Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Paper 3- India as a technology leader
Context
Every time a technology giant chooses an India-born techie as its leader, there is a justifiable swelling of pride in the country, but also some disappointment.
Why is India still not a major player in technology?
- Inability to use opportunities: The popular narrative is that India’s failures are linked to its inability to make use of market-driven growth opportunities.
- Brain drain: Indeed, as of 2019, there were 2.7 million Indian immigrants in the U.S.
- They are among the most educated and professionally accomplished communities in that country.
Role of the state
- Example of the US: An invisible hand of the US government has been there to prop up each of the so-called triumphs of enterprise and the free market in the US.
- Introduction of new generation technologies: Research by Mariana Mazzucato shows that the state has been crucial to the introduction of the new generation of technologies, including the computers, the Internet, and the nanotech industry.
- Public funding: Public sector funding developed the algorithm that eventually led to Google’s success and helped discover the molecular antibodies that provided the foundation for biotechnology.
- The role of the government has been even more prominent in shaping the economic growth of China, which is racing with the U.S. for supremacy in technology.
- Even while being hailed as the ‘factory of the world’, China had been stuck at the low value-adding segments of the global production networks, earning only a fraction of the price of the goods it manufactured.
- However, as part of a 2011 government plan, it has made successful forays into ‘new strategic industries’ such as alternative fuel cars and renewable energy.
- China’s achievements came not because it turned ‘capitalist’, but instead by combining the strengths of the public sector, markets and globalisation.
- China’s state-owned enterprises (SOEs) were seen as inefficient and bureaucratic.
- However, rather than privatising them or letting them weaken with neglect, the Chinese state restructured the SOEs.
- On the other, SOEs strengthened their presence in strategically important sectors such as petrochemicals and telecommunication as well as in technologically dynamic industries such as electronics and machinery.
What went wrong in India’s case?
- When India inaugurated planning and industrialisation in the early 1950s.
- Public sector funding of the latest technologies of the time including space and atomic research and the establishment of institutions such as the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) were among the hallmarks of that effort.
- Many of these institutions have over the years attained world-class standards.
- The growth of information technology and pharmaceutical industries has been the fastest in Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
- Poor education: However, the roadblocks to progress have been many, including India’s poor achievements in school education.
- Missed opportunity to strengthen technological capabilities: In 1991, when India embraced markets and globalisation, it should have redoubled efforts to strengthen its technological capabilities.
- Low spending on research and development: Instead, the spending on research and development as a proportion of GDP declined in India from 0.85% in 1990-91 to 0.65% in 2018.
- In contrast, this proportion increased over the years in China and South Korea to reach 2.1% and 4.5%, respectively, by 2018.
Positives for India
- Higher enrollment for tertiary education: The number of persons enrolled for tertiary education in India (35.2 million in 2019) is way ahead of the corresponding numbers in all other countries except China.
- More graduates from STEM: Further, graduates from STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) programmes as a proportion of all graduates was 32.2% for India in 2019, one of the highest among all countries (UNESCO data).
Way forward
- Increase spending on education: India needs to sharply increase its public spending to improve the quality of and access to higher education.
- An overwhelming proportion of tertiary students in India are enrolled in private institutions: it was 60% for those enrolled for a bachelor’s degree in 2017, while the average for G20 countries was 33%, according to OECD.
- Improve technological capabilities: The ‘Make in India’ initiative will have to go beyond increasing the ‘ease of business’ for private industry.
- Indian industry needs to deepen and broaden its technological capabilities.
- India — which will soon have twice the number of Internet users as in the U.S. — is a large market for all kinds of new technologies.
- While this presents a huge opportunity, the domestic industry has not yet managed to derive the benefits.
- This will happen only if universities and public institutions in the country are strengthened and emboldened to enter areas of technology development for which the private sector may have neither the resources nor the patience.
- Strengthen the public sector: PSUs should be valued for their potential long-term contributions to economic growth, the technologies they can create, and the strategic and knowledge assets they can build.
- A strengthened public sector will create more opportunities for private businesses and widen the entrepreneurial base. Small and medium entrepreneurs will flourish when there are mechanisms for the diffusion of publicly created technologies, along with greater availability of bank credit and other forms of assistance.
Conclusion
The next big story about Indian prowess does not have to be from the U.S., but could come from thousands of such entrepreneurs in far-flung corners of the country.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: MSP
Mains level: Paper 3- Challenges in legal backing to MSP
Context
Many political parties are demanding to make the minimum support prices (MSP) a legal instrument.
Background of MSP
- MSP regime had its genesis in 1965 when India was hugely short of basic staples and living in a “ship-to-mouth” situation.
- Indicative price: It was an indicative price (not a legal price) and procurement of rice and wheat was done to support farmers when they were adopting new seeds (HYV technology) and domestic procurement was to feed the PDS.
- The government declares MSP for 23 crops: Seven cereals (paddy, wheat, maize, bajra, sorghum, ragi and barley), five pulses (tur, moong, chana, urad and masur), seven oilseeds (soybean, groundnut, rapeseed-mustard, sesamum, safflower, sunflower and nigerseed) and four commercial crops (sugarcane, cotton, jute and copra).
Need to rethink procurement policy
- But now with granaries overflowing with rice and wheat, there is a need to rethink and redesign the procurement policy.
- In the crop year 2020-21, about 60 million metric tonnes (MMTs) of rice and 43 MMTs of wheat were procured by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and NAFED procured about 0.66 MMTs of pulses.
The increasing cost of PDS
- The main procurement by the government happens largely for rice and wheat to feed the public distribution system (PDS).
- The PDS issue prices of rice and wheat are subsidised by more than 90 per cent of their economic cost to the government.
- In 2020-21, the food subsidy bill was almost 30 per cent of the net tax revenue of the central government, reflecting clearly a huge consumer-bias in the system.
- Way forward: Unless this PDS is reformed either by restricting this to say the bottom 30 per cent of the population, or raising the issue prices to say half the economic cost of rice and wheat, giving a better deal to farmers is likely to blow up the fiscal position of the central government.
The cost of legal MSP
- Assuming that only 10 per cent of the production of remaining crops (excluding sugarcane) is procured, it will cost the government about Rs 5.4 lakh crore annually to procure these other MSP crops.
- This cost is estimated on the basis of economic costs of operation that are usually about 30 per cent higher than the MSP (in case of rice and wheat it is 40 per cent).
- But it appears that despite this, market prices may stay below MSP, especially during the harvest time.
- It also raises the question why only these MSP crops, why not other agri-produce, say milk, the value of which is more than the value of rice, wheat and sugarcane combined.
Way forward
- PDP: One may use price deficiency payments (PDP), implying that the government pays to farmers the gap between the market price and MSP, whenever market prices are below MSP.
- Income support instead of price support: It may be better to use an income policy on a per hectare basis to directly transfer money into farmers’ accounts without distorting markets through higher MSPs or PDPs.
Consider the question “What are the challenges in providing the legal backing to the Minimum Support Price to the agriculture produce? Suggest the way forward.”
Conclusion
There is no easy substitute to “getting the markets right”. Government need to apply an innovative approach to solve the conundrum of the MSP.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Paper 2- Accessibility Standards for law enforcement
Context
The Draft Accessibility Standards/Guidelines recently released by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for built infrastructure under its purview (police stations, prisons and disaster mitigation centres) and services associated with them assume significance.
What are the provisions under the Standards?
