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Parliament – Sessions, Procedures, Motions, Committees etc

A festival to salute India’s vibrant democracy

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Constituent Assembly working

Mains level: Paper 2- Working of India's Constitution

Context

This year we are celebrating our 73rd Republic Day. The Constitution has been our guiding force in the journey of the nation as a mature democracy among comity of nations.

Historical background

  • The Constituent Assembly undertook intensive deliberations over a period of two years, 11 months and 18 days spread over 11 sessions, during which the Constitution of India took shape.
  • Our Constituent Assembly played a dual role after Independence, given the insurmountable task of nation-building.
  • Our Constituent Assembly had performed the functions of the provisional Parliament of India in the interval between the time our Constitution was enforced and the day when the new Parliament was formed following the first General Elections (October 25, 1951-February 21, 1952).
  • The Constituent Assembly of India acted as the first Parliament of independent India.

Role of the Parliament

  • Representative institutions and democratic traditions have always been an integral part of our rich heritage
  • Our Parliament has been playing a pivotal role in the all-round development of the nation by adopting many parliamentary devices for ensuring free and fair discussions and dialogue.
  • We have to ensure that our institutions and governance ensure inclusivity and the participation of our population in our developmental journey, particularly our women, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and all other marginalised sections become equal partners in our growth story.

Ensuring the best legislative practices

  • Repository of the proceedings: To ensure that best legislative practices are shared, a national portal is being planned to serve as a repository of the proceedings of Parliament and all State/Union Territory legislatures in the country.
  • Research support is being provided to Members to help them participate better and meaningfully in matters brought before Parliament.
  • Review of the laws to make them relevant: It is also time in the journey of our nation to take stock and review laws that were enacted during the pre-Independence era so as to make them more relevant to our current requirements and future challenges.

Conclusion

Republic Day is an occasion for people’s representatives and all citizens of this proud nation to reaffirm faith in the ideals enshrined in our Constitution.

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Climate Change Impact on India and World – International Reports, Key Observations, etc.

Towards low emissions growth

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: COP26

Mains level: Paper 3- Transition to net zero-emission future

Context

While many developing countries made net-zero pledges at COP26 in Glasgow, they face enormous developmental challenges in their attempts to grow in a climate-constrained world.

Developmental challenges for India

  • For India, the national context is shaped by high youth unemployment, millions more entering the workforce each year, and a country hungry for substantial investments in hard infrastructure to industrialise and urbanise.
  • Growth with low emission footprint: India’s economic growth in the last three decades, led by growth in the services sector, has come at a significantly lower emissions footprint.
  • But in the coming decades, India will have to move to an investment-led and manufacturing-intensive growth model to create job opportunities and create entirely new cities and infrastructure to accommodate and connect an increasingly urban population.
  •  All of this requires a lot of energy. Can India do all of this with a low emissions footprint?

What could India do to pursue an industrialization pathway that is climate-compatible?

  • A coherent national transition strategy is important in a global context where industrialised countries are discussing the imposition of carbon border taxes while failing to provide developing countries the necessary carbon space to grow or the finance and technological assistance necessary to decarbonise.
  • What India needs is an overarching green industrialisation strategy that combines laws, policy instruments, and new or reformed implementing institutions to steer its decentralised economic activities to become climate-friendly and resilient.

Issues with India’s domestic manufacturing of renewable technology components

  • India’s industrial policy efforts to increase the domestic manufacturing of renewable energy technology components have been affected by policy incoherence, poor management of economic rents, and contradictory policy objectives.
  • India managed to create just a third of jobs per megawatt that China has managed to in its efforts to promote solar PV and wind technologies.
  • China has created more jobs in manufacturing solar and wind components for exports than domestic deployment.
  • India could have retained some of those jobs if it were strategic in promoting these technologies.

Opportunities in decarbonising transport and industry sector

  • Technologies needed to decarbonise the transport and industry sectors provide a significant opportunity for India.
  • However, India’s R&D investments in these emerging green technologies are non-existent.
  • PLI is a step in right direction: The production-linked incentives (PLIs) under ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ are a step in the right direction for localising clean energy manufacturing activities.
  • Focus on R&D: Aligning existing RD&D investments with the technologies needed for green industrialisation is crucial for realising quantum jumps in economic activities.
  • Encourage private entrepreneurship: India also needs to nurture private entrepreneurship and experimentation in clean energy technologies.
  • Besides China, Korea’s green growth strategy provide examples of how India could gain economic and employment rents from green industrialisation without implementing restrictive policies.

Way forward

  • India should set its pace based on its ability to capitalise on the opportunities to create wealth through green industrialisation.
  • India should follow a path where it can negotiate carbon space to grow, buying time for the hard-to-abate sectors; push against counterproductive WTO trade litigations on decarbonisation technologies; all while making R&D investments in those technologies to ensure that it can gain economic value in the transition.

Consider the question “What are the challenges India faces as it strives to reach the goal of net-zero emission by 2070. Suggest the strategy India should follow to maximise the developmental gains.”

Conclusion

The government should neither succumb to international pressure to decarbonise soon nor should it postpone its investment in decarbonisation technologies and lose its long-term competitiveness in a global low-carbon economy.

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Economic Indicators and Various Reports On It- GDP, FD, EODB, WIR etc

Dealing with the macroeconomic uncertainties

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Tax buoyancy

Mains level: Paper 3- Macroeconomic uncertainty and way ahead

Context

Macroeconomic uncertainties are mounting.

Impact of US Fed’s decision

  • Against the backdrop of possible interest rate hikes by the U.S. Federal Reserve and the taper tantrum, there is pressure on the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to increase its interest rates to prevent capital outflows.
  • The monetary policy corridor is still “accommodative” to support the growth recovery.
  • Globally, central banks have started increasing the interest rates.

Macroeconomic uncertainties

1] Inflationary pressure

  •  In India, the wholesale price index (WPI) inflation rose to a record high of 14.32% in November 2021 as per the data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
  • The consumer price index (CPI) inflation now is 5.03%, though that is still within the comfort zone of the inflation targeting framework envisaged in India’s new monetary framework.
  • The official nominal inflation anchor in India is 4%, with a band of variations of +/- 2. 

