Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Breach of Priviliges in Legislation
Mains level: Not Much
A motion for breach of privilege was moved in the Maharashtra Assembly against a news channel’s editor-in-chief. A similar motion was moved in the Maharashtra Legislative Council against an actor.
Try this PYQ:
Q.With reference to the Parliament of India, which of the following Parliamentary Committees scrutinizes and reports to the House whether the powers to make regulations, rules, sub-rules, by-laws etc. conferred by the constitution of delegated by the Parliament are being properly exercised by the Executive within the scope of such delegation?
(a) Committee on Government Assurances
(b) Committee on Subordinate Legislation
(c) Rules Committee
(d) Business Advisory Committee
Provisions to protect the privileges of the legislature
- The powers, privileges and immunities of either House of the Indian Parliament and of its Members and committees are laid down in Article 105 of the Constitution.
- Article 194 deals with the powers, privileges and immunities of the State Legislatures, their Members and their committees.
- Parliamentary privilege refers to the right and immunity enjoyed by legislatures, in which legislators are granted protection against civil or criminal liability for actions done or statements made in the course of their legislative duties.
What constitutes a breach of this privilege?
- While the Constitution has accorded special privileges and powers to parliamentarians and legislators to maintain the dignity and authority of the Houses, these powers and privileges are not codified.
- Thus, there are no clear, notified rules to decide what constitutes a breach of privilege, and the punishment it attracts.
- Any act that obstructs or impedes either House of the state legislature in performing its functions, or which obstructs or impedes any Member or Officer of such House in the discharge of his duty, or has a tendency, directly or indirectly, to produce such results is treated as a breach of privilege.
- It is a breach of privilege and contempt to print or publish libel reflecting on the character or proceedings of the House or its Committees or on any member of the House for or relating to his character or conduct as a legislator.
Procedure followed in cases of an alleged breach
- The Legislative Assembly Speaker or Legislative Council Chairman constitutes a Privileges Committee consisting of 15 members in the Assembly and 11 members in the Council.
- The members to the committee which has quasi-judicial powers are nominated based on the party strength in the Houses.
- The Speaker or Chairman first decides on the motions.
- If the privilege and contempt are found prima facie, then the Speaker or Chairman will forward it to the Privileges Committee by following the due procedure.
- At present, there is no Privileges Committee in either House of the state legislature.
- The Committee will seek an explanation from all the concerned, will conduct an inquiry and will make a recommendation based on the findings to the state legislature for its consideration.
What is the punishment for this?
- If the Committee finds the offender guilty of breach of privilege and contempt, it can recommend the punishment.
- The punishment can include communicating the displeasure of the state legislature to the offender, summoning the offender before the House and giving a warning, and even sending the offender to jail.
- In the case of the media, press facilities of the state legislature may be withdrawn, and a public apology may be sought.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: FCRA
Mains level: Money laundering and terror financing
The Union Home Ministry has granted FCRA registration to the famous Gurdwara Harmandir Sahib, or the Golden Temple, in Amritsar, enabling it to receive foreign donations.
Foreign Contribution Regulation Act
- The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 is an act to regulate the acceptance and utilization of foreign contribution or foreign hospitality by certain individuals or associations or companies
- It prohibits acceptance and utilization of foreign contribution or foreign hospitality for any activities detrimental to the national interest and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto
- The central government has the power to prohibit any persons or organizations from accepting foreign contribution or hospitality if it is determined that such acceptance would likely “affect prejudicially”
(i) the sovereignty and integrity of India,
(ii) public interest,
(iii) freedom or fairness of election to any legislature,
(iv) friendly relations with any foreign State, or
(v) harmony between religious, racial, social, linguistic or regional groups, castes or communities
Premise for the FCRA
- Government of India enacted the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) in the year 1976 with an objective of regulating the acceptance and utilization of foreign contribution.
- Any association, non-government organisation (NGO) or registered society requires FCRA registration to receive foreign donations for specified purposes.
- The act was majorly modified in 2010 with several amendments because many NGOs were found using illegal use of foreign funding.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: SAROD-Ports
Mains level: Not Much
Union Ministry of Shipping has e-launched ‘SAROD-Ports’ (Society for Affordable Redressal of Disputes – Ports).
Try this MCQ:
Q.The term SAROD is sometimes seen in the news with context to governance is related to:
(a) Disputes Redressal
(b) Employment
(c) Sustainable Development
(d) None of the above
SAROD Ports
SAROD-Ports are established under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 with the following objectives:
- Affordable and timely resolution of disputes in a fair manner
- Enrichment of Dispute Resolution Mechanism with the panel of technical experts as arbitrators.
- They consist of members from the Indian Ports Association (IPA) and Indian Private Ports and Terminals Association (IPTTA).
- They will advise and assist in settlement of disputes through arbitrations in the maritime sector, including ports and shipping sector in Major Port Trusts, Non-major Ports, including private ports, jetties, terminals and harbours.
- It will also cover disputes between granting authority and Licensee/Concessionaire /Contractor.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Schemes covered under the initiaitive
Mains level: Not Much
The Department of Posts has launched a scheme called Five Star Villages, to ensure universal coverage of flagship postal schemes in rural areas of the country.
