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  • Rejuvenating the Indian coffee industry

    coffee

    Context

    • Coffee cultivation is becoming an increasingly loss-making proposition in India. Already weighed down by the high cost of inputs and production as well as labor shortage, the industry is now also affected by changes in climate patterns, reports from Karnataka’s coffee heartland.

    All you need to know about Coffee plantation

    • Coffee is a tropical plantation crop.
    • 16° – 28°C temperature, 150-250cm rainfall and well-drained slopes are essential for its growth.
    • It grows on hilly slopes at the height of 900-1800m.
    • Low temperature, frost, dry weather for a long time and harsh sunshine are harmful for its plant.

    The status Coffee in India

    • India contributes about 4% of the world’s total coffee production. It ranks 6thin the world in coffee production.
    • At present, more than half of the total coffee production in India is produced by Karnataka alone, followed by Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
    • Coffee plants grow better in the laterite soils of Karnataka in India.
    • The Arabica variety initially brought from Yemen is produced in the country.
    • Indian coffee is highly rated and commands premium prices in the global coffee markets.
    • Indian coffee offering innumerable flavors, aromas and blends. The commodity, for several decades, enjoyed a special position in India’s export lists.
    • Coffee has high value and high imagery potential at home and overseas market. From being handled and sold as a berry, a green bean, a processed bean, a roasted bean and now a roasted and ground offering, coffee has climbed the hierarchy of value-addition.
    • Coffee was an important export item for the Union government, when the commodity’s exports were in the range of ₹4,000-₹5,000 crore annually.

    coffee

    Do you know the history of Coffee in India?

    • The history of Indian coffee dates back to around 1600 AD with the planting of Seven Seeds of Mocha by legendary saint Baba Budan in the courtyard of his hermitage in Chikmangalur, Karnataka. The coffee plants remained a garden curiosity before they gradually spread as backyard plantings, and later on to the hills of what is now known as Baba Budan Hills.
    • However, it wasn’t until the 18th century the British entrepreneurs started taking coffee cultivation properly and turned forests in Southern India into commercial coffee plantations

    What are Challenges faced by Coffee cultivation in India?

    • Impact of Climate Change: Drastic changes in climate patterns over the last few years have adversely impacted India’s coffee production and the quality of the crop. There were dry spells between 2015 and 2017 and unseasonal heavy rains, floods and landslides between 2018 and 2022. According to the Coffee Board of India’s post-blossom estimate, production for the 2022 crop is anticipated to be some 30% lower than the estimated production due to the extreme climatic conditions.
    • Impact of heavy rains: Destruction caused by heavy rains between July and September. The impact of the rains continues, with diseases affecting plants, and estate infrastructure suffering long-term damage. Plantations in Wayanad in Kerala and Palani in Tamil Nadu have also suffered similar losses. fruit rot, stalk rot and root rot and other irreparable damage due to heavy rainfall and landslides, berries turned black and dropped.
    • Emergence of New diseases: Erratic weather conditions are helping pests to breed and new diseases to emerge, further stressing coffee plantation.

    coffee

    Crisis in Coffee Industry of India

    • No adequate fund support by government: Sturdy and weather-resistant varieties of coffee may help and stand against climate change, but sadly the government is not providing adequate funds to coffee research stations to develop these.
    • The volatility in market prices marginalizing producers: The volatility in market prices and the reduced influence of producers in the value chain render coffee cultivation an increasingly loss-making proposition. Producers are getting marginalized. This is rapidly turning out to be a buyer-driven commodity market.
    • Impact of Exports on cost competitiveness: More than 75% of Indian coffee production is exported. This has an impact on the cost competitiveness of Indian coffee vis-à-vis the coffee that is exported from other producer regions, especially since those growers get their finances at very low interest rates.
    • High Cost of financing: Most private banks insist that growers provide collateral for financing. Since small and medium-size growers are invariably not in a position to provide collateral, the interest rates are high, at around 12%. International interest rates, on the other hand, are negligible, mostly in single digits. This is an advantage for competing coffee-producing region.
    • Increasing cost of Inputs: Due to the rise in the cost of inputs year on year and the increase in the cost of labor and benefits, which constitute 60% to 70% of total plantation expenditure, coffee growers are left with very little money in hand which is not adequate to repay loans. The cost of inputs around coffee such as fertilizers and agrochemicals has increased by almost 20% in a year.
    • No pricing mechanism: There is no official price setting mechanism even in the domestic market. So, traders and curers are calling the shots and fixing prices, and growers are at their mercy.
    • Identity crisis for Indian coffee: On the brand front, Indian coffee is still facing an identity crisis in global markets, although the country started exporting coffee actively before the 19th century. The fact that India sells Robusta and Arabic at a price higher than the hugely advertised Colombia is an indication of the brand building done by the Indian exporter and the quality of Indian coffee. Yet, Indian coffee does not have an individual brand identity in the international markets, Indian coffee was never considered a separate origin coffee. It was always used as filler.

    What are the reasons behind the High cost of production?

