Finance Commission – Issues related to devolution of resources

Skewed divisible pool

op-ed snap | Polity | Mains Paper 2: Federalism

Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:
Prelims level: Finance commission
Mains level: Fiscal federalism
Context
- The centralisation of fiscal powers in India has been blamed for the poor fiscal health of the states.
Why in news?
- Chief Ministers expressed their concern about dwindling State revenues in a NITI Aayog meeting chaired by the Prime Minister.
- They sought a higher share in the divisible pool of taxes and an extension of GST compensation, both of which have long remained a bone of contention between the Union government and the States.
Need for financial devolution
- To strengthen democracy at grass root level with more revenue resources for better service delivery.
- To increase accountability to people so performance can be realized as direct contact with people.
What is divisible pool of taxes?
- The divisible pool is that portion of gross tax revenue which is distributed between the Centre and the States. The divisible pool consists of all taxes, except surcharges and cess levied for specific purpose, net of collection charges.
What is fiscal federalism?
- Fiscal federalism refers to how federal, state, and local governments share funding and administrative responsibilities within our federal system. The funding for these programs comes from taxes and fees.
Poor state of state finances
- Stagnant revenue: Since States cannot raise tax revenue because of curtailed indirect tax rights — subsumed in GST, except for petroleum products, electricity and alcohol — the revenue has been stagnant at 6% of GDP in the past decade.
- Distorted expenditure: While States lost their capacity to generate revenue by surrendering their rights in the wake of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, their expenditure pattern too was distorted by the Union’s intrusion, particularly through its centrally sponsored schemes.
- Decline in share: The ability of States to finance current expenditures from their own revenues has declined from 69% in 1955-56 to less than 38% in 2019-20.
- Stress on finance: States’ financial health had taken a turn for the worse with the implementation of the Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana, farm loan waivers, as also the slowdown in growth in 2019- 20.
Key fact to remember

Finance Commission keeps tax devolution for states at 41% in FY22

How fiscal centralisation impacts on states?
- Cut in the corporate tax: The recent drastic cut in corporate tax, with its adverse impact on the divisible pool, and ending GST compensation to States have had huge consequences.
- States paying high interest rates: States are forced to pay differential interest — about 10% against 7% — by the Union for market borrowings.
- Centrally sponsored schemes curbing autonomy: There are 131 centrally sponsored schemes, with a few dozen of them accounting for 90% of the allocation, and States required to share a part of the cost.
Suggestions for strong fiscal federalism
- Creation of federal institution: We need to create another institution in the form of a GST state secretariat that can bring together senior officers from the Centre and states in an institutional forum registered under the Society Act.
- State Finance Commissions: should be accorded the same status as the Union Finance Commission and the 3Fs of democratic decentralization (funds, functions, and functionaries) should be implemented properly.
- Robust GST regime: Transparency, simplification and rationalisation of GST will help states to recover soon.
Way Forward
- Relook on various exemptions to rationalise the taxes/levies
- Augmentation of Tax Administration Structure
- Technology-based Tax Administration may also be further expanded to cover even utility charges like water, street lights, sanitation charges, etc.
Conclusion
- It is important now to rethink the design and structure of a genuine fiscal partnership, which should not merely be a race to garner more resources, but a creative attempt to move towards a vibrant Indian value chain that can catapult India’s growth rate closer to the quest for double-digit growth.
Mains question

Q. Why it is important now to rethink the design and structure of a genuine fiscal partnership? Discuss this in context of Skewed divisible pool and state of fiscal federalism in India.

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Services Sector

Consumerism should be replaced by minimalism

op-ed snap | Enviro & Biodiversity | Mains Paper 3: Effects Of Globalization On Indian Society,Effects Of Liberalization On The Economy, Changes In Industrial Policy and their effects on Industrial Growth

Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Minimalism as way of life
Context
- The COVID-19 pandemic brought shifts in consumer behaviour. The world witnessed a shrinkage of demand. But post-pandemic recovery and suppressed consumerism is now leading to ‘revenge shopping’.
What is consumerism?
- Consumerism is a social and economic order that encourages the acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing amounts.
What is minimalism?
- Minimalism is owning fewer possessions. It is intentionally living with only the things we really need those items that support our purpose. Removing the distraction of excess possessions to focus more on those things that matter most.
What Is Revenge Shopping?
- Revenge shopping occurs when a customer who previously could not get access to certain goods or services for a period of time suddenly has access. It can also occur when customers have been deprived of other events or happenings.
The symptoms of excessive consumerism
- You buy more than you planned: if you set out with a plan of what you need to purchase but consistently come back with more than you anticipated, then you’re falling in the consumerist trap.
- You run out of storage space for your stuff: sometimes it can’t be helped if you live in a tight area or you’re disorganised. But suppose you’re in a reasonable situation and things you bring in don’t have an allocated home. In that case, you’re likely living excessively.
- You rely too much on return policies: returning an item is useful. Particularly if you need to test a product for the intended purpose, be it sizing for clothes or a tool for a building project. However, suppose you’re depending on returns for purchases. In that instance, you’re not sure you need it, or if you can’t afford it, then you’re probably suffering from too much consumerism.
- You routinely seek approval for your purchases: getting feedback on purchases can be reassuring, especially if you’re indecisive. Yet, there’s a difference between picking someone’s brain before buying and looking to justify your purchase after the fact. If you’re seeking post-acquisition approval, you probably don’t need the item.
- You mistakenly buy things you already have: not much to say here. If you’re getting things only to realise you already have it, then you’re probably deep in a consumerist cycle.
- You buy things on credit: if you’re strategic and disciplined, you can buy things on credit cards to acquire points and benefits. However, if you’re like the majority of us, then you’re vulnerable to buying things you can’t afford.
- You constantly go over your budget: sometimes, you miss-forecast how much you need to spend each month. But if you set a realistic budget and find that you’re still going over, then you’re probably consuming excessively.
- You regret your purchases: the most obvious sign that you have a shopping habit is you regret things you bought. Buyer’s remorse is an overwhelming feeling and one we want to avoid.
Negatives of consumerism
- Causes more pollution: Consumerism as a system can have devastating effects on the environment.
- A major contributor to resource depletion: The second main negative of consumerism is resource depletion. Simply put, resource depletion refers to the idea that human beings are using up the resources on the earth as an ever increasing rate such that we will ‘deplete’ or completely use up some resources.
- Leads companies to develop low quality products: Modern companies practice a technique called ‘planned obsolescence’. In general, planned obsolescence is best understood as products that are designed to fail. Modern companies do this to encourage consumers to repurchase a product over and over again.
- Does not necessarily lead to increased happiness beyond a certain point: The main negative aspect of consumerism is that it does not necessarily lead to higher levels of happiness for people.
- Global inequality: The huge rise in resource consumption in wealthier countries has led to an ever widening gap between the rich and the poor. As the age old saying goes, “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.”
What can we do?
- Extend the lifespan of your things: Repairing your things is not only an effective way to reduce your consumption, but it’s also beneficial to the environment.
- Reframe shopping as a skill: When you focus on the role the thing you’re buying will play in the overall experience instead of the experience of shopping itself, you’ll be able to shift away from a consumerist mind-set.
- Do the deathbed test: Not to get too dark, but if you were hypothetically on your deathbed today, and you were reflecting on your life, what would be your fondest memories? The quality of our lives is generally measured by moments of “that was a good time”, not “that thing I had was awesome”.
- Borrow or rent instead of buy: A simple method for getting your consumerism under control is to rent or borrow items instead of buying them.
- Practice minimalism: What’s the ultimate alternative to consumerism? Minimalism. A minimalist is someone who naturally rejects consumerism and sees value in having fewer things over more things. Minimalism is a powerful philosophy that impacts how you view material things, your relationships, commitments, and digital inventory.
Conclusion:
- The M.K. Gandhi once said: “The Earth provides-enough to satisfy everyone’s needs but not any one’s greed.” We shall find that Gandhian call to curtailment of wants is relevant in the rapidly depleting natural resources, bio-diversity and eco-system and its contemporary relevance
Mains question

Q. What do you understand by the term consumerism? Discuss importance of minimalism as there is rise in revenge shopping in post covid19 era.

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Economic Indicators and Various Reports On It- GDP, FD, EODB, WIR etc

Fiscal prudence

op-ed snap | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Indian Economy

Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:
Prelims level: FRBM act
Mains level: Fiscal health of states
Context
- The Central government’s alarm has been on the mounting debt burden and the deteriorating fiscal situation in some States due to diversion in fiscal prudence.
- As both the Union government and States are expected to work closely in a co-operative federal structure, frictions arising out of these exchanges might have repercussions on both resource sharing and expenditure prioritisation.
What is India’s fiscal federalism?
- Fiscal federalism refers to the financial relations between the country’s federal government system and other units of government.
- It refers to how federal, state, and local governments share funding and administrative responsibilities within our federal system.
Three issues in India’s fiscal federalism
- First: are a set of issues related to Goods and Services Tax (GST) such as the rate structure, inclusion and exclusion of commodities, revenue sharing from GST and associated compensation.
- Second: State-level expenditure patterns especially related to the welfare schemes of States.
- Third: the conception and the implementation of central schemes.
Meaning of fiscal prudence
- Fiscal prudence is defined as the ability of a government to sustain smooth monetary operation and long-standing fiscal condition.
Where should state government spend the borrowed money?
- Fundamental infrastructure: Ideally, governments should use borrowed money to invest in physical and social infrastructure that will generate higher growth, and thereby higher revenues in the future so that the debt pays for itself.
- Targeted expenditure only: On the other hand, if governments spend the loan money on populist giveaways that generate no additional revenue, the growing debt burden will eventually implode.
Why there is a need for Fiscal Council?
- Institutionalizing fiscal practices: With a complex polity and manifold development challenges, India need institutional mechanisms for fiscal prudence.
- Transparency: An independent fiscal council can bring about much needed transparency and accountability in fiscal processes across the federal polity.
- Fiscal prudence: International experience suggests that a fiscal council improves the quality of debate on public finance, and that, in turn, helps build public opinion favourable to fiscal discipline.
What does fiscal consolidation mean?
- Fiscal consolidation is defined as concrete policies aimed at reducing government deficits and debt accumulation.
Why fiscal consolidation is needed?
- Fiscal expansion financed through debt and the resultant debt accumulation have important impacts on the economy both in the short run as well as in the long run.
How to achieve fiscal consolidation?
- Better targeting of government subsidies and extending Direct Benefit Transfer scheme for more subsidies
- Improved tax revenue realization For this, increasing efficiency of tax administration by reducing tax avoidance, eliminating tax evasion, enhancing tax compliance etc. are to be made.
- Enhancing tax GDP ratio by widening the tax base and minimizing tax concessions and exemptions also improves tax revenues.
Suggestions
- Amend FRBM Act for complete disclosure: First, the FRBM Acts of the Centre as well as States need to be amended to enforce a more complete disclosure of the liabilities on their exchequers.
- Centre should impose conditionalities: Under the Constitution, States are required to take the Centre’s permission when they borrow. The Centre should not hesitate to impose conditionalities on wayward States when it accords such permission.
- Use of financial emergency provision: There is a provision in the Constitution of India which allows the President to declare a financial emergency in any State if s/he is satisfied that financial stability is threatened.
- Course correction by the Centre: The Centre itself has not been a beacon of virtue when it comes to fiscal responsibility and transparency. It should complete that task in order to command the moral authority to enforce good fiscal behaviour on the part of States.
Conclusion
- Fiscal correction at the State level is important. While there exists a need for raising additional resources at the sub-national levels, expenditure prioritisation has to be carried out diligently. The Centre, too, on its part needs to demonstrate commitment to fiscal discipline by sticking to announced fiscal glide path to ensure the sustainability of a frictionless cooperative federal structure.
Mains question

