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  • Vishakhapatnam is Andhra Pradesh’s new Capital

    vishakha

    Visakhapatnam will be the new capital of Andhra Pradesh, announced the Chief Minister.

    AP’s move for three capitals

    • AP had introduced a ‘Three Capitals Act’ titled Andhra Pradesh Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Act, 2020.
    • Thus, it was decided that:
    1. Amaravati was to be the Legislative capital
    2. Visakhapatnam the Executive capital and
    3. Kurnool the Judicial capital
    • However, the Andhra Pradesh High Court repealed this Act citing that the legislature has no competence to enact any law for shifting the three organs of the capital.

    Concerns raised by AP government

    • AP contended that the judgement was in violation of the basic structure of the Constitution as the HC cannot hold that the State does not have the powers to decide on its capital.
    • The judgement was against the doctrine of separation of powers as it sought to preempt the legislature from taking up the issue (of three capitals).
    • Further, it is argued that under the federal structure of the Constitution, every State has an inherent right to determine where it should carry out its capital functions from.

    Reasons for AP’s consideration

    (1) Viable option of Visakhapatnam

    • Vizag always had been the biggest city, after Hyderabad, even in the combined State.
    • It has all the settings to become a good living space.

    (2) Sri Krishna panel recommendations

    • The advantages and qualities of Visakhapatnam to become the capital was elaborately deliberated by the Sri Krishna Committee to study the alternatives for a new capital for the State of Andhra Pradesh.
    • Coming to suggestion for the alternative capital, the Committee primarily took up three things for consideration — creation of single city or super city in greenfield location, expanding existing cities and distributed development.

    (3) Decentralisation

    • This idea was elaborately described in the Sri Bagh pact.
    • The pact clearly defined decentralisation, for the benefit of all three main regions such as Coastal AP, Godavari and Krishna districts and Rayalaseema.

    Major practical problems

    • Continuum of work: The government argues that the Assembly meets only after gaps of several months, and government Ministers, officers, and staff can simply go to Amaravati when required.
    • Logistics nightmare: coordinating between seats of legislature and executive in separate cities will be easier said than done.
    • Time and costs of travel: The distances in Andhra Pradesh are not inconsiderable. Executive capital Visakhapatnam is 700 km from judicial capital Kurnool, and 400 km from legislative capital Amaravati.

    Examples of multi-capital states in India

    • Among Indian states, Maharashtra has two capitals– Mumbai and Nagpur (which holds the winter session of the state assembly).
    • Himachal Pradesh has capitals at Shimla and Dharamshala (winter).
    • The former state of Jammu & Kashmir had Srinagar and Jammu (winter) as capitals where Darbar Move is carried out.

     

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  • Artform in news: Shumang Leela

    shumang leela

    This newscard is an excerpt from the original article published in TH.

    Shumang Leela

    • Shumang Leela is a unique traditional form of theatre in Manipur.
    • The tradition is believed to be descended from Lai Haraoba, a ritual of the Meitei community of Manipur.

    Types of this dance

    Shumang Leela is of two types:

    1. Nupa Shumang Leela: It performed only by men. Here the roles of women are all played by men, called Nupi Shabis.
    2. Nupi Shumang Leela: It performed only by women and the roles of men are played by women.

    Performance details

    • The plays serve as a medium to spread awareness among people of social, political and economic issues. Shumang Leelas may also discuss moral values, unity and integrity.
    • This theatre form has for long been trying to strengthen the bond of brotherhood and friendship among various communities in the State.

    Significance of the art

    • In a society marked by heteronormativity, the gender-bending nature of Shumang Leela makes it a unique art form that is fraught with complexity.
    • The men who take up female roles or vice versa are highly appreciated and laughed at.
    • The traditional theatre form has preserved its original form, and its aim to inform and entertain has remained unchanged.

     

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  • Project ELLORA to preserve ‘rare’ Indian languages with AI

    Microsoft’s Project ELLORA is helping small languages like Gondi, Mundari become eloquent for the digital world.

    Project ELLORA

    • To bring ‘rare’ Indian languages online, Microsoft launched the Project ELLORA or Enabling Low Resource Languages in 2015.
    • Under the project, researchers are building digital resources of the languages.
    • They say that their purpose is to preserve a language for posterity so that users of these languages “can participate and interact in the digital world.”

    How is ELLORA creating a language dataset?

    • The researchers are mapping out resources, including printed literature, to create a dataset to train their AI model.
    • The team is also working with these communities on the project.
    • By involving the community in the data collection process, researchers hope to create a dataset that is both accurate and culturally relevant.

