Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Public Account
Mains level: Paper 3- PDS and FCI related issues
Solutions to Problems in Food Subsidy Delivery
The following solutions will help in addressing problems associated with PDS.
- Replacing Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) with Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) of food subsidy. National Food Security Act (NFSA) states that the centre and states should introduce schemes for cash transfers to beneficiaries.Cash transfers seek to increase the choices available with a beneficiary, and provide financial assistance. It has been argued that the costs of DBT may be lesser than TPDS, owing to lesser costs incurred on transport and storage. These transfers may also be undertaken electronically. As per a report given by a high level committee of Food Corporation of India, DBT would reduce Government subsidy bills by more than Rs 30,000 crores.
- Automation at the Fair Price Shops is another important step taken to address the problem in PDS. Currently more than 4.3 lakh (82%) Fair Price Shops have been automated across the country. Automation involves installation of Point of Sale (PoS) devices, for authentication of beneficiaries and electronic capturing of transactions.
- Aadhar and introduction of Biometrics was recommended to plug leakages in PDS. Such transfers could be linked to Jan Dhan accounts, and be indexed to inflation. It facilitates the removal of bogus ration cards, check leakages and ensure better delivery of food grains. In February 2017, the Ministry made it mandatory for beneficiaries under NFSA to use Aadhaar as proof of identification for receiving food grains.
- 100% ration cards had been digitised.
- Between 2016 and 2018, seeding of Aadhaar helped in detection of 1.5 crore fake, duplicate and bogus ration cards and these cards were deleted.
- Increase the procurement undertaken by states known as Decentralised Procurement (DCP), and reduce the expenditure on centralised procurement by the Food Corporation of India (FCI). This would drastically reduce the transportation cost borne by the government as states would distribute the food grains to the targeted population within their respective states. As of December 2019,17 states have adopted decentralised procurement.
- The Fair Price shops operate at very low margins as per findings of the Government. Hence the fair price shops should be allowed to sell even non-PDS items and make it economically viable. This will motivate them to not to resort to unfair practices in the distribution of Government subsidized food grains meant for beneficiaries of Government schemes.
- A greater and more active involvement of the panchayats in the PDS can significantly improve access at the village level.
- There is also an urgent need to set up a proper and effective grievances redressal system for both the fair price shops as well as beneficiaries
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: RP Act
Mains level: Paper 2- Securing voting right to migrant workers through ballot paper
A large number of migrant workers cannot vote in their constituency. This assumes significance when we consider that the Supreme Court has interpreted the right to vote as an extension of the fundamental right of the freedom of expression. So, the ECI should find ways to enable them exercise their right.
Universal adult franchise: India’s achievement
- India moved from a restrictive 15 per cent of Indians having limited voting rights to universal adult franchise.
- Transformative nature of the Indian national movement and the ideals of equality and non-discrimination enshrined in it played a crucial role in it.
- It was B R Ambedkar’s clarity of vision that resulted in Article 326 of the Constitution.
- Ambedkar had influenced public opinion on the matter for decades, giving evidence before the Southborough committee.
Migrant workers: some facts
- According to the 2011 Census, the number of internal migrants stands at 45 crore.
- Among these, 26 per cent of the migration, that is, 11.7 crore occurs inter-district within the same state.
- 12 per cent of the migration, that is, 5.4 crore occurs inter-state.
- Both official and independent experts admit that this number is underestimated.
- Circular migration accounts for those migrants who have not permanently relocated to host cities, and instead circulate between host and home cities.
- Short-term and circular migration could itself amount to 6-6.5 crore.
- Half of these are inter-state migrants.
- Migrant labourers mostly hail from most poverty-driven rural areas.
- They are from among the most marginalised sections SC/STs and OBCs, and other minorities.
- As of 2011, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar were the largest sources of inter-state migrants, with 83 lakh and 63 lakh migrants respectively.
Low turnout in the source states
- Economic constraints disable a majority of migrant workers from voting as they cannot commute to their home states on the polling day.
- One survey shows that only 48 per cent of those surveyed voted in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, when the national average was 59.7 per cent.
- In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, major sender states such as Bihar and UP had among the lowest voter turnout rates.
Inability to satisfy “Ordinary Resident” criteria
- Given the nature of migration being circular and seasonal, migrants are not permanent/long-term residents in host cities.
- So, they do not satisfy the requirements of being an “ordinary resident” under Section 20 of the Representation of People Act (RP Act), in the host state, to obtain voter cards.
