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  • Government approves 50% incentive of project cost for setting up Semiconductor Units

    The Union Cabinet has approved a uniform incentive of 50% of the project cost for setting up semiconductor, display and compound semiconductor fabrication units.

    Why in news?

    incentive

    • Maharashtra is witnessing a political firestorm.
    • The Vedanta Limited shifted its decision to set up a $20 billion Vedanta-Foxconn semiconductor manufacturing facility in neighbouring Gujarat, despite finalising its location near Pune (Mh).
    • Foxconn is a major chip supplier to Apple. It has suspended its operations in the Chinese tech hub of Shenzhen and is now shifting to India.
    • Bigger companies, such as Intel, TSMC, Samsung, etc., have announced such plans.

    Spats between states over the location of critical industries display the grim picture of competitive bidding in India. This portrays India’s negative image as against ease of doing business.

    About the Incentive Scheme

    • The scheme has been named the “Programme for Development of Semiconductors and Display Manufacturing Ecosystem.”
    • Previously, the three schemes had an incentive range of 30-50%.
    • While incentives for setting up semiconductor fabrication were based on the size of the chip, for display fabrication and compound semiconductor fabs, the incentives were largely 30% of the total cost of the project.
    • This scheme aims to project India’s position as global hub for electronics manufacturing with semiconductors as the foundational building block.

    Why need such an incentive?

    • Huge Investments involved: Semiconductor Fabrication facility requires many expensive devices to function. Complex tools and equipment are required to test quality and move silicon from location to location within the ultra-clean confines of the plant.
    • Economy of scale:   In semiconductor fabrication, a high volume production is required to be maintain so as to meet the increasing demand of the marketplace, at the same time, a strong financial backing as Indian market is very much uncertain about financial fluctuations.
    • Requirement highly skilled labour:   Semiconductor fabrication is a multiple-step sequence of photolithographic and chemical processing steps during which electronic circuits are gradually created on a wafer made of pure semiconducting material. This actually requires high skills.
    • Scarcity of raw materials: From a value-chain perspective, it needs silicon, Germanium & Gallium arsenide and Silicon carbide which are not available in India and needs to be imported.
    • Uncertain Indian market: A semiconductor fabrication facility in India cannot independently rely on Indian customers for their entire sales structure. They have to maintain overseas customer base to balance inflections from Indian market due to market trends, government policies etc.
    • Disposal of hazardous waste: Many toxic materials are used in the fabrication process such as arsenic, antimony, and phosphorus. Hazardous impact on the environment by the industry may act as an impediment to India’s commitment to mitigate climate change.

    Other supportive initiatives in India

    • India Semiconductor Mission (ISM): It was announced with the aim to attract large-scale investments for manufacturing facilities in the midst of a global chip crisis.
    • Make in India: This aims to transform India into a global hub for Electronic System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM).
    • PLI scheme: In December 2021 the Centre sanctioned ₹76,000 crore under the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme to encourage the manufacturing of various semiconductor goods within India.
    • DLI scheme: It offers financial incentives, design infrastructure support across various stages of development and deployment of semiconductor design for Integrated Circuits (ICs), Chipsets, System on Chips (SoCs), Systems & IP Cores and semiconductor linked design.
    • Digital RISC-V (DIR-V) program: It intends to enable the production of microprocessors in India in the upcoming days achieving industry-grade silicon and design wins by December 2023.
    • India Semiconductor Mission (ISM): The vision is to build a vibrant semiconductor and display design and innovation ecosystem to enable India’s emergence as a global hub for electronics manufacturing and design

    Way forward

    • Policy framework: As foundry setup is highly Capital intensive, it must be supported with a solid long term plan and financial backing. This backing is required from the entrepreneur & the government both.
    • Fiscal sustenance: In text of Indian Government as tax holiday, subsidy, zero duty, financial investment etc. will play an important role in promoting the Fab along with the semiconductor industry in India; this will put further pressure on already large Fiscal Deficit.
    • Support Infrastructure: World class, sustainable infrastructure, as required by a modern Fab be provided, with swift transportation, large quantity of pure water, uninterrupted electricity, communication, pollutant free environment etc.

     

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  • What is the Dharavi Redevelopment Project?

    The Maharashtra government gave the go-ahead for fresh tenders in the Dharavi redevelopment project, almost two decades after it was first proposed.