- Models for police stations: The Standards set out models for building new police stations as well as improving upon existing police stations and prisons that are modern, gender sensitive and accessible.
- The Standards speak to the need to make the websites and institutional social networks of police stations accessible, ensuring that persons with disabilities accused of committing any crimes are treated appropriately, having disabled-friendly entrances to police stations and disabled-friendly toilets.
- Inclusive police force: the Standards state that the police staff on civil duty could be persons with disabilities.
- Equal protection during natural disasters: Acknowledging that persons with disabilities must receive equal protection as others in such situations, the Standards provide direction on disability inclusion in disaster mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery efforts.
- They also stress on disability inclusive training for persons involved in disaster relief activities, data aggregation, use of information and communication technology (ICT) and enforcing accessible infrastructure models for schools, hospitals and shelters following the principle of universal design.
- Accessibility norm: The Standards introduce accessibility norms for services associated with police stations and prisons.
- These norms promote the use of ICTs to facilitate communication, development of police websites, app-based services for filing complaints, making enquiries, etc., as well as encouraging the use of sign language, communication systems such as Braille, images for persons with psycho-social disabilities, and other augmentative and alternative modes of communication.
Shortcomings of the Standards/norms
- Accessibility of signage not ensured: The Standards call for the deployment of directional signage regarding accessibility features in the MHA’s physical infrastructure as well as to indicate the location of accessible toilets.
- However, they do not require that such signage itself be accessible to the visually challenged, such as through auditory means.
- Certain accommodations merely recommendatory: The Standards characterise several reasonable accommodations that are necessary for the disabled as being merely recommendatory.
- These include having trained police personnel in every police station to assist persons with disabilities and placing beepers at all entrances to enable the visually challenged/blind to locate themselves.
- Lack of detail on human assistance: In the case of Patan Jamal Vali, the Court suggested connecting special educators and interpreters with police stations to operationalise the reasonable accommodations embodied in the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013.
- While the standards do require developing a mechanism to provide human assistance to the disabled such as sign language interpreters, they are short on specifics on this count.
- Lack of representation: Interestingly, the Standards state that the police staff on civil duty could be persons with disabilities.
- This is inconsistent with the Office Memorandum issued by the Department of Empowerment for Persons with Disabilities on August 18, 2021, according to which the Centre has exempted posts in the Indian Police Service; the Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshdweep, Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli Police Service; as well as the Indian Railway Protection Force Service from the mandated 4% reservation for persons with disabilities in government jobs.
Conclusion
In sum, the Standards, when enacted into law, will mark a huge step forward in making our law enforcement apparatus more disabled-friendly. Bolstering the Standards further, by incorporating the suggestions flowing from well- thought-out public comments, will take us closer to the aim of ensuring that India’s disabled citizens truly have the police they deserve.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: India's missile program
Mains level: Global arms race
The Defence Minister has encouraged scientists to work towards developing hypersonic missile technology after China’s successful demonstration of hypersonic glide vehicles (HGV).
Try this question:
Q. Hypersonic missiles are nothing but weapons of deterrence. Critically comment in context of arms race development for hypersonic missiles.
History of Missile Technology in India
(1) Pre-Independence
- Before Independence, several kingdoms in India were using rockets as part of their warfare technologies.
- Mysore ruler Hyder Ali started inducting iron-cased rockets in his army in the mid-18th century.
- By the time Hyder’s son Tipu Sultan died, a company of rocketeers was attached to each brigade of his army, which has been estimated at around 5,000 rocket-carrying troops.
(2) Post-Independence
- At the time of Independence, India did not have any indigenous missile capabilities.
- The government created the Special Weapon Development Team in 1958.
- This was later expanded and called the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), which moved from Delhi to Hyderabad by 1962.
- In 1972, Project Devil, for the development of a medium-range Surface-to-Surface Missile was initiated.
- By 1982, DRDL was working on several missile technologies under the Integrated Guided Missiles Development Programme (IGMDP).
What kind of missiles does India have?
- India is considered among the top few nations when it comes to designing and developing missiles indigenously.
- However, it is way behind the US, China and Russia in terms of range.
- DRDO is working on multiple varieties of missiles:
[A] Surface-launched Systems
ANTI-TANK GUIDED MISSILE:
- Nag has already been inducted into the services. Nag is the only fire-and-forget ATGM meeting all weather requirements for its range (around 20 km).
- Recently Heli-Nag was tested, which will be operated from helicopters and will be inducted by 2022.
- There is also a Stand-off Anti-Tank (SANT) missile, with a range over 10 km.
SURFACE-TO-AIR MISSILE
- Short-range SAM system: Akash has already been inducted in the Army and the Air Force.
- For Akash 1, which has a seeker, the Army has already got the Acceptance of Necessity from the government.
- For Akash (New Generation), the first tests were conducted in July this year and a couple more trials are to be done.
- Medium-Range SAM: Production of MRSAM systems for the Navy is complete, and it is placing its order.
[B] Air-launched Systems
AIR-TO-AIR:
- Astra, India’s Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM), has been completely tested and is under induction.
- It has a range of around 100 km, and DRDO is trying to now induct it with more IAF platforms, including the domestically developed light combat aircraft Tejas.
- A long-range Astra is also being developed, for which initial tests have been conducted.
- The missile uses solid fuel ramjet technology, which enhances speed, and will have an indigenously-built seeker.
AIR-TO-GROUND:
- Rudram, a New Generation Anti-Radiation Missile (NGRAM), has cleared initial tests and some more tests will be conducted soon.
- With a maximum range of around 200 km, the missile mainly targets communication, radar and surveillance systems of the adversary, and was tested from the Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jet last year.
- BrahMos, which India developed jointly with Russia, is already operational.
- It has a 300 km to 500 km range, and is a short-range, ramjet-powered, single warhead, supersonic anti-ship or land attack cruise missile.
India’s crucial missile systems
The two most important are Agni and Prithvi, both being used by the Strategic Forces Command.
- Agni (range around 5,000) is India’s only contender for an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM), which is available in only a few countries.
- Prithvi, although a short-range surface-to-surface missile with a 350 km range, has strategic uses. India also tested an anti-satellite system in April 2019.
- A modified anti-ballistic missile named Prithvi Defence Vehicle Mk 2 was used to hit a low-orbit satellite.
- It put India only behind the US, Russia and China in this capability.
What about Hypersonic Technology?
- India has been working on this for a few years, and is just behind the US, Russia and China.
- DRDO successfully tested a Hypersonic Technology Demonstrated Vehicle (HSTDV) in September 2020, and demonstrated its hypersonic air-breathing scramjet technology.
- India has developed its own cryogenic engine and demonstrated it in a 23-second flight.
- India will try to make a hypersonic cruise missile, using HSTDV.
- Only Russia has proven its hypersonic missile capability so far, while China has demonstrated its HGV capacity.
- India is expected to be able to have a hypersonic weapons system within four years, with medium- to long-range capabilities.
What makes India good in missile technology?
- Missile technology is one field in which India has made very positive and substantial progress.
- Under the IGMP then headed by A P J Abdul Kalam, later India’s President, first came Prithvi, then Agni.
- BrahMos, at 2.5-3 times the speed of sound, was among the fastest in the world when developed.
- After the nuclear blast in 1998, cryogenic etc were not given to us by developed countries. Kalam and others, they made it a point that they developed it within the country.
Where do China and Pakistan stand compared to India?
- While China is ahead of India, a lot of things about China are psychological.
- China may have either achieved parity or even exceeded the US in land-based conventional ballistic and cruise missile capabilities.