Q. Why Fiscal correction at the State level is important? Why fiscal consolidation is needed? Write in context frictionless cooperative fiscal federal structure.

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Innovation Ecosystem in India

Scientific temper

op-ed snap | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Achievements Of Indians In S&T

Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:
Prelims level: article 51 a
Mains level: scientific literacy
Context
- India has not produced any Nobel Prize winner in science in the last 85 years — largely because of the lack of a scientific environment in the country.
What is scientific temper?
- Jawaharlal Nehru coined the term ‘scientific temper’; he defines it as an attitude of logical and rational thinking. An individual is considered to have scientific temper if she employs the scientific method when making decisions.
Why it is important?
- Scientific temper is very important for bringing forth a progressive society. It is free from superstitions. Irrational practices in developing the nation are in all aspects like political, economic and social.
Its components
- The vital parts of scientific temper are discussion, argument, and analysis. Various elements like fairness, equality, and democracy. The most important characteristic of a scientific temper is: – untiring search for truth with an open mind and spirit of inquiry.
Constitutional mandate of scientific temper
- In 1976, the Government of India reemphasised its commitment to cultivate scientific temper through a constitutional amendment (Article 51A).
- Article 51A in the 42nd Amendment of the Constitution in 1976 says “It shall be the duty of every citizen of Indian to develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of enquiry and reform.”
Importance of scientific temper in nation building
- Formation of public policy: Scientific temperament can become a part of the policy formation and plan through analyzing the performance of our nations, especially all the hardships and shortfalls that occurred in the past years.
- Self -Reliance: There is a relationship between scientific temperament and becoming self-reliant. Our country is becoming self-reliant with the available technology and industrial infrastructure.
- Quality education: It will help the children to assimilate the knowledge acquired through the practical observations in a scientific framework; thus, laying down a basis for the growth of a scientific perspective in the children.
Challenges before scientific temper
- Political unwillingness: Most of the policymakers and the politicians to increase their vote banks include the stagnant ideologies and beliefs of the people in their public policies, and the government tends to give away in the popular public opinion rather than try to improve their thinking by including a more scientific approach to the various societal problems.
- Prevalent orthodoxy: In India, people still have an orthodox ideology and will not adhere to the scientifically obtained solutions.
- Low budget: Even after seventy years of independence, Indian Scientists are working on tight budgets, and they don’t have resources like other nations for conducting scientific research.
- Pseudoscience: Pseudoscience is everywhere, whether in denying the science of climate change or the evolution theory that explains the secret of diversity that we see around us.
Value addition / case study / Innovation

An IIT Kanpur alumni Mr.Arvind Gupta tries to inculcate a spirit of inquiry among children through toys made from inexpensive everyday items.