    About Dharavi

    • Dharavi, infamous as one of the world’s largest slums, is located in the heart of India’s financial capital – Mumbai.
    • A city within a city, it is one unending stretch of narrow dirty lanes, open sewers and cramped huts.
    • While the land (area of 535 acres) is owned by the government, the houses are maintained by individuals.
    • The Dharavi slum came into being in 1884. It was originally inhibited by fisherfolk when the area was still creeks, swamps.
    • It became attractive to migrant workers from South Mumbai and others when the swamp began to fill in due to natural and artificial causes.
    • The area grew as poor rural Indians migrated to urban Mumbai.
    • Today, an estimated 600,000 to 1 million people live crammed in Dharavi.

    Economic significance of Dharavi

    • Dharavi stands near to India’s richest business district, the Bandra-Kurla Complex, where commercial office premiums are among the highest in the country.
    • The slum sprawl, spread over 2.8 sq.km. is home to an informal leather and pottery industry which employs over a lakh people.

    What is the Dharavi Redevelopment Project all about?

    • The state had envisaged this sprawl be transformed into a cluster of high-rises with improved urban infrastructure.
    • It entailed resettling 68,000 people, including slum dwellers and those with commercial establishments.
    • The state was to provide 300-sqft houses for free to residents with proof that their slum structure was in existence before January 1, 2000.
    • The project was initially mooted in 2004, but never got off the ground due to various reasons.

    When redevelopment was first proposed?

    • In 1999, the government first proposed to redevelop Dharavi.
    • Thereafter, the government of Maharashtra in the year 2003-04 decided to redevelop Dharavi as an integrated planned township.
    • An action plan for redevelopment was approved by issuing a government resolution.
    • It was decided to develop Dharavi by using land as a resource to cross-subsidie the cost of development through a sale component on the basis of the Slum Rehabilitation Scheme.
    • The government also decided to notify the whole of Dharavi as an undeveloped area and to appoint a Special Planning Authority for its development.
    • In 2011, the government cancelled all tenders and drew up a master plan.

     

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  • Explained: Lumpy Skin Disease in India

    lumpy

    The Mumbai Police have ordered the prohibition of cattle transportation in the city to prevent the spread of the lumpy skin disease (LSD).

    What is the Lumpy Skin Disease?

    • Lumpy skin disease is caused by the lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV), which belongs to the genus capripoxvirus, a part of the poxviridae family.
    • Smallpox and monkeypox viruses are also a part of the same family.
    • The LSDV shares antigenic similarities with the sheeppox virus (SPPV) and the goatpox virus (GTPV) or is similar in the immune response to those viruses.

    How does it spread?

    • It is not a zoonotic virus, meaning the disease cannot spread to humans.
    • It is a contagious vector-borne disease spread by vectors like mosquitoes, some biting flies, and ticks and usually affects host animals like cows and water buffaloes.
    • Infected animals shed the virus through oral and nasal secretions which may contaminate common feeding and water troughs.
    • Thus, the disease can either spread through direct contact with the vectors or through contaminated fodder and water.
    • Studies have also shown that it can spread through animal semen during artificial insemination.

    How does it affect the animal?

    • LSD affects the lymph nodes of the infected animal, causing the nodes to enlarge and appear like lumps on the skin, which is where it derives its name from.
    • The cutaneous nodules, 2–5 cm in diameter, appear on the infected cattle’s head, neck, limbs, udder, genitalia, and perineum.
    • The nodules may later turn into ulcers and eventually develop scabs over the skin.
    • The other symptoms include high fever, sharp drop in milk yield, discharge from the eyes and nose, salivation, loss of appetite, depression, damaged hides, wasting of animals, infertility and abortions.

    Do it kills the animal?

    • The incubation period or the time between infection and symptoms is about 28 days according to the FAO, and 4 to 14 days according to some other estimates.
    • The morbidity of the disease varies between two to 45% and mortality or rate of date is less than 10%.
    • However, the reported mortality of the current outbreak in India is up to 15%, particularly in cases being reported in the western part (Rajasthan) of the country.

    What is the geographical distribution and how did it spread to India?

    • The disease was first observed in Zambia in 1929.
    • Subsequently it got spread to most African countries, followed by West Asia, Southeastern Europe, and Central Asia, and more recently spreading to South Asia and China in 2019.
    • As per the FAO, the LSD disease is currently endemic in several countries across Africa, parts of the West Asia (Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Syrian Arab Republic), and Turkey.

