Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Paper 2- India-Myanmar relations
The article highlights the factors India needs to consider in formulating its response to the crisis in Myanmar.
Implications of Myanmar issue for India
- India, because of its proximity to Myanmar, its geopolitical role, and its interests, will inevitably be drawn into the train of events.
- The most immediate challenge is, of course, dealing with the refugee crisis that this coup occasions.
- The rich and powerful nations have not pulled their weight in crafting an adequate multilateral response.
- Myanmar’s other neighbours, and especially ASEAN countries, are also unlikely to intervene.
- The principle of non-refoulement has to be the cornerstone of any civilised state’s response to a politically induced humanitarian disaster.
- It is not clear where India stands on this.
Factors India should consider in its Myanmar policy
1) Protestors are widespread
- The protests for democracy are widespread, involve young people, and are driven by a genuine opposition to military rule.
- India has to decide whether it is on the side of the future.
2) Concerns of Northeastern states
- Northeastern states like Manipur and Mizoram which will immediately bear the costs of helping refugees are calling for a more generous and imaginative policy.
- The concerns of the Northeast states have often been historically sidelined in India’s handling of the “trijunction”.
- This was partly because of counterinsurgency fears, and partly because of suspicion of political forces in the Northeast.
- But ignoring accommodative sentiments in the Northeast, would be to potentially signal their marginality in shaping India’s calculations.
3) Reputation for humanitarian concern
- The counterinsurgency and subversion fears have to be intelligently handled.
- Relying only on cooperation with the Myanmar military, without support for the local population, we will once again be setting ourselves up for long-term problems.
- A broadbased reputation for humanitarian concerns and the welfare of people is a strategic asset, not a liability in the long term.
- India should also now have the confidence that it can both politically and militarily handle any risks that occasionally arise in the context of doing the decent thing.
- But by closing down its borders, it is not sending a signal of strength but one of weakness.
4) Geopolitical factors
- With every major power, from Russia to China now seeing Myanmar in terms of geopolitical terms, the stakes for India are going to be high.
- But its military seems more repressive, and its elites, including Aung San Suu Kyi, have been more conservative in harnessing democratic and progressive impulses.
- So under such circumstances, it will be tempting for India to deeply engage with the military.
- There is also a great deal of exaggeration about Myanmar’s economic importance to India.
- Certainly, connectivity and trade with Myanmar provide momentum for India’s eastward interests.
- But the benefits from engagement with Myanmar are not so great that India cannot put them aside to act on a modicum of principle.
Way forward
- Presumably, India wants to be a key interlocutor in two contexts.
- It wants to be a key player in shaping a global response to the crisis.
- And it wants to have some role in helping with a settlement towards a less repressive transition within Myanmar.
- But for both of those roles, it is important that India has widespread credibility with the different groups and movements inside Myanmar.
Conclusion
India needs to consider these factors before deciding its response to the situation developing in Myanmar.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Paper 2- Need for new architecture of growth
The article highlights the factors to consider in framing the policies for the well being of the people.
Increase in inequality
- According to a report released by the World Bank, while India’s stock markets rose during the pandemic the number of people who are poor in India with incomes of $2 or less a day is estimated to have increased by 75 million.
- This accounts for nearly 60% of the global increase in poverty, the report says.
- The old global economy was very good for migrant capital, which could move around the world at will.
- The pandemic has revealed that the old economy was not good for migrant workers, however.
- Their “ease of living” was often sacrificed for capital’s “ease of doing business”.
New strategy for growth
- India urgently needs a new strategy for growth, founded on new pillars. One is broader progress measures.
- GDP does not account for vital environmental and social conditions that contribute to human well-being and the sustainability of the planet.
- According to global assessments, India ranks 120 out of 122 countries in water quality, and 179 out of 180 in air quality.
- Several frameworks are being developed now to measure what really matters including the health of the environment, and the condition of societies: public services, equal access to opportunities, etc.
Issues with the present frameworks for measurements
- Most of these frameworks seek to define universally applicable scorecards.
