Month: February 2023

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Agricultural Sector and Marketing Reforms – eNAM, Model APMC Act, Eco Survey Reco, etc.

Agriculture: An Inclusive Model of Madhya Pradesh

op-ed snap | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Agriculture and related issues,Inclusive Growth & Issues
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Mains level: Diversified portfolio in crops, Inclusive and sustainable growth.

Agriculture

Central Idea

  • India is today a $3.5 trillion economy. As per the IMF forecast, If the current growth trend continues, the country is likely to be a $5.4 trillion economy by 2027.  No wonder, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has termed the next 25 years, when India completes 100 years of Independence, as Amrit Kaal. There are lessons from Madhya Pradesh’s agriculture model for inclusive sustainable growth.

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India’s Growth trajectory

  • India seems to be on the right path and is doing pretty well especially when compared to its progress in the first six decades after 1947.
  • As per IMF, it took India almost 59 years since Independence to become a $0.95 trillion economy in 2006. But then it became a $2.3 trillion economy by 2016 it added $1.35 trillion in 10 years.
  • In 2022, it became a $3.5 trillion economy by adding $1.2 trillion in just six years. If India stays this course, the country could rise to a $25 to $30 trillion economy by 2047.

How inclusive is this growth?

  • Inclusiveness measurement and performance: Inclusiveness is measured by looking at the record of the laggard states, especially the so-called BIMARU states (Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh), and also the performance of the agricultural sector that engages the largest share of workforce 46.5 per cent in 2020-21.
  • Performance of GDP at the state level: The country averaged a GDP growth of 6.7 per cent per annum in this period and its agri GDP growth stood at 3.8 per cent per annum. This is satisfying, though not as outstanding as China’s performance.
  • Of all the major states: Gujarat topped the list in overall GDP growth at 8.9 per cent closely followed by Uttarakhand (8.7 per cent), Telangana (8.6 per cent) and Haryana (8 per cent). At the bottom of this list were Jammu and Kashmir (5.2 per cent), Assam (5.4 per cent), West Bengal (5.5 per cent), Uttar Pradesh (5.6 per cent) and Jharkhand (5.7 per cent).
  • Madhya Pradesh (MP): MP is the only state whose agriculture contribution to overall GDP has increased to 40 per cent, as against 18.8 percent at the all-India level its model should aptly be described as inclusive and sustainable.
  • Jharkhand: Jharkhand has performed exceptionally well in agriculture with a growth rate of 6.4 per cent per annum, largely driven by diversification towards horticulture and livestock.
  • Punjab: In contrast, the Green Revolution champion Punjab hasn’t done well. Its Agri-GDP growth was a meagre 2 per cent per annum over this period.

Inclusive and sustainable Model of Madhya Pradesh

  • Highest growth rate: Madhya Pradesh has performed very well it has clocked the highest growth rate in agriculture at 7.3 per cent. Its overall GDP growth is a respectable 7.5 per cent.
  • Agri-GDP growth is above India Agri-GDP growth: The state’s agri-GDP growth is way above the all India agri-GDP growth and the state is a shining example of doubling the contribution of horticulture in its value of agriculture and allied sector.
  • Well-diversified portfolio in agriculture: MP has made its mark as a top-notch player in tomato, garlic, mandarin oranges, pulses especially gram and soyabean cultivation. MP is also the second-largest producer of wheat after UP, and the third-largest milk producer after UP and Rajasthan.
  • Doubled irrigation coverage: It is following a well-diversified portfolio in agriculture while doubling irrigation coverage from 24 to 45.3 per cent of its gross cropped area over the last two decades.

Conclusion

  • Madhya Pradesh agriculture model suggests that a well-diversified portfolio in crops is behind the high growth in the farm sector. This is inclusive and sustainable and offers a path for other Indian states.

Mains Question

Q. A well-diversified portfolio in crops could be an engine of high growth in India’s farm sector. Discuss. Support your answer with an illustration.

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Organ & Tissue Transplant- Policies, Technologies, etc.

Organ transplant rules In India: A Significant Step

op-ed snap | Governance | Mains Paper 2: Health & Education
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: NA

Mains level: Liberalizing organ transplant rules in India

transplant

Central Idea

  • The changes to the organ transplant rules announced by the Union health ministry last week, are small, but significant, steps towards giving a new lease of life to many people with failing organs. Despite of performing the third-the greatest number of transplants in the world, only about 0.01 percent of Indians donate their organs after death, according to the World Health Organization.

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What are the changes introduced?

  • No age ceiling for organ receivers: With the new changes, patients who are 65 years and older can now register for receiving organs from a deceased donor. Now an individual of any age can register for organ transplant.
  • Previously: Previously, the upper age limit for registering patients requiring organs from deceased donors was 65 years, but this ceiling has now been removed.
  • No domicile criteria for receivers: Eliminate the domicile criterion for registering to receive organs, so that patients in need can register in any state.
  • Previously: Currently, certain states restrict registration for deceased organ donors to only those who are domiciled in the state or give them preference. Organs harvested in one state are first shared with other hospitals within the same state, then in the region and then share nationally on the occasion that no match was found.
  • No registration fees: The ministry has also requested that states not impose any fees on patients seeking registration for organ transplantation, as it violates the 2014 Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Rules.
  • Previously: States such as Maharashtra, Kerala, Gujarat, and Telangana charge between Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 to register patients who need an organ replacement. The health ministry has rightly directed these states to stop charging this fee.

Where does India stand?

  • Third Highest number of transplants in the world: India conducts the third highest number of transplants in the world every year. Yet barely four per cent of the patients who require a liver, heart or kidney transplant manage to get one.
  • Organ transplants has significantly increased over the past decade: According to latest available official data, the number of organ transplants has significantly increased over the past decade. In 2013, there were 4,990 organ transplants, whereas in 2022, there were 15,561 a jump of 211 percent.
  • Kidney transplants: Specifically, the number of kidney transplants from living donors increased by approximately 181 percent from 3,495 in 2013 to 9,834 in 2022. The number of kidney transplants from deceased donors increased by approximately 193 percent from 542 in 2013 to 1,589 in 2022.
  • Liver transplants: The total number of liver transplants from living donors increased by approximately 350 percent from 658 in 2013 to 2,957 in 2022, and from deceased donors, it increased by approximately 217 percent from 240 in 2013 to 761 in 2022. Deceased donors account for nearly 17 percent of all transplants in India.
  • Heart and Lung transplants: The total number of heart transplants increased by approximately 733 percent from 30 in 2013 to 250 in 2022, while lung transplants increased by approximately 500 percent from 23 to 138.
  • Government hospitals fall behind: Furthermore, private hospitals lead in organ transplants while numbers in government hospitals remain relatively low, sources said.

transplant

Challenges to Organ Donation in India

  • Lack of awareness: There is a lack of awareness among the general public about the importance of organ donation, the legal framework governing it, and the procedures involved. This can limit the number of potential donors.
  • Cultural beliefs and superstitions: In India, there are several cultural beliefs and superstitions that discourage organ donation. Some people believe that organ donation is against religious beliefs, or that it can impact the soul or afterlife.
  • Lack of infrastructure: India faces a shortage of hospitals and medical facilities that are equipped to handle organ transplantation. This can limit the availability of organs for transplantation.
  • Regulatory bottlenecks: While the legal framework exists, there is a lack of implementation and enforcement of the law. This can lead to issues such as organ trafficking and black-market activities.

Did you know?

  • NOTTO Scientific Dialogue 2023 was organized to bring all the stakeholders under one roof to brainstorm ideas about interventions and best practices in the organ and tissue transplant field that can be taken up for saving lives.

What is National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO)?

  • NOTTO is a national level organization set up under Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
  • It has following two divisions:
  • National Human Organ and Tissue Removal and Storage Network: It functions as apex Centre for All India activities of coordination and networking for procurement and distribution of Organs and Tissues and registry of Organs and Tissues Donation and Transplantation in the country
  • National Biomaterial Centre: The main thrust & objective of establishing the centre is to fill up the gap between ‘Demand’ and ‘Supply’ as well as ‘Quality Assurance’ in the availability of various tissues. The centre will take care of the Tissue allografts such as Bone and bone products, Skin graft, Cornea and Heart valves and vessel.

Conclusion

  • The percentages are very likely to go up once the changes in the rules announced last week take effect. The organ shortage problem is, however, a complex one, that continues to confound planners, even in nations whose healthcare systems are far better equipped than that of India’s. There is a need to expand the number of institutions where surgeries and transplants are undertaken. A uniform policy, will help patients in seeking transplant from deceased donors at any hospital in the country, giving them a lot of flexibility.

Mains Question

Q. Despite of performing the third-the greatest number of transplants in the world, only about 0.01 percent of Indians donate their organs after death. Discuss the recent changes in the rules of transplantation suggested by Union Health Ministry.

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Goods and Services Tax (GST)

GST Appellate Tribunal gets nod

| Governance | Mains Paper 2: Statutory, Regulatory & Various Quasi-Judicial Bodies
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: GST, GST Council

Mains level: Read the attached story

The GST Council reached a broad consensus on setting up GST Appellate Tribunal; likely to be included in Finance Bill 2023.

What is GST Appellate Tribunal?

  • The GST Appellate Tribunal is a quasi-judicial body proposed to be established to resolve disputes related to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in India.
  • It will function as an independent body to hear appeals against orders passed by the GST authorities or the Appellate Authority.
  • The tribunal will be composed of a national bench and various regional benches, headed by a chairperson appointed by the central government.
  • The proposed tribunal is expected to help expedite the resolution of disputes related to GST and reduce the burden on the judiciary.

