The first National Achievement Survey (NAS) in four years was conducted, in a bid to assess the competencies of children in Class 3, 5 and 8.
National Achievement Survey (NAS)
NAS is a nationally representative large-scale survey of students’ learning undertaken by the Ministry of Education.
It is implemented on a sample size aiming to assess students of 3rd, 5th, 8th and 10th
It gives a system level reflection on effectiveness of school education.
The NCERT has developed the Assessment Framework for gauging the competencies attained by the student’s vis-a-vis learning outcomes.
Features of the Survey
The Survey goes beyond the scorecard and includes the background variables to correlate student’s performance in different learning outcomes vis-a-vis contextual variables.
The Survey was conducted in a monitored environment in the sampled schools.
Selection of sampled schools was based on UDISE+ (Unified District Information System for Education) 2019-20 data.
Significance of NAS
NAS findings would help diagnose learning gaps of students and determine interventions required in education policies, teaching practices and learning.
Through its diagnostic report cards, NAS findings help in capacity building for teachers, officials involved in the delivery of education.
This will help to assess the learning interruptions and new learnings during the COVID pandemic and help to take remedial measures.
Granite plaquettes featuring the names of Variamkunnathu Kunjahamad Haji, Ali Musliyar, and other martyrs of the 1921 Malabar Rebellion will be put up at the precincts of a few mosques in Ernakulam.
Malabar Rebellion
The Malabar Rebellion in 1921 started as resistance against the British colonial rule and the feudal system in southern Malabar but ended in communal violence between Hindus and Muslims.
There were a series of clashes between Mappila peasantry and their landlords, supported by the British, throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries.
It began as a reaction against a heavy-handed crackdown on the Khilafat Movement, a campaign in defence of the Ottoman Caliphate by the British authorities in the Eranad and Valluvanad taluks of Malabar.
The Mappilas attacked and took control of police stations, British government offices, courts and government treasuries.
Who was Variyankunna Kunjahammed Haji?
He was one of the leaders of the Malabar Rebellion of 1921.
He raised 75000 natives, seized control of large territory from the British rule and set up a parallel government.
In January 1922, under the guise of a treaty, the British betrayed Haji through his close friend Unyan Musaliyar, arresting him from his hideout and producing him before a British judge.
He was sentenced to death along with his compatriots.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused widespread economic uncertainty globally, and coupled with the US-China trade war, has caused countries to adopt protectionist measures. While the regulations introduced by India, the US, the UK, and the European Union have taken different forms, the underlying concern is uniform – save homegrown companies, especially in strategic sectors, from being acquired by state-backed investors from other countries.
In this article, we will try to understand the world trade order in the Covid-19 pandemic and in what ways it has impacted globalization, and how the world has reacted to it in the form of protectionism to save the crumbling domestic industry.
Let us first understand the basic terms so that we can understand the topic in detail.
What is meant by Globalization?
It refers to the economic, social and political integration of nations. It entails the spread of products, technology, information and jobs across national borders and cultures.
It is the process of international integration arising from the interchange of world views, products, ideas and other aspects of culture.
In economic terms, it describes an interdependence of nations around the globe, fostered through free trade.
What are the factors aiding globalization?
1) Technology: It has reduced the speed of communication manifolds. The integration of technology in India has transformed jobs that required specialized skills and lacked decision-making skills to extensively-defined jobs with higher accountability that require new skills.
2) LPG Reforms: The 1991 reforms in India have led to greater economic liberalization which has, in turn, increased India’s interaction with the rest of the world.
3) Faster Transportation: Improved transport, making global travel easier.
4) Rise of WTO: The formation of WTO in 1994 led to a reduction in tariffs and non-tariff barriers across the world. It also led to the increase in the free trade agreements among various countries.
5) Improved mobility of capital: In the past few decades, there has been a general reduction in capital barriers. This has increased the ability for firms to receive finance and the global interconnectednessof financial markets.
6) Rise of MNCs: Multinational corporations operating in different geographies have led to a diffusion of best practices. MNCs source resources from around the globe and sells their products in global markets leading to greater local interaction.
Where globalization helps to bring global financial markets close to each other and increases their interaction, protectionism aims to protect domestic industries from dumping and other trade-distorting practices by other countries.
What is Protectionism?
Protectionism is the practice of following protectionist trade policies.
A protectionist trade policy allows the government of a country to promote domestic producers, and thereby boost the domestic production of goods and services by imposing tariffs or otherwise limiting foreign goods and services in the marketplace.
Protectionist policies also allow the government to protect developing domestic industries from established foreign competitors.
Types of Protectionism
Protectionist policies come in different forms, including:
1. Tariffs
The taxes or duties imposed on imports are known as tariffs. Tariffs increase the price of imported goods in the domestic market, which, consequently, reduces the demand for them.
2. Quotas
Quotas are restrictions on the volume of imports for a particular good or service over a period of time. Quotas are known as a “non-tariff trade barrier.”
A constraint on the supply causes an increase in the prices of imported goods, reducing the demand in the domestic market.
3. Subsidies
Subsidies are negative taxes or tax credits that are given to domestic producers by the government. They create a discrepancy between the price faced by consumers and the price faced by producers.
