CONTENTS Focus Articles Cyber Security in India 5 Prison Statistics India – 2017 Report & Prison Reforms 11

Polity & Governance Ayodhya Verdict 17 Chief Justice of India’s office under RTI 19 Sabarimala Case 21 Recusal of Judges 23 Supreme Court Strikes Down Rules on Tribunal Postings 25 SC upholds disqualification of 17 Karnataka MLAs by speaker 26 New Map of India 27

Schemes/Bills/Acts

Draft Medical Devices (Safety, Effectiveness and Innovation) Bill, 2019 30

International Developments 11th BRICS Summit 33 India-Germany Relations 36 Kalapani 38 India Signs Kartarpur Sahib Corridor Agreement With Pakistan 39 Nairobi Summit on ICPD 40 Bolivian crisis 41 Bhutan to levy charges on Indian tourists 42

Economy Real Estate Sector 45 Insolvency and Bankruptcy code 48 WTO on Export Subsidies 49 Diversion in Inflation Indices 51 Draft voluntary vehicle scrappage policy 52 Surjit Bhalla Committee 53 Specialized Cadre on Supervision and Regulation 54

Environment & Disaster Management Coastal flooding in India 57 New Zealand’s Zero Carbon Law 60 NITI Aayog and CII Draft plan to improve air quality 61 ‘Wastelands Atlas’ – 2019 61 Chambal on eco-tourism map under Green Agriculture project 62 Geochemical Baseline Atlas of India 62 Integrated Irrigation Project for Climate Resilient Agriculture 63 India’s first-ever snow leopard survey 63 SCO Joint Exercise on Urban Earthquake Search & Rescue (SCOJtEx)-2019 64 Social Justice & Development Issue of MMR in India 67 Health of pregnant and nursing women- Jaccha-Baccha Survey Parliamentary 70 Standing Committee on Cancer care facilities Learning Poverty 71 NCR Regional Plan 74 Road Accidents in India-2018 74 Water Quality in Major Indian Cities 75

Security Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) System 79 NATGRID 79 Tiger Triumph: India-U.S. Disaster relief exercise 80

Science & Technology Guidelines for Evaluation of Nanopharmaceuticals in India 83 Long-standing conundrum on the Sun’s atmosphere solved 83 Winter-Grade Diesel 84

Diversity, Art & Culture Lala Lajpat Rai (1865-1928) 87 Keeladi: Unearthing the ‘Vaigai Valley’ Civilisation of Sangam era 88 Tipu Sultan 89

PIB CORNER Bhartiya Poshan Krishi Kosh 93 Harmonised System (HS) code for Khadi 93 ICEDASH & ATITHI for Custom Clearance 94

RSTV CORNER India- Saudi Arabia Relations 97 Telecom Sector in India: Problems and Solutions 100 Merger of BSNL & MTNL 103

Yojana - Sanitation for a Healthy Society Sanitation economy and dignity of the sanitation workers Gram Panchayats 107 Beyond ODF 109 Sustaining Behavioural Change 111

Kurukhshetra - Rural Education Policy and Planning Towards Rural Education 115 Teacher Education and Development in Rural India 116 Map Based Questions 118 1 I Articulate Letter from the Editor’s desk

“START” WHERE YOU ARE “USE” WHAT YOU HAVE “DO” WHAT YOU CAN!!

Dear Aspirants, About Jatin Verma

I am delighted to bring the first issue of my Current Jatin Verma has dedicated himself to the esteemed Affairs Magazine with Unacademy. As I have been profession of teaching to fulfill his aspiration of making bringing out the Current Affairs magazine for UPSC education more accessible, affordable, & alluring. Civil Services exam aspirants since July 2018, I am sure my past experience as the news analyst for UPSC He has been teaching on Unacademy Plus ever since CSE Exam will surely help the aspirants. it’s inception. He was the one to revolutionise The Hindu Daily News Analysis (DNA ) with it being the most The gravity of Current affairs for any competitive popular of his courses in the online educational arena. exam is ever increasing and it has also become an indispensable part of Civil Service Examination from This has earned him a student follwership of more than Prelims, Mains & Interview perspective. 4.76 Lakhs on Unacademy itself.

Current Affairs is a dynamic and undefined part of the UPSC Syllabus that puts aspirants in a dilemma thinking how, where, and what to study for IAS preparations.

The monthly magazine compilation by me will unriddle the “what, where and how” of current affairs preparation for UPSC.

What? Our magazine strictly sticks to the fundamental needs of the exam by eliminating unessential subject matter and focusing on Analysis and important facts that are critical from CSE perspective.

Where? Our insightful magazine covers issues from various reliable resources such as PIB, THE HINDU, INDIAN EXPRESS, LIVEMINT, YOJANA, EPW, KURUKSHETRA etc.

How? Our detailed analysis on core topics will help students to build a rational and balanced view points.

“This magazine will never miss out on facts, debates and critical analysis from various experts”.

2 3 I Articulate Focus Articles | 4 1. Cyber Security in India

On October 28, The Nuclear Power Corporation of India • India was ranked among the top five countries to Ltd (NPCIL) confirmed the breach by the malware. be affected by cybercrime , according to a report by online security firm”Symantec Corp”. In an another incident WhatsApp sued the Israel-based NSO Group for the use of its ‘Pegasus’ spyware on • India is at number 23 of the UN Global thousands of WhatsApp users in the lead-up to the Cybersecurity Index. general elections in India. What is cyberspace? • Cyber Crimes in India almost doubled in 2017, according to statistics released by the National • It is a global domain within the information Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). environment consisting of the interdependent network of information technology infrastructures, Recent cyber-attacks in India: including the Internet, telecommunications networks, computer systems, and embedded • In 2010, India was the third worst-affected country processors and controllers. by computer worm Stuxnet.

What is cyber security? What are the types of cyber threats?

• The IT Act, 2000 defines “cyber-security” as the • A computer is used to attack another computer via protection given to devices and information stored hacking, virus attacks, DOS attack, and so on. therein from “unauthorised access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification or destruction.” • The computer is used as a weapon to commit real world crimes like cyber terrorism, IPR violations, Evolution of cyber security credit card frauds, EFT frauds, and pornography.

May 2016 Union Bank of 1977 India – Heist Virus

1998 May 2017 Wannacry Hacking Ransomware Websites 2002 May 2017 Data Theft at Zomato 2004 Malicious Code May 2017 Data Theft at Advanced Zomato 2008 Worm & Trojan

June 2017 Petya Identity Theft Ransomware 2012 (Phishing)

Universally, there are broadly four kinds of 2016 DOS, DDOS cyber threats:

• Cyber Criminals: Seeking commercial gain from Cyber Espionage, hacking banks & financial institutions as well a Cyber Warfare phishing scams & computer ransomware.

• Cyber terrorists: Mission to penetrate & attack Cyber Security scenario in India critical assets, and national infrastructure for aims relating to political power & ‘branding’. • India is now second only to China in terms of internet users, according to a report by Internet and • Cyber espionage: Using stealthy It Malware to Mobile Association of India (IAMAI). penetrate both corporate & military data servers in order to obtain plans and intelligence.

5 I Articulate • Cyber hacktivists: Groups such as ‘Anonymous’ • The Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000, which with political agendas that hack sites & servers deals with interception of data. Also, under the IT to virally communicate the ‘message’ for specific Act, hacking is exclusively prohibited. campaigns. Under both laws, only the government, under What are the weapons used in cyber threats? certain circumstances, is permitted to conduct surveillance, and not private actors. • Threats & Malware – Malicious software to disrupt computers • The civil and criminal offences of data theft and hacking are covered under Section 43 and Section • Viruses, worms – Theft of Intellectual Property or 66 of the IT Act. Data • Apart from this, Section 66B covers punishment • Hactivism – Cyber protests that are socially or for dishonestly receiving stolen computer resource politically motivated or communication with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years. • Mobile Devices and applications and their associated Cyber Attacks Supreme Court Guidelines regarding • Social Engineering – Entice Users to click on Surveillance laws malicious links

• Spear Phishing – Deceptive Communications • In 1996, the Supreme Court noted that there (e-mails, texts, tweets) was a lack of procedural safeguards in the Indian Telegraph Act. • Domain Name System (DNS) Attacks • Only the Secretary in the Ministry of Home • Router Security – Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) Affairs can issue Orders on interceptions of Hijacking communication, which were later codified into rules in 2007. • Botnets, Denial of Service (DoS) – blocking access to websites • These rules were also reflected partly in the IT Rules framed in 2009 under the IT Act.

Government institutions and regulation for These guidelines have strengthened the Accountability cybersecurity mechanism for surveillance in India. For example, For instance, In December 2018, when the Central • The National Technical Research Organisation is the government authorized 10 Central agencies to conduct main agency designed to protect national critical surveillance, it created a public out roar. The 2018 infrastructure and to handle all the cybersecurity action of the Union government has been challenged in incidents in critical sectors of the country. the Supreme Court.

• The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team Concerns over burgeoning surveillance (CERT-In) is responsible for incident responses states including analysis, forecasts and alerts on cybersecurity issues and breaches. • The U.K.-based security firm Comparitech, In • National Critical Information Infrastructure October 2019, did a survey of 47 countries to see Protection Centre (NCIIPC) is an organisation of where governments are failing to protect the the Government of India created under Sec 70A of privacy or are creating surveillance states. the Information Technology Act, 2000 (amended 2008). It is designated as the National Nodal Agency • They found that only five countries had “adequate in respect of Critical Information Infrastructure safeguards” and most are actively conducting Protection. surveillance on citizens and sharing information about them.

Legal framework for surveillance in India • China and Russia featured as the top two worst The laws governing surveillance in India are: offenders on the list.

• The Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, which deals with • India ranks number three on the list because the the interception of calls, and data protection Bill is yet to take effect and due to

Focus Articles | 6 absence of data protection authority in place. • Stringent changes have been done under Section 79 of the Information Technology (IT) that govern The Dilemma: Privacy VS. The state’s online content. requirements for security • The changes will require online platforms to break end-to-end encryption in order to ascertain the • In, (Justice K. S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) and Anr. vs. origin of messages. Union of India and Others ) The Supreme Court unanimously upheld the right to privacy as a • The social media platforms will need to comply with fundamental right under Articles 14, 19 and 21 of the the central government “within 72 hours” of a query. Constitution. • There should be a ‘Nodal person of Contact for • In the same year, the government also constituted a 24X7 coordination with law enforcement agencies Data Protection Committee under retired Justice and officers to ensure compliance”. The social B.N. Srikrishna that has submitted a draft data media platforms will be keeping a vigil on “unlawful protection law in 2018 which Parliament is yet to activity” for a period of “180 days”. enact. • The IT Act defines “critical information Though adequate safeguards remain to protect Privacy, infrastructure” to be “the computer resource, Yet a grey area remains between privacy and the state’s incapacitation or destruction of which, shall have a requirements for security. debilitating impact on national security, economy, public health or safety” like power and energy, telecom sector etc. Global References with respect to Surveillance vs. Privacy: The National Cyber Security Policy, 2013 (NCSP): The case of U.S.A • After the 9/11 attacks in 2001, the USA PATRIOT • The objective of this policy in broad terms is (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing to create a secure cyberspace ecosystem and Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and strengthen the regulatory framework. Obstruct Terrorism) Act was passed. • A National and sectoral 24X7 mechanism has • Under certain provisions in this Act, the U.S. been envisaged to deal with cyber threats through government used phone companies to collect National Critical Information Infrastructure information on millions of citizens as per the Protection Centre (NCIIPC). revelations made by the whistleblower Edward Snowden in 2013. • A mechanism is proposed to be evolved for obtaining strategic information regarding threats • Many aspects of the PATRIOT Act, particularly to information and communication technology those involving surveillance, were to lapse after a (ICT) infrastructure, creating scenarios of response, certain time period but they were re-authorised by resolution and crisis management through Congress. effective predictive, prevention, response and recovery action. • After re-authorisation, several rights groups argue that the Act violates the Constitution. There upon • Creating a workforce of 500,000 professionals it is evident that the U.S. still struggles to find the trained in cyber security in the next 5 years is also balance between State Surveillance vs. Privacy. envisaged in the policy through skill development and training. Information Technology Act, 2000 • The policy plans to promote and launch a • The Information Technology Act of India states that comprehensive national awareness programme on when a cyber crime has been committed, it has a security of cyberspace. global jurisdiction and a complaint can be filed at any cyber cell. • The B.N. Srikrishna Committee has recommended creating a data protection framework for India. • The Act especially provides protection to Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) by prescribing • RBI Meena Hemchandra Expert Panel on punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term Information Technology and Cyber Security: The of up to 10 years. RBI has instructed banks to mandate cyber security preparedness for addressing all cyber risks at their end as well. Amendments to the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2008: • National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence by

7 I Articulate NITI Aayog: NITI Aayog provided over 30 policy country to facilitate the collection, storage, retrieval, recommendations to invest in scientific research, analysis, transfer and sharing of data and information by encouraging re skilling and training, accelerating at the police station and between the police station the adoption of AI across the value chain, and and the State Headquarters and the Central Police promoting ethics, privacy, and security in AI. Organizations.

• ‘Framework for enhancing security in cyberspace’ • Devise an advance application for Social Media for cyber security in the Indian cyberspace, with Analytics to monitor social media platforms the National Security Council Secretariat as nodal activities related to Ministries of Home, agency. External Affairs, Defence and other government organisations. • Cyber Swachhta Kendra (Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre) has been launched for • Reduce Government’s dependence on foreign providing detection of malicious programmes and servers and ensure one dedicated secure gateway free tools to remove such programmes. for all government communication. A separate agency for online cyber crime registration, • Cyber-Crime Prevention against Women & monitoring and integration of CCTNS data with the Children’ Scheme: Implemented by Ministry of same. Home Affairs, the scheme aims to prevent and reduce cyber crimes against women and children. • Amend the Evidence act to suit the current requirements and prosecute the cybercrimes. • TechSagar: The National Cyber Security Coordinator’s office in partnership with Data • Sensitise the states by setting up cyber forensic Security Council (DSCI) of India launched TechSagar laboratories in states along with workshops and –a consolidated and comprehensive repository of international cooperation. India’s cyber tech capabilities. Future Govt. Initiatives • Cert-In’s secureurpc.com: People can download scanners and run it on their computers to clean them of any malware. • Tri-service agency for cyber warfare - It will have more than 1,000 experts who will be distributed into a number of formations of the Army, Navy and IAF.

The new Defence Cyber Agency will have both offensive and defensive capacity.

• Changing purview of data privacy, security, cybercrime and related issues : These are currently under the purview of the IT ministry which may soon be overseen by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and the Telecom Commission (TC) because 93 percent of all such data is consumed on the telecom networks, like e-commerce.

Loopholes in govt. policy

Source: Digit.in • Lack of privacy laws in India allow cyber criminals to misuse users’ data on social networks. In India, Gulshan Rai Committee recommendations on users who lost their data could do nothing. Cybersecurity • Digital and mobile payments: Inadequacy of the current legal frameworks to help and promote the • Establish a new Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Digital India vision by helping and promoting digital Centre to check attempts of international gangs to and mobile payments. penetrate Indian government official communication network. Loopholes in the IT Act

• It would be linked to NATGRID and CCTNS (Crime India does not have a dedicated cyber security law. and Criminal Tracking Network System) and The Information Technology Act, 2000, is not a cyber- branches in states to curb cybercrime. security law, which is why breaches of cyber security continue to go unreported and there is no statutory CCTNS aims to connect the police stations of the elaboration of rights, duties, and responsibilities of

Focus Articles | 8 stakeholders in this regard. • Offshore cybersecurity Threats: Over the • A majority of cyber crimes are bailable offenses, years, Indians have been subject to several forms which basically translates into inadequate of cyber threats from overseas. However, India deterrence to the offenders who violate the has not acceded to the Budapest Convention on provisions of the law. Cybercrime.

• The threat of data in the Cloud being lost: The The Convention on Cybercrime of the Council Information Technology Act, 2000, have some of Europe (CETS No.185), known as the Budapest provisions to deal with such cases of breaches Convention, is the only binding international of data on the Cloud, but they are only by way of instrument on this issue. It serves as a guideline for any compensation. international cooperation between State Parties to this treaty. The Budapest Convention is supplemented • Cyber criminals (often based outside the country) by a Protocol on Xenophobia and Racism committed hack email accounts, websites and impose bogus through computer systems. profiles of celebrities across the web there’s no straight legal route to book them. Challenges for cyber security in India

• There are no distinct dedicated cyber crime • Technology & Fundamental Rights: Right to courts whose only job would be to deal with cyber privacy – National security must not be used as a crime matters for expeditious disposal of cases. shield by either governments or private players to justify the violation of the right to privacy and right Loopholes in the National Cyber Security to life and liberty. Policy, 2013 (NCSP) • Data deprivation: Since most search engines and social media platforms have no “permanent • New technologies: The provisions to take care establishment” in India rather they are based of security risks emanating due to use of new in the US, law enforcement agencies do not technologies e.g. Cloud Computing, has not been get data access as the US laws bar US-based addressed. service providers from disclosing electronic communications. • Use of social networking sites by criminals and anti-national elements: The policy does not The bilateral mechanism of the India-US Mutual Legal address the issue. Assistance Treaty is a bit outdated and does not seem to work. • Policy challenges in ascribing responsibility • Missing tools to incorporate cyber crime tracking, in cases of financial breaches due to multiple cyber forensic capacity building and creation of stakeholders: Cyber security encompasses banks, a platform for sharing and analysis of information telecom companies, financial service providers, between public and private sectors on continuous technology platforms, social media platforms, basis. e-commerce companies, and the government, so there is difficulty in role assignment. • Creating a workforce of 500,000 professionals: There is no clarity whether this workforce will be • Untrained police: the conviction rate is low trained to simply monitor the cyberspace or trained because policemen are not trained. to acquire offensive as well as defensive cyber security skill sets. • Lack of people’s awareness: People do not understand the ramifications of cyber security • Safeguarding the privacy of citizen data: No breaches and India lacks the culture of cyber specific strategy has been outlined to achieve security. this objective. • Contracts awarded to Chinese companies Other Loopholes for installation of supervisory control and data acquisition systems (SCADA) for power • Cybersecurity standards and regulations for distribution: Cyber attacks on the electricity mobile applications and devices to tackle grid could have a debilitating impact on national ransomware: The MEITY has not formulated a security, governance, economy and social well- policy. being of the nation.

• Proposed cyber command Vs. Tri Service SCADA is a computer based industrial Agency: Indian Armed forces are in the process of automation control system that practically establishing a cyber command for strengthening makes factories and utilities run on their own. the cyber security of defence installations. It will be In an electrical system, SCADA maintains a parallel hierarchical structure which can result in balance between demand and supply. the jurisdiction issues with the Tri-service agency.

9 I Articulate • Chinese Mobiles: Chinese handset brands • Govt. should take appropriate steps for enhancing command more than half of India’s smartphone awareness of citizens and small business for market share, and are often pre-loaded with cybersecurity. bundled apps. In 2014, the Indian Air Force red- flagged the use of Chinese origin smartphones • Training manpower: There are three aspects to the by its personnel and their family members due entire IT security phenomenon: people, process unencrypted transfer of user data to servers located and technology. The most important one is people in China. because the other two depend on it.

• “Black Box Phenomenon” in AI: It is related to • Promotion of research and development in cyber very little or no understanding of what happens security. in between AI and only the input data and results being the known factors due to developer’s • The customers also have a responsibility to emphasis being less on ethics. maintain basic cyber hygiene by following practices and taking precautions to keep one’s sensitive • The ‘Internet of Things’ is a weak link : Often the IoT information organized, safe and secure. They should devices lack basic security features and rely upon also understand the security implications of using default passwords that can give attackers easy foreign origin smartphones with bundled, pre- access giving rise to botnets threats. installed apps.

• Skills shortage: The dearth of skilled cybersecurity professionals continues to be a major problem for many organizations. There is inadequate research in academia.

• An understanding of the legal challenges unique to cyberspace: Crimes committed on the internet, throw up complex jurisdictional questions requiring cross-border cooperation between law enforcement agencies. Current solutions operate in silos.

Way forward

• Handling cyber complaints: Various steps should Source: slideshare.net be clarified to law enforcement agencies which they must follow upon receiving a complaint about a cyber-crime, and to obtain information for prosecution.

• Data protection regulation: Agencies should be familiarised with electronic evidence gathering processes, including the rules and regulations in place for accessing data and intermediary liability.

• Stringent regulations for multi-level checks on equipment imported for the domestic power distribution sector to prevent the electricity grid from cyber attacks. Source: itworldcanada.com • State Cybersecurity Framework should be envisaged in P-P-P Model. The govt. needs to have Conclusion more interaction with the private sector. • India’s approach with respect to the protection • Establishment of the State CERT to operate in of its cyber assets thus far has been dictated by conjunction ICERT and coordinate with NCIIPC. occurrences of cyber security incidents, particularly where the systems of the government have been • Big Data Analytics can help companies that impacted. possess huge volumes of data to identify patterns of behavior and also the potential mistakes made • A proactive, rather than a reactive approach, is the in the corporate environment, which could have a need of the hour. detrimental impact on protection and preservation of cybersecurity. Sources thehindu.com, financialexpress.com, Orfonline.org

Focus Articles | 10 2. Prison Statistics India – 2017 Report & Prison Reforms “Every Saint Has A Past; standard of physical and mental health. Every Sinner Has A Future” – Oscar Wilde • United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners or Nelson Mandela Rules: Prisoners must be treated with respect for their With an average occupancy rate of 115% of their human rights and dignity. capacity, Indian jails continue to remain congested and • overcrowded, numbers in the National Crime Records Bureau’s “Prison Statistics India – 2017” report has Key findings of the “Prison Statistics India – revealed. 2017” report

Background Under trials • More than 68% of those incarcerated were • Prison is a State subject under List-II of the undertrials, indicating that a majority were poor Seventh Schedule of the Constitution. However, the and were unable to execute bail bonds or provide Ministry of Home Affairs provides regular guidance sureties. and advice to States and UTs on various issues concerning prisons and prison inmates. Types of prisoners in India • Convict: a person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court. • Article 21: All the rights such as the right to health, • Under-trial: a person who is currently on trial in a court of law right to food, right to shelter, right to bail, right to • Detainee: any person held in custody. speedy trial, right to free legal aid, right against custodial violence and death in police lock-ups or Overcrowding encounters, have been included under it. • The nationwide occupancy rate in jails at the end of • Article 20 prohibits double jeopardy, that is, no 2017 was 115.1 percent. From 2014 to 2016, this figure person should be convicted for the same offence had seen a marginal dip from 117.4 percent to 113.7 twice. Secondly, it prohibits self-incrimination, that percent. However, data shows that overcrowding in is, no one can be compelled to be a witness against prisons has increased in 2017. himself. • Among various categories of jails, the highest rate of • Article 22: No person who is arrested shall be overcrowding — 128.9% — was found in district jails. detained in custody without being informed of the grounds for such arrest. It provides that a person What are the different kinds of jails in India? must be produced before a magistrate within 24 hours of his arrest and must be provided with a counsel of his own choice. • Central jail- Here prisoners are sentenced to imprisonment for more than 2 years and such jails have larger capacity in comparison to other jails. Legislations for prisons • District jail- These are the institutions meant • The management and administration of Prisons is for confining persons sentenced to undergo governed by the Prisons Act, 1894 and the Prison imprisonment up to 6 months besides Remand / Manuals of the respective State Governments. Under Trial prisoners.

The Prisons Act, 1894 enacted for the functioning of the prisons, • Women’s Jail- It exclusively house women provides certain statutory rights to the prisoners. prisoners. • Legal service Authority Act, 1987: According to the law, a person in custody is entitled to free legal aid. • Borstal School- This is the institution meant for housing adolescent offenders between the age of 18–21. India’s International Obligations • Open jail- Here prisoners with good behaviour are • The International Covenant on Civil and Political housed satisfying certain norms. Rights (ICCPR): It is the core international treaty on the protection of the rights of prisoners. • Special Jails- It keeps offenders and prisoners who are convicted of terrorism, insurgency and • International Covenant on Economic, Social and violent crimes. Cultural Rights (ICESCR): It acknowledges that the prisoners have a right to the highest attainable

11 I Articulate Staffing • Custodial deaths: India saw a total of 100 deaths • On average, only 68.8 percent sanctioned posts in police custody in the year 2017. Suicide is the were filled at the end of 2017. biggest reason for custodial deaths in India. Only three policemen were eventually convicted for Justice delayed their crimes. • The National Human Rights Commission had • For IPC crimes, police are supposed to file a charge issued guidelines in 1993 making it mandatory for sheet within 90 days. But data show that in certain the police to report any case of custodial death or cases such as rioting, which includes communal rape within 24 hours to the commission and set up riots, police delayed the filing of charge sheet in an enquiry. 60%of the cases. • Underpaid labor - Convicted prisoners get paid for • The report says in more than 40% of cases with doing work inside the jail, which can be voluntarily fast-track courts, these courts have taken more or part of their punishment. Convicts are paid as than three years to finish the trial. little as Rs 12 to Rs 15 per day.

What are the shortcomings of the report? • Recently, Delhi High Court directed Tihar Jail authorities to keep in “abeyance” the practice of deducting 25% salary of prisoners for a fund created for the welfare of the victims of • Absence of information on the quality and impact their crimes or their legal heirs. of reformation programmes: It is essential for • In 2008, the CrPC was amended with a new Section, 357A, ensuring successful reintegration of prisoners and which stipulated that every state should prepare a scheme for provide those serving life -term imprisonment compensating crime victims and their dependents. (52.6% of all convicts) an opportunity to reform. • Discrimination: Due to rampant corruption in the • No offence-wise data on under trials and convicts. prison system, those who can afford to bribe, often enjoy luxuries in prison. While poor prisoners are deprived of basic human dignity. Issues with prisons in India • Inadequate security measures: Poor security • Overcrowding: Overcrowding is “one of the measures and prison management often leads to biggest problems faced by prison inmates”. It violence among inmates and resultant injury and in “results in poor hygiene, lack of sleep etc. some cases death.

• Minority community: In comparison to their • Health: In prison the problem of overcrowding, percentage in the total population, Adivasis, poor sanitary facilities, lack of physical and mental Christians, Dalits, Muslims, and Sikhs are all well activities, lack of decent health care, increase the over-represented in Indian prisons. likelihood of health problems. Further, mental health care has negligible focus in Indian prisons. • Under-trials–The share of the prison population awaiting trial or sentencing in India is extremely • Women prisoners: They face poor nutritional high by international standards; for example, it is intake, poor health and lack of basic sanitation. 11% in the UK, 20% in the US and 29% in France. Hygiene and custodial rapes which generally go unreported. Also there is also issue of children • Lack of legal aid: A majority of the inmates do living in prisons merely because their mothers not have financial resources or support outside are convicts. to access help. Legal aid is not easily available as lawyers enlisted by the State for this are paid • Recidivism: It is the tendency of a convict to once poorly. again commit a crime after release from prison. India’s recidivism rate is only three percent, which, • Shortage of staff: In the absence of adequate prison compared to other countries, is low; however, staff, overcrowding of prisons leads to rampant recidivism still continues to pose a challenge. violence and other criminal activities inside the jails. The Model Prison Manual circulated by the A system of holding undertrials for too long without a just trial Government of India in 2003 provides for the prison process in overcrowded prisons that suffer problems of hygiene, management and discipline, is one that is ripe for recidivism. staff-inmate ratio of 1:6. • Prisoners’ Right to Vote : Prisoners are denied their • Torture and Sexual abuse: Beatings and torture right to franchise based on Section 62(5) of the to extract information or confessions are standard. Representation of Peoples Act, 1951. Sexual abuse of inmates is rampant.

Focus Articles | 12 • Article 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human • Krishna Iyer Committee, (1987) was mandated Rights (UDHR) provides that everyone has the right to study the condition of women prisoners in the to take part in the government of their country, country, recommended induction of more women directly or through freely chosen representatives. in the police force in view of their special role in tackling women and child offenders. Supreme Court Guidelines & Directions Govt. steps for prison reforms

• Maneka Gandhi vs. Union of India (1978): The SC • Modernization of Prisons scheme : It was launched broadened the scope of ‘life’ under Article 21 and by the Home Ministry in 2002-03 for construction held that any procedure made by the State must be of additional jails to reduce overcrowding, repair just and reasonable. and renovation of existing jails, improvement in sanitation and water supply and better living • Sheela Barse vs. State of Maharashtra (1983): The accommodation for prison staff. Supreme Court issued certain directions namely: • Fast track courts: To ease pressure on jails, the • That interrogation of females should be carried out only in the Home Ministry has given approval for creation of presence of female police officers/constables. 1,562 Fast Track Courts. • Whenever a person is arrested by the police without warrant, he must be immediately informed of the grounds of his arrest • Insertion of a new section in the CrPC and in case of every arrest it must immediately be made known to the arrested person that he is entitled to apply for bail. • System of plea bargaining has also been • That whenever a person is arrested by the police and taken introduced where an accused would be entitled to to the police lock up, the police will immediately give an a reduced sentence if he admits to the crime and intimation of the fact of such arrest to the nearest Legal Aid agrees to compensate the victim. Committee.

• The State Government will provide necessary funds to the • The National Legal Services authority: It launched concerned Legal Aid Committee for carrying out this direction. a web application for facilitating the under trial prisoners for providing them free legal services. • Hussainara Khatoon v. State of Bihar: In this case, the Supreme Court upheld that the prisoners • E-Prisons Project: The E-prisons project should get benefit of free legal aid and fast hearing. supplements the Prisoner Information Management system (PIMS provides a centralized approach for • Open Jail: The Supreme Court asked states to recording and managing prisoner information and establish an open prison in each district based on a generating different kinds of reports. 2017 report that detailed the success of Rajasthan’s open jail system. • Model Prison Manual 2016: It has a dedicated chapter on Legal Aid, provides detailed information • The Supreme Court in 2018 formed a Committee about the legal services available to prison inmates on Prison Reforms chaired by Justice Amitava and also free legal services available to them. Roy, to examine the various problems plaguing prisons in the country, from overcrowding to lack • Draft National Policy on Prison Reforms and of legal advice to convicts to issues of remission Correctional Administration: Its features include and parole. amending the constitution to include principles of prison management and treatment of under Other Important Recommendations trials under DPSP; and including prisons in concurrent list. • The Law Commission of India - 268th report Way Forward • It highlighted the inconsistencies in the bail system as one of the key reasons for overcrowding in prisons. For those who have spent the whole period as undertrials, the period • Open prisons: Not only do these prisons present undergone should be considered for remission. an early opportunity for prisoners’ reform and rehabilitation back into society, they also cost less • Recommendation of Mulla Committee, 1983 in terms of money and staff,

• The setting up of a National Prison Commission to oversee the modernization of the prisons in India. • Financial penalty may be more effective than a prison sentence : Public naming and shaming, hefty • Putting a ban on clubbing together juvenile offenders with fines and bans on certain forms of professional hardened criminals in prison. practice are more likely to deter white -collar • Segregation of mentally ill prisoners to a mental asylum. offending than prison.

