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Subject: Governance

Important aspects of Society

  • [pib] All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2019-20

    Union Education Minister has announced the release of the report of All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2019-20.

    This newscard provides useful data about the state of higher education in India on various parameters. Such data should not be missed while substantiating any point in answer writing.

    About AISHE

    • AISHE was established by the Ministry of HRD for conducting an annual web-based survey, thereby portraying the status of higher education in the country.
    • The survey is conducted for all educational institutions in India on many categories like teachers, student enrolment, programs, examination results, education finance, and infrastructure.
    • This survey is used to make informed policy decisions and research for the development of the education sector.
    • This Report provides key performance indicators on the current status of Higher education in the country.

    Highlights of the 2019-20 Report

    (1) Total Enrolment

    (2) Gross Enrolment Ratio

    (3) Gender Parity Index (GPI)

    • GPI in Higher Education in 2019-20 is 1.01 against 1.00 in 2018-19 indicating an improvement in the relative access to higher education for females of eligible age group compared to males.

    (4) Pupil-Teacher Ratio

     

    • TPR in Higher Education in 2019-20 is 26. In 2019-20: Universities: 1,043(2%); Colleges: 42,343(77%) and stand-alone institutions: 11,779(21%).

    (5) Enrolment in higher education

    • 38 crore Students enrolled in programs at under-graduate and post-graduate levels.
    • Out of these, nearly 85% of the students (2.85 crore) were enrolled in the six major disciplines such as Humanities, Science, Commerce, Engineering & Technology, Medical Science and IT & Computer.

    (6) Doctorate pursuance

    • The number of students pursuing PhD in 2019-20 is 2.03 lakh against 1.17 lakh in 2014-15.

    (7) Total number of teachers

    • The Total Number of Teachers stands at 15,03,156 comprising of 57.5% male and 42.5% female.

  • South Asia’s healthcare burden

    The article contrasts the public healthcare system in South Asian countries with that of their Southeast Asian peers and highlights the shortcomings.

    Subpar public healthcare system

    • Super spreader events, a fragile health infrastructure neglected for decades, citizens not following health protocols, and logistical mismanagement were the factors responsible for the destruction in the second Covid-19 wave.
    • What has exacerbated the situation is a subpar public healthcare system running on a meagre contribution of a little over 1% of India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
    • While the private medical sector is booming, the public healthcare sector has been operating at a pitiful 0.08 doctors per 1,000 people, World Health Organization’s (WHO) prescribed standard ois1:1000.
    • India has only half a bed available for every 1,000 people, which is a deficient figure even for normal days.
    • Bangladesh and Pakistan fare no better, with a bed to patient ratio of 0.8 and 0.6, respectively, and a doctor availability of less than one for every 1,000 people.
    • While ideally, out-of-pocket expenditure should not surpass 15% to 20% of the total health expenditure, for India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, this figure stands at an appalling 62.67%, 73.87% and 56.24%, respectively.

    Lack of investment in healthcare

    • Major public sector investments by the ‘big three’ of South Asia, i.e., India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, are towards infrastructure and defence, with health taking a backseat.
    • While India has the world’s third-largest military expenditure, its health budget is the fourth-lowest.
    • Indian government in this year’s budget highlighted an increase of 137% in health and well-being expenditure, a closer look reveals a mismatch between facts and figures.
    • In Pakistan, even amidst the pandemic, the defence budget was increased while the spending on health remained around $151 million.
    • Not too far behind is Bangladesh, with decades of underfunding culminating in a crumbling public healthcare system.
    • Major public sector investments by the ‘big three’ of South Asia, i.e., India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, are towards infrastructure and defence, with health taking a backseat.
    • A quick look at pre-pandemic sectoral allocations explains the chronically low status of human development indicators in the three countries.

    Learning from Southeast Asia

    • Southeast Asia has prioritised investments in healthcare systems while broadening equitable access through universal health coverage schemes.
    • Vietnam’s preventive measures focused on investments in disease surveillance and emergency response mechanisms.
    • Even countries like Laos and Cambodia are making a constant effort towards improving the healthcare ecosystem.
    • All have done much better than their South Asian peers.