     

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  • Possibility of global recession?

    recession

    Context

    • There have recently been growing concerns about the global economy slipping into recession. These concerns were primarily triggered by the contraction of the US economy, observed in the first half of 2022. Negative growth in two consecutive quarters is commonly but not officially used as an indication of recession.

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    Background: Status of the US economy

    • First and second quarter of 2022: As reported by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), the US real Gross Domestic Product (GDP adjusted for inflation) decreased at an annual rate of 1.6 per cent and 0.6 per cent in the first and second quarters of 2022, respectively.
    • Third quarter: In the third quarter, however, the US economy grew by 3.2 per cent, signalling a significant recovery.
    • Fourth quarter: The latest BEA advance estimates show that the US real GDP increased at an annual rate of 2.9 per cent in the fourth quarter.
    • Expansion of US economy a positive sign: Despite the slight decrease from the third quarter, the continued expansion of the US economy at the end of 2022 marks a positive sign, soothing concerns about a recession in 2023.

    recession

    Economic recovery of the US economy

    • Positive growth in fourth quarter: The positive growth in the fourth quarter can primarily be attributed to consumer spending, which increased by an annualised rate of 2.1 per cent, and private inventory investment that showed an upturn in 2022. Although a significant decline from the 5.9 per cent increase in 2021, the difference accounts for the enthused post-Covid economic recovery in 2021.
    • The US labour market continues to remain robust: The unemployment rate was recorded at a low of 3.5 per cent in December 2022, matching the pre-pandemic levels. Also, the total non-farm payroll employment increased by 2,23,000 in December, exceeding the Dow Jones estimate of 2,00,000.
    • Inflation has eased: While the labour market remains tight, US inflation has eased in the last few months. Consumer prices fell 0.1 per cent in December the largest month-over-month decrease since April 2020, due to reductions in motor vehicle and gasoline prices.
    • Layoffs not yet translated into rise in jobless claims: Although not a perfect association, the decline in jobless claims in January shows that the mass layoffs in recent weeks, particularly in the tech sector, have not yet translated into a rise in claims, suggesting the possibility of finding new jobs.
    • The reopening of China’s borders can have positive implications for the global economy: As China resumes its economic activities to pre-Covid levels by boosting growth, domestic consumption is expected to increase significantly. With the ease of trans-border movement and eventual increase in exports of consumer and industrial goods, global trade is expected to strengthen as well.

    recession

    What is Recession?

    • A recession is a significant decline in economic activity that lasts for months or even years.
    • Experts declare a recession when a nation’s economy experiences negative GDP, rising levels of unemployment, falling retail sales, and contracting measures of income and manufacturing for an extended period of time.
    • Recessions are considered an unavoidable part of the business cycle or the regular cadence of expansion and contraction that occurs in a nation’s economy.

    Possibility of a global recession

    • Elevated inflation continues to be a cause for global concern: Despite the fall in consumer prices, the headline CPI for the US showed an annual increase of 6.5 per cent in December 2022. In spite of the slow-paced increase in headline CPI, persistent elevation in core inflation excluding food and energy continues to be a major issue across economies.
    • Interest Rate Hikes on the Horizon: Consequently, the central banks are expected to continue with interest rate hikes in the coming months. On an annualised level, the CPI inflation in Australia also jumped to 7.8 per cent in the 2022 fourth quarter, increasing the likelihood of respective interest rate hikes as well.
    • China’s Impact on Commodity Prices: Moreover, an increase in China’s demand for goods post-reopening could drive up commodity prices, thereby creating an inflationary impact. For instance, China’s increased demand for natural gas would mean more competition with the European market, leading to higher commodity prices that can put further inflationary pressures on Europeans already dealing with high energy bills.
    • Higher borrowing costs: Rising interest rates would incur even higher borrowing costs that could dampen consumer spending. While sectors sensitive to high borrowing costs such as housing and construction have slowed down significantly.

    recession

    Conclusion

    • Among the positive signs are the continued expansion of the US economy and the reopening of China’s borders. Rising inflation remains a cause for global concern. However, prevalence of mixed signals suggests that the onset and depth of a global recession in 2023 are not certain.

    Mains question

    Q. Highlight the current situation of global economies. Discuss if there’s a global recession in 2023?

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  • Its high time to focus on Mental Health

    Mental

    Context

    • Suicides rates in India are amongst the highest when compared to other countries at the same socio-economic level. According to WHO, India’s suicide rate in 2019, at 12.9/1,00,000, was higher than the regional average of 10.2 and the global average of 9.0. Suicide has become the leading cause of death among those aged 15–29 in India.