- The items measured are given the same weightages in all countries to arrive at a single overall number for each country.
- This ‘scientific’ approach does enable objective rankings of countries.
- However, as the Happiness Report explains, this ‘objective’ approach misses the point that happiness and well-being are always ‘subjective’.
- Therefore, countries in which the spirit of community is high, such as the ‘socialist’ countries of Northern Europe, come on top of well-being rankings even when their per capita incomes are not the highest.
Solutions for well being
- The universal solution for improving well-being is for local communities to work together to find their own solutions.
- Locals know which factors in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals matter the most to them.
- Standard global solutions will neither make their conditions better nor make them happier.
- Therefore, communities must be allowed to, and assisted to, find their own solutions to complex problems.
- The philosopher Michael J. Sandel says that the ideology of ‘individualism’ justifies indifference to the conditions of those less well off.
- It denies that societal conditions are responsible for the difficulties poor people have.
- It also conveniently hides that societal conditions have contributed substantially to the wealth of those well-off.
Consider the question “Rising income inequality in the aftermath of the pandemic points to the need for a new architecture of growth. Discuss.”
Conclusion
When only some shine, India does not shine. Therefore, the government has to pursue the policies that result in the well being of the majority and not a few.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Article 239AA and 239AB
Mains level: Paper 2- Amendments to NCT Act
The article highlights the objectives of amendments to the Government of the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi Act.
Background of Article 239AA and 239AB
- On December 20, 1991, Home Minister S B Chavan tabled the Constitution Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha to add Article 239AA and 239AB to our Constitution.
- The Bill was passed unanimously with all 349 members in the Lok Sabha supporting the bill.
- The amendment paved the way for setting up a legislative assembly and a council of ministers for the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi.
What the recent amendment to NCT Act seeks to achieve
- The amendments aimed to clear ambiguities in the roles of various stakeholders.
- It also seeks to provide a constructive rules-based framework for stakeholders within the government of Delhi to work in tandem with the Union government.
- The amendment that was passed by Parliament aims to bring in consistency that the Delhi government has acknowledged and course-corrected on.
- As the Act now has the President’s assent, we also need to ensure that the LG is made more accountable.
- This can be done by stipulating a maximum time limit to decide on matters that are referred to the LG in the case of legislative proposals and administrative matters in the rules.
- The constitutional amendment passed in 1991 empowers the Parliament to enact laws supplementing constitutional provisions.
- Similarly, the Government of NCT of Delhi also has the power to enact laws regarding matters specified under the state list and concurrent list, to the extent these apply to a Union territory.
- In the case of the Government of NCT of Delhi, it has no legislative competence in matters pertaining to the police, public order, and land, which are in the state list but do not apply to Union Territories.
- The risk of incremental encroachments on these subjects by the Delhi Legislative Assembly can have severe ramifications for Delhi.
- Similarly, making the Delhi assembly rules consistent with the rules of the Lok Sabha or ensuring that the opinion of the LG is taken can only ensure clarity and foster an environment of co-operation.
Promoting cooperative federalism
- The government has been promoting cooperative federalism, which is evident from the tangible steps that have been taken.
- The creation of NITI Aayog, the establishment of the GST council, and the restructuring of central schemes are clear examples of promoting fiscal federalism.
- Cooperative federalism requires an environment of trust and mutual cooperation.
- A necessary condition for such an environment is the distinct delineation of roles and responsibilities, the removal of ambiguities, and the definition of a clear chain of command among stakeholders.
- In this regard, it was important to define, without a doubt, who represents the government in the unique case of Delhi.
Consider the question “What are the objectives of the recent amendment to the NCT Act? What will be its implications for governance in Delhi?”
Conclusion
Our national capital hosts the country’s legislature, the seat of the Union government, the judiciary, diplomatic missions, and other institutions of national importance. It deserves smooth functioning and cannot be subject to misadventures arising from the ambiguities in the roles and responsibilities of its stakeholders.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Heart of Asia – Istanbul Process
Mains level: Afghan peace process
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has attended the Heart of Asia Conference in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
The 9th Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process (HoA-IP) ministerial conference is part of the Istanbul Process – a regional initiative on security and cooperation for a stable and peaceful Afghanistan – that was launched on November 2, 2011, in Turkey.
