Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: DDT
Mains level: Paper 3-Pollution and harm to ecology
India has supplied 20.60 MT of DDT to South Africa for its Malaria control program.
Try this question from CSP 2014:
With reference to ‘Global Environment Facility’, which of the following statements is/are correct?
(a) It serves as financial mechanism for ‘Convention on Biological Diversity’ and ‘United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’
(b) It undertakes scientific research on environmental issues at global level
(c) It is an agency under OECD to facilitate the transfer of technology and funds to underdeveloped countries with specific aim to protect their environment.
(d) Both (a) and (b)
What is DDT?
- Dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane commonly known as DDT is a colorless, tasteless, and almost odorless crystalline chemical compound.
- It was developed as the first of the modern synthetic insecticides in the 1940s.
- It was initially used with great effect to combat malaria, typhus, and other insect-borne human diseases among both military and civilian populations.
Why is it controversial?
- DDT is a persistent organic pollutant that is readily adsorbed to soils and sediments, which can act both as sinks and as long-term sources of exposure affecting organisms.
- Routes of loss and degradation include runoff, volatilization, photolysis and aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation.
- Due to hydrophobic properties, in aquatic ecosystems DDT is absorbed by aquatic organisms and thus bio-accumulates in the food web.
Threats of DDT
- The bioaccumulation of DDT has caused eggshell thinning and population declines in multiple North American and European bird of prey species.
- DDT is an endocrine disruptor. It is considered likely to be a human carcinogen.
In use despite ban
- A worldwide ban on agricultural use of DDT was formalized under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.
- But its limited and still-controversial use in disease vector control continues, because of its effectiveness in reducing malarial infections, balanced by environmental and other health concerns.
Back2Basics: Stockholm Convention on POPs
- Stockholm Convention is an international environmental treaty, signed in 2001 and effective from May 2004 that aims to eliminate or restrict the production and use of persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
- In 1995, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) called for global action to be taken on POPs.
- POPs are defined by the UNEP as chemical substances that persist in the environment, bio-accumulate through the food web, and pose a risk of causing adverse effects to human health and the environment.
Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification
- Bioaccumulation and biomagnification are two different processes that often occur in tandem with one another.
- Bioaccumulation is the process by which toxins enter the food web by building up in individual organisms.
- Biomagnification is the process by which toxins are passed from one trophic level to the next (and thereby increase in concentration) within a food web.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Paper 3- Issues with allowing operation of passenger trains by private players
Indian Railways has launched the process of opening up train operations to private entities on 109 origin-destination (OD) pairs of routes using 151 modern trains.
Objectives of privatisation
- To introduce modern technology rolling stock with reduced maintenance.
- Reduced transit time.
- Boost job creation.
- Provide enhanced safety.
- Provide world-class travel experience to passengers.
- Reduce demand-supply deficit in the passenger transportation sector.
Issues with the move
1) Responsibility issue
- Railway crew will work the trains (151 trains in 109 routes) which will be maintained by the private investor.
- All the other infrastructure, track and associated structures, stations, signalling, security and their daily maintenance owned by the Railways will be fully utilised in running trains.
- Thus, the responsibility of the private investor ends with investment in the procurement and maintenance of coaches.
- Train operation, safety and dealing with every day problems rests with the Railways.
- In case of an unfortunate event, fixing responsibility will be an issue.
2) Day-to-day problems
- Provision of an independent regulator to resolve disagreement, discords and disputes.
- But this regulator will not be able to solve day-to-day problems of dichotomy unless the basic issue is resolved.
3) Speed issue
- Nearly all trunk routes in the existing network are speed limited to 110 kmph very few permit speeds of upto 120-130 kmph.
- To raise it to 160 kmph, as proposed, there has to be track strengthening, elimination of curves and level crossing gates and strengthening of bridges.
- There is no appreciable reduction in transit time for most proposed trains, when compared with the timings of the fastest train now operating on that route.
4) Passenger fare issue
- In the proposal, the Railways or government have no role in fixing passenger fares.
- Fares will be beyond the common man’s reach.
- Fare concessions extended to several categories of people will not be made available by the private investor.
- The very objective of commissioning the Railways as a public welfare transport organisation is defeated.
5) Reservation in Jobs
- The private investor is not bound to follow reservation regulations in employment.
- This, in turn, will deprive employment opportunities for those who are on the margins of society.
6) Limited Coverage:
- An advantage of Indian Railways being government-owned is that it provides nation-wide connectivity irrespective of profit.
- Privatisation of railways would mean the railways will become a profit-making enterprise, this would lead to the elimination of railways routes that are less popular.
- Thus, the privatisation of railways can have a negative impact on connectivity and further increase the rural-urban divide.
7) Impact on the Economy:
- Indian Railways is the backbone of India, it provides low fare transportation to agricultural and industrial trade.
- Therefore, privatisation of Indian railways shall definitely affect the Indian economy at large.
- Way forward
- There should be no need for the government to take a dual role of a facilitator as well as a participant.
- In the case of the metro railway services, Hyderabad, for example, an ideal PPP project, the concessionaire is solely responsible for daily maintenance, operation, passenger amenities and staff issues.
- The State government steps in when it comes to land, power, permissions, law and order, etc. Fare determination is in consultation with the government.
- Instead of a private entrepreneur, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation, a government undertaking which has gained experience in running the Tejas Express trains, could have been given the role.
Consider the question “Indian Railways often hailed as the lifeline of the country continues suffering from several issues. In light of this, evaluate the pros and cons of the privatisation of railways.”
Conclusion
This project of privatisation of trains should not result in the common man being deprived of travel facilities. The Indian Railways is a strategic resource for the nation hence it should not be judged solely on its profit-generating capability or market-based return on investment.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: APMC Act
Mains level: Paper 3- Issues with the APMC Act
The APMC Act, which is often blamed for the woes of the farmers is not the main problem. This article argues that the root of the problems of Indian agriculture lies somewhere else.
Agriculture post-1991
- The priority post-1991 has been given to industry as well as services.
- Middle-class consumers have been favoured by at the expense of farmers.