Under GST, if a person is not satisfied with the decision passed by any lower court, an appeal can be raised to a higher court, the hierarchy for the same is as follows (from low to high):

  1. Adjudicating Authority
  2. Appellate Authority
  3. Appellate Tribunal
  4. High Court
  5. Supreme Court

Why need such Tribunal?

  • Unburden judiciary: GST Appellate Tribunal will help resolve the rising number of disputes under the 68-month old indirect tax regime that are now clogging High Courts and other judicial fora.
  • Improve efficiency of GST System: Overall, the establishment of the GST Appellate Tribunal is expected to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the GST system in India.
  • Independent mechanism: The proposed Tribunal will provide an independent and efficient mechanism for resolving disputes related to GST.
  • Avoid tax evasion: It will help to expedite the resolution of disputes, reduce the burden on the judiciary, and promote greater certainty and predictability in the GST system.

Issues with present litigation

  • Compliance issues: The GST system is relatively new in India, having been implemented in 2017, and there have been several issues with compliance and interpretation of rules and regulations.
  • Complex adjudication hierarchy: The current dispute resolution mechanism involves multiple layers of adjudication, starting with the GST officer and as mentioned above.
  • Time consuming process: This process can be time-consuming, costly, and burdensome for taxpayers, especially small and medium-sized enterprises.

How is it being established?

  • The proposed GST Appellate Tribunal is expected to be included in the Finance Bill 2023.
  • This means that it will become a part of the central government’s budget, and will have legal standing.

Do you know?

Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) was the first Tribunal in India to be created on 25th January, 1941 and is also known as ‘Mother Tribunal’! And it functions under the Ministry of Law and Justice and not the obvious looking Ministry of Finance.

Back2Basics: What is a Finance Bill?

  • A Finance Bill is a proposed legislation that is introduced by the government to implement the financial proposals of the Union Budget for the upcoming financial year in India.
  • It is a comprehensive document that outlines the government’s revenue and expenditure for the year, including changes in tax laws, tariffs, customs duties, and other fiscal measures.
  • Since the Union Budget deals with these things, it is passed as a Finance Bill.

Types of Finance Bills

  • There are different kinds of Finance Bills — the most important of them is the Money Bill. The Money Bill is concretely defined in Article 110.
  • In India, there are three types of Finance Bills that can be introduced in the Parliament:
  1. Annual Finance Bill: This is the most common type of Finance Bill and is introduced by the government every year to give effect to the tax proposals announced in the Union Budget. It contains provisions related to taxation, expenditure, and revenue collection for the upcoming financial year.
  2. Finance Bill (Money Bill): A Money Bill is a type of Finance Bill that contains only provisions related to taxation and expenditure, but does not include any other matter. Money Bills are deemed to be passed by the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament, and do not require approval from the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of Parliament.
  3. Finance Bill (Non-Money Bill): This type of Finance Bill contains provisions related to taxation and other matters, such as changes in the structure of regulatory bodies or the introduction of new policies. Unlike Money Bills, Non-Money Bills must be passed by both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha to become law.

How is money bill different from Finance Bill?

  • A Money Bill is certified by the Speaker as such — in other words, only those Financial Bills that carry the Speaker’s certification are Money Bills.
  • Article 110 states that a Bill shall be deemed to be a Money Bill if it contains only provisions dealing with all or any of the following matters:

(a) the imposition, abolition, remission, alteration or regulation of any tax;

(b) the regulation of the borrowing of money or any financial obligations undertaken

(c) the custody of the consolidated Fund or the Contingency Fund of India, the payment of moneys into or the withdrawal of moneys from any such Fund;

(d) the appropriation of moneys out of the consolidated Fund of India;

(e) the declaring of any expenditure to be expenditure charged on the Consolidated Fund of India or the increasing of the amount of any such expenditure;

(f) the receipt of money on account of the Consolidated Fund of India or the public account of India or the custody or issue of such money or the audit of the accounts of the Union or of a State; or

(g) any matter incidental to any of the matters specified in sub clause (a) to (f)

 

 

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Capital Markets: Challenges and Developments

The National Land Monetisation Corporation (NLMC)

| Economics | Mains Paper 3: Indian Economy
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: NLMC

Mains level: Land Monetization

The National Land Monetisation Corporation (NLMC) has decided to involve international property consultancy firms to speed up the process of making money by selling or leasing the land owned by the government.

What is NLMC?

  • NLMC is a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) announced in the Union Budget 2021-22 to carry out monetisation of government and surplus land holdings of public sector undertakings (PSU).
  • It falls under the administrative jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance and is set up with an initial authorised share capital of ₹5,000 crore and a paid-up capital of ₹150 crore.
  • It is a firm, fully owned by the government, to carry out the monetisation of government and public sector assets in the form of surplus, unused or underused land assets.

Aims and objectives

  • Monetize underutilised or unused land parcels of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs)
  • Facilitate the monetisation of assets belonging to PSUs that have ceased operations or are in line for a strategic disinvestment.
  • Transfer of revenue rights: When the government monetises its assets, it essentially means that it is transferring the revenue rights of the asset (could be idle land, infrastructure, PSU) to a private player for a specified period of time.
  • Govt as facilitator: In such a transaction, the government gets in return an upfront payment from the private entity, regular share of the revenue generated from the asset, a promise of steady investment into the asset, and the title rights to the monetised asset.

Significant outcomes of land monetization

  • Maximum value realization: It will help monetise them in an efficient and professional manner, maximizing the scope of value realisation.
  • Speed up the process: The setting of the NLMC will speed up the closure process of the CPSEs and smoothen the strategic disinvestment process.
  • Capitalize land assets: It will also enable productive utilisation of these under-utilized assets by setting in motion private sector investments.
  • Economic revitalization: It will boost new economic activities such as industrialisation, boosting the local economy by generating employment and generating financial resources for potential economic and social infrastructure.
  • Advisory to the govt: Besides managing and monetising, the NLMC will act as an advisory body and support other government entities and CPSEs in identifying their surplus non-core assets.

Need for land monetization

There are different reasons why the government monetizes its assets.

  • New sources of revenue: One of them is to create new sources of revenue essential to fulfil the government’s target of achieving a $5 trillion economy.
  • Plummeting underutilized assets: Monetisation is also done to unlock the potential of unused or underused assets by involving institutional investors or private players.
  • Capital generation: It is also done to generate resources or capital for future asset creation, such as using the money generated from monetisation to create new infrastructure projects.

Possible challenges for NLMC

(1) Volatile market situation

  • The performance and productivity of the NLMC will also depend on the government’s performance on its disinvestment targets.
  • In FY 2021-22, the government has hardly been able to raise expected amounts through various forms of disinvestment.

(2) Issues with transfer of rights

  • The process of asset monetisation does not end when the government transfers revenue rights to private players.
  • Identifying profitable revenue streams for the monetised land assets, ensuring adequate investment by the private player and setting up a dispute-resolution mechanism are also important tasks.

(3) Unattractiveness of PPP Model

  • Posing as another potential challenge would be the use of Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) as a monetisation model.
  • For instance, the results of the Centre’s PPP initiative launched in 2020 for the Railways were not encouraging.

(4) Red tapism

  • The success of the initiative will depend on a range of factors, including the availability of suitable land parcels, market demand etc.
  • It will be highly dependent upon the ability of the government to execute the transactions efficiently.

Conclusion

  • The government’s move to monetize its vast land assets is aimed at reducing the fiscal burden and boosting infrastructure development in the country.
  • By bringing in international property consultants to help with the process, the government hopes to improve efficiency and transparency, and maximize the returns on its land assets.
  • If successful, the government’s land monetization drive could provide a much-needed boost to the economy and create new opportunities for private investment in the real estate sector.

 

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Capital Markets: Challenges and Developments

How is the Stock Market regulated in India?

| Economics | Mains Paper 3: Effects Of Liberalization On The Economy, Changes In Industrial Policy and their effects on Industrial Growth
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: SEBI, Stock Market, Shares

Mains level: Read the attached story

stock

The Supreme Court asked the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and the government to produce the existing regulatory framework in place to protect investors from stock market volatility.

Central idea

  • After short-seller Hindenburg Research published a report accusing the Adani Group of stock market manipulation and accounting fraud, its shares plummeted.
  • Investors were reported to have lost lakhs of crores.

Laws governing the Indian Stock Market

  • The securities market in India is regulated by four key laws —
  1. Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992 (SEBI Act)
  2. Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956 (SCRA) and
  3. Depositories Act, 1996
  4. Companies Act, 2013
  • The framing of these laws reflect the evolution and development of the capital market in India.

Brief explanation of each acts-

(1) Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992 (SEBI Act)

(2) Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956 (SCRA)

  • The SCRA empowers SEBI to recognise (and derecognise) stock exchanges, prescribe rules and bye laws for their functioning, and regulate trading, clearing and settlement on stock exchanges.

(3) Depositories Act, 1996

  • As part of the development of the securities market, Parliament passed the Depositories Act and SEBI made regulations to enforce the provisions.
  • This Act introduced and legitimised the concept of dematerialised securities being held in an electronic form.
  • Today almost all the listed securities are held in dematerialised form.

(4) Companies Act, 2013

  • It is an Act of the Parliament on Indian company law that regulates incorporation of a company, responsibilities of a company, directors, and dissolution of a company.
  • It stipulates the type of Companies that can be formed such as- Public Ltd., Pt. Ltd., One Person Company ex.

Key role-player: SEBI

  • SEBI set up the infrastructure for doing this by registering depositories and depository participants.
  • The depository regulations empower SEBI to regulate functioning of depositories and depository participants by prescribing eligibility conditions, periodic inspections and powers to impose penalties including suspending or cancelling the registration as well as monetary penalties.

You should know this!