4. Standardization
The government of a country may require all foreign products to adhere to certain guidelines. For instance, the UK Government may demand that all imported shoes include a certain proportion of leather.
Standardization measures tend to reduce foreign products in the market.
5. Anti-dumping duty
Dumping is the process of selling goods far below market value to drive out competition. India is the highest initiator of anti-dumping measures aimed at shielding domestic industry from import competition.
According to the WTO, from 2015 to 2019, India initiated 233 anti-dumping investigations, which is a sharp increase from 82 initiations between 2011 and 2014.
6. Rules of Origin
India amended the Rules of Origin requirement under the Customs Act. India has imposed onerous burdens on importers to ensure compliance with the rules of origin requirement.
The intent appears to be to dissuade importers from importing goods from India’s Free Trade Agreement (FTA) partners.
Why do countries adopt Protectionism?
National security: The argument pertains to the risk of dependency upon other nations for economic sustainability. It is argued that in case of war, economic dependency can restrict one’s options. Also, the other country can affect other country’s economy in a negative way.
Infant industry: It is argued that protectionist policies are required to protect industries in their initial stages. As if the market is kept open, global established companies can capture the market. This can lead to the end of domestic players in the new industry.
Dumping: Many countries dump their goods (sell them at lower price than their cost of production or their cost in the local market) in other countries.
The objective of dumping is to increase market share in a foreign market by driving out competition and thereby create a monopoly.
Saving jobs: It is argued that buying more domestically will drive up national production, and that this increased production will in turn result in a healthier domestic job market.
Outsourcing: it is common practice for companies to identify countries having cheaper labor and easier systems of governance and outsource their job work. This leads to loss of jobs in domestic industries.
Intellectual Property Protection: Patents, in a domestic system, protect the innovators. On a global scale, however, it is quite common for developing nations to copy new technologies via reverse engineering.
Arguments against Protectionism
Trade Agreements: India has benefited immensely from international trade agreements. As per the Commerce Ministry data, India has entered into Free Trade Agreements (FTA) with about 54 individual countries.
They provide tariff concessions thereby giving opportunities for exports of products including those related to small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Against WTO Regulations: India has been a member of WTO since its inception. WTO’s regulations prohibit imposing restrictions on imports from other countries.
They can be imposed only for certain purposes like balance of payment difficulties, national security etc. Such barriers cannot be imposed to protect domestic industry from healthy competition.
Inflationary in Nature: Protectionist policies by restricting imports, can lead to rising prices in the domestic market. Thus, hurting the interest of the consumers directly.
Uncompetitive Domestic Industries: By protecting the local industries, they have no incentive to innovate or spend resources on research and development (R&D) of new products.
Increasing protectionism by India
Increase in average tariffs: The simple average of India’s tariffs that stood at 8.9 per centin 2010-11 has increased by almost 25 per cent to 11.1 per cent in 2020-21.
These increases in tariff rates have reversed the political consensus on tariff liberalization that India followed since 1991.
Initiator of anti-dumping measures: India is the highest initiator of anti-dumping measures aimed at shielding domestic industry from import competition.
According to the WTO, from 2015 to 2019, India initiated 233 anti-dumping investigations, which is a sharp increase from 82 initiations between 2011 and 2014 (June).
Expanding the scope of Article 11(2)(f): India recently amended Section 11(2)(f) of theCustoms Act of 1962, giving the government the power to ban the import or export of any good if it is necessary to prevent injury to the economy.
Expanding the scope of Article 11(2)(f) to cover any good is inconsistent with India’s WTO obligations.
While, WTO allows countries to impose restrictions on imports in case of injury to domestic industry, not to the “economy”.
Restrictive rules of origin: Undue claims of FTA benefits pose a threat to the domestic industry. Subsequently, India amended the rules of origin requirement under the Customs Act.
Rules of origin determine the national source of a product.
This helps in deciding whether to apply a preferential tariff rate (if the product originates from India’s FTA partner country) or to apply the most favored nation rate (if the product originates from a non-FTA country).
The intent appears to be to dissuade importers from importing goods from India’s FTA partners.
Impact of vocal for local: The clarion call given by PM Modi to be “vocal for local” is creating an ecosystem where imports are looked at with disdain, upsetting competitive opportunities and trading partners.
Protectionist measures in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic by India
India has introduced protectionist measures in two ways.
1) Launch of the “Atmanirbhar Bharat” policy which translates to “self-reliant India”, to promote local industry and reach self-sufficiency in the near future.
2) Restriction on foreign direct investments in Indian companies from border sharing countries now requires prior approval of the Indian government.
Applicable for: direct investments, as well as investments which are beneficially held by entities or citizens of neighboring countries.
Aimed at: regulating investments from China and may also cover investments from entities based in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Self-Reliance through Artmnirbhar Bharat and impacts
As the majority of the businesses worldwide face disruptions and economic fallout after the COVID-19 pandemic, India will have the opportunity to build an economy that is more resilient, diversified, and attractive to global manufacturers and services. India with its large population has a big potential to become the manufacturing hub of the world.
Identify Core Sectors: Indian companies need to re-look at their supply chain and start building domestic capacity for essential products to reduce dependence on China.