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    Background: Mental Health

    • While every precious life lost through suicide is one too many, it represents only the tip of the mental health iceberg in the country, particularly among young adults. Women tend to suffer more.
    • Across the world, the prevalence of some mental health disorders is consistently higher among women as compared to men.

    Mental

    Prevalence of Mental ill-health

    • The pandemic has further exacerbated the problem: Globally, it might have increased the prevalence of depression by 28 per cent and anxiety by 26 per cent in just one year between 2020 and 2021, according to a study published in Lancet.
    • Increased among younger age groups: Again, the large increases have been noted among younger age groups, stemming from uncertainty and fear about the virus, financial and job losses, grief, increased childcare burdens, in addition to school closures and social isolation.
    • Use of social media exacerbating the stress: Increased use of certain kinds of social media is also exacerbating stress for young people. Social media detracts from face-to-face relationships, which are healthier, and reduces investment in meaningful activities. More importantly, it erodes self-esteem through unfavourable social comparison.

    Mental

    Socio-economic implications of Mental ill-health

    • People living in poverty are at greater risks: Mental ill health is a leading cause of disability globally and is closely linked to poverty in a vicious cycle of disadvantage. People living in poverty are at greater risk of experiencing such conditions.
    • People experiencing mental health problems likely to fall in poverty: On the other hand, people experiencing severe mental health conditions are more likely to fall into poverty through loss of employment and increased health expenditure.
    • Stigma and discrimination: Stigma and discrimination often further undermine their social support structures. This reinforces the vicious cycle of poverty and mental ill-health.
    • Higher income inequality has high prevalence of ill mental ill health: Not surprisingly, countries with greater income inequalities and social polarization have been found to have a higher prevalence.

    Mental

    Approach to protect, promote and care for the mental health of people?

    • Killing the deep stigma surrounding mental health issues: The first step should be killing the deep stigma which prevents patients from seeking timely treatment and makes them feel shameful, isolated and weak. Stigma festers in the dark and scatters in the light. We need a mission to cut through this darkness and shine a light.
    • Making Mental health an integral part of public health programme: There is need to make mental health an integral part of the public health programme to reduce stress, promote a healthy lifestyle, screen and identify high-risk groups and strengthen interventions like counselling services. Special emphasis will need to be given to schools.
    • Paying attention to highly vulnerable: In addition, we should pay special attention to groups that are highly vulnerable because of the issues such as victims of domestic or sexual violence, unemployed youth, marginal farmers, armed forces personnel and personnel working under difficult conditions.
    • Creating a strong infrastructure for mental health care and treatment: Lack of effective treatment and stigma feed into each other. Currently, only 20-30 per cent of people with such disorders receive adequate treatment.
    • Mental health services should be made affordable for all: Improved coverage without corresponding financial protection will lead to inequitable service uptake and outcomes. All government health assurance schemes, including Ayushman Bharat, should cover the widest possible range.

    Why is the wide treatment gap?

    • One major reason for a wide treatment gap is the problem of inadequate resources.
    • Less than two per cent of the government health budget, which itself is the lowest among all G20 countries, is devoted to mental health issues.
    • There is a severe shortage of professionals, with the number of psychiatrists in the country being less than those in New York City, according to one estimate.
    • Substantial investments will be needed to address the gaps in the health infrastructure and human resources.
    • Currently, most private health insurance covers only a restricted number of mental health conditions. Similarly, the list of essential medicines includes only a limited number of WHO-prescribed medications.

    Mental

    Conclusion

    • We need an urgent and well-resourced whole of society approach to protecting, promoting and caring for the mental health of our people, like we did for the Covid pandemic. Brock Chisholm, the first Director General of WHO, famously said, “there is no health without mental health”.

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  • 31st Jan 2023 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions

    31st Jan 2023 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions

    [WpProQuiz 1228]

    [WpProQuiz_toplist 1228]

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  • [Burning issue] 4th Industrial Revolution

    industrial revolution

    Context

    • The World Economic Forum (WEF, as announced earlier, chose Hyderabad as the location for its Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR), which will focus on healthcare and life sciences.
    • In this context, this edition of the burning issue will talk about C4IR, the 4th industrial revolution and India’s readiness to embrace it.