Shares and stocks both represent ownership in a company, but they are not the same thing

  • A share is a unit of ownership in a company. It represents a portion of the company’s capital, and the shareholder is entitled to a corresponding portion of the company’s profits or losses.
  • A company can issue different types of shares with varying rights, such as voting rights or dividend payments.
  • Stock, on the other hand, is a broader term that refers to the total capital raised by a company through the issuance of shares.
  • It represents the ownership of a company as a whole, rather than an individual unit of ownership.
  • So, shares are a component of stock, and owning shares of a company means owning a portion of the company’s stock. Stock represents the aggregate value of a company and includes all its shares.

Can SEBI step in to curb market volatility?

  • No direct meddling: While SEBI does not interfere to prevent market volatility, exchanges have circuit filters — upper and lower — to prevent excessive volatility.
  • Issue directions: SEBI can issue directions to those who are associated with the market, and has powers to regulate trading and settlement on stock exchanges. Using these powers, SEBI can direct stock exchanges to stop trading, totally or selectively.
  • Instant regulation: It can also prohibit entities or persons from buying, selling or dealing in securities, from raising funds from the market and being associated with intermediaries or listed companies.

What about stock exchanges?

  • The SCRA has empowered SEBI to recognise and regulate stock exchanges and later commodity exchanges in India; this was earlier done by the Union government.
  • In fact, the term “securities” is defined in the SCRA and powers to declare an instrument as a security remain vested in SEBI.
  • The rules and regulations made by SEBI under the SCRA relate to listing of securities like equity shares, the functioning of stock exchanges including control over their management and administration.
  • These include powers to determine the manner in which a settlement is done on stock exchanges (and to keep them with the times for e.g. T+1) etc.
  • It seeks to protect the interests of investors by creating an Investor Protection Fund for each stock exchange.

Safeguards against fraud

  • Fraud undermines regulation and prevents a market from being fair and transparent. To prevent the two key forms of fraud, market manipulation, and insider trading, SEBI notified-
  1. Prohibition of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices Regulations, 1995
  2. Prohibition of Insider Trading Regulations, 1992
  • These regulations, read with provisions of the SEBI Act, define species of fraud, who is an insider and prohibit such fraudulent activity and provide for penalties including disgorgement of ill-gotten gains.
  • It must be noted that violation of these regulations are predicate offences that can lead to a deemed violation of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Do you know?

  • SEBI has been given the powers of a civil court to summon persons, seize documents and records, attach bank accounts and property, and to carry out investigations.
  • Using these powers, SEBI has acted against entities and individuals like Satyam, Sahara India, Ketan Parekh and Vijay Mallya.

 

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Wildlife Conservation Efforts

Underwater noise emissions pose threat to Indian Marine species: Study

Prelims Only | Enviro & Biodiversity | Mains Paper 3:
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: UNE

Mains level: Noise Pollution

noise

Central idea: The rising man-made (anthropogenic) underwater noise emissions (UNE) from ships in the Indian waters are posing a threat to the life of marine mammals like Bottlenose Dolphin, Manatees, Pilot Whale, Seal, and Sperm Whale.

What is Underwater Noise Emissions (UNE)?

  • Underwater noise emissions (UNE) refer to sounds that are produced underwater as a result of various human activities such as shipping, oil and gas exploration, military sonar, and construction.
  • UNE can have a significant impact on marine life, as many marine animals rely on sound for communication, navigation, and foraging.
  • Excessive underwater noise can interfere with these activities, and can even cause physical harm to marine animals in some cases.
  • As a result, there is growing concerned about the potential impact of UNE on marine ecosystems, and efforts are being made to better understand and mitigate these impacts.

UNE and marine life

  • Impacts behavioural aspects: The main form of energy for multiple behavioural activities of marine mammals, which include mating, communal interaction, feeding, cluster cohesion and foraging, is based on sound.
  • Threats posed by UNE: The sound that radiates from ships on a long-term basis affects them and results in internal injuries, loss of hearing ability, change in behavioural responses, masking, and stress.

Key findings about Indian waters

  • Continuous shipping movement is identified to be a major contributor to the increase in the global ocean noise level.
  • The UNE or underwater sound pressure levels in the Indian waters are 102-115 decibels, relative to one microPascal (dB re 1µ Pa).
  • The East Coast level is slightly higher than that of the West, where there is an increase by a significant value of about 20 dB re 1µPa.
  • “The frequencies of ships’ underwater self-noise and machinery vibration levels are overlapping the marine species’ communication frequencies in the low-frequency range of less than 500 Hz.
  • This is called masking, which could have led to a change in the migration route of the marine species to the shallow regions and also making it difficult for them to go back to the deeper water.

 

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Global Geological And Climatic Events

Diyodar meteorite in 2022 was India’s first Aubrite in 170 years

Prelims Only | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Awareness in various sc and tech fields
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Diyodar Meteorite

Mains level: Not Much

meteorite

Central idea: A rare and unique meteorite, known as the Diyodar meteorite, was discovered in Banaskantha, Gujarat in December 2022. It is significant because it is the first aubrite to be found in India in 170 years.

What are Aubrites?

  • Aubrites are a type of meteorite that are believed to have formed on a different planet in the early solar system.
  • They are known for their unusual mineralogy and composition and are believed to have originated from a differentiated parent body, such as an asteroid or a planetesimal.
  • They are primarily composed of a mineral called enstatite, which is a magnesium-rich silicate. They also contain other minerals such as nickel-iron, troilite, and chromite.
  • Aubrites are relatively rare, comprising only about 0.1% of all known meteorites.
  • They are believed to have formed under highly reducing conditions, with very little oxygen present.

Meteorite found in Diyodar, Gujarat

  • The Diyodar meteorite is thought to be around 4.5 billion years old, and it is believed to have originated from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
  • Its discovery provides scientists with an opportunity to study the composition and structure of these unique meteorites.
  • This, in turn, can help researchers to better understand the early solar system and the processes that led to the formation of planets.

Its composition

  • Around 90% of the meteorite was composed of orthopyroxene.
  • Pyroxenes are silicates consisting of single chains of silica tetrahedra (SiO 4); orthopyroxenes are pyroxenes with a certain structure.
  • Pyroxenes such as diopside and jadeite have been used as gems. Spodumene was historically used as lithium ore.
  • Rocks with pyroxene have also been used to make a crushed stone that is used in construction.

 

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Higher Education – RUSA, NIRF, HEFA, etc.

The question in the minds of students: How to be future-ready?

op-ed snap | Science Tech | Mains Paper 2: Health & Education
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: NA

Mains level: Rapidly changing technology ,Higher education, challenges and opportunities

students

Central Idea

  • Intelligent Machines are revealing glimpses of a future envisaged long ago in science fiction as they steadily morph from human-assist systems to systems-as-human. The currently indispensable face obsolescence. The question in the minds of students entering college is this: How to be future-ready?

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Learn quickly to swim through these rapidly evolving times

  • Work at the edges of disciplines: Now, one not only needs to be competent in a major area but also learn new topics quickly and deeply and be able to work at the edges of disciplines, while innovating constantly.
  • Skills are new oil: Capability is judged not only by grades, but also by skills demonstrated in complex situations.
  • Rapidly changing times: Worth will also be measured vis-a-vis Artificial Intelligence. Critical and original thinking, quality communication, IQ-EQ balance, and ethics will remain important strengths for swimming through these rapidly evolving times.
  • Change is already in the air: Students and institutions are evolving, the former much faster, to assimilate advancements and prepare for the times ahead.
  • Colleges must enable students to follow flexible pathways: There are options for dual degrees, minors, specialisations across disciplines in their home institutions as well as certifications from worldwide venues. External experiences like internships in industry, academia, research institutions and start-ups add value to a candidate’s capability repertoire.

students

What is needed to prepare for entering the world?

  1. Move across disciplines
  • A combination of core and transdisciplinary professional competence: To be prepared for the future, one needs to learn new things quickly and thoroughly, constantly sharpening one’s cutting edge. This attitude needs to be ingrained at this stage.
  • Average performance and shallow knowledge are a recipe for disaster: It is also necessary to demonstrate personal excellence in a few relevant areas. Completing tasks well is really important.
  1. Learn to add value to machine intelligence
  • Grasp and utilise Automation effectively: Automation is not only relieving us of mundane work but slowly and steadily encroaching upon tasks meant for so-called intelligent humans and doing them better. One must effectively grasp and utilise it rather than fear and shy away.
  • For instance, learn from open sources: Many students are building amazingly smart systems using open-source platforms and off-the-shelf components with ambitions to take on giants.
  • Using Artificial Intelligence with consciously: Learning to add value to machine intelligence for solving complex problems better is the mantra here. For this, one needs to understand how it works, what are its current limitations and pitfalls, develop deeper insights and innovate. Blind usage of Artificial Intelligence could be dangerous.
  1. Learn to collaborate
  • Ability to work both alone as well as in a group: The next proficiency to develop is to be able to work both alone as well as in a group, to creatively ideate, lead and collaborate towards success. Often, people who work alone find it difficult working in a team and vice versa. Now both aptitudes are required.
  • Entrepreneurial spirit of sprinting is must: One requires a special bonding of steadiness with speed, constant ideation with dogged persistence. Such an entrepreneurial spirit of sprinting a long-distance race steadily, sometimes in a team, sometimes alone will be needed at every stage of a career, whether at the peak of success or in the trenches of failure.
  1. Remain human
  • Intellectual-emotional balance: Technology has an interesting way of transforming human beings into automatons without the victim being aware. With extensive usage, people begin to think and behave the way machines work. Therefore, a critical aspect to nurture is to remain human.
  • Learn to replenish the mind and body regularly: It is vital to nourish a soulful side through sports, arts, culture, philosophy and humanitarian work, not just as part of a curriculum, but as a passion where one can be blissfully immersed, forgetting everything else for some time.

students

Conclusion

  • In the rapidly-evolving world, the key to success is to be future-ready by developing a unique combination of skills that set us apart from machines. Colleges and universities must enable students to follow flexible pathways, combining core and transdisciplinary professional competence, completing tasks well, and developing personal excellence in relevant areas. By embracing these ideas and staying ahead of the curve, we can be confident in our ability to thrive in an increasingly automated and technology-driven world.

