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Subject: Governance

Important aspects of Society

  • One Rank One Pension (OROP) Policy

    The Supreme Court has said that the Centre’s hyperbole on the One Rank One Pension (OROP) policy presented a much “rosier picture” than what is actually given to the pensioners of the armed forces.

    What is OROP Policy?

    • OROP means the same pension, for the same rank, for the same length of service, irrespective of the date of retirement.
    • The concept was provoked by the then decision by Indira Gandhi-led government, in 1973, two years after the historic victory in the 1971 Bangladesh war.

    How did the issue escalate?

    • The Rank pay was a scheme implemented by the Rajiv Gandhi-led govt in 1986, in the wake of the 4th Central Pay Commission.
    • It reduced the basic pay of seven armed officers’ ranks of 2nd Lieutenant, Lieutenant, Captain, Majors, Lt. Colonel, Colonels, Brigadiers, and their equivalent by fixed amounts designated as rank pay.

    How was it reviewed?

    • In 2008, Manmohan Singh led Government in the wake of the Sixth Central Pay Commission (6CPC), which discarded the concept of rank-pay.
    • Instead, it introduced Grade pay, and Pay bands, which instead of addressing the rank, pay, and pension asymmetries caused by ‘rank pay’ dispensation, reinforced existing asymmetries.

    Issues with this pension policy

    • The causes that inform the OROP protest movement are not pension alone, as armed forces veterans have often tried to make clear, and the parliamentary committee recorded.
    • The issues, veterans emphasize, are of justice, equity, honor, and national security.
    • The failure to address the issue of pay-pension equity, and the underlying issue of honor, is not only an important cause for the OROP protest movement but its escalation.

    Present status

    • PM Modi-led government has accepted the OROP.
    • It has already released Rs. 5500 crores to serve the purpose, but still, there are some grievances from the veterans’ side.
    • It refined Pensions for all pensioners retiring in the same rank as the average of the minimum and maximum pensions in 2013.
    • The veterans noted governments’ proposal as one rank many pensions since the review of 5 years would lead to differences in pension between senior and a junior.

     

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  • What are Eat Right Campuses?

    Four police stations of New Delhi district have been certified as ‘Eat Right Campus’ by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

    Eat Right Campus

    • Eat Right India is a flagship mission of FSSAI, which aims at ensuring that the citizens of the country get safe and nutritious food.
    • The ‘Eat Right Campus’ initiative led by FSSAI aims to promote safe, healthy and sustainable food in campuses such as schools, universities, colleges, workplaces, hospitals, tea estates etc. across the country.
    • The objective is to improve the health of people and the planet and promote social and economic development of the nation.
    • The initiative is not mandatory to adopt.

    Evaluation Criteria

    • Benchmarks have been created on four different parameters based on which campuses are evaluated and certified as ‘Eat Right Campus’.
    • These parameters include
    1. Food safety measures, steps to ensure the provision of healthy, Environmentally sustainable food, and Building awareness to make the right food choices.
    2. These practices include mandatory steps such as licensing and registration of food service providers in the campus and compliance to food safety and hygiene standards as per Schedule 4 of the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006.

    Benefits of Eat Right Campus

    • It can provide immense benefits to the campus and the individuals on the campus not only in terms of health but also economics.
    • Safe, healthy, and sustainable food on the campus would reduce the incidence of food-borne illnesses, deficiency diseases, and non-communicable diseases among the people on the campus.
    • This means less absenteeism and loss of working hours and greater wellbeing, motivation, and productivity of people.
    • This would also reduce the burden of healthcare costs for the workplace, institution, hospital, jail, or tea estate.

    Back2Basics: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)

    • The FSSAI is an autonomous body established under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.
    • It has been established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 which is a consolidating statute related to food safety and regulation in India.
    • It is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the regulation and supervision of food safety.
    • It is headed by a non-executive Chairperson, appointed by the Central Government, either holding or has held the position of not below the rank of Secretary to the Government of India.

     

     

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  • Caste census

    Context

    Last month, the Supreme Court upheld the 27% quota for Other Backward Classes (OBC) in the All-India Quota seats for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test and reiterated that reservations for backward classes were not an exception but an extension of the principle of equality under Article 15(1) of the Constitution.