    Objective of setting the ‘Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution’ (C4IR)

    • The C4IR Hyderabad will be an autonomous, non-profit organization and the only such World Economic Forum in India with a thematic focus on healthcare and life sciences.
    • The C4IR Hyderabad will facilitate, advance and accelerate the development and adoption of newer technologies including genomics, personalized medicine and healthcare manufacturing, with a focus on the interplay between life sciences and technology in the region and globally.
    • It will be the 18th center to join WEF’s Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) network that spans four continents.

    What is industrial revolution 4.0?

    • According to the Executive Chairman of WEF, Klaus Schwab, “the fourth industrial revolution is a technological revolution that will fundamentally alter the way we live, work and relate to one another”.
    • It is the information-intensive transformation of manufacturing and related industries into smart factories.
    • It involves the integration of some of the key emerging technologies and trends such as the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI).

    Four integral design principles of Industry 4.0

    • Technical assistance: The ability of the system to assist humans in decision-making, problem-solving, and helping humans with difficult or unsafe tasks.
    • Information transparency: Sharing immense amounts of data and information among the components, to instantly adjust and optimize for higher efficiency.
    • Decentralized decisions: The ability of cyber-physical systems to make decisions on their own and to perform their tasks as autonomously as possible.
    • Interconnection: The ability of devices and people to connect and communicate with each other through the Internet of things.

    The Previous three industrial revolutions

    • 1st industrial revolution: The first Industrial Revolution began in Britain in the last quarter of the 18th century with the mechanization of the textile industry, the harnessing of steam power, and the birth of the modern factory.
    • 2nd industrial revolution: The Second Industrial Revolution, from the last third of the nineteenth century to the outbreak of World War I, was powered by developments in electricity, transportation, chemicals, steel, and mass production and consumption. Industrialization spread even further – to Japan after the Meiji Restoration and deep into Russia, which was booming at the outset of World War I. During this era, factories could produce countless numbers of identical products quickly and cheaply.
    • 3rd industrial revolution: The third industrial revolution, beginning c. 1970, was digital — and applied electronics and information technology to processes of production. Mass customization and additive manufacturing — the so-called ‘3D printing’ — are its key concepts, and its applications, yet to be imagined fully, are quite mind-boggling.

    How different will be the 4th industrial revolution?

    There are three reasons why today’s transformations represent not merely a prolongation of the Third Industrial Revolution but rather the arrival of a Fourth and distinct one: velocity, scope, and systems impact.

    • The speed aspect: The speed of current breakthroughs has no historical precedent. When compared with previous industrial revolutions, the Fourth is evolving at an exponential rather than a linear pace.
    • The scope aspect: it is disrupting almost every industry in every country. And the breadth and depth of these changes herald the transformation of entire systems of production, management, and governance.
    • The system aspect: The 4th revolution will be characterized by the advent of cyber-physical systems which, while being reliant on the technologies and infrastructure of the third industrial revolution, represent entirely new ways in which technology becomes embedded within societies and even our human bodies. Examples include genome editing, new forms of machine intelligence, and breakthrough approaches to governance that rely on cryptographic methods such as blockchain.
    • Hence, it can be said that the 4th industrial revolution is conceptualized as an upgrade on the third revolution and is marked by a fusion of technologies straddling the physical, digital and biological worlds.

    Benefits of Industrial Revolution 4.0

    • Improve the quality of life: Like the revolutions that preceded it, the Fourth Industrial Revolution has the potential to raise global income levels and improve the quality of life for populations around the world.
    • Enhance productivity: Industry 4.0 technologies enable can lead to optimizing resource allocation, reducing downtime and improving production rates, which makes the manufacturing processes more cost-effective and efficient.
    • Cost efficiency: Transportation and communication costs will drop, logistics and global supply chains will become more effective, and the cost of trade will diminish, all of which will open new markets and drive economic growth.
    • Knowledge Sharing and Collaborative Working: Industry 4.0 technologies allow your production lines, business processes, and departments to communicate regardless of location, time zone, platform, or any other factor. Hence, it will facilitate smoother integration of India into the global supply chain. Faster communication and cheaper production technologies can ensure smoother integration of India into the global supply chain. India’s automotive manufacturing sector is a leading user of IR 4.0 technologies.
    • Employment generation: Though the fear of job loss due to Industry 4.0 is widespread, various research points out that is baseless. The Future of Jobs Report 2018 by the World Economic Forum (WEF) predicts the loss of 75 million employments by 2022 worldwide and the production of 133 million occupations over a similar period.