- China’s missile development is definitely a concern for us, but we will definitely evolve.
- It has given the technology to the irresponsible hands of Pakistan. But getting technology and really using it, and thereafter evolving and adopting a policy is totally different.
Must read:
Agni V vs China’s Hypersonic Missile
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Wholesale and Retail (Consumer) Inflation
Mains level: Inflation control in India
The wholesale inflation in India has grown by double digits. This is the highest year-on-year increase recorded in any month since the start of the 2011-12 data series.
Context
- It is surprising policymakers are not looking as concerned as the inflation figures show.
- The Finance Ministry has largely focused on the trend in retail inflation — or the inflation rate at the level of retail consumers.
- It is not just the policymakers within the government who prefer to focus on retail inflation but also the RBI.
Wholesale and Retail (Consumer) Inflation
- The wholesale and retail (consumer) inflation rates are based on the wholesale price index (WPI) and the consumer price index (CPI), respectively.
- In other words, we make two separate indices — one each for wholesale prices and retail prices — and see how the index values have gone up in a particular month as against the same month last year.
- The percentage change is the rate of inflation.
- The CPI-based inflation data is compiled by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (or MoSPI) and the WPI-based inflation data is put together by DPIIT.
The tables alongside detail how the two indices — WPI and CPI — differ in their composition. There are two key differences.
[A] Wholesale Price Index
| Component |
Weight (in %) |
Inflation rate (in %);
Nov 2021 |
| All Commodities |
100.00 |
14.23 |
| Primary Articles |
22.62 |
10.34 |
| Fuel & Power |
13.15 |
39.81 |
| Manufactured Products |
64.23 |
11.92 |
[B] Consumer Price Index
| Component |
Weight (in %) |
Inflation rate (in %);
Nov 2021 |
| General Index |
100.00 |
4.91 |
| Food and beverages |
45.86 |
2.60 |
| Pan, tobacco and intoxicants |
2.38 |
4.05 |
| Clothing and footwear |
6.53 |
7.94 |
| Housing |
10.07 |
3.66 |
| Fuel and light |
6.84 |
13.35 |
| Miscellaneous (services) |
28.32 |
6.75 |
A Comparison
(1) Manufactured Goods Vs. Food Items
- WPI is dominated by the prices of manufactured goods while CPI is dominated by the prices of food articles.
- As such, if the year-on-year increase in the prices of food articles is subdued, as is the case at present, chances are that the overall (also called headline) retail inflation will be within reasonable bounds.
- In WPI, if manufactured products are getting costlier at the wholesale level then that would likely spike wholesale inflation regardless of how food prices are doing at the wholesale level.
(2) Accounting Service
- Two, WPI does not take into account the change in prices of services. But CPI does.
- If services such as transport, education, recreation and amusement, personal care etc. get significantly costlier, then retail inflation will rise but there will be no impact on wholesale price inflation.
Why do policymakers prefer targeting retail inflation instead of wholesale inflation rate?
- RBI’s limitations: RBI is the monetary authority that has little ability to control food and fuel prices. Ex: raising the repo rate (rate at which RBI lends money to banks) is unlikely to contain the price of vegetables if any disruptions have led to a sudden spike.
- Non-commodity Inflation: Wholesale inflation does not capture price movements in non-commodity-producing sectors like services, which constitute close to two-thirds of economic activity in India.
- Large revisions in WPI: Movements in WPI often reflect large external shocks and as such, the wholesale inflation rate is often subject to large revisions.
Arguments in favour of CPI-based inflation targeting
- Commodity basket: A crucial reason why CPI-based inflation could not be ignored is the fact that it has almost 57% dominance of food and fuel prices.
- Affecting general public: Since most people use retail inflation as a way to arrive at their real earnings, and use it for wage negotiations etc., it makes more sense for policymakers,
- Public faith: The choice of CPI establishes ‘trust’ viz., economic agents note that the monetary policy maker is targeting an index that is relevant for households and businesses.
- Inflation affecting people: True inflation that consumers face is in the retail market. It is for this reason that almost all central banks in big economies use CPI as their primary price indicator.
Impact of Wholesale inflation on Retail
- The Urjit Patel committee analysed the relationship between WPI and CPI based on monthly data from January 2000 to December 2013 — a total of 14 years.
- When they looked at the impact of an increase in WPI-food inflation on CPI food inflation, they found it to be “significant”.
- It stated that higher food inflation in wholesale markets leads to an increase in retail food inflation “till two months”.
- An increase in retail food inflation leads to a corresponding increase in WPI-food inflation.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: ECI
Mains level: Read the attached story
The “informal interaction” of the CEC and two other Election Commissioners with the Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary has raised questions about the neutrality of the Commission, especially when elections to crucial States are around the corner.
About Election Commission of India
- The ECI is a constitutional authority whose responsibilities and powers are prescribed in the Constitution of India under Article 324.
- In the performance of its functions, the Election Commission is insulated from executive interference.
- It is the Commission that decides the election schedules for the conduct of elections, whether general elections or by-elections.
- ECI decides on the location of polling stations, assignment of voters to the polling stations, location of counting centers, arrangements to be made in and around polling stations and counting centres and all allied matters.
Litigations against EC
- The decisions of the Commission can be challenged in the High Court and the Supreme Court of India by appropriate petitions.
- By long-standing convention and several judicial pronouncements, once the actual process of elections has started, the judiciary does not intervene in the actual conduct of the polls.
Issues with PMO meeting
- Executive interference: ECs are expected to maintain distance from the executive — a constitutional safeguard to insulate the commission from external pressure and allow it to continue as an independent authority.
- Violating official channels: The EC’s communication with the Government on election matters is through the bureaucracy — either with its administrative ministry — the Law Ministry or the Home Ministry.
- Breach of protocol: The Law Ministry spells the fine print on law for the country and is expected not to breach the constitutional safeguard provided to the commission to ensure its autonomy.
Recent incidence of criticisms
Ans. Partiality in Elections
- Over the last couple of years, several actions and omissions of the commission have come in for criticism.
- Nearly 66 former bureaucrats in a letter addressed to the President, expressed their concern over the working of the Election Commission.
- They felt was suffering from a credibility crisis, citing various violations of the model code of conduct during the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections.
Importance of ECI for India
- Conduction of Election: The ECI has been successfully conducting national as well as state elections since 1952.
- Electoral participation: In recent years, however, the Commission has started to play a more active role to ensure greater participation of people.
- Discipline of political parties: It had gone to the extent of disciplining the political parties with a threat of derecognizing if the parties failed in maintaining inner-party democracy.
- Upholds federalism: It upholds the values enshrined in the Constitution viz, equality,
equity, impartiality, independence; and rule of law in superintendence, direction, and control over electoral governance.
- Free and fair elections: It conducts elections with the highest standard of credibility, freeness, fairness, transparency, integrity, accountability, autonomy and professionalism.
Issues with ECI
- Flaws in the composition: The Constitution doesn’t prescribe qualifications for members of the EC. They are not debarred from future appointments after retiring or resigning.
- No security of tenure: Election commissioners aren’t constitutionally protected with security of tenure.
- Partisan role: The EC has come under the scanner like never before, with increasing incidents of breach of the Model Code of Conduct in the 2019 general elections.
- Political favor: The opposition alleged that the ECI was favoring the ruling party by giving clean chit to the model code of conduct violations made by the PM.