There is a need to identify and enlist core sectors in which India can become self-reliant and design a strategy to replace too much reliance on China for the imports, particularly Pharma APIs.
Shifting the supply chains from China may also offer FDI opportunities.
Such industries where we have to become more independent and where there is too much monopoly for example- APIs, support needs to be provided in the form of limited, sector-specific, and focused protection.
Increasing Automation: With COVID-19 every industry will become less labor dependant and more automated. Labor-intensive sectors will take a hit.
Therefore there’ll be a need to produce more and more skilled labour force that could handle basic machines.
Liquidity crunch: Businesses have started facing massive working capital/cash flow issues due to lockdown and they will continue even post that because of reduced demand. MSME and startups are the worst hits.
The liquidity needs of companies need to be addressed to help them remain solvent. Though the government has started taking steps via SIDBI to help MSMEs, we still need to do more.
High taxes and competitiveness: The issue of higher taxes, credit risks, and liquidity crunch will be some of the glaring issues that need to be resolved in a time-bound manner.
The new policy to offer a reduced corporate tax rate of 15% to new manufacturing facilities set up after October 1, 2019, should attract people to set up manufacturing in India.
Cheaper credits and lesser taxation need to be provided to ensure the level playing field for manufacturers in India.
India needs more open trade and investment policies to drive competitiveness
Measures adopted by other countries
Measures in the US
The Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act came into force in the US.
It empowers the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to address national security concerns regarding foreign exploitation of certain investment structures.
Acquisition of minority interests in certain specified sectors, such as telecom, power, oil and gas, defense and finance, also have to be notified to the CFIUS.
Measures in the European Union
Similarly, the European Union has also encouraged member states to adopt screening mechanisms for foreign investments which are likely to affect security or public order.
To determine whether an investment is likely to affect security or public order, member states must consider whether the investment:
has an impact on critical infrastructure (such as water, energy, transport, health and communications);
has an impact on critical technologies (such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, defence and energy storage);
results in access to sensitive information, including, personal data; etc.
Currently, among other members of the European Union, France, Italy, Germany and Spain have adopted national mechanisms to screen foreign investments.
Measures in the UK
The National Security and Investment Bill has been introduced in the UK Parliament, which seeks to empower the Secretary of State to investigate certain acquisitions risking national security.
Way forward
India is not alone in imposing measures to protect national interests from opportunist acquisitions. However, the implications for India, as a developing economy, maybe far-reaching as compared to the developed countries.
1) Important to recognize FDI
As the Indian economy recovers from the pandemic, it is important to recognize that foreign investment, including investment from neighboring countries.
It represents a key mechanism for supporting domestic industries and rebuilding India’s economic capacity. After all, India received almost INR6.1 billion in direct equity inflows from China and Hong Kong in 2020.
2) Protecting national interests and attracting foreign investment
Over the past two decades, India has gradually continued on the path of liberalization and opened up more sections of its market to foreign investment.
Consequently, India has reaped the benefits of globalization, including, an increase in employment opportunities and exports, development of infrastructure and technological capabilities, and availability of a better quality of goods and services.
It is important for India to strike a balance between protecting national interests and attracting foreign investment and to continue to be a part of the global economy.
3) Inclusive Approach
Addressing the needs of the most vulnerable countries – measures, for example in relation to export restrictions and creation of regional stockpiles, could include specific exemptions or assistance to address the needs of the poorest countries.
4) De-bureaucratisation
India needs to put in place such policies that improve its competitiveness, de-bureaucratize some sectors such as agriculture, and make labor laws less complicated.
A holistic and easily accessible ecosystem, from the procuring of raw materials to the outlet of finished products, must be made available.
5) Alternative global alliance
The sudden call for a video-conference by Indian Prime Minister, with SAARC leaders to chalk out a common strategy to fight COVID-19, sets an example to the world.
India needs to now move beyond regional alliances and look forward to a cooperative alliance between like-minded countries in terms of trade such as the USA, EU, and Japan, to figure out an alternative to break the hegemony of China in the global supply chain.
India needs to expand its cooperation programs into a global effort by engaging in the multilateral development of solutions to global policy challenges and share lessons and experiences to progressively strengthen public systems and state institutions worldwide.
6) Promote R&D and capacity building
There’s a need to prioritize building capacity and policy framework to become cost-competitive and quality competitive.
” I know my purpose in life is to use my skills to serve the nation and lead in its development. If not UPSC, I would have definitely found another way to do so. This is what made me study without any stress.”
Securing the first rank in CBSE at a national level and then going onto to crack the tough UPSC-CSE exams with an AIR 17 is not an easy feat. But Sarthak Agrawal has imagined and achieved both. He had left a prestigious position as a research economist at the World Bank as he wanted to serve his home country. It’s no surprise then that Sarthak comfortably achieved high scores in the otherwise unpredictable Economics Optional paper.
Key Takeaways of Sarthak Agarwal’s Webinar
1. Planning the day ahead. Is it better to be an early riser or a night owl?
2. Managing negative emotions of despair and stress.How did Sarthak study on days he felt low?
3. His sources for Economics Optional. And free handouts to everyone who registers!
4.Simplifying the UPSC preparation process. How did he manage to complete his studies within 8 months?