The Five Star Villages Scheme sounds typically among the most commons types say, Swachh Bharat, Financial Inclusion and Literacy or Infrastructure amenities. Here is the caution for preventing a blunder.
Five Star Villages Scheme
- The scheme seeks to bridge the gaps in public awareness and reach of postal products and services, especially in interior villages.
- The initiatives covered under the scheme include:
- Savings Bank accounts, Recurrent Deposit Accounts, NSC / KVP certificates,
- Sukanya Samridhi Accounts/ PPF Accounts,
- Funded Post Office Savings Account linked India Post Payments Bank Accounts,
- Postal Life Insurance Policy/Rural Postal Life Insurance Policy and
- Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana Account / Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana Account.
- If a village attains universal coverage for four schemes from the above list, then that village gets four-star status; if a village completes three schemes, then that village gets three-star status and so on.
Its implementation
- The scheme will be implemented by a team of five Gramin Dak Sevaks who will be assigned a village for the marketing of all products, savings and insurance schemes of the Department of Posts.
- This team will be headed by the Branch Post Master of the concerned Branch Office. Mail overseer will keep personal watch on the progress of the team on daily basis.
- The teams will be led and monitored by concerned Divisional Head, Assistant Superintendents Posts and Inspector Posts.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Persons mentioned in the news, Nobel Prize
Mains level: Not Much
A Norwegian legislator has nominated US President Donald Trump for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts towards furthering peace in the Middle East.
Take a look at the Presidents and Vice-Presidents who have won the Nobel Peace Prize:
These trivial facts are too unlikely to be asked in the CS prelims, but may hold importance for CAPF and other exams.
(1) Theodore Roosevelt (1906)
- Roosevelt, the 26th occupant of the White House (1901-09), was not only the first American president but also the world’s first statesman to win the honour, five years after the Peace Prize was instituted in 1901.
- He was given the prize for negotiating peace between imperial Russia and Japan after the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05.
- He was also praised for his efforts in resolving a dispute between the US and Mexico through arbitration, and for extending the use of arbitration as a means for settling international disputes.
- At home, Roosevelt launched radical social and economic reform policies and earned a reputation as a “trust buster” for breaking up monopolies.
(2) Woodrow Wilson (1919)
- Wilson (1913-21) was given the award for his efforts in ending World War I, and for being the key architect of the League of Nations– born out of his famous ‘Fourteen Points’.
- Although the League faltered in a few years, it served as a blueprint for the United Nations after World War II.
- At home, Wilson saw the reduction of import duties, started America’s central bank and a national business oversight body, and strengthened anti-monopoly and labour laws.
- In his second term, the US passed its 19th constitutional amendment giving women the right to vote.
(3) Jimmy Carter (2002)
- The 39th President was awarded the Peace Prize “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development”.
- During his presidency (1977-81), Carter earned praise for his role in bringing about a peace agreement between Israel and Egypt.
- His later years were more fraught, including foreign policy failures such as the conflict with Iran and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, culminating in him losing re-election to the conservative Ronald Reagan in 1980.
- Post his presidency, Carter pursued peace and mediation efforts independently and co-founded the Carter Center, a non-profit that chiefly works to advance human rights.
(4) Barack Obama (2009)
- The country’s 44th President (2009-2017) was given the Nobel Peace Prize “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples”.
- Cited among Obama’s achievements were his promotion of nuclear non-proliferation, and bringing a “new climate” in international relations.
- Obama donated the full prize money – 10 million Swedish kronor (around $1.4 million) – to charity.
(5) Al Gore (1993-2001)
- Apart from the four Presidents, one Vice President– Al Gore (1993-2001) – has been given the Nobel Peace Prize.
- He shared the honour in 2007 with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for their joint efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Paper 3-Rethinking the defence doctrine
Indian Army’s prevailing doctrine
- The Army’s prevailing doctrine is designed to deter and defend against major conventional invasions.
- This determines how the Army is organised, what equipment it operates, and where it is deployed.
- The Army expects to win wars by launching its own punitive offensives after an enemy attack, to either destroy enemy forces or seize enemy land.
- The Army expected that any Chinese bid to capture Indian territory would come as a major conventional invasion.
Miscalculation about Chinese intentions
- Chinese army crossed the LAC in several places nearly simultaneously, and in larger numbers than usual.
- Still, the Indian Army probably expected the stand-off would repeat the pattern of years past: China would make its point with a temporary transgression and retreat after talks.
- But China has no interest in launching a major conventional invasion, but this is not just a typical probe either.
- China’s quick land grab looks increasingly permanent, like an attempt to change the border without triggering war.
How to address such security threat
- Addressing this type of security threat requires preventing, not reversing, such fait accompli land grabs.
- This requires a fundamental shift in the Army’s doctrinal thinking.
- This fundamental shift involves strategies revolving around punishing the adversary, to strategies that prevent its adventurism in the first place.
Way forward
- Surveillance: Doctrinal change involves a greater investment in persistent wide-area surveillance to detect and track adversary moves, devolved command authority to respond to enemy aggression.
- Rehearsed procedures: It would also involve rehearsed procedures for an immediate local response without higher commanders’ approval.