2] Absorbing excess liquidity

  • The RBI Financial Stability Report, published on December 29, 2021, revealed a possible worsening of the gross non-performing asset (GNPA) ratio of scheduled commercial banks — from 6.9% in September 2021 to 9.5% by September 2022.
  • Absorbing the excess liquidity that was injected to stimulate growth as part of the pandemic response is crucial to reversing trends in non performing assets (NPAs).
  • Absorption of excess liquidity was attempted by increasing the cut-off yield rate of variable rate reverse repo (VRRR) to 3.99%, and curtailing the government securities acquisition programme.

3] Interest rate structure and implications for government borrowing

  •  The call money market rates are below the repo rate.
  • The bond yields are increasing ahead of the Union Budget 2022-23.
  • The rise in bond yields will result in higher borrowing costs for the Government.

Way forward for fiscal policy

  • Maintain accommodative policy stance: Given these macroeconomic uncertainties, maintaining an accommodative fiscal policy stance in the upcoming Union Budget for FY23 is crucial for a sustainable recovery.
  • Don’t focus on fiscal consolidation: Any attempt at fiscal consolidation at this juncture employing capital expenditure compression rather than a tax buoyancy path can adversely affect economic growth. 
  •  Public investment — infrastructure investment in particular — is a major growth driver through “crowding-in” of private corporate investment.
  • Strengthening investments in the health-care sector is crucial at this juncture as a prolonged lockdown can accentuate the current humanitarian crisis and deepen economic disruptions.
  • When credit-linked economic stimulus has an uneven impact on growth recovery, the significance of fiscal dominance cannot be undermined.
  • Address unemployment: Rising unemployment needs to be addressed through an urgent policy response that strengthens job guarantee programmes.

Conclusion

The upcoming Union Budget for 2022-23 should maintain an accommodative fiscal stance in order to support the sustainability of the economic growth process and also for financing human development.

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Foreign Policy Watch: India-Myanmar

Places in the news: Sittwe Port

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Sittwe port

Mains level: Paper 2- Why India should engage with Myanmar

Context

Notwithstanding the unfortunate developments since the Tatmadaw took over, a recalibration exercise for developing a robust relationship with Naypyidaw is the need of the hour.

Need for proactive neighbourhood policy with Myanmar

  • Security and economic interests: India should implement an unbiased and proactive “Neighbourhood First” strategy that facilitates the Act East policy crucial for India’s long-term security and economic interests.
  • Myanmar — regardless of who governs its polity — is not only the decisive lynchpin for India’s Act East policy but critical for the economic development and security of India’s Northeast.
  • China factor: Such a policy should take into account the measures that China has taken to arm the Tatmadaw.

How to support Myanmar?

  • Critical requirements: India should find ways to support Naypyidaw for its critical requirements of systems and platforms like UAVs, surveillance systems and communication equipment.
  • Economic engagement: There is a need for dynamic economic engagement with Myanmar, to expedite the completion of the earlier agreement on the operationalisation of the Sittwe port, the establishment of an oil refinery and joint vaccine production facilities at a cost of $6 billion.
  • People-to-people goodwill: India also needs to proactively employ the existing “people-to-people” goodwill and proximate ties between the two armies.
  • Engage with military leadership to stop highhandedness: India has the singular advantage of acceptability from both factions in Myanmar and it is, therefore, imperative that it takes the lead in engaging with the ruling military leadership, to stop the highhandedness.
  • The visit by India’s Foreign Secretary to Myanmar in the last week of December 2021 was significant.
  • It conveyed the message that India, notwithstanding its commitment to democracy, is amenable to conduct business with the country, regardless of who is in the seat of power.

Conclusion

It is of the utmost importance for India to positively engage Naypyidaw and stave off attempts to exploit Myanmar by countries inimical to India’s growth. Any ambiguity or delay in India’s constructive engagement with Myanmar would only serve the interests of anti-India forces.

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Foreign Policy Watch: India – EU

India’s challenge in European geopolitics

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: NATO

Mains level: Paper 2- India-Europe relations

Context

For India, an important strategic priority today is to rebalance the Indo-Pacific. Delhi, however, recognises that this expansive challenge can’t be met by any one power, including the US. A larger European role in securing Asia therefore becomes critical.

Importance of Russia in balancing China

  • Peace with Russia in Europe might be necessary for America to focus on Asia has been the key motivation behind President Joe Biden’s decision to intensify engagement with Vladimir Putin in the last few months.
  • On the question of Ukraine’s membership of NATO, the US and its European allies have suggested that membership is certainly not imminent; but they are unwilling to say Ukraine will “never” be admitted.

Contradiction in Europe

  • 1] Europe remains geopolitically unstable: None of the three European settlements of the 20th century — in 1919 after the First World War, in 1945 after the Second World War, and in 1991 after the Cold War — has endured.
  • 2] The difficulty of integrating Russia into a European order: Russia was part of the great power system in Europe through the 18th and 19th centuries.
  • If the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution put Russia and the West at odds with each other, the collapse of the Soviet Union has not resolved the contradiction.
  • 3] Growing tension between the US and Europe: Since the Second World War, Europe has relied on the US for its security.
  • However, Europe has never stopped resenting the American dominance over its geopolitics.
  • The EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, has repeatedly objected to the US and Russia deciding the future of Ukraine over European heads.
  • But Russia does not take the EU seriously and is betting on negotiations with the US.
  • 4] Europe still remains a weak security actor:  While the EU has become a powerful economic entity (with its $17 trillion GDP), it remains a weak security actor.
  • Whatever might be the outcome from the gathering conflict over Ukraine, these European contradictions are not going to disappear any time soon.

Why Europe remains a weak security actor?

  • Dominance of the US and Russia: The ambition to construct a strong geopolitical personality for the EU is hobbled by divisions over the role of Russia and the US in the region.
  • Mutual suspicions: The historically rooted mutual suspicions among European states also plays role.
  • Reluctance to spend on defence: This is compounded by the reluctance to spend more on defence and the inability to develop collective defence arrangements outside of NATO led by the US.