- This neglect of agriculture resulted in an equally unprecedented gap between the standard of living in the rural and urban parts of the country.
- As a result, the urban/rural ratio, in terms of monthly per capita expenditures, has jumped from 1.84 to 2.42 between 2012 and 2018.
- This means that an average urban-dweller today can consume almost 2.5 times more than an average person in a village.
Reforms by the government
- Government has decided to liberalise India’s agriculture by amending the APMC Act and the Essential Commodities Act.
- Contract farming will also be introduced in such a way that the buyer can assure a price to the farmer at the time of sowing.
APMC Act in the context of Shanta Kumar Committee report
- The argument against the APMC Act is that it does not allow the free market to function due to government intervention.
- It denies farmers the opportunity to determine the prices of crops in the marketplace.
- In theory, this is a valid argument.
- But, Shanta Kumar Committee observed in 2015 that only 6 per cent of farmers get the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
- This is because of barriers to access for farmers as only 22 crops are procured under MSP.
- Infrastructure is also inadequate as there are only an estimated 7,000 APMC mandis across India.
- Procurement depends on the stocks required by the state.
Why the APMC Act is not the problem
1) Farm Pricing is the problem
- The living costs of farmers was considered while determining agricultural pricing by the Agricultural Prices Commission (APC).
- CACP that replaced the APC in 1985 added a 10 per cent mark-up over the MSP to account for entrepreneurial costs.
- Such practices have been gradually eroded post-1991.
- The problem, therefore, is not state intervention but the way the government deals with agriculture.
2) APMC Act helped India build up food stocks
- India managed to weather the 2008 global food crisis only because it had enough food stocks as Indian agriculture was not linked to the international futures market.
- This was possible due to the procurement done through the APMC Act.
3) APMC Act reformed already by States
- Since agriculture is a state subject, the Act has been modified in 17 states.
- On the contrary, the condition of peasants has often been affected when the APMC Act has been diluted.
- Bihar is a case in point.
- The APMC Act was revoked in 2006 with the same rationale that further deregulation will attract private investment in infrastructure.
- Not only has that not materialised, but the existing APMC market infrastructure was also dismantled.
Reforms that Indian Agriculture needs
1) Subsidy Reforms
- Indian Agriculture is still too heavily subsidised in favour of the big players.
- In the Union Budget 2019-20, the allocation for the Ministry of Agriculture was Rs 1,30,485 crore and the fertiliser subsidy alone was estimated at Rs 79,996 crore.
- But these subsidies are concentrated on a few crops.
- Agriculture economist Bruno Dorin has shown, only three crops receive more than 60 per cent of the so-called “non-product-specific” support to agriculture — rice, wheat and sugarcane.
- This has led to environmental degradation like the depletion of groundwater levels and monocultures which are a threat to biodiversity.
- It has also led to the industrialisation of agriculture, that results in the strengthening of a handful of multinational companies, which supply chemical inputs.
- Liberalisation would only strengthen the role of large companies — including those in the agri-food sector.
2) Agriculture needs to be ecologically viable
- Structurally, farming needs to be made economically and ecologically viable in India.
- State intervention for better pricing, investments in water harvesting and an agroecological transition could ensure a more resilient system to weather shocks like the current one.
- The government could draw inspiration from the Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Farming model.
- It promotes agroecological principles with the use of locally-produced, ecologically-sustainable inputs focusing on soil health..
- Since the agro-ecological system of farming is more biodiverse in nature, it will make the system more resilient overall.
- It will provide a safety net for farmers in case of crop damage due to various factors such as climate change or droughts.
Consider the question “Though the APMC Act has been blamed for the farmers’ issues, it has historically been part of the solution. Critically analyse.”
Conclusion
By investing again in agriculture and following, at last, the recommendations of the M S Swaminathan Committee, the Government of India would also help bridge the drastic urban-rural divide.
To read more about the issue:
Marketing of Agricultural Produce in India: Definition; Role; APMC Act, Model APMC Act, 2003
Original article:
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/rural-india-coronavirus-farm-trade-ordinance-apmc-act-6515414/
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Arab Countries
Mains level: Paper 2- India-Arabian countries, balancing relations with Iran
The article contrasts the over-emphasis put on the ties with Iran with the neglect of ties with Arab countries in India’s foreign policy. It explores the inherent difficulties in dealing with Iran. And opportunities for India in Arab countries.
Context
- Iran is accorded high priority in India’s foreign policy.
- This stands in stark contrast to the under-appreciation of relationship with Arab countries.
Reasons for a special relationship with Iran
- Historical connections.
- Civilisational bonds.
- Energy supplies.
- Regional security.
- Geographic and demographic size, the geopolitical location next door.
- Natural resources and the extraordinary talents of its people.
Importance of Arab countries for India
- Millions of Indian immigrants in the Arab nations.
- Massive hard currency remittances from them, and the density of commercial engagement with the Arab Gulf is important for India.
- The UAE and Saudi Arabia have, in recent years, extended invaluable support in countering terrorism and blocked attempts to condemn India in the Muslim world.
Let’s analyse the issue of railway contract in Iran
- Large countries with major foreign investments and projects win some and lose some.
- Then there is no escaping the political risk associated with foreign projects.
- And politics, both domestic and international, is all-consuming in Iran.
- The sanctions regime imposed by the US has crippled the Iranian economy.
- India is careful not to attract the US sanctions.
- India did gain an exemption from the US sanctions regime for its participation in the Chabahar port project in Iran.
- But they don’t apply to some of the partners suggested by Iran in the railway project.
- So, Iran would like India to break the US sanctions regime.
- A prudent India is resisting that temptation.
- It would rather lose the railway contract than get into the raging crossfire between the US and Iran.
Issue of balancing the relations with Iran and U.S.
- India’s Iran policy cannot be seen as a test of India’s “strategic autonomy”.
- Some expect Delhi to conduct its relationship with Iran without a reference to either a cost-benefit calculus or Iran’s troubled relationship with others with whom India has important partnerships.
- No government in Delhi can buy into that proposition.