5. Should an aspirant join a study group and prepare? Sarthak Agrawal answers.
6. Know when to take the exam seriously and when to switch off. What practices Sarthak avoided completely which were popularly followed by other aspirants?
A major part of the session would be interactive and in Q&A format. This will surely benefit any aspirant who are in midway of their preparation.
Webinar Details
Register for this free webinar by IAS officer Sarthak Agarwal and get his economy notes from us!
Application of the UAPA in certain cases has caused concerns regarding its alleged “misuse”, and the rational answer would be to find ways to check “misuse”.
Issues with UAPA
The police often use Section 13 in conjunction with other sections of the law.
Vague and undefined terms: Besides the usual inventory of well-defined verbs in S.13(1), such as “commits”, “advocates”, “abets”, “advises”, “incites” or “takes part”, there is S.13(2) which reads: “Whoever, in any way, assists any unlawful activity of any association declared unlawful… shall be punished.”
What does “in any way” mean? S.2(o), which defines “unlawful activity” does so in even more vague terms, as anything done by a person, whether as an act, or words, verbally, through signs or otherwise.
What does “otherwise” mean? Likewise, S.39 criminalises support to a terrorist organisation, where “support” is not even defined!
Wide and arbitrary powers: The semantic slippages are politically convenient as the UAPA vests extremely wide and arbitrary powers in the government to label something an “unlawful activity”.
The political “use” of UAPA is scripted into the law itself, and the question of “misuse” does not arise.
Application of UAPA triggers a host of draconian procedures effectively barring bail, reversing burden of proof.
Conclusion
The conviction rate of 2.2 per cent testifies to how the UAPA enacts the process as punishment. It is time for political parties to eschew their blinkered approach and make an effort to repeal this unlawful law.
Flood in Chennai has revived memories of the devastating Chennai floods of 2015, a collective trauma that its residents are yet to outlive.
Role of climate change
In August this year, as monsoon floods raged across the subcontinent, IPCC’s 6th Assessment Report (AR6) was published.
The report noted the increasing frequency of heavy precipitation events since the 1950s and inferred that they were being driven by human-induced climate change.
The climate crisis, is here.
It has made extreme rainfall events more severe and unpredictable than ever before.
Role of poor planning and encroachment
In 2015, the National Green Tribunal in India formed a committee to report on the status of natural stormwater drains in Delhi.
On inspection, out of the 201 “drains” recorded in 1976, 44 were found to be “missing.
Geospatial imaging established that 376 km of natural storm drains — encroached on and paved over — had disappeared from Bengaluru.
In both cases, these “missing” waterways were either encroached and built over or connected to sewage drains.
Poor design and corruption significantly contribute to urban floods.
By violating environmental laws and municipal bye-laws, open spaces, wetlands and floodplains have been mercilessly built over, making cities impermeable and hostile to rainwater.
Way forward
We need to move away from land-centric urbanisation and recognise cities as waterscapes.
We need to let urban rivers breathe by returning them to their floodplains.
The entire urban watershed needs to heal, and for that to happen, we need less concrete and more democracy and science at the grassroots.
Conclusion
Ever since concretisation became shorthand for urbanisation, rainfall in a changing climate no longer finds its way towards subterranean capillaries or surface water bodies.
” I know my purpose in life is to use my skills to serve the nation and lead in its development. If not UPSC, I would have definitely found another way to do so. This is what made me study without any stress.”
Securing the first rank in CBSE at a national level and then going onto to crack the tough UPSC-CSE exams with an AIR 17 is not an easy feat. But Sarthak Agrawal has imagined and achieved both. He had left a prestigious position as a research economist at the World Bank as he wanted to serve his home country. It’s no surprise then that Sarthak comfortably achieved high scores in the otherwise unpredictable Economics Optional paper.
Key Takeaways of Sarthak Agarwal’s Webinar
1. Planning the day ahead. Is it better to be an early riser or a night owl?
2. Managing negative emotions of despair and stress.How did Sarthak study on days he felt low?
3. His sources for Economics Optional. And free handouts to everyone who registers!
4.Simplifying the UPSC preparation process. How did he manage to complete his studies within 8 months?
5. Should an aspirant join a study group and prepare? Sarthak Agrawal answers.
6. Know when to take the exam seriously and when to switch off. What practices Sarthak avoided completely which were popularly followed by other aspirants?
A major part of the session would be interactive and in Q&A format. This will surely benefit any aspirant who are in midway of their preparation.
Webinar Details
Register for this free webinar by IAS officer Sarthak Agarwal and get his economy notes from us!
GS-1 Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India.
GS-2 Parliament and State Legislatures—Structure, Functioning, Conduct of Business, Powers & Privileges and Issues Arising out of these.
GS-3 Disaster and Disaster Management.
GS-4 Aptitude and Foundational Values for Civil Service, Integrity, Impartiality and Non-partisanship, Objectivity, Dedication to Public Service, Empathy, Tolerance and Compassion towards the weaker-sections.
HOW TO ATTEMPT ANSWERS IN DAILY ANSWER WRITING ENHANCEMENT(AWE)?
Daily 4 questions from General studies 1, 2, 3, and 4 will be provided to you.