Suggestions for India

  • The contradictions in Europe demand that Delhi discard its tendency to view the region through the “East versus West” binary.
  • Delhi today could profitably take a leaf out of the book of the Indian national movement.
  • In the late 18th century, as European powers competed for influence in the subcontinent, many Indian princes sought to take advantage of the contradictions between Britain and France.
  • Imperial Germany supported the formation of a nationalist government of India in Kabul in 1915 headed by Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh.
  • Eager to accelerate Indian independence during the Second World War, Netaji turned to Germany and Japan, the world’s newest great power.
  • The sharpening struggle for Indian independence, and more broadly the liberation of Asia between the two World Wars, inevitably involved exploiting the contradictions between different imperial powers.
  •  This was complicated, however, by rapid realignment among the major powers —friends became adversaries and enemies became allies.
  • The Indian and Asian national movements were deeply divided in coping with the shifting great power dynamic.
  • The world enters a similar moment today that could rearrange relations between the US, UK, Europe, Russia, China and Japan.

Consider the question “What are the contradictions in Europe today? How these contradiction can play role in India’s international relations with the European countries?”

Conclusion

Greater engagement with Europe and dealing with its multiple contradictions must necessarily be important elements of India’s international relations today.

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Economic Indicators and Various Reports On It- GDP, FD, EODB, WIR etc

What is a K-shaped Economic Recovery?

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Various shapes of economic recovery

Mains level: Impact of COVID on employment and economic growth

Former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan has said that the government needed to do more to prevent a K-shaped recovery of the economy hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

K-Shaped Recovery

  • A K-shaped recovery occurs when, following a recession, different parts of the economy recover at different rates, times, or magnitudes.
  • This is in contrast to an even, uniform recovery across sectors, industries, or groups of people.
  • A K-shaped recovery leads to changes in the structure of the economy or the broader society as economic outcomes and relations are fundamentally changed before and after the recession.
  • This type of recovery is called K-shaped because the path of different parts of the economy when charted together may diverge, resembling the two arms of the Roman letter “K.”

Try these PYQ:

 

Q.Economic growth in country X will necessarily have to occur if-

 

(a) There is technical progress in the world economy

(b) There is population growth in X

(c) There is capital formation in X

(d) The volume of trade grows in the world economy

Implications of a K-Shaped Recovery

  • Households at the bottom have experienced a permanent loss of income in the forms of jobs and wage cuts; this will be a recurring drag on demand, if the labour market does not heal faster.
  • To the extent that Covid has triggered an effective income transfer from the poor to the rich, this will be demand-impeding because the poor tend to spend-instead of saving.
  • If Covid-19 reduces competition or increases the inequality of incomes and opportunities, it could impinge on trend growth in developing economies by hurting productivity and tightening political economy constraints.

Also read:

Shapes of Economic Recovery

 

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Festivals, Dances, Theatre, Literature, Art in News

What is Beating Retreat Ceremony?

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Beating Retreat Ceremony

Mains level: Important national festivals and their significance

There are 26 tunes that will be played at Beating Retreat this year on January 29 skipping the “Abide with Me” tune.

What is the Beating Retreat function?

  • ‘Beating Retreat’ marks a centuries old military tradition, when the troops ceased fighting, sheathed their arms and withdrew from the battlefield and returned to the camps at sunset at the sounding of the Retreat.
  • The military tradition began in 17th century England, when King James II ordered his troops to beat drums, lower flags and organise a parade to announce the end of a day of combat.
  • The ceremony was then called ‘watch setting’ and took place at sunset after firing a single round from the evening gun.
  • The ceremony is currently held by Armed Forces in the UK, US, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and India, among others.

How did it begin in India?

  • Beating the Retreat’ has emerged as an event of national pride when the Colours and Standards are paraded.
  • The ceremony traces its origins to the early 1950s when Major Roberts of the Indian Army indigenously developed the unique ceremony of display by the massed bands.
  • Section D (Ceremonials) at the Ministry of Defence conducts the event.
  • The ceremony consists of musical performances by the bands, who each year play Indian and western tunes.

 

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Blockchain Technology: Prospects and Challenges

What are Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs)?

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Non-Fungible Tokens

Mains level: Challenges associated to Cryptocurrency

A French luxury fashion brand is suing American digital artist who created a series of NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens), a rapidly growing part of the cryptoworld.

Non-Fungible Tokens

  • An NFT is a unique, irreplaceable token that can be used to prove ownership of digital assets such as music, artwork, even tweets and memes.
  • The term ‘non-fungible’ simply means that each token is different as opposed to a fungible currency such as money (a ten-rupee note can be exchanged for another and so on).
  • Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum are also fungible, which means that one Bitcoin can be exchanged for another.
  • But an NFT cannot be exchanged for another NFT because the two are different and therefore unique.
  • Each token has a different value, depending on which asset it represents.

How does NFT transaction take place?

  • NFT transactions are recorded on blockchains, which is a digital public ledger, with most NFTs being a part of the Ethereum blockchain.
  • NFTs became popular in 2021, when they were beginning to be seen by artists as a convenient way to monetize their work.

Why are they in high demand?

  • One of the other attractions is that NFTs are a part of a new kind of financial system called decentralized finance (DeFi), which does away with the involvement of institutions such as banks.
  • For this reason, decentralized finance is seen as a more democratic financial system because it makes access to capital easier for lay people by essentially eliminating the role of banks and other associated institutions.
  • Even so, because NFTs operate in a decentralized system, any person can sell a digital asset as one.
  • This can sometimes create problems. For instance, if you were to sell someone else’s artwork as an NFT, you could essentially be infringing on a copyright.

 

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Industrial Sector Updates – Industrial Policy, Ease of Doing Business, etc.

[pib] One District One Product (ODOP) Initiative

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: One District One Product (ODOP)

Mains level: Not Much

As a major boost to Centre and State collaboration in promoting products under the ODOP Initiative – a State Conference was recently held by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

One District One Product (ODOP)

  • ODOP spearheaded by the Uttar Pradesh government in 2018, is an important initiative that is being adopted all over India to realize the true potential of each district.
  • ODOP is an initiative which is seen as a transformational step forward towards realizing the true potential of a district, fuel economic growth and generates employment and rural entrepreneurship.
  • It is operationally merged with ‘Districts as Export Hub’ initiative being implemented by DPIIT as a major stakeholder.
  • The main philosophy is to select, brand and promote one product from each district of India that has a specific characteristic feature to enable profitable trade in that product and generate employment.

Why need this scheme?

  • India is home to several agricultural and non-agricultural (including manufacturing) products that are region-specific.
  • Every district has products that are unique and provide livelihoods and generate income.
  • This scheme is in tune with the PM’s call to transform every district into an export hub and realize the goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

What needs to be done for its success?