What can be done?
- Directional efforts: Activities focused on school children can be undertaken like nature walks, visit to museums etc. ‘Science Express’, a collaborative effort of Ministry of railways and Ministry of Environment & Forests & Climate Change, is a progressive step because it provides a platform that can expose children and common people in far-flung areas of the country to scientific aspects of our everday life.
- Policy initiatives: Children’s Science Congress organized by National Council for Science & Technology Communication (NCSTC) is a good way to encourage scientific temper in children.
- Public initiative: Civil Society organizations like, Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) and Delhi Science Forum, which are People’s Science Movement, can also go a long way in boosting scientific temper amongst the community.
- From Sensationalism to Sensible Science Journalism:The media must monitor the content to discourage and limit superstition and blind belief.
- Scientific journalism: Science communicators do the critical job of bridging the gap between science, society, and policymakers. Science journalism should be promoted at the university level. Science agencies should fund science communication activities in their domains.
- From Exclusive to Inclusive Science: Inequitable participation concerning gender and social diversity must be eliminated. The ‘open source science’ or ‘open science’ movement includes, at the core, open access, open data, open-source, and available standards that offer unfettered dissemination of scientific discourse.
- Open science: Government has a significant role in facilitating open science and promoting and preserving a free-thinking, open-minded society.
Conclusion
- Let’s hope that someday all cultures free themselves from the shackles of blind faith with science likely to play a major hand in this endeavour. Unto a similar goal, we should celebrate India’s constitutional provision for the scientific temper and vigorously safeguard it.
Mains question

Q. The shrinking space for scientific temper in India today is worrisome for some reasons. Do you think so? Identify these reasons and suggest way forward for scientific future of India.

Discuss the importance of scientific temper, what kind of public culture is needed to advance it? 10 Marks

Q.4 Explain why superstitious beliefs and practices abound in India. In this context, discuss the importance of inculcating scientific temper to remove superstitions. (10 Marks)

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Forest Conservation Efforts – NFP, Western Ghats, etc.

Forest rights act

op-ed snap | Enviro & Biodiversity | Mains Paper 2: Schemes For Vulnerable Sections

Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:
Prelims level: Community forest rights
Mains level: Tribal welfare
Context
- There is a surge in demand by forest communities to not only access the resources of their habitat, but also to establish their ownership over forests as forest rights act in not meeting its objective.
What is the news?
- Residents of 18 villages in Chhattisgarh’s Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve blocked the busy National Highway 130C.
What tribal people say?
- “We need forest resources for survival. Being a tiger reserve, we already lead a life with many restrictions. There is no power supply, access to grazing lands is non-existent and we cannot undertake construction works,” says Arjun Nayak of Nagesh, one of the 18 villages in Gariaband district.
What is forest rights act 2006?
- The Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006 recognizes the rights of the forest dwelling tribal communities and other traditional forest dwellers to forest resources, on which these communities were dependent for a variety of needs, including livelihood, habitation and other socio-cultural needs.
- It aimed to protect the marginalised socio-economic class of citizens and balance the right to environment with their right to life and livelihood.
What are individual rights under FRA act?
- The Act encompasses Rights of Self-cultivation and Habitationwhich are usually regarded as Individual rights.
What are community forest rights under FRA act?
- Community Rights as Grazing, Fishing and access to Water bodies in forests, Habitat Rights for PVTGs, Traditional Seasonal Resource access of Nomadic and Pastoral community, access to biodiversity, community right to intellectual property and traditional knowledge, recognition of traditional customary rights and right to protect, regenerate or conserve or manage any community forest resource for sustainable use.
Case study / Value addition

Chargaon village, Dhamtari district, Chhattisgarh

Migration has drastically reduced due to economic benefits after getting CFRR. Success in improving quality of tendu leaves with better management practices, increasing income.

Issues with Forest rights act
- Non responsive states: The forest rights claims of these tribes and forest-dwellers are mostly rejected by the States.
- Improper claims: Being poor and illiterate, living in remote areas, they do not know the appropriate procedure for filing claims.
- Low awareness: The gram sabhas, which initiate the verification of their claims, are low on awareness of how to deal with them.
Why are forest rights important for tribals?
- Justice: Aimed at undoing the “historic injustice” meted out to forest-dependent communities due to curtailment of their customary rights over forests, the FRA came into force in 2008.
- Livelihood: It is important as it recognises the community’s right to use, manage and conserve forest resources, and to legally hold forest land that these communities have used for cultivation and residence.
- Conservation: It also underlines the integral role that forest dwellers play in the sustainability of forests and in the conservation of biodiversity.
Conclusion

Despite the contentious and debatable nature of this law, the importance and necessity of the FRA, 2006 can not be negated completely. The law assumes even more significant importance when the country is a developing economy and is full-fledged following the path of capitalism, thus making it even more substantial to provide a redressal mechanism for vulnerable and marginalised communities and groups, such as the Adivasis and the other similar tribes, from the necessary evil of development and infrastructural growth while also safeguarding their traditions, heritage and identity that forms an important part of the nation’s cultural diversity as well.

Mains question

Q. There is a surge in demand by forest communities to not only access the resources of their habitat, but also to establish their ownership over forests. In this context analyse the issues with working of FRA 2006.

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Waste Management – SWM Rules, EWM Rules, etc

Construction and demolition waste

op-ed snap | Enviro & Biodiversity | Mains Paper 3: Conservation, Environmental Pollution & Degradation, Eia

Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: solid waste management
Context
- Huge amounts of construction and demolition waste in a residential area is hazardous for human health and warrants immediate disposal.
Why in news?
- The Twin towers in Noida, Uttar Pradesh were demolished by controlled implosion. Their being located in a residential neighbourhood of Noida makes it even more essential to introduce interventions to mitigate pollution and waste, post-demolition.
What is construction and demolition waste?
- Construction and demolition wastes (CDW) are the status of building materials after the end life of buildings. CDW could be concrete, steel, wood products, asphalt shingles, and bricks from building.
What is waste management?
- Waste management refers to the activities and actions required to manage waste from its start till its disposal. This includes collection, transport, treatment and disposal of waste together with monitoring and regulation.
Why they should be managed properly?
- Waste management and diligent planning becomes critical for regulation of humongous solid waste being generated every day. With growing urbanization and rise of smart cities on the offing the issue of solid waste management becomes even more imperative.
Data to remember

62 million tons of waste is generated annually in the country at present.