    • Rising labor charges: In India, production of coffee is low while the cost of production is on the rise compared to other coffee countries such as Vietnam and Brazil. In Brazil, labour charges account for 25% of the entire production cost, but in India, planters say they account for about 65%
    • Hard terrain and topography: It is possible to bring down the cost of production to some extent through mechanization, but India’s coffee terrains and topography limit this possibility. At the same time, Indian coffee has a unique positioning as it is shade-grown and grown at elevations, while other major producing countries grow coffee in flat lands.
    • High cost of Irrigation: Power cuts makes irrigation expensive as the cost of diesel is high. The high cost of inputs leads to the high cost of production which is the main problem for coffee growers. It makes coffee cultivation unviable. Earlier, the cost of production would go up by 4% to 5% annually, but now it goes up at least 20% annually.
    • Unskilled migrant labour and wage costs: There is increasingly a shortage of labor while the cost of labour is on the rise in the coffee sector. The children of workers in all the three coffee-growing States Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala prefer to move to urban areas. This means plantations are forced to depend heavily on migrant labours who are unskilled. A lot of effort, time and energy has to be invested in training migrant labours. As wage costs are not linked to productivity, growers are mandated to pay the usual wage along with other social costs such as housing and medicines, which adds up some 30% more to the wages. Most plantations simply don’t find skilled labour, especially for tasks such as shade-lopping, pruning, and borer tracing.

    coffee

    Way forward

    • Alternative source of revenue: Finding alternative sources of revenue and increasing domestic consumption on the one hand and branding and promoting Indian coffee better in the global market on the other.
    • Creating in addition revenue streams: Growers should create additional revenue streams through inter-cropping or through innovative measures. In addition to traditional inter-cropping of pepper and cardamom, coffee growers could try planting exotic fruit-bearing trees, food crops, or getting into fish farming, dairy farming, apiary or green tourism to increase incomes from their coffee gardens. For instance, progressive farmers from Thandikudi in Dindigul district in Tamil Nadu, and from Sakleshpur in Chikkamagaluru district, are growing avocados, mangosteens, oranges, guavas and other fruit bearing trees, amid their coffee plants. In some seasons they say they have even earned more money from these than from coffee and pepper.
    • Government should permit to plant alternate crops: Considering the change in land use, the government could permit growers to plant alternate crops in a land not suitable for coffee cultivation. Timely conversion will prevent growers from going financially sick.
    • Coffee Act and the new Coffee (Promotion and Development Bill), 2022: India’s share in the global coffee market may be less than 5%, but the coffee sector is hopeful that the Coffee Act and the new Coffee (Promotion and Development Bill), 2022, will do away the 80-year-old coffee regulation and usher in change.

    Conclusion

    • The coffee community in India, comprising close to 4 lakh coffee growers, hundreds of large planters, associations that represent growers, planters, curers and exporters, and over a dozen Fair Trade Organizations, hopes to boost coffee in the domestic and international markets and counter the problems the industry faces.

    Mains Question

    Q. Even after getting out of the shackles of the pooling system in 1996, the bean maintained a special status as a valuable export commodity for a long time. Discuss the problems of coffee industry taking a back seat in India and suggest solutions.

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  • [Burning issue] Issue over Hijab Ban

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    Context

    • The Two-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court in the popular “Hijab case” has delivered a split verdict. The matter will be now heard by a larger Constitution Bench headed by the Chief Justice of India.
    • Earlier in march 2022, stating that wearing the hijab is not an essential part of Islam and freedom of religion under Article 25 of the Constitution is subject to reasonable restrictions, a full bench of the Karnataka High Court had dismissed a batch of petitions filed by Muslim girls studying in pre-university colleges in Udupi seeking the right to wear hijabs in classrooms.
    • This decision of the Karnataka HC was challenged in the Supreme court which now received this verdict.
    • Thus, in this edition of the burning issue we will be analyzing the ‘Hijab Issue’; the verdicts of different courts, and finally a way forward.

    What is a Hijab?

    • Hijab is a scarf or clothing worn by Muslim women to cover their hair to maintain modesty and privacy from unrelated males either in public or at home.
    • The concept, however, is not unique to Islam but embraced by other religions too such as Judaism and Christianity. 

    Different kinds of veiled clothing

    • Hijab: The hijab covers the hair and chest and is common among Muslim women in South East Asia. Hijab is also a general term referring to the practice of wearing veils of all kinds. 
    • Niqab: It is a veil that covers the face and head, keeping the eye area open. 
    • Burqa: covers the entire body including the whole face, with a mesh window for the woman to see out of. 
    • Khimar: It is a long scarf that covers the head and chest but keeps the face uncovered. 
    • Shayla: A rectangular piece of cloth wrapped around the head and pinned in place. 

    What is the Hijab Issue?

    • The origin of the issue: The controversy erupted nationally on January 1, 2022, when six girl students of the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial College in Udupi gave a press conference to protest the college authorities’ denial of permission to them to keep wearing their hijabs after they entered their classrooms.
    • Student’s response: The students portrayed the ban as an attack on their religious rights as a minority. Several educational institutions protested against the Karnataka government’s compulsory uniform order and denied entry to Muslim girls wearing the hijab. This was challenged in the Karnataka High Court (HC).

    How is religious freedom protected under the Constitution?

    • Article 25(1) of the Constitution guarantees the “freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practice and propagate religion”.
    • It is a right that guarantees negative liberty — which means that the state shall ensure that there is no interference or obstacle to exercising this freedom.
    • However, like all fundamental rights, the state can restrict the right for grounds of public order, decency, morality, health and other state interests.

    What was the Karnataka High Court decision?

    • Upholding the ban: On March 15th, 2022, a three-Judge Bench of the Karnataka High Court comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justices Krishna Dixit and J.M. Khazi upheld the ban on the hijab in the State’s educational institutions.
    • Distinction needed: In the Judgment, the Court created a distinction between ‘Freedom of Conscience’ and ‘Religious Expression’, claiming that while conscience is an internal belief, religious expression is an outward expression of this belief. Wearing the hijab is a form of religious expression, and must be subject to the Essential Religious Practices test.
    • Not an essential practice: The Court held that wearing the hijab is not an Essential Religious Practice. It did not merit protection under Article 25 of the Constitution of India, 1950.
    • Should be within fundamental rights ambit: Further, the Court stated that even if it were to accept that wearing the hijab is an Essential Religious Practice, the practice would receive constitutional protection only if it did not conflict with constitutional values such as equality and dignity. The requirement that a practice must be an Essential Religious Practice for constitutional protection is a threshold requirement. 
    • Do not violate the right to freedom: The Court held that the ban on the hijab in State educational institutions did not violate their Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression under Article 19(1) of the constitution.