• Lodging of under trial in jails should be reduced to bare • The 1894 Prison Act, being very old, needs to be minimum and they should be kept separate from convicted replaced with a new Prison Act and the NHRC prisoners.

13 I Articulate should prepare a draft Bill. • Environmental friendly devices like solar energy, • Prison Manuals also require amendments with a bio-gas, water harvesting should be set-up to human rights perspective. reduce burden on the resources in jails.

• A separate Prison and Correctional Services • Provide effectivegrievance redressal system. Cadre should be set-up. • Sanitation and potable drinking water facilities • Promulgate and notify the rights of prisoners in the should be improved. form of a Charter in multiple languages. • Skill development and capacity building for • Digitalize prisoners’ activities and details of all prisoners must be given high priority for which prisoners should be made available on the website public-private partnership model must be of the concerned jail. exercised.

• The bail, parole and farlo, should be made more Incarceration in any form is uncivilized, especially liberalized. when it is so long-drawn-out, and when the objective of criminal punishment should be one of reforms rather • Probation and community services should be than wreaking vengeance on a perpetrator of crime. exercised by the judiciary as a form of punishment to maximum number of offenders. Sources mha.gov.in, thehindu.com, thewire.in, epw.in • All Central Prisons should have the necessary medical equipment and tele -medicine system should be introduced to address the shortage of doctors.

Focus Articles | 14 15 I Articulate Polity & Governance | 16 1. Ayodhya Verdict

In a landmark judgment the 5-judge bench of the SC Timeline has put an end to the longest and most contentious political and socio-religious battle in the history of India.

Ayodhya Verdict (9th November 2019)

• The court has held that the 2.77-acre disputed land in Ayodhya shall be handed over for the construction of Ram Mandir and at the same time an alternative 5-acre land in a prominent place in Ayodhya be allotted for the construction of a mosque. Arguments against the Verdict

• The Temple - Accordingly, now the onus is on the • Breach of the secular character of the State: As Central Government to constitute a trust within per Krishnadas Rajagopal the Supreme Court’s 3 months and hand over the disputed site to the direction to the Central government to set up a trust. trust to facilitate the construction of a temple would amount to a breach of the secular character • The Mosque -The court also highlighted that of the State. the desecration of the mosque in 1949 and its

demolition in 1992 amounted to dispossessing S.R. Bommai case of 1994 the Muslims of the mosque and should not have occurred in a secular nation like India. • The judgement clearly said the State should be divorced from religion. Use of Article 142: Under Article 142 the Supreme Court may pass such decree or make such order as is • The Bommai judgment said the concept of State necessary for doing complete justice. is neither pro-particular religion nor anti-particular religion. • It stands aloof, in other words maintains neutrality in matters • Why used Article 142: Taking note of the injustice of religion and provides equal protection to all religions. done to Muslims through dispossession of the mosque, the SC has invoked the use of Article 142. • Absence of equity: According to Ashok Kini the judgement acknowledges that namaz was offered • How Article 142 used: The court provided for an at the mosque between 1857 and 1949, and declares alternative site of 5 acre for construction of mosque that Muslims did not abandon it, but offers no relief and directed (under Article 142) the central and even though their religious rights stand proved. state governments to make arrangements for land - Since for this purpose. • A preponderance of probabilities the evidence from various sources including archaeology (ASI), textual sources (Ram Charit Manas, Ain-e-Akbari) etc. the claim of the Hindu plaintiffs to the disputed property stands on a better footing. Final Verdict (9th Nov 2019) • Favoring the strong: According to Suhrith Parthasarathy the justification that the judgment as an exercise of pragmatism aims to ensure peace Mediation panel is disturbing. There is a crucial distinction between by Supreme Court resolving a dispute on the basis of principle, and (8th March 2019) achieving peace simply by endorsing the existing balance of power or by not provoking the strong.

Allahabad High Court Arguments in Favour verdict • Good for social harmony: In allowing a temple to come up through a government-appointed trust at the disputed site in Ayodhya, the Supreme Court has apparently chosen a path most conducive to social harmony and closure to a long debate as the judgment is not a sign of victory for any community.

17 I Articulate • The judgement is also in line with the Places of be adjudicated on other forums. Or, it could have Worship (Special Provision) Act,1991, as the act acknowledged that property rights had become exempt the disputed site at Ayodhya. inseparable from the question of justice. Instead, the Court tried to do both. Places of Worship Act,1991 The central thrust of the law is that the nature of a • There are two possible ways in which the Supreme place of worship — church, mosque, temple, etc. — will Court’s judgment may be defended for its continue to be as it was on 15 August 1947. The law ‘statesmanship.’ exempts the disputed site at Ayodhya. • One, the court used its powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to deliver “complete justice”. Why Ayodhya site exempted? • The court acted “pragmatically” to bring about closure to a Because it was the subject of prolonged litigation. festering dispute in a manner that would allow the country to It was also aimed at providing scope for a possible move on. negotiated settlement. Several positives for the Muslim litigants Objective of the Act The several positive findings and observations of the The aim of the Act was to freeze the status of any place court that must be welcomed and appreciated, which of worship as it existed on August 15, 1947. It was also to will help us retain our otherwise shaken confidence in provide for the maintenance of the religious character the majesty of law. of such a place of worship as on that day. • Secularism is part of the basic structure of the Main features of the act Constitution and that the Places of Worship Act, Two purposes the law seeks to fulfil, 1991, protects and secures fundamental values of the Constitution. • First, it prohibits the conversion of any place of worship. In doing so, it speaks to the future by mandating that the • Article 25: On the topic of freedom of religion under character of a place of public worship shall not be altered. Article 25, the court highlighted the need to firmly reject any attempt to lead the court to interpret • The second aspect, the law seeks to impose a positive obligation to maintain the religious character of every place religious doctrine in an absolute and extreme form of worship as it existed on 15 August 1947 when India achieved and question the faith of worshippers. independence from colonial rule. • On a jurist person: The court accepted the Sunni Waqf Board’s plea that the place of Lord Ram’s Reference of the act in the Ayodhya birth is not in itself a juristic person. This will avoid several future religious conflicts. The court said that judgment conferral of such a right will impinge on the rights of In the verdict, the Supreme Court commended the people of other faiths. enactment as one that preserved the constitutional value of secularism by not permitting the status of a • A title cannot be decided solely on the basis of place of worship to be changed. faith or archaeological findings: The court held that the ASI report highlights the presence of • The court held that the Centre is already remnants of a 12th century non-Islamic structure empowered under the Acquisition of Certain Area on the disputed site. But the report fails to prove at Ayodhya Act, 1993 to vest the disputed land in a that Mosque was constructed by demolishing the trust or authority. Hence, there is no breach of the temple. spirit of secularism. • Evidence can go wrong: The title of property • Unanimity among judges: What is most welcome cannot be decided on the basis of travelers’ about the verdict is its unanimity. It sends out a accounts was also accepted and the court message that the judiciary has, with a single mind, rightly said that some portions of these accounts ventured to give legal burial to a prolonged dispute. (including one by the 18th-century Austrian missionary, Joseph Tiefenthaler) were based • Compensation to Muslim litigants: To compensate on rumors. the Muslim litigants, the court has asked for the allotment of a five-acre plot of land elsewhere in Ayodhya that may be used for building a new mosque.

• Dealt with both property dispute and religious violence: The Court could have decided the case as a property dispute, leaving the events of 1992 to

Polity & Governance | 18 that serves as a guiding light to peaceful Arguments given by the court with coexistence of all citizens. respect to a juristic person • The consequences of judgment, in the medium and long-term future, are impossible to predict. • The Supreme Court held that the god or The application of dominant public sentiment ‘Supreme Being’ may be omnipresent, by the court has been on the basis that the strict omniscient and omnipotent but has no application of law and justice must give way to the juristic personality, but an idol, worshipped interests of peace. by believers as a physical incarnation of God, is a juristic personality. Sources thehindu.com, indiatoday.in, theprint.in • To provide courts with a conceptual framework within which they could analyze and practically adjudicate upon disputes involving competing claims over endowed properties, the SC recognized legal personality of the Hindu idol. 2. Chief Justice of India’s office

• This laid the apex court to allow the Hindu under RTI community to construct Ram temple on the The Supreme Court ruled that the office of the Chief disputed site in the judgement. Justice of India (CJI) is a public authority under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. A five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, upheld a Delhi High Court ruling of 2010. Q. The power of judiciary under article 142 has proved to be an effective tool for ensuring complete justice. The issue before the court However over the period of time it has blurred the line of separation of power etween the legislature and • The judgment pertained to three cases based on judiciary. Comment. requests for information, all of which eventually reached the Supreme Court.

Comparison between Sabarimala and • In one of these, RTI application had asked whether Ayodhya verdict by Faizan Mustafa all Supreme Court judges had declared their assets and liabilities to the CJI following a resolution passed in 1997. Sabarimala order Inconsistent with the Babri judgment: The Sabarimala reference order is inconsistent with the • While the CPIO of the Supreme Court said the Babri judgment. office of the CJI was not a public authority under the RTI Act, the matter reached the Chief • Essential religious practices: • In the Babri case, SC, while accepting the Hindu belief of the Information Commissioner (CIC), which in 2009 birth of Lord Ram at the disputed site, did not ask whether the directed disclosure of information. belief about Lord Rama’s birth was an essential practice of the Hindu religion. • The Supreme Court approached the Delhi High • However, the practice of excluding women from the temple at Court against the CIC order. High Court held that Sabarimala is not an essential religious practice as per SC the office of the Chief Justice of India is a public order in the Sabarimala case. authority under the RTI Act and is covered by its provisions. • Over status of temple or mosque: • While rejecting the extreme plea of Sabarimala not being a Hindu temple as people of other faiths too worship there, the • The Supreme Court then approached a larger Bench SC in Sabarimala reference order has observed that a church of the Delhi High Court, which passed its judgment remains a church despite people of different faiths visiting it. in 2010 holding that the judgment was “both proper and valid and needs no interference”. • However, the primary reason to deny possession to the Sunni Waqf Board was its failure to prove that Muslims were exclusively praying in the inner courtyard of the Babri Masjid • SC plea to SC, about SC: The Supreme Court from 1528 to 1856. in 2010 petitioned itself challenging the Delhi High Court order. The matter was placed before Conclusion a Division Bench, which decided that it should be heard by a Constitution Bench. CJI Gogoi last • In this verdict as an arbiter of the constitution, year constituted the Bench, which pronounced its the apex court has upheld the secular ethos of judgment recently. our constitution and set an example as to how in • a pluralistic society like India it is the constitution Key Highlights of the Judgment

19 I Articulate Chronology of events 1. Right to information is subject to public interest: Information shall be disclosed under RTI subject to First appeal filed at SC’s registry public interest test. The public interest test would 2007 against the denial of information include: (seeking information on judge’s assests) • Motive and purpose of the seeker of information.

• Judicial independence shall be one of the key factors to be applied but on a case to case basis. RTI Activist approaches CIC 2008 against dismissal of first appeal a) However, it does not mean that judicial independence is filed at SC’s registry achieved only by denial of access to information. In some cases, judicial independence may be achieved by ensuring transparency.

b) Besides, public interest in disclosure of information should CIC asks SC to disclose outweigh the possible ‘harm’ and injury to 3rd party. This 2009 information on Judges’ assests on observation is in line with Section 11(1) of the RTI according | to which the PIO shall factor in effect on 3rd party in the ground that CJI’s office comes disclosing some confidential information. within the ambit of RTI Act. (SC moves Delhi HC against) 2. Doctrine of proportionality

• The information sought to be disclosed shall strike a balance between right to privacy and right to HC says the office of CJI comes information. 2010 within the ambit of teh RTI Act (secretary General of SC and CPIO • In this context, disclosure of judges’ assets does file 3 appeals against the HC not constitute personal information and cannot be and CIC orders) exempted from RTI as judges enjoy a constitutional post and discharge public duty.

3. Judicial Appointments: Distinction between SC refers the matter to a 2016 input and output Constitution bench • In the context of information relating to judicial appointments a distinction between input and output is to be made. SC upholds 2010 Delhi High Court verdict, holds office of the • While the output is the final outcome of the 2019 Chief Justice of indian is a public collegium resolution, input relates to collegium authority and falls within the deliberation. ambit of RTI • Thus, in short while information relating to output may be disclosed, for information on input especially collegiums deliberations, public interest CJI under the definition of public authority test is to be applied. • The offices of CJI and judges (in views of Article 124 of the Constitution) and CJs of the HCs is a part of ‘public authority’ under Section 2 (h) of the RTI Act Some issues with the judgment as per 2005 and thus liable to disclose information relating Manu Sebastian to its organization and functioning including appointments of judges and financial information. • Public interest test: What constitutes public interest is not defined clearly except a list given • Public authorities under Section 2 h of the RTI Act by the judges which is not exhaustive. This leaves includes the following: scope for withholding of information citing that the 1. Authorities established under the Constitution. disclosure of information does not pass the ‘public 2. Authorities established under any law, Union or State. interest’ test. (except CBI) 3. Authorities established under ‘executive resolution’. • Motive and Purpose: Further according to Section 4. Any Body controlled or substantially funded by the government. (NGOs) 6(2) of the RTI Act, the motive of the seeker of information is not a relevant consideration while Conditions that the judgement imposed considering the application. However, the judgment However, the right to information is subject to certain provides ‘motive’ and ‘purpose’ as a factor in the conditions. ‘public interest’ test.

Polity & Governance | 20 structure of our constitution. • Doctrine of proportionality: Currently RTI as applicable to any other authority is not subject to Source proportionality test between right to privacy and Indian Express right to information. Thus, there is no reason why in case of judiciary it shall be applied. Besides other institutions may start demanding this principle be applied in their case also leading to overall dilution of the act itself.

• Input-Output distinction: As pointed out one of 3. Sabarimala Case the main reasons for RTI to be applied for Judiciary is to seek information relating to collegiums The Supreme Court in a majority verdict of 3:2 has deliberations. By categorizing it as ‘input’ and hence deferred its decision on review of 2018 Sabarimala subjecting it to ‘public interest’ leaves scope for verdict until a larger Bench (7 judges) examines broader withholding of information. issues such as essentiality of religious practices and constitutional morality. Arguments in favor of judgement Sabarimala judgement (Indian Young Lawyers Definition of public authority Association & Others vs The State of Kerala & Others) • According to Section 2 h of the RTI Act, public authority includes among other things authorities • The 2018 verdict had held unconstitutional the established under the Constitution. practice of barring women of menstrual age from entering the temple. • The SC judges including CJI is a body established under Article 124 of the constitution and thus • The five-judge constitution bench, in its4:1 verdict, should constitute ‘public authority’. said banning the entry of women into the shrine is Collegium gender discrimination and the practice violates • India has a unique system of judge’s appointment in the rights of Hindu women. It said religion is a way which judges themselves appoint judges. While the of life basically to link life with divinity. Parliament had passed the NJAC act it was struck down by SC in 2015. • Justice Malhotra, in her dissenting judgement, said that issues which have deep religious connotation • In such a case of secrecy, it is desirable that at should not be tinkered with to maintain a secular least the information relating to deliberations in atmosphere in the country. the collegium is put in the public domain in to gain Views in Support of Women Entry public trust in the process. • Contrary to Articles 14, 15, 19, and 25 of the Indian Arguments against CJI within the ambit constitution - Limiting women from entering the places of worship goes contrary to above articles of RTI that deals with the right to equality, the right Compromise with Judicial Independence against discrimination based on gender, freedom of • In accordance with Article 145, the Supreme Court movement and freedom of religion. with the approval of the President, make rules for regulating generally the practice and procedure • Article 26 - Right to manage its own religious affairs of the Court. Accordingly, the Supreme Court under Article 26(1) cannot override the right to has its own set of rules that govern the access to practice religion itself, as Article 26 cannot be seen information. Thus, given the independence of the to overrule the right to practice one’s religion as judiciary it is said that the Supreme Court Rules guaranteed under the Constitution of India should precede RTI provisions. • Imposing patriarchy: Often the restrictions the entry of women into places of worship is one of the However, Article 145 is subject to the provisions of any are based on patriarchy and not religion. law made by Parliament and thus applicability of RTI is valid. • Compromising on Right to equality: Banning entry to the temple subverts the idea that everyone has Conclusion equal rights to worship God. By identifying office of CJI as public authority SC has opened the doors for information especially in • Similar case - In April 2016, the Shani Shingnapur matters such as disclosure of assets. However, ‘public temple, has allowed women to pray inside the interest’, ‘doctrine of proportionality’ and ‘input- temple following the court’s orders which otherwise output’ distinction should not be leveraged to keep had barred women from entering its core area for collegiums deliberations in secret, notwithstanding the over 400 years, importance of Judicial Independence which is the basic

21 I Articulate Views against Women Entry right to equality would prevail over right to practice. • Celibacy of deity not a form of Discrimination - Citing to the presiding deity Lord Ayyappa as a Naishtika Bramhachari, many point out that it is

Q. For a secular country like India it is important Significant Supreme Court Judgments based that the doctrine of “Essential Religious Practices” on the Essence of Religion emerges from the ‘society’ and not from the ‘judiciary’. Throw light upon the statement in the context of • 2004, Ananda Marga case, the Supreme Sabarimala Judgement. Court adhered that the public performance of the Tandava dance was not an essential part of the religion of the Ananda Marga sect, although it has been specifically laid down • Essential Religious Practices: The as such in their religious literature. Supreme Court has relied upon a particular jurisprudence that it has carved itself to • In Shirur Mutt case, the Supreme Court determine what manners of rituals and observed that a “religious denomination or beliefs deserve special constitutional organization enjoys complete autonomy in protection. the matter of deciding as to what rites and ceremonies are essential and no outside • Constitutional morality: Constitutional authority has any jurisdiction to interfere morality involves adherence to noble with their decision”. principles enshrined in the Constitution. In most cases, constitutional morality strives • Parallely, the court also declared that the for emancipation and empowerment of state can legitimately regulate religious individual as observed in Articles 19, 25 and practices when they “run counter to public sometimes to protect collective rights as order, health and morality”. seen in Article 26, 29.

the chaste nature of the deity that forms the basis • Similarly, article 25(2) deals only with secular of the practice and not based on discrimination aspects and social issues, not gender or religious- based issues. • Consequently, Sabarimala is a separate religious cult with its own rules (Article 26). Protests after Sabarimala Verdict of the • Application of Article 15 of the Constitution Supreme Court excludes religious institutions. Article 15(2) provides Consequently,the SC verdict led to protests when the citizens with the right to access to places such temple was opened for the first time since the Supreme as hotels, shops and so on but nowhere does it Court verdict came. Even though some women of mention public temples. menstruating age tried to enter the temple they were not allowed by the Police force after the protests turned violent. Organizations like Sabarimala Karma Samithi called for a state-wide Hartal. Along with this,campaigns like Ready to Wait, Happy to Bleed Article 26 vs. Article 14 were launched against and in favor of the verdict.

• Article 26 guarantees Freedom to manage religious affairs subject to public order, Key issues raised by Ananda Krishnan G morality and health, every religious denomination or any section thereof shall • Constitutional morality: The court said ‘morality’ have the right. or ‘constitutional morality’ has not been defined in the Constitution. Further, the court opined that • Whereas, Article 14 protects Equality before there is a need to delineate the contours of that the law. The State shall not refuse any expression, so that it becomes subjective. person the right to equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the • Essential religious practices: The degree to territory of India. The Constitution prohibits which the court can inquire into the issue of a discrimination on grounds of religion, race, particular practice is an essential part of the caste, sex or place of birth. religion or religious practice of a particular religious denomination or this particular issue should be left • The majority in judgment has stated that the exclusively to be fixed by the head of the section of

Polity & Governance | 22 the religious group. pragmatic(implementable).

• PIL by litigants belonging to other religious Sources denomination: Whether the courts can allow PIL in indianexpress.com, ndtv.com, thehindu.com, matters calling into question religious practices of a m.economics.com denomination or a section thereon at the instance of persons who does not belong to such religious denomination? Justice Malhotra, in her dissent in the 2018 verdict, had questioned the standing of an NGO that filed the PIL. Way ahead 4. Recusal of Judges

• The Sabarimala review has been referred to a The Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court decided seven-judge Bench of the Supreme Court. This that Justice Arun Mishra need not be recused from will give a ray of hope for those who are planning a bench to decide a matter on which he has given a to seek a review of the court’s Babri judgment judgment earlier. (November 9). • The case that Justice Mishra is hearing as part of a • The cases above suggest that the judiciary has five-judge Constitution bench pertains to the land styled itself as a reformer of religions with its own acquisition law. idea of rationality and morality. • There were demands for his recusal as Justice • The concept of providing constitutional protection Mishra would be judging his own earlier judgment. only to those elements of religion, which courts consider “essential” is problematic. • Recusal is “removal of oneself as a judge or policy maker in a particular matter, especially because of a • Such an approach assumes that one element or conflict of interest.” practice of religion is independent of the others also that while some practices are central to a • The basic principle of judicial conduct: In taking religion, others are merely incidental. the oath of office, judges, both of the Supreme Court and high courts, promise to perform their Conclusion duties, to deliver justice, “without fear or favor, The 7-judge bench that is going to hear the review affection or ill-will”. petitions on its 2018 judgement needs to take all the factors in to consideration to make the judgement both • Duty to act fairly and impartially is ingrained in good in law (addressing gender discr imination) and articles 14 and 21 of the constitution. • Previous cases of recusals: • In Bhima Koregaon case there was recusal by several Supreme Court judges from hearing the appeal filed by rights activist Gautam Navlakha to quash the FIR against him. Comparison between Sabarimala and Ayodhya verdict by Faizan Mustafa • Ayodhya case: Justice U.U. Lalit recused himself from hearing Sabarimala order Inconsistent with the Babri the dispute over land in Ayodhya after being pointed out that judgment: The Sabarimala reference order is the judge had appeared for former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh in a related contest. inconsistent with the Babri judgment. • Constitutional provisions: • Essential religious practices: • The right to recuse has been left on the discretion of the In the Babri case, SC, while accepting the Hindu belief judges. of the birth of Lord Ram at the disputed site, did not ask whether the belief about Lord Rama’s birth was an • The right to a fair hearing is at the heart of the rule of law. essential practice of the Hindu religion. • Article 14 guarantees to all persons equality before the law and However, as per the SC order in the Sabarimala case, equal protection of the laws. the practice of excluding women from the temple at Sabarimala is not an essential religious practice • Article 21 confers on every person the fundamental right to life and personal liberty. It is the most fundamental of human rights • Over status of temple or mosque: While rejecting the extreme plea of Sabarimala not What would happen should all the judges of the being a Hindu temple as people of other faiths too Supreme Court decide to recuse from a matter? worship there, the SC in Sabarimala reference order has observed that a church remains a church despite people of different faiths visiting it. • Under Article 128 of the Constitution, the Chief Justice, with the consent of the President, can However, the primary reason to deny possession to the appoint a retired judge of the Supreme Court or a Sunni Waqf Board was its failure to prove that Muslims High Court to sit in and act as a judge. were exclusively praying in the inner courtyard of the Babri Masjid from 1528 to 1856. • Unlike Article 127, which allows the Chief Justice to

23 I Articulate appoint a High Court judge as an ad hoc judge when there is no quorum in the Supreme Court, Article 2. Objective jurisprudence : Judges being rational 128 does not talk about the necessity of quorum. individuals may have ideological prejudices, Such an appointment is need-based. nevertheless they consider cases and decide upon the matters on the basis of facts and rationale. What was the issue? 3. Assam detention center case : CJI Ranjan Gogoi also decided against recusing from hearing a PIL • Section 24(2) of the land acquisition act states saying that the CJI’s recusal would mean the that in case of land acquisition proceedings, if “destruction of the institution”. a developer fails to take possession of the land acquired under the old laws for five years, or 4. Revealing the reasons for recusal in detail could if compensation is not paid to the owner, the lead to similar requests from parties in other cases, land acquisition act process would lapse. The delaying the delivery of justice. process would then have to be re-initiated under LAAR, which would allow the owner to get better 5. Master of Roster issue compensation. • Article 145 of the Indian Constitution provides power to the • The case was transferred to a Constitution Supreme Court to frame its own rules to regulate the practice Bench as two Benches of the court had delivered and procedure of the Court. conflicting judgments on the issue. • In democratic countries around the world, notably in the UK, Canada and Australia, the allocation of work and the selection • A three-judge Bench cannot nullify a decision of benches is a consultative process. by another three-judge Bench or declare it to be • It is not acceptable for the chief justice to have unbridled per incuriam; it can only ask for the matter to be power of choosing the judges for hearing without consultation. considered by a larger Bench if it disagrees with the precedent. So this was the allegation on Justice Mishra that he did not follow judicial principles Arguments against SC decision by Suhrith while giving the 2018 verdict. Parthasarathy What the Supreme Court said? 1. Impinging on commonly accepted rules of precedent: Justice Mishra’s predisposition was • No bench-hunting: Recusals should not be used as so strong that he doubted the correctness of Pune a means to allow a party to choose its own bench. It Municipal Corporation case, when sitting as part of would lead to forum shopping. a two-judge panel; and finallyheld the ruling invalid when sitting later as part of a three-judge panel. • Judicial independence: Pronouncing judgments was the duty of a judge. Previous judgment cannot 2. Violating doctrine of stare decisis: In none of constitute bias or raise a reasonable apprehension the earlier cases of recusal, however, had a judge of bias. disregarded the doctrine of stare decisis — the basic legal principle of determining the outcome of • Correcting past errors: Judges have been known to a dispute according to precedent — to unsettle an correct their past errors. established interpretation of the law.

3. Ignoring third person view:

Article 145(3) says at least five judges need to • Recusal demands that a judge appeals not to his own moral hear cases that involve “a substantial question of sense but to consider what a reasonable person might make of his decision to hear a case. law as to the interpretation” of the Constitution, or any reference under Article 143, which deals • In 1987, Chief Justice of India M.N. Venkatachalaiah had said with the power of the President of India to that “When there is ground for believing that such unconscious consult the Supreme Court. feelings may operate in the ultimate judgment or may not | unfairly lead others to believe they are operating, judges recuse themselves.”

4. Judges do not record their reasons in writing: If no Arguments in favor of SC decision justification of recusal is given. It becomes difficult to tell whether recusal was required or not.

1. National Judicial Appointments Commission 5. Controversial collegium: case: The SC said that a Judge may recuse at his own. But recusal at the asking of a litigating party, • The collegium is already controversial. It would create chaos if unless justified, must never be acceded to. For that for every case, a collegium starts deciding the benches. would give the impression of the Judge had been • SC has said that, it is this exclusive authority of this individual scared out of the case? judge CJI, who is the “spokesperson of the court”, to allocate

Polity & Governance | 24 cases to fellow judges as the ‘Master of Roster’. Q. Tribunals play a critical and specialised role in Justice delivery system of India. Suggest the reforms • The SC concurred that neither Article 145 (rules of court) nor the Supreme Court Rules say the ‘Chief Justice of India’ as the that are needed to turn tribunals into an effective Collegium. justice delivery system.

Supreme Court Guidelines on the Issue

• In Ranjit Thakur v. Union of India, Justice MN Real danger test is the test to be applied in cases Venkatachalaiah affirmatively held that ‘the proper of apparent bias on the part of a juror, arbitrator, approach for the Judge is not to look at his own magistrate or member of another inferior mind but to look at the mind of the party before tribunal, was whether there was a real danger him.’ of injustice having occurred as a result of the alleged bias. • In PK Ghosh v. JG Rajput, the Supreme Court said that: A basic postulate of the rule of law is that “justice should not only • be done but it must also be seen to be done.

• If there be a reasonable basis for a litigant to expect that his matter should not be heard by a particular Judge and there is no absence of an alternative, it is appropriate that the learned Judge should recuse himself so that people do not doubt the 5. Supreme Court Strikes Down process. Rules on Tribunal Postings • The Restatement of Values of Judicial Life adopted A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court struck by the Supreme Court categorically states, “A Judge down in entirety Rules framed by the government shall not hear and decide a matter in a company under the Finance Act of 2017 to alter the appointments in which he holds shares is concerned unless he to 19 key judicial tribunals, including the Central has disclosed his interest and no objection to his Administrative Tribunal. hearing and deciding the matter is raised. Questions before the Court Way forward Whether the ‘Finance Act, 2017’ insofar as it amends certain other enactments and alters conditions of • Formulating rules: Justice J. Chelameswar opined service of persons manning different tribunals can in Advocates-on-Record Association v. Union of be termed as a ‘money bill’ under article 110 and India (2015) that “Where a judge has a pecuniary consequently is validly enacted? interest, no further inquiry as to whether there was a ‘real danger’ or ‘reasonable suspicion’ of bias is The Finance Act,2017 required to be undertaken. “But in other cases, such an inquiry is required, and the relevant test is the (Controversies involved) ‘real danger’ test.” • Finance act 2017 was passed as a money bill and • Judges should express their decisions in writing: Raja Sabha cannot make any decisions on the bill. As CJI, Justice Khehar said that the Supreme Court was finalising guidelines that would make • It is a bulk bill of 40 amendments to different laws, it compulsory for judges who recuse in cases to such as variety of existing taxation laws, use of inform the registry in writing and also give reasons Aadhaar, income tax returns and raids, caps in cash for doing so. transaction.

• Addressing ‘master of roster’ issue: Urgent reforms • It laid the foundations for the merger of several in this regard are necessary. Selection of benches tribunals. should be a consultative process. • The Bill included amendments to legislation on Sources multiple subjects, in an attempt to rationalize the thehindu, indiatoday.in, doi.org, functioning of multiple tribunals. nationalheraldindia.com Court’s Observation –

Q. What are the constitutional provisions of the money The Bench led by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi held that bill which distinguish it from an ordinary bill ? Throw the Tribunal, Appellate Tribunal and other Authorities light upon the controversial role of speaker with respect (Qualifications, Experience and other Conditions of to money bill and suggest measures to address it. Service of Members) Rules, 2017 suffered from“various infirmities”. As the center’s control of functioning of tribunals would affect judicial independence.