    Conclusion

    Learning from the devastation unleashed by the pandemic, South Asian countries must step up investment in their public healthcare sectors to make them sustainable, up to date and pro-poor; most importantly, the system should not turn its back on citizens.

  • [pib] QS World University Rankings 2022

    The Prime Minister has congratulated IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi and  IISc Bengaluru for top-200 positions in QS World University Rankings 2022.

    QS World University Rankings

    • QS World University Rankings is an annual publication of university rankings by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS).
    • It comprises the global overall and subject rankings (which name the world’s top universities for the study of 51 different subjects and five composite faculty areas).
    • It announces ranking for five independent regional tables (Asia, Latin America, Emerging Europe and Central Asia, the Arab Region, and BRICS).

    Highlights of the 2022 Report

    • IIT Bombay ranks joint-177 in the world, having fallen five places over the past year.
    • IIT Delhi has become India’s second-best university, having risen from 193 ranks in last year’s ranking to 185 in the latest ranking. It has overtaken IISc Bangalore, which ranks joint-186.
    • The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, has been ranked the “world’s top research university.
    • The top three institutions globally are — Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of Oxford, and Stanford University ranked at number one, two, and three respectively.

  • A clean, green future for Indian cities

    This year, the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration is being launched, building towards the goals of this decade. In light of this, the article highlights the mitigating potentials of various missions undertaken by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

    A networked approach to achieving the SDG

    • The delicate balance between sustainable development and environmental protection is one of the core targets of the UN 2030 agenda for sustainable development.
    • A networked approach to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals has been included in India’s policy and political discourse.
    • The motto of the 2030 agenda — “Leave no one behind” — very much embodies the essence of Gandhiji’s philosophy of sarvodaya through antyodaya.
    •  This guiding principle has long been a part of the execution of the national programmes and missions of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).

    Achieving SDGs through flagship missions of MoHUA

    • In 2014 the Swachhata movement was launched.
    • It was, in effect, the harbinger of a total transformation of our urban landscape.
    • In June 2015, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs launched flagship mission — Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban), Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and the Smart Cities Mission.
    • The SDGs are reflected in the core objectives of these missions.
    • They have achieved their set targets while ensuring that sustainable development is a non-negotiable part of them.

    Ensuring sustainable development

    1) Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban)

    • It focuses on achieving an open-defecation-free India, building solid waste management capacity and bringing about behavioural change.
    • Cooperative and competitive federalism have become the driving force behind this citizen-led jan andolan.
    • It is estimated that the various initiatives under SBM-U can mitigate 17.42 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2022.

    2) Smart Cities Mission

    • The Smart Cities Mission is aiding technological advancements of our cities to improve governance, sustainability and disaster risk resilience.
    • Smart solutions are being implemented to improve energy efficiency and non-motorised transport capacity in urban centres.
    • The Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework has been adopted which aims to help cities adapt, collaborate and exchange best practices to achieve international standards for green, sustainable and resilient urban habitats.

    3) AMRUT

    • Under AMRUT, water supply and management, energy efficiency and increased green spaces have been part of the goal in 500 target cities.
    • As of today, 1,831 parks over 3,700 acres have been developed, 85 lakh street lights have been replaced, resulting in energy saving of 185.33 crore units (kWh), and 106 water bodies have been rejuvenated.
    • The mission is likely to result in the mitigation of 48.52 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent of GHG emissions by 2022.

    4) Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban)

    • With 1.12 crore houses sanctioned, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) has focused on new construction technologies that are innovative, environmentally friendly and disaster-resilien.
    • The Prime Minister launched six Light House Projects on January 1, 2021.
    • These are already under construction.
    • Additionally, about 43.3 lakh houses are being constructed where fly ash bricks/blocks and concrete blocks are being used.
    • Overall, the mission has the potential to mitigate around 12 million tonnes CO2 equivalent of GHG emissions by 2022.

    5) Metro rail

    • An energy-efficient mass rapid transit system, is operational in 18 cities with over 720 km of line constructed.
    • Another 1,055 km of new lines is under construction in 27 cities.
    • This network is expected to mitigate around 21.58 million tonnes of CO2 eq GHG from 2015-2022.
    • Cumulatively, the national missions under the MoHUA are projected to mitigate GHG emissions equivalent to more than 93 million tonnes of CO2 by 2022.