- Non-competence: Increased violence and electoral malpractices under influence of money have resulted in political criminalization, which ECI is unable to arrest.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Iron fortification
Mains level: Isuses with fortified food
Many things have been said about the necessity for mandatory iron fortification of foods in India.
Iron fortification
- Iron fortification of food is a methodology utilized worldwide to address iron deficiency.
- A critical problem in some food fortification programs is the lack of bioavailability of iron compounds.
Why need iron fortification?
Ans. Prevalence of Anaemia
- Iron deficiency anaemia is due to insufficient iron.
- National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5 provides insights into anaemia prevalence in the country, indicating that 57.2% of women ages 15 to 49 are anaemic, up from 49.7% in NFHS-4.
- Without enough iron, the body can’t produce enough of a substance in red blood cells that enables them to carry oxygen (hemoglobin).
- Severe anemia during pregnancy increases your risk of premature birth, having a low birth weight baby and postpartum depression.
- Some studies also show an increased risk of infant death immediately before or after birth.
Concerns over iron fortification
Ans. Fear of diabetes and heart ailments
- Iron increases the risk for many non-communicable diseases like diabetes, hypertension and even high blood cholesterol.
- A US based survey shows that high ferritin level had a four-fold higher risk of having diabetes.
- The Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey of Indian adolescents to resulted in such scary outcomes.
- There was a clear and significant risk for each of these conditions as serum ferritin increased.
India’s vulnerability
Ans. India is world capital of diabetes and hypertension
- No less than 50% of Indian children, aged 5-19 years, already had a biomarker of either high blood sugar or high blood lipids, even when thin or stunted.
- Thus, the risk of chronic disease is already very high in our children.
- Thus mandatory cereal fortification has severe hazards for India.
Why mandatory fortification is not a feasible option?
- Occurrence of deficiencies: We do not even know if anaemia is as rampant to warrant such mandatory measures.
- Manipulating food choices: When mandatory fortification is enforced in parts of the population that do not need this, it removes their choice of foods, or autonomy.
- Morbidities due to excess: It could even be unethical if the risk of other morbidities is increased.
- No successful example: Rice fortification has not been shown to work in a combined analysis.
Conclusion
- Food fortification is not a magic bullet.
- It should be viewed as a complementary strategy for the prevention and control of micronutrient deficiencies.
- As dietary patterns and deficiency states change, monitoring and periodic evaluation will be essential in helping to make necessary changes.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Indian Gharial
Mains level: Species reintroduction and related issues
Gharial ( Gavialis gangeticus ) have been successfully reintroduced the in the Beas River of Punjab where it had become extinct half a century ago.
One may often get confused between the Mugger, Gharial and the Saltwater Crocodile. Note the differences about their IUCN status, habitat (freshwater/saltwater) etc..
Gharials
- The Gharial is a fish-eating crocodile is native to the Indian subcontinent. They are a crucial indicator of clean river water.
- Small released populations are present and increasing in the rivers of the National Chambal Sanctuary, Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, Son River Sanctuary.
- It is also found at the rainforest biome of Mahanadi in Satkosia Gorge Sanctuary, Orissa.
- Gharials are ‘Critically Endangered’ in the IUCN Red List of Species.
- The species is also listed under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
Into the wild
- A major chunk of gharials in India is found in the Chambal River, which has about 1,000 adults.
- The Ghaghara acts as an important aquatic corridor for gharials in Uttar Pradesh. The river is a major left-bank tributary of the Ganges.
- Like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar too is releasing gharials in the Valmiki Tiger Reserve as part of restocking the wild population. Unlike crocodiles, gharials do not pose any danger to humans.
Ambitious project in Punjab
- The gharial reintroduction in the Beas Conservation Reserve is an ambitious programme of the Punjab government.
- The reptiles were commonly sighted in the Beas River till the 1960s but later became extinct.
Back2Basics:
Mugger
- The mugger is a marsh crocodile which is found throughout the Indian subcontinent.
- It is a freshwater species and found in lakes, rivers and marshes.
- IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Saltwater Crocodile
- It is the largest of all living reptiles.
- It is found along the eastern coast of India.
- IUCN Status: Least Concerned
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Liberation of Goa
Mains level: Decolonization of India
Goa hosts PM for the celebration of its 60th liberation day.
Goan Liberation
- An important port for trade and military operations, Goa was ruled by the Portuguese for more than 450 years.
- Historically, revolts against Portuguese rulers and their policies were recorded in the 18th and 19th century too.
- On June 18, 1946, the movement of Goa’s liberation gathered momentum after socialist leader Dr Ram Manohar Lohia plunged himself into the freedom movement with many young Goans.
- The day is now observed as Goa Revolution Day.
Freeing from Portuguese Rule
- Even as India became independent on August 15, 1947, Goa continued to be under Portuguese rule 14 years after that.
- After independence, the calls for Goa’s Liberation again gathered steam.
- After multiple agitations by freedom fighters, India made peaceful attempts for Goa’s liberation through diplomatic channels.
- However, as a last resort, the Indian government then led by PM Nehru, sent in its armed forces to the coastal state after which the Portuguese surrendered and Goa was liberated on December 19, 1961.
- This moment also marked the exit of the Portuguese (the first-comers), the last of the European colonizers to leave India.
Contribution of T.B. Cunha
- Cunha (1891-1958) was a prominent Indian nationalist and anti-colonial activist from Goa.
- He is popularly known as the “Father of Goan nationalism”, and was the organiser of the first movement to end Portuguese rule in Goa
What was ‘Operation Vijay’?
- Perhaps the first tri-service operation of the Indian armed forces, Operation Vijay was about the liberation of the Portuguese territories of Goa, Daman and Diu.
- It was a 36-hour military operation that started on December 18, 1961 and concluded on December 19, 1961.
- While the army advanced into Goa from the North and the East, the Indian Air Force bombed the Portuguese airbase at Dabolim.
- The Indian Navy was tasked with preventing hostile action by Portuguese warships, securing access to the Mormugao harbour, and securing the Anjadip island off Karwar.
- By the evening of December 19, 1961, Portuguese Governor General Vassalo De Silva had signed the document of surrender after Indian armed forces.
What happened after the liberation of Goa?
- Goa was annexed into the Indian Union and was the Union Territory of Goa, Daman and Diu.
- In 1967, however, the question of whether the state should merge with Maharashtra or not was answered through a plebiscite in which the majority of the Goan people voted against a merger.
- It continued to remain a Union Territory until 1987 when it was accorded statehood.
- Goa became India’s 25th state even as Daman and Diu continue to be UTs.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Irrecoverable Carbon
Mains level: Global carbon sinks
Researchers have identified and mapped 139 gigatonnes (Gt) of “irrecoverable carbon” in some of the world’s major forests and peatlands — including the Amazon and the Congo — to avoid catastrophic climate change.
What is Irrecoverable Carbon?
- The concept of ‘irrecoverable carbon’ was introduced in 2020.
- All kinds of ecosystems — lush rainforest, muddy peatland, shady mangroves — contain eons of stored carbon, captured by photosynthesis.
- Per square kilometer, the forests are among the most effective carbon stores in the world; but they’re also some of the most difficult to restore.
- If destroyed, these ecosystems could take decades or centuries to regenerate.
- In other words, the 139 gigatons of carbon contained in these areas are effectively irrecoverable if released due to anthropogenic activities.
- Once released in air, it can be recovered but would take centuries to fully recover or naturally reintegrate.
What is the new research?