India manages to recover and recycle only about 1 per cent of its construction and demolition (C&D) waste, says new CSE analysis.

What are the impacts of construction waste on the environment and human health?
- Air: Disassembling and shredding of construction waste generate dust or large particulates into the surroundings and affects the respiratory health of waste management workers and others.
- Water: (Landfills are not properly designed to hold construction waste + Illegal dump sites + Improper recycling & disposal of e-waste) = compounds leach into the ground = Groundwater gets toxified due to heavy metals from demolition waste.
- Soil: Soil is contaminated by direct contact with contaminants from construction waste or its by-products from recycling & disposal + indirectly through irrigation. Soils become toxic when substances such as lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, and polychlorinated biphenyl’s (PCBs) are deposited in landfills. Contaminated soils have bad impacts on microbes and plants => the pollutants reach higher animals or humans through the food chain.
Construction And Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016 – Salient Features

1.Duties of waste Generators
- Construction and demolition waste must be separated by each waste generator, and it must be deposited at a collection site or given to authorised processing companies.
- Should take care to prevent any trash or depositing that could block vehicles, the general public, or drains.
- Before beginning building, demolition, or remodelling work, large generators (those that create more than 20 tonnes or more in a single day or 300 tonnes per project in a month) must submit a waste management plan and obtain the necessary approvals from the local authorities.
- Large generators must have an environmental management strategy to address any environmental problems resulting from building and demolition work, storage, transportation, and waste disposal and recycling.
- The waste from large generators must be divided into four streams, including concrete, soil, steel, wood, and plastics, as well as bricks and mortar.
- The appropriate fees for collection, transportation, processing, and disposal must be paid by large generators according to the notices issued by the competent authorities.
2.Duties of Service providers and Contractors
- Within six months of the rules’ notification, the service providers are required to develop a thorough waste management plan for the waste produced under their control.
- They must also remove all construction and demolition waste independently or through a third party after consulting with the relevant local authority.
3.Duties of State Government and Local Authorities
- Within one and a half years after the date of the final notice of these regulations, the responsible State Government department dealing with land should offer suitable locations for the establishment of the storage, processing, and recycling facilities for construction and demolition waste.
- In order to prevent long-term disruption of the processing plant, the Town and Country Planning Department must include the location in the authorised land use plan.
- In municipal and government contracts, materials created from building and demolition waste must be purchased and used to the tune of 10–20%.
- The local authority must install suitable bins for garbage collection, removal at regular intervals, and transportation to suitable facilities for processing and disposal.
- Large generators of construction and demolition waste must submit a comprehensive plan or undertaking before Local Authorities may approve the waste management plan;
- Seek help from the relevant authorities for the safe disposal of any nuclear waste or building and demolition debris contaminated with hazardous or toxic materials from industry;
- Local Authorities must provide the generator with the necessary incentives for salvaging, processing, and/or recycling, preferably on-site;
- Million plus cities (based on the 2011 Indian census) must commission the processing and disposal facility within 1.5 years of the date of final announcement of these regulations.
- Local Authorities will build a database and update it once a year.
4.Duties of Central Pollution Control Board, State Pollution Control Board or Pollution Control Committee
- Construction and demolition waste management operating rules must be created by the Central Pollution Control Board.
- The construction and demolition waste processing plant will receive authorization from SPCB.
- The involved local bodies will keep an eye on how these guidelines are being applied.
- Send an annual report to the State Government and the Central Pollution Control Board.
Construction and Demolition Waste Management – Concerns
- In spite of the aforementioned, industry and state pollution control boards operate poorly.
- In India, between 25 and 30 million tonnes of C&D waste are produced each year, but barely 5 percent of it gets treated.
- It is noteworthy that dirt, sand, and gravel make up 36% of C&D waste. This waste affects soil fertility and poses a threat to public health in cities.
- The almost total lack of recycling also violates India’s obligations to reduce carbon emissions.
- The need to recycle C&D waste is critical.
- This is due to the fact that widespread sand mining is already eroding river beds and ultimately aggravating flood damage.
Some positive suggestions
- Need robust estimation and characterisation of C&D waste to design systems for material recovery: Cities need comprehensive assessment and quantification of C&D waste generation, to plan adequate infrastructure and systems for treatment and management.
- Need of documentation: Cities must create easily accessible databases of buildings and their physical and legal attributes. Construction/demolition permits need to be inventorised with associated waste management plans attached.
- Preparing for waste management from new generation material: Expanded polystyrene insulation (EPS), Styrofoam, plastic spacers, bituminous material and asbestos embedded within new wall assemblies are a recycling challenge. This needs special attention.
- Infrastructure projects need to set up their own recycling facilities: DMRC has done so. Concrete can be easily recycled. Butt excavated waste is a challenge. Other infrastructure projects like highway and roadwork find recycling of bituminous material waste challenging. Globally, proactive prevention of waste is undertaken through modification of existing on site construction practices etc.
- Responsibility of the construction Industry: The current system provides no incentive to the construction agencies for managing their own waste via waste reduction and on-site reuse and recycling. The Rules have created a push by creating a legal requirement for waste management but the financial drivers are missing. This requires fiscal strategy.
Conclusion
- Environmental and material challenges associated with the Construction and Demolition waste problem need urgent and immediate attention nation-wide to recover material, protect environment, and for clean air.
Mains question