    Lumpy in India

    • The spread in South Asia first affected Bangladesh in July 2019 and then reached India in August that year, with initial cases being detected in Odisha and West Bengal.
    • The long porous borders between India, Nepal and Bangladesh allow for a significant amount of bilateral and informal animal trade, including cattle and buffaloes.
    • This may have contributed to the spread of LSD in July-August 2019 between Bangladesh and India.
    • While the 2019 outbreak later subsided, the recent spread in India began in June this year.

    Is it safe to consume the milk of affected cattle?

    • Studies say that it has not been possible to ascertain the presence of viable and infectious LSDV virus in milk derived from the infected animal.
    • However, that a large portion of the milk in Asia is processed after collection and is either pasteurised or boiled or dried in order to make milk powder.
    • This process ensures that the virus is inactivated or destroyed.

    Economic implications of Lumpy on Dairy Sector

    • Milk reduction: Lumpy leads to reduced milk production as the animal becomes weak and also loses appetite due to mouth ulceration.
    • Animal wasting: The income losses can also be due to poor growth, reduced draught power capacity and reproductive problems associated with abortions, infertility and lack of semen for artificial insemination.
    • Impact of trade ban: Movement and trade bans after infection also put an economic strain on the whole value chain.

    Why India is at higher risk?

    • India is the world’s largest milk producer at about 210 million tonnes annually.
    • India also has the largest headcount of bovines
    • In Rajasthan, which is witnessing the worst impact of LSD, it has led to reduced milk production, which lessened by about three to six lakh litres a day.
    • Reports indicate that milk production has also gone down in Punjab owing to the spread of the disease.
    • According to FAO, the disease threatens the livelihoods of smaller poultry farmers significantly.
    • Notably, farmers in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab have incurred losses due to cattle deaths and are seeking compensation from their State governments.

    How bad is the current spread in India?

    • Lumpy has infected over 16 lakh cattle in 197 districts as of September 11.
    • Of the nearly 75,000 cattle that the disease has killed, more than 50,000 deaths, mostly cows, have been reported from Rajasthan.

    Remedies available in India

    • The Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying informed that the ‘Goat Pox Vaccine’ is very effective against LSD.
    • It is being used across affected States to contain the spread.

    Way forward

    The FAO has suggested a set of spread-control measures for LSD, which involves:

    • Vaccination of susceptible populations with more than 80% coverage
    • Movement control of bovine animals and quarantining
    • Implementing biosecurity through vector control by sanitising sheds and spraying insecticides
    • Strengthening active and passive surveillance
    • Spreading awareness on risk mitigation among all stakeholders involved, and
    • Creating large protection and surveillance zones and vaccination zones

     

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  • Southwest Monsoon begins early Withdrawal/Retreat

    The southwest monsoon rainfall, 7% more than normal, has started to withdraw.

    What is Monsoon Withdrawal/Retreat?

    • In India, retreating monsoon is the withdrawal of south-west monsoon winds from North India.
    • The withdrawal is gradual and takes about three months.
    • With the retreat of the monsoons, the clouds disappear and the sky becomes clear. The day temperature starts falling steeply.
    • Monsoon rains weaken all over India except few southeastern states.
    • It is helpful in Rabi crop cultivation.

    Factors affecting the retreat

    Two predominant factors cause the phenomenon:

    (1) Land topography

    • First, the low mountain range in each region runs from north to south, shielding it from west-bound winds that trigger summer monsoon.
    • After summer, the range aids in the ‘orographic lift’ or rising of east-bound air mass from a lower to higher elevation, forming clouds and resulting in rain.

    (2) Atmospheric convection

    • The second factor is atmospheric convection or vertical movement of air.
    • As the earth is heated by the sun, different surfaces absorb different amounts of energy and convection may occur where the surface heats up very rapidly.
    • As the surface warms, it heats the overlying air, which gradually becomes less dense than the surrounding air and begins to rise.
    • This condition is more favorable from September to February because of the role played by sea surface temperature or water temperature.

    Immediate factors influencing withdrawal

    • The withdrawal of the monsoon is based on meteorological conditions such as-
    1. Anti-cyclonic circulation (dry air that is the opposite of a cyclone)
    2. Absence of rain in the past five days and
    3. Dry weather conditions over the region

    When does it occur?