- Criticism of the government policy is similar to what happened in 2005 over India’s stance on Iran’s covert nuclear programme.
- Delhi’s vote against Iran in the International Atomic Energy Agency drew criticism.
- But governments stand proved right when Iran concluded a nuclear deal of its own with the US and major powers, a decade later.
- Iran surely can take care of its own interests, and there is little reason why Delhi must back Tehran in every one of its fights with Washington.
India should focus on Arab countries
- The Arab world has had its doors open for political, economic and technological cooperation with India.
- Three moderate Arab nations — Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE — are confronting radical forces in the region and are valuable partners for India in countering forces of destabilisation.
- There is real Chinese economic action in the Arab world as the region embraces China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
- India is no minor economic force in the Arab world, having had a much longer engagement with the region than China.
- Delhi must up its own commercial game in the Arab world, and one of the new possibilities for India lies in the domain of new technologies.
- There is emerging sentiment among the Gulf Arabs to reduce the over-dependence on oil, promote alternative energy sources, invest in higher education, and develop technology hubs.
Consider the question “India’s relations with Iran has always been driven by the geopolitical contexts. This poses an inherent challenge for both countries. In light of this examine the importance of Iran for India and challenges India’s foreign policy faces in dealing with Iran.”
Conclusion
India must focus on elevating India’s economic partnership with the Arab world to the next level. For India, the costs of neglecting the new possibilities for wide-ranging Arabian business are far higher than a lost railway contract in Iran.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Features of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019
Mains level: Consumer protection legislation in India
The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 has come into effect from July 20, replacing the earlier Consumer Protection Act, 1986.
What are the Rights of the Consumers?
Try this question from our AWE initiative
Compare and contrast the Consumer Protection Act 1986 with that of the Consumer Protection Bill 2018. How far do you think the changes made are consumer centric towards benefiting the consumer more? Examine. (250 W/ 15 M)
Consumer Protection Act, 2019: Key Features
1) Definition of consumer
- A consumer is defined as a person who buys any good or avails a service for a consideration.
- It does not include a person who obtains a good for resale or a good or service for commercial purpose.
- It covers transactions through all modes including offline, and online through electronic means, teleshopping, multi-level marketing or direct selling.
2) Rights of consumers
The following consumer rights have been defined in the Act, including the right to:
- be protected against marketing of goods and services which are hazardous to life and property;
- be informed of the quality, quantity, potency, purity, standard and price of goods or services;
- be assured of access to a variety of goods or services at competitive prices; and
- seek redressal against unfair or restrictive trade practices.
3) Establishment of Central Consumer Protection Authority
- The central government will set up a CCPA to promote, protect and enforce the rights of consumers.
- It will regulate matters related to violation of consumer rights, unfair trade practices, and misleading advertisements.
- The CCPA will have an investigation wing, headed by a Director-General, which may conduct inquiry or investigation into such violations.
4) Penalties for misleading advertisement
- The CCPA may impose a penalty on a manufacturer or an endorser of up to Rs 10 lakh and imprisonment for up to two years for a false or misleading advertisement.
- In case of a subsequent offence, the fine may extend to Rs 50 lakh and imprisonment of up to five years.
- CCPA can also prohibit the endorser of a misleading advertisement from endorsing that particular product or service for a period of up to one year.
- For every subsequent offence, the period of prohibition may extend to three years.
5) Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission
- CDRCs will be set up at the district, state, and national levels.
- A consumer can file a complaint with CDRCs in relation to: unfair or restrictive trade practices; defective goods or services etc.
- Complaints against an unfair contract can be filed with only the State and National Appeals from a District CDRC will be heard by the State CDRC.
- Appeals from the State CDRC will be heard by the National CDRC. Final appeal will lie before the Supreme Court.
6) Jurisdiction of CDRCs
- The District CDRC will entertain complaints where value of goods and services does not exceed Rs one crore.
- The State CDRC will entertain complaints when the value is more than Rs one crore but does not exceed Rs 10 crore.
- Complaints with value of goods and services over Rs 10 crore will be entertained by the National CDRC.
7) Product liability
- Product liability means the liability of a product manufacturer, service provider or seller to compensate a consumer for any harm or injury caused by a defective good or deficient service.
- To claim compensation, a consumer has to prove any one of the conditions for defect or deficiency, as given in the Act.
With inputs from: PRS
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), NATO
Mains level: Relevance of NAM
Non-alignment is an old concept today, and India has adopted an approach of “issue-based alignment”, according to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
Try this question for mains:
Q.“The gradual exit of the US from institutional geopolitics has created an ocean of opportunity for small nations”. Discuss.
What is the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)?
- The NAM is a forum of 120 developing world states that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc.
- The group was started in Belgrade, Yugoslavia in 1961.
- After the UN, it is the largest grouping of states worldwide.
Its formation
- NAM emerged in the context of the wave of decolonization that followed World War II.
- It was created by Yugoslavia’s President, Josip Broz Tito, India’s first PM, Jawaharlal Nehru, Egypt’s second President Gamal Abdel Nasser, Ghana’s first president Kwame Nkrumah, and Indonesia’s first President, Sukarno.
- All five leaders believed that developing countries should not help either the Western or Eastern blocs in the Cold War.
- As a condition for membership, the states of the NAM cannot be part of a multilateral military alliance (such as the NATO) or have signed a bilateral military agreement with one of the “big powers” involved in Great Power conflicts.
- However, its idea does not signify that a state ought to remain passive or even neutral in international politics.
Its relevance today
- One of the challenges of the NAM in the 21st century has been to reassess its identity and purpose in the post-Cold War era.
- The movement has continued to advocate for international cooperation, multilateralism, and national self-determination, but it has also been increasingly vocal against the inequities of the world economic order.
- On the contrary, from the founding of the NAM, its stated aim has been to give a voice to developing countries and to encourage their concerted action in world affairs.
The geopolitics of opportunity
- Non-alignment was a term of a particular era and geopolitical landscape. One aspect was independence, which remains a factor of continuity for India.
- The consequences of global shifts, including the US and the assertiveness of China, are opening spaces for middle powers like India, Japan, the EU and others.