    Challenges to 4IR

    • Cybersecurity issues may increase: In IR 4.0, People, products and equipment will be increasingly connected to the internet. Although this gives us greater access to data via the cloud, it opens up opportunities for hackers to access networks.
    • Reduce the number of low-skill jobs:  Manufacturing, and industry as a whole, continues to rely on humans to enable production. However, the move to digitally connected systems may unintentionally reduce the need for low-skill labor.
    • Industry and Market Disruption: With the new technologies of 4IR, industries that are not able to move with the change will not be unable to survive what Industry 4.0 brings to market.
    • The rise in social inequalities: With this revolution will give rise to a job market increasingly segregated into low-skill/low-pay and high-skill/high-pay segments, which in turn will lead to an increase in social tensions. In India, where digital literacy is dismal, a revolution of this sort can lead to a sharp rise in inequalities.

    Challenges specific to India

    • Deficiency of Infrastructure & internet Connectivity: Besides digital infrastructure, the country lacks some basic infrastructure such as 24×7 power, high-speed internet (especially in rural areas) and a workforce with the necessary skill set.
    • Quality of data: Due to a lack of established data collection standards and a large informal sector, India is unreliable when it comes to the quality of data collected
    • Limited focus on Research and Development: Though India has emerged as the choice location for cutting-edge Research and Development (R&D) projects for global companies, the overall spending on it remains dismal.

    Steps taken by Government

    • SAMARTH Udyog Bharat 4.0: Smart Advanced Manufacturing and Rapid Transformation Hub (SAMARTH) Udyog Bharat 4.0 is an Industry 4.0 initiative of the Department of Heavy Industry, Ministry of Heavy Industry & Public Enterprises. It seeks to facilitate and create an ecosystem for the propagation of Industry 4.0 set of technologies in every Indian manufacturing by 2025, be it MNC, large, medium, or small-scale Indian company.
    • Centre of Excellence (CoE) on IT for Industry 4.0: This CoE would act as a knowledge center for entrepreneurs and startups, propagating the concept of IT and its application in IR 4.0.
    • Centre for Fourth Industrial Revolution: World Economic Forum has opened its 4th center for Fourth Industrial Revolution in Mumbai. It is the fourth in the world after San Francisco, Tokyo and Beijing. It will work in collaboration with NITI Aayog in India to co-design new policies and protocols for emerging technologies. The initial focus of India will be on Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain and drones.
    • National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS):  Launched by the Union government in 2018, it was implemented by the Department of Science &Technology.The Mission addresses the ever-increasing technological requirements of society and takes into account the international trends and road maps of leading countries for the next generation of technologies.
    • National Strategy on Artificial Intelligence: Under the strategy, NITI Aayog has adopted a three-pronged approach – undertaking exploratory proof-of-concept AI projects in various areas, crafting a national strategy for building a vibrant AI ecosystem in India and collaborating with various experts and stakeholders.

    What is The Global Lighthouse Network?

    • The World Economic Forum, in collaboration with McKinsey, launched the Global Lighthouse Network (GLN) in 2018 to identify organizations and technologies in the vanguard of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
    • A lighthouse (in this context) is a manufacturing site that has successfully implemented 4IR technologies at scale, with a significant operational impact.
    • Today, 103 lighthouses—such as Tata Steel’s plant in Kalinganagar, India, and select Henkel Laundry & Home Care production sites—have been identified around the world.

    Way Forward

    • Go for international collaboration: India needs a collaborative effort. It will have to create a long-term ecosystem that trains and educates professionals. India could collaborate with the US, Germany, and the EU. The central government can consider a joint platform between ministries, state governments and industry bodies to create a mission for making the most of the Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies.
    • Promote industry-academia collaboration: There is an urgent need for more industry-academia collaboration and to develop requisite skills in technology. Introduction of a compulsory apprenticeship program to encourage hands-on experience in technology as early as higher secondary level.
    • Increase investments: to fortify quality, prioritize investments in innovation and R&D and invest in life-long learning for employees. He urged the industry to think big and think globally.
    • Focus on improving productivity: To effectively embrace digitalization, the industry has to foster competitive advantage across their value chains, focus on productivity and fill productivity gaps to compete globally.

    Conclusion

    • Fourth Industrial Revolution is about more than just technology-driven change; it is an opportunity to help everyone, including leaders, policy-makers and people from all income groups and nations, to harness converging technologies to create an inclusive, human-centered future.
    • The real opportunity is to look beyond technology and find ways to give the greatest number of people the ability to positively impact their families, organizations and communities

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  • Israel-Palestinian violence on West Bank soars

    west bank

    US has urged Israel and the Palestinians to ease tensions amid a spike in violence that has put the West Bank region on edge.