A Mentor’s Comment will be available for all answers. This can be used as a guidance tool but we encourage you to write original answers.
You can write your answer on an A4 sheet and scan/click pictures of the same.
Upload the scanned answer in the comment section of the same question.
Along with the scanned answer, please share your Razor payment ID, so that paid members are given priority.
If you upload the answer on the same day like the answer of 11th October is uploaded on 11th October then your answer will be checked within 72 hours. Also, reviews will be in the order of submission- First come first serve basis
If you are writing answers late, for example, 11th October is uploaded on 13th October, then these answers will be evaluated as per the mentor’s schedule.
We encourage you to write answers on the same day. However, if you are uploading an answer late then tag the mentor like @Staff so that the mentor is notified about your answer.
*In case your answer is not reviewed, reply to your answer saying *NOT CHECKED*.
In the intro, mention the recent flood in Chennai.
In the body, mention various factors such as increasing frequency of heavy precipitation due to climate change as noted in the IPCC’s sixth Assessment Report, poor planning urban planning, encroachment on drainage systems, clogging of the drainage system, violation of environmental laws and municipal by-law and natural factors such as high rainfall in short duration etc. In the suggestions mention changes in planning, implementation of laws and by-laws, cleaning and maintenance of drainage system, preparedness for floods etc.
Conclude by mentioning the need to move away from land-centric urbanisation.
In the intro, mention the very low conviction rate under the Act.
In the body, mention the issues such as vesting wide powers in the government to label something as unlawful, stringent bail provisions, high pendency rate etc. In the suggestion mention need for repeal of the law, limiting the powers of the state to define the term unlawful activity etc.
Conclude by mentioning the need for the judiciary and legislature to curtail the misuse of the law by amending or repealing it.
A chief whip of the largest party in opposition in the Rajya Sabha has moved a privilege motion against Culture Minister over the appointment of the chairperson of the National Monuments Authority.
What is Parliamentary Privilege?
Parliamentary privilege refers to the right and immunity enjoyed by legislatures.
The legislators are granted protection against civil or criminal liability for actions done or statements made in the course of their legislative duties.
They are granted so that the MPs/MLAs can effectively discharge their functions.
The powers, privileges and immunities of either House of the Indian Parliament and of its members and committees are laid down in Article 105 of the Constitution.
Article 194 deals with the powers, privileges and immunities of the State Legislatures, their members and their committees.
What is a privilege motion?
When any of the rights and immunities are disregarded, the offence is called a breach of privilege and is punishable under law of Parliament.
A notice is moved in the form of a motion by any member of either House against those being held guilty of breach of privilege.
Each House also claims the right to punish as contempt actions which, while not breach of any specific privilege, are offences against its authority and dignity.
What are the rules governing privilege?
Rule No 222 in Chapter 20 of the Lok Sabha Rule Book and correspondingly Rule 187 in Chapter 16 of the Rajya Sabha rulebook govern privilege.
It says that a member may, with the consent of the Speaker or the Chairperson, raise a question involving a breach of privilege either of a member or of the House or of a committee thereof.
The rules however mandate that any notice should be relating to an incident of recent occurrence and should need the intervention of the House.
Notices have to be given before 10 am to the Speaker or the Chairperson.
What is the role of the Speaker/Rajya Sabha Chair?
The Speaker/RS chairperson is the first level of scrutiny of a privilege motion.
The Speaker/Chair can decide on the privilege motion himself or herself or refer it to the privileges committee of Parliament.
If the Speaker/Chair gives consent under Rule 222, the member concerned is given an opportunity to make a short statement.
What is the privileges committee?
In the Lok Sabha, the Speaker nominates a committee of privileges consisting of 15 members as per respective party strengths.
A report is then presented to the House for its consideration. The Speaker may permit a half-hour debate while considering the report.
The Speaker may then pass final orders or direct that the report be tabled before the House.
A resolution may then be moved relating to the breach of privilege that has to be unanimously passed.
In the Rajya Sabha, the deputy chairperson heads the committee of privileges, which consists of 10 members.
Answer this PYQ in the comment box:
Q.With reference to the Parliament of India, which of the following Parliamentary Committees scrutinizes and reports to the House whether the powers to make regulations, rules, sub-rules, by-laws etc. conferred by the constitution of delegated by the Parliament are being properly exercised by the Executive within the scope of such delegation?
Karnataka has renamed the Mumbai-Karnataka region, consisting of seven districts, as Kittur Karnataka.
What is the Mumbai-Karnataka Region?
The erstwhile Mumbai-Karnataka region consisted of Uttara Kannada, Belagavi, Dharwad, Vijayapura, Bagalkote, Gadag and Haveri districts.
Reasons behind renaming
The Karnataka government has meant to dissociate itself from any ties with the erstwhile Presidency or colonial-era nomenclature in regions that came under the newly formed state of Karnataka in 1956.
The renaming is also to detach itself from any ties with Maharashtra.
Claims made by Maharashtra
Maharashtra has staked claim to an area of over 7,000 sq. km along its border with Karnataka.
It comprised 814 villages in the districts of Belagavi, Uttara Kannada, Bidar and Gulbarga, and the towns of Belagavi, Karwar and Nippani.