    Conclusion

    A progressive track of urban development while keeping sustainability, disaster risk resilience and community building at its core has been the guiding principle of the government. It will help us preserve our environment, restore ecosystems and mitigate the risks posed by climate change in the coming decade.

  • Protecting human rights in digital era

    The article highlights the issues mentioned in the UNHRC report on disinformation and freedom of expression.

    UNHRC Report: Upholding human rights helps dealing with falsehood

    • The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Special Rapporteur  submitted her report on “Disinformation and Freedom of Opinion and Expression” recently.
    • The UNHRC report specifically speaks of information disorder that arises from disinformation.
    • Impact of disinformation: Such information disorder leads to politically polarisation, hinders people from meaningfully exercising their human rights, and destroys their trust in governments and institutions.
    • Human rights provide a powerful and appropriate framework to challenge falsehoods and present alternative viewpoints.
    • Upholding human rights is useful in dealing with falsehood in two ways:
    • 1) Freedom of opinion and expression enables governance and development.
    • 2) Civil society, journalists and others are able to challenge falsehoods and present alternative viewpoints.
    • So, the report says that human rights friendly governance is both possible and doable; it is also desirable, as it protects political power against itself.

    Review of the business model needed

    • The report asserts that reactive content moderation efforts” are unlikely to make any worthwhile difference in the absence of a serious review of the business model that underpins much of the drivers of disinformation and misinformation.
    • Problems of inconsistent application of companies’ terms of service, inadequate redress mechanisms and a lack of transparency and access to data re-emerge constantly.
    • Aalthough the platforms are global businesses, they do not appear to apply their policies consistently across all geographical areas or to uphold human rights in all jurisdictions to the same extent.

    Need for legislative clarity on twin concept of misinformation and disinformation

    • The report highlights the lack of legislative and judicial clarity on the twin concepts of “disinformation” and “misinformation”.
    • It emphasises that the intention to harm is decisive to the disinformation.
    • “Disinformation” is false information disseminated intentionally to cause serious social harm.
    • In contrast, misinformation consists in the dissemination of false information unknowingly.
    • Nor are these terms to be used interchangeably.
    • Acknowledging the fact that “extremist or terrorist groups” frequently engage in the dissemination as part of their propaganda to radicalise and recruit members, the report disfavours any state response that adds to human rights concerns.

    Other factors contributing to growth of disinformation

    • The growth of disinformation in recent times cannot be attributed solely to technology or malicious actors, according to the report.
    • Other factors such as digital transformation and competition from online platforms, state pressure, the absence of robust public information regimes, and digital and media literacy among the general public also matter.
    • Moreover, disinformation enhance the frustrations and grievances such as economic deprivation, market failures, political disenfranchisement, and social inequalities.
    • Disinformation is thus not the “cause but the consequence of societal crises and the breakdown of public trust in institutions”.
    • Strategies to address disinformation will succeed only when these underlying factors are tackled.

    Issue of use of disinformation by states

    • A 2020 Oxford study of “Industrialised Disinformation” mentions that as many as “81 governments” use “social media to spread computational propaganda and disinformation about politics”.
    • Some authoritarian countries like Russia, China and Iran capitalised on coronavirus disinformation to amplify anti-democratic narratives.
    • Online disinformation also results in offline practices of violent social excursion on actually existing individuals and communities such as ethnic, gender, migrant, sexual minorities.

    Consider the question “Reactive content moderation efforts are simply inadequate without a serious review of the business model that underpins much of the drivers of disinformation and misinformation on the social media platforms.” Critically examine.”

    Conclusion

    Will future itineraries of human rights in the digital era repeat past mistakes? The report offers grist to the mill for profound thought and conscientious action.

  • Operation Pangea XIV

    More than 1.10 lakh web links, including websites and online marketplaces, have been taken down in the operation Pangea XIV.