25 I Articulate • On Speaker’s decision to certify a Bill as Money Bill - The SC held that the decision of the Speaker under clause (3) of Article 110 of the Constitution though final, is subject to judicial scrutiny on the principle of constitutional illegality.

• Explaining Dominant Purpose as per Article 110 (a) to (f) – If dominant provisions of Finance Act, 2017 is as per Article 110, then it would be deemed constitutional.

• The Court focused on the word “only” in Article 110 with reference to money bill. The Court observed that legislative intent was that the main and substantive provision of an enactment should only be any or all of the sub-clauses from (a) to (f) of Article 110. In the event the main or substantive provisions of the Act are not covered by sub- clauses (a) to (f), the bill cannot be said to be a “Money Bill”.

• The use of the word ‘only’ in Article 110(1) has its purpose, which is clear restriction for a bill to be certified as a “Money Bill”. Thus, cardinal purpose or dominant purpose of the legislation must be understood clearly.

Citing the judgment of K. Puttaswamy, which dealt with the constitutionality of Aadhaar Bill passed as a Money Bill, the Supreme Court in the present case, gave the The 7-judge bench constituted by the Supreme Court following verdict: will try to address the above mentioned issues against • The word “only” mentioned in Article110 was not Aadhar scheme and its legal status. The need of the discussed substantially. hour is to strike a fine balance between unhindered public service delivery that Aadhar programme ensures • Puttaswamy judgment also offered little guidance and protection of data of subscribers. on the repercussions of a finding when some of the provisions of an enactment passed as a “Money Sources: Bill” do not conform to Article 110(1)(a) to (g). thehindu.com • Considering the challenges made to the scope of judicial review on the issue, and the impact of Aadhaar Bill being passed as a Money Bill, it becomes essential to determine its correctness. • Thus, the constitutionality of Finance Act 2017 6. SC upholds disqualification of and Aadhaar Act passed as a Money Bill has been referred to a larger Bench of 7 Judges. 17 Karnataka MLAs by speaker

The Supreme Court recently upheld the disqualification of the 17 rebel Congress and JD(S) MLAs in Karnataka but allowed them to contest the upcoming bypolls in the state.

Background

• Anti-Defection provisions were used by the Karnataka speaker to disqualify legis lators from the assembly.

• The MLAs were also barred from contesting elections until the tenure of the current assembly gets over.

Polity & Governance | 26 • Hence the MLAs challenged the decision of the 5. New Map of India Supreme Court. The government has released the maps prepared Why were the MLAs Disqualified? by Survey General of India of newly created Union Territories (UTs) of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh • 17 MLAs belonging to the ruling coalition led by and the map of India depicting these UTs. Congress-JDS resigned and stated away from In a statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs said the the trust vote which led to the collapse of the UT of Ladakh consists of two districts of Kargil and government. Leh while the rest of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir is in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir. • Following which the speaker issued the orders to • In 1947, the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir a)Disqualify the MLAs. had the following 14 districts - Kathua, Jammu, b)Debar them from contesting the elections till the term of | current LA gets over. Udhampur, Reasi, Anantnag, Baramulla, Poonch, Mirpur, Muzaffarabad, Leh and Ladakh, Gilgit, Gilgit But why MLAS wanted to resign? Wazarat, Chilhas and Tribal Territory. • By 2019, the government of erstwhile state of • The anti-disqualification is not applicable in case Jammu and Kashmir had reorganised the areas of of resignations. By resigning they reduced the half these 14 districts into 28 districts. mark to form the government hence paving the way for BJP government in Karnataka. • The names of the new districts were - Kupwara, Bandipur, Ganderbal, Srinagar, Budgam, Pulwama, The Supreme Court’s Decision Shupian, Kulgam, Rajouri, Ramban, Doda, Kishtivar, Samba and Kargil. • It upheld the disqualification of 17 legislators by then Karnataka Assembly Speaker under the Tenth • Out of these, Kargil district was carved out from the Schedule (anti-defection law) area of Leh and Ladakh district.

• It nullified the order barring the disqualified legislators from contesting re polls.

• SC states that this provision was neither under the Constitution nor under the statutory scheme. • It stated that the resignation of legislators cannot save them from disqualification.

• “Disqualification relates back to the date when the act of defection takes place. Factum and taint of disqualification does not vaporize by tendering a resignation letter to the Speaker. A pending or impending disqualification action does not become infructuous by submission of the resignation letter, when act(s) of disqualification have arisen prior to the member’s resignation letter.” Source: opindia.com

• The court noted that it would defeat the On the recommendation of Parliament, the President purpose of the Tenth Schedule if it was held that effectively dismantled Article 370 of the Indian disqualification proceedings would become Constitution and gave assent to the Jammu and infructuous upon tendering resignation. Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019.

Sources news18.com, doi.org, thehindu.com

27 I Articulate Polity & Governance | 28 C I The Unacademy Gazette 1. Draft Medical Devices (Safety, Effectiveness and Innovation) Bill, 2019

The NITI Aayog has been pushing for a separate law • The draft also mandates companies to do post- or Act to regulate medical devices. The proposal for marketing surveillance and report adverse events the draft bill also recommends a separate regulatory related to devices. authority for medical devices and an overarching body headed by the health ministry.

Why a separate law is needed?

• At present, both medicines and medical devices are regulated by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), whereas food along with nutraceuticals are monitored by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

• It is important to restructure the regulators because while much of these are pharmaceutical products or products concerning the health of people, they are different in their making, design, technology, usage as well as marketing and distribution.

Salient features of the Draft Bill

Source: opindia.com • National Register of Medical Devices (NRMD) - As per the proposed provisions, all medical devices Other proposals will have to be registered in the NRMD before they enter the market. • As per draft, the administration will consist of a chairperson, four whole -time members, six • A unique identification number (UID)to be ex-officio members and an ex-officio member- displayed on the label of a product in a prescribed secretary. format. • The Aayog has proposed that the Medical Devices • Provisions for compensation for harm or injury Administration should have powers to conduct and a separate regulator or Medical Device audits, give approvals as well search and seizure. Administration to oversee the sector. • The administration may refuse approval to devices • Medical device makers and importers can face a that have resulted in adverse events, were recalled penalty of up to Rs 1 crore if products sold in India or declared unsafe in any other country, according are found to be unsafe or if they fail to protect to the draft bill. personal health information of patients, according to the draft bill proposed by NITI Aayog. Conclusion Undoubtedly a new regulatory agency with specialized • The draft bill also has stringent penalty provisions, expertise in medical devices would be a welcome move. including imprisonment for offences related to the The Central Drugs and Standard Control Organization sale of medical devices, clinical trials and fraud. lacks the requisite technical competence and has not been up to the mark in regulating the limited devices • For existing products, it suggests registration currently notified as drugs. within 12 months after the new law coming into force. Sources timesofindia.indiatimes.com • Medical device manufacturers and importers will have to comply with conformity assessment requirements specified by the regulator on the basis of standards framed by the Bureau of Indian Standards.

• Companies will also have to submit clinical data to seek approvals for their products.

Schemes/Bills/Acts | 30 31 I Articulate by Unacademy International Developments | 32 1. 11th BRICS Summit

The 11th BRICS Summit was convened in Brasília, Brazil. • ‘Fit India Movement.’: India called for The 2019 Brazilian Presidency focused on the theme, communication and exchange between BRICS ‘BRICS: Economic Growth for an Innovative Future’. nations to increase in areas of fitness and health.

About BRICS • Disaster resilient infrastructure: India requested BRICS nations and New Development Bank to join BRICS brings together five major emerging economies, coalition for disaster resilient infrastructure. comprising 43 percent of the world population, having 30 percent of the world GDP and 17 percent share in the • India-Brazil: world trade. • Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has accepted Prime Minister • The acronym BRIC was first usedin 2001 by Narendra Modi’s invitation to be the chief guest at India’s Goldman Sachs in their Global Economics Paper. Republic Day celebrations in 2020.

• Brazil granted visa-free travel to Indian citizens. • BRIC started after the meeting of the leaders of Russia, India and China in St. Petersburg on the • India-China: margins of G8 Outreach Summit in 2006. • The leaders reviewed preparations for celebrating the 70th • The grouping was formalised during the first anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations meeting of BRIC foreign ministers on the margins of between the two countries next year. UNGA in New York in 2006. The first BRIC Summit was held in Yekaterinburg, Russia, on June 16, 2009. • India-Russia • India and Russia decided to hold 1st Bilateral Regional Forum at the level of Russian Provinces and Indian States next year to | • It was agreed to expand BRIC into BRICS with dismantle the barriers of trade at regional level. the inclusion of South Africa at the BRIC foreign ministers’ meeting in New York in September 2010. • The USD 25 billion target of bilateral trade by 2025 has already been achieved. India has been invited for investment in the Arctic region. • The five BRICS countries are also members of G-20. • Both countries reviewed the progress made in the field of Infrastructure particularly railways in context of raising the What are the objective of BRICS? speed of the Nagpur-Secunderabad sector railway line.

• Broader commitment to cooperate for • Russia invited Indian PM to visit Russia in May for the Victory Day celebrations. strengthening multilateralism, the rule of law and equitable international order. Significance of BRICS for India • BRICS leader’s stress “the centrality of the rules- based, transparent, non-discriminatory, open and • As the developing countries face an aggressive club inclusive multilateral trading”, based on the World of developed countries, raising challenges on issues Trade Organisation. from WTO to climate change, New Delhi believes BRICS has to protect the rights of the developing • BRICS managed to push for institutional reform countries. which led to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) quota reform in 2010. • Escaping Middle Income Trap: While China, India, and Brazil still have very large rural populations, Major outcomes of BRICS Summit, 2019 they have made great strides in reducing poverty. Rapid progress in the emerging economies has contributed to growth in middle classes. • The grouping decided to open a regional office of the New Development Bank (NDB) in India. This • The BRICS cooperation has two pillars — hopefully will give impetus to financing of projects consultations on issues of mutual interest in India’s priority areas. through meetings of leaders and ministers, and cooperation through meetings of senior officials in • Brasilia Declaration: areas including trade, finance, health, education, • BRICS reaffirmed commitment to helping overcome the significant challenges currently facing multilateralism, as well technology, agriculture, and IT. as upholding the central role of the U.N. in international affairs and respecting international law. • Platform for proactive engagement with China & Russia: A BRICS helps in resolving some • BRICS criticised protectionism, blaming it for the global slowdown. outstanding issues between China, Russia and India like the Doklam crisis. India @ BRICS summit: • India’s foothold in Latin America: In view of India’s growing demand for energy, Latin America’s

33 I Articulate richness in extractive resources offers a big • BRICS has political benefits. It helps to soften avenue. The India -Brazil association in emerging worst-case scenarios stemming from bilateral bad multilateral groupings such as the BRICS and IBSA blood. For example, the military face-off between can be leveraged in this regard. India and China over the Doklam plateau was resolved partly owing to the BRICS summit in • Multilateralism, India has articulated a vision Xiamen. for strengthening and reforming the multilateral system itself. • All BRICS countries oppose Western economic sanctions, restrictions on international trade and • Anti-terrorism efforts: India has taken the lead migration of skilled personnel that would deprive in galvanising BRICS has also worked within the them of export markets and revenues. grouping to take a strong stand against terrorism and bring about focused consultations on specific • A revised globalisation chaperoned by BRICS, aspects relating to terrorism. which includes democracies like India, South Africa and Brazil, is relatively credible. • Non-alignment: Many in India see the BRICS forum as a continuation of the past attachment to • Africa, BRICS Plus: The BRICS outreach to Africa non-alignment and third worldism. began at the last summit hosted by South Africa, in 2013; it has picked up momentum now. • Will BRI undermine the BRICS grouping? Two of China’s main BRICS partners—Russia and India— • Sino-Indian cooperation in Africa: Both India and China are harbor reservations about BRI, while for the other engaged in oil exploration in Sudan and Syria. two members (Brazil and South Africa), it is not of such geo-political significance. India can use BRICS Concerns platform for critical review of BRI. The critical question is whether BRICS’s exertions will have appreciable impact on G-7, the grouping of Significance of BRICS in the world the developed countries, which is in disarray, and particularly on the U.S. administration. • Building a multipolar world has been one of the central themes of India’s foreign policy. BRICS has been the main forum for the pursuit of that Economic crisis in BRICS objective. • Two of the largest economies in the • As it represents a significant part of world grouping, China and India, are grappling with population and GDP, BRICS will continue to be an the issue of falling exports. influential voice as long as its convergences prevail over its divergences. • In the middle of a raging trade war with the US, China has seen a rapid drop in exports. • South South Cooperation: BRICS is a club of Global South leaders and has potential to expand to other • India is struggling similarly to propel Asian, African and Latin American countries. merchandise exports.

• The New Development Bank (NDB) of BRICS: • Moscow, too, witnessed a fall of 4.8 per cent Compared to Western-dominated funding in exports in the first nine months of the mechanisms like the World Bank, which on average calendar year . take two years to approve loans, NDB is doing so in just six months and that too by disbursing in local • With stalling growth, Brazil is contemplating currencies. The idea of development bank (NDB) the release of a comprehensive economic and Contingency Reserve Arrangement (CRA) has package to revive the private sector. strengthen BRICS as a grouping. • The IMF has slashed down South Africa’s 2019 economic growth forecast by During the sixth BRICS summit in Fortaleza 0.5 percentage points, from 1.2 per cent in 2014, a decision was taken to establish the forecast in April to 0.7 per cent New Development Bank (NDB) which aims to mobilise resources for development project in BRICS, emerging economies, and developing Q. What is the significance of BRICS for India ? As an countries. emerging power, what role can India play to address the emerging crisis in BRICS.

• Global governance: BRICS has been pushing for • India has to maintain the balancing act between deep reforms in global governance. Russia-China on the one side and the US on the other.

International Developments | 34 • Kindleberger Trap, a situation where China may • Russia has moved closer to China and away from fail to provide global public goods like a clean India; this could affect the group’s stand on issues environment and financial stability, despite being like Afghanistan, on which BRICS members had a superpower. It is generally the responsibility of previously been on the same page. great powers to provide global governance. The idea of the Kindle Berger Trap is also applicable to rising powers like India, which have global ambitions. Russia’s estrangement from the U.S. and Europe post-2014 and the Ukraine crisis in particular • BRICS is still far from achieving its initial have increased its dependence on its east and goals : reform of global financial governance, south, mainly in the direction of the $300 billion democratisation of the United Nations, and Russia -China oil pipeline that China is funding. expansion of the Security Council — partially Russia’s shift on dealing with the Taliban is a because two of its members (China and Russia) do strong signal of which way it is heading. not want the other three members (India, South Africa and Brazil) to obtain parity in the global pecking order. • Relevance of BRICS could diminish: If BRICS • Weak institutions and poor governance – each do not discuss economic cooperation between of the BRICS countries faces a unique set of themselves, which can include a potential BRICS challenges. trade and investment agreement, the relevance of BRICS will gradually diminish. The BRICS will not • China’s dominance: China’s massive economic be able to discuss trade that much after India’s weight in the forum has meant the internal balance decision to say no to RCEP. in the BRICS has changed in favour of Beijing. • Climate governance: BRICS members have a lot • Unclear nature of the group: BRICS is a non- of potential to contribute, but so far, that has not regional grouping that began as a bloc of emerging happened. Russia has been ambivalent towards economies joining hands for economic purposes climate change and has recently joined the Paris but is unable to commit to many common goals like Agreement. terrorism. • Poor performance of NDB: It has not been able to • Anti-US stature: Moscow saw the BRICS as a way lend for any mega project. Lack of transparency and of creating political leverage against the United good governance, coupled with the up-and-down States and the West, Beijing saw it as an instrument relations among member States as being among the to expand China’s own global economic influence. other problems with the bank. Delhi is now struggling to come to terms with China-led globalisation. Way forward

• India’s play with the BRICS while deepening the • The members of the BRICS grouping should speak : But India’s strategic partnership with QUAD with a stronger voice and not be divided among “multi-alignment” has become harder as there are themselves on the critical issue of achieving the renewed tensions between global powers. long-pending UN Security Council reform

• The new strategic warmth between Moscow and • India should stand up to China where necessary Beijing, and the willingness of both Russia and and cooperating with it where possible. China to cut deals with the US (on their own terms), makes the BRICS less about ideological posturing, • India should salvage the essence of the long- more about repositioning India in changing great standing partnership with Russia but also power equations. recognise that Moscow has its own imperatives.

• Brazilian President Bolsonaro, a hard core • Promote more business with Brazil: Brazil-India nationalist is not likely to be as involved with BRICS trade stands at just US$ 7 billion as compared to as his predecessors were. US$ 100 billion with China.

• Politically, these countries are not all on the same • India while deepening the strategic ties with : While India and Russia share historically page Washington should also acknowledge BRICS’s close ties, India-China relations experience swing sharp internal divisions and the enduring like a pendulum. Brazil is closer to the USA. compulsions to find compromises with a rising China. • China’s plan for a “BRICS-Plus” or “Friends of BRICS” grouping: Chinese are planning to include • The current crop of BRICS leaders too are seen as Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Mexico to an expanded strong personalities. India views this as a potential version of BRICS. The suggestion of including for cooperation, as the leaders have more in Pakistan is something India has not liked. common than their predecessors.

35 I Articulate • India and other BRICS nations should speed up Evolution of Indo-Germany ties on the path to economic recovery. BRICS nations need to focus on trade and investment as the Intra- • India was one of the first countries to recognise the BRICS trade is only 15% of the world trade. Federal Republic of Germany and waived its right to claim reparations since Indian soldiers had fought • Africa needs big loans from the New Development in the war against Germany. Bank (NDB) for their infrastructure projects, they should be expedited. • The Cold War and India’s opting for non-alignment put Germany and India in different blocs, as the G-20 has a set parameter and doesn’t encompass Federal Republic of Germany was integrated into the aggregate of the hopes and aspirations of the the Western camp with East Germany in the Soviet developing world. India should, therefore, use the BRICS bloc. forum to project its global profile. • The closeness in relation with Germany started in Sources 2000 when special green cards were introduced orfonline.org, doi.ord, thehindu.com, indianexpress.com, for Indians to encourage Indian students to go to thehindubusinessline.com Germany.

• Successful Indo-German Solar Partnership was founded in 2015 and the cooperation on Green Energy Corridors was established in 2013. 2. India-Germany Relations Other Facets of the Relationship German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited India from Economic & Commercial Relations: 31st October - 1st November 2019 for the fifth round of the biennial Intergovernmental Consultations (IGC). • Germany is India’s largest trading partner in Europe.

The IGC is a unique broad-format dialogue • Germany is the 7th largest foreign direct investor chaired by both leaders with members of in India since April 2000. Cabinet from the two sides holding initial discussions in their respective areas of • Setting up of a “fast track mechanism” for responsibility. approving and assisting German investments in India. Japan is the only other country which enjoys this special facility.

Key Takeaways • ‘Make in India Mittelstand’ (MIIM) Programme - To facilitate the entry of German Mittelstand (Medium Sized Companies) in India, the Embassy • Artificial Intelligence: AI collaborations are of India, Berlin runs the Make in India Mittelstand happening in Agriculture such as precision farming (MIIM) Programme since September 2015. with the aim to increase efficiency and to save resources as well as reduction of food losses and • Loans: Germany’s Official Development waste. Assistance (ODA) towards India, are in sync with India’s priority sectors and SDG 2030 including • Counter terrorism - Agreement on information solar energy, smart cities, and environment. exchange was signed between the two countries, including the sharing of best practices and • Energy cooperation - Germany’s strategic Green technology will be “an effective tool for combating Energy Corridors project will build transmission terrorism, illicit drug trafficking through exchange of lines transferring clean energy to different parts of information.” the country

• Indo- German Partnership on Green Urban Defence Cooperation Mobility - Germany pledged to invest €1 billion over the next five years on environmentally-friendly • India and Germany have a ‘Strategic Partnership’ urban mobility in India. since 2001, which has been further strengthened with the Intergovernmental Consultations (IGC) • Cultural cooperation - Other agreements signed at the level of Head of Governments which allows between the two countries include cooperation for a comprehensive review of cooperation and between the National Museum, and the Stiftung identification of fresh areas of engagement. Humboldt Forum in Berliner Schloss and between All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Deutscher • India-Germany Defence Cooperation Agreement Fußball-Bund e.V (DFB). (2006) provides a framework for bilateral defence

International Developments | 36 cooperation. • Germany’s role in reviving the India-EU free trade talks : • India has invited Germany to take advantage of opportunities in defence production in the defence • India has made a special appeal to Merkel to take the lead in corridors in UP and Tamil Nadu. this context.

• India had called off talks when the EU banned 700 Indian Environmental cooperation pharma companies from exporting to EU because one company was found wanting on quality standards.

• Clean Ganga initiative: Germany has announced to provide a soft loan of euro 120 million to India Q. In the phase of Brexit uncertainty, how deepening to help clean the holy river Ganga. Germany has ties with Germany can help India in making inroads successfully done it for its “Father Rhine River”. into Europe ?

• Green mobility: Germany pledged up to Rs • Global politics: 8,900 crore over five years to improve solid and liquid waste management and provide climate- • Germany is unhappy with the US as NATO is not being friendly urban transport like the Metro in Nagpur, supported strongly by USA and also that President Trump is reluctant in supporting the Paris climate change. which is the single biggest project of German financial cooperation in India. • Today the perception is, the US President is turning back on Europe and India is reaching out to Europe. Sister States: Karnataka and Bavaria have Sister States arrangement since 2007. Mumbai and Stuttgart are • International cooperation: sister cities since 1968. In January 2015, Maharashtra • UNSC reforms: India and Germany are members of G-4 along and BadenWurttemberg signed an MoU to establish a with Brazil and Japan. The G4 nations support each other’s Sister State relationship. bids for permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council. Diaspora in Germany: About 1.5 lakh strong Indian • G-20: Germany and India are both members of the G20 and diaspora mainly comprises of professionals, work closely with each other in many international technocrats, businessmen/traders, students and organisations. nurses. • FATF: Both countries are also members of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Significance of Indo-German relations • Belt and Road initiative: Though Germany has shown intent for joining China’s BRI, it has criticised its opaqueness. India • Tackling slowdown: As both countries are together and Germany can collaborate on an anti-BRI stand. reeling under slowdown, both can find ways to further collaborate and converge to find sustainable • Crimea issue: India has good relations with Russia and thus can act as a mediator or can provide alternate solutions to and effective solutions. Germany in global strategic games.

• India stands to gain from Germany as Germany is • WTO reforms: The newborn joint statement called for an economic powerhouse just as Germany stands improving the full functioning of the WTO dispute settlement system body and to reform the WTO without subverting its to gain because she is a promising market that is fundamental principles such as growing and developing. a) Special and Differential Treatment, b) Consensus based decision making and • High end manufacturing: Germany is famous for c) Development objectives. internationally acclaimed high-end brands like Daimler, Siemens etc. India is an obvious choice Concerns for German companies due to the availability of • The issue of the Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) potential markets and talent pools. • The “Mittelstand” companies, object to India’s stand on • Renewable sector: bilateral investment treaties.

• India and Germany have signed an agreement on technical • India has been a leader fighting for the developing countries in cooperation under the Indo-German Energy Programme – multilateral trade negotiations. Green Energy Corridors (IGEN-GEC). • India has taken a stand on bilateral investment treaties wherein • Germany also provides a loan of 7 million euro for training it is insisting that an investor has to first exhaust all domestic activities in the photovoltaic solar rooftop sector. legal options before it can take a case towards international arbitration. • Post Brexit scenario: The kind of Europe that • Germany and China collaboration emerges post Brexit is critical for India. Thus, we need to have a very good economic relationship • China’s trade volumes with Germany eclipse India’s trade with with Germany as well as France in the post Brexit Germany by several multiples. era. • China has invested a large proportion of its burgeoning foreign exchange reserves in the Euro.

37 I Articulate • With respect to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) the of collaboration, including under the already well- Germany demands that the European Union (EU) should sign a established Joint Working Group on Automotive. Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China, rather than Germany joining individually. India officially opposes BRI. • Leveraging soft power: India stands out as a leading • India EU Free Trade Agreement liberal democratic state. It can entice Europe with the values which it espouses. • A free trade pact with India has been a long-pending demand from Germany, which is India’s largest trading partner in • Asia pivot: Contrary to France and the UK, Europe. Germany is demanding a new attempt for an EU-Indian FTA. Germany has no strategic footprint in Asia. India can provide the doorway to Germany for a • Began in June 2007, the negotiations for the proposed pact significant strategic role in Asia. have witnessed many difficulties with both sides having major differences on key issues like intellectual property rights, duty cut in automobile and spirits, and liberal visa regime. • Multipolar world: India and Germany collaboration is significant for a multipolar rules-based order, a • Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) free and open Indo-Pacific region, and support for global solutions for global challenges – like climate • Germany has refused to sign the Mutual Legal Assistance change. Treaty (MLAT) with India, citing the fact that India is yet to abolish the death penalty for heinous offences and terrorism. Conclusion • The aim of the MLAT is to secure bilateral cooperation against various forms of crime such as terrorism, drug trafficking, money laundering and counterfeiting of Indian currency notes. The Indo- German partnership is not a zero sum game and is based on shared values and interests. However Russia-Ukraine crisis India needs to be aware of the changes in Germany’s external engagement profile and focus on enhancing • The German government has called on both Ukraine its own engagement with Germany by exploring every and Russia to de-escalate following a military crisis avenue to add greater depth to bilateral relations. near the Crimean Peninsula. Sources • But India was the first major country to recognize idsa.in, timesofindia.indiatimes.com, the annexation of Crimea. auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com

Way Forward

• Manufacturing reforms: Taking measures to upgrade the technological capacity of its 3. Kalapani manufacturing sector and quality of its scientific establishment. The new political map of India, recently released by the government to account for the bifurcation of Jammu • Embracing International Standards and and Kashmir, has triggered fresh protests over an old Certifications: This can strengthen the issue in Kathmandu. competitiveness of the Indian industry and support the integration of India in global and regional value “KALAPANI” Area chains.

• German investment: Germany can invest in smart • Kalapani is a territory disputed between India and cities; modernization of railway networks and Nepal, but under Indian administration as part of stations to setting up of high speed rail corridors; Pithoragarh district in the Uttarakhand state. generation of renewable energy to construction of transmission and distribution networks. • It is marked by the Kalapani River, one of the headwaters of the Kali River in the Himalayas at an • Digital India: Indian digital companies along with altitude of 3600 meters. German companies should jointly work towards further enhancing the scope of market opportunity • The valley of the Kalapani forms the Indian route to and bilateral investments in each other’s countries Kailash–Manasarovar, an ancient pilgrimage site. and there by creating greater bonds between their Kalapani lies at a tri-junction of India, China and thriving tech ecosystems. Nepal.

• India-EU free trade agreement: India and Germany • The trijunction of India–China–Nepal borders was should go for the expeditious conclusion to the on the dividing line of the Kali River watershed and agreement. India should also safeguard its interest Tinkar River watershed. while negotiating bilateral investment treaties.

• E-Mobility: It is being envisaged an important area

International Developments | 38 East India Company in 1816 defines the Kali River as Nepal’s western boundary with India. However, what is meant by “Kali River” in the upper reaches is unclear because many mountain streams come to join and form the river.

• From 1879 onwards, the survey maps show the stream that flows down from the Lipulekh Pass (called the Lipu Gad or Kalapani River) as the Kali River. This stream has served as the border between India and Nepal until India’s independence.

Source: India Today Bilateral talks to resolve the dispute

• In 2000, the Prime Ministers of the two countries The Dispute discussed the issue. India assured Nepal that India would not occupy even an inch of Nepal. Claims of Nepal • Aerial survey conducted: it was after Former PM • Nepal laid claim to all the areas east of the Lipu Vajpayee’s assurance. Gad/Kalapani River. The Nepalese contention was that the Lipu Gad was in fact the “Kali River” up • Five years ago, the matter was referred to a new to its source. Nepal wanted the western border mechanism comprising foreign secretaries of both shifted 5.5 km westwards so as to include the sides. Lipulekh Pass. • Recently, India has reiterated its commitment to • Nepali authorities claim that people living in the find a solution through dialogue in the spirit of close low-density area were included in the Census of and friendly bilateral relations. Nepal until 58 years ago.

• Earlier Five years ago, Foreign Minister of Nepal Another major area of dispute between India claimed that the late King Mahendra had “handed and Nepal over the territory to India”. Susta: In eastern Susta, the Narayani river forms • Recently, a committee formed by the Nepal the Indian-Nepali border. But several large floods government to study this claim submitted a report have reshaped the river, causing a 14,500 hectare to the Prime Minister Oli during his first tenure. It Indian encroachment into Nepal. Here, again, claimed that India had “occupied” an additional 62 Nepalese are sensitive to the perceived threat sq km land. to their sovereignty. According to reports, land disputes among locals are usually won by Indian Claims of India nationals who have the support of the armed Indian Border Police Force. • Indian officials’ says that the administrative records dating back to 1830s show that the Kalapani area Susta is an area under territorial dispute had been administered as part of the Pithoragarh currently in Tribenisusta, Lumbini Zone, Nepal district (then Almora district). and near Nichlaul, Uttar Pradesh, India. The area under dispute totals over 14,500 hectares (140 • India also denied the Nepalese contention that Lipu km2) and is controlled by Nepal. Gad was the Kali River. In the Indian view, the Kali River begins only after Lipu Gad is joined by other streams arising from the Kalapani springs. Sources • Therefore, the Indian border leaves the midstream indianexpress.com, thediplomat.com, change.org of river near Kalapani and follows the high watershed of the streams that join it.

The 38 km² of area between the Lipu Gad/Kalapani River and the watershed of the river is the disputed Kalapani territory. 4. India Signs Kartarpur Sahib Corridor Agreement Cause of the dispute: With Pakistan • The Treaty of Sugauli signed by Nepal and British

39 I Articulate Union Cabinet passed a resolution on 22 November River and established the first Sikh commune there 2018 to celebrate the historic occasion of 550th Birth Anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Devji in a grand and The importance of Kartarpur in the Sikh befitting manner, throughout the country and across the globe. religion

A formal framework has been laid down for the • It was at Kartarpur where Guru Nanak gave the operationalization of the agreement and the highlights three Gs — Gurdwara, Granth, and Guru himself — of the agreement are: that underpin the Sikh faith.