    Where is West Bank?

    • The West Bank is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediterranean in Western Asia that forms the main bulk of the Palestinian territories.
    • It is bordered by Jordan and the Dead Sea to the east and by Israel to the south, west, and north.

    Point of discussion: Anti-Semitism

    • Anti-Semitism (hatred against Jews) is an officially stated policy of many theocratic countries (created by divine orders of religion).
    • This includes entire Arab world, the self-proclaimed caliphate ‘Turkiye’ and even Pakistan.
    • Jews, the micro-minority religion of the world were denied access to their homeland.

    What is the Israel-Palestine Conflict?

    • The land to which Jews and Palestinians lay claim to was under the Ottoman Empire and then the British Empire in early 20th century.
    • Palestinian people —the Arab people from the same area— want to have a state by the name of Palestine in that area.
    • The conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is over who gets what land and how it’s controlled.
    • Jews fleeing the persecution in Europe at the time wanted to establish a Jewish state on the land which they believe to be their ancient homeland.
    • The Arab at the time resisted, saying the land was theirs. The land at the time was called Palestine.
    • In 1917’s Balfour Declaration, the United Kingdom declared its support for the establishment of a “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine.
    • Arabs resisted it which led to violence.

    Jews into West Bank: Arab hinterland in Israel

    • Some 75,000 Jews migrated to Palestine from 1922-26 and some 60,000 Jews emigrated in 1935, according to a history published by the University of Central Arkansas.
    • It adds that Palestinian Arabs demanded the UK to halt Jewish emigration, but the UK ignored such calls. There were violent incidents, leading to deaths of some 500 people.
    • In 1923, the British Mandate for Palestine came into effect.
    • The document was issued by the League of Nations, the failed predecessor of the United Nations (UN).
    • The mandate gave the UK the responsibility for creating a Jewish national homeland in the region.
    • In 1936, the UK government recommended the partition of Palestine into Jewish and Arab states.

    How did the issue escalate?

    • In 1947, Britain referred the issue of Palestine to the UN, which came up with a partition plan.
    • It put up two proposals. One, two separate states joined economically —the majority proposal— and, two, a single bi-national state made up of autonomous Jewish and Palestinian areas, the minority proposal.
    • The Jewish community approved of the first of these proposals, while the Arabs opposed them both.

    Israel’s independence

    • In May 1948, Israel declared its independence. This was eye-pricking development for Arabs.
    • The Arab countries of Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Egypt invaded the newly-declared country immediately.
    • When the war ended, Israel gained some territory formerly granted to Palestinian Arabs under the UN resolution in 1947.
    • It also retained control over the Gaza Strip and the West Bank respectively.

    Resolving the conflict

    Ans. Two-state solution

    • The two-state solution refers to an arrangement where Israeli and Palestinian states co-exist in the region.
    • However, such a solution has not materialised over the decades.
    • As outlined in the beginning and in the briefly explained roots of the conflict, the two-state solution means two separate states for Israelis and Palestinians.

    Why it hasn’t worked out?

    There are four main reasons why the two-state solution has not materialized by now:

    [1] Borders

    • There is no consensus as to how to draw the lines dividing the two proposed states.
    • Many people say borders should have pre-1967 lines.
    • In 1967 Israeli-Arab war, Israel captured Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip, West Bank, Old City of Jerusalem, and Golan Heights.
    • Israel is not willing to give up these gains. It returned Sinai to Egypt in 1982.
    • Moreover, there is the question of Israeli settlements in West Bank.

    [2] Question of Jerusalem

    • Both Israel and Palestinians claim Jerusalem as their capital and call it central to their religion and culture.
    • The two-state solution typically calls for dividing it into an Israeli West and a Palestinian East, but it is not easy to draw the line — Jewish, Muslim and Christian holy sites are on top of one another.
    • Israel has declared Jerusalem its ‘undivided capital’, effectively annexing its eastern half, and has built up construction that entrenches Israeli control of the city.

    [3] Refugees

    • A large number of Palestinians had to flee in the 1948 War.
    • They and their descendants —numbering at 5 million— demand a right to return. Israel rejects this.
    • The return of these people would end the demographic majority of Jews, ending the idea of Israel that’s both democratic and Jewish.