- Detection: The military must be able to detect adversary action and react quickly, even pre-emptively, to stop attempted aggression from becoming a fait accompli.
- Delegation of power: In peacetime, local commanders must have the authority and to take anticipatory action.
- The late-August incident at Chushul demonstrates how this can and should work.
Conclusion
The challenge for India is to learn the right lessons and be alert to similar tactics in other regions, like the Indian Ocean. It must not rely on doctrines forged in wars half a century ago.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Paper 3- Defining a farmer
The article analyses the issues of multiple definitions of a farmer. The issues of ownership as a criterion for being a farmer and its impact on tenant farmers in discussed.
Is land ownership right criterion
- Traditionally, land ownership is a mandatory criterion for availing benefits under various agricultural schemes in India.
- Laws governing land leasing operate at different levels across India.
- The Model Agricultural Land Leasing Act, 2016 was introduced to formalise land leasing.
- However, except a few States, a majority of State governments have not extended the scope of the Act to farmers.
- According to the 2015-16 agricultural census, about 2.65 million operational holdings are either partially or wholly leased.
How this impact tenants
- The impact of agrarian distress is felt disproportionately by tenant farmers.
- The tenant farmer incurs the costs and faces the risks, while the owner receives the rent, subsidies and other support.
- The lessees do not benefit from loan waivers, moratorium and institutional credit, and are forced to be at the mercy of moneylenders.
- The distress is reflected in the fact that tenant farmers account for a majority of farmer suicides reported in the NCRB data.
Multiple definitions of farmers
- There are multiple definitions for a ‘farmer’ in official data published by the Government of India.
- The population census defines ‘cultivators’ as a person engaged in cultivation of land either ‘owned’ or held in kind or share.
- The 59th round of the Situation Assessment Survey (SAS) of farmers also stresses on ‘possession of land’ either owned or leased or otherwise possessed for defining ‘farmers’.
- Delinking of land as the defining criterion for a ‘farmer’ was done in the 70th round of SAS carried out by the NSSO.
- The 70th Round of NSSO refined the definition of a farmer as one who earns a major part of the income from farming.
Conclusion
Access to land as a policy instrument in bringing about equitable growth of rural economies needs no further emphasis. However, until the time ‘land to the tiller’ remains just wishful thinking, adopting a broader definition of a ‘farmer’ is a short-term solution to ensure inclusive and sustainable growth.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Paper 3- Bt cotton
After almost 20 years of adoption of Bt cotton in India, its time to review the claimed benefits of the Bt.
Hybrid cotton seeds and issues
- Until the 20th century the indigenous ‘desi’ variety, Gossypium arboreum was used.
- From the 1990s, hybrid varieties of G. hirsutum were promoted.
- These hybrids cannot resist a variety of local pests and require more fertilizers and pesticides.
- Cotton suffers from plenty of infestation from moth pests such as the Pink Bollworm (PBW) and sap-sucking (Hemipteran) pests such as aphids and mealy bugs.
- With increasing pressure to buy hybrid seeds, the indigenous varieties have lost out over the years.
Resistant pests and introduction of Bt cotton
- The increasing use of synthetic man-made pesticides to control pests and the rising acreage under the American long-duration cotton led to the emergence of resistant pests.
- Resistant Pink and even American Bollworm (ABW), a minor pest in the past, began increasing, leading to a growing use of a variety of pesticides.
- Rising debts and reducing yields, coupled with increasing insect resistance, worsened the plight of cotton farmers.
- It was in this setting that Bt cotton was introduced in India in 2002.
What is Bt cotton
- The plant containing the pesticide gene from the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), has been grown in India for about twenty years.
- This pesticide, now produced in each Bt plant cell, ought to protect the plant from bollworm, thereby increasing yields and reducing insecticide spraying on the cotton plant.
Review of the utility of Bt cotton
- Review was published in the scientific journal Nature Plants, analysing the entire picture of the use of Bt cotton in India.
- Earlier studies had attributed to Bt the tripling of cotton yield between 2002-2014 in India.
- However, one detail that raises concerns over such a conclusion was that yield differences between farmers who were the early adopters of Bt cotton and those who were not suffered from selection bias.
- Controlling for such bias showed (in 2012) that the contribution of Bt cotton to yield increase was only about 4% each year.
- Since yields vary annually by over 10%, the benefits claimed were dubious.
- There are discrepancies between yield and the deployment of Bt cotton.
- For instance, the Bt acreage was only 3.4% of the total cotton area in 2003, not sufficient to credit it for the 61% increase in yield in 2003-2004.
- The rise in cotton yields can be explained by improvements in irrigation, for instance in Gujarat, and a dramatic growth across the country in the use of fertilizers.
- The PBW developed a resistance by 2009 in India. In a few years, the situation was dreadful.
- A technology that works in the lab may fail in fields since real-world success hinges on multiple factors.
Way forward
- The cost of ignoring ‘desi’ varieties for decades has been high for India.
- Research suggests that with pure-line cotton varieties, high density planting, and short season plants, cotton yields in India can be good and stand a better chance at withstanding the vagaries of climate change.
- But government backing for resources, infrastructure and seeds is essential.