Main question

Q. The future of society is not as much dependent on whether machines will become human-like but more on whether humans will become machines. Discuss

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Terrorism and Challenges Related To It

An Overview : UAPA and The Concerns

op-ed snap | Security Issues | Mains Paper 3:
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: UAPA, TADA, POTA

Mains level: UAPA, misuse and necessity

UAPA

Central Idea

  • India’s anti-terror law, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), has been misused and turned into a tool of terror. There are two examples of this misuse in recent times. In 2021, Muhammad Manan Dar, a young Kashmiri photojournalist, was arrested and imprisoned for documenting the daily lives of common Kashmiris with his camera. A year earlier, another journalist, Sidheeque Kappan, was charged with participating in a plot to ignite rioting in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh.

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Unlawful (Activities) Prevention Act (UAPA)

  • Background: The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act is an anti-terrorism law in India that was first introduced in 1967.
  • Purpose: The purpose of UAPA is to prevent unlawful activities that threaten the sovereignty and integrity of India.
  • Amendments: UAPA has undergone several revisions since its introduction, with each revision making the law more stringent. Till 2004, “unlawful” activities referred to actions related to secession and cession of territory. Following the 2004 amendment, terrorist act was added to the list of offences.
  • Provisions: UAPA provides for the designation of individuals and organizations as “terrorists” and allows for their arrest and detention without trial for up to 180 days.
  • Criticisms: UAPA has been criticized for being used to stifle dissent and suppress political opposition. Critics argue that the law is vague and overbroad, allowing for its misuse and abuse.

What is Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA)?

  • Overview: TADA was an anti-terrorism law in India and enacted in 1985 and was in force until 1995. It was enacted to strengthen the legal framework to deal with terrorist activities in India.
  • Provisions: TADA provided for the detention of suspects without trial for up to 180 days. It also allowed the setting up of special courts to conduct trials in cases related to terrorism and provided for the admissibility of confession made to a police officer. TADA also made certain activities punishable as terrorist acts, including illegal arms trade, financing terrorism, and disrupting the sovereignty of India.
  • Criticism: TADA was also criticized for its vague and broad definition of terrorism, which allowed for the targeting of political dissidents.
  • Repeal: TADA was allowed to lapse in 1995 after it was deemed to be incompatible with the Indian Constitution and the principles of democracy and the rule of law. The law was replaced with the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) in 2002, which was also criticized for its draconian provisions and misuse by law enforcement agencies.

What is Prevention of Terrorism Act 2004 (POTA)?

  • Objective: To provide the government with legal tools to combat terrorism and punish those who support or engage in terrorist activities.
  • Key Provisions: Broad powers to investigate and prosecute individuals suspected of terrorism-related activities. Power to detain suspects for up to 180 days without charge. Use of confessions made to police officers as evidence in court
  • Criticism: Potential for misuse and infringement on civil liberties. Could be used to target religious and ethnic minorities. Could be used to silence political dissent
  • Repealed: 2004 by the United Progressive Alliance government, citing concerns about misuse and potential for human rights abuses.
  • Replacement: Some provisions of POTA were incorporated into the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), which remains in force in India today.

Worrying statistics

  • UAPA has one of the worst records for prosecution success.
  • According to a PUCL report in 2022, less than 3 per cent of arrests made under the UAPA resulted in convictions between 2015 and 2020.
  • Only 1,080 of the 4,690 people detained under the UAPA between 2018 and 2020 received bail, according to the report.
  • Unlike TADA and POTA, UAPA has never been constitutionally reviewed. Its repeated abuse is a blot on our democracy.

UAPA

Some of the key concerns regarding the UAPA

  • Misuse: The UAPA has been criticized for being misused by authorities to target human rights defenders, activists, and dissenters. Critics argue that the act has been used to stifle free speech and to quell any form of peaceful protests.
  • Lack of accountability: The UAPA allows for the designation of an individual or organization as a terrorist entity, without providing adequate means for challenge or appeal, which many argue is against the principles of natural justice.
  • Vagueness: The definitions of “terrorist acts” under the UAPA are broad and vague, and can be interpreted in a way that infringes on the freedom of speech and assembly, leading to the potential for misuse.
  • Restrictions on bail: The UAPA has provisions that make it difficult for people charged under the act to obtain bail, as it requires that the accused show that they are not guilty, shifting the burden of proof from the prosecution to the accused.
  • Excessive punishment: The UAPA provides for harsh punishments, including life imprisonment and the death penalty, for offenses related to terrorism, which many argue are disproportionate and infringe on human rights.

Why UAPA is necessary?

  • Legal tools to investigate: The UAPA provides the government with legal tools to investigate and prosecute individuals and organizations involved in terrorist activities.
  • Special courts to conduct trials: It allows for the setting up of special courts to conduct trials in cases related to terrorism and provides for stringent punishment for offenses related to terrorism. It also allows the government to designate individuals or organizations as terrorist entities and freeze their assets.
  • Necessary measure to maintain sovereignty and integrity: The act is aimed at countering not just terrorism but also other forms of unlawful activities, such as organized crime, money laundering, and trafficking. It is considered to be a necessary measure to maintain the sovereignty and integrity of the nation, and to protect the lives and property of its citizens.
  • To balance national security and civil liberties: It is necessary to strike a balance between national security and protection of civil liberties. The act can be an effective tool in the fight against terrorism, as long as it is implemented in a fair and just manner and its provisions are not misused to stifle legitimate forms of dissent or activism.

Conclusion

  • Concerns over the UAPA highlight the need for a balanced approach in the fight against terrorism, one that protects national security while also ensuring the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms.

Mains question

Q. UAPA is continuously in the headlines from the time of its inception. Discuss the concerns and necessity of such Act.

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Judicial Reforms

Supreme Court says NO to Sealed Cover suggestions

| Polity | Mains Paper 2: Executive & Judiciary
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Sealed Cover Jurisprudence

Mains level: Not Much

seal

Central idea: The Supreme Court has said it did not want to accept in a “sealed cover” the Centre’s suggestions on who could be the members of a committee the court had proposed to assess the market regulatory framework and recommend measures, if any, to strengthen it in the wake of the Adani-Hindenburg affair.

What is the news?

  • The article is about a public interest petition filed in the Supreme Court that calls for the establishment of an expert panel to strengthen regulatory mechanisms related to the Adani Group.
  • The petitioners argue that the Adani Group has been able to bypass regulatory hurdles through its influence on government officials and agencies.

What is Sealed Cover Jurisprudence?

  • It is a practice used by the Supreme Court and sometimes lower courts, of asking for or accepting information from government agencies in sealed envelopes that can only be accessed by judges.
  • A specific law does not define the doctrine of sealed cover.
  • The Supreme Court derives its power to use it from Rule 7 of order XIII of the Supreme Court Rules and Section 123 of the Indian Evidence Act of 1872.

Need for sealed cover jurisprudence

There are several reasons why sealed cover jurisprudence is used-

  • National security: For example, in cases involving sensitive information related to defense or intelligence agencies, the disclosure of such information in open court proceedings could compromise national security.
  • Individual privacy: It is also used to protect the privacy in cases involving sensitive personal information. In such cases, the court may allow the submission of such information in a sealed cover to protect the privacy of the individual concerned.
  • Protect commercial or trade secrets: In cases involving disputes between companies, the disclosure of confidential information related to their business operations could harm their commercial interests.

Nature of the power: Upholding Secrecy

  • If the Chief Justice or court directs certain information to be kept under sealed cover or considers it of confidential nature, no party would be allowed access to the contents of such information.
  • There is an exception to this if the Chief Justice himself orders that the opposite party be allowed to access it.
  • It also mentions that information can be kept confidential if its publication is not considered to be in the interest of the public.
  • As for the Evidence Act, official unpublished documents relating to state affairs are protected and a public officer cannot be compelled to disclose such documents.

Grounds of such secrecy

Other instances where information may be sought in secrecy or confidence is when its publication:

  1. Impedes an ongoing investigation of cases related to national security
  2. Details that are part of the police’s case diary or
  3. Breaches the privacy of an individual

Prominent cases of sealed jurisprudence

Sealed cover jurisprudence has been frequently employed by courts in the recent past.

(1) Rafale Deal

  • In the case pertaining to the controversial Rafale fighter jet deal, a Bench headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi in 2018, had asked the Centre to submit details related to deal’s decision making and pricing in a sealed cover.
  • This was done as the Centre had contended that such details were subject to the Official Secrets Act and Secrecy clauses in the deal.

(2) Bhima Koregaon Case

  • In the Bhima Koregaon case, in which activists were arrested under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.
  • The Supreme Court had relied on information submitted by the Maharashtra police in a sealed cover.

Issues with such jurisprudence

  • Undermines open justice: This practice appears to be unfavorable to the principles of transparency and accountability of the Indian justice system.
  • Erodes public faith: It stands in contrast to the idea of an open court, where decisions can be subjected to public scrutiny.
  • Increases arbitrariness: It is also said to enlarge the scope for arbitrariness in court decisions, as judges are supposed to lay down the reasoning for their decisions.
  • Unfair trials: Besides, it is argued that not providing access to such documents to the accused parties obstructs their passage to a fair trial and adjudication.