Note the participating countries from the logo itself.
Heart of Asia – Istanbul Process
- The Heart of Asia – Istanbul Process (HoA-IP) is an initiative of Afghanistan and Turkey, which was officially launched at a conference hosted by Turkey in Istanbul on 2 November 2011.
- Since then, Afghanistan supported by fourteen participating countries and supporting countries beyond the region as well as 12 Regional and International Organizations is leading and coordinating this Process.
Goals of the Process
- The HoA-IP aims at promoting and strengthening peace, security, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan and in the region.
- The HoA-IP has become one of the most interactive voluntary state-groupings in the HoA Region.
- It brings Afghanistan’s immediate and extended neighbours as well as international supporters together through the following focus areas:
- Political Consultations
- Implementation of the Confidence Building Measures (CBMs)
- Cooperation with Regional Organizations
Note: India too, has held the Ministerial Conferences of HoA-IP back on 4 December 2016 at Amritsar.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: UCC
Mains level: Secularism debate
The Chief Justice of India (CJI) has lauded Goa’s Uniform Civil Code and encouraged “intellectuals” indulging in “academic talk” to visit the state to learn more about it.
Again a controversial, conventional yet contested topic has come at our dispense! Save such articles for general idea esp. for essays.
What is a Uniform Civil Code?
- A Uniform Civil Code is one that would provide for one law for the entire country, applicable to all religious communities in their personal matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption etc.
- Article 44, one of the directive principles of the Constitution lays down that the state shall endeavour to secure a Uniform Civil Code for the citizens throughout the territory of India.
- These, as defined in Article 37, are not justiciable (not enforceable by any court) but the principles laid down therein are fundamental in governance.
Greater role for State
- Fundamental rights are enforceable in a court of law.
- While Article 44 uses the words “the state shall endeavour”, other Articles in the ‘Directive Principles’ chapter use words such as “in particular strive”; “shall, in particular, direct its policy”; “shall be the obligation of the state” etc.
- Article 43 mentions “state shall endeavour by suitable legislation” while the phrase “by suitable legislation” is absent in Article 44.
- All this implies that the duty of the state is greater in other directive principles than in Article 44.
What are more important — fundamental rights or directive principles?
- There is no doubt that fundamental rights are more important.
- The Supreme Court held in Minerva Mills (1980): Indian Constitution is founded on the bedrock of the balance between Parts III (Fundamental Rights) and IV (Directive Principles).
- To give absolute primacy to one over the other is to disturb the harmony of the Constitution.
- Article 31C inserted by the 42nd Amendment in 1976, however, lays down that if a law is made to implement any directive principle, it cannot be challenged on the ground of being violative of the FRs under Articles 14 and 19.
Does India not already have a uniform code in civil matters?
- Indian laws do follow a uniform code in most civil matters – Indian Contract Act, Civil Procedure Code, Sale of Goods Act, Transfer of Property Act, Partnership Act, Evidence Act etc.
- States, however, have made hundreds of amendments and therefore in certain matters, there is diversity even under these secular civil laws.
- Recently, several states refused to be governed by the uniform Motor Vehicles Act, 2019.
What about personal laws?
- If the framers of the Constitution had intended to have a Uniform Civil Code, they would have given exclusive jurisdiction to Parliament in respect of personal laws, by including this subject in the Union List.
- But “personal laws” are mentioned in the Concurrent List.
- Last year, the Law Commission concluded that a Uniform Civil Code is neither feasible nor desirable.
Is there one common personal law for any religious community governing all its members?
- All Hindus of the country are not governed by one law, nor are all Muslims or all Christians.
- Not only British legal traditions, even those of the Portuguese and the French remain operative in some parts.