Conclusion
It is time to pay attention to science and acknowledge that Bt cotton has failed in India, and not enter into further misadventures with other Bt crops such as brinjal or herbicide resistance.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Indra Sawhney Judgment
Mains level: Quota debate
The Supreme Court has referred to a Constitution Bench the question of whether states can exceed the 50% limit on quotas that were set by a nine-judge Bench in the landmark Indra Sawhney vs Union of India (1992) case.
Practice question for mains:
Q.The quota policy for OBCs needs an urgent revisit. Comment.
Marathas and their ‘backwardness’
- The Marathas are a politically dominant community who make up 32% of Maharashtra’s population.
- They have historically been identified as a ‘warrior’ caste with large landholdings. Eleven of the state’s 19 chief ministers so far have been Marathas.
- While the division of land and agrarian problems over the years have led to a decline of prosperity among middle- and lower-middle-class Marathas, the community still plays an important role in the rural economy.
- The discontent in the community was a spillover into protests and unrest until the quota was announced.
- The second phase of the protest saw a spate of suicides. The backward Marathwada region was the worst affected by the protests.
What was the case?
- A Bench of the SC heard a batch of petitions challenging reservations for Marathas in education and jobs in Maharashtra.
- The petitions appealed a 2019 Bombay High Court decision that upheld the constitutional validity of the Maratha quota under the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act, 2018.
- The Bench also heard a petition challenging admission to postgraduate medical and dental courses under the quota in the state.
Earlier Bombay HC ruling
- The Bombay HC ruled last year that the 16% quota granted by the state was not “justifiable”, and reduced it to 12% in education and 13% in government jobs, as recommended by the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission (MSBCC).
- The Bench ruled that the limit of the reservation should not exceed 50%.
- However, in exceptional circumstances and extraordinary situations, this limit can be crossed subject to availability of quantifiable and contemporaneous data reflecting backwardness, the inadequacy of representation and without affecting the efficiency in administration.
- The court relied heavily on the findings of the 11-member MSBCC, which submitted in November 2018 that the Maratha community is socially, economically and educationally backwards.
Existing reservation
- Following the 2001 State Reservation Act, the total reservation in Maharashtra was 52%: SCs (13%), STs (7%), OBCs (19%), Special Backward Class (2%), Vimukta Jati (3%), Nomadic Tribe B (2.5%), Nomadic Tribe C (3.5%) and Nomadic Tribe D (2%).
- The quotas for Nomadic Tribes and Special Backward Classes have been carved out of the total OBC quota.
- With the addition of 12-13% Maratha quota, the total reservation in the state went up to 64-65%.
- The 10% quota for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) announced by the Centre last year is also effective in the state.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: AMU, Sir Saiyad Ahmad Khan
Mains level: Not Much
In its centenary year, Aligarh Muslim University is planning to bury a time capsule, containing its history and achievements for posterity.
Try this PYQ:
Q.Consider the following:
- Calcutta Unitarian Committee
- Tabernacle of New Dispensation
- Indian Reforms Association
Keshab Chandra Sen is associated with the establishment of which of the above?
(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Aligarh Muslim University
- AMU is a public central university in Aligarh, India, which was originally established by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan as the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College in 1875.
- Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College became Aligarh Muslim University in 1920, following the Aligarh Muslim University Act.
- It has three off-campus centres in Malappuram (Kerala), AMU Murshidabad centre (West Bengal), and Kishanganj Centre (Bihar).
Its establishment
- The university was established as the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental (MAO) College in 1875 by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, starting functioning on 24 May 1875.
- The movement associated with Syed Ahmad Khan and the college came to be known as the Aligarh Movement, which pushed to realize the need for establishing a modern education system for the Indian Muslim populace.
- He considered competence in English and Western sciences necessary skills for maintaining Muslims’ political influence.
- Khan’s vision for the college was based on his visit to Oxford University and Cambridge University, and he wanted to establish an education system similar to the British model.
About Syed Ahmad Khan
- He was an Islamic pragmatist, reformer, and philosopher of nineteenth-century British India.
- Born into a family with strong debts to the Mughal court, Ahmed studied the Quran and Sciences within the court.
- He was awarded an honorary LLD from the University of Edinburgh in 1889.
- In 1838, Syed Ahmed entered the service of East India Company and went on to become a judge at a Small Causes Court in 1867, retiring from 1876.
- During the Indian Rebellion of 1857, he remained loyal to the British Raj and was noted for his actions in saving European lives.
- In 1878, he was nominated to the Viceroy’s Legislative Council.
- He supported the efforts of Indian political leaders Surendranath Banerjee and Dadabhai Naoroji to obtain representation for Indians in the government and civil services.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: ARISE-ANIC initiaitive
Mains level: Reviving MSME Sector of India thr
Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, has launched Aatmanirbhar Bharat ARISE-Atal New India Challenges, to spur applied research and innovation in Indian MSMEs and startups.
The name ARISE typically sounds some social sector or HRD related initiative. This is where one has to be cautious.
ARISE ANIC Initiative
- The program is a national initiative to promote research & innovation and increase the competitiveness of Indian startups and MSMEs.