US repositioning has impacted everyone
- The consequence of repositioning of the US, that the big umbrella is now smaller than it used to be, has allowed many other countries to play more autonomous roles.
- India needs to take more “risks”, as the world expected it to take a more proactive stance on various issues including connectivity, maritime security, terrorism, climate change and terrorism.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: AGR
Mains level: AGR disputes of Telecom companies
The Centre and telcos assured the Supreme Court that they would not conduct any re-assessment or re-calculation of the Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) dues, which now stands at ₹1.6 lakh crore.
Try this question for mains:
Q.What are the various challenges faced by India’s telecom before the upgradation to 5G technology?
What is AGR?
- Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) is the usage and licensing fee that telecom operators are charged by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
- It is divided into spectrum usage charges and licensing fees, pegged between 3-5 per cent and 8 per cent respectively.
What is the issue?
- The Bench observed that 15 or 20 years was not a reasonable time period and the telcos must come forward with an appropriate time frame.
- The Centre had earlier urged the court that up to 20 years be given to the firms for the payments.
- The telcos said they were in no position to give fresh bank guarantees for the payments.
Why is AGR important?
- The definition of AGR has been under litigation for 14 years.
- While telecom companies argued that it should comprise revenue from telecom services, the DoT’s stand was that the AGR should include all revenue earned by an operator, including that from non-core telecom operations.
- The AGR directly impacts the outgo from the pockets of telcos to the DoT as it is used to calculate the levies payable by operators.
Read the complete issue here at:
Explained: Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) in Telecom Sector
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Malwares
Mains level: Data privacy issues
Various security firms have alerted about new malware, called BlackRock.
Try this question from CSP 2018:
Q.The terms ‘WannaCry, Petya, Eternal Blue’ sometimes mentioned news recently are related to
(a) Exoplanets
(b) Cryptocurrency
(c) Cyberattacks
(d) Mini satellites
BlackRock
- BlackRock isn’t exactly a new malware. In fact, it is based on the leaked source code of the Xeres malware, itself derived from a malware called LokiBot.
- The only big difference between BlackRock and other Android banking trojans is that it can target more apps than previous malwares.
How does it work?
- BlackRock works like most Android malware. Once installed on a phone, it monitors the targeted app.
- When the user enters the login and/or credit card details, the malware sends the information to a server.
- BlackRock uses the phone’s Accessibility feature and then uses an Android DPC (device policy controller) to provide access to other permissions.
- It can be used to send and steal SMS messages, hide notifications, keylogging, AV detection, and much more.
Threats posed
- The new malware can steal information like passwords and credit card information from about 377 smartphone applications, including Amazon, Facebook, and Gmail.
- It is so powerful that it makes antivirus applications useless.
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NASA has issued a warning that a huge “Asteroid 2020 ND” will move past Earth on July 24.
Try this question from CSP 2014:
Q.What is a coma, in the content of astronomy?
(a) Bright half of material on the comet
(b) Long tail of dust
(c) Two asteroids orbiting each other
(d) Two planets orbiting each other
What are Asteroids?
- Asteroids are small, rocky objects that orbit the Sun. They are leftover from the formation of our solar system.
- Although asteroids orbit the Sun like planets, they are much smaller than planets.
- There are lots of asteroids in our solar system. Most of them live in the main asteroid belt—a region between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
- Some asteroids go in front of and behind Jupiter. They are called Trojans.
- Asteroids that come close to Earth are called Near-Earth Objects, NEOs for short. NASA keeps a close watch on these asteroids.
Asteroid 2020 ND
- The 2020 ND is about 170 metres-long.
- It will be as close as 0.034 astronomical units (5,086,328 kilometres) to our planet and is travelling at a speed of 48,000 kilometres per hour.
- Its distance from Earth has placed it in the “Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs)” category.
How are PHAs defined?
- PHAs are currently defined based on parameters that measure the asteroid’s potential to make threatening close approaches to the Earth.
- NASA classifies objects like these as ‘near-Earth objects’ (NEOs) as they get nudged by other planets’ gravitational attraction resulting in their proximity to our solar system.
- It is not necessary that asteroids classified as PHAs will impact the Earth. It only means there is a possibility for such a threat.
Can they be deflected?
- Over the years, scientists have suggested different ways to ward off such threats, such as blowing up the asteroid before it reaches Earth or deflecting it off its Earth-bound course by hitting it with a spacecraft.
- The most drastic measure undertaken so far is the Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA), which includes NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission and the ESA’s Hera.
- Both mission’s target is Didymos, a binary near-Earth asteroid, one of whose bodies is of the size that could pose the most likely significant threat to Earth.
- In 2018, NASA announced that it had started the construction of DART, which is scheduled to launch in 2021 with an aim to slam into the smaller asteroid of the Didymos system at around 6 km per second in 2022.
- Hera, which is scheduled to launch in 2024, will arrive at the Didymos system in 2027 to measure the impact crater produced by the DART collision and study the change in the asteroid’s orbital trajectory.
Back2Basics: Near-Earth objects (NEOs)
- NEOs are comets and asteroids nudged by the gravitational attraction of nearby planets into orbits which allows them to enter the Earth’s neighbourhood.
- These objects are composed mostly of water ice with embedded dust particles, and occasionally approach close to the Earth as they orbit the Sun.
- NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Study (CNEOS) determines the times and distances of these objects as and when their approach to the Earth is close.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Manodarpan Initiative
Mains level: Mental health concerns raised by the COVID-19 pandemic
The Union HRD Ministry will launch the Manodarpan Initiative, today.
Try this question from CSP 2016:
Q.’Rashtriya Garima Abhiyaan’ is a national campaign to:
(a) rehabilitate the homeless and destitute persons and provide them with suitable sources of livelihood
(b) release the sex workers from their practice and provide them with alternative sources of livelihood
(c) eradicate the practice of manual scavenging and rehabilitate the manual scavengers
(d) release the bonded labourers from their bondage and rehabilitate them
Manodarpan Initiative
- ‘Manodarpan’ covers a wide range of activities to provide psychosocial support to students, teachers and families for Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing during the COVID outbreak and beyond.