    What Supreme Court’s spilt verdict says?

    (A) Arguments of SC Justice Hemant Gupta:

    • Justice Hemant Gupta upheld Karnataka’s prohibitive government order of February 5, saying “apparent symbols of religious belief cannot be worn to secular schools maintained from State funds”.
    • Justice Gupta held that adherence to the uniform was a reasonable restriction to free expression. The discipline reinforced equality. The State had never forced students out of State schools by restricting hijab. The decision to stay out was a “voluntary act” of the student.
    • Justice Gupta held that discipline was one of the attributes students learn in schools; that defiance of rules would be an antithesis of discipline. The students had a right to education under Article 21 but not of insisting on wearing something additional to their uniform, as part of their religion, in a secular school.
    • He also said ‘secularity’ meant uniformity, manifested by parity among students in terms of uniformity. Justice Gupta pointed out that the uniform is an equalizer of inequalities. If students of one faith insisted on a particular dress, others would follow suit. Permitting one religion to wear religious symbols would be an antithesis of secularism.
    • Justice Gupta, agreed with the government that the “ethic of fraternity is best served by complete erasure of all differences”, especially religious. Wearing hijabs in secular schools “would stand out and overtly appear differently. None of the fundamental rights were absolute and all of them should be read together as a whole.

    (B) Arguments of SC Justice Dhulia

    • In his divergent opinion, Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia said secularity meant tolerance to “diversity”.
    • Justice Dhulia stated that the point of whether the hijab was an essential religious practice under Islam or not was essential for the determination of the dispute. According to him, “If the belief is sincere, and it harms no one else, there can be no justifiable reasons for banning the hijab in a classroom.” The young girl petitioners had asserted their individual and not community right.
    • Courts are not the forums to solve theological questions as there will always be more than one religious view on a particular religious matter
    • Wearing or not wearing a hijab to school was “ultimately a matter of choice”. For girls from conservative families, “her hijab is her ticket to education”.
    • Justice Dhulia disagreed with the idea of forced homogeneity. He said schools and pre-university colleges were the “perfect institutions” for children to learn the rich diversity of India and imbibe values of tolerance and accommodation.
    • He also referred to the Puttaswamy judgment and in particular Justice D.Y. Chandrachud’s observations on the link between privacy and human dignity.

    What is the essential religious practices test?

    • Shirur Mutt case: In 1954, the Supreme Court held that the term “religion” will cover all rituals and practices “integral” to a religion.
    • The test to determine what is integral is termed the“essential religious practices” test.
    • The test, a judicial determination of religious practices, has often been criticized by legal experts as it pushes the court to delve into theological spaces.
    • In criticism of the test, scholars agree that the court should prohibit religious practices for public order rather than determine what is so essential to a religion that it needs to be protected.
    • Several instances of a court applying the test
    • In a 2004 ruling, the SC held that the Ananda Marga sect had no fundamental right to perform Tandava dance in public streets since it did not constitute an essential religious practice of the sect.
    • While these issues are largely understood to be community-based, there are instances in which the court has applied the test to individual freedoms as well.
    • For example, in 2016, the SC upheld the discharge of a Muslim airman from the Indian Air Force for keeping a beard.
    • Armed Force Regulations, 1964, prohibits the growth of hair by Armed Forces personnel, except for “personnel whose religion prohibits the cutting of hair or shaving of face”.
    • The court essentially held that keeping a beard was not an essential part of Islamic practices.

    Issues over the doctrine

    • In the beginning, the court engaged with the question of whether untouchability, manifested in restrictions on entry into temples, was an “essential part of the Hindu religion”.
    • After examining selected Hindu texts, it concluded that untouchability was not an essential Hindu practice.
    • The idea of providing constitutional protection only to those elements of religion that the court considers “essential” is problematic as it assumes that one element or practice of religion is independent of other elements or practices.
    • So, while the essentiality test privileges certain practices over others, it is all practices taken together that constitute a religion.

    How have courts ruled so far on the issue of a hijab?

    • There are two sets of rulings of the Kerala High Court, particularly on the right of Muslim women to dress according to the tenets of Islam, throwing up conflicting answers.
    • In 2015, at least two petitions were filed before the Kerala High Court challenging the prescription of dress code for the NEET exam which prescribed wearing clothes with a certain dress code.
    • Here the Kerala HC directed the CBSE to put in place additional measures for checking students who “intend to wear a dress according to their religious custom, but contrary to the dress code”.
    • Amna Bint Basheer v Central Board of Secondary Education (2016): Here, the Kerala HC examined the issue more closely.
    • The Court held that the practice of wearing a hijab constitutes an essential religious practice but did not quash the CBSE rule.
    • The court once again allowed for the “additional measures” and safeguards put in place in 2015.
    • Fathima Tasneem v State of Kerala (2018): On the issue of a uniform prescribed by a school, the Kerala HC held that the collective rights of an institution would be given primacy over the individual rights of the petitioner.

    Way Forward

    • Pluralism and inclusiveness are characterized by religious freedom. Its purpose is to promote social harmony and diversity.
    • There is no one uniform code today which is mandated throughout the State. It would be a depressing response from a government that prioritizes uniformity over diversity.
    • Religious fanaticism, whether by the majority or the minority, has only damaged the secular mosaic.
    • Despite many criticisms of the practice of hijab being oppressive and detrimental to women’s equality, many Muslim women view the way of dress to be a positive thing. 
    • The dress code was seen as a way to avoid harassment and unwanted sexual advances in public and worked to desexualize women in the public sphere to allow them to enjoy equal rights of completely legal, economic, and political status.