• Indian pilgrims of all faiths and people of Indian • Guru Nanak dev origin can use the corridor. • He laid the foundation of new faith on the banks of the River Ravi. • The travel will be Visa-Free. • Talwandi to Kartarpur: He had spent the formative years of his • Pilgrims need to carry a valid passport only. life at Talwandi. Guru Nanak came to the town between 1520 and 1522 after he had travelled widely across continents.

• Persons of Indian Origin need to carry passport of • He finally came to Kartarpur rich with experiences gained from their country along with the OCI card. The Corridor his interactions with rulers, common people, clergymen, and is open from dawn to dusk. Pilgrims travelling in the thinkers. morning will have to return on the same day. • He was offered this piece of land by a ‘karori’ (administrator of a pargana), that’s why he named it as Kartarpur. • The Corridor will be operational throughout the year, except on notified days, to be informed in • Goal of life according to Guru Nanak advance. • The supreme purpose of human life is to gain enlightenment or a state of union with God. It was at Kartarpur that he taught his • Pilgrims will have a choice to visit as individuals or followers the way to liberation. in groups, and also to travel on foot. • Service before self: According to Guru NanaK a person who India will send the list of pilgrims to Pakistan 10 days works hard and shares the fruits of his labour can recognise the true path and the path of Liberation is “naam japo, kirat karo, ahead of travel date. Confirmation will be sent to wand chhako (worship, work, and share)”. pilgrims 4 days before the travel date. Guru Nanak and his followers cultivated the land at Concerns Kartarpur, and also reared cattle. Guru Nanak used to bring his cattle to graze at the well of Ranjita Randhawa, a landlord at Pakhoke Randhawa, now called Dera Baba • Pakistan to levy US Dollars 20 as service charge Nanak from where the Kartarpur Corridor starts, a few : India urging Pakistan on not to levy any service kilometres from Kartarpur. fee as it is not in consonance with the religious and spiritual sentiments of Indian pilgrims. • ‘Dharamsal’ (a place where dharma or merit is earned) at Kartarpur, where he and his followers • India also continues to pursue for all weather would sing his compositions in the morning and connectivity and expects that Pakistan will build evening. bridge on their side at the earliest. It is against the basic teachings of Nanak to differentiate • The Indian government has shown its concerns his followers on the basis of religion. If Pakistan had to that the corridor might be used by Pakistan to waive off certain conditions, it should be done for all undermine India’s security, in the interest of the and not just the Sikhs. Guru’s ghar (gurdwara) is open Sikhs’ desire for access to the site. for everyone all the time and none can be differentiated on the basis of religion. In fact, Nanak believed in • India also has concerns about the Kartarpur humanity not religions. gurdwara being used for Pakistani supported pro- propaganda. Khalistan separatist movement Sources pib.gov.in, pitnews.com, indianexpress.com About Kartarpur Corridor

• The Kartarpur Corridor is a border corridor between India and Pakistan, connecting the Sikh shrines of Dera Baba Nanak Sahib (located in Punjab, India) and Gurdwara Darbar Sahib 5. Nairobi Summit on ICPD Kartarpur (in Punjab, Pakistan). To garner the political will and financial commitments • The first guru of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, founded that is urgently desired to implement the goals of the Kartarpur in 1504 CE on the right bank of the Ravi 1994 International Conference on Population and

International Developments | 40 Development (ICPD) adopted by 179 countries in Cairo, reproductive health, including creation of national The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) hosted a summit in strategies and protocols, and birth control by Nairobi, Kenya. providing supplies and services.

India at Nairobi Summit ICPD

• India had committed to a similar approach to • ICPD stands for the International Conference on population control at the ICPD in Cairo. Population and Development, a 1994 meeting in Cairo where 179 governments adopted a • India is among 179 countries that called for the revolutionary Programme of Action and called for empowerment of women and girls in all spheres. women’s reproductive health and rights to take centre stage in national and global development • India has reiterated to guarantee voluntary and efforts. informed choices of contraception. It will save lives, lift millions of women and girls, • It would increase its basket of contraceptives and their families and communities from exclusion and improve the quality of family planning services. marginalization, and enable nations to harness the demographic dividend to grow their economies.

Sources Significance of India’s commitment downtoearth.org.in, unfpa.org, nairobisummiticpd.org

• There is no evidence that such punitive action works.

• The penal provisions violates the democratic and reproductive rights of 6. Bolivian crisis individuals. Bolivian President resigned recently and the forced • A narrative for population control resignation of Bolivian President Evo Morales has through punitive action has been building thrown the poorest country in South America into its up in India. Prime Minister also raised biggest political crisis in 13 years. the ‘population explosion’ issue in his Independence Day speech. Background

• Two thirds of Bolivia’s population come from various indigenous communities who have lived in Key highlights of the summit: poverty and suffered humiliation from those who claim descent from the Spaniards. • Members declared the next ten years a decade of action and results for women and girls. • Mr Morale had formed MAS (Movement for Socialism) and protested against privatization. • Members adopted a landmark Programme of • Mr. Morales was the first indigenous President of Action which set out to empower women and girls Bolivia. He came into power in 2006. It enabled his for their sake, and for the benefit of their families, Movement for Socialism (MAS) to push for dignity communities and nations. for the indigenous communities.

• Partners made bold commitments to transform the • He won election to the Presidency when Pink tide world by ending all maternal deaths, unmet need (“turn to the left”)had been established from for family planning and gender-based violence and Venezuela to Argentina. harmful practices against women and girls by 2030. • In the new Constitution of 2009, the flag of the UNFPA: indigenous communities, the Wiphala, became equivalent to the old flag of Bolivia. • The organization was created in 1969. UNFPA is • Mr. Morales socialist agenda: the United Nations sexual and reproductive health

agency. • Bolivia has cut poverty drastically • Bolivia increased its life expectancy rate, become 100% • It is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where literate. every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe • Developed a universal healthcare system, and ensured that over a million women received land tenure. and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. • Nationalized natural resources and strategic companies. • Mr. Morales’s socialist agenda improved the everyday lives of • UNFPA work involves the improvement of the people, even as commodity prices declined.

41 I Articulate In 2016, his push to end presidential term limits through Value, Low impact was coming under threat. a referendum failed. But later, a constitutional court lifted the term limits. • In contrast to other international tourists, who pay $250 (Approx. INR. 18,000) as a minimum charge Genesis of the crisis: per day per person, tourists from India, Bangladesh and the Maldives had so far paid no fees, and were able to cross over without visas, thereby impacting • Stage1: Mr. Morales had sought a fourth term for revenue generation. which he got judicial sanctions. He beat Mr. Mesa by over 10% votes. But Mr. Mesa refused to accept • Charges are needed stop regional tourists from the results. using low-rent accommodation offered online, as this has led to a mushrooming of unregulated guest • Stage2: The Organization of American States (OAS), houses and homestays. which is influenced by the US, found irregularities in the counting of votes. But offered no evidence for this claim. Way Ahead

• Stage 3: Mr. Mesa had called for “Permanent Experts say the measures could deter Indian tourists protest”. The right wing called upon its supporters from visiting Bhutan, and may invite criticism from to flood the streets, the police forces decided to those wishing to visit from bordering states like West mutiny and armed men have begun to arrest cadre Bengal and Assam. Therefore, need is to negotiate from MAS and Indigenous organizations. relaxed norms for Indian Tourists if full exemption is not agreed by Bhutan. Mr. Morales stepped down following weeks of widespread protests fed by allegations of fraud in the October 20 presidential election that he claimed to have won and he has been granted asylum in Mexico. All officials, all Socialists, have resigned. And it has left a vacuum, which the military could exploit.

Earlier Plans to destabilize the government:

• To prevent Nationalization of key sectors: US pressurized Bolivia saying that it would delay all loans and discussions on debt relief until Mr. Morales displayed “good behavior”. Mr. Morales was called “illegal coca agitator”.

• The armed forces, influenced by the U.S, were always on standby for a scenario when they could eject Mr. Morales.

Sources thehindu.com, doi.org

7. Bhutan to levy charges on Indian tourists

In a major shift in policy, Bhutan plans to levy charges on tourists from regional countries , including India, Bangladesh, and Maldives; who presently are exempted from any charges. The new draft tourism policy, is likely to be finalized by the Bhutanese Cabinet next month.

Reasons behind Levying of Charges

• Over the last few years the number of tourists has been increasing at a really rapid rate, growing about 10 times in the past decade, and the policy of High

International Developments | 42 43 I Articulate Economy | 44 1. Real Estate Sector

In order to increase the productivity of the real-estate during the uncertain times before general elections sector, the Union Cabinet has approved setting up a in 2014. special fund for 1600 stalled projects. • A report also shows that the number of property • Government has approved Rs 25,000 cr alternate developers reporting bankruptcy has doubled fund for 1600 stalled projects. during the past nine months, which has added to the woes of NBFCs. • The move intended to incentivize the real estate sector in India that are under stress. • As of 30 June, 421 developers are under the corporate insolvency resolution process, up from • The total fund size is estimated at over Rs 25,000 209 as of September-end of last year. crore with the Centre putting in Rs 10,000 crore. • According to a report, around $10 billion of • State Bank of India and LIC injecting the balance development loans are coming up for repayment in amount into the fund in due course. the first half of 2020. This may impact mainstream banks that have lent money to shadow lenders or invested in their bonds. Criteria for Funding: • Private sector lenders have the largest direct • Registered under RERA: Those projects are eligible exposure to the commercial real estate sector and for funding whose net worth positive and registered would be susceptible to “asset-quality difficulties” under RERA. if the sector continues to struggle.

• Classified as NPA: Stuck projects that are classified as Non-Performing Assets (NPA) are also eligible under the new approved fund.

• Projects under NCLT Process: The projects that are undergoing resolution under the National Company Law Tribunal.

Mechanism:

• The funds will be set up as Category-II Alternate Investment (AIFs) Fund registered with SEBI. Source: livemint.com

• The Fund will manage by professional fund Reason for the Real-estate Sluggishness managers. The real estate in India is currently in the midst of fairy • For the first AIF under the special window fund, challenging times. In the past three years, the sector has SBICAP Ventures Limited has been proposed as the witnessed a few noticeable macro shifts. investment manager. • Ban on high-value currency notes: The crunch of Viability of the Sector: What data reflected? high currency notes from the market resulted in The recently released World Bank’s ease of doing piling inventory, stagnant-to-falling property prices business ranking report mentioned that India still and dwindling funding for developers. lags in areas such as enforcing contracts (163rd) and registering property (154th). • Introduction of GST: Another reason for which the real estate industry has failed to recover from the • It takes 58 days and costs on average 7.8% of a shocks of the introduction of goods and services property’s value to register it, longer and at greater tax that was introduced in July 2016. cost than among OECD high-income economies • Real Estate Regulatory Authority: RERA that was • And it takes 1,445 days for a company to resolve a passed by the center in 2016 and most states in commercial dispute through a local first-instance 2017 put a lot of onus on builders which further court, almost three times the average time in OECD halted new offerings in the residential space. high-income economies. • Demand-Supply Gap: The demand-supply gap • Another study reported that the outlook for the has been an issue with most of the key real estate country’s real estate sector in the September markets. However, the big funding challenge came quarter has fallen to the level that was recorded in India in 2018 after the IL&FS crisis.

45 I Articulate Issues and Challenges in Real Estate Sector development of any industry. Due to the poor image There are positive and negative things taking place in of the Real Estate sector, banks are becoming the real estate sector. The issues faced by India’s real reluctant to provide loans and making regulations estate sector are summarized broadly in the below tougher to avoid bad loans. section: • High Input Cost: The real estate is capital and labor- • Issues Faced by Customers: The purchase of any intensive industry; thus rise in the cost of labor and residential real estate involves three parties- the construction material due to inflation poses many buyer, the seller, and the lender. Because of the problems to the real estate industry. inherent tendency of the three parties to pull things in different directions, things get pretty complex. Government’s Policy Initiatives: Looking at the viability of the Real Estate Sector in • Projects Delay: Delay in projects due to various India, the government has taken steps to enhance the reasons like court intervention in land issues, activity of the real estate by implementing several finance, approval etc have aggravated the slowdown major policy initiatives such: of the sector. The consumer had to suffer because the customer is paying rent where resides and • Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, paying EMI for a home loan at the same time due to 2016: RERA has laid down a regulatory framework the delay of projects. that aims to enhance transparency, bring greater accountability in the realty sector. It is being • Fraudulent Activity of the Developer: Fraudulent termed as a game-changer in the real estate sector activity by the dis-honest developers has also to provide affordable housing. dismantled the productivity of the sector. • Amendment to the Benami Transactions Act: It • Misleading Advertisement: Fraudulent lays down stringent rules and penalties associated advertisement to sell a product is quite popular with dealings related to ‘benami’ transactions. and frequent in real estate. The main reason for It establishes a regulatory mechanism to deal flourishing fraudulent methods is the absence of with disputes arising from such transactions and any regulator and standard guidelines. levying penalties to increase institution-investor participation. • Unethical Interest Issues: Most of the builders pay only 2 to 3% interest in case of default from their • Change in Arbitration Norms for Construction side but when customers default (like refuses to Companies: To help the ailing construction sector, buy) then they have to pay around 16 to 18% which the government has cleared reforms including is unfair. speedier resolution of disputes and the release of 75% of amounts that are stuck in arbitration. Q. India’s growth story cannot be imagined without • Budgetary Provisions: In order to boost the Real State Sector. Discuss the issues surrounding the demand side of housing, the 2019 budget has real state sector in India. What steps can be taken to mentioned for the additional Rs 1.5 lakh tax turn this sector into engine for growth ? deduction on interest paid on housing loans sanctioned to first-time homebuyers, property Challenges Faced by Real-Estate Industry developers and consultants. A number of issues continue to plague India’s real estate market • PMAY & Housing for All by 2022: The scheme ‘ housing for all by 2020’ is another area of key • Procedural Difficulties: There are almost 50 development in the area of real estate sector that approvals or more need to be taken for starting have boosted the demand side. In this regard, a real estate project and further these approvals Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana has further propel the are required from different govt departments or productivity of the sector. authorities. • Service tax exemption on construction of • Lack of clear land titles: The land titles are not clear affordable housing: Exemption of service tax on because of poor record-keeping and division of land construction of affordable houses of up to 60 in many parts till independence. The slow pace of square metre under any scheme of the Central modernization of land records is further aggravating or state government including public-private the problem. participation or PPP schemes.

• Speculation in Land and Real Estate Prices: The • DDT exemption for SPVs to REITs: The Union prices of land and real estate in India has increased Budget 2016-17 exempted any distribution made exponentially in the last decade and causes out of the income of the Special Purpose Vehicles overpricing of commercial or residential property. (SPVs) to the Real Estate Investment Trusts (REIT) and Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvIT) from • Sources of Finance: Finance is the key to the the levy of Dividend Distribution Tax. This paved the

Economy | 46 way for the REIT model to become financially viable • Asia: Sri Lanka is at 66th position and Pakistan at for retail investors. 75th among south Asian countries. Venezuela is the least transparent market with 100th rank. • Permanent Residency Status for foreign investors: The Union Cabinet approved the grant • BRICS: Among the BRICS nations, both China of Permanent Residency Status (PRS) to foreign and South Africa remained on the same rank 33rd investors, subject to various conditions and with a and 21st respectively, while Brazil slipped to 37th provision for renewal for another 10 years. position and Russia remained at 38th rank.

Importance of the Real estate sector: Way Forward:

• Real estate in India is one of the major revenue- The Central government has promulgated a number generating sectors with the growth and the of policy initiatives for the regulation of the real estate depreciation that influences the economy of our sector in India. The government has also introduced country. RERA to bring complete transparency between buyers and sellers. But the sector now is facing various • The real estate sector is the second largest illnesses from multiple directions. employer after agriculture and it contributes nine per cent to the national GDP. The Indian real estate In order to broaden the scope of real estate sector market is expected to reach US$ 180 billion by 2020. in India, the government must need to take into consideration the following- • The real estate sector comprises 4 sub sectors: retail, housing, hospitality, and commercial. • A political consensus has to be reached and Sectors like IT and ITeS, retail, consulting and uniform policy across states has to be implemented e-commerce have registered high demand for office for faster project execution. space in recent times. • Sustainable development of our urban built • As per the Global Real Estate Transparency Index, environments is another key challenge. It is India falls in the ‘semi-transparent’ category. important to ensure that our cities are SMART. This could be achieved by an enhanced focus on Global Real Estate Transparency Index 2018: • Mass transit systems, The 2018 Global Real Estate Transparency Index covers • Green construction methods, • The creation of Green spaces, and 100 markets and is based on 186 indicators. • Sustainable technologies for managing water, waste and energy The Global Real Estate Transparency Index is based resources. on a combination of quantitative market data that are grouped and weighted into six broad sub-indices: Apart from this, the following Measures also needed: • Performance Measurement 28.5% • Market Fundamentals 16.5% • Governance of Listed Vehicles 10% • India is still dependent on banks for debt functions. • Regulatory and Legal 25% “Banks alone cannot serve that cause. Government • Transaction Process 15% funding is essential to revive the sector. • Sustainability 5% • • In September, the government announced a ₹20,000 crore special funding boost for stalled 2018 Report projects that are in the affordable and mid-income category. • India is ranked 35th among 100 countries in the GRETI 2018. • In order to revive the installed projects, the • In 2016, India was ranked 36th in the index and 40th government needs to push money to the hand of in 2014. the developers as well. • The country’s real estate market is currently placed in the ‘semi-transparent’ zone. • On the other hand, If the government could encourage banks to start lending again, that would Global Context: be a huge boost.

• There is a need for government to impart industry • The United Kingdom is at the top position followed status to real estate sector. by Australia and the US. • If there is zero GST implemented for real estate • Top countries: Other countries including France, projects at least for six months, it would make a Canada, Netherlands, Germany, Ireland, and marked difference. There is an urgent need for Sweden are in the top 10 in the list of 100 countries. active lenders in real estate, with existing banks not

47 I Articulate lending enough. the basis that they were getting notional payment, while 92.5 per cent of the financial creditors’ dues Sources were being paid. The Indian Express, Livemint Controversy related to NCLT judgment

• Earlier, the resolution plan had proposed to pay financial creditors 92.5 per cent of their dues. 2. Insolvency and Bankruptcy • But the two-member bench of the appellate code tribunal modified the manner in which the proceeds from the sale would be distributed. The Supreme Court gave its stamp of approval to Arcelormittal’s takeover of the troubled Essar Steel • As per the order, both financial and operational under the debt resolution process of the Insolvency and creditors will recover 60.7 per cent each of their Bankruptcy Code (IBC). admitted claims.

• The bench has asked to approach a flexible • A consortium of banks led by the SBI had moved approach for making the 330 days deadline as the Supreme Court against a National Company “directory” and not “mandatory”. Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) order in the case.

• Committee of creditors (CoC) will have a final say • The NCLAT had held that Essar Steel’s operational in there solution plans under the Insolvency and creditors be treated on par with financialcreditors Bankruptcy Code (IBC). when settling the claims.

• The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) The judgment, placed operational creditors at par and National Company Law Appellate Tribunal with secured financial creditors at the time of settling (NCLAT) cannot interfere with the commercial claims, while the IBC does not puts them at par. decisions taken by the CoC. • To argue that claims of financial creditors can be • It upholds the primacy of financial creditors in the treated at par with operational creditors would distribution of funds received under the corporate muddy the waters as it loses sight of the basic insolvency scheme. distinction between secured and unsecured creditors. • It upholds the principle of “equitable” and not “equal” treatment of operational creditors.

Code defines two types of creditors • Under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), Section 53 deals with the distribution of proceeds from the liquidation of assets. • Financial creditors, who have extended a loan or financial credit to the debtor. • Waterfall mechanism: It lists the hierarchy in which various claims against the firm • Operational creditors, who have provided goods would be settled. or services to the debtor, the payment for which is due. • Under this after the costs associated with the insolvency resolution process • Financial creditors could be secured or unsecured. and liquidation are settled, dues owed to Secured creditors are those whose loans are backed secured creditors and workmen have to be by collateral (security). settled first.

Background of the Case • This is followed by discharging dues of employees, unsecured creditors and • Essar Steel owed Rs 54,547 crore to its creditors governments, in this particular order. — financial creditors and operational creditors After these claims have been settled, combined. The company had been put on the block the balance is to be distributed among under IBC to recover the unpaid dues. preference and equity shareholders, in that order. • The Ahmedabad-bench of National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) had Okayed the bid submitted by Thus the structure draws a clear distinction ArcelorMittal, led by steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal, between the claims of secured creditors and for the takeover of Essar Steel. operational creditors in the liquidation process, with the former having the first right. • The operational creditors had opposed the bid on

Economy | 48 Significance of the Judgement (EOU/EHTP/BTP, EPCG, SEZ and DFIS) were “contingent in law upon export performance”. • Time-bound resolutions under the bankruptcy law Q. The recent ruling of WTO against India’s export are the key to cleaning up $190 billion of stressed subsidy would have deep impact on its economy. loans quickly. Discuss. Also suggest some measures India can take to overcome this setback. • It will help banks dodge higher provisions and solve the NPA problem. Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing • It will alleviate fears of the foreign investors and Measures reduce capital outflows. Definition of a Subsidy: The agreement defines • It will help the “Make in India “programme making subsidies as a financial contribution by a government Indian products more competitive. or any public body within the territory of a Member (referred to in this Agreement as “government”), i.e., • Thus giving impetus to the Indian economy growing where: at sublime 5%. • A government practice involves a direct transfer The India’ march to the $5tn economy by 2024-25 is of funds (e.g., grants, loans, and equity infusion), further strengthened and will help improve India’s rank potential direct transfers of funds or liabilities (e.g., on the “Ease of doing business”. loan guarantees);

Sources • Government revenue that is otherwise due is The Indian Express, Livemint, Economic Times foregone or not collected (e.g. fiscal incentives such as tax credits)

• A government provides goods or services other than general infrastructure, or purchases goods;

3. WTO on Export Subsidies Categories of Subsidies: The agreement defines two categories of subsidies: prohibited and actionable: In a trade dispute over its subsidies to exporters under various schemes, World Trade Organization (WTO) panel • Prohibited Subsidies: Subsidies that require recently ruled against India. recipients to meet certain export targets, or to use domestic goods instead of imported goods. If the WTO panel’s ruling is adopted, the decision would They are prohibited because they are specifically put at risk export subsidies claimed to be worth over $7 designed to distort international trade, and are billion. therefore likely to hurt other countries’ trade.

Grounds for Ruling against India • Actionable Subsidies: In this category, the complaining country has to show that the subsidy • The panel found the US had “demonstrated the hurts its interests. Otherwise, the subsidy is existence of prohibited export subsidies ” that permitted. were inconsistent with provisions of the Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (SCM) Agreement. Key Provisions of the Agreement: Under the agreement, a country can use the WTO’s dispute- • According to the panel, the US was able to settlement procedure to seek the withdrawal of the show that India had foregone revenue through subsidy or the removal of its adverse effects. exemptions and deductions from duties and other taxes to the benefit of exporters in most schemes. Alternatively, the country can launch its investigation and ultimately charge extra duty (“countervailing duty”) • In the case of Merchandise Exports from India on subsidized imports that are found to be hurting Scheme (MEIS), it was able to establish that domestic producers. exporters benefited from a direct transfer of funds through the provision of scrips. • Under Article 3.1 of the ASCM, the WTO prohibits countries from granting exports that are contingent • MEIS, because of its design, structure and on export performance or the use of domestic operation, did not meet the conditions for goods over imports. exemptions from these prohibitions as well, according to the panel. • Annex VII (b) states that when the developing countries graduate from Annex VII once their GNP • The panel found that the US had established that per capita crossed $1000 per annum, they will be most of the measures under the other four schemes “subject to the provisions which apply to other developing Members according to Article 27.2(b).”

49 I Articulate • Under Article 27.2(b) that provides exclusion of the • Duty-Free Imports for Exporters Scheme (DFIS); export subsidy prohibition from applying to “other developing country Members for 8 years from the • Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS). date of entry into force of the WTO.” On the face of • The export subsidies under most of the challenged it, it is unclear whether graduating countries may scheme, except for MEIS, consist of exemptions enjoy an additional 8-year transition period or not. and deductions from custom duties and other taxes. Key-Findings of the Panel • These schemes mostly violated certain provisions • The panel recognized that India has already of WTO subsidies and countervailing Measures graduated from the special and differential (SCM) agreement. treatment provision that it originally fell under the SCM Agreement. • The agreement prohibits subsidies that are contingent upon export performance. • So, India was no longer excluded from the application of the prohibition on its export • As per the agreement, India was only exempt from subsidies. It concluded that “no further transition this provision until its Gross National Product per period” was available to the country to stop these capita per annum reached $1,000. subsidies. India’s Response • On relief to India, the panel has rejected some of US India on countering US: claims regarding certain customs duty exemptions • India argued that certain provisions under the SCM provided under the DFIS scheme and excise duty Agreement, allowing for special and differential exemptions under the EOU/EHTP/BTP schemes. treatment of certain developing countries, excluding it from the provisions prohibiting export Major Recommendations subsidies.

The panel recommended that India withdraw certain • also argued that all challenged schemes, except the “prohibited subsidies” under the DFIS scheme within SEZ scheme, adhered to a provision of the SCM 90 days; Agreement that carves out exemptions from or remission of duties or taxes on an exported product • Under the EOU/EHTP/BTP, EPCG and MEIS under certain conditions. schemes within 120 days and • India on Panels Nod • Under the SEZ scheme within 180 days from the • India plans to appeal the report on some aspects of adoption of its report. law and legal interpretation before the panel’s eport is adopted within 60 days of it being circulated with Why the decision? all members. • The government of the day has already started • Earlier US had accused India of giving working on making the debate schemes more WTO prohibited subsidies to Indian steel producers, • compliant. pharmaceuticals, chemicals, information technology, textiles and apparel. • Though, in September, it announced the Remission of Duties or Taxes on Export Product to replace • U.S had dragged India to the WTO in March 2018, • the MEIS as a more WTO-compliant scheme. questioning its export promotion schemes as the trade battle between the two countries intensified. • The overall duty foregone under this scheme is expected to be “more or less the same” as MEIS • The U.S has also claimed that the subsidies (around Rs 40,000 crore-45,000 crore annually). provided under the various programmes are detrimental for the American workers and manufacturers. Impact of WTO Panel Decision

Schemes Challenged: In 2018 March, U.S has • Affection on Subsidy Programme: If the panel challenged export subsidies provided by India under recommendations accepted, most of the export five sets of schemes- subsidy schemes will be affected.

• Electronics Hardware Technology Park and Bio- • Impact on manufacturing sector: The decision may Technology Park (EOU/EHTP/BTP) Schemes; have an impact on the manufacturing sector • as well that is already facing a slowdown. • Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG) Scheme; • A great Cost: The subsidies provided under the • Special Economic Zones (SEZ) Scheme; programme were worth over $ 7 bn annually

Economy | 50 that will have a grievance impact on the steel, pharmaceutical, chemicals, IT and textile and It is published by the Office of Economic Adviser, apparel industry. Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The base year of All-India WPI has been revised from 2004-05 to 2011-12 Way Ahead: in 2017. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure that examines the weighted average of prices of a basket of • There will be no retrospective effect, rather consumer goods and services, such as transportation, India can continue to support by providing food, and medical care. tax concessions like concessions on GST on parts and components used in the Four types of CPI are as follows: production of the exported product. • CPI for Industrial Workers (IW) • CPI for Agricultural Labourer (AL) • The US is expected to push for the early • CPI for Rural Labourer (RL) adoption of the panel ruling. On the • CPI (Rural/Urban/Combined) other hand, India plans to appeal the • Of these, the first three are compiled by the Labour report on some aspects of law and legal Bureau in the Ministry of Labour and Employment. interpretation. Fourth is compiled by the Central Statistical Organisation (CSO) in the Ministry of Statistics and • In this particular situation, with the dispute Programme Implementation. panel’s appellate mechanism expected to Base Year for CPI is 2011-12. become dysfunctional after December 1, CPI vs. WPI India may not be obligated to implement WPI, tracks inflation at the producer level and CPI the panel’s current ruling. captures changes in prices levels at the consumer level. Both baskets measure inflationary trends but the two • This will cater a chance for India to challenge the WTO’s indices differ in weightages assigned to food, fuel and ruling if India’s notice to appeal the report is submitted before manufactured items. Moreover WPI does not capture December 1. changes in the prices of services , which CPI does. • This is because, if its appeal is submitted on time, it will join In April 2014, the RBI had adopted the CPI as its key a pipeline of 10 other appeals in other WTO dispute cases that measure of inflation. have been filed since July 2018. Q. Elaborating the major differences between WPI and • Until those appeals are cleared and India’s CPI, emphasise how these two indices help in indicating own appeal is resolved, the country will the health of Economy. Also discuss the limitations be under no legal 7compulsion to make associated with WPI and CPI and suggest measures to the changes recommended in the dispute address them. settlement panel’s current report. WPI Inflation fell in spite of a jump in Sources Wholesale Food Prices: ORF, The Indian Express • The data showed that the wholesale inflation in the country for October grew by just 0.16 per cent. In October last year, it grew by 5.5 per cent.

• WPI food inflation rose to7.6 per cent. The spike 4.Diversion in Inflation Indices was essentially led by an almost 40 per cent surge in vegetable prices and a 17 per cent surge in the The WPI inflation for October has touched a 40-month price of pulses. Increases in the prices of spices and low. But retail inflation in the country for the same cereals, too, contributed to increasing wholesale month has touched a 16-month high. This deceleration food inflation. in wholesale prices has happened despite a significant • jump in wholesale food prices. But what continued to pull down overall wholesale inflation number was the continued About WPI and CPI deflation (that is, prices falling from one month to the next) in manufactured goods. A wholesale price index (WPI) is an index that measures and tracks the changes in the price of goods in the • WPI food inflation rose to 7.6 per cent. The spike stages before the retail level – that is, goods that are was essentially led by an almost 40 per cent surge sold in bulk and traded between entities or businesses in vegetable prices and a 17 per cent surge in the instead of consumers. price of pulses. Increases in the prices of spices and

51 I Articulate cereals, too, contributed to increasing wholesale • However, a growing divergence between the food inflation. two creates a serious worry for all policymakers concerned. • But what continued to pull down overall wholesale inflation number was the continued deflation (that • If the RBI looks at retail inflation, which is at 4.6 is, prices falling from one month to the next) in percent and is expected to stay above the 4 per manufactured goods. cent mark till March 2020, it would be expected to raise interest rates and bring down inflation.