- It contains advisory, practical tips, posters, videos, do’s and don’ts for psychosocial support, FAQs and online query system.
- It aims to provide psychosocial support to students for their mental health and well-being.
- It has been included in the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, as a part of strengthening human capital and increasing productivity and efficient reform and initiatives for the education sector.
- A toll-free helpline will also be launched as part of the initiative for a country-wide outreach to students from schools, colleges and universities.
- Through this helpline, tele-counselling will be provided to the students to address their mental health and psychosocial issues.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Paper 2- China-Pakistan collusion in Jammu and Kashmir
India has always been aware of the China-Pak collusion and their mutual support to each others’ actions. But the underlying basis has been changing now. It is no longer Pakistan seeking Chinese support in J&K as much as it is the other way around.
Preparedness for a two-front war
- The debate regarding India’s capability to fight a war in which there is full collusion between China and Pakistan has generally remained inconclusive.
- Most detractors of the belief regarding China’s military-operational support to Pakistan, have leaned on the argument that China will adopt a policy to suit its interests.
- Both in 1965 and 1971, China made some promises to Pakistan but chose to stay away.
- Of course, that was during the Cold War — a completely different international strategic environment.
China-Pakistan collection action in Kashmir
- Pakistan increased its proxy campaign in J&K almost in sync with two China-related trends.
- First, enhanced PLA assertiveness in Eastern Ladakh.
- Second, the announcement of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
- A progressively altering Chinese attitude towards the Kashmir issue started to take shape as early as 2008-09, with issuing stapled visas to Indians residing in J&K and denial of a visa to the Northern Army Commander were signs of it.
- This support was also witnessed on issues like the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), Pakistan’s involvement in global terrorism and the abrogation of Article 370.
Pincer approach in Ladakh
- It is no longer Pakistan seeking Chinese support for its adventurism as much as it is the other way around.
- The mutuality of interests has increased and military coordination has become a larger part of the overall strategy.
- China may force further escalation this season depending upon how the world responds to its expansionism.
- China could also adopt a posture which prepares it, along with Pakistan, towards a future “pincer approach” in Ladakh.
- Along with Ladakh — Arunachal, Sikkim and the Central Sector are very part of the expanded collusive strategy.
- But it is Ladakh where the effect is intended most and it is there that the pincer approach may prove more challenging for India.
Suggestions for India
- Assuming that confrontation with the Sino-Pak combine is inevitable now or later, one of the ways for India to offset this is to project sufficient capability.
- The diplomatic and military domains have to play this out effectively.
- India cannot be seen to be alone or militarily weak.
- It has tremendous support internationally which must translate into a higher level of strategic support.
- Militarily, Pakistan should never be able to perceive that it will be allowed to fight as per choice and conceived strategy.
- China’s success or failure in such adventurism will set the course of its future strategy against its multiple adversaries.
- That is the psyche which India must exploit to prevent escalation and win this and impending standoffs without fighting.
- This needs a rapid and all-out national effort with the highest priority accorded to it, including budgeting.
Conclusion
India cannot afford to focus only on the northern borders. A firm and full strategy to deal with Pakistan in all contingencies has now become imperative.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Quad
Mains level: Paper 2- Australia's joining in Malabar naval exercise and issues with it
While the idea of inviting Australia to join Malabar is being explored, we must not forget the concerns with it. This article examines such concerns.
Context
- India’s Ministry of Defence discussed the issue of adding Australia to the trilateral Malabar naval exercise.
- If materialised, it will be the first time since 2007 that all members of Quad-India, U.S., Japan and Australia will participate in a joint military drill.
Possible consequences of the move
- The Chinese leadership sees the maritime Quadrilateral as an Asian-NATO that seeks only to contain China’s rise.
- India’s intention to involve Australia in the Malabar drill could only be construed as a move directed against Beijing.
India’s perspective
- Following the stand-off in Ladakh, many Indian analysts believe the time is right for India to shed its traditional defensiveness in the maritime domain.
- The realists advocate an alliance with the U.S., Japan and Australia to counter Chinese moves in the Indian Ocean.
Concerns
1) Contrary message to China
- While India and China are negotiating a truce, Australia’s participation in the Malabar exercise sends contrary signals to Beijing.
- If China responded aggressively in the Eastern Indian Ocean, it could needlessly open up a new front in the India-China conflict.
2) Only modest gains for India
- U.S. and its Pacific partners want to form a maritime coalition to implement a ‘rules-based order’ in the Indo-Pacific littorals.
- India’s priority is to acquire strategic capabilities to counter a Chinese naval presence in the Indian Ocean.
- Indian Navy is yet to develop the undersea capability to deter Chinese submarines in the eastern Indian Ocean.
- With U.S. defence companies hesitant to share proprietary technology the gains for India, in exchange for signing up the ‘military-quad’, are modest.
- Without strategic technology transfers, Indian Navy’s deterrence potential in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) will not improve much.
3) Operational issue: India will be drawn into power dynamics of the Asia-Pacific
- With the strategic contest between the U.S. and China, there is every possibility that the military-Quad will be used to draw India into the security dynamics of the Asia-Pacific.
- The U.S. would expect its Indo-Pacific partners, including India, to assist the U.S. Navy in its South China Sea endeavour.
- The U.S. and Japanese navies have little spare capacity for sustained surveillance and deterrence operations in the IOR.
- Australia is an exception and is ready and able to partner India in securing the Eastern Indian Ocean.
4) Timing
- A balancing coalition must come together at a time when the nature and magnitude of the threat are wholly manifest.
- But, despite a growing presence in the Indian Ocean, the Chines Navy is yet to physically threaten Indian interests at sea.
- So, the onus of the first move to precipitate a crisis in the Eastern Indian Ocean lies with the Indian Navy.
Conclusion
Upgrading the trilateral Malabar to a quadrilateral, without acquiring the requisite combat and deterrence capability, could yield gains for India in the short term, but would prove ineffective in the long run.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Urea import and export by India
Mains level: Paper 3- Self reliance in agri-inputs
Some changes could make India exporter of agri-inputs. The article examines bottlenecks that holds India back and suggests the policy changes in key agri-inputs-seeds, fertilisers and machinery.