Maharashtra wants to annex all these areas.
The erstwhile Bombay Presidency, a multilingual province, included present-day Karnataka districts of Vijayapura, Belagavi, Dharwad and Uttara Kannada.
The States Reorganisation Act of 1956 made Belagavi and 10 talukas of Bombay State a part of the then Mysore State (which was renamed Karnataka in 1973).
A case pending in the Supreme Court
Successive governments in Maharashtra have demanded their inclusion within the state– a claim that Karnataka contests.
In 2004, the Maharashtra government moved the Supreme Court for a settlement of the border dispute under Article 131(b) of the Constitution.
It demanded 814 villages from Karnataka on the basis of the theory of village being the unit of calculation, contiguity and enumerating linguistic population in each village.
The needs of defence and environment have to be balanced and a “nuanced” approach is required, said the Supreme Court while hearing an appeal against the widening of roads in Uttarakhand hills for the “Char Dham project”.
What is Char Dham?
The Char Dham is a set of four pilgrimage sites in India.
It is believed that visiting these sites helps achieve moksha (salvation).
The four Dhams are, Badrinath, Dwaraka, Puri and Rameswaram.
The highway project
The Char Dham highway project connects the four himalayan shrines of Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath in Garhwal Himalayas.
It has 899-km road which the Centre wants to broaden near Dehradun.
What is the controversy?
The Supreme Court formed a high-powered committee (HPC) to examine the issues. In July 2020, the HPC submitted two reports after members disagreed on the ideal width for hill roads.
Deforestation: In 2018, the road-expansion project was challenged by an NGO for its potential impact on the Himalayan ecology due to felling trees, cutting hills and dumping muck (excavated material).
Terrain damage: It was observed that a wider road requires additional slope cutting, blasting, tunnelling, dumping and deforestation.
Increasing vulnerability: All of this will further destabilise the Himalayan terrain, and increase vulnerability to landslides and flash floods.
Criticism of the Project
Work without clearance: Project work and felling of trees on different stretches, adding up to over 250 km, has been continuing illegally since 2017-18.
Misusing old clearance: Work started on stretches adding up to over 200 km on the basis of old forest clearances issued to the Border Roads Organisation during 2002-2012.
False declaration: The work began by falsely declaring that these stretches did not fall in the Eco Sensitive Zones of Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajaji National Park, Valley of Flowers National Park etc.
The defence angle
Even as the project grappled to come clean, it garnered support from the MoD seeking a double-lane road to meet the requirement of the Army.
The project always had a strategic angle to it as the highways would facilitate troop movement to areas closer to the China border.
Suddenly, this became the sole justification for building wider roads.
A new study has challenged the widely accepted view that the continents rose from the oceans about 2.5 billion years ago.
About Singhbhum
Singhbhum district of Jharkhand is part of the Chhota Nagpur Division.
It is one of the leading producers of copper in India.
First landmass to emerge
The study suggests that the earliest continental landmass to emerge may have been Jharkhand’s Singhbhum region.
Scientists have found sandstones in Singhbhum with geological signatures of ancient river channels, tidal plains and beaches over 3.2 billion years old.
They somewhat represent the earliest crust exposed to air.
Studying the sandstones
The research studies a sedimentary rock, called granite. They tried to find their age and in which conditions they have formed.
They found the age by analysing the uranium and lead contents of tiny minerals.
These rocks are 3.1 billion years old, and were formed in ancient rivers, beaches, and shallow seas.
All these water bodies could have only existed if there was continental land.
Thus, they inferred that the Singhbhum region was above the ocean before 3.1 billion years ago.
How did they analyse?
The researchers studied the granites that form the continental crust of Singhbhum region.
These granites are 3.5 to 3.1 billion years old and formed through extensive volcanism that happened about 35-45 km deep inside the Earth.
This process continued on-and-off for hundreds of millions of years until all the magma solidified to form a thick continental crust in the area.
Due to the thickness and less density, the continental crust emerged above surrounding oceanic crust owing to buoyancy.
Back2Basics: Emergence of Landmass
In the beginning, more than 4.6-billion years ago, the world was a ball of burning gas, spinning through space.
It took hundreds of millions of years for the first land masses to emerge.
About 250-million years ago, long, long after the Earth had formed, all the continents of the time had joined together to form a super-continent called Pangaea.
This super-continent broke up about 200-million years ago to form two giant continents, Gondwana and Laurasia.
Gondwana comprised what is now Africa, South America, Australia, Antarctica and India.
The Indian sub-continent lay off the east coast of Africa, before it broke off and moved north rapidly.
Isostacy
Huge plates of crustal and upper mantle material (lithosphere) “float” on more dense, plastically flowing rocks of the asthenosphere.
The “depth” to which a plate, or block of crust, sinks is a function of its weight and varies as the weight changes.
This equilibrium, or balance, between blocks of crust and the underlying mantle is called isostasy.
The taller a block of crust is, the deeper it penetrates into the mantle because of its greater mass and weight. Isostasy occurs when each block settles into an equilibrium with the underlying mantle.
Blocks of crust that are separated by faults will “settle” at different elevations according to their relative mass.