The important aspect that the policy initiatives in India should thus be mindful of are:

  • Ownership of the initiative should lie at the center of implementation.
  • The stakeholders irrespective of the sector along the value chain need to be identified and provided information and awareness.
  • It is important to streamline other initiatives such as registration of Geographical Indications (GI), formation and development of farmer producer organizations etc.

 

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Indian Army Updates

[pib] Sela Pass Tunnel Project

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Sela Pass

Mains level: Critical border infrastructures

The final blast for the 980-metre long Sela Tunnel was recently conducted by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) amidst inclement weather and heavy snowfall.

Sela Pass Tunnel Project

  • The tunnel covers a total distance of 12.04 kms which consist of two tunnels of 1790 metres and 475 meters.
  • It is being built at an estimated cost of ₹687 crores by the Border Roads Organisation.
  • It aims to provide all weather connectivity to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh — an area claimed entirely by China — and other forward areas.
  • Once built it will cut travel time to Tawang by at least an hour for Indian troops stationed in adjoining Assam’s Tezpur town — the headquarters of the Indian army’s IV Corps.

Strategic Importance

  • The lack of motorable roads and rail connections in India’s northeast and Arunachal Pradesh in particular were seen as distinct disadvantages for India vis a vis China in the region.
  • Analysts had been warning of China building infrastructure including access roads right up to the Indian border that would give it a strategic advantage in any conflict with India.
  • Once completed this would result in all weather connectivity to Tawang and forward areas and reduction in more than one hour of travelling time from Tezpur to Tawang.

 

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Higher Education – RUSA, NIRF, HEFA, etc.

Budgeting for the education emergency

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Expenditure on education in India

Mains level: Paper 2- Increasing the expenditure on education

Context

Faced with an unprecedented education emergency, this is the time to substantially ramp up public spending on education and make it more effective.

Low allocation for education

  • UNESCO’s 2030 framework for action suggests public education spending levels of between 4% and 6% of GDP and 15%-20% of public expenditure.
  • A recent World Bank study notes that India spent 14.1 % of its budget on education, compared to 18.5% in Vietnam and 20.6% in Indonesia, countries with similar levels of GDP.
  • But since India has a higher share of population under the age of 19 years than these countries, it should actually be allocating a greater share of the budget than these countries.
  • Public spending on education in most States in India was below that of other middle-income countries even before the pandemic.
  • Most major States spent in the range of 2.5% to 3.1% of State income on education, according to the Ministry of Education’s Analysis of Budgeted Expenditure on Education.
  • This compares with the 4.3% of GDP that lower-middle-income countries spent, as a group, between 2010-11 and 2018-19.
  •  In the 2021-22 Budget, the Central government’s allocation for the Education Department was slashed compared to the previous year, even though the size of the overall budget increased.
  • Of the major States and Delhi, eight either reduced or just about maintained their budget allocation for education departments in 2021-22 compared to 2020-21.

Way forward

  • The vast majority of the 260 million children enrolled in preschool and school, especially in government schools, did not have meaningful structured learning opportunities during the 20 months of school closures.
  • Infusion of resources: The education system now needs not only an infusion of resources for multiple years, but also a strengthened focus on the needs of the poor and disadvantaged children.
  • What it is spent on and how effectively resources are used are important.
  • It is clear what additional resources are required for.
  • The needs include: back-to-school campaigns and re-enrolment drives; expanded nutrition programmes; reorganisation of the curriculum to help children learn language and mathematics in particular, and support their socio-emotional development, especially in early grades; additional learning materials; teacher training and ongoing support; additional education programmes and collection and analysis of data.
  • Focus on teacher training:  How does expenditure on technology compare with the amounts spent on teacher training, which represents just 0.15% of total estimated expenditure on elementary education?
  • Teachers are central to the quality of education, so why does India spend so little on teacher training?

The opacity of education finance data in India

  • The opacity of education finance data makes it difficult to comprehend this.
  • For instance, the combined Central and State government spending on education was estimated to be 2.8% of GDP in 2018-19, according to the Economic Survey of 2020-21.
  • This figure had remained at the same level since 2014-15.
  • On the other hand, data from the Ministry of Education indicates that public spending on education had reached 4.3% of GDP in the same year, rising from 3.8% of GDP in 2011-12.
  • The difference in the figures is due to the inclusion of expenditure on education by departments other than the Education Department.
  •  Including expenditure on education by, for example, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (on Anganwadis, scholarships, etc.), the Ministry of Science and Technology (for higher education) is of course legitimate.
  • However, the composition of these expenditures is not readily available.

Conclusion

The questions for this Budget should be clear. How much additional funds are being allocated for different levels of education by the principal departments in 2021-22? Are the funds being spent on the specific measures required to address the education emergency facing the children?

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Economic Indicators and Various Reports On It- GDP, FD, EODB, WIR etc

A chance to support growth, fiscal consolidation

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Marginal propensity to consume

Mains level: Paper 3- Growth prospects for Indian economy

Context

The adverse effect of the third wave of COVID-19, which is mainly affecting the last quarter of 2021-22, may call for a further downward adjustment in the growth rate to about 9%.

Growth in FY 2021-22

  •  As per the NSO’s advance estimates, at the end of 2021-22, the magnitude of GDP in real terms is estimated at INR₹147.5-lakh crore that is only a shade higher than INR₹145.7-lakh crore in 2019-20.
  • Thus, due to the three waves of COVID-19 that India has experienced, two years of real growth in economic activities have been wiped out. 
  • As per the advance estimates, the gross fixed capital formation (GFCF) relative to GDP at current prices stands at 29.6% in 2021-22.
  • Capacity utilisation in India continues to have considerable slack.
  • Private final consumption expenditure (PFCE) also shows a low growth of 6.9% in 2021-22.
  • Any pick-up in demand would continue to be constrained by low-income growth in sectors characterised by a high marginal propensity to consume (MPC) such as the trade, transport, et al. sector and the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) sector more broadly.
  • It may thus be prudent to expect a real GDP growth in the range of 6%-7%.
  • Growth in 2022-23 would also continue to be constrained by supply-side bottlenecks and high prices of global crude and primary products.
  • Growth in 2022-23 would depend on the basic determinants such as the saving and investment rates in the economy.