    Conclusion

    • Given the split verdict, it will be a while before the final verdict in the matter is delivered. Ultimately, it must be remembered the State has a responsibility towards the education of the girl and her future and maintaining the secular fabric in India.
    • Thus the government, civil society, religious and student bodies must try to come together and look for an amicable out-of-court solution to the issue which is in the best interest of all and also reduces dependency on courts for social reforms.

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  • Pakistan is out of FATF ‘Grey List’ on terror funding

    Global terror-financing watchdog FATF has announced Pakistan‘s removal from its grey list, saying the country has largely completed its action plans on anti-money laundering and financing of terrorism.

    What is the FATF?

    • FATF is an intergovernmental organization founded in 1989 on the initiative of the G7 to develop policies to combat money laundering.
    • The FATF Secretariat is housed at the OECD headquarters in Paris.
    • It holds three Plenary meetings in the course of each of its 12-month rotating presidencies.
    • As of 2019, FATF consisted of 37 member jurisdictions.

    India’s say in FATF

    • India became an Observer at FATF in 2006. Since then, it had been working towards full-fledged membership.
    • On June 25, 2010, India was taken in as the 34th country member of FATF.

    EAG of FATF

    • The EAG is a regional body comprising nine countries: India, Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus.
    • It is an associate member of the FATF.

    What is the role of FATF?

    • The rise of the global economy and international trade has given rise to financial crimes such as money laundering.
    • The FATF makes recommendations for combating financial crime, reviews members’ policies and procedures, and seeks to increase the acceptance of anti-money laundering regulations across the globe.
    • Because money launderers and others alter their techniques to avoid apprehension, the FATF updates its recommendations every few years.

    What is the Black List and the Grey List?

    • Black List: The blacklist, now called the “Call for action” was the common shorthand description for the FATF list of “Non-Cooperative Countries or Territories” (NCCTs).
    • Grey List: Countries that are considered safe haven for supporting terror funding and money laundering are put in the FATF grey list. This inclusion serves as a warning to the country that it may enter the blacklist.

    Consequences of being in the FATF grey list:

    • Economic sanctions from IMF, World Bank, ADB
    • Problem in getting loans from IMF, World Bank, ADB and other countries
    • Reduction in international trade
    • International boycott

    How had it impacted Pakistan economically?

    • A country on the ‘grey list’ is not subject to sanctions.
    • However, the ‘grey list’ signals to the international banking system that there could be enhanced transaction risks from doing business with the said country.
    • In 2018, the Economist noted that there had been no direct economic implications when Pakistan was on the grey list from 2012 to 2015.
    • Instead, Pakistan managed to obtain a $6 billion bailout package from IMF in 2013 and raise additional funding in global debt markets in 2015.

    Pakistan claimed the politicization of FATF. Is that true?

    • In the run-up to the February 2018 decision, the US had weaned Saudi Arabia away, leaving only China and Turkey supporting Pakistan.
    • China eventually withdrew its objection.
    • A few days later, India publicly congratulated China for its election as vice president of FATF, lending credence to the speculation that a deal had been reached behind closed doors.

    How Pakistan managed to get out of the ‘inglorious’ list?

    fatf

    • Removal from the list mark the culmination of a four-year reform process that has required far-reaching changes to Pakistan’s financial system.
    • It appears that, Pakistan has performed well in particular to laws governing money laundering and terrorism financing.
    • Pakistan was given an action plan by FATF in 2018 to address strategic counter-terrorist financing-related deficiencies.

    Conclusion

    • This is not the first time for Pakistan to exit Grey List. It has been swinging on its position on terror financing.
    • Pakistan first figured in a FATF statement after the plenary of February 2008.

     

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  • Take immediate action against hate speech: SC

    hate-speech

    The Supreme Court has expressed concern over growing incidents of hate speeches in the country and directed the governments and police authorities to take suo motu action in such cases without waiting for lodging of formal complaints.

    Why in news?

    • There has been rising incidents of hate speeches targeting a particular community in India.

    What is ‘Hate Speech’?

    • There is no specific legal definition of ‘hate speech’.
    • The Law Commission of India, in its 267th Report, says: “Hate speech generally is an incitement to hatred primarily against a group of persons defined in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief and the like …
    • Thus, hate speech is any word written or spoken, signs, visible representations within the hearing or sight of a person with the intention to cause fear or alarm, or incitement to violence.”
    • In general, hate speech is considered a limitation on free speech that seeks to prevent or bar speech that exposes a person or a group or section of society to hate, violence, ridicule or indignity.

    How is it treated in Indian law?

    • Provisions in law criminalize speeches, writings, actions, signs and representations that foment violence and spread disharmony between communities and groups and these are understood to refer to ‘hate speech’.
    • Sections 153A and 505 of the Indian Penal Code are generally taken to be the main penal provisions that deal with inflammatory speeches and expressions that seek to punish ‘hate speech’.

    [I] Section 153A:

    • Promotion of enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony’, is an offence punishable with three years’ imprisonment.

    [II] Section 505:

    • 505(1): Statements conducing to public mischief– The statement, publication, report or rumour that is penalized under Section 505(1) should be one that promotes mutiny by the armed forces, or causes such fear or alarm that people are induced to commit an offence against the state or public tranquillity. This attracts a jail term of up to three years.
    • 505(2): It is an offence to make statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes.
    • 505(3): Same offence will attract up to a five-year jail term if it takes place in a place of worship, or in any assembly engaged in religious worship or religious ceremonies.

    Why curb hate speeches?