    [4] Security

    • Security concerns are also central to Israel as it’s constantly harassed by terrorist group Hamas that controls Gaza Strip.
    • Hamas and other Islamist group in Gaza launch rockets into Israel time-to-time.
    • Moreover, there are also concerns of Palestinians’ attack inside Israel.
    • This year in March-April, at least 18 Israelis were killed in Palestinian attacks inside Israel.
    • A total of 27 Palestinians were also killed in the period, including those who carried out attacks inside Israel. Palestinians too have their concerns.
    • For Palestinians, security means an end to foreign military occupation.

    Why the two-state solution is needed?

    • Besides fulfilling the basic desire of both Jews and Arabs of their own states, supporters of two-state solutions say it must be backed because its alternatives are simply not workable.
    • A single state merging Israel, West Bank, and Gaza would reduce Jews to a minority.
    • At the same time, in such a state, Jews would be a significant minority which would mean that the Arab majority would be miffed.

    Moral reasoning for a two-state solution

    • It says that the aspirations of one person should not be overridden for others’ aspirations.
    • It’s a struggle for collective rights between two distinct groups of people.
    • Jews are the global micro-minority with a very small piece of land to exist.
    • Depriving Israeli Jews of a Jewish state or Palestinians of a Palestinian state would represent a subordination of one group’s aspirations to someone else’s vision.

    Way forward

    • India opines that long-term peace in Israel and Palestine can be achieved only through a negotiated two-State solution leading.
    • This can be done with the establishment of a sovereign, independent and viable State of Palestine living within secure and recognized borders.

     

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  • SC to hear plea against Electoral Bonds Scheme

    bond

    The Supreme Court is scheduled to examine whether petitions challenging the validity of electoral bonds scheme need to be referred to a Constitution Bench.

    What is a Constitution Bench?

    • The constitution bench is the name given to the benches of the Supreme Court of India.
    • The Chief Justice of India has the power to constitute a Constitution Bench and refer cases to it.
    • Constitution benches are set up when the following circumstances exist:
    1. Interpretation of the Constitution: Article 145(3) provides for the constitution of at least five judges of the court which sit to decide any case “involving a substantial question of law as to the interpretation” of the Constitution of India.
    2. President of India seeking SC’s opinion: When the President has sought the Supreme Court’s opinion on a question of fact or law under Article 143 of the Constitution. Article 143 of the Constitution provides for Advisory jurisdiction to the SC. As per the provision, the President has the power to address questions to the apex Court, that he deems important for public welfare.
    3. Conflicting Judgments: When two or more three-judge benches of the Supreme Court have delivered conflicting judgments on the same point of law, necessitating a definite understanding and interpretation of the law by a larger bench.
    • The Constitution benches are set up on ad hoc basis as and when the above-mentioned conditions exist.
    • Constitution benches have decided many of India’s best-known and most important Supreme Court cases, such as:
    1. K. Gopalan v. State of Madras (Preventive detention)
    2. Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (Basic structure doctrine) and
    3. Ashoka Kumar Thakur v. Union of India (OBC reservations) etc.

     

    What are Electoral Bonds?

    • Electoral bonds are banking instruments that can be purchased by any citizen or company to make donations to political parties, without the donor’s identity being disclosed.
    • It is like a promissory note that can be bought by any Indian citizen or company incorporated in India from select branches of State Bank of India.
    • The citizen or corporate can then donate the same to any eligible political party of his/her choice.
    • An individual or party will be allowed to purchase these bonds digitally or through cheque.

    About the scheme

    • A citizen of India or a body incorporated in India will be eligible to purchase the bond
    • Such bonds can be purchased for any value in multiples of ₹1,000, ₹10,000, ₹10 lakh, and ₹1 crore from any of the specified branches of the State Bank of India
    • The purchaser will be allowed to buy electoral bonds only on due fulfillment of all the extant KYC norms and by making payment from a bank account
    • The bonds will have a life of 15 days (15 days time has been prescribed for the bonds to ensure that they do not become a parallel currency).
    • Donors who contribute less than ₹20,000 to political parties through purchase of electoral bonds need not provide their identity details, such as Permanent Account Number (PAN).

    Objective of the scheme

    • Transparency in political funding: To ensure that the funds being collected by the political parties is accounted money or clean money.

    Who can redeem such bonds?

    • The Electoral Bonds shall be encashed by an eligible Political Party only through a Bank account with the Authorized Bank.
    • Only the Political Parties registered under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (43 of 1951) and which secured not less than one per cent of the votes polled in the last General Election to the Lok Sabha or the State Legislative Assembly, shall be eligible to receive the Electoral Bonds.