• But if it were to look at WPI, the policy advice would be completely different. The RBI would then be expected to cut rates further and quite sharply to raise inflation. That’s because such a low inflation rate as the WPI is showing at present is essentially a reflection of a weakening economy.

• Therefore need is to establish a fine balance between the two before taking further action.

Sources The Indian Express, Investopedia

Why is WPI falling BUT CPI is Rising: 5. • Different Weightage of Same Components: For Draft voluntary vehicle instance, food articles have a much higher weight , scrappage policy over 45 per cent in CPI or retail inflation index while in the WPI their weight is less than 30 per cent. So NITI Aayog has raised concerns on a draft voluntary even a similar spike in prices will show up a much vehicle scrappage policy prepared by the road ministry higher impact in the retail inflation index than the that seeks to phase out old and polluting automobiles. wholesale inflation index. • Key Provisions of Draft Scrappage Policy • Different Components: There are other items such as “services” which have a weight of about 30 per • Rebates on road tax upon will be given after cent that can only be found in retail inflation. A showing the certificate of scrapping by a vehicle spike in these prices obviously bumps up only the owner. retail inflation while leaving the wholesale inflation unaffected. • It aims to set up vehicle scrapping centres across the country. Past Scenario: • Vehicles can be offered for scrappingif they are - • A similar trend was also observed in the past. • impounded or abandoned by enforcement agencies, Between 2012 to 2015 there was a growing divergence between retail and wholesale inflation • beyond repair, indices. • registration certificate has not been renewed (15 years’ time period) • By October 2015, wholesale inflation was negative while retail inflation was over 7 per cent. • Damaged due to fire, natural calamity etc.

• While raging food inflation was a contributor, the • An authorized vehicle scrapping facility - spike in services such as education and medical facilities was the biggest reason for this divergence • Should meet the minimum technical requirements for collection and dismantling centres specified as per the in 2015. guidelines issued by the Central Pollution Control Board.

• Must have ‘competent manpower’ to carry out dismantling Way Ahead: activities, keeping in mind responsibilities towards the environment. • To some extent, the difference between CPI and WPI inflation is not only understandable but also • Need to take no objection certificate from state pollution control board within six months since the beginning of reasonable. After all, the two indices have been operations, according to the draft guidelines. made to better understand how prices behave between the wholesale and retail levels. • Must install CCTV cameras which can be audited by

Economy | 52 government authorities to check compliance with guidelines. and tax framework for overseas investment funds.

• Vehicles cannot be scrapped till fuel, oil and other • This will allow individual investment from abroad in gases are drained and collected as per in certified Indian debt and capital markets, and state-specific containers. policies to facilitate foreign direct investment in agro-processing. • A separate record of scrapped vehicles will also • have to be registered in the national register for vehicles (VAHAN), which has to be maintained by The Group favours the following: the Centre. • A single ministry for the regulation of medical devices across the value chain. Need of Policy • An independent commission on pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. • The government hopes the policy laced with incentives would drive vehicle sales and help the • A simpler medical visa regime and health insurance auto industry that has been experiencing sluggish portability of social security entitlements across demand for about a year. countries.

• It is a move aimed at protecting the environment Major Suggestion of the group under the and promoting legally backed dismantling and scrapping industry. Report

Concerns by Niti Aayog • A centralized Authority for Licensing: The group also proposed making Invest India the centralised authority for issuing licences. • It has raised concerns over the definition of the life or age of a vehicle that will prompt their owners to • This authority should be made answerable to an apex decision- scrap them, saying it may result in an economic loss making body, headed by a select set of ministers who can for the vehicle owner. approve the investment.

• It feared that India may face the same fate as the • A commerce department: The group has suggested US after it implemented the Cash for Clunkers the commerce department to engage an institution, scheme that provided financial incentives to car outside the ministry, with expertise in trade, owners but even after spending $ 3 billion, the U.S economics and big data analytics. economy failed to stimulate. • This will give a leg to slowing exports and will create a predictive system to analyze the matter of trade. According to the experts the proposed scrappage policy will be the biggest driver of growth for the domestic • A database for India’s trade agreement: The auto industry in the short and medium term. However, group has also pushed for a database detailing the the government has to be careful while drafting the utilisation of India’s various trade agreements. scheme to plug loopholes so that it is not misused. • This a five-year programme for negotiation of free-trade agreements and an advocacy programme to spread awareness about potential trade pacts.

• Process of identifying and resolving non-tariff barriers: The panel also wants the government to 5.Surjit Bhalla Committee “begin the process of identifying and resolving non- tariff barriers which prevent Indian exports from A high-level advisory group (HLAG) on trade and accessing key importing nations”, starting with the policy has recommended a simpler regulatory and tax major countries with which India has FTAs. framework for overseas investment funds • Enhancing the capital base of the EXIM Bank: It • The group was led by Surjit Bhalla, a former member has also proposed enhancing the capital base of the of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, EXIM Bank by Rs 20,000 crore by 2022 and that of was formed last year in September. the Export Credit Guarantee Corporation by Rs 350 crore. • The group intended to make recommendations for identifying and pursuing opportunities and for • Incentives for the electronic Sectors: With many addressing challenges in order to find a way forward export schemes under the radar of the global trade in the contemporary global trade scenario. watchdog, the group has suggested incentives, especially for the electronics sector, be delinked Key-Recommendations: from exports.

• The group has recommended for simpler regulatory • Key-Ideas in the Report: An apex trade promotion

53 I Articulate organisation established as a separate entity replacing the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, India Trade Promotion Organisation and the Trade Promotion Council of India. And a world-class ‘war room’ to realise single-window clearance.

Sources PIB, Economic Times

6.Specialized Cadre on Supervision and Regulation

The RBI has unveiled a separate vertical for supervision and regulation as part of a revamp to focus on improving oversight for banks, non-banking finance companies.

• These departments have been created by merging the respective supervision and regulation departments on banks, non-banks and cooperative banks.

• For example, the departments of banking supervision, non-banking supervision and cooperative bank supervision will come under the new vertical- department of supervision. The same will happen for the three regulatory departments.

Need

• Strengthening system of Supervision: These departments created with the vision to tackle the growing diversity, complexities and interconnectedness within the Indian financial sector.

• Better Regulation: The move aimed at strengthening the supervision and regulation of commercial banks, urban cooperative banks and non-banking financial companies.

• Keep an eye on Malpractices: The need to strengthen the regulatory and supervisory departments of RBI was felt following several malpractices among financial institutions.

Sources The Hindu, RBI

Economy | 54 55 I Articulate Environment & Disaster Management | 56 1. Coastal flooding in India

As climate change will put three times more people at and deterioration of health condition owing to risk of coastal flooding by 2050 than previously thought, waterborne diseases. Mumbai and Kolkata are on the list of global cities that • Economic loss: face the risk of being wiped out, according to a latest research report by the IPCC. • The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), suggested that coastal flooding, which will be caused by climate change-induced sea level rise, will disrupt the • It warned that a mere 50 cm rise in sea level is global economy. enough to flood major port cities around the world. • Cyclones in the Arabian Sea are likely to increase in • Disruption of the electrical system also has a cascading the near future. effect on health systems, water supply, communication and transport, etc. which become even more vital during natural disasters for help to reach the most vulnerable.

What is coastal flooding? • Environmental impacts: Flooding can destroy coastal habitats such as coastal wetlands and A coastal flood is when the coast is flooded by the estuaries and can erode dune systems. It can cause sea. A flood starts when waves move inland on an significant biodiversity loss. undefended coast or overtop or breach the coastal defence works like dunes and dikes. • Coastal erosion: According to the Central Water Commission’s Shoreline Change Atlas, India has lost 3,829 km, or 45 per cent of the coastline, in just 17 Major Causes of coastal flooding years till 2006.

The causes include sea level rise, geology, and rapid • Agricultural impact: Prolonged inundation of coastal population growth accompanied by rapid seawater after flooding can also cause salinization increase of human activities that interfere with natural of agriculturally productive soils thus resulting in a processes. loss of productivity for long periods of time.

• Social impact: • Reclaimed Land: This is land that has been gained As sea levels rise, low-lying land areas and small islands could from the sea due to coastal management. This land shrink due to flooding and coastal erosion, forcing large-scale is low lying and flat, so a small rise in sea level from migration inland. a mild storm surge is enough to flood it and cause extensive damage. For example, reclaimed land is Poverty: The poor section of the society is the worst affected in case of disaster. occupied by the majority of Mumbai population making it vulnerable to coastal flooding. Drinking water: Coastal freshwater bodies including lakes, lagoons and coastal freshwater aquifers can also be affected by • Urbanization: The inadequate drainage system and saltwater intrusion. an ineffective spatial planning increase the flood risk. Government initiatives:

• Increase infrastructure in coastal zones: • Disaster Management Act, 2005: The Act lays Construction activities in ecologically sensitive down institutional, legal, financial and coordination zones and near the ‘high tide line’ has increased the mechanisms at the National, State, District and vulnerability. Local levels. It is expected to usher in a paradigm shift in DM from relief-centric approach to a • Mangrove Degradation: Mangroves serve as a proactive regime that lays greater emphasis on natural barrier to Tsunamis and cyclones. Cutting of preparedness, prevention and mitigation. mangroves to make way for building infrastructure has curtailed this natural resilience. • IntegratedCoastalZone ManagementProject(ICZMP): TheGovernmentofIndiaundertheaegis of Ministry What are the impacts of coastal flooding? of Environment and Forest (MoEF) has launched the ICZMP, to assist GoI in building the national Intense and more frequent cyclones such as the recent capacity for implementation of a comprehensive Fani, Gaja and Hudhud as well as severe floods have coastal management approach in the country. caused massive devastation to the India’s coastal states. • National Flood Commission (Rashtriya Barh Ayog),1980: The Rashtriya Barh Ayog (RBA) had • Loss of lives and property: Immediate impacts assessed the area of 40 mha in the country lying in of flooding include loss of human life, damage to 21 States and one Union Territory. property, destruction of crops, loss of livestock, non-functioning of infrastructure facilities

57 I Articulate • Expert Committee to Review the Implementation • The general range of land use regulation of the Recommendations of National Flood recommended for flood prone areas may be Commission-2003 (R Rangachari Committee) applied for cyclone-hit areas too.

• National Water Policy 2012: It states that coastal • Casuarina and other plantations, wherever feasible, States should prepare a comprehensive coastal should be grown as wind breakers for a width of land management plan, keeping in view the about 2 km along the seacoast. environmental and ecological impacts, and regulate the developmental activities accordingly. • Shelter buildings, especially designed for cyclone conditions should be constructed in the coastal • Blue economy policy: The development of areas. technologies for the sustainable harvesting of living and non-living resources of the ocean was • Hazard zoning and mapping, including the use in line with the blue economic policy of the Union of GIS tools, capacity development, etc; and its government. implementation strategies are suggested.

• National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project: The • Role of NGOs in Disaster Management: The overall objective is to minimize vulnerability to guidelines discuss the role of NGOs in disaster cyclones and make people and infrastructure preparedness, mitigation and response and spell disaster resilient in harmony with the conservation out the institutional mechanism for improving the of the coastal ecosystem in the cyclone hazard effectiveness of disaster management through prone States and Union Territories of India. effective coordination between NGOs and the government at different levels.

Coastal Flood Warning Issues with coastal flood management in India: National Institute of Ocean Technology under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, is engaged in • Weak Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms: data collection for tsunami warning and beach restoration which is of immense benefit to the The latest CRZ 2018 notification allows “eco-tourism activities society such as mangrove walks, tree huts, nature trails, etc” in eco- sensitive areas, demarcated as CRZ-IA. Coastal Flood Warning System app for Chennai The controversial land reclamation which is known to have (CFLOWS- CHENNAI) developed by the National strong impacts on coastal ecology, has been allowed in intertidal Institute of Ocean Technology. or CRZ-IB areas, for ports and sea links.

The Disaster Management Support (DMS) The latest notification drastically shrinks ‘No Development Zone (NDZ)’ to 50 m from HDL in densely populated areas (where Programme of ISRO: As part of R&D support population exceeds 2,161 per sq km as per the 2011 Census). to DMS for remote sensing applications, work on Tropical Cyclone Track intensity and landfall Providing housing facilities just 50 m from the coastline would prediction, Earthquake Precursor studies, expose the inhabitants to severe weather events, that too without any buffer. Coastal Vulnerability mapping and Early Warning of Landslides are being carried out. No study is available to show the carrying capacity of coastal areas to accommodate such increased development.

Provisions for land reclamation and permission to build roads even in ecologically sensitive CRZ-I facilitates the creation of National Disaster Management Authority coastal economic zone (CEZs). The government has declared (NDMA) guidelines Sagarmala, Bharatmala and CEZs as “strategic projects”, which has a blanket exemption from CRZ provisions.

• Sea walls/coastal protection works will be planned • Flouting norms: In the recent Kerala floods it was and executed by the respective coastal states/port seen that all landslide and flood-affected areas in authorities, keeping in view the complexity of sea the State are in Ecologically Sensitive Zones (ESZ-1), behaviour and other environmental aspects. as categorised by Madhav Gadgil report.

• Chronic problems of coastal erosion: It is essential • In effective Legislations and norms: to examine the problem of floods and flood Also missing are key pieces of legislation for management in the country afresh. housing and land use in fragile zones which allow buildability but with sensitive development. • Only restricted urbanisation should be permitted in areas vulnerable to sea surges resulting from cyclones.

Environment & Disaster Management | 58 • Current disaster norms do not differentiate hinterland are useful ways to collaborate and build between States, offering, for example, the same regional partnerships. amount per unit for disaster relief in Bundelkhand as in Goa. Such practices are bound to lead to an • Creating safer housing especially in the coastal inadequate recovery. regions, and in creating electrical systems that are underground. This will help minimize the need for • In addition, any disaster relief will typically exclude evacuation. anyone living in an unauthorised area. Such norms also exclude share-croppers and agricultural • Demarcation of ecologically sensitive zones labourers, while focussing only on small and big using existing village survey maps and public farmers. participation.

• Getting accurate sea level rise (SLR) projections: • Clear land use plan for these zones specifying Models for glacier melt are not as well developed as flood plains, protected forest areas, agricultural other models that study global warming. and plantation zones, with details of the types of crops, building usages permitted and the density of • Early warning generation system: It is done by buildings permitted. the IMD at the state and district levels. There has been no formal mechanism so far to communicate • Compensating owners in non-buildable areas, there warnings of cyclones and heavy rains etc. to the must be strategies such as Transfer of Development villages and people at large. Rights to buildable zones in cities.

• Sand mining menace: One of the human activities • Cities’ master plan should focus on permitting only that have been well linked to the problem of coastal ecologically sensitive building strategies for these erosion is illegal sand mining along beaches, coastal areas by proposing new construction techniques. streams/rivers, and other restricted areas. • Controlled development can be proposed using • High Tide Line: building height rules, floor area ratio control, and restrictions on cutting and filling natural land. The lack of transparency by the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management in demarcating the High Tide Line • Post-disaster management of land and geography An inaccurate High Tide Line can result in a flawed plan, and needs imaginative actions by the authorities and throw open ecologically sensitive areas for development. people in order to reverse the damage already done

The effectiveness of the National Disaster Response Force • NDRF must fill its vacant specialist positions (NDRF) has been hampered by a shortage of trained manpower, training, infrastructure and equipment, which prompted the while being given better control over transfers and Comptroller and Auditor General to highlight the National deployment of its personnel. Disaster Management Authority’s performance in projects such as vulnerability assessment and mitigation projects of major • Conservation of Blue Carbon Ecosystems for cities as “abysmal”. Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation.

Way Forward Q. What is Zero Carbon Footprint ? Discuss the issues There are two parts to disaster mitigation: minimizing faced by India in achieving it and suggest measures to the loss of lives, and minimizing the loss of address them. infrastructure and livelihood.

• Revisiting CRZ norms: Promulgation and enactment of a new Act for the protection of the Best practices- Odisha: coastal zones—with clear classification of various zones, after due consultations with the fishing • It has a great community outreach system communities, stakeholders, scientists and the through which people are being reached on department concerned—is the need of the hour. time.

• Measuring HTL: Public scrutiny of such foundation • It now has a network of 450 cyclone shelters data sets is critical as this forms the basis of the and there is a robust mechanism for the Coastal Zone Management Plan. maintenance of the cyclone shelters - each cyclone shelter has a maintenance committee • Stopping infrastructure construction along the where youth have been involved and trained coast and integrating anticipated SLR effects into for search and rescue, first aid and medical coastal planning are essential. attention, and for providing cyclone warnings.

• Advance preparation for migration into mid- Planned urbanisation can withstand disasters, size towns and better ecosystem support in the

59 I Articulate $14.5 billion to better its public transport system and walking a shining example being Japan which faces and cycling infrastructure over the next 10 years. earthquakes at regular intervals. . The government anticipates that GDP and household incomes in New Zealand will continue to rise, minimising the cost of adapting to climate change for the citizens.

Conclusion

Without such reforms, only the Indian Army and Zero Carbon Footprint: paramilitary forces can remain first responders, and States will continue to cry out for relief. Perhaps, it’s Carbon neutrality, or having a net zero carbon time to move on from being focussed only on managing footprint, refers to achieving net zero carbon natural disaster emergencies to improving resilience. dioxide emissions by balancing carbon emissions with carbon removal or simply eliminating Sources carbon emissions altogether. The Hindu

Q. Why the issue of air pollution is more serious in The law: Delhi as compare to other metro cities like Kolkata and Mumbai ? Discuss the efectiveness of existing institutional measures in dealing with the issue. The Act is titled Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Act.

• Provisions of the Act include:

• Reduce all greenhouse gases (except methane) to 2. New Zealand’s Zero Carbon net zero by 2050, Law • Reduce emissions of biogenic methane (produced from biological sources like livestock, waste On 7th November, New Zealand’s Parliament passed treatment and wetlands) up to 24-47 percent below The Zero-Carbon Act, which will commit New Zealand 2017 levels by 2050 and to 10 percent below 2017 to zero carbon emissions by 2050 or sooner, as part of levels by 2030 the country’s attempts to meet its Paris climate accord commitments. • Establish an independent Climate Change Commission.

Background • Establish a system of emissions budget.

• The idea for the bill was first proposed by the Climate change Legislation around the youth-led climate organisation Generation Zero, who proposed and popularised the Bill before the world 2017 New Zealand general elections. • According to Carbon Brief, there has been a 20-fold • In April this year, tens of thousands of New Zealand increase in the number of global climate change school students went on strike to protest the failure laws since 1997, when the Kyoto Protocol was of adults to take decisive action over the last 30 signed. years. • Globally, there are over 1500 laws on climate • This Act presents country’s plan on how they act change, over 100 of which were introduced after the over the next 30 years, to safeguard their future and introduction of the Paris Agreement and over 28 of that of their children. them explicitly reference the agreement.

• The Act is not a separate legislation but is an • The Grantham Research Institute on Climate amendment to the existing Climate Change Change and the Environment also include the phase Responses Act, 2002. 2 of India’s Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME) scheme which also helps • The country is well positioned to undertake steps to in combating climate change. mitigate climate change- • As per a policy brief released by the institute in May . Its capacity to generate electricity from renewable resources is at 80 per cent, and it is working towards phasing out the use of 2018, all 197 signatories to the Paris Agreement have offshore oil and gas. at least one law or policy on climate change.

. Additionally, the government is working towards investing over

Environment & Disaster Management | 60 Conclusion must be formulated.

• Greater accountability from local agencies or According to the New Zealand government, this is the authorities is required for effective implementation first legislation in the world to make a legally binding of clean air action in the National Capital Region. commitment for living within 1.5 degrees Celsius of • Focus must be on improved Crop Residue global warming. They absolutely believe and continue management so as to reduce stubble burning. to stand by the statement that climate change is the Machines must be made available to farmers at biggest challenge of our time. minimum cost for cutting crop residue. Sources The Indian Express Conclusion:

If we wish to breathe fresh air, it is imperative for the industry to adopt the recommendations of the report across sectors, be it manufacturing, energy generation or construction; and embed it into its business strategy, 3. NITI Aayog and CII Draft plan to policies and future plans. Further businesses should shift from environmental compliance to environmental improve air quality stewardship for the sake of healthy planet.

A joint report by NITI Aayog and CII proposes steps to tackle emissions from construction and demolition as well as production and transportation of construction material so as to improve air quality.

Proposed recommendations: 4. ‘Wastelands Atlas’ – 2019 • Mandatory funds allocation for air quality management under the Corporate Environmental Realizing the importance of availability of reliable Responsibility (CER) in cities with high pollution database on the wastelands of the country, Ministry for levels Rural Development, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare & Panchayati Raj released the Wastelands Atlas – 2019. • Incentives for co-firing biomass in existing coal power units and giving priority status to The Department of Land Resources in collaboration clean generation and gas-based thermal power with National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), generation units. Department of Space has published Wastelands Atlases of India - 2000, 2005, 2010 & 2011 editions. • Compulsory provisions for air quality management during construction must be adopted under the National Building Code. Background • Favourable taxation is recommended for all • India with 2.4% of total land area of the World is sustainable building materials. supporting 18% of the World’s population. • Comprehensive strategy to address the particulate • The per capita availability of agriculture land matter from concerned sub sectors must be made in India is 0.12 ha whereas World per capita encompassing - agriculture land is 0.29 ha. • prevention and control of fugitive emissions across • Unprecedented pressure on the land beyond its construction activities at sites, carrying capacity is resulting into degradation of lands in the Country. • operation of various utilities including waste management within NCR and allied construction • Therefore, robust geospatial information on industry including brick kilns, concrete batching wastelands assumes significance and effectively plants, stone crusher etc. helpful in rolling back the wastelands for productive use through various land development • Stringent Penalty by local bodies for violations programmes / schemes. must be imposed on both private as well as public authorities. New Edition • Less polluting fuel for power generation must be used. Wastelands Atlas-2019 provides district and state wise distribution of different categories of wastelands • Tighter norms for use of diesel in power generation area including mapping of about 12.08 Mha hitherto

61 I Articulate unmapped area of Jammu & Kashmir. funded by the GEF and implemented by the • The effort has resulted in estimating the spatial GoI (MoAFW and MoEFCC) and the Food extent of wastelands for entire country to the tune and Agriculture Organization of the United of 55.76 Mha (16.96 % of geographical area of the Nations (FAO). Country) for the year 2015-16 as compared to 56.60 Mha (17.21%) in the year 2008-09. • The project aims to transform agricultural • During this period 1.45 Mha of wastelands are production to generate global environmental converted into non wastelands categories. There benefits by addressing biodiversity is a net conversion of 0.84 Mha (0.26%) of different conservation, land degradation, climate wasteland categories in the country during 2008-09 change mitigation and sustainable forest to 2015-16. management.

Changes observed

• The changes in wastelands between 2008-09 and • The project in Madhya Pradesh will focus on the 2015-16 have been presented in the Atlas. ravines, in and around the National Chambal Sanctuary which provides a habitat for ‘gharial’ • Negative change- A reduction in wasteland area and Gangetic dolphin. It will turn the ravines into was observed in the categories of land with dense an eco-tourism hub once landscape restoration is scrub, waterlogged and marshy land, sandy areas, done. degraded pastures / grazing land and gullied and / or ravenous land. • The overall objective of the project is to catalyze transformative change of India’s agricultural • Positive Change- Majority of wastelands have sector to support achievement of national and been changed into categories of ‘cropland’ (0.64 global environmental benefits andconservation of Mha), ‘forest-dense / open’ (0.28 Mha), ‘forest critical biodiversity and forest landscapes. plantation’ (0.029 Mha), ‘plantation’ (0.057 Mha) and ‘industrial area’ (0.035 Mha) etc. • Four more sites will be developed under the ‘Green Agriculture’ project during the 2019-26 period: • The wastelands have undergone positive change in the states of Rajasthan (0.48 Mha), Bihar (0.11 • Dampa in Mizoram, Mha), Uttar Pradesh (0.10 Mha), Andhra Pradesh • Similipal in Odisha, (0.08 Mha), Mizoram (0.057 Mha), Madhya Pradesh (0.039 Mha), Jammu & Kashmir (0.038 Mha) and • Desert landscape of Barmer and Jaisalmer districts of West Bengal (0.032 Mha). Rajasthan

• Corbett Rajaji in Uttarakhand Sources Economic Times • The areas around these project sites will also be developed as replicable models for augmented livelihoods of marginal and small farmers through traditional agricultural practices.

• The project will collectively restore 1.8 million 5. Chambal on eco-tourism map hectares of land, hence it is in sync with India’s under Green Agriculture project commitment of restoring 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030. The ravines of Chambal, a unique geographical feature having gullies up to 15-20 feet deep which once used Sources to be hideouts of dreaded dacoits, will turn into a hub PIB, Times of India of ecotourism and improved farm practices in the next seven years.

• Green Agriculture Project 6. Geochemical Baseline Atlas of • It is a project launched in 2018 in India collaboration with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations. For the first time, ‘Geochemical Baseline Atlas of India’ developed by CSIR-National Geophysical Research • The USD 33.5 Million project, is being Institute (NGRI) for use by policy makers to assess

Environment & Disaster Management | 62 environmental damage was released. Key Features

• The atlas consisting of 45 maps of metals, oxides • The scheme is to benefit 125,000 smallholder and elements present in top and bottom soils farmers from 15 districts of Odisha. It aims to cover across India will serve as a reference. 128,000 hectares of land. • Work of atlas was started in 2007. To develop the • The project will support the rehabilitation of maps, the globe was divided into 5,000 cells of 160 532 water tanks - expected to irrigate 91,435 ha; km by 160 km each. Of it, India has 122 cells. promote productivity improvements at the farm level. Significance of the Atlas • Support farmers to reduce the current emphasis on Future generations would be able to assess the food grains (especially paddy and wheat) chemical compositional changes on Earth’s surface. Significance • These maps will help in assessing the contamination by industries or other polluting • Doubling farmer’s income. sources. • Help in achieving Sustainable Development Goals • It will be easier to know regions with high and low 2030. concentrations of a metal.

• Agriculture more productive and climate-resilient • This map will form the backbone for environment for smallholder farmers. management. It will help in finding out future contaminations due to industries across the Sources country. Worldbank.org, winrock.org

• Government and policymakers can leverage it in planning the land use accordingly.

Mineral elements are necessary for crop growth. The map will also support in choosing the right soil that’s rich in certain micronutrient elements required for 8. India’s first-ever snow leopard each plant growth. survey Source The Hindu Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has released its first-ever survey to estimate the population and geographical range of the snow leopard, an elusive and endangered predator at the fourth steering committee meeting of the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Program (GSLEP). 7. Integrated Irrigation Project for Background Climate Resilient Agriculture • The snow leopard is found along the upper reaches World Bank and Odisha Government have signed 165 of the Himalayan range and, in India, it is found in million USD loan agreement to strengthen smallholder Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, farmers. The aim of the loan is to implement Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. “Integrated Irrigation Project for Climate Resilient Agriculture”. • The snow leopard is found in 12 countries — India, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Mongolia, Russia, Pakistan, • The project will strengthen the resilience of Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and smallholder farmers against adverse climate by Uzbekistan. improving access to resilient seed varieties and production technologies, diversifying towards • It is the first time that the use of technology such more climate-resilient crops, and improving access as camera traps and scientific surveys has been put to better water management and irrigation services. to use to estimate the numbers.

• The project will help to increase the share of high- • Snow Leopard Population Assessment (SLPAI) is value and more nutritious products like fruits and an assessment report prepared by multi-national vegetables. organization namely- Nature Conservation Foundation, GSLEP technical committee, Global

63 I Articulate Tiger Initiative council, World Wide Fund for Nature, Source World Bank, Global Tiger Forum, and Wildlife The Hindu Conservation Trust.

• Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Program (GSLEP) seeks to address high-mountain development issues using the conservation of the charismatic and endangered snow leopard as a flagship.

Government will strive to double the snow leopard population in the world in the coming decade. The focus is on capacity building, livelihood, green economy, and green pathway even in the snow leopard areas of the Himalayan range and cross-country cooperation.

Sources globalsnowleopard.org, uniindia.com

9. SCO Joint Exercise on Urban Earthquake Search & Rescue (SCOJtEx)-2019

Union Ministry of Home Affairs inaugurated the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Joint Exercise on Urban Earthquake Search & Rescue (SCOJtEx-2019) on 04th November, 2019 at Dr. Ambedkar International Center, New Delhi.

Objective

• To practice and strengthen the national and international response, coordination protocols and methodologies in a major earthquake scenario requiring international assistance.

• To rehearse the disaster response mechanism, share knowledge, experience, technology & also for mutual coordination, etc.

• The four day long simulation exercise was conducted as per the International Search & Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) methodology & guidelines.

• To test the region’s preparedness and resilience towards effective activation of Inter- governmental interaction for immediate response. Observers:

• International Search & Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG),

• Asian Coordination Centre for Humanitarian Assistance (AHA), • Brazil, Mongolia, and South Africa Geo-Chemical Baseline atlas of India

Environment & Disaster Management | 64 65 I Articulate Social Justice & Development | 66 1. Issue of MMR in India

India’s Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) has seen a released for the first time. decline from 130 per 1 lakh live births in 2014-2016 to 122 per 1 lakh live births in 2015-2017, according to the latest • Rajasthan’s MMR has shown the highest decrease Sample Registration System (SRS) 2015-2017 bulletin for by 13 points, followed by Odisha (12 points) and MMR. Karnataka (11 points).

• However, India’s current MMR is still higher than the • While Karnataka has shown the highest percentage sustainable development goal (SDG) target–a set of decline in MMR, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya globally agreed goals that India has signed on to–of Pradesh have shown an increase by 15 points each 70 deaths per 100,000 live births for the world by in MMR. 2030.

What is maternal death? Classification of states: • According to the WHO, ‘Maternal death is the death of a woman while pregnant or • The government has categorised states within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, into three groups: empowered action irrespective of the duration and site of group (EAG), southern States and other the pregnancy, from any cause related states. to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management but not from accidental or • Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, incidental causes. Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh/Uttarakhand and Assam fall • India accounts for 17 per cent of the global burden of under the EAG and Andhra Pradesh, maternal deaths. The leading causes of such deaths Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil in India are haemorrhage (38 per cent), sepsis (11 per cent) and abortion (8 per cent). Nadu are in the southern States group. “Others” comprise the remaining States • The major cause— Post-Partum Haemorrhage is often and Union Territories. defined as the loss of more than 500-1,000 ml of blood within the first 24 hours following childbirth.

