

    Mains Question

    Q. What do you understand by Doubling famers income? Enumerate the efforts taken by the government and what needs to be done to achieve the target?

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  • UPSC Current Affairs program to ensure a Top 50 rank| Samachar Manthan new batches launched for UPSC 2023 and 2024

    UPSC Current Affairs program to ensure a Top 50 rank| Samachar Manthan new batches launched for UPSC 2023 and 2024

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