editorial
note
SELF-DISCIPLINE:
THE REAL 'SECRET' TO SUCCESS
“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.” – Jim Rohn
Being self-disciplined is half the work done as it catapults
people to become achievers in life. It is required everywhere
for e.g. in the world of sport the relentless pursuit of
excellence as reflected by the likes of Federer, Nadal and
Bolt is a testimony for this. Just like you need oxygen and
food to live, you need self-discipline to achieve your goals.
For a student, self-discipline is to learn new things on
daily basis, and the cumulative effect of daily sustained
learning will naturally be seen in the examination. It
basically requires toughness with oneself so as to overcome
deviations and desires. This tough love with yourself is
actually the greatest gift to yourself because it is due to self-
discipline only that you can make your life meaningful and
rewarding.
Self-discipline makes the entire difference between winning
and losing. But, despite the overwhelming consensus on its
value, it is hard to go through a day without seeing examples
where people simply refuse to discipline themselves. For
e.g. people know that being overweight is bad, yet they cannot
resist high calorie food and thus the ranks of the obese continue
to climb. This happen because people often rely on
excuses which become biggest hurdle when it comes to
achieving goals; they always look like the easiest thing to do,
but in the long run they are going to hurt you.
The positive side is that anyone can become self-
disciplined, as it is a skill and not a trait, so it can be
developed and inculcated in daily behaviour. The rough
side is that it cannot be obtained overnight; you need to
work on it every day. Just like a muscle, you have to train it
every day to make it stronger.
If you are looking to take control of your habits and choices,
here are some powerful things you can do to master self-
discipline, and to live a happier life:
Acknowledge your shortcomings, whatever they may be.
Often people either try to pretend their vulnerabilities don't
exist or cover up any pitfalls in their lives. So own up your
flaws, pen them properly and paste them as daily
reminder.
Set yourself up for success by removing bad influences.
The fewer distractions you have, the more focused you will
be on accomplishing your goals. If you want to improve your
productivity at work, then remove common temptations,
such as turn off social media notifications and silence your
cell phone, which eat up lots of time. Reply to them only
once in a day.
To achieve self-discipline, you must have a clear vision of
what you hope to accomplish. You must also have an
understanding of what success means to you. Figure out
who you are and what you want to become. A clear plan
outlines each step you must take in order to reach your
goals.
Break your goal into small, doable steps. Instead of trying
to change everything at once, focus on doing one thing
consistently and master self-discipline with that goal in
mind. Take baby steps. Eventually, when you're ready, you
can add more goals to your list.
If you believe you have a limited amount of willpower, you
probably won't surpass those limits. Remove
subconscious obstacles and truly believe you can do it,
“The only discipline that lasts is self-discipline.” – Bum Philips
Adopt the above steps for a happier life!
then you will give yourself an extra boost of motivation
toward making those goals a reality.
Have a back-up plan in case of some off days which may
result from social engagements. Try to create an overall
schedule which has space for absorbing occasional
deviations. You will also save energy by not having to make a
sudden decision based on your emotional state.
Even with all of our best intentions and well-laid plans, we
sometimes fall short. It happens. You will have ups and
downs, great successes and dismal failures. The key is to
keep moving forward.
If you stumble, acknowledge what caused it and move on.
Don't let yourself get wrapped up in guilt, anger or
frustration, because these emotions will only drag you
further down and impede future progress. Learn from
your missteps and forgive yourself. Then get your head
back in the game and refocus on your goals.
CONTENTS
Part One 20

Current Affairs Analysis CONSTITUTION, POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

# GS Paper (Prelims) & GS Paper II (Main)

02 NATIONAL DIGITAL HEALTH MISSION

#Mission #Health 20

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS SUTLEJ-YAMUNA CANAL

#Water Resources 22
# GS Paper (Prelims) & GS Paper II (Main)
NEW EC GUIDELINES ON BIHAR POLLS
UAE AND ISRAEL
#Election 24
#West Asia #Geopolitics 02
ARUNACHAL SEEKS SIXTH SCHEDULE STATUS
Limited peace: On UAE-Israel peace agreement 06
#Sixth Schedule 26
ISOLATING CHINA? COPARCENARY RIGHTS FOR DAUGHTERS
#Geopolitics 06 #Empowerment 27
CHINA AND RUSSIA EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN IN INDIAN ARMY
#Geopolitics 08 #Empowerment 28