Maternal Mortality situation in the country • Rural-Urban divide:

• The rural-urban divide is considerable when it comes 11 States have achieved the National Health Policy to healthcare access. Fairly-developed states like Kerala, target of MMR 100 per lakh live births well ahead of Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have brought down their IMR, 2020 TFR and MMR rates and states like Assam, Jharkhand continue to grapple with these issues even today.

• Three States Kerala (42), Maharashtra (55) and • As per the NFHS-4 survey only 16.7% of women in rural India Maternal Mortality situation in the country received full antenatal care (ANC)’, which is about half the women in urban areas (31.1%).

11 States have achieved the National Health Policy • The urban-rural divide in institutional births: Overall 75 target of MMR 100 per lakh live births well ahead of percent of rural births are now supervised as compared to 89 2020 percent in urban areas.”

• Average total medical expenditure per childbirth in a public • Three States Kerala (42), Maharashtra (55) and hospital: Rs 1,587 in a rural area and Rs 2,117 in an urban area. Tamil Nadu (63) have already achieved the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal of MMR 70. Reasons behind MMR • The decline has been most significant in EAG States from 188 to 175. • Pre & Post Natal Care Interventions: The World • The ratio has reduced considerably from 77 to 72 Health Organisation (WHO) recommends at least per 1, 00,000 live births among southern states and four ANC visits for every pregnant woman but it is in the other states from 93 to 90. often neglected.

• Independent MMR data of Jharkhand (76), • Child marriages: When girls bear children while Chhattisgarh (141) and Uttarakhand (89) has been they are still children themselves, their lives are put at risk. Complications in pregnancy and childbirth

67 I Articulate other contraceptive methods and requires immediate redressal. are the leading cause of death in girls aged 15-19 in low- and middle-income countries. • With male sterilisation on rapid decline, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare released the National Health Policy 2017 which aims uptake of male sterilisation to 30 per cent. • Frequent pregnancies: Many families in rural India assume that more children mean more • Sex determination tests: In Bihar, a state among those with hands to work. With constant pregnancies and high MMR in India, it was found that forced abortions after sex determination tests and lack of ambulances are major reasons societal pressure to deliver a son, a woman’s body for maternal deaths. undergoes extreme stress for months and years. • The lack of proper nutrition for pregnant women: • Lack of Reproductive Rights to Women: The The NFHS-4 survey says that ‘only 30.3% of Indian National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4) 2015-16 women consumed iron and folic acid tablets for shows that less than two-thirds (63%) of married the recommended course of 100 days or more. As women have any say in their own health care or a result, 50.3% of pregnant women and 58.4% of other household decisions. children aged 6-59 months had iron-deficiency anaemia (a major cause of maternal deaths, pre- • Non-Institutional Deliveries: high rate of home term births and infant mortality)’. delivery and delivery by unskilled birth attendant- all can lead to high maternal mortality ratio (MMR). Vicious cycle of poor maternal health and • Patriarchal Society: patriarchal customs Child stunting make women’s health, nutrition and education unimportant.

• Poor Infrastructure & Facilities at PHCs: States with large number of PHCs functioning with just one doctor or without a doctor are indicative of relatively higher rural Infant mortality rates (IMR) and maternal mortality ratio (MMR),” according to the Economic Survey 2018-19.

• Unsafe abortions: If women are not allowed to Source: challengedkidsinternational.wordpress.com terminate their pregnancy legally after 20 weeks, they will either go abroad for abortions or terminate Government Initiatives it illegally. This will lead to unsafe pregnancies.

• Barriers to utilization of anganwadi services • The National Health Mission--which provides for by pregnant women and lactating mothers: universal access to equitable, affordable and quality Awareness regarding Anganwadi services available health care services--is conceived as the primary for pregnant and lactating mothers like IFA, calcium tool to reach health targets: maternal mortality ratio and deworming tablets, TT and health check-ups (MMR) of less than 70 deaths per 100,000 live births, was found to be poor. neonatal mortality rate (NMR) of 12 deaths per 1,000 live births and under-five mortality rate (U5MR) of • Illiteracy and lack of education: With the poor 25 deaths per 1,000 live births. growth in quality education over the past many decades impacts maternal health and care. It is • The Janani Surkasha Yojna (JSY) scheme a known fact that an educated and empowered • It has further strengthened maternal health initiatives by woman is less likely to have multiple unwanted entitling free deliveries and Caesarean-Sections to every pregnancies. pregnant woman coming for deliveries at government health facility. • Unnecessary caesarean sections: Poor access, • The transport from the health facility, drop back and any unnecessary caesarean operations, late referrals, referrals between facilities is also free for pregnant women | inappropriate procedures, poor resources and coming to government health facility. training of medical practitioners are major reasons for maternal deaths following caesarean sections. • Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan: Health ministry launched an innovative scheme to • Low use of contraceptives: provide free health check-ups to pregnant women at government health centres and hospitals by • According to NFHS 4, female sterilisation in India continues to private doctors. be around 37 per cent since 2006, despite health complications and deaths, highlighting the gender inequality in contraceptive use. • “LaQshya” (Labour room Quality Improvement Initiative): The Union Health Ministry recently • This could be because of lack of accessibility or awareness of announced the launch of LaQshya, a programme

Social Justice & Development | 68 • aimed at improving the quality of care in the labour • Allocations to the National Health Mission fell room and maternity operation theatre. short by 13.6% in 2018-19 compared to the budget projections, according to the CAG’s report. • POSHAN Abhiyan and SUMAN (Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan Initiative) aim to ensure that State spending on health yet to increase: all pregnant women receive quality maternal care with dignity and that no mother or newborn dies due to a preventable cause. • To reach the 2025 target of spending 2.5% of GDP on health, the National Health Policy mandated • Reproductive Maternal Newborn Child Health+ states to increase their health spending on primary Adolescent (RMNCH+A) : care by at least 10% every year.

• 184 High Priority Districts (HPDs) have been identified for • In addition, a 4% health and education cess was implementation of RMNCH+A interventions for achieving also proposed which was not implemented. improved maternal and child health outcomes.

• RMNCH+A Links maternal and child survival to other components (family planning , adolescent health, gender & PC & PNDT)

• Focus on Aspirational Districts

NITI Aayog identified 117 aspirational districts across 28 States for transformation by the year 2022

• ‘I pledge for 9’ : It invites the private sector to provide free ante-natal services (ANC) on the 9th of every month on a voluntary basis to pregnant women, especially those living in underserved, semi-urban, poor and rural areas.

• Draft MTP (Amendment) Bill, 2019:It drafted “for cases in which doctors diagnose foetal abnormalities or substantial risks to the mother or Health shortages affect progress: the child. If women are not allowed to terminate their pregnancy legally after 20 weeks, they will • Rural India has a shortfall of between 24% and either go abroad for abortions or terminate it 38% in the number of sub-centres, primary health illegally. This will lead to unsafe pregnancies. centres (PHC) and community health centres in 28 states and union territories. MTP is a health care service and right to terminate • The population-doctor ratio in India was 11,082:1 in pregnancy is firmly embedded in multiple rights - 2017 in government hospitals, 25 times higher than the right to health, right to life, right to scientific the World Health Organization recommendation of progress, right to privacy and right to choice. 25 professionals per 10,000 population.

Dearth of data: Concerns with Govt’s Policy Poor fundings: • The NITI Aayog, the government’s policy think tank and the body responsible for overseeing implementation of SDGs, and the statistics ministry • As per the National Health Profile 2019, between in consultation with the state governments, were 2009-10 and 2018-19, India’s public health spend as a to prepare the National Indicator Framework, the percentage of GDP went up by just 0.16 percentage backbone for monitoring of SDGs. points from 1.12% to 1.28% of GDP. • However, data for 137 of 306 national indicators • India’s National Health Policy 2017, framed in line were not available for 13 SDG goals. with the SDGs, prescribes increasing the health expenditure of states to more than 8% of their annual budgets by the year 2020, but the seven Q. Despite getting close to achieving universal states evaluated spent between 3.29% and 5.32% enrolment in Primary School Education, India lags for the period of 2012-2017, according to a CAG much behind in learning outcome as suggested by report. recent ASER report. Explain.

69 I Articulate Way forward Prenatal counseling to recognize signs of complications. At least four antenatal-care visits during pregnancy and delivery in the presence of a • Strengthening PHCs through the NRHM skilled birth attendant can help detect conditions that can lead to birth complications, according to • Enhancing Role of ASHAs & ANMs,: the World Health Organization. • A proposal for certification of ASHAs through National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) has also been approved. States should • Skilled Attendance at Childbirth: Providing a Identify ASHAs who aspire to obtain academic qualification for skilled birth attendant during childbirth who has Class X or Class XII and to support their registration with the the knowledge and experience to use certain National Institute of Open School (NIOS). strategies when they are needed is a key step • For ANMs, States should undertake their skill assessment and to reducing mortality and severe disability in train them as per the identified gaps besides providing training childbirth. on skills like IUCD insertion, SBA etc.

• States have also been supported and encouraged to set up skill • Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights labs to refine their clinical skills. (SRHR), which are fundamental for family planning and the overall well-being of individuals. • Improving Data Collection: the focus should be on improving data for identifying the issues in India is on track to achieve SDG target of MMR, contraceptive use and addressing gender inequality however the four states namely Assam, Uttar Pradesh, in SRHR in India. Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan will have to intensify their efforts to accelerate the MMR decline to achieve • Essential Drugs and Diagnostics: Ensure free the SDG target. essential drugs and diagnostics at all government facilities Sources The Hindu, Vikaspedia • Validation of data: Check for completeness & correctness of HMIS data /data from RCH portal

• Addressing women’s malnutrition has a range of positive effects because healthy women can fulfill their multiple roles — generating income, ensuring their families’ nutrition, and having healthy children 2. Health of pregnant and nursing — more effectively and thereby help advance women- Jaccha-Baccha Survey countries’ socioeconomic development. • Need for better data: Maternal death audits and reviews also need to be implemented to understand A new survey, called the Jaccha-Baccha Survey (JABS), why, where and when women die and what can be conducted in June in six states (Chhattisgarh, Himachal done to prevent similar deaths. Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh) to map the state of pregnant and nursing . The role of the National Data Quality Forum (NDQF), a multi- women has found that a high proportion of women do institutional initiative hosted by Indian Council of Medical not eat enough during pregnancy. Research (ICMR) becomes crucial when it comes to addressing the gaps between data collection and analysis and using that data for advocacy and policy making. Key Findings of the survey

• Improving access to surgery, promoting appropriate use of the procedure, providing safe • State’s Performance: Uttar Pradesh, which is surgical environments, India’s most populous, performed the worst, while Himachal Pradesh, on average, performed the best. • Education of girls, avoiding early marriage, and ensuring gender equality. • Lack of Adequate rest: Most numbers on pregnant women in UP are not getting adequate rest either • Ensuring a wide range of contraceptive options is because they had no one to help out at home, or important to help women plan and space, and avoid because they had to actually go out and work on the pregnancies farm in their condition.

• Behavioral Change: It includes not reproducing • High out of pocket expenditure: The proportion after age 35; eating a healthy diet; limiting or of women who had to borrow or sell assets just to avoiding alcohol consumption; stopping smoking; meet child delivery expenses too, was quite high, using a bednet to protect against malaria; arranging especially among the laggard states. for a skilled birth attendant at labor and delivery; and recognizing and acting promptly on signs of a • Low access to health care: On access to basic complicated delivery. healthcare facilities, the survey found that 36% women in UP did not get a single check-up at a • Antenatal Care, Nutritional interventions, primary health centre across different schemes.

Social Justice & Development | 70 According to UNICEF reports, a third of women of reproductive age in India are undernourished, with India’s Cancer burden expected to a body mass index (BMI) of less than 18.5 kg/m2. It is increase well known that an undernourished mother inevitably gives birth to an undernourished baby, perpetuating an . India’s Cancer burden to increase from an intergenerational cycle of under nutrition. estimated incidence of 13 lakh cases in 2018 to about 17 lakh in 2035 and Sources The Indian Express .Cancer deaths expected to rise from 88 lakh in 2018 to 13 lakhs in 2035.

Background 3. Parliamentary Standing Committee on Cancer care The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science, Technology and Environment was constituted to facilities examine an expanded role for the Department of Atomic Energy, through the Tata Memorial Centre (TMC), to address India’s rising cancer burden. According to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science, Technology and Environment India’s cancer care facilities are highly inadequate. About Cancer

Findings of the Parliamentary Standing Committee; • Cancer is a generic term for a large group of diseases that can affect any part of the body. Other • The “systematic failure” to address the needs terms used are malignant tumours and neoplasms. of patients contributes to a 20% higher mortality among Indian cancer patients than in countries • One defining feature of cancer is the rapid creation with a “high” Human Development Index. of abnormal cells that grow beyond their usual boundaries, and which can then invade adjoining • India’s cancer care infrastructure is “highly parts of the body and spread to other organs, the inadequate” and forces a majority of patients to latter process is referred to as metastasizing. travel “thousands of kilometers” for treatment. • Metastases are a major cause of death from cancer. • The report lay emphasis on the fact that mortality to incidence ratio of 0.68 in India is higher than that in very high human development index (HDI) Key Facts countries (0.38) and high HDI countries (0.57). • Cancer is the second leading cause of death • The Committee is worried about the fact that globally, and is responsible for an estimated 9.6 the incidence of cancer is very high in all North million deaths in 2018. Globally, about 1 in 6 deaths Eastern States, as it is higher than the national is due to cancer. average for several types of cancer, showing a consistently rising trend over the past few decades. • Approximately 70% of deaths from cancer occur in low- and middle-income countries. • Two-thirds of India’s cancer patients were treated in the private sector and this forced 6 crore Indians • Around one third of deaths from cancer are due below the poverty line because of “catastrophic to the 5 leading behavioral and dietary risks: high healthcare related expenditure on cancer”. body mass index, low fruit and vegetable intake, lack of physical activity, tobacco use, and alcohol use. Systematic Failure • Tobacco use is the most important risk factor for A failure that happens in a deterministic cancer and is responsible for approximately 22% of (non random) predictable fashion from a cancer deaths. certain cause, which can only be eliminated by a modification of the design or of • Cancer causing infections, such as hepatitis and the manufacturing process, operational human papilloma virus (HPV), are responsible for up procedures, documentations, or other to 25% of cancer cases in low- and middle-income relevant factors. countries.

Facts With respect to India

71 I Articulate • The incidence, or the number of newly diagnosed Learning poverty - According to the World Bank, cases of cancer annually, is about 16 lakh. learning poverty means being unable to read and understand a simple (age-appropriate) text by • The disease kills 8 lakh people annually. age 10.

• Among these are 140,000 fresh cases of breast cancer, 100,000 cervical cancer cases, and 45,000 cases of oral cancer among women. The World Bank estimates that 53 per cent of children in low- and middle-income countries cannot read and understand a simple story by the end of primary school.

• Among men, the top three cancers with the highest incidence are those in the oral cavity (1, 38,000 cases), cancer of the pharynx (90,000) and those of the gastro-intestinal tract (2, 00,000).

Committee Recommendation

• It recommended a ‘Hub and Spoke Model’ proposed by the Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) to better reach out to cancer patients nationally. This approach is already in practice in Punjab.

• One hub would ideally cover about 4 crore patients and a spoke from 50 lakh-1 crore patients annually. Therefore, about 30 hubs and 130 spokes would be needed to be created to bridge the gaps in access to cancer treatment.

Sources The Hindu, WHO

4. Learning Poverty

The World Bank introduced an ambitious new Learning Target, which aims to cut by at least half the global rate of Learning Poverty by 2030.

Social Justice & Development | 72 Significance of this report: Steps needed to reduce Learning poverty: Cutting learning poverty by at least half is feasible but requires • It is a sign that global learning goals and other large political, financial and managerial commitments sustainable goals (SDG4) are in jeopardy. and a whole of government approach.

• “Shaky foundation”: the report highlights the • A refreshed education approach to strengthen importance of foundation. If the foundation is shaky entire education systems. and not strong, the whole structure of learning will collapse. • Five pillars to improve Learning outcome:

• Gateway to all other learning outcomes: Reading and learning both are equally important. If children are not able to read properly according to their age, the other layers of learning suffers.

• Effect of learning poverty on other domains:It is also associated with the mastery of other cognitive domains like science, math and humanities. Finally, it is critical to acquire the skills of creative thinking and computational skills, allowing the expression and communication of ideas across time and space.

• According to ASER (2018), only 50.3% of class 5 children in rural India could read a class 2 level text.

• ASER 2018- Reading

• Std III- The percentage of all children in Std III who can read a Std II level has increased from 21.6% in 2013 to 27.2% in 2018. • Improve School and Classroom Environment: • Std V- In 2018, 50.3% of Children enrolled in Std V can read at least a Std II level text. This figure has inched up from 47.9% in . Physical Environment 2016 . Social Environment . Teacher-child relationship • Std VIII- ASER 2018 data indicates that of all children enrolled . Teacher-teacher relationship in Std VIII in India, about 73% can read at least a Std II level text. . Sensitive treatment of children from special focus groups This number is unchanged from 2016. . Participation of the community in school activities . Pre-school facilities • In 2012 planning commission acknowledged for the . Facilities available for health check-up/ follow up measures first time that there was a problem with learning outcomes. • Make the problem visible: Regular assessments are needed to measure progress in learning and make the current levels visible in a way that can be understood widely. India should participate regularly in international assessments like Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study and the Programme for International Student Assessment so as to set goals and benchmark its performance and progress.

• Establish a reading mission: If we can ensure that 80% of our children can read and write well in any one language by the time they are nine years old, we would have solved 80% of our educational problems.

• Specialised training programmes need to be created for teachers on reading skill development and measurement.

• Reducing learning poverty is important to achieve Q The present condition of drinking water crisis in India (SDG) 4 “ensuring free, equitable and quality is way more critical than generally thought . Do you primary and secondary education for all” by 2030” agree ? Justify your stand with relevant datas.

73 I Articulate Source World Bank National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) was constituted by an Act of Parliament in 1985, as a statutory body under the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, Govt. of India. It is tasked to evolve policies for the 5. NCR Regional Plan control of land-uses and development of infrastructure in the region so as to avoid any haphazard development. Setting the goals of enhancing liveability, economic activity and sustainability of the National Capital Region, the process of preparing a 20-year plan — the NCR Regional Plan 2041 — by September 2021 was kick- Source started by the government recently. The Hindu

• The National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) is tasked with the task of preparation of this regional plan. The regional plan would have to be drafted keeping citizens at the center. 6. Road Accidents in India-2018

• Improving the ranking of NCR cities on the ease The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways released of living index, boosting economic activity and the annual report on road accidents in India. opportunity, and furthering sustainability, would be the focus of the planning process. Key Findings

NCR region • More than 1.5 lakh people lost their lives in road crashes in the country in 2018, registering an increase of 2.4% as compared to the year before. • The population of the NCR, which comprises Delhi, 13 districts of Haryana, nine of Uttar Pradesh and • India witnessed 53 crashes and loss of 17 lives every two of Rajasthan, spread over 55,083 sq. km, was hour. expected to increase from six crore now to 11 crores in 2041. • Road traffic injuries constitute the eighth leading cause of deaths in India in 2018. • Population, the NCR would have a population similar to some countries like France and Italy. • The annual report also reveals that of the total people killed in road crash deaths in 2018, 48% were The NCR Regional Plan 2021, which was supposed to between 18 years and 35 years old. guide the development of the region from 2001 until 2021, was only notified in 2005. • Minors involved in road crash deaths were at 6.6% of the total deaths. • Apart from boosting employment overall, there was also a need to integrate rural and urban sections of • Not wearing helmets and seat belts are not causes the NCR. of crashes, but are critical for avoiding grievous injuries and fatalities, according to the report. • The concept of a natural conservation zone that was introduced in the 2021 plan for the first time • Among the States, Tamil Nadu (13.7%) topped needed to be made more effective. the country in terms of the total number of road crashes.

• A lot of States that have opposed the implementation of the Motor Vehicles Amendment Act or have reduced the fines are amongst the States with the highest road crash fatalities. Example: Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Uttarakhand

The latest data highlights the urgent need on part of the States to implement key road safety provisions of the Motor Vehicles Amendment Act, 2019.

Source The Hindu

Source: en.wikipedia.org

Social Justice & Development | 74 Way Ahead:

• Need is to make agencies legally binding to achieve the standards and empowering consumers with rights is also essential for encouraging State governments to take an integrated view of housing, water supply, sanitation and waste management.

• A scientific approach to water management is vital, considering that 21 cities — including many of those found to have unclean tap water — could run out of groundwater as early as 2020, as per a NITI Aayog report

• There is a need to entrust a separate agency with the task of regular testing in each State, rather than relying on the same agency that provides water to 7. Water Quality in Major Indian also perform this function Cities • Data on water must be made public on the same lines as air quality as it would ratchet up pressure The report of the Bureau of Indian Standards under on governments to act Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has red-flagged tap water quality in major • Prudent and Timely implementation of Jal Jeevan Indian cities. Mission is needed under which aim is to provide safe piped water to all households by 2024. Findings of Report:

• Delhi has abysmal water quality, Chennai and Kolkata rank very low, and Mumbai is the only city About Jal Jeevan Mission: with acceptable results. • It is aimed at ensuring India’s water security • Delhi’s tap water is the most unsafe among 21 State by providing access to safe and adequate capitals. drinking water to all Indians by 2024.

• In 13 cities, including Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, • Mission is based on various water Jaipur and Lucknow, all tested samples failed to conservation efforts like point recharge, meet the BIS norms for piped drinking water. desilting of minor irrigation tanks, use of greywater for agriculture and source • City water systems are not complying with sustainability national standard for drinking water - IS 10500:2012 • It will converge with other Central and Reasons for poor water quality: State Government Schemes to achieve its objectives of sustainable water supply management across the country • Lack of accountability of the official agencies as it is mandatory for bottled water manufacturers to • Under this states are appealed to generate meet quality standards while it is voluntary for the maximum community participation in the public agencies which supply and distribute piped form of ‘Jan Andolan’ to achieve the target water of functional household tap connection by 2024 • Absence of robust data in the public domain on quality testing • The mission comes under the purview of Jal Shakti Ministry. • There is high dependence on groundwater in fast- growing urban clusters where State provision of piped water systems does not exist and this water is highly polluted. Conclusion: • This can also be attributed, partly to the expanding footprint of packaged drinking water as this water For too long, the response of water departments to works as an alternative owing to which lesser the challenge has been to chlorinate the supply, as this complaints are lodged regarding poor water quality. removes pathogens, ignoring aspects like appearance,

75 I Articulate smell and taste. It is time to move beyond this and make tap water genuinely desirable.

Source PIB, The Hindu

Social Justice & Development | 76 77 I Articulate Security | 78 1. Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) System

The indigenous Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) • A post Mumbai 26/11 attack measure, NATGRID system to enhance the endurance of conventional aims to mitigate a vital deficiencylack of real time submarines being developed by the Defence Research information, which was considered to be one of the and Development Organization (DRDO) reached a major hurdles in detecting US terror suspect David milestone with the successful operation of a land- Headley’s movement across the country during his based prototype. multiple visits between 2006 and 2009.

All Scorpene submarines of the Navy are planned to be • NATGRID’s data sources include records related to equipped with an AIP module in due course. immigration entry and exit, banking and financial transactions and telecommunications. What is AIP? • The agencies concerned include the Intelligence Bureau, local police and revenue and customs Air-independent propulsion (AIP) is any marine departments. propulsion technology that allows a non-nuclear submarine to operate without access to atmospheric • The NATGRID, will connect, in different oxygen (by surfacing or using a snorkel). AIP can phases, data providing organisations and users augment or replace the diesel-electric propulsion besides developing a legal structure through system of non-nuclear vessels. which information can be accessed by the law enforcement agencies. • Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) has a force multiplier effect on lethality of a diesel electric • In the first phase, 10 user agencies and 21 service submarine as it enhances the submerged providers will be connected, while in later endurance of the boat, several folds. phases about 950 additional organisations will be connected. In subsequent years, over 1,000 • Fuel cell-based AIP has merits in performance additional organisations will be connected. compared to other technologies. While the clearance for the Rs 3,400-crore project from Role of AIP the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) came in 2011, execution of the project slowed down after the exit A modern Diesel-Electric submarines remain of the then home minister P Chidambaram in July 2012. submerged for 4 to 5 days. They have to come to periscope level to carry out an activity called “snorkeling”. This is done to recharge their batteries. The AIP increases their underwater endurance and allows them to stay underwater for weeks together.

Source The Hindu

2. NATGRID

The Lok Sabha was informed that the ambitious National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) project will be operational by December 31, 2020.

What is the NATGRID?

• NATGRID is an ambitious counter terrorism Programme, which will utilise technologies like Big Data and analytics to study and analyse the huge amounts of data from various intelligence and enforcement agencies to help track suspected terrorists and prevent terrorist attacks. Source: policeservices.blogspot.com

79 I Articulate 3. Tiger Triumph: India-U.S. Disaster relief exercise

India and the US conducted joint exercise on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) to strengthen the bilateral relationship and defence cooperation.

About the exercise:

• The opening ceremony was held on board INS Jalashwa. INS Jalashwa is an amphibious transport dock currently in service with the Indian Navy. INS Jalashwa is the only Indian naval ship to be acquired from the United States.

Significance of Tiger Triumph:

• It will develop interoperability for conducting HADR operations.

• It will further strengthen India and US defence partnership.

• It shows American political will on enhancing US- India defence ties.

It is significant for“free and open” Indo-Pacific- both India and the USA are giving importance to “free and open” Indo-Pacific – wherein the US and India are envisaged as “the two bookends of stability”.

Security | 80 81 I Articulate Science & Technology | 82 1. Guidelines for Evaluation of material in nanoscale results in alteration of its physicochemical, biological, mechanical, Nanopharmaceuticals in India optical, electronic and other properties.

The Union government has released “Guidelines for The nanomaterial is generally defined as Evaluation of Nanopharmaceuticals in India. material having particle size in the range of 1 to 100 nm in at least one dimension. The Guidelines are developed by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Central Drugs Standard Control Organization Q. What are Nano-pharmaceuticals ? How they can (CDSCO), Ministry of Health. revolutionise the way medical treatment is done in India ? Explain with suitable examples. The guidelines is regarding the nanopharmaceuticals in the form of finished formulation. It is also concerned with Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) of a new molecule or an already approved molecule 2. Long-standing conundrum on with altered nanoscale dimensions intended the Sun’s atmosphere solved to be used for treatment or prevention of diseases. An international team of researchers of Peking University, China; including one at Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru, has unravelled why the Sun’s Significance atmosphere is hotter than its surface.

• These guidelines are intended to provide transparent regulatory pathways for Background: nanopharmaceuticals in India. • The temperature at the core of the Sun is nearly 15 • It would facilitate translational research in line with million degrees Celsius, while that at its surface the regulatory requirements. layer, known as the photosphere, is merely 5,700 degrees C. • Facilitate translational research in line with the regulatory requirements. • The natural thing to expect is that still further outwards, in its atmosphere, known as the corona, • It would facilitate the decision making by regulator the temperatures would be comparable to that at during clearances to newer products based on the surface (photosphere). nanotechnology and similarly to researchers to get clearance for their products to launch in the market. • However, the temperature of the corona is much higher. It starts increasing outside the • End users will also be benefited by the quality photosphere, reaching a value of about one million assured anticipated products in the market in degrees or more in the corona. This is called accordance to the guidelines. Corona’s Heating Puzzle.

It will pave the way for significant benefits through such cutting edge technology and contribute to the mission of “Affordable Health Care for All”.

Nano pharmaceuticals are a relatively new class of therapeutic-containing nanomaterials that often have unique “ nano properties” (physicochemical properties) due to their small size (compared with their bulk-phase counterparts) a high surface-to-volume ratio and the possibility of modulating their properties.

Nanoscience is the study of materials, which are in nanoscale range. Conversion of any Source: observatory.astro.utah.edu

83 I Articulate Spicules in the Sun: Significance of New Fuel:

• The key to the puzzle lies in geyser-like • The winter-grade diesel developed by IOC jets known as solar spicules that emanate has a low pour point (the temperature from the interface of the corona and the below which the liquid loses its flow photosphere. characteristics) of -33° Celsius, making it capable of withstanding the extreme • While in a photograph these look like winter weather conditions in Ladakh. tiny hairlike projections, they are in fact 200-500 kilometres wide and shoot up to • It would reduce the hardships faced by heights of about 5,000 km above the solar the local people for transportation and surface. mobility during winter months.

• It has been suspected that these spicules • It will also facilitate the local economy and act as conduits through which mass and tourism. energy from the lower atmosphere bypass the photosphere and reach the corona. Source The Indian Express • The present study, has deciphered how these spicules form and also shows that they act as conduits through which hot plasma is carried into the corona region.

Source The Hindu

3. Winter-Grade Diesel

The first batch of special winter-grade diesel for the high-altitude regions of Ladakh that can withstand extremely low temperatures during the winter months been flagged off from Panipat Refinery to ladakh. The fuel is developed by Indian Oil Corporation (IOC).

Need for Special Fuel:

• Fuel is developed for motorists as they face the problem of freezing of diesel in their vehicles when winter temperatures reach -30 deg Celsius in high-altitude sectors like Ladakh, Kargil, Kaza and Keylong

• Regular diesel fuel contains paraffin wax which is added for improving viscosity and lubrication. At low temperatures, the paraffin wax thickens or “gels” and hinders the flow of the fuel in the car engine.

• Special types of diesel are thus used at low temperatures that contain additives enabling the fuel to remain fluid in such conditions.

Science & Technology | 84 85 I Articulate Security | 86 1. Lala Lajpat Rai (1865-1928)

November 17 was the death anniversary of Lala Lajpat violent march against it. Rai, who was also called ‘Punjab Kesari’. He died at Lahore in 1928 after he was attacked by police during a .Rai famously said “The blows struck at me today will be the last nails in the coffin of British rule in India.” protest rally against the Simon Commission. • Lala Lajpat Rai’s important works include: About Lala Lajpat Rai: . ‘The Arya Samaj’ • He was born in 1865 at Dhudike near Ludhiana in . ‘Young India’ . ‘England’s Debt to India’ Punjab. . ‘Evolution of Japan’ . ‘India’s Will to Freedom’ • Lala Lajpat Rai was a multi-faceted personality and . ‘Message of the Bhagwad Gita’ led a life of ceaseless activity dedicated himself . ‘Political Future of India’ . ‘Problem of National Education in India’ to selfless service to the nation by living a life of . ‘The Depressed Glasses’, and the travelogue ceaseless activities dedicated to the nation. ‘United Statof America’.