Way forward

  • Conduct an independent and thorough investigation: Inquire into the allegations raised in the petition, and take appropriate legal action against the Adani Group if they are found to have violated environmental regulations.
  • Establish an expert panel as suggested by the petitioners: To review the regulatory framework and suggest measures to strengthen it. The panel should include experts from various fields, including environmental science, law, and economics.
  • Ensure transparency and accountability in the regulatory process: Foster a culture of environmental awareness and responsibility among businesses by promoting sustainable and eco-friendly practices. This could involve providing incentives and support to companies that adopt such practices.
  • Review the use of sealed cover jurisprudence: Ensure that it is used judiciously and only in cases where it is necessary to protect sensitive or confidential information.

 

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Electoral Reforms In India

How did Election Commission decide who gets Party Symbol?

| Polity | Mains Paper 2: Representation Of People's Act
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Election symbols

Mains level: Read the attached story

Central idea: A faction within a political party led by the Maharashtra CM has been officially recognized as the legitimate group by the Election Commission of India. The faction has been allotted the “bow and arrow” symbol and the original name for use in future elections.

Why discuss this?

  • The allotment of election symbols can have a significant impact on the electoral fortunes of political parties and that the current system of allotment may need to be reviewed to ensure greater transparency and fairness.

EC’s powers in Election Symbol Dispute

  • The question of a split in a political party outside the legislature is dealt by Para 15 of the Symbols Order, 1968.
  • It states that the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) may take into account all the available facts and circumstances and undertake a test of majority.
  • The decision of the ECI shall be binding on all such rival sections or groups emerged after the split.
  • This applies to disputes in recognized national and state parties.
  • For splits in registered but unrecognized parties, the EC usually advises the warring factions to resolve their differences internally or to approach the court.

How did the EC deal with such matters before the Symbols Order came into effect?

  • Before 1968, the EC issued notifications and executive orders under the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961.
  • The most high-profile split of a party before 1968 was that of the CPI in 1964.
  • A breakaway group approached the ECI in December 1964 urging it to recognize them as CPI(Marxist). They provided a list of MPs and MLAs of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and West Bengal who supported them.
  • The ECI recognized the faction as CPI (M) after it found that the votes secured by the MPs and MLAs supporting the breakaway group added up to more than 4% in the 3 states.

Options for ECI

  • The ECI in all likelihood can freeze the symbol so that neither of the two sides is able to use it until a final decision is made.
  • EC hearings are long and detailed and may take at least six months.

What was the first case decided under Para 15 of the 1968 Order?

  • It was the first split in the Indian National Congress in 1969.
  • Indira Gandhi’s tensions with a rival group within the party came to a head with the death of President Dr Zakir Hussain on May 3, 1969.

Is there a way other than the test of the majority to resolve a dispute over election symbols?

  • In almost all disputes decided by the EC so far, a clear majority of party delegates/office bearers, MPs and MLAs have supported one of the factions.
  • Whenever the EC could not test the strength of rival groups based on support within the party organization (because of disputes regarding the list of office bearers), it fell back on testing the majority only among elected MPs and MLAs.

What happens to the group that doesn’t get the parent party’s symbol?

  • The EC in 1997 did not recognize the new parties as either state or national parties.
  • It felt that merely having MPs and MLAs is not enough, as the elected representatives had fought and won polls on tickets of their parent (undivided) parties.
  • The EC introduced a new rule under which the splinter group of the party — other than the group that got the party symbol — had to register itself as a separate party.
  • It could lay claim to national or state party status only on the basis of its performance in the state or central elections after registration.

 

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Minority Issues – SC, ST, Dalits, OBC, Reservations, etc.

What is Special Marriage Act, 1954?

| Indian Society | Mains Paper 1: Salient features of Indian Society
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Special Marriage Act, 1954

Mains level: Inter-faith marriage

marriage

Central idea: An actress recently held her interfaith-marriage under the Special Marriage Act, 1954.

What is the Special Marriage Act?

  • The Special Marriage Act of 1954 (SMA) was passed by the Parliament on October 9, 1954.
  • It governs a civil marriage where the state sanctions the marriage rather than the religion.
  • The minimum age to get married under the SMA is 21 years for males and 18 years for females.

Why was it enacted?

Ans. Interfaith/ Inter-caste Marriages

  • Issues of personal law such as marriage, divorce, adoption are governed by religious laws that are codified.
  • These laws, such as the Muslim Marriage Act, 1954, and the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, require either spouse to convert to the religion of the other before marriage.
  • However, the SMA enables marriage between inter-faith or inter-caste couples without them giving up their religious identity or resorting to conversion.

Why is it ‘Special’?

  • Detachment from the family: Once married as per the secular law, under Section 19 of the Act, any member of an undivided family who professes the Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh or Jain religion shall be deemed to affect their severance from the family.
  • Losing inherited property: This would affect rights, including the right to inheritance, of the persons choosing to marry under the SMA.

Who can get married under the Special Marriage Act?

  • The applicability of the Act extends to the people of all faiths, including Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists, across India.
  • Some customary restrictions such as parties not being within degrees of a prohibited relationship still apply to couples under SMA.
  • In 1952, when the Bill was proposed, the requirement of monogamy was considered radical.
  • Section 4 of the SMA requires that at the time of marriage, “neither party has a spouse living” or is “incapable of giving a valid consent to it in consequence of unsoundness of mind”.

What is the procedure for a civil marriage?

  • As per Section 5 of the Act, the parties to the marriage are required to give a notice, in writing, to a “Marriage Officer” of the district in which at least one of the parties has resided for at least 30 days immediately preceding the notice.
  • Before the marriage is solemnized, the parties and three witnesses are required to sign a declaration form before the Marriage Officer.
  • Once the declaration is accepted, the parties will be given a “Certificate of marriage” which is essentially proof of the marriage.

Furore over such marriages

Ans. Religious conversion has emerged as the practical way to cohabit as a couple, in a country where neither the inter-faith, inter-caste nor the live-in couples can earn societal approval.

  • As per some Personal laws, in order to get married conversion of religion to get equalized is the only way.
  • There are cases of being allegedly lured and honey-trapped by men and those girls now seeking their help to free themselves.
  • Interfaith marriages these days are believed to be a forced conversion of the women spouses.
  • Fundamentalists’ claims that men of a particular religion are trained on the intricacies of religious doctrine to allure other religion women for marriage in an attempt to finish off her religion.

 

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Delhi Full Statehood Issue

Nominated members cannot vote in Delhi Mayor Poll: Supreme Court

Prelims Only | Polity | Mains Paper 2: Indian Constitution - historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Constitutional position of Mayor

Mains level: Not Much

Central idea: The Supreme Court ordered the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi to notify the first meeting of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to elect a Mayor within 24 hours and held that nominated members cannot vote in these polls.

What is the issue?

  • The issue at hand is whether the nominated members of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi should be allowed to vote in the mayoral polls.
  • A Party had challenged the eligibility of the nominated members to vote, arguing that they were appointed by the Delhi government and were therefore not neutral.
  • The Supreme Court of India has now ruled that the nominated members cannot vote in the mayoral polls.

What has the Supreme Court ruled?

  • The Bench did not agree with the L-G’s contention that nominated members could vote in the first meeting.
  • The court pointed out that Article 243R of the Constitution did not distinguish between the first and regular meetings.

Who is a Mayor?

  • In India, the mayor is the head of a municipal corporation, which is responsible for providing essential services and infrastructure to the residents of a city or town.
  • The mayor is usually elected by the members of the municipal corporation or council, and serves as the ceremonial head of the local government.

History of Mayor’s elections in India

  • Municipal corporation mechanisms in India was introduced during British Rule with formation of municipal corporation in Madras (Chennai) in 1688, later followed by municipal corporations in Bombay (Mumbai) and Calcutta (Kolkata) by 1762.
  • However the process of introduction for an elected President in the municipalities was made in Lord Mayo’s Resolution of 1870.
  • Since then the current form and structure of municipal bodies followed is similar to Lord Ripon’s Resolution adopted in 1882 on local self-governance.
  • The 74th Constitutional Amendment Act of 1992 was introduced providing for the transfer of 18 different powers to urban local bodies, including the election of a mayor and to recognise them which included Municipal Corporations, Nagar Panchayats, and Municipal Councils.

Elections and tenure

  • The method of electing mayor and their tenure varies for each city in India.
  • In Bengaluru (Karnataka) the election process is indirect with a tenure being for one year, in Mumbai (Maharashtra) it follows indirect elections with tenure for 2.5 years and Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) follows a directly elected mayor with a term for 5 years.

Roles and Responsibilities

  • Governs the local civic body.
  • Fixed tenure varying in different towns.
  • First citizen of city.
  • Has two varied roles — Representation and upholding of the dignity of the city during ceremonial times and a presiding over discussions of the civic house with elected representatives in functional capacity.
  • The Mayor’s role is confined to the corporation hall of presiding authority at various meetings relating to corporation.
  • The Mayor’s role extends much beyond the local city and country as the presiding authority at corporation meetings during visits of a foreign dignitary to the city as he is invited by the state government to receive and represent the citizens to the guest of honour.
  • At government, civic and other social functions he is given prominence.

 

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Russian Invasion of Ukraine: Global Implications

What is Munich Security Conference?

IOCR | International Relations | Mains Paper 2: Important International Institutions
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Munich Security Conference (MSC)

Mains level: Not Much

Central idea: The article is about the controversy surrounding billionaire philanthropist and political activist George Soros and his alleged statements on India and the Indian PM at the Munich Security Conference.

Who is George Soros?