HUAWEI 5G ISSUE TO REVIEW AGE OF MARRIAGE FOR GIRLS

#Geopolitics 09 #Social Issue 30

ILO CONVENTIONS ON CHILD LABOUR PM-CARES

#International Organisations 10 #Judgement #Audit 32

MHA NOTIFICATION ON JAMMU & KASHMIR

OUTER SPACE TREATIES
#Governance 33
#International treaties 11
PARLIAMENTARY STANDING COMMITTEE
FATF
#Governance 34
#International organisation 13
CONCERNS WITH DEMOCRACIES IN PRESENT COVID TIMES
AFGHAN PEACE PROCESS
#Democracy 37
#India and its Neighbourhood 14
UNITED NATIONS POLICY BRIEF ON EDUCATION DURING COVID-
NEW POLITICAL MAP OF PAKISTAN 19 #Education 38
#Bilateral Relations 16 NAGA PEACE
KAVAZ #Security 40

#Military Exercise 18 DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE

PLACES IN NEWS #Justice 41

# Locations 18 NATIONAL RECRUITMENT AGENCY

#Recruitment 43
PRACTICE QUESTIONS 19
ISLAND DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
#Development 45

i
SCHEDULED CASTE/SCHEDULED TRIBES CAN HAVE SUB-GROUPS CHUNAUTI
#Reservation 46 #StartUps 72

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE ACT, 1963 KHADI AGARBATTI AATMANIRBHAR MISSION (KAAM)

#Language 48 # Manufacturing 73

PRACTICE QUESTIONS 50 TOY MANUFACTURING

# Manufacturing 73

RORO SERVICE
51 # Infrastructure 74

PRICE MONITORING AND RESOURCE UNIT

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
# Govt. Initiatives 74
# GS Paper (Prelims) & GS Paper III (Main)
MEIS
IS INDIA READY FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES?
# Govt. Initiatives 75
#Government Policies 51
ARAKUNOMICS: FOOD SYSTEM VISION PRIZE 2020
RBI’s RESOLUTION FRAMEWORK TO DEAL WITH COVID-19
# Agriculture 76
#Banking 53
KRISHI MEGH
DECODING RBI RESERVES AND ECONOMIC CAPITAL FRAMEWORK
# Agriculture 77
#Banking 55
WORLD BANKS HALTS DOING BUSINESS REPORT
NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR FINANCIAL INCLUSION
# External Sector 77
2020-25
UNIVERSAL RATIFICATION OF ILO CONVENTION
#Banking 57
# Labour 79
CONSUMER CONFIDENCE SURVEY
PURCHASING MANAGERS INDEX (PMI)
#Banking 58
# Index 80
INDIAN DEPOSITORY RECEIPTS
HURUN INDEX
#FINANCE 60
# Index 81
PMJDY
DIGITAL QUALITY OF LIFE INDEX 2020
#Banking 60
# Index 82
PRIORITY SECTOR LENDING NORMS
STATE OF FOOD SECURITY AND NUTRITION IN THE WORLD 2020
#Banking 61
REPORT # Index 83
G-SECS AS SAFE HAVENS
POKKALI RICE VARIETIES 84
#Banking 63
TRIBAL COOPERATIVE MARKETING DEVELOPMENT FEDERATION
GST COMPENSATION: A STICKING POINT IN FISCAL FEDERALISM
OF INDIA (TRIFED) 84
#Taxes #Cooperative Federalism 63
KISAN RAIL 84
TAXPAYERS CHARTER
WORLD'S LARGEST SOLAR TREE 84
#Taxation 65
PRACTICE QUESTIONS 85
IS INDIA STARING AT ECONOMIC RECESSION?
# GDP 67

EXPORT PREPAREDNESS INDEX 2020 86

# Economic Growth 69

PLI SCHEME SOCIETY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

# Manufacturing 71 # GS Paper I & GS Paper II (Main)
HEFA ERADICATING AIDS BY 2030
# Education 72 # Health 86

ii
 INSTITUTIONAL DELIVERIES #Health #Biotechnology 97

# Health 86 INTERNET GOVERNANCE

DIGITAL EDUCATION # IT 98

# Education #Technology 87 VACCINE NATIONALISM

Take the digital plunge 87 #Health 98

COMMONWEALTH HUMAN RIGHT INITIATIVE REPORT SUBMARINE OPTICAL FIBRE CABLE

# Human Right 88 #Internet 100

CODE ON SOCIAL SECURITY (CSS), 2019 T-CELL IMMUNITY

# Report 89 #Health 101

AADHAAR AUTHENTICATION NEW ALZHEIMER’s TEST

# Rules 89 #Health #Technology 102

TAGORE's VIEW ON EDUCATION BIFIDOBACTERIA

# Education 90 #Health 102

INHERITANCE RIGHTS NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IN ARAB WORLD