    Multiple dimensions of reservation

    • The judgment highlighted how open competitive exams give the illusion of providing equal opportunity in ignorance of the widespread inequalities in educational facilities, the freedom to pursue such education, and societal prejudices.
    • Psychological and social effects: The Court pointed out how such disparities are not limited to the issue of access to good education or financial constraints alone, but also to the psychological and social effects of inherited cultural capital (communication skills, books, accent, academic accomplishments, social networks, etc.), which ensures the unconscious training of upper-caste children for high-grade performance.
    • The Constituent Assembly held a similar philosophy while introducing constitutional provisions which enable the government to make special provisions for the uplift of the “lower castes”.

    Importance of justifiable data

    • The politicisation of issue: Political parties often promise reservation for communities on being brought to power without any credible data collection exercises to justify the decision.
    • It can be said that the faith of our citizens cannot be restored until credible exercises of data collection are undertaken regarding caste.
    • Lack of data on OBC: Even though data concerning the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes have been included in the Census, there is no similar data on OBCs.
    • Proper assessment: In the Indra Sawhney case, the Supreme Court held that the States must conclude the “backwardness” of a particular class of people only after proper assessment and objective evaluation. 
    • It held that such a conclusion must be subject to periodic review by a permanent body of experts.
    • The National Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993, provides under Section 11 that the Central government may every 10 years revise lists with a view to exclude those classes which have ceased to be backward and include new backward classes.
    • This exercise has not been done to date.
    •  Impartial data and subsequent research might save the bona fide attempts of the uplift of the most backward classes from the shadow of caste and class politics and be informative to people on both sides of the spectrum – for and against reservation.
    • Calls for caste data in Census: Last year, many calls were made for the inclusion of caste data (including that of the OBCs) in the 2021 Census, and the matter reached the Supreme Court.
    • However, the government took the stand that the 2011 SECC was “flawed” and is “not usable”.

    Conclusion

    Caste data will enable independent research not only into the question of who does and does not need affirmative action but also into the effectiveness of this measure.

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  • Setting right the focal point of Jammu and Kashmir tribal politics

    Context

    The Jammu and Kashmir Delimitation Commission has recently shared its interim report. One of the salient features of the report is the proposed reservation of nine seats for Scheduled Tribes (ST).

    Reservation for STs in Legislative Assembly

    •  It is for the first time that seats have been reserved for the ST community in the Legislative Assembly of J&K.
    • The commission has also proposed reserving seven seats for Scheduled Castes (SCs).
    • In the erstwhile Legislative Assembly, there were also seven seats reserved for SCs, but there was no such reservation for STs.
    • This denial of constitutionally guaranteed reservation under Article 332 post-1991 when four communities (the Gujjars, Bakerwals, Gaddis and Sippis) were granted ST status is a pointer to the harsh reality that discrimination has largely been deliberate.

    Issue of reservation for STs in J&K

    • No role of Article 370: Nothing in Article 370 has prevented the provision of political reservation to STs or extension of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006 to J&K.
    • The presence of Article 370 has often been given as a reason for the absence of reservation for the tribals in J&K though this is untrue.
    • Reservation for SCs: SCs in J&K had reservations even before the dilution of Article 370, and it was provided under the J&K Constitution. 
    • This lack of political will stemmed from an unwillingness to share power with groups ethnically and culturally different from both Dogras and the Kashmiris, the two predominant power groups in J&K.

    What has changed now?

    • The dilution of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, and the subsequent Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 changed political dynamics in the region.
    • As far as tribals are concerned, it promised them political reservation under Article 332 and led to the extension of the Forest Rights Act, 2006.
    •  Essentially, it has changed the nature of tribal politics in J&K as well, which had largely centered around these two major objectives.

    Way forward

    • Economic and social empowerment: The focus of tribal politics has to shift toward the economic and social empowerment of tribal communities.
    • Implementation of the Forest Rights Act has to be a major issue as it has the potential to significantly empower these communities.
    • The political mobilization of STs began many years ago, and the interim report has thrown up new challenges before STs than merely empowering them.
    • Awareness: It will not change after reservation unless there is an awareness and conscious attempt by the leadership to prioritize tribal interests over party politics.
    • Political relevance: The tendency to limit tribal politics to Rajouri and Poonch (which the interim report has also done) is the extension of past practice though the reality is that more than 68% of the ST population lives outside these districts.
    • Political relevance is a major challenge that tribal politics in J&K faces.
    • Community leaders, especially tribal youth, need to understand the significance of the tribal vote.
    • Tribal politics also have to address the political, social, and economic empowerment of marginal tribes such as the Bakerwals, Gaddis and Sippis.
    • Women empowerment: Women have to play a major role in tribal politics, and their participation and leadership have to be made feasible and suitably promoted.
    • They have proven their leadership in the District Development Council (DDC) elections, and it needs to be strengthened further.