Suggestions

  • Extend GST compensation period: The GST compensation provision would also come to an end in June 2022.
  • This would cause a major revenue shock at least for some States such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.
  • While this matter may be considered by the GST Council, the compensation arrangement should be extended by two years in some modified form.
  • With respect to non-tax receipts, the scope of the National Monetization Pipeline (NMP) may be extended to cover monetisation of government-owned land assets.
  • Disinvestment initiatives may have to be accelerated.
  • Expenditure prioritisation in 2022-23 should focus on reviving both consumption and investment demand.
  • Urban counterpart to MGNREGA: Since consumption demand remains weak, some fiscal support in the form of an urban counterpart to Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) may be considered.

Focusing on fiscal consolidation

  • It would be appropriate now to consider a graduated return to fiscal consolidation while using fiscal policy to lay the base for faster growth in the years to come.
  • The Fifteenth Finance Commission had suggested a fiscal consolidation path where the Centre’s fiscal deficit was benchmarked at 5.5% of GDP for 2022-23.
  • In their pessimistic scenario, it was kept at 6% of GDP. 
  • It may be prudent to limit the reduction in fiscal deficit-GDP ratio to about 1% point of GDP in 2022-23.
  • This would imply a fiscal deficit in the range of 5.5%-6% of GDP.
  • From here on, a stepwise reduction of 0.5% points per year would enable a level of about 4% of GDP by 2025-26.
  • By this time, as suggested by the Fifteenth Finance Commission, a high-powered inter-governmental group should be constituted to re-examine the sustainability parameters of debt and fiscal deficit of the central and state governments.

Conclusion

Expenditure prioritisation in 2022-23 should focus on reviving both consumption and investment demand while aiming for the gradual return to the fiscal consolidation.

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Parliament – Sessions, Procedures, Motions, Committees etc

A proposal for Indian Environmental Service

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: TSR Subramanian Committee Report on Environment

Mains level: Need for creation of IES

The Supreme Court has asked the Government if it will create an Indian Environmental Service (IES) as recommended by a committee headed by former Cabinet secretary T.S.R Subramanian in 2014.

Why is the IES debate back in the news?

  • The Supreme Court was responding to a petition whose counsel pointed out that the matters of environment required special expertise.
  • Currently, matters of environmental regulation rest on scientists of the Ministry of Environment and Forests as well as bureaucrats from the Indian Administrative Services (IAS).
  • The apex court expressed reluctance at getting into administrative matters of the Government but nevertheless asked the Centre if it expects to go about constituting such a mechanism.

TSR Subramanian Committee Report on Environment

  • The Subramanian committee was set up in August 2014 to review the country’s green laws and the procedures followed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).
  • It suggested several amendments to align with the Government’s economic development agenda.
  • The report had suggested amendments to almost all green laws, including those relating to the environment, forest, wildlife and coastal zone clearances.
  • The committee suggested that another committee, with more expertise and time, be constituted to review the environmental laws.

Key recommendations

(a) Establishment of Environment Management Authorities

  • The report proposed an ‘Environmental Laws (Management) Act’ (ELMA), that envisioned full-time expert bodies to be constituted at the Central and State levels respectively:
  1. National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA)
  2. State Environmental Management Authority (SEMA)

(b) Project clearances

  • These authorities evaluate project clearance (using technology and expertise), in a time bound manner, providing for single-window clearance.
  • It suggested a “fast track” procedure for “linear” projects (roads, railways and transmission lines), power and mining projects and for “projects of national importance.”
  • It also suggested an appellate mechanism against the decisions of NEMA/SEMA or MoEF&CC, in respect of project clearance, prescribing a three-month deadline to dispose appeals.

(c) Expanding Environment Protection Act

  • The Air Act and the Water Act is to be subsumed within the EP Act.
  • The existing Central Pollution Control Board and the State PCBs, which monitor and regulate the conditions imposed on the industries to safeguard environment be integrated into NEMA and SEMA.

(d) Evaluating Environmental Reconstruction Cost (ERC)

  • The report also recommends that an “ERC” should be assessed for each project on the basis of the damage caused by it to the environment and this should be added into the cost of the project.
  • This cost has to be recovered as a cess or duty from the project proponent during the life of the project.

(e) Research and Development

  • It proposed the establishment of a National Environment Research institute “on the lines of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education”.
  • It would bring in the application of high-end technology in environment governance.

(f) Establishment of Indian Environment Service (IES)

  • Finally, an Indian Environment Service should be established to recruit qualified and skilled human resource in the environment sector.

How were the recommendations received?

  • The Centre never formally accepted this report and neither constituted a new committee as recommended by the Parliamentary Standing Committee.
  • The Parliamentary rejected the report on the grounds that it ended up diluting key aspects of environmental legislation designed to protect the environment.
  • However, many of these recommendations are implicitly making their way into the process of environmental regulation.

Back2Basics: All Indi Services

  • The All India Services (AIS) comprises three civil services: the Indian Administrative Service, the Indian Police Service and the Indian Forest Service.
  • A unique feature of the AIS is that the members of these services are recruited by the centre (Union government in federal polity), but their services are placed under various State cadres.
  • They have the liability to serve both under the State and under the centre.
  • Officers of these three services comply to the All India Services Rules relating to pay, conduct, leave, various allowances etc.
  • The All India Services Act, 1951, provides for the creation of two more All India Services, namely, the Indian Engineering Service and the Indian Medical Service.

 

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Modern Indian History-Events and Personalities

Netaji’s relationship with Nehru, Gandhi and the Congress

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: INA Mutiny, INC and Bose

Mains level: Netaji and his contribution in immediate freedom attainment

In public discourse, the popular imagination of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose is increasing all across the length and breadth of our country these days.

Back in 2016, when there was ruckus over de-classification of some files associated with Netaji, a question too appeared in UPSC CSE Mains:

 

Q. Highlight the differences in the approach of Subhash Chandra Bose and Mahatma Gandhi in the struggle for freedom.

 

We can expect a repetition again considering the scale of ongoing debate around Netaji and the vitality of his INA leading to immediate withdrawal of British rulers from India.

Also read:

Celebration of Parakram Diwas

Context

The Bose-Gandhi rivalry is frequently understood as the biggest dichotomy of the Indian nationalist movement.

Bose: A complex character of freedom movement

  • Bose was a complex character. His complexity comes alive when one realizes his disagreement with the Congress leadership, when Bose took over the Indian National Army (INA).
  • He constituted four regiments, three of which were named after Gandhi, Nehru and Maulana Azad.
  • He had profound respect for his colleagues.
  • In 1943, while Gandhi was in jail, Bose on the former’s birthday gave a moving address over the Azad Hind Radio where he referred to Gandhi as ‘father of the nation’.
  • This was probably the first time this epithet was used for Gandhi, and soon it became ubiquitous.