- They are, therefore, unable to transfer their constituency.
Solution: Postal ballot
- The Election Commission of India has under Section 60(c) of the RP Act the power to notify a certain class of persons to vote via postal ballot.
- The ECI’s much-proclaimed mission to ensure “no voters are left behind” has resulted in attempts to ensure a secure system of postal ballots.
- In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, more than 28 lakh votes were received via postal ballots.
- The Indian migrant worker should be given the right to vote through a similar system.
Consider the question “There is scope for increasing the voter turnout in India and enabling the migrant workers to vote could be one of them. Examine the reasons for low voting turnout in India and suggest the measures to improve it.”
Conclusion
Securing the migrant workers right to vote will make democracy inclusive, responsible and sensitive to the concerns of those who find it difficult to make their voice heard.
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: JCPOA
Mains level: Paper 2- India-Iran ties and India's concerns over Iran-China partnership
India ties with Iran are significant for more than one reasons. Two countries share cultural bonds, Iran holds a special place when it comes to India’s energy security. Yet, India often finds itself in a difficult position as it tries to walk the tightrope between the U.S. sanction and maintaining the relations with Iran.
Context
- Concerns were raised in India over its exclusion by Iran from the 628 km long rail link between Chabahar and Zahidan.
- Iran has since clarified that it is not the case and India could join the project at a later stage.
- It happened just as China and Iran were close to signing a deal on an economic and security partnership.
Importance of Chabahar and the rail link
- Chabahar could provide connectivity for Afghanistan through Iran in order to lessen its dependence on Karachi port.
- This plan has enjoyed support in Delhi, Kabul and Tehran since 2003.
- Road and rail links from Chabahar to Zahidan and then 200 km further on to Zaranj in Afghanistan, need to be built.
Progress on the project
- Iran was under sanctions during 2005-13, so there was little progress.
- Meanwhile, India concentrated on the 220 km road to connect Zaranj to Delaram on the Herat highway, and completed it in 2008.
- After the sanctions on Iran eased in 2015, A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed with Iran in 2016.
- This MoU aimed to equip and operate two terminals at the Shahid Beheshti port as part of Phase I of the project.
- The Trilateral Agreement on Establishment of International Transport and Transit Corridor between Afghanistan, Iran and India was signed.
- In addition to $85 million of capital investment, India also committed to providing a line of credit of $150 million for port container tracks.
- Phase I was declared operational in 2018 and India’s wheat shipments to Afghanistan have been using this route.
- A special economic zone (SEZ) at Chabahar was planned but re-imposition of U.S. sanctions has slowed investments into the SEZ.
- India was given a waiver from U.S. sanctions to continue cooperation on Chabahar.
- Despite the waiver, the project has suffered delays.
Growing Iran-China relations
- In 2016, just as sanctions were eased, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Tehran and proposed a long-term comprehensive, strategic partnership.
- Iran kept the negotiations going for years because of reluctance to grow too close to China.
- Meanwhile, tensions in the region have been growing since last year with missile strikes in Saudi Arabia and a U.S. drone strike killing Gen. Qassim Soleimani.
- As a veto-wielding member, China can help Iran at the UNSC.
- Even so, the Iran- China comprehensive, strategic partnership road map has run into opposition in the Majlis[Iranian Parliament].
India’s concerns over Iran-China deal
- What is alarming for New Delhi is that Beijing is also concluding a security and military partnership with Tehran.
- Initial reports in Iran have suggested China will deploy 5,000 security personnel to protect its projects in Iran.
- Some reports suggest Kish Island in the Persian Gulf, located at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz, maybe “sold” to China.
- With a growing Chinese presence, India is also concerned about its strategic stakes around the Chabahar port project.
Way forward for India
- Though China has a greater capacity to resist U.S. sanctions, Iran realises the advantage of working with India as it enjoys a sanctions waiver from the U.S. for Chabahar.
- Iran and India also share an antipathy to a Taliban takeover in Afghanistan.
- This is why Iran would like to keep the door open.
- Nevertheless, India needs to improve its implementation record of infrastructure projects in its neighbourhood.
- There are numerous tales of Indian cooperation projects in Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, etc suffering delays and cost overruns that only make it easier for China to expand its footprint in India’s neighbourhood.
Consider the question “India-Iran ties circumscribed by each other’s compulsion and geopolitical constraints. Comment.”
Conclusion
India should continue to remain politically engaged with Iran so that there is a better appreciation of each other’s sensitivities and compulsions.