Context
In the following 3 key agri-inputs India has the untapped potential. What is needed is policy changes.
1) Seeds
- India can emerge as an important seed producer and a large exporter of seeds to many developing countries in South and South-east Asia as well as Africa.
- The country can produce very competitively-priced seeds for hybrid rice, hybrid corn, hybrid Bt HT cotton, and several vegetables including tomato, potato and okra.
- For this to happen, we have to set our regulatory system right.
- Let’s use the case of cotton.
- India’s decision in March 2002 to allow Bt cotton made India the largest producer of cotton in the world and the second-largest exporter of cotton by 2013-14.
- But due to policy changes since 2014-15 and issues such as trait fees companies stopped the introduction of new generation of seeds
- Now there is an “illegal” spread of Bt HT cotton in Maharashtra.
- This is partly because our regulatory system is complex.
- And more so because the present government has ideological blinkers against modern science.
- This is the biggest bottleneck holding India back from becoming the seed capital of the developing world.
2) Fertilisers
- India has been a net importer of fertiliser nutrients (NPK) for almost two decades.
- In 2019-20, India imported fertilisers worth $6.7 billion, topping the list is urea $2.9 billion.
- We are totally dependent on imports and likely to remain so in case of MOP and in the case of DAP.
- In the case of urea, India wants to be atmanirbhar by opening up five new urea plants in the public sector with a total capacity of 6.35 MMT.
- Almost 70 per cent of the gas being used in urea plants is imported at a price much higher than the price of domestic gas.
- The cost is going to be more than $400/tonne when the international price generally hovers between $250-300/tonne.
- The government should allow existing private sector urea plants to expand and produce at a much lower cost.
- The best way to achieve self-reliance in fertilisers is to change the system of fertiliser subsidies.
Suggestion on changes in fertiliser subsidies
- 1) Deposit equivalent cash directly into farmers’ accounts, calculated on a per hectare basis.
- 2) Free up fertiliser prices.
- 3) Allow the private sector plants to compete and expand urea production in a cost-competitive manner.
3) Farm machinery
- Before the Green Revolution, India produced only 880 tractor units.
- It increased to about 9,00,000 units in 2018-19.
- So, India is the largest tractor manufacturer in the world.
- India also exported almost 92,000 tractors, largely to African and ASEAN countries.
- Though Green Revolution gave tractor production a push, the real break-through came after de-licensing in 1991.
- The new class of entrepreneurs and start-ups are coming up with special apps for “Uberisation of tractor services”.
- In an economy of small landholders, owning a tractor is a high-cost proposition as it is not fully utilised.
- This needs to be made more efficient by creating a market for tractor services.
Consider the question “Despite having the potential to transform itself into the exporter of agri-inputs, India ends up being the importer of some of them. In light of this examine India’s potential to become the exporter of agri-input products and suggest the measures to achieve this.”
Conclusion
The private sector is our strength. The only thing the government has to do is to unshackle them from the chains of controls and webs of unnecessary regulations. They will make an Atmanirbhar Bharat.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Plea Bargaining
Mains level: Various judicial remedies
Many members of a religious faction belonging to different countries have obtained release from court cases in recent days by means of plea bargaining. They were accused of violating visa conditions by attending a religious congregation in Delhi.
Try this question for mains:
Q.What is Plea Bargaining and how does it work? Discuss the rationale behind and benefits in reducing the burden on Judiciary.
What is Plea Bargaining?
- Plea bargaining refers to a person charged with a criminal offence negotiating with the prosecution for a lesser punishment than what is provided in law by pleading guilty to a less serious offence.
- It is common in the US and has been a successful method of avoiding protracted and complicated trials.
- As a result, conviction rates are significantly high there. It primarily involves pre-trial negotiations between the accused and the prosecutor.
- It may involve bargaining on the charge or in the quantum of sentence.
When was it introduced in India?
- In India, the concept was not part of law until 2006. It was introduced in 2006 as part of a set of amendments to the CrPC as Chapter XXI-A, containing Sections 265A to 265L.
- There has always been a provision in the Code of Criminal Procedure for an accused to plead ‘guilty’ instead of claiming the right to a full trial, but it is not the same as plea bargaining.
- The Law Commission of India, in its 142nd Report, mooted the idea of “concessional treatment” of those who plead guilty on their own volition but was careful to underscore that it would not involve any plea bargaining or “haggling” with the prosecution.
How does it work?
- Unlike in the U.S. and other countries, where the prosecutor plays a key role the Indian code makes plea bargaining a process that can be initiated only by the accused.
- Further, the accused will have to apply to the court for invoking the benefit of bargaining.
In what circumstances is it allowed?
- Cases for which the practice is allowed are limited.
- Only someone who has been charge-sheeted for an offence that does not attract the death sentence, life sentence or a prison term above seven years can make use of the scheme under Chapter XXI-A.
- It is also applicable to private complaints of which a criminal court has taken cognizance.
- Other categories of cases that cannot be disposed of through plea bargaining are those that involve offences affecting the “socio-economic conditions” of the country or committed against a woman or a child below 14.
How to avail this?
- The applicant should approach the court with a petition and affidavit stating that it is a voluntary preference and that he has understood the nature and extent of punishment provided in law for the offence.
- The court would then issue a notice to the prosecutor and the complainant or victim, if any, for a hearing.
- The voluntary nature of the application must be ascertained by the judge in an in-camera hearing at which the other side should not be present.
- Thereafter, the court may permit the prosecutor, the investigating officer and the victim to hold a meeting for a “satisfactory disposition of the case”.
- The outcome may involve payment of compensation and other expenses to the victim by the accused.
After approval
- Once mutual satisfaction is reached, the court shall formalize the arrangement by way of a report signed by all the parties and the presiding officer.
- The accused may be sentenced to a prison term that is half the minimum period fixed for the offence.
- If there is no minimum term prescribed, the sentence should run up to one-fourth of the maximum sentence stipulated in the law.