- In Jammu and Kashmir until August 5, 2019, local Hindu law statutes differed from central enactments.
- The Shariat Act of 1937 was extended to J&K a few years ago but has now been repealed.
Various customary laws
- Muslims of Kashmir were governed by a customary law, which in many ways was at variance with Muslim Personal Law in the rest of the country and was, in fact, closer to Hindu law.
- Even on the registration of marriage among Muslims, laws differ from place to place. It was compulsory in J&K (1981 Act), and is optional in Bengal, Bihar (both under 1876 Act), Assam (1935 Act) and Odisha (1949 Act).
- In the Northeast, there are more than 200 tribes with their own varied customary laws.
- The Constitution itself protects local customs in Nagaland. Similar protections are enjoyed by Meghalaya and Mizoram.
- Even reformed Hindu law, in spite of codification, protects customary practices.
How does the idea of a Uniform Civil Code relate to the fundamental right to religion?
- Article 25 lays down an individual’s fundamental right to religion;
- Article 26(b) upholds the right of each religious denomination or any section thereof to “manage its own affairs in matters of religion”;
- Article 29 defines the right to conserve distinctive culture.
- An individual’s freedom of religion under Article 25 is subject to “public order, health, morality” and other provisions relating to FRs, but a group’s freedom under Article 26 has not been subjected to other fundamental rights
- In the Constituent Assembly, there was division on the issue of putting UCC in the fundamental rights chapter. The matter was settled by a vote.
- By a 5:4 majority, the fundamental rights sub-committee headed by Sardar Patel held that the provision was outside the scope of FRs and therefore the UCC was made less important than freedom of religion.
Minority opinion in the Constituent Assembly
- Some members sought to immunize Muslim Personal Law from state regulation.
- Mohammed Ismail, who thrice tried unsuccessfully to get Muslim Personal Law exempted from Article 44, said a secular state should not interfere with the personal law of people.
- B Pocker Saheb said he had received representations against a common civil code from various organisations, including Hindu organisations.
- Hussain Imam questioned whether there could ever be uniformity of personal laws in a diverse country like India.
- B R Ambedkar said, “no government can use its provisions in a way that would force the Muslims to revolt”.
- Alladi Krishnaswami, who was in favour of a UCC, conceded that it would be unwise to enact UCC ignoring strong opposition from any community.
- Gender justice was never discussed in these debates.
How did the debate on a common code for Hindus play out?
- In June 1948, Rajendra Prasad, President of the Constituent Assembly, warned Nehru that to introduce “basic changes” in personal law was to impose “progressive ideas” of a “microscopic minority” on the Hindu community as a whole.
- Others opposed to reforms in Hindu law included Sardar Patel, Pattabhi Sitaramayya, M A Ayyangar, M M Malaviya and Kailash Nath Katju.
- When the debate on the Hindu Code Bill took place in December 1949, 23 of 28 speakers opposed it.
- On September 15, 1951, President Prasad threatened to use his powers of returning the Bill to Parliament or vetoing it. Ambedkar eventually had to resign.
- Nehru agreed to trifurcation of the Code into separate Acts and diluted several provisions.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Happiness Curriculum
Mains level: Education reforms
The Delhi Deputy CM has said that during the pandemic, the Happiness Curriculum immensely helped them to apply life skills to deal with stressful situations.
Try this question:
Q.What is Happiness Curriculum? Discuss the scope of introducing happiness curriculum supplementary to the regular curriculum across the country.
What is Delhi’s ‘happiness curriculum’?
- The curriculum calls for schools in India to promote development in cognition, language, literacy, numeracy and the arts along with addressing the well-being and happiness of students.
- It further says that future citizens need to be “mindful, aware, awakened, empathetic, firmly rooted in their identity…” based on the premise that education has a larger purpose, which cannot be in isolation from the “dire needs” of today’s society.
- For the evaluation, no examinations are conducted, neither will marks be awarded.
- The assessment under this curriculum is qualitative, focusing on the “process rather than the outcome” and noting that each student’s journey is unique and different.