    Operation Pangea XIV

    • Code-named “Operation Pangea XIV”, the exercise was coordinated by Interpol.
    • It involved the police, customs, and health regulatory authorities of 92 countries against the sale of fake and illicit medicines and medical products.
    • Indian agencies also participated in the operation, said an official of the Central Bureau of Investigation that is the nodal body for the Interpol in the country.
    • It showed that criminals were continuing to cash in on the huge demand for personal protection and hygiene products due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Performance Grading Index 2020 by Education Ministry

    The Education Ministry’s Performance Grading Index for 2019-20 was recently released.

    Performance Grading Index

    • The PGI is a tool to provide insights on the status of school education in States and UTs including key levers that drive their performance and critical areas for improvement.
    • It monitors the progress that States and UTs have made in school education with regard to learning outcomes, access and equity, infrastructure and facilities, and governance and management processes.
    • Grading will allow all States and UTs to occupy the highest level i.e Grade I, at the same time which is a sign of a fully developed nation.

    Its methodology

    • This is the third edition of the index and uses 70 indicators to measure progress.
    • Of these, the 16 indicators related to learning outcomes remain unchanged through all three editions, as they are based on data from the 2017 National Achievement Survey, which tested students in Classes 3, 5, 8, and 10.

    Highlights of the 2019-20 Report

    • Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala have all scored higher than 90%.
    • Gujarat dropped from second to the eighth rank in the index, while MP and Chhattisgarh are the only States which have seen actual regression in scores over this period.

  • Verdict on Maratha reservation ignores inequality within intermediate castes

    The article highlights the issues with Maratha reservation judgement delivered by the Supreme Court which rejected the positive discrimination of lower classes of dominant caste.

    About the verdict

    • The Supreme Court rendered a unanimous verdict on the validity of the SEBC Act, 2018 that was to grant reservation to Marathas.
    • The court held that the classification of Marathas as a socially and educationally backward class was unreasonable.
    • Court held that Maratha belonged to a politically dominant caste with significant economic resources.

    Justification for 50% limit

    • The court also concluded that the majority opinion in the Indra Sawhney case was correct and that the limit of 50 per cent for caste-based reservation did not need consideration by a larger bench.
    • The court justified the fixed quantitative limit on caste-based reservation by postulating that it was intrinsic to the fundamental principle of equality.
    • The court highlighted the need to safeguard the interests of unreserved sections and said that all sections have progressed after 70 years of independence.
    • Based on this, the court rejected the state’s argument that the breach of the limit was necessitated by the fact that the population of backward classes was over 80 per cent.

    Missed opportunity to acknowledge growing socio-economic differentiation within the dominant castes

    Growing income difference

    • If in 2011-12, the average per capita income of the Marathas was second only to the Brahmins at Rs 36,548, against Rs 47,427.
    • Their highest quintile -20 per cent of the caste group- got 48 per cent of the total income of the Marathas with a mean per capita income of Rs 86,750.
    • The lowest quintile earned 10 times less (Rs 7,198) and the 40 per cent poorest got less than 13 per cent of the total income of the caste — and were lagging behind the Scheduled Castes elite.
    • In fact, the mean incomes of the highest Dalit quintile, Rs 63,030, and that of the second-highest, Rs 28,897, were above those of the three lowest quintiles of the Marathas.

    What explains growing income difference

    • This is partly due to changes on the education front. 
    • The percentage of graduates among Dalits in 2004-05 was 1.9 per cent and has more than doubled to 5.1 per cent in 2011-12.
    • The corresponding figure for the OBCs was 3.5 per cent and has doubled to 7.6 per cent, while for the Marathas it was 4.6 per cent in 2004-05 and has come up to 8 per cent in 2011-12.
    • Correlatively, the percentage of salaried people among the Dalits was about 28 per cent in Maharashtra in 2011-12, as against 30 per cent among the Marathas.

    Issues with the Maratha quota judgment

    •  The Court refused to recognise the need for positive discrimination of the lower classes of the dominant castes which continue to be seen as a dominant bloc.
    • It fails to admit the complexity that the role of class has introduced in post-liberalisation India.
    • This is unequivocal confirmation of a dated approach to social realities and a purely arithmetic limit that finds no expression in the Constitution.
    • The judgement also raises the issue of judicial supremacy in the broad area of social policy as it could lead to undesirable exclusion of beneficiaries.
    • The court seems to have forgotten its own observation in NM Thomas case that functional democracy postulates participation of all sections of the people and fair representation in administration is an index of such participation.