With inputs from:
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-in-china-iran-indias-concerns-6511177/
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Uniform curriculum in schools across India
The Supreme Court has refused to entertain a plea for a uniform and common curriculum for school students between aged six and 14 across the country rather than have diverse ones such as the CBSE, the ICSE and State Board.
Practice question for mains:
Q.Discuss the efficacy of the One-Nation- One-Board System and its limitations.
Background
- Schools in India are mainly columned primarily into 4 boards of education, namely CBSE, ICSE and IB (International Baccalaureate).
- In total, there are 41 boards of education throughout India.
- These different boards of education have different syllabuses, which creates a knowledge gap among school students.
- To curate this gap, syllabuses of every board for the Indian schools are being brought at par.
What was the plea before the Supreme Court?
- The petition asked considering the setting up of a National Education Council/Commission and following a “one-nation-one-board” system in which the ICSE is merged with the CBSE.
- It urged a standard textbook with chapters on fundamental rights, duties, directive principles and the golden goals set out in the Preamble.
- It asked to make the study compulsory for all the children aged 6-14 years throughout the territory of India.
Why did the court refuse?
- Uniform curriculum was a “matter of policy” and the judiciary could not “command” the government said the Supreme Court bench.
Pros of common curriculum
- The Article 21A of the Constitution has the RTE (Right to Education) Act says that every child in the age of 4 to 16 should be given free and compulsory education.
- To keep a check on that, a common syllabus throughout the country is required. This will help all the students to be on par with education.
- With a common syllabus throughout the country, no student will lag behind in education and hence, this will help them prepare better for competitive examinations or admission tests beyond school level for the outside world.
- Politics, in some cases, influence the education system which is very unfair for the students. Some state boards prefer the admission of students from their own region and willingly keep the seats of colleges and universities occupied for students passing their 12th standard from their state boards.
- A common syllabus would also mean that there would be no discrimination regarding quality education on the basis of caste, creed, social, religious beliefs or economic backgrounds.
- It will provide an unbiased ground of learning and development of the young ones, which may turn out to be very beneficial in future.
- At present, some of the state boards are not updating their syllabus frequently as per the changes in society. This loophole will be eliminated with the introduction of the uniform syllabus in India.
Limitations
- Students may miss learning things specific to their region and their culture. This can be a threat to diversity.
- Current school students might get affected or stressed out on a sudden change of syllabus.
- An abrupt change in the syllabus may hamper the stability of a student with the academics which will not be a good turn.
- A new set of the syllabus will bring in more workload on teachers and parents too.
Conclusion
- Uniform education system having common syllabus and common curriculum would achieve the code of a common culture, removal of disparity and depletion of discriminatory values in human relations.
- It would enhance virtues and improve the quality of life, elevate the thoughts, which advance the constitutional philosophy of equal society.
- Though the government has been trying to put up with equality in education, the barriers have been inevitable to date.
- A common syllabus seems to be a wise option, but it is yet to be implemented over the entire country.
With inputs from:
https://www.groupdiscussionideas.com/common-syllabus-throughout-indian-schools-pros-cons/
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Highlights of the Judgment
Mains level: Issues over Speaker's discretion in Anti-defection
The 28 YO Kihoto Hollohan judgment has found its relevance in the case of ousted Rajasthan Dy. CM and some MLAs who were issued a notice under the anti-defection law.
Try this question from CSP 2019:
Q.The Ninth Schedule was introduced in the Constitution of India during the prime-ministership of:
(a) Jawaharlal Nehru
(b) Lal Bahadur Shastri
(c) Indira Gandhi
(d) Morarji Desai
Under debate: Speaker’s power
- The power for this disqualification is vested in the Speaker, who is usually a nominee of the ruling party.
- Since no action was taken by the Speaker on the disqualification petitions, a writ petition was filed before the High Court of Manipur in Imphal seeking directions to decide on the petition.
- However, the court did not pass an order.
- It said that the larger issue of whether a High Court can direct a Speaker to decide a disqualification petition within a certain timeframe is pending before a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court.
- The parties are left with the option to move the apex court or wait for the outcome of the cases pending before it.
The Kihoto Hollohan Judgment
- The 1992 judgment of the Supreme Court in the Kihoto Hollohan versus Zachillu and Others has said that “judicial review cannot be available at a stage prior to the making of a decision by the Speaker/Chairman.
- Nor would interference be permissible at an interlocutory stage of the proceedings said the Supreme Court.