  • George Soros, the 92 YO billionaire philanthropist and political activist, has been at the center of several controversies over the years.
  • Some of the key controversies associated with Soros include:
  1. Currency manipulation: Soros became famous in the 1990s for his role in the “Black Wednesday” financial crisis in the UK, where he was accused of profiting from the devaluation of the pound sterling by short-selling it.
  2. Insider trading: Soros has also been accused of insider trading in several instances, including the case of the French bank Societe Generale.
  3. Political meddling: Soros has been accused of using his vast wealth to influence political campaigns and events around the world, including in countries like Hungary, Ukraine, and the United States.
  4. Anti-Semitic accusations: Soros has been the subject of numerous conspiracy theories and accusations of anti-Semitism, with some critics alleging that he is part of a secret globalist agenda to control world governments and economies.

About Munich Security Conference (MSC)

  • The MSC was founded by a German official and publisher Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist at the peak of the Cold War (1947-1991).
  • Starting in 1963, the conference initially only focused on military issues and was mainly attended by western countries and their high-profile officials, who “came together to display a united front in their struggle with Soviet communism”.
  • After the end of the Cold War, the conference expanded its agenda that went beyond defense and security matters to include issues such as climate change and migration.
  • It also started to invite leaders from eastern nations, including Russia, India and China.

What will be the focus of this year’s MSC?

  • This year’s edition might entail a refocus on its goal- the security order in Europe, in the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine war that began just days after the MSC 2022 was concluded.
  • The conference might also serve as a platform for diffusing tensions between the United States and China, especially after the former shot down an alleged spy balloon.
  • Another theme on the agenda is to focus on diverse perspectives from the Global South, which included some of the poorest and least industrialized countries in the world.

 

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Wildlife Conservation Efforts

Species in news: Pangolins

Prelims Only | Enviro & Biodiversity | Mains Paper 3: Conservation, Environmental Pollution & Degradation, Eia
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Pangolin

Mains level: Wildlife trade

pangolin

The World Pangolin Day was observed on February 18.

Why in news?

  • A not-for-profit organization working on the international trade of animals and plants, has brought out a fact sheet reporting that 1,203 pangolins have been found in illegal wildlife trade in India from 2018 to 2022.

Pangolins

IUCN status: Endangered

  • India is home to two species of pangolin.
  • While the Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) is found in northeastern India, the Indian Pangolin is distributed in other parts of the country as well as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
  • Both these species are protected and are listed under the Schedule I Part I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
  • Commonly known as ‘scaly anteaters’, the toothless animals are unique, a result of millions of years of evolution.
  • Pangolins evolved scales as a means of protection. When threatened by big carnivores like lions or tigers they usually curl into a ball.
  • The scales defend them against dental attacks from the predators.

Why protect Pangolins?

  • Pangolins are currently the most trafficked wildlife species in the world.
  • These Scales has now become the main cause of the pangolin’s disappearance.
  • The scales are in high demand in China, where they are used in traditional Chinese medicine.
  • Pangolin meat is also in high demand in China and Southeast Asia.
  • Consequently, pangolins have seen a rapid reduction in population globally. The projected population declines range from 50 per cent to 80 per cent across the genus.

 

Try this PYQ:

Consider the following animals:

  1. Hedgehog
  2. Marmot
  3. Pangolin

To reduce the chance of being captured by predators which of the above organisms rolls up/roll up and protects/protect its/their vulnerable parts?

(a) 1 and 2

(b) 2 only

(c) 3 only

(d) 1 and 3

 

Post your answers here.

 

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Animal Husbandry, Dairy & Fisheries Sector – Pashudhan Sanjivani, E- Pashudhan Haat, etc

Purse Seine Fishing Gear: A Questionable Fishing Method

op-ed snap | Enviro & Biodiversity | Mains Paper 3: Conservation, Environmental Pollution & Degradation, Eia
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: SEZ, EEZ ,UNCLOS

Mains level: UNCLOS and Sustainable fishing practices

Fishing

Central Idea

  • The Supreme Court of India has allowed purse seine fishing gear to be used for fishing beyond territorial waters (12 nautical miles) and within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) (200 nautical miles) of Tamil Nadu, subject to certain restrictions. However, the interim order is primarily concerned with regulating fishing through administrative and transparency measures rather than addressing conservation measures and obligations mandated by the UNCLOS. The use of purse seine fishing gear poses a threat to traditional fishermen and endangers the livelihoods of these fishermen.

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Fishing

What is Seine fishing gear?

  • Seine fishing gear is a type of fishing equipment used to catch fish in large quantities.
  • It consists of a long net that is suspended vertically in the water with the help of floats and weights. The net is then hauled through the water by two boats, which are called seine boats. The boats move towards each other, pulling the net between them and trapping fish in the process.
  • Seine fishing can be done in various ways, including purse seining, beach seining, and boat seining, among others.
  • The type of seine fishing gear used depends on the size of the fish being targeted and the location of the fishing activity.

About United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

  • Law of the Sea treaty: UNCLOS is sometimes referred to as the Law of the Sea Convention or the Law of the Sea treaty. It came into operation and became effective from 16th November 1982.
  • Defines rights and responsibilities with respect to oceans: It defines the rights and responsibilities of nations with respect to their use of the world’s oceans, establishing guidelines for businesses, the environment, and the management of marine natural resources.
  • It has created three new institutions on the international scene: International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, 2. International Seabed Authority, 3. Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf

Fishing

Conservation and conventions

  • Sovereign rights of coastal states: Under Articles 56.1(a) and 56.1(b)(iii) of UNCLOS, coastal states have sovereign rights to ensure that the living and non-living resources of the EEZ are used, conserved and managed, and not subject to overexploitation.
  • Coastal states discretion: Access to the zone by foreign fleets is also solely within the coastal state’s discretion and subject to its laws and regulations.
  • Total allowable catch in EEZ: In order to prevent overexploitation, coastal States must determine the total allowable catch (TAC) in the EEZ (Articles 61(1) and (2) of UNCLOS) in light of the best scientific evidence available.
  • Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (SBT) 1993: The crux of the SBT is TAC and distribution of allocations among the parties to the SBT, which are very relevant from the angle of conservation of general fishery.

Did you know?

  • The rise in occurrence of jellyfish indicates rising ocean water temperature.
  • Presence of jellyfish in the area indicates the reduction in the fish population.

Fishing

What are the concerns over the move?

  • Regulation is not sufficient: Merely restricting the purse seiner to fish on two days Monday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (in the Court order) is not sufficient without regulating the fishing methods used.
  • Insufficient catch for traditional fishermen: International legal efforts are gradually moving in the direction of abandoning the use of large-scale pelagic nets. The huge size of the purse seine nets (2,000 metres in length and 200 m in depth) allows maximum catch for the purse seiners, in turn leaving behind insufficient catch for traditional fishermen.
  • Efforts under TAC might face scientific uncertainty: TAC and the catch quotas are aimed at putting sustainable use into practice among fishermen and maintaining maximum sustainable yield (MSY). The efforts to implement TAC and catch quota might face scientific uncertainty relating to safe limits to ensure MSY.

Way ahead

  • The Court’s final judgment needs to look into non-selective fishing methods by purse seiners resulting in the by-catch of other marine living species (which could include, many a times, endangered species) a potential ground for trade embargo.
  • The top court should seek guidance from the obligations arising from the multilateral and regional conventions which are meant to bring in sustainable fishing practices over a certain period of time, thereby allowing a common resource such as fish to be naturally replenished.

Conclusion

  • Despite the best conservation measures and regulation of fishing methods adopted by the authorities, it will be a challenge in dealing with the limitless character of the seas which renders a common resource such as fish available for exploitation by all. The theory of Garrett Hardin, ‘The Tragedy of the Commons’, which says ‘Freedom in a commons brings ruin to all’ should convince all “fishermen, especially the purse seiners of Tamil Nadu, that they must cooperate in complying with conservation measures.

Mains question

Q. The Supreme Court of India has allowed purse seine fishing gear to be used for fishing beyond territorial waters. In this backdrop Discuss what is purse seine fishing gear its advantages and the concerns.

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Parliamentary Constituencies (PCs) and The Data Gap

op-ed snap | Governance | Mains Paper 2: Government Scheme/Policies,Representation Of People's Act
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: NA

Mains level: Importance of district level data for Policy making and effective functioning of MPs

Central Idea

  • India’s parliamentary constituencies (PCs) serve a dual role as geographical and administrative policy units headed by democratically elected Members of Parliament (MPs), The PCs require timely and available data on critical issues related to population health and socioeconomic well-being. The lack of such data at the PC level hinders MPs from effectively engaging with their constituents to fulfil their needs and aspirations.

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Parliamentary constituencies (PCs)

  • PCs are geographic areas or districts. Each parliamentary constituency is represented by a Member of Parliament (MP), who is elected by the people of that constituency in a general election.
  • The number of seats allocated to each state is based on its population
  • The MP is responsible for representing the interests and concerns of their constituents in the Parliament, and for taking up issues related to their development and well-being.

Who generates data on parliamentary constituencies?