Objectives of the curriculum
The objectives of this curriculum include:
- developing self-awareness and mindfulness,
- inculcating skills of critical thinking and inquiry,
- enabling learners to communicate effectively and
- helping learners to apply life skills to deal with stressful and conflicting situations around them
Learning outcomes of this curriculum
The learning outcomes of this curriculum are spread across four categories:
- becoming mindful and attentive (developing increased levels of self-awareness, developing active listening, remaining in the present);
- developing critical thinking and reflection (developing strong abilities to reflect on one’s own thoughts and behaviours, thinking beyond stereotypes and assumptions);
- developing social-emotional skills (demonstrating empathy, coping with anxiety and stress, developing better communication skills) and
- developing a confident and pleasant personality (developing a balanced outlook on daily life reflecting self-confidence, becoming responsible and reflecting awareness towards cleanliness, health and hygiene).
How is the curriculum implemented?
- The curriculum is designed for students of classes nursery through the eighth standard.
- Group 1 consists of students in nursery and KG, who have bi-weekly classes (45 minutes each for one session, which is supervised by a teacher) involving mindfulness activities and exercise.
- Children between classes 1-2 attend classes on weekdays, which involves mindfulness activities and exercises along with taking up reflective questions.
- The second group comprises students from classes 3-5 and the third group is comprised of students from classes 6-8 who apart from the aforementioned activities, take part in self-expression and reflect on their behavioural changes.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: PRISM Scheme
Mains level: Not Much
The Ministry of Science & Technology has inaugurated an Alignment and Awareness Event for the publicity of the DSIR-PRISM Scheme.
Crux lies in the acronym. Remember the primary aim and objectives. UPSC can also go with numbers esp. the grants.
PRISM Scheme
- PRISM stands for Promoting Innovations in Individuals, Start-ups and MSMEs.
- It is an initiative of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR).
- It is aimed at transforming an individual innovator into a successful technopreneur by promoting, supporting, and funding implementable and commercially viable innovations created for society.
- Under the initiative, an Indian innovator- student, professional and common citizen – is provided technical, strategic, and financial assistance by DSIR for idea development, prototype development and pilot scaling, and patenting.
- The programme is implemented across various sectors from energy to healthcare to waste management and others.
Grants under the scheme
The grant is given in two phases:
- Phase I and Phase II, catering to both the initial innovation stage and the advanced enterprise setup phase through DSIR outreach-cum-cluster innovation centres available throughout India.
- The grant amount in Phase I is around Rs. 2.0 lakhs to Rs. 20.00 lakhs and in Phase II maximum of Rs. 50.00 lakhs.
Success of the scheme
- The scheme has been instrumental in supporting individual innovators enabling inclusive development of India.
- It has extended its support to any citizen through direct benefit transfer in the core technology areas such as-
Affordable Healthcare, Water, Sewage Management, Green Technology, Clean Energy, Industrially Utilizable Smart Materials, Waste to Wealth aligned with our national objectives
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Nacaduba sinhala ramaswamii Sadasivan
Mains level: NA
The discovery of the species Nacaduba sinhala ramaswamii Sadasivan in the Agasthyamalais in the Western Ghats a decade ago has now found a place in the Journal of Threatened Taxa.
William Shakespeare’s words hold true! Really “Whats in a name!”
Nacaduba sinhala ramaswamii Sadasivan
- The new taxon of Lycaenid butterflies belonging to the Nacaduba genus had been first sighted by a team of Bombay Natural History Society.
- Line Blues are small butterflies belonging to the subfamily Lycaenidae and their distribution ranges from India and Sri Lanka to the whole of southeastern Asia, Australia and Samoa.
- It is the first time that a butterfly species was discovered by an all-Indian research team from the Western Ghats.
Try this PYQ from CSP 2020:
Q.With reference to India’s Biodiversity, Ceylon frogmouth, Coppersmith barbet, Gray-chinned minivet and White-throated redstart are
(a) Birds
(b) Primates
(c) Reptiles
(d) Amphibians
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