• He followed Dayanand Saraswati, the founder of the • He founded the Punjab National Bank, the Lakshmi Arya Samaj. Insurance Company and the Servants of the People’s Society at Lahore. • In 1881, when he was 16, he joined the Indian National Congress. Q. The proactive role played by extremist leaders like Lala Lajpat Rai during the swadeshi movement • He remained a committed educationist throughout prepared a solid ground for the upcoming Gandhian his life and for this he also established the movement. Explain. Dayanand Anglo-Vedic School in Lahore in 1885.

• In 1907, colonial authorities deported Lala Lajpat Rai Simon commission: The Indian Statutory to Mandalay in present-day Myanmar without trial. Commission

Contribution of Lala Lajpat Rai: • It comprised of 7 lawmakers who came arrived to study the implementation of the Government of India Act, 1919. • Hindu Relief Movement: In 1897 he founded Hindu Relief movement with a dual purpose i.e. to provide • It was popularly called as the Simon help to the famine -stricken people as well as to Commission after its chairman Sir John prevent them from falling into the clutches of the Simon. missionaries. • Congress, Muslim League boycotted it. • Swadeshi movement: The partition of Bengal However, Justice Party sided with the brought together him, Tilak, and Bipin Chandra Pal government. (called Lal-Bal-Pal) and collectively they pioneered the swadeshi movement. Why it was opposed?

• Indian Home Rule League of America in New York • No Indian representation in the City in 1917: He founded Indian Home Rule League commission: The Commission was of America during his stay (1913-1920) in Japan, composed entirely of British members with England, and the United States. no single Indian included in it. This was seen as an insult to Indians as their destiny could • Indian National Congress: He became President not be determined by a bunch of British of the Indian National Congress during the 1920 people alone. Special Session in Kolkata which also saw the launch of Mahatma Gandhi’s Non-cooperation Movement. He also became the President of the All India Trade Union Congress. He was actively Source associated with the Hindu Mahasabha and shared PIB and Wikipedia a close relationship with leaders like Madan Mohan Malviya.

• Simon Commission: Rai was among the leaders of the movement who opposed the Commission and was severely lathi-charged during a protest in Lahore on October 30, 1928. Lajpat Rai led non-

87 I Articulate 2. Keeladi: Unearthing the ‘Vaigai Valley’ Civilisation of Sangam era

The recent excavations conducted in Kodumanal and • Literacy: learnt art of writing as early as 6th Porunthal, have brought about a sea-change in our Century BCE. The letters engraved on pots that understanding of the archaeological developments in clearly demonstrate the “high literacy level of the Tamil Nadu. contemporary society that survived in 6th century BCE.” The Tamil Brahmi script, found engraved on Findings during keeladi excavations in September the outer surface or the shoulder of black and red proved that history of Sangam era earlier considered as earthenware in Keeladi, carries personal names. old as 3rd century BC, is as old as the 6th century BC. • Trade: A few pottery samples of 2nd century BCE Need of the further excavations: do contain earth content similar to that of other regions, thereby suggesting that they exchanged • Link between Keeladi and Indus Valley period: To goods with neighbouring regions. Urban civilisation, establish a direct link between the Sangam era and with brick structures, luxury items and proof of the Indus Valley civilisation. internal and external trade.

• Active urban life : ASI unearthed large-scale brick • Occupation: The antiquities suggest that the prime structures and associated artefacts of high value occupation of the people of Keeladi was agriculture, which suggests an active urban life in 6th century which was supplemented by the iron industry, BC. carpentry, pottery-making and weaving. Samples of animal skeletal fragments suggests the habitants were predominantly cattle-rearing people. The hump of the Bos indicus species is referred to as timil in Tamil literature, which later came to be known as timil. The grandeur of this species, which was also present in the Indus Valley, lies in its hump.

Source: historyoftamizhan.blogspot

Vaigai valley civilisation: socio –economic conditions

• Cultural gap of 1000 years between vagai civilisation and Indus valley civilization: his cultural gap is generally filled with Iron Age material in south India. The graffiti marks encountered in Iron Age sites of south India serve as the only residual links between the Indus Valley Civilisation and south India.

• No religious worship found.

• Industrious and advanced civilisation: Existence of industrial units,Structures that could have been used to convey molten metal or filter liquid strongly point to the existence of people who were involved in industrial work.

Diversity, Art & Culture | 88 Significance of keeladi: A sophisticated urban settlement Classification of Sangam Literature

• It has given evidence of urban life and Based on period of in which it was composed settlements in Tamil Nadu during the Early • Patinenmelkanakku Historic Period. • Works composed in the period between 200 BCE to 100 BCE

• Keeladi has added greatly to the credibility • It is oldest book on Tamil Poetry which has survived of Sangam Literature. • Patinenkilkanakku

• Conch shell: Typical of the Indus Valley • Works composed in the period between 100 CE and civilisation, and which seems to have 500 CE been in extensive use in Indus cities, was • Collection of 18 poetic compositions obtained from [the] south-east coast of the • Mostly composed before the Pallavas period .Major Madras Presidency. works include Thirukkural, Palamoli, naladiyar, etc.

• Most significant finding is the continuous Based on the context and interpretation brick structure that runs over 340 metres • Aham (Inner)

• Abstract discussion on human aspects such as love, • Bos indicus: Is also the icon of the ancient sexual relations, etc. sport eru thazhuvuthal or eru anaithal • Puram (outer) (embracing the bull), which was prevalent in villages around Keeladi,now practised as • Human experiences such as heroism, social customs, jallikattu. ethics, philanthropy, etc.

Sangam Time No. of Kingdom Books • Analysis of construction material: every span Poets specimen contained elements like silica, lime, iron, aluminium and magnesium. First 4440 549 Pandiya No books years survived

• Pottery: the potters of Keeladi were Second 3700 1700 Pandiya Tolkāppiyam familiar with the technique [of using years (author - Tolkāppiyar) carbon material for black colour and Third 1850 Pandiya covers entire hematite for red] and knew the art of years corpus of raising the kiln temperature to 1100°C to Sangam produce the typical black-and-red ware Literature pottery.

• Added value to the discipline of Source Ancientpages.com archaeology.

Sangam period is the period of history of ancient Tamil Nadu and Kerala (known as 3. Tipu Sultan Tamilakam) spanning from c. 6th century BCE to c. 1st century CE.It is named after the famous Sangam academies of poets and scholars The Karnataka government wants to “remove” Tipu centered in the city of Madurai. Sultan from textbooks. Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has announced that his government “is trying to remove Tipu Sultan’s history lessons from textbooks in the state”. Such topics “must not find a place in textbooks”.

89 I Articulate Several soldiers and local chieftains About Tipu belonging to the upper-caste Nair Tipu was the son of Haider Ali, a professional community found a place in his army, and soldier who climbed the ranks in the army of were rewarded with land pouches. the Wodeyar king of Mysore, and ultimately took power in 1761. Tipu was born in 1750 and, as • Agent of social change: The direct rule a 17-year-old, fought in the first Anglo-Mysore of Mysore was marked by extensive land War (1767-69) and subsequently, against the Marathas and in the Second Anglo-Mysore War reforms, due to which local landless (1780-84). Muslims and lower-caste Hindus benefited the most. Tipu reorganised his army along European lines, using new technology, including what is • Land revenue system was also strengthened by Hyder ali and considered the first war rocket. Tipu in Malabar.

• Tipu’s rule is said to have brought instant relief to communities • He devised a land revenue system based on who had suffered tremendously under the yoke of upper-caste detailed surveys and classification, in which Namboodiris and Nairs, who owned much of the land at the the tax was imposed directly on the peasant, time. and collected through salaried agents in • Tipu Sultan is the fearless “Tiger of Mysore”, a powerful bulwark cash, widening the state’s resource base. against colonialism, and a great son of Karnataka.

• He modernised agriculture, gave tax breaks • Tipu has been seen as a man of imagination and courage, a for developing wasteland, built irrigation brilliant military strategist. infrastructure and repaired old dams, and • In a short reign of 17 years, mounted the most serious promoted agricultural manufacturing and challenge the East India Company faced in India. sericulture. Tyrant • He built a navy to support trade, and commissioned a “state commercial • Tipu ill-treated people belonging to other faiths, corporation” to set up factories. and his armies committed atrocities on the people

of territories he conquered or annexed — such • As Mysore traded in sandalwood, silk, spices, as Malabar in present-day Kerala and Kodagu in rice and sulphur, some 30 trading outposts Karnataka. were established across Tipu’s dominions and overseas. • Tipu allowed the untrammelled plunder of temples and churches, imposed hefty taxes on locals, • He fought the forces of the Company four ordered religious conversions of those whom he times during 1767-99. subjugated, and disregarded local customs of

upper-caste Hindu communities. • Tipu defeated the East India Company in wars, allied with the French to frustrate • Both Tipu and his father Haider Ali had strong the attempts of the British to control territorial ambitions, and invaded and annexed the politics of the Deccan and Carnatic, territories outside Mysore. Haider annexed Malabar and sought to challenge the vital trading and Kozhikode, and conquered Kodagu, Thrissur interests of the Company. and Kochi.

• In all these places he burnt down entire towns and Two Different perspectives: villages, razed hundreds of temples and churches, forcibly converted Hindus, destroyed places of worship, forced “infidels” to convert to Islam. Efficient administrator: It is important to know that much of the criticism is • He was Powerful challenger to the British provided by colonial historians. There is also evidence that he patronized Hindu temples and priests, and East India Company who died heroically gave them grants and gifts. He donated to temples on the battlefield. Tipu has been judged at Nanjangud, Kanchi and Kalale, and patronised the favorably in the mainstream narrative of Sringeri mutt. Tipu battled nearly all powers in the Indian history. region, irrespective of the faith of his opponents.

Source • Tolerant: Tipu signing off on large land The Wire and Indian Express grants to several temples, including the famous Krishna shrine at Guruvayoor.

Diversity, Art & Culture | 90 91 I Articulate PIB Corner | 92 1. Bhartiya Poshan Krishi Kosh

The Union Ministry of Women and Child Development Poshan Krishi Kosh (WCD) announced Bhartiya Poshan Krishi Kosh (BPKK) recently. • At the request of the Ministry of WCD the Harvard

Chan School of Public Health through its India Objective Research Center and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will; • The Bharatiya Poshan Krishi Kosh aims to promote • Document and evaluate promising regional dietary practices and reinforce healthy dietary practices both at and the messaging around them and the individual and community level and tackle malnutrition in a sustainable manner. • Develop a food atlas on regional agro-food systems.

Both efforts are aimed at mobilizing the diverse sectors of the • The BPKK will be a repository of diverse crops society. across 128 agro-climatic zones in India for better nutritional outcomes. • In consultation with Ministry of WCD and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the project team will;

The five-point action programme • Select around 12 high focus states which are representative of the geographical, social, economic, cultural and structural 1. Ensure calorie rich diet for women, especially diversities of India. pregnant women and children. • In each of the states or group of states the team will identify a local partner organization which has relevant work experience 2. Ensure protein intake in form of pulses to eradicate in Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) and protein hunger among women and children. nutrition for developing the food atlas. Sources 3. Eradicate hidden hunger due to micro-nutrient The Hindu, RBI deficiency such as vitamin A, vitamin B, Iron and Zinc.

4. Ensure supply of clean drinking water. 5. Spreading nutrition literacy in every village, 2. Harmonised System (HS) code especially among women with children less than 100 days’ old. for Khadi

How need for Bhartiya Poshan Krishi Kosh The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has allocated a separate Harmonised System (HS) code for Khadi. In the emerged? coming years, a move expected to boost Khadi exports.

The Government of India’s efforts towards better Now the code issued by the central government on nutrition has revolved around providing nutritional November 04, 2019 will categorize KVIC products in supplement and other supply side schemes. However, exports. two other approaches are required to complement the Government’s efforts to promote healthy dietary Know the HS-Code practices. • The Harmonised System, or simply ‘HS’, is a six- • One, addressing the challenge of malnutrition at digit identification code developed by the World such a vast scale requires a basic understanding of Customs Organization (WCO). the social, behavioral and cultural practices that promote and reinforce healthy dietary behaviors • It is a multipurpose international product both at the individual and community level nomenclature used by 200 countries in the world. including the variation in such practices across India. • The system used as a basis for customs tariffs, gathering international trade statistics, making • Two, creating the first ever database that links trade policies. relevant agro-food system data at the district, with an aim to map the diversity of native crop varieties • The system helps in harmonizing customs and trade that will be more cost-effective and sustainable procedures, thus reducing costs in international over the long run. trade.

The database under Bhartiya • The system currently comprises of around 5,000 commodity groups, each identified by a unique six-

93 I Articulate digit code that has numbers arranged in a legal and Now, the Indian government has taken up the task of logical structure. making Khadi popular again. Taking serious notes of Khadi’s relevance and its role in reducing the mass • Of the six digits, the first two denote the HS exodus to cities in search of jobs, Prime Minister gave Chapter, the next two give the HS heading, and the a clarion call of making this signature fabric a mode to last two give the HS subheading. attain economic transformation in the nation.

• The HS Code for pineapple, for example, is 0804.30, Sources which means it belongs to Chapter 08 (Edible fruit The Indian Express & nuts, peel of citrus/melons), Heading 04 (Dates, figs, pineapples, avocados, etc. fresh or dried), and Subheading 30 (Pineapples).

Benefit of the Move 3. ICEDASH & ATITHI for Custom

• In 2006, the government had given the MSME- Clearance controlled Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) the Export Promotion Council Union Government has launched two new IT Initiatives Status (EPCS). - ICEDASH & ATITHI for improved monitoring and pace of Customs clearance of imported goods and • The absence of a separate HS code hindered Khadi facilitating arriving international passengers. from achieving its full potential, as its exports were difficult to categorize and calculate. ICEDASH • The latest move is expected to help resolve this • ICEDASH is an Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) issue and also will boost the KVIC exports at a faster monitoring dashboard of the Indian Customs pace than earlier. helping the public see the daily Customs clearance times of import cargo at various ports and airports. • Earlier, Khadi did not have its exclusive HS code. As a result, all the data regarding the export of this • With ICEDASH, Indian Customs has taken a lead signature fabric used to come as a normal fabric globally to provide an effective tool that helps under the textile head. businesses compare clearance times across ports and plan their logistics accordingly.

• This dashboard has been developed by CBIC in Meaning of Khadi collaboration with NIC. ICEDASH can be accessed through the CBIC website. During the pre-Independence time, the movement of Khadi manufacturing gained momentum under the leadership of Mahatma ATITHI Gandhi - aimed to discourage the Indians from wearing foreign clothes. • With ATITHI, CBIC has introduced an easy to use mobile app for international travelers to file the • After independence, Khadi was reduced to Customs declaration in advance. a formal uniform of the political class, and along with its wearers, Khadi too lost its • Passengers can use this app to file a declaration symbolic force. Its charm remained merely of dutiable items and currency with the Indian skin-deep. Customs even before boarding the flight to India. ATITHI is available on both iOS and Android. • In Gandhi’s days, Khadi was a weapon of swadeshi, against the imported cloth. After Key-Benefits of the Initiative: independence, its importance is no less. Gandhi promoted Khadi because the hand- spun cloth was at the center of his vision for • Improving Global Ranking: The reform carried out India’s self-reliant economy. by the CBIC will increase India’s global ranking in the Trading Across Border.

• Increasing Transparency: Both ICEDASH and Re-orientation of Khadi: In interior villages, where there ATITHI can play a key role in reducing interface are no job opportunities other than the rain-dependent and increasing the transparency of Customs agriculture, Khadi-spinning and similar economic functioning. activities can give people a means of livelihood.

PIB Corner | 94 • Encouraging Tourism: ATITHI would, in particular, create a tech-savvy image of India Customs and would encourage tourism and business travel to India.

• Better International Tourist Experience: ATITHI app will facilitate hassle-free and faster clearance by Customs at the airports and enhance the experience of international tourists and other visitors at our airports.

Sources PIB, IBEF, Livemint

95 I Articulate 16 I The Unacademy Gazette RSTV Corner | 96 1. India- Saudi Arabia Relations

For the second time, Indian Prime Minister Narendra • The USA, a net importer oil till a few years ago Modi travelled to Saudi Arabia to attend the Future has turned a net exporter, following the shale oil Investment Summit held in Riyadh on October 29-31. revolution that has made the USA self-sufficient in oil. Key takeaways of the visit • The USA’s strategic interest is no longer underpinned by the supply of oil. • A principal takeaway from the visit includes the bilateral strategic compact with the signing of an • This decaying strategic compact and the rise of MoU to establish a Strategic Partnership Council regional rivalry with Iran, has forced Saudi Arabia (SPC), headed jointly by PM Modi and Crown Prince to diversify its strategic interests by its version Muhammad. It will enable the leadership at the of “Look East” policy by seeking greater trade, oil highest-level in both countries to meet regularly markets and investment opportunities in Asia. and monitor progress in the ongoing initiatives/ projects under the strategic partnership. Q. India’s “look west policy” require similar attention as its “look west policy”. Justify the statement in the light • The SPC will include important Ministers from of growing India-Saudi Arabia ties. both sides handling strategic portfolios.

• Other takeaways include Saudi ARAMCO’s Present state of India- Saudi relations: participation in India’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve and a huge Saudi investment in Asia’s • India’s growing importance in Saudi pivot Asia largest greenfield refinery in Raigad. policy: Against the backdrop of Saudi Arabia’s deteriorating relations with the US and European • The RuPay card has been launched, making nations, MBS, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, is Saudi Arabia the third country in the region, after trying to signal his intent to align his country more Bahrain and the UAE, to join this digital platform closely with Asian powers, including China and that will help financial transactions by individuals, India. particularly expatriate Indian citizens. • Aramco and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) are investing $44 billion to set up the About Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Ratnagiri oil refinery in Maharashtra and SABIC is on the verge of acquiring a major share in a • India has already built 5.33 million tons of petrochemicals plant in India. underground reserves in three locations, which can meet about 10 days of the country’s oil needs. • With State run Saudi Aramco’s bid for a 25 percent stake in Reliance Industries , the oil giant is looking • Delhi plans two new reserves with a combined to establish a permanent foothold in India. capacity of 6.5 million tons, sufficient to cover for an additional 12 days. • The two nations are also looking to work on solar power and satellite technology. • UAE has also contributed to the petroleum strategic reserves in India. • Bilateral trade between Riyadh and New Delhi currently stands at $28 billion, the linchpin of which About Future Investment Initiative is roughly 800,000 barrels of crude India imports from Saudi Arabia every day. • Popularly called Davos in the Desert, it is part of Prince Mohammed’s efforts to rapidly transform • The Middle East unit of India’s top refiner and fuel Saudi economy under the “Vision 2030” that he retailer, Indian Oil Corp, signed a preliminary deal unveiled in 2016. with Saudi Arabia’s Al Jeri Transport Company for cooperation in the downstream sector, including • The ambition of Saudi Arabia is to diversify the setting up fuel stations in the kingdom. Saudi economy from its historical reliance on the oil business and develop manufacturing and • Saudi Arabia has also expressed interest in picking service sectors through liberalisation at home, and up the government’s stake in Bharat Petroleum deeper integration with the world. Corporation (BPCL).

• It is also a kind of image-building exercise for MBS, Strategic relations: the Saudi Crown Prince. • National security advisor Ajit Doval’s Saudi Why MBS wants to diversify the Saudi visited Saudi Arabia recently intensify security economy? engagements as both sides remain concerned by

97 I Articulate defence and security realms. Why West is unhappy with Saudi Arabia? • Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two trips have resulted in the expansion of Saudi Arabia’s oil The murder of Saudi journalist Jammal exports to India, and an increase in the number of Khashoggi and the Saudi-led war in Yemen have Indian guest workers finding employment in Saudi received a lot of flak from the international Arabia. community. Significance of Saudi relations for India:

the ongoing security situation in their respective • Saudi Arabia’s special status in the Arab and Islamic regions. worlds, its strategic location at the trijunction of Africa, Europe, and Asia, and its expansive • During the visit of Crown Prince Mohammed investment capability are the driving factors for bin Salman to India, “Comprehensive Security India-Saudi relations. Dialogue” at the national security adviser (NSA) level and a Joint Working Group on Counter- • Diaspora: India’s citizens make up the largest Terrorism was constituted. expatriate group in Saudi Arabia (3 million) as well as the gulf region (7-8 million). Further, the Indian • The two sides agreed to cooperate in producing diaspora in the region remits around $35 billion a “spare parts for naval and land systems. year.

• Saudi Arabia promised to share more intelligence to • Investment:Saudi Arabia is the 48th biggest boost counterterrorism cooperation with India. investor in India.. Saudi Arabia has signed MoU with India on investing in the National Investment and • Enhancement of joint military training programs Infrastructure Fund. and exercises was agreed in the MoU signed in February 2014. • Security: Because of the large number of workers of Indian origin working in the Middle East, • Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE have shown full security and stability in the region is of paramount understanding of India’s action in Jammu and importance for it. Kashmir and regard it as India’s internal matter. • Energy interests: As Iran drops its positions as • Also Saudi Arabia did not veto Pakistan’s inclusion an oil supplier for India, as US sanctions tighten, on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list in Saudi Arabia will be an important partner for India’s February. energy needs.

• Navies of both countries will hold their first joint • India’s Look West policy: Deepening engagement naval exercises either toward the end of 2019 or at with Saudi Arabia and the UAE could be noted as a the beginning of next year. galvanizing point for India’s Link West policy.

Evolution of Saudi-India ties • Overcoming the Pakistan factor: Strategic partnerships with Saudi Arabia and the UAE have also ensured that overlapping national interests • India’s support for the Soviet Union’s 1979 override the Islamic card that Pakistan invokes, invasion of Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia’s in pursuit of its hostile policy towards India, frequent expressions of solidarity with Pakistan particularly on Jammu and Kashmir. engendered hostilities between India and Saudi Arabia during the Cold War, • Moderate Islam –

• 2006 was a significant year for India — Saudi • MbS’s commitment to strengthen the moderate trends in ties, with the landmark visit of late King Abdullah Islam is positive news for the Indian subcontinent as it will help as the state guest for the country’s Republic Day curbing radicalism. celebrations and the subsequent signing of the • Some of the social reforms of the last three years include ‘Delhi Declaration’, laying down the foundations for limiting the power of the religious police in public places, a review of relations. granting more rights to women, lifting the 35-year-old ban on cinema halls, letting restaurants play music and permitting • This was built upon significantly during the 2010 large music concerts. visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to • Yoga schools are now flourishing in Saudi cities. Riyadh, where the partnership was christened as a ‘strategic’ one with the signing of the reciprocal ‘Riyadh Declaration’ giving precedence to the

RSTV Corner | 98 Significance of India relations for Saudi Iran and Israel. Arabia: • PM Modi visited the capitals of all three power centres of Jews, Shia Muslims and Sunni Muslims • India’s huge market: Saudi Arabia is trying to move alike. away from oil and looking for new investment and economic opportunities in technology and • Terror suspects were deported from Saudi Arabia and the UAE; infrastructure. Here, India offers a huge market with its growing middle class. • technological and defence partnerships were negotiated with Israel; and

• India’s energy requirement: Saudi Arabia wants • The Indian government came to the defence of India–Iran oil sought to fill the void left by the loss of Iran as a trade and the Chabahar investments amidst American supplier of oil to India, owing to sanctions imposed pressure against Tehran. by the USA.

• Diaspora’s valuable service: Over 26 lakhs Indians Saudi Arabia’s main goal is halting Iranian work in Saudi Arabia, providing valuable services influence in West Asia. to the Saudi economy and precious inward foreign This is because of exchange remittance to India. • Sunni-Shia conflict, • Indian Muslims: With estimated Indian Muslim population of 200 million (the third-largest in • Saudi Arabia being a monarchy, it sees Iran’s the world), a friendship with India brings certain republicanism as a threat. Saudi monarchs legitimacy to Saudi Arabia as well. expect to be in power forever,

Concerns: • Attempts at balancing Islam, modernism and secularism in Turkey are similarly seen as a The sectarian-based conflicts and the proxy wars in threat by Saudi Arabia. middle -east • Iran sees the West as an enemy because it • They constantly weaken the Middle East’s security is strongly theocratic while Saudi Arabia will and stability make it extremely complex for India to not give up close ties to the West stabilize its energy interests in the region, much less venture into new domains of engagements.

Yemen crisis: Saudi Cooperation with Pak-China

• As the crisis escalated, the government carried • China is Saudi Arabia’s largest trading partner. out an evacuation operation in Yemen named Operation Rahat in 2015. • Riyadh, sustains an inefficient Pakistani economic infrastructure in return for Pakistani army providing Qatar crisis security to Saudi Arabia and its royal family.

• It erupted when nine countries including Saudi • Saudi Arabia’s $6 billion loan has been critical for Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain cut off all kinds of Pakistan in recent months to allow it to negotiate diplomatic ties with Qatar. with the IMF.

• India responded to the Qatar situation by stating • Saudi Arabia’s entry into the CPEC: MBS has it was an “internal matter of Gulf Cooperation signed deals worth $10 billion for a refinery and Council. petrochemical complex at Gwadar, which lies at the heart of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor • India also focused on its efforts to enable smooth (CPEC) and is central to the broader Sino-Pak and uninterrupted travel for the Indian diaspora in engagement on the Belt and Road Initiative. the country. Way forward Balancing between Saudi, Iran and Israel • Anti-terrorism cooperation: • The fact that India has been one of the world’s • While India continues to face cross-border terrorism (including fastest growing economies since the 2000s helped seaborne threats), Saudi Arabia remains vulnerable to frequent New Delhi get leverage in dealing with Saudi missile and drone attacks including the strike on Aramco’s oil Arabia, Iran, and Israel simultaneously without processing plant. being criticized by any countries. But still India • This is an area where India’s expertise in fighting such threats needs to be cautious while forging friendship with could be imparted to the Saudi side.

99 I Articulate • Cooperation in space technology: India could • Telecom industry has sought an easier payment explore the possibility to engage with the newly schedule for spectrum bought in previous auctions, established Saudi Space Agency. the waiving of penalty and interest arising out of AGR dues , and a 14-year period to pay the • Maritime security: Saudi Arabia has interests to principal amount of AGR dues. play a role in the Indian Ocean region, uplifting cooperation in the maritime security domain from Current scenario of the Indian telecom the current status would be in the interest of both countries. sector:

• Balancing with Iran: India must see Saudi Arabia • India holds the distinction of being the largest as a vital partner, particularly in energy and consumer of mobile data globally. (Refer Image 1.0 defence, and simultaneously see Iran as a gateway Pg ) to Central Asia. • Indian telecom sector’s gross revenue grew from Sources US$ 32.05 billion in FY08 to US$ 33.97 billion in ORF, The Diplomat, South Asia Journal FY19.

* Tele-density is defined as the number of telephone connections for every 100 individuals.

Challenges for Indian Telecom Sector 2. Telecom Sector in India: Problems and Solutions • Financial Health of the Sector: • Gross revenue has dropped by 15% to 20% for the year 2017-18 The Supreme Court of India upheld the Department over the preceding year for the incumbents and overall sector of Telecom (DoT)’s interpretation of “adjusted gross revenue has dropped. revenue (AGR)’’. • It has forced the telcos towards debt crisis.

• BSNL crisis: Distressed telecom firms Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd and BSNL have been incurring losses and have been facing problems in clearing staff salaries in the recent past. The AGR is divided into spectrum usage charges and licensing fees, pegged between 3-5 percent • Rapidly Falling ARPU (Average Revenue Per User): and 8 percent respectively. As per DoT, the The ARPU decline now is sharp and steady, which, charges are calculated based on all revenues e combined with falling profits and in some cases arned by a telco – including non-telecom related serious losses, is prompting the Indian telecom sources such as deposit interests and asset industry to look at consolidation as the only way to sales. boost revenues.

• Delays in the Roll Out of Innovative Products and Services: • This order has added to the stress of the telecom industry which is already reeling under a debt of • Substantial delays in the roll out of data based products and over ₹4 lakh crore and has been seeking a relief services are hampering the progress of telecom sectors. package from the government. • This is primarily due to the non-conducive environment resulting out of government policies and regulations. • Vodafone Idea, India’s second largest telco by number of subscribers, reported a record net loss • Low Broadband Penetration: of ₹50,922 crore, the largest in Indian corporate history, in its self assessment. • As per white paper presented on broadband at the last ITU (International Telecommunication Union), broadband penetration in India is only 7%. Background • Limited Spectrum Availability: • The Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) upheld the DoT’s definition of AGR • Available spectrum is less than 40% as compared to European nations and 50% a s compared to China. (factors against which the license fee is payable) with certain exemptions. • Also, government auction spectrum at an exorbitant cost which makes it difficult for mobile operators to provide • The DoT, however, filed an appeal before the services at reasonable speeds. Supreme Court, citing that the TDSAT had no • High competition and tariff war: Competition jurisdiction on the validity of terms and conditions heating up post entry of Reliance Jio. Other telecom of licenses. players have to drop in tariff rates both for voice and data.

RSTV Corner | 100 Image 1.0

Structure of the Indian telecom sector

• Interconnect usage charge (IUC): Currently only • Lack of trained personnel to operate and maintain calls made via wireless to wireless devices attract the cellular infrastructure. IUC in India.TRAI is considering bringing down • Over the top services: Over the Top (OTT) termination charges due to cost efficiency due applications such as WhatsApp, OLA, Viber and to the adoption of 4G technology. However only so on do not need permission or a pact with a Jio has full-fledged 4G network with others still telecommunications company. This hampers the operating on legacy networks. revenue of telecommunication service provider.

• Lack of Telecom Infrastructure in Semi-urban and • License fee: The license fee of eight per cent of the Rural areas: Service providers have to incur huge Adjusted Gross Revenue including five per cent as initial fixed cost to enter semi-urban and rural areas Universal Service Levy (USL) is one of the highest in due to lack of basic infrastructure like power and the world. roads. • Substantial Investments in 4G Infrastructure: • Poor fixed line penetration: India has very little Telecom operators have already incurred huge penetration of fixed line in its network whereas, capex to roll out 4G infrastructure. Rolling out of most of the developed countries have a very high 4G infrastructure is critical for higher Internet penetration of fixed lines. speed in India.

• High Right-of-Way (ROW) cost: Sometimes, states governments charge a huge amount for permitting the laying of fibre etc.