- Its objective is to proactively collaborate with esteemed Ministries and the associated industries to catalyse research, innovation and facilitate innovative solutions to sectoral problems.
- It also aims to provide a steady stream of innovative products & solutions where the Central Government Ministries / Departments will become the potential first buyers.
- It is in line with the PM’s mandate of “Make in India”, “Startup India”, and “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” to fast track the growth of the Indian MSME sector.
Its implementation
- The programme will be driven by ISRO, four ministries—Ministry of Defence; Ministry of Food Processing Industries; Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
- It will support deserving applied research-based innovations by providing funding support of up to Rs 50 lakh for speedy development of the proposed technology solution and/or product.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: EASE Banking Reforms Index
Mains level: Banking sector reforms
Union Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs has felicitated best performing banks on EASE Banking Reforms Index.
Note the various themes under which the index works.
EASE Banking Reforms Index
- EASE stands for ‘Enhanced Access and Service Excellence’. The index is prepared by the Indian Banking Association (IBA) and Boston Consulting Group.
- It is commissioned by the Finance Ministry.
- It is a framework that was adopted last year to strengthen public sector banks and rank them on metrics such as responsible banking, financial inclusion, credit offtake and digitization.
Various themes and performance by the states
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: PMMSY, E Gopala
Mains level: Fisheries sector of India
PM will digitally launch the PM Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) today.
PM Matsya Sampada Yojana
- The PMMSY aims to bring about the Blue Revolution through sustainable and responsible development of the fisheries sector in India.
- It has an estimated investment of Rs. 20,050 crores for its implementation during a period of 5 years from FY 2020-21 to FY 2024-25 in all States/UTs, as a part of AatmaNirbhar Bharat Package.
- PMMSY aims at enhancing fish production by an additional 70 lakh tonne by 2024-25, increasing fisheries export earnings to Rs.1,00,000 crore by 2024-25.
- Thus it aims doubling of incomes of fishers and fish farmers, reducing post-harvest losses from 20-25% to about 10% and generation of gainful employment opportunities in the sector.
Aims and objectives of PMMSY
- Harnessing of fisheries potential in a sustainable, responsible, inclusive and equitable manner
- Enhancing of fish production and productivity through expansion, intensification, diversification and productive utilization of land and water
- Modernizing and strengthening of the value chain – post-harvest management and quality improvement
- Doubling fishers and fish farmers incomes and generation of employment
- Enhancing contribution to Agriculture GVA and exports
- Social, physical and economic security for fishers and fish farmers
- Robust fisheries management and regulatory framework
Implementation strategy
The PMMSY will be implemented as an umbrella scheme with two separate components namely:
(a) Central Sector Scheme and
(b) Centrally Sponsored Scheme
- Majority of the activities under the Scheme would be implemented with the active participation of States/UTs.
- A well-structured implementation framework would be established for the effective planning and implementation of PMMSY.
- For optimal outcomes, ‘Cluster or area-based approach’ would be followed with requisite forward and backward linkages and end to end solutions.
Other inaugurations: e-Gopala App
- e-Gopala App is a comprehensive breed improvement marketplace and information portal for direct use of farmers.
- At present no digital platform is available in the country for farmers managing livestock including buying and selling of disease-free germplasm in all forms (semen, embryos, etc); availability of quality breeding services and guiding farmers for animal nutrition etc.
- There is no mechanism to send alerts (on the due date for vaccination, pregnancy diagnosis, calving etc) and inform farmers about various government schemes and campaigns in the area.
- The e-Gopala App will provide solutions to farmers on all these aspects.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Monitory policy and fiscal policy
Mains level: Paper 3- Monetary and fiscal response.
The article analyses the relation between the response of fiscal authority and monetary authority to get the maximum payoff in the normal circumstance. But the pandemic would require different approach.
Coordination between monetary and fiscal authority in India
- Coordination between monetary and fiscal authorities has been a thorny issue globally in recent years.
- If there is perfect coordination between the monetary and fiscal policy then there should be statistically significant negative correlation between the two.
- In the Indian context, for the 30-year period till FY2020, relation between the change in the consolidated fiscal deficit and the change in the growth rate of broad money reveals no coordination, substantiating the dominance of fiscal over monetary policy.
- Non-coordination between the two in India is also constrained by several policy targets and fewer instruments.
Optimal combination of monetary and fiscal strategy
- Both the government and the RBI have two options between them — either a contraction or an expansion.
- Thus, we effectively have four policy options, and each of the options will have a particular benefit.
- Our endeavour is to find out which policy option can result in a Nash Equilibrium.
- A Nash equilibrium occurs when neither the government nor the RBI can increase its benefit by unilaterally changing its action.
- The payoff scenarios are hypothesised as benefits accruing to the government and the RBI separately when they are deciding on either of the policy options: Contraction or expansion.
- The government favour an expansionary policy and gets maximum payoffs from a fiscal expansion, either with monetary expansion or contraction.
- The monetary authority ideally wants to contract the economy to fight inflation and gets maximum payoffs from a monetary contraction.
So, what is optimal combination of fiscal and monetary strategy
- If the RBI opts for monetary expansion, the government also opts for expansion as the payoff is higher.