    Conclusion

    The focus of tribal politics has to shift toward the economic and social empowerment of tribal communities, with a special focus on the effective implementation of welfare schemes and policies for STs in J&K.

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  • Maharashtra may become 8th state to opt out of PMFBY

    Maharashtra may follow several other big states and opt-out Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), the government’s much-highlighted crop insurance scheme.

    Why do many states want to opt-out?

    • The major reasons are denial and delay of claims along with a huge subsidy burden on state governments.
    • The farmers are facing a problem with timely claim settlement.
    • Maharashtra is studying the Beed Model for insurance settlement.

    Who else has stepped out?

    • Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Telangana, Bihar, Gujarat (PM’s home state), Punjab and West Bengal — all predominantly agriculture states — have already opted out of the scheme.
    • Some of these states have their own insurance schemes.

    What is PMFBY?

    • The PMFBY was launched in February 2016. It is being administered by Ministry of Agriculture.
    • It provides a comprehensive insurance cover against failure of the crop thus helping in stabilising the income of the farmers.
    • It is implemented by empanelled general insurance companies.
    • The scheme is compulsory for loanee farmers availing Crop Loan /KCC account for notified crops and voluntary for other others.

    Its functioning

    • PMFBY insures farmers against all non-preventable natural risks from pre-sowing to post-harvest.
    • Farmers have to pay a maximum of 2 per cent of the total premium of the insured amount for kharif crops, 1.5 per cent for rabi food crops and oilseeds as well as 5 per cent for commercial / horticultural crops.
    • The balance premium is shared by the Union and state governments on a 50:50 basis and on a 90:10 basis in the case of northeastern states.

    Farmers covered

    • All farmers growing notified crops in a notified area during the season who have insurable interest in the crop are eligible.
    • To address the demand of farmers, the scheme has been made voluntary for all farmers from Kharif 2020.
    • Earlier to Kharif 2020, the enrolment under the scheme was compulsory for following categories of farmers:
    1. Farmers in the notified area who possess a Crop Loan account/KCC account (called as Loanee Farmers) to whom credit limit is sanctioned/renewed for the notified crop during the crop season. and
    2. Such other farmers whom the Government may decide to include from time to time.

    Risks covered under the scheme

    • Comprehensive risk insurance is provided to cover yield losses due to non-preventable risks, such as Natural Fire and Lightning, Storm, Hailstorm, Cyclone, Typhoon, Tempest, Hurricane, Tornado.
    • Risks due to Flood, Inundation and Landslide, Drought, Dry spells, Pests/ Diseases also will be covered.
    • In post-harvest losses, coverage will be available up to a maximum period of 14 days from harvesting for those crops which are kept in “cut & spread” condition to dry in the field.
    • For certain localized problems, Loss/damage resulting from the occurrence of identified localized risks like hailstorm, landslide, and Inundation affecting isolated farms in the notified area would also be covered.

    Back2Basics: Beed Model

    • The model of crop insurance in place in Maharashtra’s Beed district is being studied by a central government panel set up to suggest suitable working models for PMFBY.
    • In the Beed model, there is a cap on the profit of the insurance companies.
    • If the claims exceed the insurance cover, the state government pays the bridge amount.
    • If the claims are less than the premium collected, the insurance company keeps 20 per cent of the amount as handling charges and reimburses the rest to the state government.
    • This is expected to reduce burden of subsidies from state.

     

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  • India to prepare digital maps of all villages

    India plans to prepare digital maps of all its 6,00,000 villages and pan-India 3D maps will be prepared for 100 cities to mark a year of the updated geospatial policy guidelines under the SVAMITVA Scheme.

    What is SVAMITVA Scheme?

    • SVAMITVA stands for Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas.
    • Under the scheme, the latest surveying technology such as drones will be used for measuring the inhabited land in villages and rural areas.
    • The mapping and survey will be conducted in collaboration with the Survey of India, State Revenue Department and State Panchayati Raj Department under the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
    • The drones will draw the digital map of every property falling in the geographical limit of each Indian village.
    • Property Cards will be prepared and given to the respective owners.