    Restrictions that are done away

    • Earlier, no foreign company could donate to any political party under the Companies Act
    • A firm could donate a maximum of 7.5 percent of its average three-year net profit as political donations according to Section 182 of the Companies Act.
    • As per the same section of the Act, companies had to disclose details of their political donations in their annual statement of accounts.
    • The government moved an amendment in the Finance Bill to ensure that this proviso would not be applicable to companies in case of electoral bonds.
    • Thus, Indian, foreign and even shell companies can now donate to political parties without having to inform anyone of the contribution.

    Issues with the Scheme

    • Opaque funding: While the identity of the donor is captured, it is not revealed to the party or public. So transparency is not enhanced for the voter.
    • No IT break: Also income tax breaks may not be available for donations through electoral bonds. This pushes the donor to choose between remaining anonymous and saving on taxes.
    • No anonymity for donors: The privacy of the donor is compromised as the bank will know their identity.
    • Differential benefits: These bonds will help any party that is in power because the government can know who donated what money and to whom.
    • Unlimited donations: The electoral bonds scheme and amendments in the Finance Act of 2017 allows for “unlimited donations from individuals and foreign companies to political parties without any record of the sources of funding”.

    Way ahead

    • The worries over the electoral bond scheme, however, go beyond its patent unconstitutionality.
    • The concern about the possibility of misuse of funds is very pertinent.
    • The EC has been demanding that a law be passed to make political parties liable to get their accounts audited by an auditor from a panel suggested by the CAG or EC. This should get prominence.
    • Another feasible option is to establish a National Election Fund to which all donations could be directed.
    • This would take care of the imaginary fear of political reprisal of the donors.

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  • I&B Ministry issues advisory on private TV channels’ ‘Public Service Broadcasting’ Obligation 

    tv

    The Information and Broadcasting Ministry clarified that the topics of national importance and social relevance embedded in the programs broadcast by private TV channels would qualify for “Public Service Broadcasting” Obligation.

    What is the news?

    • The Ministry had earlier issued the guidelines on November 9 last year.
    • Following consultations with the stakeholders, it has now come up with the advisory.

    Content on National Importance: Key Guidelines for TV channels

    • The obligations are under the “Guidelines for Uplinking and Downlinking of Television Channels in India, 2022” to telecast such contents for 30 minutes every day.
    • The time for which the public service broadcasting content is telecast in between commercial breaks shall not be accounted for the 12-minute limit for commercial breaks.
    • The time for the content shall be accounted cumulatively on monthly basis i.e. 15 hours per month.
    • Broadcasters have the liberty to modulate their content.

    Themes of National Interest

    • The relevant content embedded in the programs may be accounted for public service broadcasting.
    • However, it should be done in a manner that the overall objective of the public service broadcasting may be achieved.
    • The content could include the themes of:
    1. Education and spread of literacy
    2. Agriculture and rural development
    3. Health and family welfare
    4. Science and technology
    5. Welfare of women
    6. Weaker sections of society
    7. Protection of environment and cultural heritage and
    8. National integration

    Provisions for voluntary compliance

    • Other subjects: The above list is indicative and could be extended to include similar subjects such as water conservation, disaster management, etc.
    • Self-certification: The advisory seeks to achieve the objective of public service broadcasting by the private TV channels through voluntary compliance and self-certification.
    • Repeat telecast: As advised, the content can be shared between the broadcasters and telecast repeatedly on one or several TV channels.
    • Common e-platform: Such platform can also be developed as a repository of relevant videos or textual content from various sources for access and use.

    Rationale behind

    • Social responsibility: The government has argued that since “airwaves/ frequencies are public property” they “need to be used in the best interest of the society”.
    • Creating awareness: The role of mass media, especially the new channels plays a vital role in reshaping public opinion.

    Ensuring compliance

    • Once the guidelines are implemented, the Ministry will monitor the channels for the broadcast of this content. In case non-compliance is observed in the Ministry’s view, an explanation will be sought.
    • If a channel continues to be non-compliant, more steps can be taken based on specific advisories that will be issued from time to time, and on a case-to-case basis.

    Exemptions

    • Sports channel: The guidelines specify exceptions where it may not be feasible, such as in the case of sports channels, etc.
    • Wildlife channels: The exemption may also apply to wildlife channels and foreign channels, besides live telecasts in the case of sports channels.

     

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