- But this will compel the RBI to then opt for contraction, since that gives it a higher payoff.
- Knowing this, the government’s best strategy will be then an expansion — so the outcome will always be a fiscal expansion with a simultaneous monetary contraction.
- This is the only Nash equilibrium for this game.
Responding to the pandemic
- The current pandemic is resulting in behavioural changes of individuals in terms of risk-taking.
- In the Indian context too, there are behavioural changes in terms of risk-taking.
- Many of the current companies were also born during the financial crisis, like Uber (2009), Microsoft (1975), Disney (1923), General Motors (1908) and General Electric (1890).
- Echoing such “procedural rationality” in the current unprecedented circumstances, we thus believe fiscal expansion and monetary expansion is the desirable outcome.
Conclusion
The RBI has been largely successful in communicating to the market about its intentions and we now expect the government to manage expectations with coordinated communication and leave matters of financing the fiscal deficit, through measures like monetisation, to the RBI.
B2BASICS
NASH EQUILBRIUM
Simply put, it is a situation where no player can increase his payoff by deviating alone (from the situation). That is,it is a situation where both players are involved in mutual best replies.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NAM
Mains level: Paper 2- Finding alternative to non-alignment in India's foreign policy
The article analyses role of non-alignment in India’s foreign policy and India’s struggle to find the alternative to the non-alignment.
Background
- Non-alignment was a policy fashioned during the Cold War, to retain the autonomy of policy between two politico-military blocs.
- The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) provided a platform for newly independent developing nations to join together to protect this autonomy.
- NAM campaigned for de-colonisation, universal nuclear disarmament and against apartheid.
- After the end of the Cold War, the NAM countries were able to diversify their network of relationships across the erstwhile east-west divide.
Non-alignment and India’s foreign policy in the present context
- For a few years now, non-alignment has not been projected by our policymakers as a tenet of India’s foreign policy.
- India has not yet found a universally accepted alternative to the non-alignment yet.
- “Strategic autonomy” as an alternative soon acquired a connotation similar to non-alignment, with an anti-U.S. tint.
- Multi-alignment has not found universal favour, since it may convey the impression of opportunism, whereas we seek strategic convergences.
- Seeking issue-based partnerships or coalitions is a description that has not stuck.
- “Advancing prosperity and influence” was a description External Affairs minister settled for, to describe the aspirations that our network of international partnerships seeks to further.
Role of geography and politics
- Two major imperatives flow from India’s geography-1) economic and security interests in the Indo-Pacific space. 2) the strategic importance of the continental landmass to its north and west.
- The Indo-Pacific has inspired the Act East policy of bilateral and multilateral engagements in Southeast Asia and East Asia and the Pacific.
- Shared India-U.S. interests in dealing with the challenge from China in the maritime domain have been a strategic underpinning of the bilateral partnership since the early 2000s.
Issues in India’s engagement with the U.S.
- In the immediate-term, Indian and U.S. perspectives are less convergent in India’s continental neighbourhood.
- Connectivity and cooperation with Afghanistan and Central Asia need engagement with Iran and Russia, as well as with the Russia-China dynamics in the region.
- Russia extends to the Eurasian landmass bordering India’s near and extended neighbourhood.
- A close Russia-China partnership should move India to broad-base relations with Russia.
- A strong stake in relations with India could reinforce Russia’s reluctance to be a junior partner of China.
- As the U.S. confronts the challenge to its dominance from China, classical balance of power considerations would dictate accommodation with Russia.
- U.S. should see ties with India as a joint venture not an alliance in which they could pursue shared objectives to mutual benefit and accept that differences of perspectives will have to be addressed.
- This template could have wider applicability for bilateral relations in today’s world order, which former could be described as militarily unipolar, economically multipolar and politically confused.
- The U.S. could acknowledge that India’s development of trade routes through Iran which could provide it route to Afghanistan and Central Asia, bypassing Pakistan and Russia, respectively.
Consider the question “India has not been able to find an alternative to NAM which has been described as the basic tenet of India’s foreign policy. Discuss.”
Conclusion
India should find the alternative to the non-alignment which accommodate its interest in relations with the U.S. at the same time allow it “strategic autonomy”.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Paper 2- Electoral reforms and the importance of strong local governments.
The article analyses the issues faced by democracy in India and suggests the way out in the form of strong local governments.
Issues being faced by Indian democracy
1. Issue of use of money power
- Around the world, electoral democracies face the issues of funding political parties and elections.
- Money is required to win elections legitimately, even when people are not bribed to vote, which is illegitimate.
- Communications with citizens can be very expensive.
- Advertisements have to be paid for as well as teams of professionals for managing social media.
- The race to raise more money for legitimate electioneering purposes can corrupt the process of funding parties and elections.
- Solutions are not easy because the right to free speech cannot be denied.
2.Issues with deliberations by the representatives
- Debates within India’s Parliament hardly inspire citizens’ confidence in their representatives’ ability to govern the country.
- The problem in electoral democracies is also in the conduct of their deliberations when they come together.
- This problem is not due to the quality of the individuals, it is inherent in the design of the process for electing representatives.
- Representatives of the people must be chosen by smaller electorates within geographical constituencies.