The Union Cabinet has decided to declare November 15 as ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Divas’ to mark the birth anniversary of revered tribal leader and freedom fighter Birsa Munda.
Who was Birsa Munda (1875-1900)?
Birsa Munda was an Indian tribal freedom fighter, religious leader, and folk hero who belonged to the Munda tribe.
He spearheaded a tribal religious millenarian movement that arose in the Bengal Presidency (now Jharkhand) in the late 19th century, during the British Raj.
His legacy
(A) Birth and early childhood
Born on November 15, 1875, Birsa spent much of his childhood moving from one village to another with his parents.
He belonged to the Munda tribe in the Chhotanagpur Plateau area.
He received his early education at Salga under the guidance of his teacher Jaipal Nag.
On the recommendation of Jaipal Nag, Birsa converted to Christianity in order to join the German Mission school.
He, however, opted out of the school after a few years.
(B) New faith ‘Birsait’ against religious conversion
The impact of Christianity was felt in the way he came to relate to religion later.
Having gained awareness of the British colonial ruler and the efforts of the missionaries to convert tribals to Christianity, Birsa started the faith of ‘Birsait’.
Soon members of the Munda and Oraon community started joining the Birsait sect and it turned into a challenge to British conversion activities.
The Mundas called him Dharati Aaba, the father of earth.
(C) The Ulgulan
The Great Tumult or Ulgulan was a movement started by Birsa Munda against the exploitation and discrimination against tribals by the local authorities.
Although the movement failed, it did result in the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act which forbade tribal lands passing to non-tribals, protecting their land rights for the foreseeable future.
(D) Death
On March 3, 1900, Birsa Munda was arrested by the British police while he was sleeping with his tribal guerilla army at Jamkopai forest in Chakradharpur.
He died in Ranchi jail on June 9, 1900, at the young age of 25.
(E) Creation of Jharkhand
Birsa Munda’s achievements are known to be even more remarkable by virtue of the fact that he came to acquire them before he was 25.
In recognition of his impact on the national movement, the state of Jharkhand was created on his birth anniversary in 2000.
Try this PYQ from CSP 2020
Q. With reference to the history of India, “Ulgulan” or the Great Tumult is the description of which of the following event?
The Ministry of Mines has notified the Mineral Conservation and Development (Amendment) Rules (MCDR), 2021.
About the Amendment
The MCDR have been framed under section 18 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.
It aims to provide rules regarding conservation of minerals, systematic and scientific mining, development of the mineral in the country and for the protection of environment.
Key highlights of the amendments:
Digital aerial imaging of the mines
Digital mapping: All plans and sections related to mine shall be prepared by combination of Digital Global Positioning System (DGPS) or Total Station or by drone survey.
Drone Imaging: Lessees having annual excavation plans of 1 million tonne or more or having leased area of 50 hectare or more are required to submit drone survey images of leased area and up to 100 meters outside the lease boundary every year.
Satellite imaging: Other lessees submit high resolution satellite images obtained from CARTOSAT-2 satellite
This step will not only improve mine planning practices, security and safety in the mines but also ensure better supervision of mining operations.
Penalty Provisions
Penalty provisions in the rules have been rationalized. Amendment in the rules categorized the violations of the rules under the following major heads:
Major Violations: Penalty of imprisonment, fine or both.
Minor Violations: Penalty reduced. Penalty of only fine for such violations prescribed.
Decriminalization of Rules: Violation of other rules has been decriminalized. These rules did not cast any significant obligation on the concession holder or any other person
Financial Assurance
Amount of financial assurance increased to five lakh rupees for Category ‘A’ mines and three lakh rupees for Category ‘B’ mines from existing three and two lakh rupees, respectively.
Provision of forfeiture of financial assurance or performance security of the lease holder added in case of non-submission of final mine closure plan within the period specified.
Employment Opportunity
Allowed engagement of a part-time mining engineer or a part-time geologist for small mines which will ease compliance burden for small miners.
Diploma in mining and mine surveying is added in qualification for full-time Mining Engineer.
The informal economy is a global and pervasive phenomenon.
According to ILO approximately 60 percent of the world’s population participates in the informal sector.
Defining Informal Economy
As the International Labour Organization defined the informal sector in 2002, the informal sector does not include the criminal economy.
While production or employment arrangements in the informal economy may not be strictly legal, the sector produces and distributes legal goods and services.
The informal economy also does not include the reproductive or care economy, which is made up of unpaid domestic work and care activities.
It is part of the market economy, meaning it produces goods and services for sale and profit.
India and informal economy
In developing countries like India, large share of the population typically depends upon the informal economy.
According to Periodic Labour Force Survey over 90 percent of workers in India are informal workers.
Out of these those engaged in rural areas is significantly more than urban areas.
What makes an economy ‘informal’?
The informal sector is largely characterized by several qualities:
Skills gained outside of a formal education
Easy entry (meaning anyone who wishes to join the sector can find some sort of work which will result in cash earnings)
Lack of stable employer-employee relationships
Small scale of operations
What characterizes the informal economy in India?
Workers who participate in the informal economy are typically classified as employed.
The type of work is diverse, particularly in terms of capital invested, technology used, and income generated.