    • Creates social divide: Individuals believe in stereotypes that are ingrained in their minds and these stereotypes lead them to believe that a class or group of persons are inferior to them and as such cannot have the same rights as them.
    • Threat to peaceful co-existence: The stubbornness to stick to a particular ideology without caring for the right to co-exist peacefully adds further fuel to the fire of hate speech.

    Issues in regulating hate speech

    • Powers to State: Almost every regulation of speech, no matter how well-intentioned, increases the power of the state.
    • Hate speeches are Political: The issue is fundamentally political and we should not pretend that fine legal distinctions will solve the issue.
    • Legal complications: An over-reliance on legal instruments to solve fundamentally social and political problems often backfires.

    Way forward

    • Subjects like hate speeches become a complex issue to deal with, in a country like India which is very diverse, as it was very difficult to differentiate between free and hate speech.
    • There are many factors that should be considered while restraining speeches like strong opinions, offensive comments towards certain communities, the effect on values like dignity, liberty and equality.
    • We all have to work together and communicate efficiently for our country to be a healthy place to live in.

     

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  • (In case you missed it) Get FREE Tikdams Handbook PDF and Recorded session| Tikdams to boost your UPSC Prelims 2023 score by 30+ marks: Intelligent Elimination Techniques by Zeeshan sir

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  • What is ‘general consent’ for CBI?

    The Maharashtra CM has restored general consent to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate cases in Maharashtra.

    General Consent to CBI

    • The CBI is governed by the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act.
    • This makes consent of a state government mandatory for conducting an investigation in that state.
    • Generally, the CBI has jurisdiction only over central government departments and employees.
    • However, it can investigate a case involving state government employees or a violent crime in a given state only after that state government gives its consent.

    When is Consent needed?

    • There are two kinds of consent: case-specific and general.
    • General consent is normally given to help the CBI seamlessly conduct its investigation into cases of corruption against central government employees in the concerned state.
    • Almost all states have given such consent.
    • Otherwise, the CBI would require consent in every case.
    • For example, if it wanted to investigate a bribery charge against a Western Railway clerk in Mumbai, it would have to apply for consent with the Maharashtra government before registering a case against him.

    Withdrawing General Consent  

    • It means the CBI will not be able to register any fresh case involving a central government official or a private person stationed in these two states without getting case-specific consent.
    • Withdrawal of consent simply means that CBI officers will lose all powers of a police officer as soon as they enter the state unless the state government has allowed them.

    Under what provisions general consent can be withdrawn?

    • Section 6 of the Act says nothing contained in Section 5 shall be deemed to enable any member of the Delhi Special Police Establishment to exercise powers and jurisdiction in any area in a State, not being a Union Territory or Railway, area, without the consent of the Government of that State.
    • In exercise of the power conferred by Section 6 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946, the government can withdraw the general consent to exercise the powers and jurisdiction.

    Back2Basics: Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)

    • Origins of CBI can be traced back to the Special Police Establishment (SPE) set up in 1941 in order to cases of bribery and corruption in War & Supply Department of India during World War II.
    • The need of a Central Government agency to investigate cases of bribery and corruption was felt even after the end of World War II.
    • So, DSPE (Delhi Special Police Establishment) Act, 1946 was brought that gave legal power of investigating cases to CBI.
    • CBI is not a statutory body as it is not established by an Act of the Parliament.
    • CBI investigates cases related to economic crimes, special crimes, cases of corruption and other high-profile cases.
    • CBI comes under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
    • CBI is exempted from Right to Information (RTI) Act similar to the National Investigating Agency (NIA), National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID), etc.

     

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  • India tests medium-range ballistic missile Agni Prime

    agni

    India has successfully test-fired indigenously-developed new generation medium-range ballistic missile Agni Prime from the Odisha coast.

    Agni-Prime Missile

    • Agni-P is a new generation advanced variant of the Agni class of missiles.
    • It is the sixth missile in the Agni series of ballistic missile.
    • It is a two-staged canisterised missile with a range capability between 1,000 and 2,000 km.
    • Many advanced technologies including composites, propulsion systems, innovative guidance and control mechanisms and state-of-the-art navigation systems have been introduced.
    • Significantly, it weighs 50 per cent less than the Agni 3 missile and has new guidance and propulsion systems
    • The missile strengthens India’s credible deterrence capabilities.

    Back2Basics: Agni Missiles

    agni

    • Agni missiles are long range, nuclear weapons capable surface to surface ballistic missile.
    • The first missile of the series, Agni-I was developed under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP) and tested in 1989.
    • After its success, Agni missile program was separated from the IGMDP upon realizing its strategic importance.
    • It was designated as a special program in India’s defence budget and provided adequate funds for subsequent development.

    Variants of Agni missiles

    1. Agni I: It is a Medium Range Ballistic Missile with a Range of 700-800 km.
    2. Agni II: It is also a Medium Range Ballistic Missile with a Range more than 2000 km.
    3. Agni III: It is also an Inter-Medium Range Ballistic Missile with Range of more than 2,500 Km
    4. Agni IV: It is also an Inter-Medium Range Ballistic Missile with Range is more than 3,500 km and can fire from a road mobile launcher.
    5. Agni-V: Currently it is the longest of Agni series, an Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) with a range of over 5,000 km.
    6. Agni- VI: The longest of the Agni series, an Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) with a range of ICBM 11,000–12,000 km.

     

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  • Species in news: Great Indian Bustards

    bustard

    The recent sighting of three Great Indian Bustards (GIBs) deep in Pakistan’s Cholistan desert has given rise to speculation that the endangered birds might have flown across the international border from India.

    Great Indian Bustards

    • GIBs are the largest among the four bustard species found in India, the other three being MacQueen’s bustard, lesser florican, and the Bengal florican.
    • GIBs’ historic range included much of the Indian sub-continent but it has now shrunken to just 10 percent of it. Among the heaviest birds with flight, GIBs prefer grasslands as their habitats.
    • GIBs are considered the flagship bird species of grassland.