- But when they meet together in the national chamber, they are expected to govern the whole country.
- They must shed the interest of their constituency and consider what will be best for the whole country.
- Constituency favouring leads to challenges for equitable solutions for sharing of river waters, and to railway stations.
- Electing good representatives to Assemblies is not enough to ensure good decisions will be made.
3.Role of political parties: Lack of inner democracies
- Function of parties: Political parties in electoral democracies provide a solution to the problem of creating an alignment of views among representatives from hundreds of constituencies around the country.
- A party’s point of view on fundamental matters can unite many.
- However, when there are too many parties and too many contradictory points of view to be accommodated within a coalition, governance can break down.
- Therefore, political parties are not evil.
- However, when political parties are not internally democratic, they become a source to amass power and wealth, and democratic nations suffer.
So, should we adopt direct form of democracy
- For the reason stated above, it has become very difficult in representative democracies to arrive at good and fair decisions for the governance of a large state or country.
- New Internet technologies make adoption of direct form of democracy possible.
- But, if all voters have not understood what is at stake, they cannot decide well this is what happened in hasty Brexit referendum.
Way Forward
1.Need for the strong local governance
- Complex issues, where many interests collide, must be resolved by reason, not settled by the numbers.
- Hence there is no alternative to good local governance, wherein citizens manage their local affairs democratically.
- One-size solutions devised by experts at the centre cannot fit all.
- Local systems solutions are essential to solve global systemic problems of environmental sustainability and inclusive growth.
2.Funding and Intra-Party Democracy related reforms
- Electoral funding must be cleaned up, and democracy within political parties improved to make representative democracy work better.
- This will require big changes to entrenched systems.
- Citizens must appreciate that they have to be the source of solutions, and not become only the source of problems.
- Citizens must learn to listen to each other’s perspectives in their villages and in their urban neighbourhoods.
What are the challenges the electoral process in India faces? Suggest the solution to the issues democracy in India faces.
Conclusion
Since India’s Independence 73 years ago when the power of government was transferred from a centre in London to a centre in Delhi, strong local governance remains the unfinished agenda to make India’s democracy strong and deep.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Green-Blue Infrastructure
Mains level: Urban water resources management
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is holding public consultations for the preparation of the Master Plan for Delhi 2041 with special focus on water bodies and the land.
Try this question:
Q.Urban water resources management is an uphill task for Indian cities. Discuss.
What is Green-Blue infrastructure?
- ‘Blue’ infrastructure refers to water bodies like rivers, canals, ponds, wetlands, floodplains, and water treatment facilities; while ‘Green’ stands for trees, lawns, hedgerows, parks, fields, and forests.
- The concept refers to urban planning where water bodies and land are interdependent, and grow with the help of each other while offering environmental and social benefits.
How does DDA plan to go ahead with it?
- In the first stage, the DDA plans to deal with the multiplicity of agencies, which because of the special nature of the state, has plagued it for several years.
- DDA wants the first map out the issues of jurisdiction, work being done by different agencies on drains and the areas around them.
- Thereafter, a comprehensive policy will be drawn up, which would then act as the common direction for all agencies.
Why such a policy?
- Delhi has around 50 big drains (blue areas) managed by different agencies, and due to their poor condition and encroachment, the land around (green areas) has also been affected.
- DDA, along with other agencies, will integrate them and remove all sources of pollution by checking the outfall of untreated wastewater as well as the removal of existing pollutants.
- A mix of mechanized and natural systems may be adopted, and dumping of solid wastes in any of these sites will be strictly prohibited by local bodies, through the imposition of penalties.
Major features
- The land around these drains, carrying stormwater, will be declared as special buffer projects.
- The network of connected green spaces would be developed in the form of green mobility circuits of pedestrian and cycling paths.
- It will be developed along the drains to serve functional as well as leisure trips.
Challenges ahead
- The biggest challenge is the multiplicity of agencies.
- Secondly, cleaning of water bodies and drains has been a challenge for agencies in Delhi for years now.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: MPI and various other dimensions of poverty
Mains level: Not Much
NITI Aayog as the nodal agency has been assigned the responsibility of leveraging the monitoring mechanism of the Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) to drive reforms.
Try this PYQ:
Q.In a given year in India, official poverty lines are higher in some states than in others because (CSP 2019):
(a) Poverty rates vary from State to State
(b) Price levels vary from State to State
(c) Gross State Product varies from State to State
(d) Quality of public distribution varies from State to State
GIRG Exercise
- Global MPI is part of GoI’s decision to monitor the performance of the country in 29 select Global Indices.
- The objective of the exercise is to fulfil the need to measure and monitor India’s performance on various important social and economic parameters.
- It would enable the utilization of these Indices as tools for self-improvement; bring about reforms in policies, while improving last-mile implementation of government schemes.
- As the Nodal agency for the MPI, NITI Aayog has constituted a Multidimensional Poverty Index Coordination Committee (MPICC).
About Global MPI
- Global MPI is an international measure of multidimensional poverty covering 107 developing countries.
- It was first developed in 2010 by Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) for UNDP’s Human Development Reports.
- It is computed by scoring each surveyed household on 10 parameters based on -nutrition, child mortality, and years of schooling, school attendance, cooking fuel, sanitation, drinking water, electricity, housing and household assets.