  • Election commission is the primary authority: In India, the Election Commission is responsible for providing timely data on PCs. The ECI works in collaboration with various government departments and agencies, as well as local authorities, to collect and verify data on demographics, geography, and other factors that are relevant to the delimitation of constituencies.
  • Periodic delimitation: The process of delimitation, which involves the division of each state into a certain number of constituencies based on population and other criteria, is carried out periodically by the ECI to ensure that representation in the Lok Sabha is fair and equitable.
  • Census and NFHS: In addition to the Election Commission, various government agencies and departments may also be involved in generating data related to PCs, such as the Census of India, NFHS and the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Issue with timely and accessible data of the PCs

  • Lack of Data Availability at the PC Level: India’s 543 PCs require timely and readily available data on population health and socioeconomic well-being. At present, such data is lacking at the PC level.
  • Limitations of National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy (NDAP): With the launch of the NDAP in 2012, the Government of India made an effort to make data related to population health and well-being more accessible. However, district-level data, which has emerged as a key input for policy deliberations, does not help the PC have the same data.
  • Inadequate Representation or overlap of PC Boundaries: The district and PC boundaries do not correspond straightforwardly with each other. The districts and PCs overlap, and a district can have parts of or an entirety of multiple PCs intersecting it.
  • For instance: Approximately, only 28 PCs have the same geometry as the districts, and in the remaining PCs, there are various ways in which districts intersect PCs.
  • Misrepresentation hinders MPs in fulfilling responsibilities in their respective PCs: This misrepresents the constituents’ size and composition and hinders MPs from fulfilling their responsibilities towards their constituents effectively.

Importance of timely and updated district level data

  • Planning and resource allocation: Updated data on districts helps in better planning and allocation of resources, including financial and human resources.
  • For instance: if data shows that a particular district is facing a shortage of doctors, policymakers can allocate more resources to address the issue.
  • Effective implementation of policies: Timely and accurate data helps policymakers to design and implement policies that are better suited to the needs of specific districts.
  • For example: if data shows that a particular district has high levels of malnutrition, policymakers can design and implement a nutrition program that is tailored to that specific district.
  • Monitoring progress: Regularly updated data on districts helps in monitoring progress and assessing the effectiveness of policies and programs implemented in specific districts. If data shows that a particular policy is not producing the desired results, policymakers can make necessary changes or adjustments to the policy.
  • Identifying emerging issues: Timely data on districts can help in identifying emerging issues or challenges. Covid pandemic was good example of district level management of the crisis. This information can help policymakers to take prompt and appropriate action to mitigate the problem.

What needs to be done?

  • Empowering MPs with Accurate Data:
  1. MPs must be empowered with accurate data that relates to the populations they have been elected to serve.
  2. MPs need to liaise with multiple district administrations effectively to function efficiently and independently.
  • District Coordination and Monitoring Committee:
  1. To improve the synergy between district administration and elected representatives, the Ministry of Rural Development issued an order in 2016 to all states and Union Territories to constitute a District Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DDMC), chaired by district MPs.
  2. The DDMC charged with making the implementation and monitoring of central schemes more efficient. However, the data still pertains to districts and not PCs.
  • Addressing the PC Data Gap with an Interactive PC Data Tracker:
  1. A new interactive PC data tracker developed by the Geographic Insights Lab at Harvard University has for the first time provided data on crucial population, health, and well-being estimates for each of the 543 PCs, including a fact sheet for each PC.
  2. The data underlying the PC dashboard comes from the NFHS-4 and NFHS-5 (2019-2021).
  3. The methodology powering the PC tracker provides a solution to the existing PC data gap.
  4. The tracker uses GPS coordinates to map existing NFHS survey clusters onto PC boundary maps, from which indicator prevalence estimates for each PC are estimated.

Way Ahead

  • It is necessary to bridge the data gap at the PC level to enable MPs to serve their constituents efficiently and independently.
  • The new interactive PC data tracker is a useful tool for MPs to understand and prioritize the issues most impacting their communities.
  • A more durable solution would entail that all datasets related to population health and socioeconomic well-being be available at the PC level.

Conclusion

  • In recent years, India’s elected officials have been engaged more extensively in articulating and shaping the policy agenda. Bringing timely and frequent data on issues that matter for population health and well-being to PCs can bring much symmetry and synergy between districts.

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Rural Infrastructure Schemes

Vibrant Villages Programme Gets An Upgrade

op-ed snap | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Border Area Security Challenges,Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways Etc.
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Vibrant Villages Programme

Mains level: Vibrant Villages Programme and security issues along LAC

Villages

Central Idea

  • The Indian government has recently announced a significant allocation of funds to improve infrastructure and living conditions in villages along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. Under a “Vibrant Villages” programme, the government will spend Rs 4,800 crore for infrastructure development and to provide livelihood opportunities in the areas bordering China.

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What is Vibrant Villages Programme?

  • Improve infrastructure in villages along India’s border with China: The Vibrant Villages program is a government initiative aimed at improving infrastructure and creating job opportunities in villages situated along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.
  • Overview: The program involves a significant allocation of funds, i.e., Rs 4,800 crore, to upgrade 633 villages situated in five states, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and the Union Territory of Ladakh. Under the programme, residential and tourist centres will be constructed.
  • Objectives of the program: The program aims to enhance the living conditions of the people residing in the border areas and improve the security situation along the LAC with China.
  • Expected Benefits: The Vibrant Villages program aims to provide better facilities like schools, 24×7 electricity, and more 4G telecommunication towers in the border areas to match what is available in settlements across the LAC.
  • Strategy to enhance security: The Vibrant Villages program is part of the broader Indian government strategy to enhance security along the border with China. The investment in developing infrastructure and creating job opportunities is a crucial step towards improving the living conditions of the people in the border areas and enhancing the security situation along the LAC with China.
  • Program is modelled after Chinese actions on LAC: The program is modelled after the Chinese military and civilian authorities’ actions on their side of the LAC to build permanent population settlements along the border.

Villages

What is the upgraded plan?

  • Over a third of allocation towards road infrastructure in border areas: The plan is to upgrade 633 villages in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh and the Union Territory of Ladakh. Over a third of the allocation will go towards road building in the border areas. A new 4.1 km all-weather tunnel will connect Himachal Pradesh to Ladakh making troops movement easier.
  • Sports and tourism for livelihood opportunities: Tourism and sporting activities are being planned in these areas to provide livelihood opportunities for local people.
  • New battalions of ITBP to deploy on border: Further, the government will spend Rs 1,800 crore to raise seven new battalions of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) that means 9,000 personnel chiefly deployed along India’s borders with China alongside the Army.

What are the concerns for India?

  • National Security: India has long been concerned about China’s territorial claims and military build-up in the region. The development of Chinese villages along the LAC is viewed by India as a part of China’s broader strategy to strengthen its position in the region, which could pose a threat to India’s national security.
  • Military and Strategic Concerns: India is concerned that the villages built by China along the LAC have a dual purpose, i.e., they serve as civilian settlements as well as military outposts. These villages, therefore, give China an edge in terms of strategic advantage and troop deployment in the region.
  • Incursions and Border Disputes: China has been carrying out frequent incursions into Indian territory in the region, leading to increased tensions between the two countries. The development of Chinese villages along the LAC raises concerns that these could be used as bases for future incursions into Indian territory.
  • Environmental and Ecological Concerns: India has expressed concerns over the environmental impact of China’s development of villages along the LAC, as these areas are ecologically sensitive and prone to landslides, flash floods, and earthquakes. The construction of infrastructure such as roads, tunnels, and buildings can have a severe impact on the environment and ecosystem of the region.

What are the challenges for developing villages along the LAC?

  • Harsh Terrains: The areas along the LAC are characterized by high-altitude terrain, rugged mountains, and harsh weather conditions. These factors pose significant challenges to the construction of infrastructure and provision of services in these regions.
  • Security Concerns: The LAC border region has been the site of numerous border disputes and conflicts between India and China. Developing villages in this region requires addressing security concerns to ensure the safety of local people and government infrastructure.
  • Environmental Impact: The development of infrastructure and facilities in the border regions could have an adverse impact on the environment, including the degradation of natural habitats and the loss of biodiversity. Mitigating these impacts is necessary for sustainable development in these regions.
  • Cooperation from Local Communities: The success of the Vibrant Villages program depends on the cooperation of local communities in the border regions. Building trust and collaboration with these communities is crucial to the program’s success.

Conclusion

  • China’s incursion in Arunachal Pradesh highlights the present danger that India faces along the LAC with China. India can no longer afford to waste time as the PLA determines when and where to inflict harm on the country. Developing infrastructure and building vibrant villages is an essential step towards enhancing security and better living conditions in the border areas. Steps taken so far in the right direction however, India requires a more comprehensive defence strategy with an all-of-government approach to ensure its territorial integrity.

Mains question

Q. What is Vibrant Villages Programme? Discuss the challenges for developing villages along the LAC?

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Organ & Tissue Transplant- Policies, Technologies, etc.

Amendments to Organ Transplant Rules

| Governance | Mains Paper 2: Health & Education
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: NTTO

Mains level: Liberalizing organ transplant rules in India

organ

In a major tweak to the organ donation policy, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that the clause that people beyond 65 years could not receive cadaver organ transplants had been removed.

What are the changes introduced?

(1) No Age Bar

  • Now an individual of any age can register for organ transplant.
  • People beyond 65 years in need of an organ donation will also be eligible to get one.
  • The government has decided to do away with a clause in the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) guidelines as the clause violates the Right to Life.

(2) Doing away with domicile compulsion

  • Earlier an organ recipient could register for a prospective transplant in domicile State.
  • States like Gujarat had made it mandatory for registered patients to furnish a domicile certificate to be eligible for a transplant.
  • In November last year, the Gujarat High Court quashed the discriminatory policy of the State government.

Organ transplant in India: Key statistics

  • According to data accessed from the Health Ministry, the number of organ transplants have increased by over three times from 4,990 in 2013 to 15,561 in 2022.
  • Of the 15,561 transplants, a majority — 12,791 (82%) — are from live donors and 2,765 (18%) are from cadavers (the dead).
  • Up to 11,423 of the 15,561 organ transplants are for the kidney, followed by liver (766), heart (250), lung (138), pancreas (24) and small bowel transplants (3).
  • Most of these transplants occur in private hospitals, the numbers in government hospitals are relatively lower.