# Empowerment 90 #Nuclear Power 103

Right by birth: On daughters and Hindu succession act 91 PRACTICE QUESTIONS 104

RELOOK ON THE MARRIAGE AGE FOR WOMEN

# Empowerment 92
105
DRINKING WATER SUPPLY
# Health 93 GEOGRAPHY, ENVIRONMENT, BIODIVERSITY &
NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR TRANSGENDER PERSON
# Empowerment 93
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
# GS Paper (Prelims) and GS Paper I & III(Main)
UNNAT BHARAT ABHIYAN
LANDSLIDES
# Empowerment 94
#Disaster Management 105
SIDDI COMMUNITY
CRITICAL WILDLIFE HABITAT (CWH)
# Community 94
#Conservation 107
PMJDY
EARLY MIGRATION OF BUTTERFLIES FROM EASTERN TO
# Financial Inclusion 94
WESTERN GHATS
WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND EMPOWERMENT (WEE)
#Conservation 109
# Empowerment 95
CHEETAH
RURAL HOUSEHOLDS AND TAP WATER SUPPLY
#Conservation #Biodiversity 109
# Benefits 95
DRAGONFLY FESTIVAL
NATIONAL CANCER REGISTRY PROGRAMME REPORT 2020
#Conservation #Biodiversity 111
# Report #Health 95
BARN OWLS
PRACTICE QUESTIONS 96
#Conservation #Biodiversity 111

NO-GO ZONES

97 #Conservation 112

BHADHUT PROJECT
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY #Conservation 112

# GS Paper (Prelims) & GS Paper III (Main) AIR QUALITY INDEX

DNA TECHNOLOGY REGULATION BILL #Pollution #Index 113

iii
 CHAAR DHAAM PROJECT PRACTICE QUESTIONS 127
#Conservation 114

OXYGEN CONCENTRATORS
#Health #Pollution 114
128
REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE 115 SECURITY
PRACTICE QUESTIONS 116
# GS Paper III (Main)
QUAD

117 # Security #India and the World 128

A new dimension: On Quad 129

HISTORY, HERITAGE & CULTURE How China Strengthens the Quad 129

# GS Paper (Prelims) & GS Paper I (Main) ARMS IMPORT BAN

LINGARAJ TEMPLE # Equipment 131

#Art and Culture 117

ZARDOZI
#Art and Culture 118
Part TWO
KARUNA DOLLS
#Art and Culture 118
Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude
TYAGARAJ
132
#Art and Culture 118
VICTORY OVER SELF
MALABAR REBELLION
#Ethics #Integrity #Aptitude# 133
#Modern India 119
CASE STUDIES for Practice
BAL GANGADHAR TILAK
MAINS GS PAPER IV 138
#Modern India #Personality 119

INDIAN CULTURE PORTAL 121

HIDDEN CAVES OF MAHARASHTRA 121

SATTRIYA DANCE 121

Part Three
ELEPHANTA CAVES 122
Essays of the month
BOJJANNAKONDA 122

KALARIPAYATTU 123 141

BIHU 123
ESSAY WRITING FOR UPSC
REGIONAL HARVEST FESTIVALS 123 # PAPER I 141
KOLAMS 124 ESSAY 1: INNOVATION IS THE KEY DETERMINENT OF
ECONOMIC GROWTH AND SOCIAL WELFARE
MOHINIYATTAM 124
# Science # Society
BHAONA, ASSAM 124 SUBMITTED BY: MUSKAN ARYA 143
GOGONA INSTRUMENT 125 ESSAY 2: CRISIS FACED IN INDIA – MORAL OR ECONOMIC

UNESCO CREATIVE CITIES NETWORK (UCCN) 125 # Ethics #Society

SUBMITTED BY: MUSKAN ARYA 145
DHRUPAD 126
ESSAY 3: GRASS ROOTS DEMOCRACY IS AN EFFECTIVE
GURU NANAK AND BIDAR 126
INSTRUMENT OF GOVERNANCE
URDU LANGUAGE 126 # Governance 146

iv
 Part ONE

Current
affairs
analysis
logical .simple .targeted
analysis & explanation
of all relevant news of the month
 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
# GS Paper (Prelims) & GS Paper II (Main)

Lead Article

UAE AND ISRAEL

#West Asia #Geopolitics

IN NEWS
UAE and Israel have agreed to establish full diplomatic ties as
part of a deal to halt the annexation of occupied land by Israel
sought by the Palestinians for their future state. It makes UAE
the first Gulf Arab state to do so and only the third Arab nation
after Egypt and Jordan to have active diplomatic ties to Israel.