- It utilizes the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) which is conducted under the aegis of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS).
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Heritage of Punjab
Mains level: Not Much
The Ministry of Tourism’s DekhoApnaDesh Webinar series titled “Punjab- A historic perspective” has recently gone live.
Try this PYQ:
Q.Rivers that passes through Himachal Pradesh are: (CSP 2012)
(a) Beas and Chenab only
(b) Beas and Ravi only
(c) Chenab, Ravi, and Satluj only
(d) Beas, Chenab, Ravi, Satluj, and Yamuna
Heritage of Punjab
- Punjab means ‘the land of Five Waters’ referring to the rivers Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej, and Beas.
- Much of the Frontier was occupied by Maharaja Ranjit Singh also known as Sher-e-Punjab in the early 19th century and then taken over by the East India Company when it annexed Punjab in 1849.
- The state is divided into three parts- Majha, Doaba and Malwa.
- It’s many festivals–Teej, Lohri, Basant Panchami, Baisakhi and Hola Mahalla to name some are celebrations that mirror the farming ethos.
- Historically, Punjab has played host to a number of ethnicities, including the Aryans, Persians, Greeks, Afghans and Mongols, thus bestowed with a rich tangible heritage.
- The southeastern city of Punjab, Patiala was once a princely state established under Baba Ala Singh, a Jat Sikh chieftain. He laid the foundation of the fort and now, is located in the region around Qila Mubarak or the Fortunate Castle.
- Important tourist attractions are Kali Temple, Baradari Garden, Sheesh Mahal, Gurudwara Dukh Niwaran Sahib, Qila Mubarak complex etc.
Holy shrines
- The most sacred of Sikh shrines, the Golden Temple, is a major pilgrimage destination for devotees from around the world, as well as, an ever-increasing popular tourist attraction.
- Construction of the Amrit Sarovar (pool of nectar) was initiated by Guru Amar Das, the third Guru, in 1570 and was completed by Guru Ram Das, the fourth Guru.
- His successor, Guru Arjan Dev began work on the building after inviting Mian Mir, the Sufi saint, to lay its foundation stone in 1588.
- Three years later, the Harimandar Sahib, or Darbar Sahib got completed.
- In step with Sikhism’s basic tenet of universal brotherhood and all-inclusive ethos, the Golden Temple can be accessed from all directions.
Legend of Banda Bahadur
- The city of Fatehgarh Sahib is of special significance to Sikhs. The word “Fatehgarh”, means “Town of Victory”.
- It is so-called because, in 1710, Sikhs under the leadership of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur conquered the area and destroyed the Mughal fort.
- Banda Bahadur announced the establishment of the Sikh rule in the city and an end to the tyranny of the Mughal rule which had spread terror and injustice.
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The article analyses the issue of socioeconomic disruption caused by the pandemic and response by regionally coordinated response to it.
Context
- With continued lockdown measures and restricted borders, countries in Asia and the Pacific have been experiencing sharp drops in foreign exchange inflows due to declines in export earnings, remittances, tourism and FDI.
Financing 3 key areas by the U.N.
- The United Nations is contributing through a global initiative, Financing for Development in the Era of COVID-19 and Beyond.
- The initiative aims at comprehensive financing strategy to safeguard the Sustainable Development Goals.
- Governments are united to ensure that adequate financial resources are available to steer an inclusive, sustainable and resilient post-COVID-19 recovery.
- In the Asia-Pacific region, several countries have already adopted financing plans in following three key areas.
- 1) To address the challenge of diminished fiscal space and debt vulnerability 2) To ensure sustainable recovery, consistent with the ambitions of the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda 3) To harness the potential of regional cooperation in support of financing for development.
Regional Conversation series by ESCAP
- The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) has recently launched its first-ever Regional Conversation Series on Building Back Better.
- In this series ministers, decision-makers, private sectors and heads of international agencies participate.
- Their participation results in sharing of collective insights on sharing pathways to resilient recovery from health pandemic and economic collapse.
Debt Service Suspension initiative
- To manage high levels of debt distress global initiatives like the Debt Service Suspension initiative is timely.
- Central banks can continue to keep the balance of supporting the economy and maintaining financial stability.
- This further involves enhancing tax reforms and improving debt management capacities, while using limited fiscal space to invest in priority sectors.
- Exploring sustainability-oriented bonds and innovative financing instruments options such as debt swaps for SDG investment should be explored further.
- Policy paradigm must mainstream affordable, accessible and green infrastructure standards.
- We should also scale up the use of digital technology and innovative applications.
- The financing support of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises must go hand in hand with these national job-rich recovery strategies.
Role of regional cooperation
- Regionally coordinated financing policies can restart trade, reorganise supply chains and revitalise sustainable tourism in a safe manner.
- Across Asia and the Pacific, governments must pool financial resources to create regional investment funds.
- Role of egional cooperation platforms to ensure all countries receive an equitable number of doses of the vaccine is essential.
Conclusion
Through ESCAP, we can scale these efforts across the region, working closely with our member states, the private sector and innovators to build a collective financing response to mobilise the necessary additional resources.
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