    Protection accorded

    • Birdlife International: uplisted from Endangered to Critically Endangered (2011)
    • Protection under CITES: Appendix I
    • IUCN status: Critically Endangered
    • Protection under Wildlife (Protection) Act: Schedule I

    Threats

    • Overhead power transmission: This has resulted in the electrocution of the bustards.
    • Poor vision: Due to their poor frontal vision, can’t detect powerlines in time and their weight makes in-flight quick maneuvers difficult.
    • Windmills: Coincidentally, Kutch and Thar desert are the places that have witnessed the creation of huge renewable energy infrastructure.
    • Noise pollution: Noise affects the mating and courtship practices of the GIB.
    • Changes in the landscape: by way of farmers cultivating their land, which otherwise used to remain fallow due to frequent droughts in Kutch.
    • Cultivation changes: Cultivation of cotton and wheat instead of pulses and fodder are also cited as reasons for falling GIB numbers.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.Consider the following pairs:

    Protected Area: Well-known for

    1. Bhitarkanika, Odisha — Salt Water Crocodile
    2. Desert National Park, Rajasthan — Great Indian Bustard
    3. Eravikulam, Kerala — Hoolock Gibbon

    Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched? (CSP 2014)

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 1 and 2

    (c) 2 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

     

    Post your answers here.

     

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  • 21st October 2022| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement

    Topics for Today’s questions:

    GS-1          Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism.

    GS-2         Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting  India’s interests.

    GS-3          Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

    GS-4         Case Studies

    Question 1)

     

    Q.1 Do you think feminist movements in India have historically lacked inclusivity, often growing within a limited Western upper-class psyche? (15 Marks)

     

    Question 2)

    Q.2 Africa’s development is fundamental to India’s foreign policy in order to enable the latter’s rise as one of the global system’s poles. Discuss. (10 Marks)

    Question 3)

    Q.3 The recently launched Mission LiFE will be a global initiative by India to combat climate change and make it a people’s movement across the world. Comment. (10 Marks)

    Question 4)  

    Q. 4 The transgender community has been a part of India’s social set up since the very beginning but never recognized as a reputable part of the society. ‘Hijra’ is a term traditionally used in India for transgender women who were born male. The role and value of this community in accordance with the sacred Hindu texts condenses to the performance of blessings at marriage and birth ceremonies for good fortune. With the advent of the British Raj in the 19th century, the acts of “cross-dressing” were registered as a criminal offence and if such offences were committed repeatedly, imprisonment followed. Thus, began the criminalization of hijras. Today, although legally supported and socially empowered as compared to earlier times, hijras are still subject to transphobic discrimination-associated violence, poverty, and segregation. In light of the above, answer the following: (a) Identify the challenges faced by transgenders during the different stages of their life. (b) Discuss the reasons for the continuing discrimination against transgenders in India despite several initiatives for their upliftment in recent times. (20 Marks)

     

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  • Q. 4 The transgender community has been a part of India’s social set up since the very beginning but never recognized as a reputable part of the society. ‘Hijra’ is a term traditionally used in India for transgender women who were born male. The role and value of this community in accordance with the sacred Hindu texts condenses to the performance of blessings at marriage and birth ceremonies for good fortune. With the advent of the British Raj in the 19th century, the acts of “cross-dressing” were registered as a criminal offence and if such offences were committed repeatedly, imprisonment followed. Thus, began the criminalization of hijras. Today, although legally supported and socially empowered as compared to earlier times, hijras are still subject to transphobic discrimination-associated violence, poverty, and segregation. In light of the above, answer the following: (a) Identify the challenges faced by transgenders during the different stages of their life. (b) Discuss the reasons for the continuing discrimination against transgenders in India despite several initiatives for their upliftment in recent times. (20 Marks)

    Mentor’s Comments-

    • Start with the landmark SC judgement regarding transgenders.
    • Discuss various issues they face during young, adult and elderly stages of their life.
    • Discuss the reasons for the continuing discrimination against transgenders in India
    • Conclude accordingly.

  • Q.3 The recently launched Mission LiFE will be a global initiative by India to combat climate change and make it a people’s movement across the world. Comment. (10 Marks)

    Mentor’s Comments-

  • Q.2 Africa’s development is fundamental to India’s foreign policy in order to enable the latter’s rise as one of the global system’s poles. Discuss. (10 Marks)

    Mentor’s Comments-

  • Q.1 Do you think feminist movements in India have historically lacked inclusivity, often growing within a limited Western upper-class psyche? (15 Marks)

    Mentor’s Comments-

    • Give a brief overview of the feminist movements in India.
    • Mention the issues and achievements pertaining to various phases of the feminist movements in India.
    • Conclude with a way forward.

  • Physical Inactivity, Neglected Burden on Economy

    physical

    Context

    • Global status report on physical activity is WHO’s first dedicated global assessment of global progress on country implementation of policy recommendations of the Global Action Plan on Physical Activity (GAPPA) 2018-2030.

    What are the findings of the report?

    • Poor physical activity standards: Over 80 per cent adolescents and 27 per cent adults do not meet the physical activity standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO), according to a new report.
    • developing non-communicable diseases: This will lead to 500 million additional people developing non-communicable diseases from 2020-2030 and cost the global economy $27 billion annually, it added.

    How physical Inactivity impacts health and Economy?