    Conclusion

    The Supreme Court has rejected the determination of Marathas as backward by holding that their relative deprivation and under-representation with regard to other sections of the general category did not entitle them to affirmative action.

  • [pib] SAGE (Senior-care Ageing Growth Engine) Initiative

    The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has launched the SAGE (Seniorcare Aging Growth Engine) initiative and SAGE portal for elderly persons.

    SAGE Initiative

    • The SAGE will be a “one-stop access” of elderly care products and services by credible start-ups.
    • The start-ups will be selected on the basis of innovative products and services.
    • Their products should be able to provide across sectors such as health, housing, care centers, apart from technological access linked to finances, food and wealth management, and legal guidance.
    • The start-ups who have applied will be selected by an independent screening committee of experts.
    • A fund of upto Rs.1 crore as one-time equity will be granted to each selected start-up.

    Why need such initiative?

    • India’s elderly population is on the rise as per surveys.
    • The share of elders, as a percentage of the total population in the country, is expected to increase from around 7.5% in 2001 to almost 12.5% by 2026, and surpass 19.5% by 2050.
    • There is an urgent need to create a more robust eldercare ecosystem in India, especially in the post-COVID phase.

  • Caste-wise split in MGNREGA wage payments

    The Centre has asked the States to split wage payments under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme into separate categories for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and others from this financial year.

    What is MGNREGA?

    • The MGNREGA stands for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act of 2005.
    • This is a labour law and social security measure that aims to guarantee the ‘Right to Work’.
    • The act was first proposed in 1991 by P.V. Narasimha Rao.

    The objectives of the MGNREGA are:

    • To enhance the livelihood security of the rural poor by generating wage employment opportunities.
    • To create a rural asset base that would enhance productive ways of employment, augment and sustain a rural household income.

    What is so unique about it?

    • MGNREGA is unique in not only ensuring at least 100 days of employment to the willing unskilled workers, but also in ensuring an enforceable commitment on the implementing machinery i.e., the State Governments, and providing a bargaining power to the labourers.
    • The failure of provision for employment within 15 days of the receipt of job application from a prospective household will result in the payment of unemployment allowance to the job seekers.
    • Any Indian citizen above the age of 18 years who resides in rural India can apply for the NREGA scheme. The applicant should have volunteered to do unskilled work.
    • Employment is to be provided within 5 km of an applicant’s residence, and minimum wages are to be paid.
    • Thus, employment under MGNREGA is a legal entitlement.

    Answer this PYQ in the comment box:

    Q.Among the following who are eligible to benefit from the “Mahatma Gandhi national rural employment guarantee act”?

    (a) Adult members of only the scheduled caste and scheduled tribe households.

    (b) Adult members of below poverty line (BPL) households.

    (c) Adult members of households of all backward communities.

    (d) Adult members of any household.

    What is the move?

    • States were asked to verify if job cards for SC and ST beneficiaries were being properly allocated at the field level.
    • They were told they would be given fund allocations according to this criterion, indicating that labour budgets would also be segregated on a caste basis.
    • It was aimed at timely wage payments.

    Reasons behind

    • There is some inbuilt positive discrimination in the scheme, reflected in the fact that more than 50% of workers are women and almost 40% are SC/ST.
    • However, it felt that the proposed reform would not help SC/ST workers, but would expose all workers to further uncertainties as the system struggles with changes.

    Issues with the announcement

    • Workers’ advocates feared this move would cause unnecessary delays and complications in the payment system, and worried that it could lead to a reduction in scheme funding.
    • The rationale was very simple. It is not as if the payments made to SC and ST are not reported on the NREGA website, but overall, in terms of the budgetary outlay.
    • When people take an assessment merely on the Budget head under which the programme is budgeted, then they miss out on this intricate nuance.
    • So the Finance Ministry advised that both the Centre and States should make Budget provisions under SC and ST components as well.