101 I Articulate Govt. Initiatives

RSTV Corner | 102 • Department of Telecommunication launched , business-to-business (B2B) and business-to- ‘Tarang Sanchar’ - a web portal sharing information government (B2G) segments. on mobile towers and EMF Emission Compliances. • Infrastructure Sharing: By sharing infrastructure, • Six-fold increase in Government spending on operators can optimize their capex, reduce losses telecommunications infrastructure and services in and focus on providing new and innovative services the country. to their subscribers.

• Country-wide Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) coverage • Availability of Affordable Smartphones and Lower doubled – from 700,000 km to 1.4 million km. Tariff Rates: This would increase tele penetration in rural areas. • The Government of India has introduced Digital India programme under which all the sectors such • Curb on predatory pricing: the government should as healthcare, retail, etc. will be connected through fix a minimum price to save the industry from price the internet. war

Committee of Secretaries to examine the • Lower License fee: The license fee of eight per cent of the Adjusted Gross Revenue including five per financial stress in the sector: cent as Universal Service Levy (USL) is one of the highest in the world. A Committee of Secretaries (CoS), setup recently headed by cabinet secretary to consider steps such as; • Reduce reserve price for spectrum auction: Make more spectrum available for data usage. This can be • A two-year moratorium on spectrum payments – achieved through enhancement in spectrum limit. for FY20 and FY21 – to ease the cash flow situation of telcos, • Optical fibre: The government should increase the network area through optical fibre instead of • Reductions in the Universal Service Obligation copper which is expensive. This is necessary to Fund (USOF) component of the licence fee, ensure last mile connectivity. currently at 5% of AGR, and • R&D: The government should spend large on • Spectrum usage charge (SUC), currently around 3% R&D and create an environment that makes India of AGR. capable of manufacturing and exporting hardware components like mobile handsets, CCTV Cameras, Best Practices touch screen monitors etc.

• Monetizing data: Data accounts for only 35% of Telcos are the only stakeholder, in an obvious path to the revenues of Indian telcos despite the spike in full connectivity for the consumer. The path forward is volume. With an attempt to monetize this shift to a leveraging this strength while navigating the potholes data-centric usage, operators across the globe are of regulation, changing technology and consumer expanding their play in content by either partnering dynamics. or investing in content ecosystems (creation, curation, distribution).

• Quad play: Telcos are also evolving from pure voice providers to triple play or quad play players integrating their voice, data and content offerings. It 3. Merger of BSNL & MTNL has boosted the ARPU by three times. The government has approved a merger and revival plan Way Forward for the state-run telecommunication companies Bharat (Refer Image 2.0, Pg) Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telecom Nigam Ltd (MTNL). • Need for smart villages: Penetration of rural markets (72% of population staying in rural areas) Both the companies are reeling under the pressure of will be the key growth driver. mounting losses and increasing competition in the sector. MTNL provides telephony services in Delhi and • Smart cities: The Government is planning to Mumbai, while BSNL is present in the rest of the circles develop 100 smart city projects, where Internet of in the country. Things (IoT) would play a vital role.

• 5G: 5G will allow operators to move beyond Key-Pronouncement connectivity and collaborate across sectors such as manufacturing, IoT, Machine-to-machine • The government has approved the ₹56,000 crore (M2M), and augmented and virtual reality (AR-VR) merger and revival plan for Bharat Sanchar Nigam

103 I Articulate Image 2.0

Ltd (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telecom Nigam Ltd • Monetisation of assets (MTNL). The revival plans come in the backdrop of the Indian • Under the package, 4G spectrum worth ₹20,000 economy battling a severe demand slowdown that has crore will be administratively allotted to the two led to economic growth slowing to 5% in the quarter. firms. Sources • In addition, assets worth ₹38,000 crore will be The Hindu, The Indian Express, Livemint monetised over the next four years and a voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) will be introduced to cut employee costs.

Reasons Behind the Move

• The revival package for the two PSUs comes at a time when the telecom sector is facing financial stress due to stiff competition and reduction in tariffs. BSNL has been reporting losses continuously since 2009-10.

• The competition in the mobile segment, high employee costs and absence of 4G services (except in a few circles for BSNL) in the data-centric telecom market has progressively eroded the competitive strength of BSNL and MTNL.

Significance Revival proposal for the merged entity entails a four- pronged strategy —

• Administrative allotment of spectrum for 4G services (By leveraging this spectrum allotment, the telecom companies will be able to deliver 4G services and compete in the market)

• Debt restructuring by raising of bonds with sovereign guarantee extended by the Centre.

• Reducing employee costs through a voluntary retirement scheme (VRS).

RSTV Corner | 104 105 I Articulate Yojana - Sanitation for a Healthy Society | 106 1. Sanitation economy and dignity of the sanitation workers . One time grant for identifying and converting the insanitary latrines - ₹12,000 (Jal Shakti ministry), and ₹4000 (MoHUA).

• Sanitation Economy deals with the provisions • Minimum wages, safe working conditions and of toilets, clean drinking water, elimination of pension benefits waste, converting Waste into useful resources and digitisation of sanitation system. • The Code on Wages Bill, 2019. - To ensure minimum wages, safe working conditions and pension benefits.

• These provisions help to optimise data for • The Code on Occupational Safety, Health and Working operating efficiencies, maintenance, consumer use Conditions, 2019 - To ensure safe and healthy work and health information insights. environment. • Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan (PM-SYM) - A pension • Sanitation has the potential to contribute in a big scheme to ensure old-age protection for unorganised workers, way to the growth and employment of many other which will benefit the sanitation workers. sectors such as health, consumer goods and new • Under-preparation draft Social Security Code - To provide and renewable energy. benefit to organised sector workers and vast unorganised sector workers.

Status of Solid waste management • Housing Education, Financial Assistance and Skill Development Schemes • The overall solid waste generated in the country has been estimated to be 1,52,076 Tons per day (TPD) • Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Gramin (PMAY) - Financial as per the Annual Report 2018-19 submitted by the assistance for construction of new houses and upgradation of kutcha or dilapidated houses. SPCBs/PCCs. • Pre-Matric Scholarship - The children of manual scavengers, • Of this, 98.5% is collected and only 35% of waste tanners and flyers, waste pickers and those engaged in is treated, 33% of waste is landfilled and 46,156 hazardous cleaning are provided scholarship between Rs. 225 to Rs. 700 per month for a period of 10 months in a year for TPD of waste which is one-third of the total waste pursuing their studies up to class 10th. generated in the country remains unaccounted. • The National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development • Biomining(a method for stabilisation of waste so as Corporation (NSKFDC) - An Apex Corporation for the all-round socio-economic upliftment of the safai karamcharis, to minimise its adverse environmental impact) of scavengers and their dependents by creating alternate means these dumpsites, has been initiated in 11 states. of livelihoods.

• The Self-Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Government’s initiatives Towards Sanitation Manual Scavengers (SRMS) - Onetime cash assistance, Skill development training along with a stipend, and loans for sustainable livelihood. • Swachh Bharat Mission - To achieve an Open Defecation Free (ODF) and clean India • Protecting sanitation workers through Ayushman Bharat - The Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana • A new Ministry of Jal Shakti - It reorganised the (PMJAY) will cover over 10.74 crore poor and existing ministries and departments. deprived families providing coverage up to Rs. 5 lakh per family per year (on a family floater basis) for • Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) - To bring piped-water almost all secondary care and most of tertiary care supply to all households (Har Ghar Jal) by 2024. hospitalisation, with no cap on family size.

• A mission to curb Single use plastic - To avoid creation of 14 million tonnes of plastic waste. Railway Stations’ Cleanliness Survey

• Dignity to sanitation workers (Safai Karamcharis Report-2019 & Manual Scavengers) • During an event to mark the 150th Birth . Changing the perception of the people towards the sanitation Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in New workers - Calling them “Safai wala” rather than “Kachrewala/ Delhi Railway Station, the Railway Ministry Kudewala”. has launched Cleanliness assessment of Non-suburban and Suburban Stations 2019. . Making cleanliness everybody’s business and awareness through eminent personalities. • Key findings of the report: • Legal protection for eliminating manual scavenging| • Top three cleanest railways stations are from the western state of Rajasthan- Jaipur, Jodhpur and Durgapura. 7 out of top 10 cleanest railway stations . The Prohibition of Employment of Manual Scavengers and were from Rajasthan. their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 - to prohibit the employment of manual scavengers.

107 I Articulate • In Delhi, Anand Vihar railway station was the cleanest • At the time of closure a record of site one (26th rank). specific informationsuch as the site • Top three railway zones- North Western Railway history (physical environment & operational followed by South East Central Railway and East environment) and remediation and closure Central Railway. plans need to be documented, retained and • Andheri, Virar and Naigaon railway stations were the archived by the landfill manager. top three among 109 suburban stations. • Example: Waste dumped at Bhalswa, • Various factors to determine the Ghazipur and Okhla dumpsites in Delhi. cleanliness: Set parameters, Passengers’ feedback, Direct observation by third-party assessors and Green-cover at stations. Way forward • Recent Development related to cleanliness in Railway: Swachhata Pakhwada (16 • Maintaining ODF status. September - 2 October) and Ban of Single- Use plastics. • Robust monitoring mechanism at the district and Panchayat level. Source: Railway Stations’ Cleanliness Survey Report-2019 • Circular economy for converting waste Challenges into resources. • Achieving 100 percent in waste • Segregation of waste at source by waste segregation, disposal and streamlining generators. waste infrastructure. • Lack of infrastructure for collection and • Prioritization and faster identification of transportation of waste. insanitary latrines and manual scavengers. • Availability of land for setting up of waste • Effectiverehabilitation mechanism for collection and transportation facilities. manual scavengers. • Budgetary provisions for infrastructure • Creating public awareness for involvement and land. of different stakeholders for SWM. • Techno-economically viable solutions for • Development of ULB–wise action plan for fresh & legacy waste. collection, segregation, transportation and processing of waste. • Management of legacy waste. • Giving fillip to research & development • Rural areas not covered in most of the activities with a focus on resource States/UTs. recovery from waste • Enforcement issues. • Capacity building in various regimes of SWM Legacy Waste: • Clear allocation of responsibility to ULBs • A “legacy waste” is defined as thosewastes and waste generators for setting up of which are disposed at: infrastructure.

• landfill sites at capacity • landfill sites scheduled for closure • Adequate technical support to ULBs for • legacy illegal dump sites processing technology and practices in • legacy hazardous waste sites waste management

Yojana - Sanitation for a Healthy Society | 108 • Adequate voice to the sanitation workers 2. Gram Panchayats: Beyond ODF through Trade Unions.

History of Sanitation Programs: Swachh Survekshan 2020 League to Ensure Sustainability of Cleanliness in • India signed the constitution of WHO in 1946 Urban India • India was a signatory to the human right to water and sanitation since 2010 at UNGA. • Launched by: the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) • The Central Rural Sanitation Programme (CRSP) in 1986 • It is a quarterly (Conducted in three Quarters - April-June, July-September • The Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) - the re- and October-December 2019) cleanliness structured successor of CRSP in 1999. assessment of cities and towns in India. • Nirmal gram puraskar - In 2005. • Each quarter will have a weightage of 2000 marks to be evaluated on the basis of • Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA) was launched in 2012. monthly updation of SBM-U online MIS by cities along with citizen’s validation on the Lessons that shaped Swachh Bharat Mission 12 service level progress indicators through outbound calls. (SBM):

• Two categories of Rank: Cities with a • Underutilised funds. population of one lakh and above and Cities with a population of less than 1 lakh. • More focus on Hardware than the behavioral change. • It will be integrated with Swachh Survekshan 2020 under the aegis of Swachh The approach to SBM-G (launched on 2nd Bharat Mission- Urban (SBM-U). The 25% weightage of the quarterly assessments to October 2014) be included in the annual survey in January 2020. • More freedom in execution.

• The objectives: • Strong public and political willpower.

• To encourage large scale citizen participation • Adequate funding.

• To ensure sustainability of initiatives taken towards garbage free and open defecation free cities • District-level flexibility inadministering the necessary activities • To provide credible outcomes validated by third party certification • Campaigns to increase coverage, • To institutionalize existing systems through online processes • Improving the ratio of financial investment in hardware with strong investment in software • To create awareness amongst all sections of society (i.e. behaviour change communication) with the about the importance of working together towards making towns and cities a better place to live in community-level outcomes.

• To foster a spirit of healthy competition among • The Community Approaches to Sanitation (CAS) towns and cities to improve their service delivery to methodology. citizens, towards creating cleaner cities. • Prioritisation to Women headed, SCs and STs households

Q. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan has been able to bring • Mainstreaming the WASH investments behavioural change among Indians w.r.t cleanliness. and interventions into existing budgetary However cleanliness has been an integral part of Indian considerations. culture right from the ancient time. Elucidate in context of Indus Valley Civilisation. • Strengthening Gram Panchayats’ (GPs’) ability to provide services.

109 I Articulate The SBM - A Global Benchmark For guidance of 2018. Participatory And Transformative Development: • SBM-G targets through progressive investment in GP leadership and ownership.

1. Strategic Focus • Efforts to strengthen the 3 Fs available to GPs: Funds, Functionaries, and Functions. • Political leadership: The Prime Minister himself has invested his personal political capital in the • Achievement of safe sanitation target through the mission. guidance issued by local representatives.

• Public financing: Over Rs. 1 lakh crore was • A newly drafted 10-year Rural Sanitation Strategy committed to ensure universal access to (Sep’19) by MoJS. sanitation. About 90 percent of 10 crore households who received financial incentives • GPs at the centre of coordinating efforts to ensure to build and use toilets, were from socially and that Solid and Liquid Waste Managements economically weaker sections of society. (SLWM) activities are taking place in all villages.

• Partnerships: The SBM-G Partnered with • To ensure the principle of ‘subsidiarity’ - ‘decisions implementers and influencers alike. This “all hands should always be taken at the lowest possible level on deck” approach, making sanitation everyone’s or closest to where they will have their effect’. business, helped to mainstream it into the national consciousness. • Locally sustainable options for off-site door-to- treatment services among rural communities. • Peoples’ participation: The SBM-G trained over half a million swachhagrahis, grassroot • The launch of Jal Jeevan Mission - To provide motivators, who triggered behaviour change in drinking water to all households by 2024. every village in India. A large-scale transformation can be truly successful if it captures the • It is important to converge sanitation programming imagination of the people and becomes a people’s with upcoming water supply work to ensure that movement or a Jan Andolan. water sources remain safe and uncontaminated and that sanitation services are sustained with water available. 2. Administrative Focus Way forward • Efficient on-ground implementation through a target - a sunset clause for the Mission- 2 October, 2019. A sunset clause brought with it a sense of • Menstrual waste management. urgency and accountability. • Safe disposal of child faeces. • Building a team of people who believed that the goal is achievable. • Retro-fitting of pit-toilet models to make them functional and sustainable. • Low-hanging fruits were targeted first - The districts with the highest sanitation coverage • Giving authority to the GPs. to become ODF on priority. This created a demonstration effect for others to learn from and • Sustaining the ODF status through continuous created belief in the system. behavioral change campaign.

• The SBM-G - It made sanitation glamorous by 10-year Rural Sanitation Strategy (2019- engaging extensively with the media, leaverging popular culture, and associating Bollywood stars, 2029) etc. • The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation • The mission kept the buzz alive throughout its (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti launched the 10 Year lifecycle through regular, large-scale events with Rural Sanitation Strategy (2019-2029) the Prime Minister at important milestones, helping sanitation stay on top of public recall. • It focuses on sustaining the sanitation behavior change that has been achieved under the Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin (SBM-G), ensuring that no Giving GPs the central roleThe national one is left behind. Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDP) • It also focuses on increasing access to solid and

Yojana - Sanitation for a Healthy Society | 110 liquid waste management. Protocol and Swachh Nagar”.

• It lays down a framework to guide local • Functions: governments, policy makers, implementers and other relevant stakeholders in their planning for • Facilitates The applicants of Individual Household Latrine ODF Plus. (IHHL) under SBM-U to know the status of their application in real–time.

• The strategy also speaks about potential • It also helps the applicant to upload the correct photo. collaborations with development partners, civil society and inter-government partnerships. • The app also helps the respective ULB nodal officer to verify & approve application.

• It also highlights innovative models for sanitation • It helps in significantlyreducing the processing time for financing. the applicants. Source PIB Ek Bharat Shreshth Bharat

Dhruv : A Unique Initiative For Talented Students ‘Pradhan Mantri Innovative Learning Programme’ 3. Sustaining Behavioural Change • A unique initiative of MHRD. • The SBM which was launched on 2 October 2014 • It will act as a platform to explore the talent succeeded in construction of over 10 crore toilets of outshining and meritorious students and by 2 October 2019. help them achieve excellence in their specific • Because of the enormous efforts in toilet areas of interest constructions, about 6 lakh villages in approximately 700 districts in the country were • The area of interests may be science, declared open defecation free. performing arts, creative writing, etc. • A major feature of SBM was its demand–driven • It has been started to identify and encourage nature. The primary objective is to bring about talented children to enrich their skills and collective behaviour change leading to the knowledge. generation of demand for construction of toilets as well as to increase the use of toilets. • In centres of excellence across the country, gifted children will be mentored and nurtured by renowned experts in different Key Findings (‘Sustaining Behavioral Change’ areas, so that they can reach their full - S.N.Biswas et al, Yojana, Nov’19) potential. • Hygienic kitchen as a separate place within the • To begin with, the programme will cover house is as important as having a toilet. two areas, i.e., Science and Performing Arts. There are 60 students in all from across the • All or some members of about 8% of the households country, 30 from each area. The students are not using the toilet despite having access. have been broadly chosen from classes 9 to 12, from all schools including government • Villages having piped source of drinking water were and private.access to solid and liquid waste more likely to have both access to toilet and use of management. toilets.

• A female-headed households is more likely to use toilets than male-headed households. AI-enabled mobile application for Swachh Bharat Mission • Self-employed non-agricultural household is less likely to continue open defecation. • An integrated Artificial Intelligence enabled • Access to other basic services increases the integrated waste management Application: AI- chances of having access to the toilet. enabled mSBM App. It was developed by NIC • An exclusive toilet is more likely to be used if the • Launched by - The Ministry of Housing and household has access to a dedicated water facility. Urban Affairs (MoHUA) along with the Swachh Survekshan-2020 Toolkit- “SBM Water Plus

111 I Articulate • The chances of open defecation increases if the • Higher income of households with higher distance of drinking water source is more than purchasing power for durable goods would lead to 400 meters from the premises instead of having a better living standards of living and thus sanitation drinking water source within the dwelling. practice.

• The chances of open defecation increases if the • Emphasis on female literacy is imperative for households have no access to the bathroom. better sanitation coverage.

• Chances of open defecation reduce substantially when monthly household expenses cross Rs. 1000

• With better economic condition & better living standards chances of building & using toilet increase.

• Awareness about Swachh Bharat Mission reduces chances of open defecation by 10%.

Challenges regarding Behavioural Change:

• The behavioural factors account for a lesser demand for construction and use of toilets than the other factors like - The design of the toilet, Availability of sanitation materials, Access to water and Political or Social leadership

• Many villages are not homogenous and are fragmented along caste and religious lines.

• Collective behaviour change in a village is easier when the whole village homogeneous but difficult when there are more conflicts.

• Caste-based notion of purity and pollution makes it difficult to construct pit latrines which requires emptying it in future.

• The challenge of behaviour change is often compounded by the diversity in Indian society.

• Lack of the Contextual understanding of the society among the policy-framers.

• The sanitation campaign usually becomes fruitless activities without having local knowledge into the fold.

Recommendations:

• The present programme leaves a scope of the new adoptees to get back to their original behaviour.

• The programme may include the provision of more than one toilet for larger households.

• More emphasis may be given for information dissemination at the ground level.

• Improvement of sanitation is linked with other indicators of living conditions. Hence, it is important to have a better infrastructure at the household level as well as public service.

Yojana - Sanitation for a Healthy Society | 112 113 I Articulate Kurukhshetra - Rural Education | 114 1. Policy and Planning Towards Rural Education

India lives in her villages - Mahatma Gandhi Findings of NSS 71st Round (Jan - Jun 2014)

66.46 % of India’s population resides in the village (The It is conducted by the National Sample Survey Office World Bank data - 2017). 68 % of Rural population are (NSSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme literate, as per Census 2011. Implementation (MoSPI). • Key findings are

Sr. No. Features Rural Urban

1. Literacy (both Men & 71 % of Rural Population 86 % of the urban population Women)

2. Female literacy Relatively slower pace Picking up faster in Urban areas.

3. Availability of Primary More than 90 % of Rural Household More than 90 % of Urban School Household ( within 1 KM from House)

4. Existence of Secondary A far lower proportion of households Relatively higher proportion of Schools households

5. Gender Gap literacy rate Stayed nearly the same in rural areas. Narrowing in the Urban areas.

6. Reason for ‘never- ‘Not interested in Education’ (33% male ‘Financial Constraints’ (33% enrolment’ for persons and 26% female) male and 30 % female) (Ages 5-29 years)

7. Internet access among Nearly 16% in Rural areas Nearly 49% in Urban areas Household

The National Achievement Survey 2017 - by Findings of U-DISE report (2016-2017) - by MoHRD MoHRD

• Assess the attainment of competency-based • Total number of schools (Class I - Class XII) in learning outcomes in all 36 States/UTs. India were 15.3 lakhs out of which nearly 12.97 lakh (84.46%) schools were in rural areas. • The learning outcomes - Similar in rural and urban school-going population. They are higher • Total enrolment in schools was 25.13 crore out for rural students over urban ones for class 8th in of which 18.02(71.72%) crore was enrolment of Mathematics, Science and Social Science subjects. students from rural areas.

• A major thrust on providing rural school Government initiatives for Rural Areas - infrastructure and stepping up school enrolments in rural areas through various schemes and • Expansion of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas. interventions. • Pan-India expansion of Samagra Siksha.

115 I Articulate • Revamped Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas country. (KGBV) Scheme. • The nation has Teacher Education Institutions • Improvements in quality of Mid-Day Meal Scheme. (B.Ed., D.EI.Ed. and other courses) for preparing good teachers. • Unnat Bharat Abhiyan. The Current Scenario • Swachh Bharat: Swachh Vidyalaya.

• Swachh Bharat Summer Internship (2019). • Currently 8.33 lakh teacher posts are not occupied at the elementary stage and 1.11 lakh teacher posts • Revised Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS) are not filled at the secondary level. Scheme. • There is disproportionate distribution of teachers • National Initiative for School Heads and Teachers across school and subjects. Holistic Advancement (NISHTHA) - To build capacities of 42 lakh elementary school level • Increase in the number of schools (Due to teachers, principals, block resource centre implementation of SSA and RTE) have led to coordinators and cluster resource centre increased demand of teachers. coordinators. • Most teacher requirements are still met by a one- • Digital Initiatives - Operational digital blackboards, size fits all ‘training’ approach. e-PATHSHALA, Diksha, MOOCs on SWAYAM Platform, SWAYAM PRABHA (Kishore Manch) DTH- • Not enough focus on improving potential of the TV Channels and National Digital Library of India Head Teacher. (NDL) • Revamped infrastructure and new age pedagogical • Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL) - It is a programme run by practices to the trainee teachers. Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) under NITI Aayog. It fosters curiosity and innovative mindset in young • The rural TE landscape domain is focused at students across India. District Institutes of Education Training (DIETs), primary Teacher Education Centers (PTEC) in addition to the B.Ed. colleges. Conclusion Issues with regards to the teacher: • There are thrust on infrastructure improvement and improvement in education delivery through Quality and unique technological solutions. • The demand for schools and teachers escalated when universal education call met with • The student community has shown great programmatic and financial support ofSarva enthusiasm for e-Resources for learning. Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) in the year 2001 .

• Mushroomed teachers count after introduction of the Right of Education (RTE).

• Failure of The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) to enforce the concerning 2. Teacher Education regulations.Dearth of initiative that exclusively aim to recruit the best performing students. Development in Rural India

• Quality teacher education is lacking. “Ensure that all students at all levels of school education are taught by passionate, motivated, • Many teacher education institutions are ‘stand- highly qualified, professionally trained and well alone’ teaching colleges. equipped teachers”.

The Draft National Education Policy - 2019 • Deployment of teachers - The sudden and unpredictable transfer. • Teachers are builders of our national edifice.A good Teacher Education (TE) would make capable • Issues of drinking water, working toilets, and students leading to a strong and prosperous electricity in some schools.

Kurukhshetra - Rural Education | 116 • Teachers are entangled in other activities, such • Teachers will be held accountable for being absent as midday meal preparation, administrative from school without being on approved leave. tasks, data management, etc. which impacts their • Each head teacher and/or school principal will teaching skills. be responsible for building strong in-school development processes and a supportive school • No regular updating of teaching skills and capacity culture. building. • High-quality material for teachers and teacher • Issues like salary, promotion, etc. in the school are educators in Indian languages not done on merit and competence. • Rejuvenating academic support institutions. Meaning of Widening and Deepening of TE - • All teachers will be able to move into either educational administration or teacher education • Horizontal penetration of TE - The widening of TE after a minimum number of years of teaching means spatial coverage of TEIs to all districts and experience. blocks in the country.

• Vertical Penetration of TE - The deepening of TE The next step involves • To bring in effective regulation. • Enlarging the bouquet of course • Give the desired autonomy into the TEIs. • Bringing in new techno-pedagogical particles

• Leveraging Information and Communication Technology (ICT) • The need is to ensure availability of full staff of in education and teachers in every school.

• Designing and conducting several thematic modular courses for the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) of the • States must develop a core group of outstanding teachers. teacher educators.

Numerous Initiatives - • The material must be available in Vernacular languages for teachers as well as students. • The State Council of Education Research and Training (SCERT) and DIETs would persistently do Conclusion Teacher Need Analysis (TNA) and devise CPDs to address them. Significant focus on Teacher Education in rural areas is

needed with regular training and upgradation of their • MHRD has started National Initiative for School skills so as to bring back honor and pride to the noble Heads’ and Teachers ‘Holistic Advancement profession of teaching. (NISHTHA). • The proposed National Higher Education Regulatory Authority (NHERA) would be the only regulator.

The draft NEP envisages the following related to the Teacher -

• Merit-based scholarships - To enable outstanding students from underprivileged, rural or tribal areas to undertake the four-year integrated B.Ed. programme.

• Recruitment of teachers Through a robust process

• The practice of ‘para-teachers’ (unqualified, contract teachers) will be stopped across the country by 2022.

• Continuous teacher professional development - Based upon a flexible and modular approach

• Adequate physical infrastructure, facilities and For more information about Unacademy Plus, learning resources, along with desired pupil- Please Visit - http://bit.ly/upsccse teacher ratio.

117 I Articulate 3. Map Based Questions

Question 1. Question 5. Recently seen in the news, the Hindu Kush- Which countries does the Korean Himalayan region is a source, to which of the strait divide? following rivers: a) Japan and South Korea. 1. Salween b) Russia and South Korea. 2. Indus c) Philippines and South Korea 3. Ob-Irtysh d) China and Taiwan 4. Amu Darya Question 6. Select the correct answer using the code Which of the countries is closest from the given below Indira point, the southernmost tip of India’s territory. a) 1 only b) 1 and 2 only c) 1, 2 and 3 only a) Myanmar d) 1,2 and 4 only b) Indonesia c) Singapore d) Maldives Question 2. Aldabra Island recently in the news, belongs Question 7. to which of the following group of islands. The strait of Oresund separates which of the a) Maldives two countries: b) Mauritius c) Seychelles a) Finland and Denmark d) Chagos island b) Norway and Finland c) Sweden and Denmark d) Russia and Sweden Question 3. Keezhadi excavation is associated with Question 8. which of the following rivers: The Danakil depression, recently in the news a) Kaveri is located in which country b) Godavari c) Vaigai a) Nigeria d) Krishna b) Kenya c) Eritrea d) Ethiopia Question 4. Consider the following statements regarding Question 9. the disputed location of “kalapani”: The Marawah Island which is a part of 1. It is located at the tri-junction of India-china-Bhutan. Neolithic civilization is located in: 2. It acts as a dividing line for kali river watershed. a) Oman Select the correct answer using the code b) Iran c) Egypt given below d) UAE a) 1 only Question 10. b) 2 only c) Both 1 and 2 The Gyuto monastery is located in the state d) Neither 1 nor 2 of:

a) Jammu and Kashmir b) Himachal c) Ladakh d) Arunachal

Kurukhshetra - Rural Education | 118 Answers

Answer 1. d) Ob-Irtysh does not come under the Hindu-Kush region.

Source: researchgate.net

Answer 2. c) Answer 3. c)

Source: africanworldheritagesites.org Source: simple.wikipedia.org

119 I Articulate Answer 4. Answer 5. a) b) Statement 1 is incorrect it is located at the tri- junction of the India-China-Nepal.

Statement 2 is correct: It acts as the dividing line of the Kali River.

Source: tribuneindia.com Source: ancient.eu

Answer 6. b) Indira Point is a village in the Nicobar district at Great Nicobar Island of Andaman and Nicobar Islands in India. It is located in the Great Nicobar tehsil. It is the location of the southernmost point of India’s territory. Rondo Island, Indonesia’s northernmost island in Sabang district of Aceh province of Sumatra, lies 163 km south of Indira point. India and Indonesia are planning to collaborate to construct a port at Sabang to protect the channel between Great Nicobar Island and Rondo Island.

Kurukhshetra - Rural Education | 120 Answers

Answer 7. c) Answer 8. d) It is a part of the Afar triangle, which is a part of the great African rift valley.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Øresund_Bridge

Source: observador.pt

Answer 9. d) Answer 10. b) It is located near Dharamsala in the state of Himachal Pradesh.

Source: thenational.ae

Source: Google Maps

121 I Articulate Disclaimer

Please note that the information in this magazine, including all articles, does not make any claims. Any information offered is expressly the opinion of the creator/author of that material. It is respectfully offered to you to explore, in the hope and with the intention that exploring this material will be educational and helpful to you.The information in this magazine is intended to provide users with resources and information which they may find useful and of interest. We take all reasonable steps to keep this information current and accurate, but the author does not accept responsibility for any error or omission. The information on this site is therefore provided as is with no guarantee of accuracy, completeness, usefulness or timeliness and without any warranties of any kind whatsoever, expressed or implied. If any aspect of the material appears culturally insensitive to any person or group, that is never the intention. In case any aspect or language of the magazine is considered abusive or disrespectful to any person or group, we assume no liability or responsibility for any such content, nor for any actions taken in reliance thereon. All rights reserved. No part of any of our published work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher.

| 122