- In the new study, researchers have identified and mapped carbon reserves that are “manageable, are vulnerable to disturbance” and cannot be recovered by 2050.
- They held study of peatlands of the Congo Basin and Northern Europe; and in North America, the mangrove swamps of the Everglades and old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest.
- 2050 has been set as the deadline for taking global carbon emissions to net zero in order for Earth to avoid warming at 1.5-2 degrees celsius above the pre-industrial levels.
- To mitigate such a warming scenario, it is imperative to conserve the ecosystems with 139 Gt carbon.
Key findings
- Amazon is the biggest carbon sink on earth, holding 31.5 Gt irrecoverable carbon.
- Brazil has the second-largest irrecoverable carbon reserves, after Russia that holds 23 per cent of the total irrecoverable carbon outlay in the world.
- The second-largest reserve of carbon, at 132 Gt, comprise the islands of Southeast Asia, with their equatorial rainforests.
- The Congo basin is the third-largest hotspot of irrecoverable carbon with over 8 Gt of carbon reserves, according to the study.
- Australia, which has become a hotspot for wildfires, is home to 2.5 per cent of the world’s carbon reserve along its coastal mangroves and forests in the southeast and southwest.
Why conserve these forests?
- These regions are already being ravaged by wildfires and exploited for resources by mining and oil industries.
- Since 2010, agriculture, logging and wildfire have caused emissions of at least 4 Gt of irrecoverable carbon.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Nord Stream Pipeline
Mains level: Not Much
Germany has warned about severe consequences for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany if Moscow attacked Ukraine.
Nord Stream 2 Pipeline
- It is a system of offshore natural gas pipelines running under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany.
- It includes two active pipelines running from Vyborg to Lubmin near Greifswald forming the original Nord Stream, and two further pipelines under construction running from Ust-Luga to Lubmin termed Nord Stream 2.
- In Lubmin the lines connect to the OPAL line to Olbernhau on the Czech border and to the NEL line to Rehden near Bremen.
- The first line Nord Stream-1 was laid and inaugurated in 2011 and the second line in 2012.
- At 1,222 km in length, Nord Stream is the longest sub-sea pipeline in the world, surpassing the Langeled pipeline.
Why is the pipeline controversial?
- The US believed that the project would increase Europe’s dependence on Russia for natural gas.
- Currently, EU countries already rely on Russia for 40 percent of their gas needs.
- The project also has opponents in eastern Europe, especially Ukraine, whose ties with Russia have seriously deteriorated in the aftermath of the Crimean conflict in 2014.
- There is an existing land pipeline between Russia and Europe that runs through Ukraine.
- The country feels that once Nord Storm 2 is completed, Russia could bypass the Ukrainian pipeline, and deprive it of lucrative transit fees of around $3 billion per year.
- Ukraine also fears another invasion by Russia once the new pipeline is operational.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Gross tax revenue
Mains level: Paper 3- Challenges in achieving 9.5 growth rate
Context
The National Statistical Office (NSO) released the second quarter gross value added (GVA) and gross domestic product (GDP) numbers on November 30, 2021, indicating the pace of economic recovery in India after the two COVID-19 waves.
Strong growth momentum required to exceed pre-COVID-19 levels
- The real GVA for the first half of 2021-22 at ₹63.4 lakh crore has remained below the level in the first half of 2019-20 at ₹65.8 lakh crore by (-)3.7%.
- This difference is even larger for GDP which at the end of first half of 2021-22 stood at ₹68.1 lakh crore, which is (-) 4.4% below the corresponding level of GDP at ₹71.3 lakh crore in 2019-20.
- As the base effect weakens in the third and fourth quarters of 2021-22, a strong growth momentum would be needed to ensure that at the end of this fiscal year, in terms of magnitude, GVA and GDP in real terms exceed their corresponding pre-COVID-19 levels of 2019-20.
- Domestic demand including private final consumption expenditure (PFCE) in the first half of 2021-22 remains below its corresponding level in 2019-20 by nearly ₹5.5 lakh crore.
- This indicates that investment as well as consumption demand have to pick up strongly in the remaining two quarters to ensure that the economy emerges on the positive side at the end of 2021-22 as compared to its pre-COVID-19 level.
Annual growth prospects
- Required rate in second half of 2021-22: To realise the projected annual growth at 9.5% for 2021-22 given both by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), we require a growth of 6.2% in the second half of 2021-22.
- This will have to be achieved even as the base effect weakens in the third and fourth quarters since GDP growth rate in these quarters of 2020-21 was at 0.5% and 1.6%, respectively.
- Thus, achieving the projected growth rate of 9.5% is going to be a big challenge.
What should be the policy to achieve higher growth rate
- Fiscal support: The policy instrument for achieving a higher growth may have to be a strong fiscal support in the form of government capital expenditure.
- The Centre’s gross tax revenues have shown an unprecedented growth rate of 64.2% and a buoyancy of 2.7 in the first half of 2021-22.
- The Centre’s incentivisation of state capital expenditure through additional borrowing limits would also help in this regard. According to available information, 11 States in the first quarter and seven States in the second quarter qualified for the release of the additional tranche under this window.
- Even as Central and State capital expenditures gather momentum, high frequency indicators reflect an ongoing pick-up in private sector economic activities.
Robust growth in Centre’s gross tax revenue
- The growth in the Centre’s GTR in the first half of 2019-20 was at 1.5% and there was a contraction of (-)3.4% for the year as a whole.
- In the face of such weak revenues, the Central government could not mount a meaningful fiscal stimulus in 2019-20 even as real GDP growth fell to 4.0%.
- In contrast, the government is in a significantly stronger position in 2021-22 since the growth in GTR in the first half is 64.2% and the full-year growth is expected to be quite robust.
Conclusion
Thus, the key to attaining a 9.5% real GDP annual growth in 2021-22 lies in the government’s ongoing emphasis on infrastructure spending as reflected in the government’s capital expenditure.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Paper 3- Need for reforms in agriculture
Context
In the run-up to the repeal of the three farm laws, the potential cost of MSP to the taxpayers became a matter of debate.
Issue of MSP
- Large variation: Experts and agricultural economists quoted numbers about the cost of MPS.
- There is a large variation in the quoted numbers.
- The enormity of the variance in estimates is astounding.
- No consensus on the number of beneficiaries of MSP: There is also a dissonance between the NSSO data and the administrative data on the number of farmers who enjoy MSP.
- No consensus on a formula to calculate MSP: Further, there is no consensus on the formulae for the calculation of MSP.
Suggestions on land reforms
[1] Reduce high domestic prices
- That India is an agri-surplus country.
- That domestic prices of agri-commodities are often higher than in the international market and therefore, there is a need to bring them down.
- How to achieve cost reduction: Cost reduction can happen either by creating efficiencies by plugging leakages or, by cost-cutting — including reducing farmers’ margins.
- In the recently-reached understanding with the farmers, the government has agreed to constitute a committee on MSP.
- Hopefully, a formula can be arrived at by which costs of domestic agricultural produce can be reduced while ensuring a “remunerative price” for the farmers.
[2] Protecting landholdings
- There is also a need to protect landholdings.
- Farmers’ fears in this regard are not exaggerated.
- Under the erstwhile laws, orders of payment made by an SDM/Collector could be recovered as “arrears of land revenue”.
- While agricultural lands were protected from such recovery, non-agricultural (immovable and movable) assets appeared to be fair game.
- Further, circumstances such as sustenance and payment of debts could force a farmer to sell their agricultural landholdings.