- The only exception for any interlocutory interference can be cases of interlocutory disqualifications or suspensions which may have grave, immediate and irreversible repercussions and consequence.
Free speech
- The ruling party in Rajasthan has challenged the constitutionality of Paragraph 2(1)(a) of the Tenth Schedule which makes “voluntarily giving up membership of a political party” liable for disqualification.
- The MLAs have said the provision infringes into their right to express dissent and is a violation of their fundamental right to free speech as a legislator.
- The Rajasthan HC Bench explained that the reason for limiting the role of courts in ongoing defection proceedings is that the “office of the Speaker is held in the highest respect and esteem in parliamentary traditions.
Exceptions to the Kihoto Judgment
- The judgment had said that even the scope of judicial review against an order of a Speaker or Chairman in anti-defection proceedings would be confined to jurisdictional errors.
- That is if its infirmities are based on a violation of constitutional mandate, mala fides, non-compliance with rules of natural justice and perversity.
Back2Basics
Explained: Anti-defection law and its evolution
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Delimitation Commission
Mains level: Delimitation of constituencies
The Election Commission has red-flagged the Union government’s order setting up a Delimitation Commission for Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Assam and Nagaland, calling it “unconstitutional” and “illegal”. When delimitation last took place in the rest of the country in 2002-08, these states had been left out.
Try this question from CSP 2017:
Q.Consider the following statements:
- The Election Commission of India is a five-member body.
- Union Ministry of Home Affairs decides the election schedule for the conduct of both general elections and bye-elections.
- Election Commission resolves the disputes relating to splits/mergers of recognized political parties.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 3 only
What is delimitation and why is it needed?
- Delimitation is the act of redrawing boundaries of Lok Sabha and Assembly seats to represent changes in population.
- In this process, the number of seats allocated to a state may also change.
- The objective is to provide equal representation for equal population segments and a fair division of geographical areas so that no political party has an advantage.
- The Delimitation Commission’s orders cannot be questioned before any court.
Legal status
- Delimitation is carried out by an independent Delimitation Commission (DC).
- The Constitution mandates that its orders are final and cannot be questioned before any court as it would hold up an election indefinitely.
How is delimitation carried out?
- Under Article 82, the Parliament enacts a Delimitation Act after every Census.
- Once the Act is in force, the Union government sets up a DC made up of a retired Supreme Court judge, the Chief Election Commissioner and the respective State Election Commissioners.
- The Commission is supposed to determine the number and boundaries of constituencies in a way that the population of all seats, so far as practicable, is the same.
- The Commission is also tasked with identifying seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes; these are where their population is relatively large.
- All this is done on the basis of the latest Census and, in case of difference of opinion among members of the Commission, the opinion of the majority prevails.
Northeast’s concerns
- In the last delimitation exercise, completed in 2008, Arunachal, Manipur, Assam, Nagaland were kept out due to apprehensions overuse of the 2001 Census.
- The Centre’s move to club the four with J&K comes in the backdrop of unrest in the region over CAA.
Why were these four states left out in 2002-08?
- In Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur and Nagaland, various organisations had moved the Gauhati High Court against the 2002-08 exercise, challenging the use of the 2001 Census for reference.
- From Assam, an all-party delegation met then Home Minister pleading that delimitation is called off because the National Register of Citizens (NRC) was yet to be updated.
- The Delimitation Act was amended in 2008, and on February 8, 2008, Presidential orders were issued to defer delimitation in these four states.
So, when did the government decide to resume delimitation?
- In February this year, President Kovind cleared the decks for the resumption of the delimitation exercise in the four states by cancelling the earlier order.
- It noted that there had been a reduction in insurgency incidents, making the situation conducive for carrying out delimitation.
Will delimitation change the number of seats in these states?
- Not in the four Northeast states. There is a freeze until 2026 on the number of Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in any state.
- Delimitation will only redraw the boundaries of seats in each state and can rework the number of reserved seats for SCs and STs.
- However, because of exceptional past circumstances, Jammu & Kashmir’s Assembly seats will now increase from 107 to 114, which is expected to increase the Jammu region’s representation.
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Kaziranga NP
Mains level: Floods in India
As a fresh wave of floods ravages Assam, killing, 85 per cent of the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) remains submerged.
Try this question from CSP 2019:
Q.Consider the following statements:
- Asiatic lion is naturally found in India only.
- Double-humped camel is naturally found in India only.