    • The monsoon withdrawal is a long-drawn process and extends into mid-October, though the IMD considers September 30 to be the final day of the season over India.
    • The rain after that is categorised as “post-monsoon” rainfall.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.The seasonal reversal of winds is the typical characteristic of:

    (a) Equatorial climate

    (b) Mediterranean climate

    (c) Monsoon climate

    (d) All of the above climates

     

    [wpdiscuz-feedback id=”9s1wlwig7j” question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”1″]Post your answers here.[/wpdiscuz-feedback]

     

    Also read:

    Various terms related to Indian Monsoon

     

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  • What is a Triple-Dip La Nina?

    nina

    Parts of the world are expected to experience severe weather for the rest of the year and into 2023, as part of a rare “triple dip La Nina” event, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

     What is the “Triple-Dip” La Nina?

    • A “triple-dip” La Nina is a multiyear cooling of the surface temperature of the equatorial Pacific Ocean, which can cause droughts, fierce winds and heavy rainfall.
    • According to WMO, the current La Nina is projected to span three consecutive northern hemisphere winters. It began in September 2020.
    • If it continues for the next six months, it will be the first “triple-dip” La Nina event of the 21st century, WMO says.

    How rare is this triple-dip?

    • It is exceptional to have three consecutive years with a la Nina event.
    • Its cooling influence is temporarily slowing the rise in global temperatures – but it will not halt or reverse the long-term warming trend.
    • La Nina’s are usually preceded by El Nino, a weather pattern that warms the surface of the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.
    • However, an El Nino event did not occur before the current La Nina.

    Has it happened before? Will it happen again?

    • La Nina’s occurred several times between 1903 to 2010 and 2010 to 2012.
    • This would be the first “triple-dip” La Nina this century.
    • However, it is not unprecedented for the weather pattern to last more than nine months to a year, which is typical for a La Nina.

    Evaluating the likely impact

    • In the Indian context, La Nina is associated with good rainfall during the monsoon season.
    • This is the opposite of El Nino which is known to suppress monsoon rainfall.
    • Thus, a continued spell of La Nina could lead to expectation of another year of good, or normal, rainfall during the monsoon.
    • Until now, the monsoon season this year has produced 7% more rain compared to normal. Last year, the seasonal rainfall was almost 100%.
    • But, even though powerful, ENSO condition is only one of the several factors affecting monsoon rainfall in India.

    Impact on rainfall

    • There is no one-on-one correlation between the ENSO condition and the amount of rainfall.
    • Also, the influence of ENSO is at a macro level.
    • There are wide variations in rainfall at the local level, which are getting exacerbated by climate change.

    Differential impacts of this triple-dip event

    • The continuance of La Nina further into 2023 is not bad news from the Indian standpoint. But it is not the same for many other regions where La Nina has very different impacts.
    • In most parts of the United States, for example, La Nina is associated with very dry winters.
    • In Australia and Indonesia, and generally in the tropical region, La Nina is expected to bring more rainfall.
    • The excessive rainfall in Pakistan, which is experiencing its worst flooding disaster, can also be blamed in part on La Nina.
    • It said that the persistence of La Nina was most likely to result in a worsening of the drought in Africa.

    What is its climate change link?

    • Every unusual weather event these days is attributed to climate change, but science is not conclusive right now.
    • The occurrences of El Nino or La Nina are not very regular.
    • Sometimes they emerge every two years, at other times there has been a gap of even seven years.
    • Historical records do not go very far in the past.
    • As a result, the natural variability of ENSO is not understood very clearly.
    • And when the natural variability itself is not clear, the influence of global warming is difficult to quantify.
    • But there is clearer evidence of another kind of linkage with global warming.
    • During La Nina years, the colder surfaces allow the oceans to absorb more heat from the atmosphere.
    • Consequently, the air temperatures tend to go down, producing a cooling effect.

     

     

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  • SC quota for Dalit Muslims and Christians

    The Centre is likely to soon decide on setting up a national commission to study the social, economic and educational status of Dalits who converted to religions other than Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism.

    What is the news?

    • Several petitions are pending before the Supreme Court seeking Scheduled Caste (SC) reservation benefits for Dalits who converted to Christianity or Islam.