- Large-scale loss of landholdings could lead to their consolidation in the hands of a few.
- This could have the impact of turning the clock back, reminiscent of the Zamindari system.
[3] Need to reconsider the dispute resolution mechanism
- The government should also reconsider the dispute resolution mechanism provided in the erstwhile laws.
- In an MSP driven regime, the government is likely to be a party in any potential dispute.
- Conflict of interest: There will be a direct conflict of interest since the SDM/Collector is an arm of the government.
- Land records are within the jurisdiction of the patwari and tehsildar, who report to the SDM/Collector.
- Fast track courts: It would be advisable to think in terms of fast-track courts, and remove the provision of recovery through arrears of land revenue.
- It would also be advisable to have only one dispute resolution mechanism for all farm laws.
[4] Avoid over-corporatisation without the creation of the requisite efficiencies
- We should not ask our farmers to brave corporatisation without levelling the playing field and enough jobs in the non-agricultural sector.
- Over-corporatisation without the creation of the requisite efficiencies could lead us to become heavily import-dependent, killing the benefits of the Green Revolution.
Conclusion
Perfunctory reforms and those that don’t work for all constituents — corporates as well as farmers — could have long-term deleterious effects for not only the agricultural sector, but the economy as a whole.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Paper 2- Independence of Election Commission
Context
The Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners were summoned by the PMO to attend a meeting with the Principal Secretary to the PM.
Why the meeting raises questions?
- The PMO summoning or “inviting” not just the CEC but the full bench is in violation of the Constitution, irrespective of how important or urgent the issue.
- Violation of the principle of distancing from executive: When a person is appointed as CEC or EC, that person has to resign from his executive post in order to adhere to important constitutional principle of distancing from the executive/government.
- The executive could appoint a person to these posts but could not order them, or remove me because of the constitutional scheme of things.
- Violation of independence: An independent ECI is a gift of the Constitution to the nation. Free and fair and credible elections are sine qua non of the EC.
- The Supreme Court has repeatedly stressed this point, calling it part of the basic structure of the Constitution.
- Violation of warrant of precedence: The CEC is very high in the warrant of precedence — ninth, while the PS to PM is 23rd.
- How can such a high constitutional functionary be summoned to attend a meeting with an officer, howsoever high and mighty?
- It raises suspicions: A meeting of the PS to the PM, formal or informal, online or in the PMO or ECI, just before elections raises unnecessary suspicions.
Conclusion
This incident is a transgression that should not happen again. The distance of an arm’s length in interactions between institutions envisaged in the Constitution is sacrosanct. It should not only be maintained but also “seen” to be maintained.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
The Supreme Court has allowed Maharashtra to hold bullock cart races in the state till the pendency of the matter before the Constitutional Bench of the apex court.
Allowing bullock-cart races
- The SC observed that the validity of the amended provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 and the rules framed by Maharashtra provided for bullock cart race in the State.
- Such races would operate during the pendency of the petitions as the entire matter has been referred to a constitution Bench.
- The state govt has cited examples as the same is being conducted in the states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
Why was there a ban on the bullock cart races?
Ans. Ban on Jallikattu, then
- Bullock cart races were banned in Maharashtra after the Supreme Court declared that the race as violative of the provisions of the central act in 2014.
- It then had observed that bulls were not anatomically designed to participate in races/taming and would be subjected to cruelty if used as a performing animal.
How did Maharashtra respond?
Ans. Bringing in a law to prevent pain or sufferings to the animals
- In April 2017, the Maharashtra assembly had passed legislation for resumption of bullock cart races across the state.
- The Bill titled ‘The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Maharashtra Amendment) Bill’ was passed unanimously with the support of all parties.
- As per the amendment, bullock cart races could be held with the prior permission of the district collector concerned by ensuring that no pain or suffering would be caused to the animal.
Why did the Maharashtra government go to SC?
Ans. Blanket ban by Bombay HC
- Even after this law, the Bombay High Court refused to vacate stay on the bullock cart races.
- Hence it got to approach the SC.
Proving the running ability of a bull
- In November 2017, the Maharashtra government set up a committee to study the running capacity of various breeds of bulls and bullocks in comparison to horses.
- The committee was asked to study physiological and biochemical changes during the running of the bulls, bullocks and horses.
- A report titled ‘Running ability of bull’ was prepared in two months by the government to justify allowing the bullock cart races.
- Subsequently, the Maharashtra government challenged the Bombay HC’s order.
Back2Basics: Jallikattu Debate
- It is a bull-taming sport and a disputed traditional event in which a bull such is released into a crowd of people.
- Multiple human participants attempt to grab the large hump on the bull’s back with both arms and hang on to it while the bull attempts to escape.
- Participants hold the hump for as long as possible, attempting to bring the bull to a stop. In some cases, participants must ride long enough to remove flags on the bull’s horns.
- It is typically practised in the state of Tamil Nadu as a part of Pongal (harvest) celebrations in January.
Issue with the sport
An investigation by the Animal Welfare Board of India concluded that “Jallikattu is inherently cruel to animals”.
- Human deaths: The event has caused several human deaths and injuries and there are several instances of fatalities to the bulls.
- Manhandling of animals: Animal welfare concerns are related to the handling of the bulls before they are released and also during the competitor’s attempts to subdue the bull.
- Cruelty to animal: Practices, before the bull is released, include prodding the bull with sharp sticks or scythes, extreme bending of the tail which can fracture the vertebrae, and biting of the bull’s tail.
- Animal intoxication: There are also reports of the bulls being forced to drink alcohol to disorient them, or chilli peppers being rubbed in their eyes to aggravate the bull.
Arguments in favour
- Native breed conservation: According to its protagonists, it is not a leisure sport available but a way to promote and preserve the native livestock.
- Cultural significance: Jallikattu has been known to be practiced during the Tamil classical period (400-100 BCE) and finds mention in Sangam texts.
- Man-animal relationship: Some believe that the sport also symbolizes a cordial man-animal relationship.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Nagoya Protocol, BDA, 2002
Mains level: Read the attached story
The government has introduced the Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill, 2021 which seeks to facilitate access to biological resources and traditional knowledge by the Indian traditional medicine sector.
Biological Diversity Act, 2002: A quick recap
- The BDA, 2002 was enacted for the conservation of biological diversity and fair, equitable sharing of the monetary benefits from the commercial use of biological resources and traditional knowledge.
- The main intent of this legislation is to protect India’s rich biodiversity and associated knowledge against their use by foreign individuals.
- It seeks to check biopiracy, protect biological diversity and local growers through a three-tier structure of central and state boards and local committees.
- The Act provides for setting up of a National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) and Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) in local bodies.
- The NBA will enjoy the power of a civil court.
What are the proposed Amendments?
The bill seeks to reduce the pressure on wild medicinal plants by encouraging the cultivation of medicinal plants. The bill:
- Biological resources sharing: Exempts Ayush practitioners from intimating biodiversity boards for accessing biological resources or knowledge (Vaids and Hakims)
- Research promotion: Facilitates fast-tracking of research, simplify the patent application process
- Decriminalization: Decriminalises certain offences
- Bring in foreign investment: Seeks to bring more foreign investments in biological resources, research, patent and commercial utilisation, without compromising the national interest
Need for the Amendment
- Simplifying process: Concerns were raised by Ayush medicine, seed, industry and research sectors urging the government to simplify, streamline the profession.
- Easing compliance: They urged govt to reduce the compliance burden to provide for a conducive environment for collaborative research and investments.