Bose and his association with INC

  • Bose was a key member and a frontline leader of the Indian National Congress.
  • He plunged into the anti-colonial movement under Gandhi’s leadership in 1921 and rose to be the president of the Congress in 1938 and 39.
  • There were certain differences of opinion with the Gandhian high command in 1939, but he remained true to the Congress ideal of freedom.

Joining the Indian National Congress

  • On July 16, 1921, Bose had returned to Bombay from London where he had gone on his father’s insistence to prepare for the Indian Civil Services examination.
  • Despite qualifying for the services he had refused to take up the opportunity.
  • Such was Bose’s zeal to join the freedom struggle that on the very afternoon he arrived in India he went to meet Gandhi at Mani Bhawan.

Relations with the mainstream leaders

(A) Bose vs. Gandhi

  • Bose wanted to know how the different aspects of the movement were going to culminate in the non-payment of taxes, the last stage of the campaign.
  • Secondly, he wanted to know how the non-payment of taxes would eventually force the British to leave and thirdly how Gandhi could promise Swaraj in one year.
  • On Gandhi’s advice Bose moved to Calcutta, where he worked closely with the lawyer and Congress leader C R Das.
  • As president of the Congress, his first disagreement with Gandhi happened in December 1938 when Bose was eager to form a coalition government in Bengal along with the Krishak Praja Party.
  • The following year, Bose was hopeful for re-election as Congress president. A second term was very rare and Gandhi was pretty much against the idea of re-electing Bose.
  • Bose found support from the younger and left leaning members of the Congress and also from the literary giant Rabindranath Tagore.
  • Tagore had personally written to Gandhi requesting a second term for Bose. However, Bose was aggrieved to know that Gandhi saw this as a ‘personal defeat’.

(B) Bose vs. Nehru

  • Both leaders were of same age, similar political leanings and often finding themselves frustrated by Gandhi’s commitment to non-violence.
  • However, while Nehru was starry-eyed in his reverence for Gandhi, Bose though immensely respectful of Gandhi, found his political strategies to be ambiguous.
  • Bose and Nehru had been in prison at that time and both expressed disappointment and anger over unilateral withdrawal of non-cooperation movement over Chauri Chaura incident.
  • Both were left-leaning radical men, unswerving in their commitment to ‘purna swaraj’ and to the forming of a socialist state in independent India.
  • When Bose sought the support of the Nazi government in Germany, he found himself ideologically at the farthest end to Nehru’s views.

(C) Bose vs. Patel

  • In response to Bose’s re-election, several members of the Congress Working Committee resigned including Vallabhbhai Patel and Rajendra Prasad.
  • Patel had an old rivalry with Bose, which was both personal and political.
  • Their relationship had deteriorated rapidly with the death of Patel’s elder brother Vithalbhai in 1933.
  • Bose had been very close to Vithalbhai and had nursed him during his last days.
  • In his will, Vithalbhai had left a substantial portion of his property to Bose.
  • Vallabhbhai had cast aspersions on the authenticity of the will and a long legal battle had followed culminating in the victory of Patel.

As Congress president

  • In February 1938 Bose had taken over as president of the Congress and the next two years would be defining in creating his political profile as a Congressman and in drawing the rift with Gandhi and Nehru.
  • At the Haripura session of the Congress, Bose made his presidential address, which is known to be the lengthiest and most important speech he ever made to the party.
  • He made it clear that he stood for unqualified Swaraj.
  • However, it needs to be noted that nowhere in the speech did Bose suggest any criticism or deviation from Gandhi’s methods.

Resignation from INC

  • On April 29, 1939 Bose resigned from his post as president of the Congress Party.
  • In a statement to the press, he mentioned the efforts he had made to find a common ground with Gandhi.
  • These having failed, he felt his presidency may be a sort of obstacle or handicap in the path of the Congress as it sought to reconcile its two wings.

Life after leaving Congress

(A) World War II

  • In September 1939 German tanks invaded Poland, marking the beginning of the Second World War.
  • The war was to have a most significant impact in the history of modern India.
  • Bose was a special invitee in the three-day meeting of the Congress Working Committee from September 9 to decide India’s position on the war.
  • For Bose, the war served as a golden opportunity for India to launch a civil disobedience movement in order to win independence.
  • For Bose the stance taken by the resolution to support British was completely unacceptable.
  • Nehru had nothing but hatred towards Fascism and Nazism and sought for some concessions from the British government to fight Mussolini and Hitler.

(B) Escape to Germany

  • Bose organized mass protests in Calcutta for the removal of the Holwell monument that stood in Dalhousie Square as a memorial to those who died in the Black Hole of Calcutta.
  • He was arrested by the British government for the protests, but was released soon after he went into a seven-day hunger strike.
  • Bose’s arrest and the subsequent release set the scene for him to escape to Germany via Afghanistan and the Soviet Union.

After Netaji’s demise ( rather disappearance)

  • It is also worth noting that at the end of the Second World War, Nehru put on his barrister’s gown and joined the defense team for the INA prisoners at the time of the Red Fort trials.
  • In the several speeches of Nehru after Bose’s death, the former referred to Netaji in the most affectionate way.
  • In August 1947, in his first speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort, Nehru mentioned only two people by name and were Gandhi and Bose. It was quite a warm reference.

 

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Parliament – Sessions, Procedures, Motions, Committees etc

Suspension of MLAs

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Suspension of MLAs

Mains level: Read the attached story

  • Some legislators were suspended for one year by the Maharashtra Assembly for alleged disorderly conduct.
  • The unusually long period of suspension has been questioned by the Supreme Court, which is hearing a challenge to the Assembly’s action.

A case in apex court

  • The court has reserved its judgment after hearing elaborate arguments.
  • The main question before the court is whether suspension for a whole year is valid.

Suspending MLAs: A fact check

  • Each state has their individual rules for the conduct of assembly. These rules provides for the suspension of MLAs.
  • Under Rule 53 of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Rules, 1960, only the Speaker has the power to suspend MLAs indulging in unruly behavior.
  • Therefore, the motion to suspend cannot be put to vote as this would allow the Government to suspend as many Members of Opposition as it sees fit.