What is the rationale for the scheme? What are its benefits?
- The Justice Malimath Committee on reforms of the criminal justice system endorsed the various recommendations of the Law Commission with regard to plea bargaining.
- Some of the advantages it culled out from earlier reports are that the practice would ensure a speedy trial, end uncertainty over the outcome of criminal cases, save litigation costs and relieve the parties of anxiety.
- It would also have a dramatic impact on conviction rates.
- Prolonged incarceration of undertrials without any progress and overcrowding of prisons were also other factors that may be cited in support of reducing pendency of cases and decongesting prisons.
- Moreover, it may help offenders make a fresh start in life.
Do courts have reservations?
- Case law after the introduction of plea bargaining has not developed much as the provision is possibly not used adequately.
- However, earlier judgments of various courts in cases in which the accused enter a ‘guilty’ plea with a view to getting lesser sentences indicate that the judiciary may have reservations.
- Some verdicts disapprove of bargaining with offenders, and point out those lenient sentences could be considered as part of the circumstances of the case after a regular trial.
- Courts are also very particular about the voluntary nature of the exercise, as poverty, ignorance and prosecution pressure should not lead to someone pleading guilty of offences that may not have been committed.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Godhan Nyay Yojana
Mains level: Animal husbandary sector of India
Chhattisgarh is set to launch ‘Godhan Nyay Yojana’. The scheme aims to put money in the pockets of people living in rural areas and also solve the problem of stray cattle.
Try this question from CSP 2019:
Consider the following statements
- Agricultural soils release nitrogen oxides into the environment.
- Cattle release ammonia into the environment.
- Poultry industry releases reactive nitrogen compounds into the environment.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 2 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Godhan Nyay Yojana
- Under the scheme, the Chhattisgarh government will purchase cow dung at the rate of Rs 2 per kg.
- This scheme will turn cow dung into a profitable commodity.
- The scheme also aims to make cow rearing economically profitable and to prevent open grazing in the state, as well as help with the problem of stray animals on roads and in urban areas.
How will the scheme help the rural economy?
- The scheme will generate additional income and increase employment opportunities.
- The government will procure cow dung and prepare vermicompost in order to move towards organic farming.
- There is a huge market for organic farming. Vermicompost will be sold by cooperative societies.
- Distribution of vermicompost fertilizer to farmers will be done as a commodity loan by cooperative societies, banks.
Preventing strays in urban areas
- In urban areas, the scheme will prevent movement of stray animals on roads and highways, and also improve urban sanitation with proper disposal of waste produced by cattle.
- Cattle will be tagged with the owner’s name, address, mobile number to the neck of each animal after the survey to ensure accountability of cattle owners if their cattle are found in the open.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Itolizumab
Mains level: NA
The Drug Controller General of India recently approved Itolizumab as a novel biologic therapy for restricted emergency use.
Various drugs in news these days are:
1) Remdesivir: Ebola
2) Lopinavir: HIV
3) Hydroxychloroquine: Malaria
What is Itolizumab?
- Itolizumab is an existing drug used for psoriasis, a chronic skin disease involving unregulated growth of some skin cells that develop into red patches mostly on knees and elbows, but also on some other parts of the body.
- The drug, developed by Bengaluru-based Biocon, was approved in 2013.
- It is a monoclonal antibody which is used to treat acute psoriasis.
Why it is being used for COVD-19?
- The coronavirus has been observed to induce an overreaction of the immune system, generating a large number of cytokines that can cause severe damage to the lungs and other organs.
- Itolizumab is safe and efficient in preventing cardio-renal complications in Covid-19 patients who also have acute respiratory distress.
What are monoclonal antibodies?
- Monoclonal antibodies are proteins cloned in the lab to mimic antibodies produced by the immune system to counter infection.
- They have their genesis in serum, the colourless constituent of blood that contains antibodies.
- These proteins bind to an antigen, the fragment of an infectious virus in the case of SARS-CoV-2, and either destroy it or block its action.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Vitamin D
Mains level: NA
There have been considerable discussions in scientific circles on the importance of vitamin D in these days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Try this question from CSP 2017:
Q.Regular intake of fresh fruits and vegetables is recommended in the diet since they are a good source of antioxidants. How do antioxidants help a person maintain health and promote longevity?
(a) They activate the enzymes necessary for vitamin synthesis in the body and help prevent vitamin deficiency.
(b) They prevent excessive oxidation of carbohydrates, fats and proteins in the body and help avoid unnecessary wastage of energy.
(c) They neutralize the free radicals produced in the body during metabolism.
(d) They activate certain genes in the cells of the body and help delay the ageing process.
Vitamin D and its prevalence
- It is produced when sunlight (or artificial light, particularly in the ultraviolet region of 190-400 nm wavelength) falls on the skin.
- Light triggers a chemical reaction to a cholesterol-based molecule and converts it into calcidiol in the liver and into calcitriol in the kidney.
- It is these two molecules that are physiologically active.
- Since sunlight is important for the generation of vitamin D, tropical countries have an advantage over the northern countries.
- India, being a tropical country, one would expect naturally derived vitamin D levels to be good.
Why Vitamin D is important?
- Vitamin D deficiency can affect COVID-19 high-risk patients, particularly those who are diabetic, have heart conditions, pneumonia, obesity and those who smoke.
- It is also associated with infections in the respiratory tract and lung injury.
- Besides, vitamin D is known to help in having the right amount of calcium in the bones, catalyse the process of protecting cell membranes from damage, preventing the inflammation of tissues.
- Moreover, it helps stop tissues from forming fibres and weakening bones from becoming brittle, leading to osteoporosis.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Bathynomus Raksasa
Mains level: NA
A team of researchers has discovered a supergiant cockroach when they explored waters of the Indian Ocean in Bantan, off the southern coast of West Java in Indonesia.
Try this MCQ:
Q.The ‘Bathynomus Raksasa’, a species recently discovered is basically a:
a) Mollusc
b) Annelid
c) Arthropod
d) Flagella
Bathynomus Raksasa
- The Bathynomus raksasa is a giant isopod (phylum: Arthropoda) in the genus Bathynomus.