- Access and Benefit-sharing: It also sought to simplify the patent application process, widen the scope of access and benefit-sharing with local communities.
- Exemptions: Ayush practitioners have been exempted from the ambit of the Act, a huge move because the Ayush industry benefits greatly from biological resources in India.
- Certain offences: Violations of the law related to benefit-sharing with communities, which are currently treated as criminal offences and are non-bailable, have been proposed to be made civil offences.
- Imbibing Nagoya Protocol: This bill provides to reconcile the domestic law with free prior informed consent requirements of the 2010 Nayogya Protocol on ABS.
Criticisms of the bill
- No consultation: The bill has been introduced without seeking public comments as required under the pre-legislative consultative policy.
- No profit-sharing: There are ambiguous provisions in the proposed amendment to protect, conserve or increase the stake of local communities in the sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity.
- Commercialization: Activists say that the amendments were done to “solely benefit” the AYUSH Ministry.
- Loopholes to Biopiracy: The Bill would mean AYUSH manufacturing companies would no longer need to take approvals.
- Ignoring Bio-utilization: The bill has excluded the term Bio-utilization which is an important element in the Act. Leaving out bio utilization would leave out an array of activities like characterization, incentivisation and bioassay which are undertaken with commercial motive.
- Exotic plants cultivation: The bill also exempts cultivated medicinal plants from the purview of the Act but it is practically impossible to detect which plants are cultivated and which are from the wild.
- De-licensing: This provision could allow large companies to evade the requirement for prior approval or share the benefit with local communities.
Back2Basics: Access and Benefit-Sharing
- India is a party to the Convention of Biological Diversity, and the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing.
- It is mandated that benefits derived from the use of biological resources are shared in a fair and equitable manner among the indigenous and local communities.
- When an Indian or foreign company or individual accesses biological resources such as medicinal plants and associated knowledge, it has to take prior consent from the national biodiversity board.
- The board can impose a benefit-sharing fee or royalty or impose conditions so that the company shares the monetary benefit from commercial utilisation of these resources with local people who are conserving biodiversity in the region.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: WPA
Mains level: Wildlife Protection Amendment Bill
Forests Minister has introduced in Lok Sabha the Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Bill to ensure that the original 1972 Act complies with the requirements of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
What the Amendment brings in?
[1] Standing Committee of State Board for Wildlife
- The Bill proposes reducing the number of schedules and establishing a Standing Committee of State Board for Wildlife.
- These committees will function like the National Board for Wildlife which is responsible for monitoring protected areas in the country and awarding or denying permission to projects in light of its threat to wildlife.
- Officials say that in most states, State Wildlife Boards fall under the responsibility of Chief Ministers, and are therefore neglected due to the paucity of time.
- The state Standing Committees will be able to take decisions on wildlife management and permissions granted for projects, without having to refer most projects to the NBWL.
[2] Seized Species
- There is also the insertion of a new section 42A about surrender of wild animals and products.
- Any article or animal surrendered under this Section shall become property of the State Government and the provisions of Section 39 shall be applicable to it.
[3] Reducing number of Schedules
- The Ministry has also rationalized Schedules for Wildlife under the Act, bringing it down from 6 to 4 major schedules.
- A schedule is a categorization of wildlife depending on how critically endangered they are.
- A schedule I category of wildlife (such as Tigers) are the highest protected under the Act.
[4] Wildlife Management Plans
- The Ministry has mandated that Wildlife Management Plans which are developed for sanctuaries and national parks across the country, will now become a part of the WPA.
- They will have to be approved by the Chief Wildlife Warden of the state.
- This will ensure far stricter protection to these protected areas. Earlier they would be protected through executive orders which did not have as much teeth.
Need for the Amendment
Ans. Blacklisting by CITES would affect trade in important plant species
- CITES aims to regulate the international trade of animals and plants so that it does not threaten their survival.
- This has been a long-standing demand from CITES for the past 25 years.
- India has been blacklisted by CITES once before, and if a second blacklisting were to happen — then India will no longer be able to trade in important plant specimens.
- This would affect the livelihood of a large section of Indian society that relies heavily on this trade.
About CITES
- CITES stands for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
- It is as an international agreement aimed at ensuring “that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival”.
- It was drafted after a resolution was adopted at a meeting of the members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 1963.
- It entered into force on July 1, 1975, and now has 183 parties.
- The Convention is legally binding on the Parties in the sense that they are committed to implementing it; however, it does not take the place of national laws.
- India is a signatory to and has also ratified CITES convention in 1976.
CITES Appendices
- CITES works by subjecting international trade in specimens of selected species to certain controls.
- All import, export, re-exports and introduction from the sea of species covered by the convention has to be authorized through a licensing system.
It has three appendices:
- Appendix I includes species threatened with extinction. Trade-in specimens of these species are permitted only in exceptional circumstances.
- Appendix II provides a lower level of protection.
- Appendix III contains species that are protected in at least one country, which has asked other CITES Parties for assistance in controlling trade.
Back2Basics: Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
- WPA provides for the protection of the country’s wild animals, birds and plant species, in order to ensure environmental and ecological security.
- It provides for the protection of a listed species of animals, birds and plants, and also for the establishment of a network of ecologically-important protected areas in the country.
- It provides for various types of protected areas such as Wildlife Sanctuaries, National Parks etc.
There are six schedules provided in the WPA for protection of wildlife species which can be concisely summarized as under:
| Schedule I: |
These species need rigorous protection and therefore, the harshest penalties for violation of the law are for species under this Schedule. |
| Schedule II: |
Animals under this list are accorded high protection. They cannot be hunted except under threat to human life. |
| Schedule III & IV: |
This list is for species that are not endangered. This includes protected species but the penalty for any violation is less compared to the first two schedules. |
| Schedule V: |
This schedule contains animals which can be hunted. |
| Schedule VI: |
This list contains plants that are forbidden from cultivation. |
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Tamil Thai Vaazhthu
Mains level: Read the attached story
The Tamil Nadu Government has declared the Tamil Thai Vaazhthu as State Song.
The decision came after the Madras High Court ruling that there is no statutory or executive order requiring the attendees to stand up when Tamil Thai Vaazhthu is sung.
Tamil Thai Vaazhthu
- A part of the verses under the title ‘Tamil Dheiva Vanakkam’ from Manonmaniam, penned by Manonmaniam Sundaranar and published in 1891, eventually came to be known as the Tamil Thai Vaazhthu.
- In 1913, the annual report of the Karanthai Tamil Sangam made the demand for singing the song at all functions.
- The Tamil Thai Vaazhthu is being sung at Karanthai Tamil Sangam since 1914.
- It is also being sung at all Tamil Sangams associated with the Karanthai Tamil Sangam.
- The Karanthai Tamil Sangam had appealed to the then Chief Minister, C.N. Annadurai, to declare Tamil Thai Vaazhthu the State song.
What was the Madras HC observation?
- There is no statutory or executive order requiring attendees to stand up when it was being sung.
- The court, however, ruled that Tamil Thai Vaazhthu “is a prayer song and not an Anthem”.
- While the “highest reverence and respect ought to be shown”, it was not necessary to stand for it.
- The song is sung at the commencement (and not at the end) of all functions organized by government departments, local bodies and educational institutions.
What about National Anthem?
- In the Bijoe Emmanuel vs. State of Kerala (1986) Case, the Supreme Court ordered the readmission to school of three children who had been expelled for refusing to sing the national anthem.