Q. India manages to recover and recycle only about 1 per cent of its construction and demolition waste analyse the constraints in it. Also suggest some positive measures to address this challenge.

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Women empowerment issues – Jobs,Reservation and education

Strong gender norms of japan reducing gender equality

op-ed snap | Governance | Mains Paper 1: Role Of Women & Women Organization

Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: gender norms , women empowerment
Context
- Japan ranked lowest among the developed countries in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index 2022 due to its prevalent gender norms.
What Is a Gender-equal Society?
- A society in which both women and men shall be given equal opportunities to participate voluntarily in activities in all fields as equal partners, and be able to enjoy political, economic, social and cultural benefits equally as well as to share responsibilities.
What is sexism in simple words?
- Prejudice or discrimination based on sex especially discrimination against women. Behaviour, conditions, or attitudes that foster stereotypes of social roles based on sex.
What is the meaning of gender norms?
- Gender norms are social principles that govern the behaviour of girls, boys, women, and men in society and restrict their gender identity into what is considered to be appropriate. Gender norms are neither static nor universal and change over time.
Persistent gender norms in japan
- Men should work outside the home.
- Genders should be brought up differently.
- Women are more suited to household work and child rearing than men.
- Full time housewives are valuable to society because of their family raising role.
What is womenomic’s?
- “Womenomics”, a theory linking the advancement of women to increased development rates. The concept, originally defined by the Japanese Prime Minister Abe.
What is women’s empowerment all about?
- Women’s empowerment can be defined to promoting women’s sense of self-worth, their ability to determine their own choices, and their right to influence social change for themselves and others.
Measures toward the Realization of a Gender-equal Society
- Promoting the Participation of Women in National Advisory Councils and Committees.
- Recruiting and Promoting of Female National Public Officers.
What is needed to improve women’s welfare?
- Community sensitization: Persistent effort must be directed toward community sensitization to root out patriarchal social norms.
- Directional efforts: In addition to enforcing existing regulations like minimum wages, there must be supportive ancillary policies including childcare; secure transport; lighting; safety at work; and quotas in hiring, corporate boards, and politics to foster more women in leadership.
Key fact

Japan is the world’s fourth largest economy.

Conclusion
- Due to the labour shortage in Japan, women are undoubtedly an essential resource for the nation. Hence, they should also be further involved in policy-making and social decisions such as gender inequality solving and feasible Womenomic’s adjustments for the next future.
Mains question

Q. Japan’s struggle with gender parity teaches us that investing in women’s education and health may have limited impact if that society is trapped in gender norms that restrict women from capitalising these investments for themselves, the society and the country. Critically analyse.

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Right To Privacy

Right to privacy after 5 years

op-ed snap | Polity | Mains Paper 2: Governance, Transparency & Accountability, Citizens Charters

Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:
Prelims level: article 21
Mains level: right to privacy
Context
- Data privacy breaches which result in the loss and theft of personal, sensitive data have not reduced in terms of measurable frequency or their impact.
- It has been 5 years since the nine-judge Supreme Court bench delivered the judgment in the Puttaswamy case. It asserted that Indians have a constitutionally protected fundamental right to privacy.
Right to Privacy can be defined as
- A right to be let alone;
- The right of a person to be free from any unwarranted publicity;
- The right to live without any unwarranted interference by the public in matters with which the public is not necessarily concerned.
Definition of data
- Data is a collection of discrete values that convey information, describing quantity, quality, fact, statistics, other basic units of meaning, or simply sequences of symbols that may be further interpreted.
What is Data Protection?
- Data protection refers to policies and procedures seeking to minimise intrusion into the privacy of an individual caused by collection and usage of their personal data.
What is data privacy?
- Data privacy refers to controlling access to the data. Organizations must determine who has access to data. Understandably, a privacy breach can lead to data security issues.
What is data security?
- Data security refers specifically to measures taken to protect the integrity of the data itself against manipulation and malware. It provides defense from internal and external threats.
Why we need data protection?
- Increasing internet use: India currently has over 750 million Internet users, with the number only expected to increase in the future.
- Data breaches: At the same time, India has among the highest data breaches in the world. Without a data protection law in place, the data of millions of Indians continues to be at risk of being exploited, sold, and misused without their consent.
- Individual privacy: Data monetization may happen at cost of individual privacy. The most sought-after datasets are those that contain sensitive personal data of individuals, ex. medical history, financial data.
Issues with the data breaches in India
- Violation of the right to privacy: The right to privacy was recognized as a fundamental right, included under the right to life and liberty by the Supreme Court of India in 2017.
- Absence of legal framework: Without a law in place to regulate data collection and to act as an oversight mechanism, valid concerns about privacy and other rights violations continue to arise.
- High Infrastructural Costs: Technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Big Data are costly to implement. The size of stored information is extremely large and requires huge network & data storage facilities, which are currently not available in India.
- The concern of Data Leakage: In today’s world of cybercrime, it is important to put appropriate safeguards in place in order to ensure the integrity of the repository/database, so that it doesn’t leak out the information and is not privatized or monetized.
- Reliability & Authenticity: As the data collected may be used in the court of law during the course of a criminal trial, the reliability and the admissibility of the data along with standards and procedures followed would be taken into consideration. Hence, the authenticity of the data is crucial.
Conclusion
- Today, there is a relentless pace of digitisation that relies on gathering personal data in all spheres of our lives. All of this is done in a legal vacuum without any oversight or remedy. This underscores the urgent need for robust data protection law.
Mains question