- It is described as the “cockroach of the sea”. The epithet is the Indonesian word “raksasa” for giant, alluding to its enormous size.
- The giant isopods are distantly related to crabs, lobsters, and shrimps (which belong to the order of decapods), and are found in the cold depths of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans.
- It has 14 legs but uses these only to crawl along the bed of oceans in search of food.
- As a scavenger, Bathynomus raksasa eats the remains of dead marine animals, such as whales and fish, but can also go for long periods without food, a trait that it shares with the cockroach.
Why this cockroach matters?
- Bathynomus raksasa is the sixth ‘supergiant’ species from the Indo-West Pacific and is one of the largest known members of the genus.
- The discovery takes the number of known giant isopods to 20.
- As the Bathynomus raksasa reveals its secrets, it will contribute towards increasing knowledge about the deep.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Public Account
Mains level: Paper 3- PDS and FCI related issues
Solutions to Problems in Food Subsidy Delivery
The following solutions will help in addressing problems associated with PDS.
- Replacing Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) with Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) of food subsidy. National Food Security Act (NFSA) states that the centre and states should introduce schemes for cash transfers to beneficiaries.Cash transfers seek to increase the choices available with a beneficiary, and provide financial assistance. It has been argued that the costs of DBT may be lesser than TPDS, owing to lesser costs incurred on transport and storage. These transfers may also be undertaken electronically. As per a report given by a high level committee of Food Corporation of India, DBT would reduce Government subsidy bills by more than Rs 30,000 crores.
- Automation at the Fair Price Shops is another important step taken to address the problem in PDS. Currently more than 4.3 lakh (82%) Fair Price Shops have been automated across the country. Automation involves installation of Point of Sale (PoS) devices, for authentication of beneficiaries and electronic capturing of transactions.
- Aadhar and introduction of Biometrics was recommended to plug leakages in PDS. Such transfers could be linked to Jan Dhan accounts, and be indexed to inflation. It facilitates the removal of bogus ration cards, check leakages and ensure better delivery of food grains. In February 2017, the Ministry made it mandatory for beneficiaries under NFSA to use Aadhaar as proof of identification for receiving food grains.
- 100% ration cards had been digitised.
- Between 2016 and 2018, seeding of Aadhaar helped in detection of 1.5 crore fake, duplicate and bogus ration cards and these cards were deleted.
- Increase the procurement undertaken by states known as Decentralised Procurement (DCP), and reduce the expenditure on centralised procurement by the Food Corporation of India (FCI). This would drastically reduce the transportation cost borne by the government as states would distribute the food grains to the targeted population within their respective states. As of December 2019,17 states have adopted decentralised procurement.
- The Fair Price shops operate at very low margins as per findings of the Government. Hence the fair price shops should be allowed to sell even non-PDS items and make it economically viable. This will motivate them to not to resort to unfair practices in the distribution of Government subsidized food grains meant for beneficiaries of Government schemes.
- A greater and more active involvement of the panchayats in the PDS can significantly improve access at the village level.
- There is also an urgent need to set up a proper and effective grievances redressal system for both the fair price shops as well as beneficiaries
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: RP Act
Mains level: Paper 2- Securing voting right to migrant workers through ballot paper
A large number of migrant workers cannot vote in their constituency. This assumes significance when we consider that the Supreme Court has interpreted the right to vote as an extension of the fundamental right of the freedom of expression. So, the ECI should find ways to enable them exercise their right.
Universal adult franchise: India’s achievement
- India moved from a restrictive 15 per cent of Indians having limited voting rights to universal adult franchise.
- Transformative nature of the Indian national movement and the ideals of equality and non-discrimination enshrined in it played a crucial role in it.
- It was B R Ambedkar’s clarity of vision that resulted in Article 326 of the Constitution.
- Ambedkar had influenced public opinion on the matter for decades, giving evidence before the Southborough committee.
Migrant workers: some facts
- According to the 2011 Census, the number of internal migrants stands at 45 crore.
- Among these, 26 per cent of the migration, that is, 11.7 crore occurs inter-district within the same state.
- 12 per cent of the migration, that is, 5.4 crore occurs inter-state.
- Both official and independent experts admit that this number is underestimated.
- Circular migration accounts for those migrants who have not permanently relocated to host cities, and instead circulate between host and home cities.
- Short-term and circular migration could itself amount to 6-6.5 crore.
- Half of these are inter-state migrants.
- Migrant labourers mostly hail from most poverty-driven rural areas.
- They are from among the most marginalised sections SC/STs and OBCs, and other minorities.
- As of 2011, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar were the largest sources of inter-state migrants, with 83 lakh and 63 lakh migrants respectively.
Low turnout in the source states
- Economic constraints disable a majority of migrant workers from voting as they cannot commute to their home states on the polling day.
- One survey shows that only 48 per cent of those surveyed voted in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, when the national average was 59.7 per cent.
- In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, major sender states such as Bihar and UP had among the lowest voter turnout rates.
Inability to satisfy “Ordinary Resident” criteria
- Given the nature of migration being circular and seasonal, migrants are not permanent/long-term residents in host cities.
- So, they do not satisfy the requirements of being an “ordinary resident” under Section 20 of the Representation of People Act (RP Act), in the host state, to obtain voter cards.
- They are, therefore, unable to transfer their constituency.
Solution: Postal ballot
- The Election Commission of India has under Section 60(c) of the RP Act the power to notify a certain class of persons to vote via postal ballot.
- The ECI’s much-proclaimed mission to ensure “no voters are left behind” has resulted in attempts to ensure a secure system of postal ballots.
- In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, more than 28 lakh votes were received via postal ballots.
- The Indian migrant worker should be given the right to vote through a similar system.
Consider the question “There is scope for increasing the voter turnout in India and enabling the migrant workers to vote could be one of them. Examine the reasons for low voting turnout in India and suggest the measures to improve it.”
Conclusion
Securing the migrant workers right to vote will make democracy inclusive, responsible and sensitive to the concerns of those who find it difficult to make their voice heard.
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