    Broad Objectives

    1. Leveraging property as a financial asset by the citizens of rural India
    2. Creation of accurate land records for rural planning
    3. Provide an integrated property validation solution for rural India
    4. Serve as a means of reduction in property-related disputes. Facilitate with the determination of property tax
    5. Creation of survey infrastructure and GIS (Geographic Information System) maps that can be used by any department or agency

    Features of the Scheme

    • Accurate survey: SVAMITVA Scheme uses the combination of Survey Grade Drones and CORS network (Continuously Operated Reference Stations) to accurately survey large areas in a very short span of time.
    • High resolution: The 1:500 scale maps generated through the drone survey are of very high accuracy i.e., 3-5 cms, which the conventional methodology does not provide.
    • Geo-tagging: Moreover, editable and geo-tagged maps are produced at a fraction of the cost without the need for line-of-sight.
    • Permanent records: These maps facilitate the creation of the most durable record of property holdings in areas with no legacy revenue records.

    What are the updated guidelines?

    • The updated guidelines help private companies to prepare a variety of maps without needing approvals from a host of ministries.
    • They aim to make it easier to use drones and develop applications via location mapping.
    • It encompasses the trinity of geospatial Systems, Drone Policy, and unlocked Space Sector will be the hallmark of India’s future economic progress.

     

    Also read:

    [Yojana Archive] SVAMITVA Scheme

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  • Centre extends Police Modernisation Scheme

    The Union government has approved the continuation of a police modernization scheme for five years up to 2025-26 with a financial outlay of ₹26,275 crores.

    What is the Modernization of Police Forces Scheme?

    • Police’ and ‘law and order’ fall under the category of subjects within the domain of the State as per Entry 2 of List II of the VIIth Schedule in the Constitution of India.
    • Thus, the principal responsibility for managing these subjects lies with the State Governments.
    • However, the States have not been able to fully modernize and equip their police forces up to the desired level due to financial constraints.
    • It is in this context that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has been supplementing the efforts and resources of the States, from time to time, by implementing the MPF Scheme since 1969-70.

    Objectives:

    • The focus of the scheme is to strengthen police infrastructure at cutting edge level by constructing secure police stations, training centers, police housing (residential), equipping the police stations with the required mobility, modern weaponry, communication equipment, and forensic set-up, etc.

    Components of the scheme

    • The scheme included security-related expenditure in J&K, northeastern States, and Maoist-affected areas, for raising new battalions, developing high-tech forensic laboratories and other investigation tools.
    • Provisions have been made under the scheme for internal security, law and order, and the adoption of modern technology by the police.
    • Assistance will be given to the States for narcotics control and strengthening the criminal justice system by developing a robust forensic setup in the country.

    Funding pattern

    • Under the Scheme, the States are grouped into two categories, namely Category ‘A’ and Category ‘B’ for the purpose of funding both under ‘Non-Plan’ and Plan.
    • Category ‘A’ States, namely, J&K and 8 North Eastern States including Sikkim will be eligible to receive financial assistance on a 90:10 Centre: State sharing basis.
    • The remaining States will be in Category ‘B’ and will be eligible for financial assistance on a 60:40 Centre: State sharing basis.

     

     

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  • Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 4.0 launched

    The Union Health Minister has launched the Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 4.0.

    About IMI 4.0

    • The IMI 4.0 will have three rounds and will be conducted in 416 districts (including 75 districts identified for Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav) across 33 States and UTs, a Health Ministry statement said.
    • It will immensely contribute in filling the gaps and make lasting gains towards universal immunisation.
    • It will ensure that Routine Immunisation (RI) services reach the unvaccinated and partially vaccinated children and pregnant women” he said.

    What is Mission Indradhanush ?

    • With the aim to increase the full immunisation coverage, the PM launched Mission Indradhanush in December 2014.
    • It aimed to cover the partially and unvaccinated pregnant women and children in pockets of low immunisation coverage, high-risk and hard-to-reach areas and protect them from vaccine preventable diseases.
    • The first two phases of the Mission resulted in 6.7% increase in full immunisation coverage in a year.