    • Changing lifestyles: Sedentary lifestyle of a large share of the global population has been linked to rising prevalence of heart diseases, obesity, diabetes or other noncommunicable diseases.
    • Increasing Hypertension and depression: Of the 500 million new cases projected, nearly half will be attributed to hypertension and 43 per cent to depression, the authors of the report said.
    • A strain on the health systems: The report quantified the economic burden of not being able to meet the GAPPA target. The sharp rise in non-communicable diseases will also put a strain on the health systems in every country.
    • Rising cost of treatment: If the current prevalence of physical inactivity doesn’t change, the world will incur treatment costs of just over $300 billion till 2030, the report mentioned.
    • 70 per cent of health-care expenditure: The largest economic cost is set to occur among high-income countries, according to the analysis. This will account for 70 per cent of health-care expenditure on treating illness resulting from physical inactivity, it showed. Around 75 per cent of the cases will occur in low- and middle-income countries, it added.

    What are the government efforts to address the physical inactivity menace?

    • National physical activity policy: Less than half the countries in the world have any national physical activity policy, showed the analysis of 194 countries by WHO published October 19, 2022.
    • National policies are in operation: Less than 40 per cent of the existing national policies are in operation, the United Nations health agency noted in the Global status report on physical activity 2022.
    • Monitor physical activity among adolescents: As many as 75 per cent of countries monitor physical activity among adolescents, and less than 30 per cent monitor physical activity in children under 5 years.
    • Addressing lack of public Infrastructure: The report highlighted that data regarding progress on certain policy actions is missing. These include provision of public open space, provision of walking and cycling infrastructure, provision of sport and physical education in schools.
    • National physical activity guidelines: only 30 per cent of countries have national physical activity guidelines for all age groups, according to the findings of the report.

    physical

    What are the Recommendations of WHO?

    • Exercise benefits mental and physical health: Light exercise and even walking has proven benefits for mental and physical health, studies have shown.
    • Infrastructural changes by governments: Citizens cannot make healthier lifestyle choices without infrastructural changes by governments such as safe walking and cycling lanes. “In policy areas that could encourage active and sustainable transport, only just over 40% of countries have road design standards that make walking and cycling safer,” the WHO analysts found.
    • Five ways to address the policy gaps: 
    1. Strengthen whole-of-government ownership and political leadership
    2. Integrate physical activity into relevant policies and support policy implementation with practical tools and guidance
    3. Strengthen partnerships, engage communities and build capacity in people
    4. Reinforce data systems, monitoring, and knowledge translation
    5. Secure sustainable funding and align with national policy commitments
    • Four areas of policy intervention:
    1. Active societies,
    2. active environments,
    3. active people and
    4. active systems.

    physical

    Government of India’s efforts to promote physical activity

    • FIT India Movement: FIT INDIA Movement was launched on 29th August 2019 by Honorable Prime Minister with a view to make fitness an integral part of our daily lives. The mission of the Movement is to bring about behavioral changes and move towards a more physically active lifestyle.
    • Objectives of Fit India: Fit India proposes to undertake various initiatives and conduct events to achieve the following objectives:
    1. To promote fitness as easy, fun and free.
    2. To spread awareness on fitness and various physical activities that promote fitness through focused campaigns.
    3. To encourage indigenous sports.
    4. To make fitness reach every school, college/university, panchayat/village, etc.
    5. To create a platform for citizens of India to share information, drive awareness and encourage sharing of personal fitness stories.

    physical

    Conclusion

    • Physical inactivity is silent poison, killing the future of the citizens. Work from home, remote working has increased the physical inactivity among the working populations. Indoor games, mobile addictions, e-learning have reduced the physical activity of children. It’s a collective responsibility of parents, society and government to promote and encourage the physical activity among citizens.

    Mains Question Q.

    What are the ill effects of physical inactivity on health and economy? What are the policies of government India to promote healthy life style?

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  • Efforts for Vulture Conservation

    Vulture

    Context

    • The Tamil Nadu government formed a committee to set up an institutional framework for the effective conservation of vultures. The State is home to four species of vultures the white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis), long-billed vultures (Gyps indicus), the Asian king vulture (Sarcogyps calvus) and the Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus).

    Are the vulture population decreasing?

    • Absolute numbers are low: While the population of the vultures in the Nilgiris, Erode and Coimbatore districts has remained largely stable, experts state that the numbers are still extremely low, and that even a single poisoning event could lead to several of the species going locally extinct, especially the long-billed and Asian king vulture.
    • Fewer hatchings of vultures: Over the last few years, breeding seasons have also seen fewer hatchings than is the norm, with experts attributing the cause to lesser availability of prey as well as erratic weather.

    Vulture

    The status of Vultures in Tamilnadu

    • Sighting of vultures in Nilgiris, erode and Coimbatore: While there have been reported sightings of vultures in other districts including Dharmapuri; essentially the Nilgiris, Erode and Coimbatore districts are believed to form one of the largest contiguous expanses where vultures are spotted.
    • In the Tiger reserves and forest areas: Home to the nesting sites of three of the four species of vultures seen in the State, the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, parts of the Nilgiris forest division and the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve are crucial strongholds for the vultures in southern India.
    • Sighting of Himalayan griffon vulture: Occasional migrants such as the Himalayan griffon vulture and the Cinerous vulture are also spotted each year.
    • Larger population of vultures in the South of Vindhiya mountain range: Tamil Nadu boasts the largest population of vultures south of the Vindhiya Mountain Range. In the Nilgiris, researchers and forest department officials estimate that there are between 100 and 120 white-rumped vultures, 10 and 15 long-billed vultures and less than 10 Asian king vultures.
    • Spotted at Sigur plateau: Though Egyptian vultures are spotted in the Sigur plateau, encompassing the Nilgiris and Erode districts, they are not believed to use the landscape to breed, while researchers still remain unsuccessful in tracing the breeding sites of the critically endangered Asian king vulture.