Constitutional ground behind this suspension

  • The Court referred to Article 190 (4) of the Constitution which says that if for a period of 60 days, a member of a House, without its permission, is absent; the House may declare his or her seat vacant.
  • Suspension of MLAs beyond this period would lead to their disqualification.

What did the Supreme Court observe?

  • Suspension of the MLAs would amount to punishing the constituencies as a whole.
  • Each constituency has equal amount of right to be represented in the House, observed the court.
  • The apex court observed that any state cannot create a constitutional void, a hiatus situation for any constituency.
  • It said the House cannot suspend a member beyond 59 days.

What does the State government say?

  • Counsel for the State government has argued that there is no limitation on the power of the legislature to punish for breach of privilege or disorderly conduct in the course of its proceedings.
  • Once the power to punish a member for disorderly conduct is recognized, there can be no judicial review of the manner in which it is exercised.
  • Further, during suspension, a member continues to hold office, but only loses their voice in the legislature.

 

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Wildlife Conservation Efforts

Kerala gets its first-ever Scientific Bird Atlas

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Kerala Bird Atlas (KBA)

Mains level: Not Much

The Kerala Bird Atlas (KBA), the first-of-its-kind State-level bird atlas in India, has created solid baseline data about the distribution and abundance of bird species across all major habitats, giving an impetus to futuristic studies.

Kerala Bird Atlas (KBA)

  • The KBA has been prepared based on systematic surveys held twice over 60 days a year during the wet (July to September) and dry (January to March) seasons between 2015 and 2020.
  • It was conducted as a citizen science-driven exercise with the participation of over 1,000 volunteers of the birdwatching community.
  • The KBA accounts for nearly three lakh records of 361 species, including 94 very rare species, 103 rare species, 110 common species, 44 very common species, and 10 most abundant species.
  • It was found that the species count was higher during the dry season than in the wet season while species richness and evenness were higher in the northern and central districts than in the southern districts.

Significance of KBA

  • The KBA offers authentic, consistent and comparable data through random sampling from the geographical terrain split.
  • It is arguably Asia’s largest bird atlas in terms of geographical extent, sampling effort and species coverage derived from the aggregation of 25,000 checklists.
  • The KBA is considered to be a valuable resource for testing various ecological hypotheses and suggesting science-backed conservation measures.

 

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Festivals, Dances, Theatre, Literature, Art in News

UNESCO tag sought for Living Root Bridges of Meghalaya

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Root Bridges

Mains level: NA

The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has underlined some green rules for the living root bridges of Meghalaya to get the UNESCO World Heritage Site tag.

Living Root Bridges

  • A living root bridge is a type of simple suspension bridge formed of living plant roots by tree shaping.
  • They are common in the southern part of the Northeast Indian state of Meghalaya. Such a bridge is locally called jingkieng jri.
  • They are handmade from the aerial roots of rubber fig trees (Ficus elastic) by the Khasi and Jaintia peoples of the mountainous terrain along the southern part of the Shillong Plateau.
  • Most of the bridges grow on steep slopes of subtropical moist broadleaf forest between 50m and 1150m above sea level.

Why is it so unique?

  • As long as the tree from which it is formed remains healthy, the roots in the bridge can naturally grow thick and strengthen.
  • New roots can grow throughout the tree’s life and must be pruned or manipulated to strengthen the bridge.
  • Once mature some bridges can have as many as 50 or more people crossing, and have a lifespan of up to 150 years.

 

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Modern Indian History-Events and Personalities

Who was Sri Ramanuja?

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Ramanuja, Vishishtadvaita

Mains level: Not Much

Work is going apace on the 216-ft tall ‘Statue of Equality’ of the 11th century reformer and Vaishnavite saint, Sri Ramanuja, to be unveiled by PM Modi next month in Hyderabad.

Statue of Equality

  • The ‘Statue of Equality’, as it is called, is being installed to mark the 1,000th birth anniversary of Sri Ramanuja.
  • It was built of panchaloha, a combination of gold, silver, copper, brass and zinc, by the Aerospun Corporation in China and shipped to India.
  • It is the second largest in the world in sitting position of the saint.
  • The monument will be surrounded by 108 “Divya Desams” of Sri Vaishnavite tradition (model temples) like Tirumala, Srirangam, Kanchi, Ahobhilam, Badrinath, Muktinath, Ayodhya, Brindavan, Kumbakonam and others.
  • The idols of deities and structures were constructed in the shape at the existing temples.

Who was Sri Ramanuja?

Ramanuja or Ramanujacharya (1017–1137 CE) was a philosopher, Hindu theologian, social reformer, and one of the most important exponents of Sri Vaishnavism tradition within Hinduism.

  • His philosophical foundations for devotionalism were influential to the Bhakti movement.

His works

  • Ramanuja’s philosophical foundation was qualified monism and is called Vishishtadvaita in the Hindu tradition.
  • His ideas are one of three subschools in Vedanta, the other two are known as Adi Shankara’s Advaita (absolute monism) and Madhvacharya’s Dvaita (dualism)
  • Important writings include:
  1. Vedarthasangraha (literally, “Summary of the Vedas meaning”),
  2. Sri Bhashya (a review and commentary on the Brahma Sutras),
  3. Bhagavad Gita Bhashya (a review and commentary on the Bhagavad Gita), and
  • The minor works titled Vedantapida, Vedantasara, Gadya Trayam (which is a compilation of three texts called the Saranagati Gadyam, Sriranga Gadyam and the Srivaikunta Gadyam), and Nitya Grantham.

 

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Internal Security Trends and Incidents

Why India needs a single agency to guard its borders

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: CAPF

Mains level: Paper 3- Issues with multiple agencies guarding borders

Context

Recent developments warrant a comprehensive review of border management to ensure the all-weather security of our borders.

What makes India’s border management difficult?

  • India shares land borders with Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar, which stretch approximately 15,106 km.
  • In addition, we have an approximately 3,323 km-long LoC with Pakistan, which further extends to the rechristened 110 km stretch of “Actual Ground Position Line” (AGPL) dividing the Siachen glacier region.
  • Further east, we have the 3,488 km LAC with China.
  • We share maritime boundaries with Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Myanmar and Indonesia; we have a 7,683 km coastline and an approximately 2 million sq km exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
  • This makes India’s task more complex than most other countries.