Q. What do you understand by the term data privacy? Explain how data leakages threatens the sacred right to privacy?

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Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act

AFSPA

op-ed snap | Security Issues | Mains Paper 2: Governance, Transparency & Accountability, Citizens Charters
Context
- While AFSPA is repealed in 28 districts in Assam, 7 districts in Nagaland and 6 in Manipur, NSF president Kegwayhun Tep said that it should be repealed in all Northeastern states .
What is Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958?
- Armed Forces Special Powers Act, to put it simply, gives armed forces the power to maintain public order in “disturbed areas.”
- AFSPA gives armed forces the authority use force or even open fire after giving due warning if they feel a person is in contravention of the law.
- The Act further provides that if “reasonable suspicion exists”, the armed forces can also arrest a person without warrant; enter or search premises without a warrant; and ban the possession of firearms.
AFSPA: A Backgrounder
- The AFSPA, 1958 came into force in the context of insurgency in the North-eastern States decades ago.
- It provides “special power” to the Armed Forces applies to the Army, the Air Force and the Central Paramilitary forces etc.
- It has been long contested debate whether the “special powers” granted under AFSPA gives total immunity to the armed forces for any action taken by them.
What are the Special Powers?
- Power to use force: including opening fire, even to the extent of causing death if prohibitory orders banning assembly of five or more persons or carrying arms and weapons, etc are in force in the disturbed area;
- Power to destroy structures: used as hide-outs, training camps, or as a place from which attacks are or likely to be launched, etc;
- Power to arrest: without warrant and to use force for the purpose;
- Power to enter and search premises: without a warrant to make arrest or recovery of hostages, arms and ammunition and stolen property etc.
Who can declare/notify such areas?
- The Central Government or the Governor of the State or administrator of the Union Territory can declare the whole or part of the State or Union Territory as a disturbed area.
Issues with AFSPA
- Power to kill: Section 4 of the Act granted officers the authority to “take any action” even to the extent to cause the death.
- Sexual Misconduct by Armed Forces: The issue of violation of human rights by actions of armed forces came under the consideration of the Committee on Amendments to Criminal Law (popularly known as Justice Verma Committee) set up in 2012. It observed that- in conflict zones, legal protection for women was neglected.
- Autocracy: The reality is that there is no evidence of any action being taken against any officer of the armed forces or paramilitary forces for their excesses.
Recommendations to repeal AFSPA
- Justice B.P. Jeevan Reddy Commission: The 2004 Committee headed by Justice B.P. Jeevan Reddy, the content of which has never officially been revealed by the Government, recommended that AFSPA be repealed.
- ARC II: The Administrative Reforms Commission in its 5th Report on ‘Public Order’ had also recommended that AFSPA be repealed.
Why AFSPA should be repealed?
- Human right violations: The repeal of AFSPA is necessary not just for restoring constitutional sanity, but also as a way of acknowledging dark history of our conduct in Nagaland.
- Need for ensuring individual dignity: The political incorporation of Nagaland (and all other areas where this law applies) will be set back if the guarantees of individual dignity of the Indian Constitution are not extended.
- Not state of exception: We often describe AFSPA in terms of a “state of exception”. But this theoretical term is misleading. How can a law that has been in virtually continuous existence since 1958 be described as an “exception”.
- Lack of human empathy: At the heart of AFSPA is a profound mutilation of human empathy.
Conclusion
- To bring in lasting peace in the North East, the government needs to avoid the trap of watered-down peace accords. While the move to withdraw AFSPA is welcome, it needs to be gradually erased. For that, changes in the ground situation would be crucial. Mere smoke signals or drum-beating can never do the job.
Mains question

Q. Do you think AFSPA is license to kill? Critically examine the utility of AFSPA today.

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Issues related to Economic growth

Green finance for green future

op-ed snap | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Issues relating growth and development, employment,Mobilization Of Resources

Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:
Prelims level: Network for Greening the Financial System
Mains level: green future ,green finance
Context
- Inclusion of climate change and green finance in policy is crucial for a strong economy.
What is green finance?
- Green finance is a phenomenon that combines the world of finance and business with environment friendly behaviour. It may be led by financial incentives, a desire to preserve the planet, or a combination of both.
- In addition to demonstrating proactive, environment friendly behaviour, such as promoting of any business or activity that could be damaging to the environment now or for future generations.
Green finance instruments
- Dedicated fund: A “green super fund” could be established to jumpstart green investments by pooling together international and domestic capital.
- Sovereign green bond (SGB): The sovereign green bond is a novel idea. It will be a part of the government’s borrowing programme. The gross borrowing programme of the government is pegged at Rs 14.95 lakh crore. The SGB (sovereign green bond) raised will be part of the aggregate borrowing programme and has to be used for projects which are ESG (environment, social and governance) compliant.
Network for Greening the Financial System
- The Network for Greening the Financial System is a network of 114 central banks and financial supervisors that aims to accelerate the scaling up of green finance and develop recommendations for central banks’ role for climate change.
- The NGFS was created in 2017 and its secretariat is hosted by the Banque de France.
Purpose
- The Network’s purpose is to help strengthening the global response required to meet the goals of the Paris agreement and to enhance the role of the financial system to manage risks and to mobilize capital for green and low carbon investments in the broader context of environmentally sustainable development.
Significance
- Green goals: Reaching net-zero emissions and other climate-related and environmental goals will require significant investments to enable decarbonisation and innovation across all sectors of the economy. Greening the financial system is key to making these investments happen.
- SDG goals: Green finance initiatives also aim to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), shifting the focus from creating value for shareholders (economic) to creating value for stakeholders (economic, environmental, and social).
- Green future: And as we begin to recover from the pandemic, green finance presents a huge opportunity to build back with a greener future, creating new businesses and jobs.
- Robust growth: Supports strong and green growth in all sectors of economy .
The issues in mobilization and effective use of green finance are
- Low incentives: The return on green finance is long term, low in monetary value & many times intangible, so that the ability of the financial system to mobilize private green finance, especially in developed countries is difficult.
- Distribution challenge: Developing countries like India have challenges of development & poverty alleviation, so allocation of resources towards meeting fundamental needs & promoting the green projects which require heavy investment is a challenge.
- Skewed investment: In many countries, green finance & much of the green projects are limited to the investment in renewable energy: India whose 60% of installed capacity is coal based, greening of coal technology is required which is mostly limited to private players in developed countries. It is subjected to IPR & makes them cost prohibitory.
- High risk: Green bonds are perceived as new and attach higher risk and their tenure is also shorter. There is a need to reduce risks to makes them investment grade.
Conclusion
- Our future depends on how we resolve our environmental challenges. Further, we are the world’s third-largest carbon emitter and will play a crucial role in getting the planet to a low-carbon trajectory. Simply put, we must urgently transform our economy to get to the green frontier.
Mains question

Q. As the world copes with the repercussions of carbon emissions, there is growing pressure to achieve climate-compatible growth. In this context What do you understand by the term green finance? Discuss how it will help to achieve climate-compatible growth along with limitations of green finance.

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Type: op-ed snap

Context

Why in news?

Need for financial devolution

What is divisible pool of taxes?

What is fiscal federalism?

Poor state of state finances

Key fact to remember

How fiscal centralisation impacts on states?

Suggestions for strong fiscal federalism

Way Forward

Conclusion

Context

What is consumerism?

What is minimalism?

What Is Revenge Shopping?

The symptoms of excessive consumerism

Negatives of consumerism

What can we do?

Conclusion:

Context

What is India’s fiscal federalism?

Three issues in India’s fiscal federalism

Meaning of fiscal prudence

Where should state government spend the borrowed money?

Why there is a need for Fiscal Council?

Why fiscal consolidation is needed?

How to achieve fiscal consolidation?

Suggestions

Conclusion

Context

What is scientific temper?

Why it is important?

Its components

Constitutional mandate of scientific temper

Importance of scientific temper in nation building

Challenges before scientific temper

Value addition / case study / Innovation

What can be done?

Conclusion

Context

What is the news?

What tribal people say?

What are individual rights under FRA act?

Case study / Value addition

Issues with Forest rights act

Why are forest rights important for tribals?

Conclusion

Context

Why in news?

What is construction and demolition waste?

Why they should be managed properly?

Data to remember

What are the impacts of construction waste on the environment and human health?

Construction And Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016 – Salient Features

1.Duties of waste Generators

2.Duties of Service providers and Contractors

3.Duties of State Government and Local Authorities

4.Duties of Central Pollution Control Board, State Pollution Control Board or Pollution Control Committee

Construction and Demolition Waste Management – Concerns

Some positive suggestions

Conclusion

Context

What Is a Gender-equal Society?

What is sexism in simple words?

What is the meaning of gender norms?

Persistent gender norms in japan

What is womenomic’s?

Measures toward the Realization of a Gender-equal Society

What is needed to improve women’s welfare?

Key fact

Conclusion

Context

Definition of data

What is Data Protection?

What is data privacy?

What is data security?

Why we need data protection?

Issues with the data breaches in India

Conclusion