    Vulture

    Role of vultures in the Ecosystem

    • As scavengers: vultures help prevent the spread of many diseases and can remove toxins from entering the environment by consuming carcasses of dead cattle/wildlife before they decompose.

    What are the Threats to the Vulture population?

    • Temple Tourism and increased activities around the temple: There are multiple. For one, temple tourism in the Sigur plateau is centered primarily around vulture habitats, such as Siriyur, Anaikatty and Bokkapuram. Over the last few years, there have been recorded instances of vultures abandoning nesting sites located too close to temples inside these reserves, with activists calling for strict controls on the amount of people allowed to attend these festivals.
    • Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs): Experts also agree that the use of some Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) to treat cattle, such as diclofenac, nimesulide, ketoprofen among others, has led to the crash in vulture populations across India.
    • Spread of invasive weeds: Another threat is the spread of invasive weeds such as the Lantana camara in vulture landscapes, which hinder the birds from scavenging as their large wingspans require plenty of open area to safely land and to take to the skies in case of any major threats.
    • Vulnerable to even natural drugs: Unfortunately, their tolerance for harmful substances does not extend to manmade drugs.
    • Climate change and forest fires: Finally, due to the illegal tapping of water along the streams running through these areas, possible climate change, and forest fires, the Terminalia arjuna trees, that many vultures use as nesting sites are disappearing.

    Vulture

    Steps taken to protect the vultures

    • Banning the harmful drugs: The State government has banned the use of diclofenac, a drug, to treat cattle, while there are strict restrictions for the sale of other NSAIDs in the Nilgiris, Erode and Coimbatore districts.
    • Vulture census: Additionally, as the vultures in the Sigur plateau utilize landscapes in neighboring Karnataka and Kerala, experts have called for a synchronous vulture census to accurately identify vulture populations and nesting sites.

    Conclusion

    • Only through a multipronged approach of increasing the amount of food available to the birds and managing invasive species can vulture numbers start rebounding.

    Mains Question

    Q. What important role does vulture plays in ecosystem? What are the efforts taken by central government for conservation of vultures in India?

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  • 22nd October 2022 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions

    22nd October 2022 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions

    [WpProQuiz 1144]

    [WpProQuiz_toplist 1144]

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  • 21st October 2022 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions

    21st October 2022 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions

    [WpProQuiz 1143]

    [WpProQuiz_toplist 1143]

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  • 20th October 2022 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions

    20th October 2022 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions

    [WpProQuiz 1142]

    [WpProQuiz_toplist 1142]

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  • PM launches Mission LiFE

    Prime Minister, in the presence of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, launched ‘Mission LiFE’ (Lifestyle For Environment).

    What is Mission LiFE?

    • NITI Aayog has conceptualized the idea of mission LiFE.
    • It states that the aim of the mission is to follow a three-pronged strategy for changing our collective approach toward sustainability.
    • PM elaborated that Mission LiFE emboldens the spirit of the P3 model i.e. Pro Planet People.
    • The approach of LiFe campaign includes:
    1. Focus on individual behaviours: To make life a mass movement (Jan Andolan).
    2. Co-create globally: Crowdsourcing empirical and scalable ideas
    3. Leverage Local Cultures: Leverage climate-friendly social norms and beliefs of different cultures worldwide to drive the campaign

    Understanding Sustainable living

    • United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the global authority that sets environmental agenda and promotes the implementation of environmental dimension of sustainable development.
    • UNEP says that as the population of the world is increasing the demand for food, fashion, travel, housing, etc also increases.
    • Hence, a sustainable living approach is necessary to make a balance between the needs of the present generation with that of the future.
    • Sustainable living means acknowledging day-to-day life choices and reflecting if there can be alternatives that may impact the environment less.

     

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  • Forest Conservation Rules infringe upon Land Rights of Tribals: NCST

    The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has asked the Centre to put the new Forest Conservation Rules, 2022, on hold.

    What are the Forest Conservation Rules?

    • The Forest Conservation Rules deal with the implementation of the Forest Conservation Act (FCA), 1980.
    • They prescribe the procedure to be followed for forest land to be diverted for non-forestry uses such as road construction, highway development, railway lines, and mining.
    • The broad aims of the FCA are:
    1. To protect forest and wildlife
    2. Put brakes on State governments’ attempts to hive off forest land for commercial projects and
    3. Striving to increase the area under forests

    How does it work?

    • For forest land beyond five hectares, approval for diverting land must be given by the Central government.
    • This is via a specially constituted committee, called the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC).
    • The FAC approval also means that the future users of the land must provide compensatory land for afforestation as well as pay the net present value (ranging between ₹10-15 lakh per hectare.)

    What do the updated rules say?

    • The new rules aims to streamline the process of approvals.
    • The rules make a provision for private parties to cultivate plantations and sell them as land to companies who need to meet compensatory forestation targets.
    • This aims to help increase forest cover as well as solve the problems of the States of not finding land within their jurisdiction for compensatory purposes.

    Why in news now?

    • The point of contention flagged by NCST is- the new rules has no word for what happens to tribals and forest-dwelling communities whose land would be hived off for developmental work.
    • Prior to the updated rules, state bodies would forward documents to the FAC that would also include information on the status of whether the forest rights of locals in the area were settled.

    Back2Basics: National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST)

    • National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) is an Indian constitutional body that was established through Constitution (89th Amendment) Act, 2003.
    • It functions under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
    • The original constitution provided for the appointment of a Special Officer under Article 338.
    • The special officer was designated as the Commissioner for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
    • The 65th Constitutional Amendment Act 1990, amended Article 338 of the Constitution to introduce a joint NC for SCs and STs.
    • Later by 89th Amendment, NC for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) and NC for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) were separated by creating a new Article 338-A.

     

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