    Dalit Convertees and Quota Benefits

    • The original rationale behind giving reservation to Scheduled Castes was that these sections had suffered from the social evil of untouchability, which was practised among Hindus.
    • Under Article 341 of the Constitution, the President may specify the castes, races or tribes or parts of or groups within castes, races or tribes which shall…be deemed to be Scheduled Castes.
    • The first order under this provision was issued in 1950, and covered only Hindus.
    • Following demands from the Sikh community, an order was issued in 1956, including Sikhs of Dalit origin among the beneficiaries of the SC quota.
    • In 1990, the government acceded to a similar demand from Buddhists of Dalit origin, and the order was revised to state: “No person who professes a religion different from the Hindu, the Sikh or the Buddhist religion shall be deemed to be a member of Scheduled Caste.”

    Does this religion-based bar apply to converted STs and OBCs as well?

    • It does not.
    • The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) website states, “The rights of a person belonging to a Scheduled Tribe are independent of his/her religious faith.”
    • Following the implementation of the Mandal Commission report, several Christian and Muslim communities have found place in the Central and state lists of OBCs.

    What efforts have been made to include Muslims and Christians of Dalit origin among SCs?

    • After 1990, a number of Private Member’s Bills were brought in Parliament for this purpose.
    • In 1996, a government Bill called The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Orders (Amendment) Bill was drafted, but in view of a divergence of opinions, the Bill was not introduced in Parliament.
    • Then government headed by PM Manmohan Singh set up two important panels:
    1. Ranganath Misra Commission: The National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities, popularly known as the Ranganath Misra Commission, in October 2004 and
    2. Sachar Committee: A seven-member high-level committee headed by former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Rajinder Sachar to study the social, economic, and educational condition of Muslims in March 2005.

    What did they recommend?

    • The Sachar Committee Report observed that the social and economic situation of Dalit Muslims and Dalit Christians did not improve after conversion.
    • The Ranganath Misra Commission, which submitted its report in May 2007, recommended that SC status should be completely de-linked from religion and Scheduled Castes should be made fully religion-neutral like Scheduled Tribes.

    Reception to these recommendations

    • The report was tabled in Parliament in 2009, but its recommendation was not accepted in view of inadequate field data and corroboration with the actual situation on the ground.
    • Few studies, commissioned by the National Commission for Minorities, was also not considered reliable due to insufficient data.

    What lies ahead?

    • Based on the recommendations of the Ranganath Misra Commission, there are some petitions pending before the Supreme Court, seeking reservation benefits for Christians and Muslims of Dalit orgin.
    • In the last hearing, a three-judge Bench gave the Solicitor General of India three weeks’ time to present the stand of the Union government on the issue.
    • The next hearing is awaited.

     

     

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  • What is the Plant Treaty?

     

    The ninth session of the governing body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) has recently begun in New Delhi.

    Theme of this years event

    • The theme of the meeting is ‘Celebrating the Guardians of Crop Diversity: Towards an Inclusive Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework’.

    What is the Plant Treaty?

    • The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) was adopted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations November 3, 2001.
    • It was signed in 2001 in Madrid, and entered into force on 29 June 2004.
    • It is the first legally-binding international instrument to formally acknowledge the enormous contribution of indigenous people and small-holder farmers as traditional custodians of the world’s food crops.
    • It also calls on nations to protect and promote their rights to save and use the seeds they have taken care of for millennia.
    • The parties to this treaty have come together after nearly three years to discuss governance of agricultural biodiversity and global food security.

    Objectives of the treaty

    The treaty aims at:

    1. Guaranteeing food security through the conservation
    2. Exchange and sustainable use of the world’s plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA)
    3. Fair and equitable benefit sharing arising from its use, as well as
    4. Recognition of farmers’ rights.

    Key feature: Annex 1 Crops

    • The treaty has implemented a Multilateral System (MLS) of access and benefit sharing, among those countries that ratify the treaty, for a list of 64 of some of the most important food and forage crops essential for food security and interdependence.
    • The genera and species are listed in Annex 1 to the treaty. The treaty facilitates the continued open exchange of food crops and their genetic materials.
    • The list of plant genetic material included in the Multilateral System of the Treaty is made of major food crops and forages.
    • The Forages are also divided in legume forages and grass forages.
    • They were selected taking into account the criteria of food security and country interdependence

     

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  • How Hyderabad became a part of India?