- One-horned rhinoceros is naturally found in India only.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve
- The KNTPR is a national park in the Golaghat, Karbi Anglong and Nagaon districts of the state of Assam.
- The sanctuary, which hosts two-thirds of the world’s great one-horned rhinoceroses, is a World Heritage Site.
- Kaziranga is home to the highest density of tigers among protected areas in the world and was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006 (now the highest tiger density is in Orang National Park, Assam).
- The park is home to large breeding populations of elephants, wild water buffalo, and swamp deer.
- It is also recognized as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International for the conservation of avifaunal species.
Significance of floods in Kaziranga’s ecosystem
- The entire area of Kaziranga — formed by alluvial deposits from the Brahmaputra and its tributaries — is centred on the river.
- There is a consensus that floods are necessary for Kaziranga by virtue of it being riverine ecosystem.
- The regenerative nature of floods helps replenish Kaziranga’s water bodies and maintain its landscape, a mix of wetlands, grasslands and semi-evergreen deciduous forests.
- The floodwaters also function as a breeding ground for fish.
- The same fish are carried away by the receding waters into the Brahmaputra — in a way, the park replenishes the river’s stock of fish too.
- The waters also help get rid of unwanted plants such as water hyacinth which collect in huge masses in the landscape.
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: ESZs and its regulation
Mains level: Significance of ESZ
The Environment Ministry has approved the Zonal Master Plan (ZMP) for the Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone.
Note the following things with respect to the ESZs:
1) Its demarcation
2) Law/Regulation providing it
3) Boundary restrictions
Bhagirathi ESZ
It covers a watershed of about 100 kilometres stretch of the river Bhagirathi from Gaumukh to Uttarakashi covering an area of 4179.59 square km.
What are the Eco-sensitive Zones (ESZs)?
- Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) or Ecologically Fragile Areas (EFAs) are areas notified by the MoEFCC around Protected Areas, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries.
- The purpose of declaring ESZs is to create some kind of “shock absorbers” to the protected areas by regulating and managing the activities around such areas.
- They also act as a transition zone from areas of high protection to areas involving lesser protection.
How are they demarcated?
- The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 does not mention the word “Eco-Sensitive Zones”.
- However, Section 3(2)(v) of the Act, says that Central Government can restrict areas in which any industries, operations or processes or class of industries, operations or processes shall be carried out or shall not, subject to certain safeguards.
- Besides Rule 5(1) of the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986 states that central government can prohibit or restrict the location of industries and carrying on certain operations or processes on the basis of certain considerations.
- The same criteria have been used by the government to declare No Development Zones (NDZs).
Defining its boundaries
- An ESZ could go up to 10 kilometres around a protected area as provided in the Wildlife Conservation Strategy, 2002.
- Moreover, in the case where sensitive corridors, connectivity and ecologically important patches, crucial for landscape linkage, are beyond 10 km width, these should be included in the ESZs.
- Further, even in the context of a particular Protected Area, the distribution of an area of ESZ and the extent of regulation may not be uniform all around and it could be of variable width and extent.
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: ASPIRE Portal
Mains level: Not Much
The International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) is developing a technology platform for the automotive industry called ASPIRE – Automotive Solutions Portal for Industry, Research and Education.
Try this MCQ:
Q.The recently launched ASPIRE Portal deals with:
a) Aspirational Districts
b) Primary Education
c) Industrial Clusters
d) Automotive Technology
ASPIRE Portal
- The key objective of this portal is to facilitate the Indian Automotive Industry to become self-reliant by assisting in innovation and adoption of global technological advancements.
- It aims to bring together the stakeholders from various associated avenues.
- This includes bringing together the automotive OEMs, Tier 1 Tier 2 & Tier 3 companies, R&D institutions and academia (colleges & universities) on matters involving technology advancements.
- The activities would include R&D, Product Technology Development, Technological Innovations, Technical and Quality Problem Resolution for the industry, Manufacturing and Process Technology Development etc.
- Apart from acting as a solution and resource platform, the portal will also host grand challenges in line with the need of the industry as will be identified from time to time, for development of key automotive technologies.
About ICAT
- International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) is located at Manesar in Gurugram district of Haryana.
- It is a govt entity owned by the Ministry of Heavy Industries.
- It has facilities for vehicle homologation and also testing laboratories for noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) and passive safety.
- It also includes a powertrain laboratory, engine dynamometers, emission laboratory with Euro-V capability, a fatigue laboratory, passive safety laboratory, and vehicle test tracks.
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now