    Aims and objectives

    • It aims to immunize all children under the age of 2 years, as well as all pregnant women, against eight vaccine-preventable diseases.
    • The diseases being targeted are diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, poliomyelitis, tuberculosis, measles, meningitis and Hepatitis B.
    • In 2016, four new additions have been made namely Rubella, Japanese Encephalitis, Injectable Polio Vaccine Bivalent and Rotavirus.
    • In 2017, Pneumonia was added to the Mission by incorporating the Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine under Universal Immunisation Programme

     

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  • Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY)

    The government’s recent announcement that the maternity benefits program which provides ₹5,000 for the first child will be extended to cover the second child only if it is a girl has met with sharp criticism from activists who have demanded that it be universalized.

    What is PMMVY?

    • Launched in 2017, this scheme provides ₹5,000 for the birth of the first child to partially compensate a woman for the loss of wages.
    • It also aims to improve the nutritional well-being of the mother and the child.
    • The amount is given in three installments upon meeting certain conditions.
    • It is combined with another scheme, Janani Suraksha Yojana, under which nearly ₹1,000 is given for an institutional birth so that a woman gets a total of ₹6,000.

    Eligibility Conditions

    The first transfer (at pregnancy trimester) of ₹1,000 requires the mother to:

    • Register pregnancy at the Anganwadi Centre (AWC) whenever she comes to know about her conception
    • Attend at least one prenatal care session and take Iron-folic acid tablets and TT1 (tetanus toxoid injection)
    • Attend at least one counseling session at the AWC or healthcare centre.

    The second transfer (six months of conception) of ₹2,000 requires the mother to:

    • Attend at least one prenatal care session and TT2

    The third transfer (three and a half months after delivery) of ₹2,000 requires the mother to:

    • Register the birth
    • Immunize the child with OPV and BCG at birth, at six weeks, and at 10 weeks
    • Attend at least two growth monitoring sessions within three months of delivery

    Additionally, the scheme requires the mother to:

    • Exclusively breastfeed for six months and introduce complementary feeding as certified by the mother
    • Immunize the child with OPV and DPT
    • Attend at least two counselling sessions on growth monitoring and infant and child nutrition and feeding between the third and sixth months after delivery

    Why in news?

    • Under the revamped PMMVY under Mission Shakti, the maternity benefit amounting to ₹6000 is also to be provided for the second child.
    • However, this is only in case the second is a girl child, to discourage pre-birth sex selection and promote the girl child.

    Issues with this provision

    • To provide maternity benefit only to the mother of the firstborn is illegal as the National Food Security Act, 2013 lays down that every pregnant woman and lactating mother are entitled to it.
    • For second child as a girl, it is to promote the birth of a girl child is nothing but posturing since it penalizes the mother for not giving birth to a girl child.
    • Subsequent adding of more conditions to the scheme will prove to be a bureaucratic nightmare, which can be overcome if the scheme is universalized.
    • Women will be able to access the scheme only after the delivery, which will not have any impact on their nutritional uptake during the course of their pregnancy.

     

    Before judging this factual information, take this PYQ form 2019:

    Q.Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017?

    1. Pregnant women are entitled to three months pre-delivery and three months post-delivery paid leave.
    2. Enterprises with creches must allow the mother a minimum of six crèche visits daily.
    3. Women with two children get reduced entitlements.

    Select the correct answer using the code given below.

    (a) 1 and 2 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

     

    [wpdiscuz-feedback id=”6pftvi12o6″ question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”1″]Post your answers here.[/wpdiscuz-feedback]

     

     

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  • Paray Shikshalaya Initiative

    The West Bengal government has launched ‘Paray Shikshalaya’ Initiative.

    Paray Shikshalaya

    • It is an open-air classroom in the neighborhood programme – for students from class 1 to 7.
    • The aim of this initiative is to encourage students who dropped out of schools during the Covid-19 pandemic to continue their education.

    Why was this initiative launched?

    • In view of the rising demand for physical classes, the state government reopened schools.
    • Classroom teaching could not be called on due to fear of spikes in covid cases.
    • Hence, students are being called in batches.

    Where were these classes held?

    • Schools which do not have open-air spaces conducted the classes in neighbourhood parks and grounds.
    • Local councilors and MLAs helped set up infrastructure in such parks like putting up makeshift shades and chairs, besides making mid-day meal arrangements for the students.
    • Schools which have open-air spaces held the classes there.
    • Benches were set up for students and blackboards were placed to provide a real classroom experience.

     

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