    The Government of India began its year-long celebrations for the ‘Telangana Liberation Day’ on September 17, marking how on the same day in 1948, the state of Hyderabad got its independence from Nizam’s rule, as said in a press release.

    Why in news?

    • From 1911 to 1948, Nizam Mir Usman Ali, the last Nizam of Hyderabad, ruled the state composed of Telangana and parts of present-day Karnataka and Maharashtra (Marathwada).
    • While these states mark the Liberation Day officially, Telangana has never done so.

    Hyderabad’s accession into India: A backgrounder

    (1) Reluctance of Nizam

    • At the time of India’s independence, British India was a mix of independent kingdoms and provinces that were given the options of joining India, Pakistan, or remaining independent.
    • One among those who took a long time to make a decision was the Nizam of Hyderabad.
    • Believed to be one of the richest people in the world at the time, the Nizam was not ready to let go of his kingdom.

    (2) Sufferings for the people

    • Meanwhile, the majority population of Hyderabad state was far from enjoying the same kind of wealth as the Nizam did.
    • The feudal nature of the state at the time caused the peasant population to suffer high taxes, indignities of forced labour, and various other kinds of exploitation at the hands of powerful landlords.

    (3) Lingual friction

    • There was also a demand by the Andhra Jan Sangham for Telugu to be given primacy over Urdu.
    • By the mid-1930s, apart from a reduction in land revenue rates and the abolition of forced labour, introducing Telugu in local courts became another important issue.

    (4) Mass movement

    • Soon after the organisation became the Andhra Mahasabha (AMS), and Communists became associated with it.
    • Together, the two groups built a peasant movement against the Nizam that found local support.

    Who were the Razakars and the Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen?

    • By October 1946, the Nizam banned the AMS.
    • A close aide of the Nizam, Qasim Razvi, leader of the Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen, became closely involved in securing the Nizam’s position.
    • The Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen was a political outfit that sought a greater role for Muslims in the early 20th century, but after Razvi took over the organisation, it became extremist in its ideology.
    • It was under him that a militia of the ‘Razakars’ was formed to suppress the peasant and communist movement, launching a brutal attack.
    • Around this time, the Standstill Agreement was also signed between the Nizam and the Indian government in November 1947, declaring a status quo.
    • This meant that until November 1948, the Nizam could let things be as they were and not finalise a decision as negotiations with the Indian union continued.

    How did the situation escalate to military action?

    • In the first half of 1948, tensions grew as the razakar leaders and the government in Hyderabad began to speak of war with India and began border raids with Madras and Bombay Presidencies.
    • As a response, India stationed troops around Hyderabad and began to ready itself for military intervention.

    India commences Operation Polo

    • With the Nizam importing more arms and the violence of the Razakars approaching dangerous proportions, India officially launched ‘Operation Polo’ on September 9 and deployed its troops in Hyderabad four days later.
    • On September 17, three days after the deployment, the Nizam surrendered and acceded to the Indian Union in November.
    • India has decided to be generous and not punish the Nizam.
    • He was retained as the official ruler of the state and given a privy purse of five million rupees.

    The legacy of Operation Polo

    • It has also been said that the army’s march into Hyderabad did not just target the razakars and the radical extremist forces.
    • A four-member goodwill mission led by Pandit Sunderlal was constituted by the then Prime Minister.
    • At the request of then PM Nehru, a month was spent in Hyderabad in November 1948 where evidence was gathered and at the end, a report was filed.
    • Estimated thousands of people died in communal violence during the military action.

    Why debate now?

    • The debate about whether the day of independence was about integration into the Indian union after months of negotiations, or liberation from an autocratic monarch has continued.
    • Hyderabad’s history continues to affect today’s politics.
    • After Qasim Rizvi left India for Pakistan, the organisation was handed over to Abdul Wahed Owaisi, the grandfather of a present day Parliamentarian.
    • And communal-sectarian politics is storming up the city of Hyderabad leading to religious tensions.

     

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  • Complex issue of Assisted Suicide

    suicide

    A renowned French filmmaker died earlier this week by assisted suicide at the age of 91.

    What is Assisted Suicide?

    • Assisted suicide and euthanasia are practices under which a person intentionally ends their life with active assistance from others.
    • These have long been contentious topics of debate as they involve a complex set of moral, ethical and in some cases, religious questions.
    • Several European nations, some states in Australia and Colombia in South America allow assisted suicide and euthanasia under certain circumstances.