The spectrum ranges from self-employment or unpaid family labour to street vendors.
Most workers in the informal sector do not have access to secure work, benefits, welfare protection, or representation.
Many workers engage in informal ventures by choice, for either economic or non-economic reasons.
What makes informality grow in an economy?
There are three basic views to explain the causes of informality:
Informality due to overt regulation: Informal sector is a reservoir of potentially productive entrepreneurs who are kept out of formality by high regulatory costs, most notably entry regulation.
Informality for profiteering: Informal forms are “parasitic” which are productive enough to survive in the formal sector but choose to remain informal to earn higher profits by not complying with taxes and regulations.
Too unproductive to become formal: Informality is a survival strategy for low-skill individuals, who are too unproductive to ever become formal.
Distribution of Informal Workers
Rural: A large number of informal workers are engaged in farm or agricultural activities.
Urban: Those in urban areas are involved primarily in manufacturing, trade, hotel and restaurant; construction; transport; storage and communications; and finance, business and real estate.
Issues surrounding India’s informal sector
Work hazards: Most industries, especially mining, have inadequate safety and health standards. Environmental hazards are evident in the case of the informal sector.
Irregularities in Wages: The daily wages are below the minimum rate of wages for informal workers.
Long Hours of work: Long hours of work in the unorganised sector beyond the labour and regulatory norms are common in India.
Poverty and Indebtedness: Workers in the unorganised sector had a much higher incidence of poverty than their counterparts in the organised sector.
Inactivity of work: There are many times when a worker cannot be economically active. For instance, due to biological circumstances such as sickness or old age, on account of personal calamities such as an accident or unemployment.
No Social Security Net: There are no social security measures to provide risks coverage and ensure maintenance of basic living standards at times of crises such as unemployment or health issues.
Why does formalization matter?
Livelihood guarantee: Ignoring problems in the informal sector can be costly as it can lead to job and wage losses, higher inflation and even risk the livelihood of migrant workers.
Assuring minimum wages: For instance, following demonetisation, a disproportionately higher number of jobs were created in rural India which isn’t the positive it might seem as wages are 2.5 times lower than in urban India.
Migration control: Informal sector workers suffered far more from the national lockdown in 2020 than their formal sector counterparts. With an inadequate safety net, there were painful accounts of displaced informal workers trying to get back to their rural homes.
Inflation control: India was one of the few countries with high inflation throughout pandemic-stricken 2020. Some of this is likely to be associated with the disruption in informal firms, who in normal times are very active in the production of essential goods like food and textiles.
What does all of this mean for economic growth?
Ans.Formalization can be a double-edged sword
The constructive way to think about this is to differentiate between “forced” and “organic” formalisation.
Formalisation that comes only on the back of external pressure or leads to deep distress in the informal sector, may not be sustainable.
Formalisation that happens on the back of policy changes that help small and informal firms grow over time into medium or larger formal sector firms is more sustainable.
Various policy measures
(1) Labor legislations
The legal initiatives like the Employees State Insurance Act (1948), the Minimum Wages Act (1948), the Coal Mines Provident Funds Act (1948), The Employees Provident Fund Act (1952), the Maternity Benefit Act (1961) and the Contract Labour Act (1970) etc. are important for labour welfare.
(2) National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector
India is the first country to set up, a commission named National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector (NCEUS) in 2004 to study the problems and challenges being faced by the informal economy.
(3) Govt schemes
The Government of India initiated several poverty-related development schemes which indirectly benefited the urban informal sector since independence. Schemes like the MGNREGA and the Swarna Jayanti Shahri Rozgar Yojana were launched to provide support to the poor who constitute bulk of the informal sector.
(4) Social security legislations
The govt has enacted the Unorganized Workers’ Social Security Act, 2008 in this regard. The government has also launched Atal Pension Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana etc.
(5) Skill development
To take care of the need for skills of workers in the informal economy, the government has started various programs such as the Skill India Mission, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Grameen Kaushal Yojana, recognition of prior learning etc.
Way forward
Overhauling labour laws: Labour, as well as tax policies, are key to improving the business environment. Labour regulations have to allow for more flexible work arrangements. Moreover, the right to associate freely should be vigorously protected.
Preventing occupational hazards: Innovative means to prevent occupational accidents and diseases and environmental hazards need to be developed through cost-effective and sustainable measures at the work-site level to allow for capacity-building within the informal sector itself.
Local support: Building-on local institutional support to progressively extend social protection will be critical.
Sensitization: Special attention should be paid to the sensitization of policy makers, municipal authorities and labour inspection services to change their traditional role towards a preventive and promotional approach.
Regulatory ease: In the meantime, steps to promote reforms that are needed to help small businesses grow are critical. For example, lowering the regulatory burden associated with growing firms.
Social protection: The extension of occupational health care to workers in the informal sector should be promoted incorporating occupational health into public health care services at district and local levels and establishing a link between first aid and prevention at the work-site’s level.
Conclusion
India’s informal sector is the backbone of the economy.
The nation’s quality of life hinges on things becoming better for masses of informally employed people.
Over the longer term, the prospects for this group will depend on the progress of policy reforms and economic growth, which are the leading drivers of real wages.