- It was then noted by the SC that there is no provision of law which obliges anyone to sing the National Anthem.
- Again, the Supreme Court had, in Shyam Narayan Chouksey v. Union of India (2017), directed that all cinema halls shall play the national anthem before the film and all present are obliged to stand.
What is the state directive?
- TN CM has issued a directive that everyone who is present during the rendition of the song, barring differently-abled persons, should remain standing.
- The song should compulsorily be sung at the beginning of events organized by all educational institutions, government offices and public sector undertakings, among other public organizations.
- The song should be sung in 55 seconds in Mullaipaani Ragam (Mohana Raagam) in the thisra thaalaa.
- At public functions, the playing of the song with musical instruments/recordings is to be avoided, and trained singers should sing it.
Point of discussion: Is it a case of Sub-nationalism?
- There has been an intensification of sub-nationalism in India by highlighting the greatness of their state, language or historical state icons.
- This pride has, at times, led to unimaginable actions. The latest issue of contention was regarding a separate State flag for Karnataka.
- India also witnesses shocking developments showing the ugly face of provincialism in the North-East.
Issues with such tendencies
- Overambitious aspirations: As much as it is a matter of pride it remains a matter of concern when regional aspirations become too strong.
- Secessionist tendencies: India has already faced partition due to rising religious motives and has been plagued by secessionism in J&K and Nagaland based on regional identities.
- National Unity: It can be argued that subnationalism emphasizes aggressively on its regional identities then it can break the sensitive thread through which India remains a nation.
- Communalism: It should be critically studied that whether the state’s assertions are to freely exercise their own culture and language or to belittle and suppress others.
Affirmations to offer
- Pluralism: An optimistic view emerges which characterizes subnationalism as the strength of a multi-cultural nation such as India.
- Socio-economic solidarity: Subnationalism encourages social development as the level of solidarity is high in a state under such motives of state song, flag etc.
- Unification: State symbols means that a region becomes more and more homogenous and dedicated for welfare under cultural and linguistic symbolization.
Conclusion
- As long as subnationalism is not secessionist in nature or is aimed towards other communities, it might become a positive force in India.
- It will help in re-establishing the nature of the pluralistic society of India amidst the growing manufactured rhetoric of nationalism being falsely related exclusively with religious nationality.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Key terms in PDP Bill
Mains level: Personal Data Protection Bill
The Personal Data Protection Bill is in some aspects very similar with some differences to global standards such as European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation. Here is how:
Must read:
Draft Personal Data Protection Bill, 2021
Major similarities
[1] Consent
- EU: Users must have informed consent about the way their data is processed so that they can opt in or out.
- India: Processing of data should be done in a fair and transparent manner, while also ensuring privacy
[2] Breach
- EU: Supervisory authority must be notified of a breach within 72 hours of the leak so that users can take steps to protect information
- India: Data Protection Authority must be informed within 72 hours; DPA will decide whether users need to be informed and steps to be taken
[3] Transition period
- EU: Two-year transition period for provisions of GDPR to be put in place
- India: 24 months overall; 9 months for registration of data fiduciaries, 6 months for DPA to start
[4] Data fiduciary
- EU: Data fiduciary is any natural or legal person, public authority, agency or body that determines purpose and means of data processing
- India: Similar suggestions; additionally, NGOs which also process data to be included as fiduciaries
Differences:
[1] Anonymous information
- EU: Principles of data protection do not apply to anonymous information since it is impossible to tell one from another
- India: Non-personal data must come under the ambit of data protection law such as non-personal data
[2] Punishment
- EU: No jail terms. Fines up to 20 million euros, or in the case of an undertaking, up to 4 % of their total global turnover of the preceding fiscal year
- India: Jail term of up to 3 years, fine of Rs 2 lakh or both if de-identified data is re-identified by any person.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Types of subsidies
Mains level: Paper 3- MSP and challenges ahead at WTO
Context
Amid the demand for legal backing to MSP, the question remains about whether India can provide a legal guarantee violating its international law obligations enshrined in the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) of the World Trade Organization (WTO)?
Classification of subsidies under AoA: Trade distorting and non-trade distorting
- The objective of AoA: One of the central objectives of the AoA is to cut trade-distorting domestic support.
- Three categories: In this regard, the domestic subsidies are divided into three categories: ‘green box’, ‘blue box’ and ‘amber box’ measures.
- Non-trade distorting: ‘Green box’ subsidies (like income support to farmers de-coupled from production) and ‘blue box’ subsidies (like direct payments under production limiting programmes subject to certain conditions) are considered non-trade distorting.
- Countries can provide unlimited subsidies under these two categories.
- Trade-distorting subsidies: Price support provided in the form of procurement of crops at MSP is classified as a trade-distorting subsidy and falls under the ‘amber box’ measures, which are subject to certain limits.
So, how do countries measure ‘amber box’ support?
- Compute AMS: To measure ‘amber box’ support, WTO member countries are required to compute Aggregate Measurement of Support (AMS).
- AMS is the total of product-specific support (price support to a particular crop) and non-product-specific support (fertilizer subsidy).
Understanding the de minimis limit
- Under Article 6.4(b) of the AoA, developing countries such as India are allowed to provide a de minimis level of product and non-product domestic subsidy.
- This de minimis limit is capped at 10% of the total value of production of the product, in case of a product-specific subsidy; and at 10% of the total value of a country’s agricultural production, in case of non-product subsidy.
- Subsidies breaching the de minimis cap are trade-distorting.
Possibility of India overshooting the de minimis limit
- Relation between MSP and AMS: The procurement at MSP, after comparing it with the fixed external reference price (ERP) — an average price based on the base years 1986-88 — has to be included in AMS.
- Widening gap between ERP and MSP: Since the fixed ERP has not been revised in the last several decades at the WTO, the difference between the MSP and fixed ERP has widened enormously due to inflation.
- According to the Centre for WTO Studies, India’s ERP for rice, in 1986-88, was $262.51/tonne and the MSP was less than this.
- However, India’s applied administered price for rice in 2015-16 stood at $323.06/tonne, much more than the 1986-88 ERP.
- Procuring all the 23 crops at MSP, as against the current practice of procuring largely rice and wheat, will result in India breaching the de minimis limit making it vulnerable to a legal challenge at the WTO.
- Even if the Government does not procure directly but mandates private parties to acquire at a price determined by the Government, as it happens in the case of sugarcane, the de minimis limit of 10% applies.
Way forward
- Peace clause: Although a permanent solution is nowhere in sight, the countries have agreed to a peace clause.
- The peace clause forbids bringing legal challenges against price support-based procurement for food security purposes even if it breaches the limit on domestic support.
- The peace clause is applicable only for programmes that were existing as of the date of the decision and are consistent with other requirements.
- India’s procurement for rice and wheat, even if it violates the de minimis limit, will enjoy legal immunity.
- However, India will not be able to employ the peace clause to defend procuring those crops that are not part of the food security programme (such as cotton, groundnut, sunflower seed).
- Move from MSP to income-based support: Arguably, India can move away from price-based support in the form of MSP to income-based support, which will not be trade-distorting under the AoA provided the income support is not linked to production.
- Supplement price-based support with income-based support: Alternatively, one can supplement price-based support (keeping the de minimis limit in mind) with an income-based support policy.
Conclusion
The Government needs to engage with the farmers and create an affable environment to convince them of other effective policy interventions, beyond MSP, that are fiscally prudent and WTO compatible.
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