    Difference between assisted suicide and euthanasia

    • Euthanasia is the act of intentionally ending a life to relieve suffering – for example a lethal injection administered by a doctor.
    • Intentionally helping another person to kill themselves is known as assisted suicide.
    • This can include providing someone with strong sedatives with which to end their life or buying them a ticket to Switzerland (where assisted suicide is legal) to end their life
    • Euthanasia can further be divided into active and passive.
    • The practice of passive euthanasia involves simply stopping lifesaving treatment or medical intervention with the consent of the patient or a family member or a close friend representing the patient.
    • Active euthanasia, which is legal in only a few countries, entails the use of substances to end the life of the patient.

    India and Assisted suicide/ Euthanasia

    • In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court of India legalised passive euthanasia in 2018, stating that it was a matter of ‘living will’.
    • According to the judgment, an adult in his conscious mind is permitted to refuse medical treatment or voluntarily decide not to take medical treatment to embrace death in a natural way, under certain conditions.

    Consideration for ‘living will’

    • In the 538-page judgment, the court laid down a set of guidelines for ‘living will’ and defined passive euthanasia and euthanasia as well.
    • It also laid down guidelines for ‘living will’ made by terminally ill patients who beforehand know about their chances of slipping into a permanent vegetative state.
    • The court specifically stated that the rights of a patient, in such cases, would not fall out of the purview of Article 21 (right to life and liberty) of the Indian Constitution.
    • The SC’s judgment was in accordance with its verdict in March 2011 on a separate plea.
    • While ruling on a petition on behalf of Aruna Shanbaug Case, the court had allowed passive euthanasia for the nurse who had spent decades in a vegetative state.

    Who was Aruna Shanbaug?

    • Shanbaug had become central to debates on the legality of right to die and euthanasia in India.
    • Shanbaug died of pneumonia in March 2015 at the age of 66, 42 years of which she had spent in a room at KEM Hospital in Mumbai, after a brutal rape left her in a permanent vegetative state.

    Recent cases in India

    • In 2018, an old couple from Mumbai wrote to then President Kovind, seeking permission for active euthanasia or assisted suicide.
    • Neither of them suffered from a life-threatening ailment.
    • The couple stated in their plea that they had lived a happy life and didn’t want to depend on hospitals for old age ailments.

    Justification for Euthanasia/Assisted Suicide

    • It provides a way to relieve extreme pain.
    • Euthanasia can save  life  of  many  other  people  by  donation  of  vital organs.

    Issues with such killings

    • Euthanasia can be misused. Many psychiatrists are of the opinion that a terminally ill person or someone who is old and suffering from an incurable disease is often not in the right frame of mind to take a call.
    • Family members deciding on behalf of the patient can also lead to abuse of the law legalizing euthanasia as it can be due to some personal interest.

     

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  • Eklavya Schools get short shrift in teacher recruitments

    The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has so far been unable to fix the teacher shortage faced across 378 of Eklavya model residential schools (EMRS) that are currently functional.

    Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS)

    • EMRS started in the year 1997-98 to impart quality education to Scheduled Tribes (ST) children in remote areas in order.
    • It aims to enable them to avail of opportunities in high and professional educational courses and get employment in various sectors.
    • The schools focus not only on academic education but on the all-round development of the students.
    • Each school has a capacity of 480 students, catering to students from Class VI to XII.
    • Hitherto, grants were given for construction of schools and recurring expenses to the State Governments under Grants under Article 275 (1) of the Constitution.
    • Eklavya schools are on par with Navodaya Vidyalaya and have special facilities for preserving local art and culture besides providing training in sports and skill development.

    Features of Eklavya Schools

    • Admission to these schools will be through selection/competition with suitable provision for preference to children belonging to Primitive Tribal Groups, first-generation students, etc.
    • Sufficient land would be given by the State Government for the school, playgrounds, hostels, residential quarters, etc., free of cost.
    • The number of seats for boys and girls will be equal.
    • In these schools, education will be entirely free.

    Where are the Eklavya schools located?

    • It has been decided that by the year 2022, every block with more than 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal persons, will have an EMRS.
    • Wherever density of ST population is higher in identified Sub-Districts (90% or more), it is proposed to set up Eklavya Model Day Boarding School (EMDBS) on an experimental basis.
    • They aim for providing additional scope for ST Students seeking to avail school education without residential facility.

     

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