Challenges to Organ Donation in India

  • Lack of awareness: There is a lack of awareness among the general public about the importance of organ donation, the legal framework governing it, and the procedures involved. This can limit the number of potential donors.
  • Cultural beliefs and superstitions: In India, there are several cultural beliefs and superstitions that discourage organ donation. Some people believe that organ donation is against religious beliefs, or that it can impact the soul or afterlife.
  • Lack of infrastructure: India faces a shortage of hospitals and medical facilities that are equipped to handle organ transplantation. This can limit the availability of organs for transplantation.
  • Regulatory bottlenecks: While the legal framework exists, there is a lack of implementation and enforcement of the law. This can lead to issues such as organ trafficking and black market activities.

Way ahead

  • To address these challenges, the government and other stakeholders are working to raise awareness, improve infrastructure, and strengthen the legal framework governing organ donation.
  • Campaigns and initiatives are being undertaken to educate the public and healthcare professionals about the importance of organ donation, and to dispel myths and misconceptions.
  • Efforts are also being made to improve the infrastructure and facilities for organ transplantation, and to enhance the regulatory framework to prevent illegal activities.
  • These steps are aimed at promoting organ donation and increasing the availability of organs for transplantation, which can save lives and improve the quality of life for many people in India.

About National Organ Transplant Programme (NOTP)

  • In 2019, the GoI implemented the NOTP for promoting deceased organ donation.
  • Organ donation in India is regulated by the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994.

Types of Organ Donations

  • The law allows both deceased and living donors to donate their organs.
  • It also identifies brain death as a form of death.
  • Living donors must be over 18 years of age and are limited to donating only to their immediate blood relatives or, in some special cases, out of affection and attachment towards the recipient.

(1) Deceased donors:

  • They may donate six life-saving organs: kidneys, liver, heart, lungs, pancreas, and intestine.
  • Uterus transplant is also performed, but it is not regarded as a life-saving organ.
  • Organs and tissues from a person declared legally dead can be donated after consent from the family has been obtained.
  • Brainstem death is also recognized as a form of death in India, as in many other countries.
  • After a natural cardiac death, organs that can be donated are cornea, bone, skin, and blood vessels, whereas after brainstem death about 37 different organs and tissues can be donated, including the above six life-saving organs

(2) Living donors:

They are permitted to donate the following:

  • one of their kidneys
  • portion of pancreas
  • part of the liver

Features of the NOTP

  • Under the NOTP a National Level Tissue Bank (Biomaterial Centre) for storing tissues has been established at National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO), New Delhi.
  • Further, under the NOTP, a provision has also been made for providing financial support to the States for setting up of Bio- material centre.
  • As of now a Regional Bio-material centre has been established at Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (ROTTO), Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

 

Back2Basics: National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO)

NOTTO is a national-level organization set up under the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

1.  National Human Organ and Tissue Removal and Storage Network

2.  National Biomaterial Centre (National Tissue Bank)

[I] National Human Organ and Tissue Removal and Storage Network

  • This has been mandated as per the Transplantation of Human Organs (Amendment) Act 2011.
  • The network will be established initially for Delhi and gradually expanded to include other States and Regions of the country.
  • Thus, this division of the NOTTO is the nodal networking agency for Delhi and shall network for the Procurement Allocation and Distribution of Organs and Tissues in Delhi.
  • It functions as apex centre for All India activities of coordination and networking for procurement and distribution of Organs and Tissues and registry of Organs and Tissues Donation and Transplantation in the country.

[II] National Biomaterial Centre (National Tissue Bank)

  • The Transplantation of Human Organs (Amendment) Act 2011 has included the component of tissue donation and registration of tissue Banks.
  • It becomes imperative under the changed circumstances to establish National level Tissue Bank to fulfil the demands of tissue transplantation including activities for procurement, storage and fulfil distribution of biomaterials.
  • The main thrust & objective of establishing the centre is to fill up the gap between ‘Demand’ and ‘Supply’ as well as ‘Quality Assurance’ in the availability of various tissues.

The centre will take care of the following Tissue allografts:

1.  Bone and bone products

2.  Skin graft

3.  Cornea

4.  Heart valves and vessels

 

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Foreign Policy Watch: India-Afghanistan

34 years of Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan

| International Relations | Mains Paper 2: India & Its Neighborhood - Relations
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: NA

Mains level: India's role in ensuring normalcy in Afghanistan

afghanistan

Central idea: The article discusses the Soviet Union’s withdrawal from Afghanistan 34 years ago, which marked the end of a nearly decade-long occupation.

Fun fact:

“Charlie Wilson’s War” is a 2007 American biographical comedy-drama based on the true story of Charlie Wilson, a former United States Congressman who played a key role in supporting the Afghan mujahideen during the Soviet-Afghan War of the 1980s.

The film is notable for its depiction of the complex and often murky world of international politics and covert operations. It also highlights the unintended consequences of the US’s support for the Afghan mujahideen, which included the rise of the Taliban and the emergence of al-Qaeda.

 

Why did the Soviet Union invade Afghanistan?

  • Establish influence: The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in December 1979 in an attempt to support a friendly communist government (Saur Revolution) that had seized power in Kabul earlier that year.
  • Prevent radicalization of its southern states: The Soviet Union saw the situation in Afghanistan as an opportunity to extend its influence in the region and to protect its southern borders from Islamic fundamentalism.
  • Countering US influence in Pakistan: The Soviet Union was concerned about the possibility of the United States gaining a foothold in Afghanistan and potentially using it as a base for attacks against the Soviet Union.

What led to its withdrawal?

  • US-powered rebel groups: The Soviet Union’s occupation of Afghanistan faced fierce opposition from Afghan rebel groups, who were supported by the US and trained by Pakistan hoping that the jihadis would wage war on India and liberate Kashmir.
  • Huge casualties: The conflict turned into a protracted and costly war that lasted almost a decade, with the Soviet Union suffering significant casualties and eventually withdrawing its troops in 1989.
  • Fall of USSR: After the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan in 1989, the Afghan government, which had been propped up by the Soviet Union, soon collapsed, and the country plunged into a civil war.

Aftermath: Radicalization of Afghanistan

  • Rise of Taliban: Various factions vied for power, and the Taliban emerged as a dominant force. The Taliban, a hardline Islamist group, took control of the country in 1996 and imposed a strict interpretation of Islamic law. This rule was marked by brutality and oppression, including the widespread use of public executions, amputations, and other forms of punishment.
  • Safe havens for terror: The group provided a safe haven for Al Qaeda, which was responsible for the 9/11 attacks in the US.

How US came to Afghanistan?

  • In response to the 9/11 attacks, the United States led a coalition of forces in an invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.
  • The Taliban was quickly ousted from power, and a new ‘democratic’ government was established.
  • However, the conflict continued, and the Taliban gradually regained strength, launching attacks on government forces and civilian targets.

Why did the US left Afghanistan?

In August 2021, the US completed its withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, marking the end of a 20-year-long military presence in the country.  It decided to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan for several reasons-

  • Massive cost: The conflict had lasted for two decades, and the United States had spent over $2 trillion on the war effort.
  • Huge casualties: The number of lives lost by the United States in the war in Afghanistan is a matter of debate, but it is estimated that more than 2,400 US military personnel were killed in the conflict.
  • Mission accomplished: The US had achieved many of its initial objectives in Afghanistan, such as dismantling Al Qaeda’s infrastructure and removing the Taliban from power.
  • Foreign policy shift: The withdrawal of US forces was part of a broader shift in US foreign policy towards a focus on great power competition, particularly with China and Russia.
  • America first policy: The US had also sought to end what it saw as “endless wars” in the Middle East and refocus its attention on domestic priorities.

Assessing Taliban rule now

Since taking control of Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban has taken a number of steps to consolidate its power and impose its ideology on the Afghan people. Some of the ways in which the Taliban has been accused of ruining Afghanistan are:

  • Imposing Sharia: The Taliban is an Islamist extremist group that seeks to impose its strict interpretation of Islamic law on the country.
  • Human rights abuses: The Taliban has been accused of committing widespread human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, summary executions, and forced disappearances.
  • Oppression of women: The group has also targeted women and girls, imposing strict dress codes and limiting their access to education and employment.
  • Restrictions on free speech and the press: The Taliban has cracked down on freedom of expression and the press, shutting down independent media outlets and arresting journalists and activists who oppose their rule.
  • Economic and humanitarian crisis: The Taliban’s takeover has caused an economic and humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, with many people struggling to access basic necessities like food and medical care.
  • International isolation: Many countries have suspended aid and diplomatic relations with Afghanistan, and the UN has expressed concern about the group’s human rights record.

How is India helping the Afghan people cause?

India has been actively involved in providing humanitarian aid to the people of Afghanistan, especially in the wake of the Taliban’s return to power. Some of the ways in which India is helping the Afghan people are:

  • Providing food and medical aid: India has sent several consignments of food and medical aid to Afghanistan, including wheat, medicines, and other essential supplies. The aid is being delivered through various channels, including the Afghan Red Crescent Society and the UN.
  • Supporting refugees: India has a long history of providing support to Afghan refugees, and the government has pledged to continue this tradition in the wake of the Taliban’s return to power. India has said it will grant visas to Afghan nationals who are seeking refuge, and the government has also set up a new portal to streamline the visa application process.
  • Diplomatic efforts: India has been working to build international support for the Afghan people, and the government has been in touch with various countries and international organizations to coordinate relief efforts. India has also called for an inclusive political settlement in Afghanistan that respects the rights of all Afghan citizens, including women and minorities.

Conclusion

  • The situation in Afghanistan is complex and challenging, and there are no easy solutions.

 

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