Multiple agencies securing borders

  • Complexity is accentuated by the fact that along with the army, we have multiple other security agencies — the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) and the Paramilitary Forces (PMF) — sharing the responsibility.
  • While the army is deployed along the LoC and AGPL, the Border Security Force (BSF) looks after the international border with Pakistan and Bangladesh.
  • Guarding the LAC has been assigned to the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Assam Rifles.
  • The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) is responsible for guarding the borders with Nepal and Bhutan.
  • The Assam Rifles looks after our border with Myanmar.
  • In a nutshell, in addition to the army, we have four agencies guarding borders with six neighbours.
  • Conversely, maritime borders are guarded by a single agency — the Coast Guard.

Need for review of the border management

  • There is a lack of a coherent policy on training, planning and the conduct of guarding operations among various outfits.
  • Overall coordination is also affected.
  • Our adversary on the western border has often escalated violations by resorting to the prolonged use of military resources.
  • Chinese provocations along the LAC are military operations.
  • Clearly, the peace-time scenario is now by and large militarised.

Way forward

  • Single security agency: In this scenario, India needs a single security agency adequately equipped, suitably armed and trained in advanced military drills and sub-unit tactics to guard our borders.
  • Manpower from Army: Further, to augment the battle efficiency, a fixed percentage of manpower, including the officer cadre, should be drawn on deputation from the army.
  • Paramilitary force under Ministry of Defence: To ensure the desired training and operational standards, this single security agency should be designated as a paramilitary force under the Ministry of Defence and operate under the army.
  • Mergers: The ITBP and the SSB should be fully merged into the new outfit; the BSF and CRPF still have important internal security duties and can be partially merged.
  • The reorganised Assam Rifles too should retain its role of conducting counter-insurgency operations and act as a reserve for the army for conventional operations.
  • Most countries have raised specialised and dedicated armed bodies for border security.
  •  Iran has the Border Guard Command, Italy has the Border Police Service, Russia has created a Border Guard Service, whereas in the US, it is under Homeland Security.
  • Most of these countries, based on threat perception and for better combat cohesion, have placed these organisations under the command of the armed forces.

Conclusion

India should adopt a single agency with adequate resources and training to deal with the evolving challenges.

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Anti Defection Law

How to fix the anti-defection loophole

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Tenth schedule

Mains level: Paper 2- Loopholes in anti-defection law

Context

It is time that we took a fresh look at the Tenth Schedule to our Constitution.

Shortcomings of the anti-defection law

  • Partisan nature of Speaker: Paragraph 3 of the Tenth Schedule was omitted by the Constitution (91st Amendment) Act, 2003, which came into effect on January 1, 2004.
  • Paragraph 3, as it existed prior to the amendment, protected defectors as long as one-third of the members of a political party formed a separate group. 
  • In the context of small assemblies, one-third of the members could easily be cobbled together.
  • Often, the speaker of the assembly was seen to be collaborating with the political party in power to protect the defectors under the one-third rule.
  • Such partisan conduct of the speakers is at the heart of a non-functional Tenth Schedule.
  • The seeming political bias of the speakers acting as tribunals is apparent from how disqualification petitions are dealt with.
  • We have seen this happen in Manipur, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and other jurisdictions.
  • Allowing two-third members to merge with another party: After the omission of paragraph 3, paragraph 4 allowed for the protection of defecting members provided two-thirds of the members of the legislative party merged with another political party.
  • This provision has invariably been misused.
  • Constitutional flaw in provisions of paragraph 4: Third, there is a constitutional flaw in the manner in which the provisions of paragraph 4 have been enacted.
  • Paragraph 4(1) stipulates that a member of the house will not be disqualified from his membership where his original political party merges with another political party and he claims that he and other members have become members of the other political party or a new political party is being formed by such merger.
  • However, paragraph 4(2) provides that such a merger would be deemed to have taken place only if not less than two-thirds of the members of the legislative party agreed to such a merger.
  • This allows for clandestine corruption where two-thirds of the members of the legislative party are bought over, by means fair or foul, to either topple governments or to strengthen a razor-thin majority of the party in power.
  • This makes the entire provision unworkable and unconstitutional.
  • Prolonging the proceedings: We have witnessed situations where, even though the provisions of paragraph 4 are not ex-facie attracted, the speaker of the assembly makes sure that the proceedings are interminably prolonged so that the term of the assembly comes to an end before the proceedings under the Tenth Schedule against those ex-facie defectors have been concluded.

Need for urgent attention to Article 164(1B)

  • This allows for the toppling of governments by inducements of various kinds.
  • The motivation is that a fresh election allows the disqualified member to be re-elected.
  • He then becomes a member of the assembly once again, as its term is not over and can also be appointed a minister.
  • Under Article 164(1B), such a defection has no real consequences.

Way forward

  • 1] Ensure impartiality of Speaker: Speakers, when elected must resign from the party to which they belong.
  • At the end of their term, there should be a cooling-off period before they can become members of any political party.
  • 2] Omit Paragraph 4 through Amendment: Paragraph 4 of the Tenth Schedule should be omitted by moving a constitutional amendment.
  • 3] Make disqualification for 5 years: All those disqualified under paragraph 2 of the Tenth Schedule should neither be entitled to contest elections nor hold public office for five years from the date of their disqualification.
  • Article 164(1B) should be omitted by moving a constitutional amendment.
  • Set time limit to decide petition for disqualification: All petitions for disqualification of members under paragraph 2 of the Tenth Schedule should be decided, by adopting a summary procedure, within a period of three months.

Consider the question “Has anti-defection law succeeded in curbing the defections and ensuring the stability of the elected governments? Give reasons in support of your argument.”

Conclusion

If our polity wants to get rid of open corruption, it needs to take urgent steps to plug existing loopholes that have made the Tenth Schedule unworkable.

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Back2Basics: Article 164(1B)

  • A member of the Legislative Assembly of a State or either House of the Legislature of a State having Legislative Council belonging to any political party who is disqualified for being a member of that House under paragraph 2 of the Tenth Schedule shall also be disqualified to be appointed as a Minister under clause (1) for duration of the period commencing from the date of his disqualification till the date on which the term of his office as such member would expire or where he contests any election to the Legislative Assembly of a State or either House of the Legislature of a State having Legislative Council, as the case may be, before the expiry of such period, till the date on which he is declared elected, whichever is earlier.

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