MAPS FOR INFORMATION

FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS 2

 International Relations

MAP OF ISRAEL, THE WEST BANK, THE GAZA STRIP, SINAI PENINSULA
AND THE GOLAN HEIGHTS

WHAT'S THE UAE-ISRAEL DEAL?

The details of the deal are: -

1. Israel and the UAE will sit to finalise bilateral ties and cover
areas of investment, tourism, the establishment of direct
flights, security, telecommunications, technology, energy,
healthcare, cultural exchange, environmental issues, and
the establishment of embassies, in addition to other areas
of cooperation. The joint statement mentioned that Israel
and the UAE would also be “forging closer people-to-
people relations”. On priority, Israel and UAE will work
together to find a treatment and a vaccine for Covid-19.

2. It commits Israel to give up a stated plan to annex parts of

the occupied the West Bank, which the Palestinians view as
the heartland of their future state.

3. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier

vowed to annex the Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
The Trump administration, as part of the President’s peace
plan announced in January, had backed the annexation
plan despite international criticism. But now, as part of the
agreement, Israel “will suspend declaring sovereignty over
areas” of the West Bank and “focus its efforts on
expanding ties with other countries in the Arab and
Muslim world”.

PAST EFFORTS FOR ARAB ISRAEL TRUCE

• Arab-Israeli ties have historically been conflict-ridden. Arab
countries, including Egypt, Transjordan, Syria and Iraq,
fought their first war with Israel in 1948 after the
formation of the state of Israel was announced. The war
ended with Israel capturing more territories, including

FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS 3

 International Relations
West Jerusalem, than what the UN Partition Plan originally
proposed for a Jewish state.
• After that, Israel and Arab states fought three more major
wars — the 1956 Suez conflict, the 1967 Six-Day War and
the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
MAIN INITIATIVES UNDERTAKEN BY THE PARTIES
THEMSELVES AND INTERNATIONAL MEDIATORS
SINCE THE 1967 MIDDLE EAST WAR, WHEN ISRAEL
CAPTURED THE WEST BANK AND EAST JERUSALEM,
THE SINAI PENINSULA AND THE GAZA STRIP AND
THE GOLAN HEIGHTS
• 1967 – UN Security Council Resolution 242: After the Six-
Day War, U.N. Security Council Resolution 242 called for
the “withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories
occupied in the recent conflict” in return for all states in
the area to respect each other’s sovereignty, territorial
integrity and independence.
• 1978 – Camp David agreement: Israel and Egypt agree on
a framework for regional peace that called for an Israeli
withdrawal in stages from Egypt’s Sinai and a transitional
Palestinian government in the West Bank and Gaza.
• 1979 – Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty: The first peace
treaty between Israel and an Arab country set out plans
for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Sinai within three
years.
• 1994 – Israel-Jordan agreement: Jordan became the
second Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel.
• 1993-1995 – Oslo Accords: Israel and the PLO hold secret
talks in Norway that resulted in interim peace accords
calling for the establishment of a Palestinian interim self-
government and an elected council in the West Bank and
Gaza for a five-year transitional period, Israeli troop
withdrawals and negotiations on a permanent settlement.
• 2002-2003 – Bush Declaration/Arab peace
initiative/Road Map: George W. Bush became the first
U.S. president to call for the creation of a Palestinian
state, living side-by-side with Israel “in peace and security”.
• 2002 – Saudi Arabia presents Arab League-endorsed
peace plan for full Israeli withdrawal from occupied
territory and Israel’s acceptance of a Palestinian state in
return for normal relations with Arab countries.
The United States, the European Union, the United Nations
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
and Russia present their own roadmap to a permanent
two-state solution to the conflict.
• 2019: Israeli PM says he intends to annex West Bank
settlements, and much of the Jordan Valley, if elected.
Later, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo effectively
backs Israel’s claimed right to build Jewish settlements in
the occupied West Bank by abandoning a four-decade-old
U.S. position that they were inconsistent with international
law.
PROBABLE REASONS FOR THIS DEAL
• The Iran factor: The old enmity between Arab countries
and Israel has dissipated. The Sunni Arab kingdoms in the
Gulf region such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE had
developed backroom contacts with Israel over the past
several years. One of the major factors that brought them
closer has been their shared antipathy towards Iran
because -
o Iran is a Shia nation.
o Iran is also a military power
o Iran is in the process of developing military technology
The UAE’s large reserves of oil have made it the second
largest economy in the Middle East, and that has allowed it to
grow its military and economic might enough to play an
influential role in the region. Over the past two decades, the
UAE has also focused on curbing Iran and Islamic militancy.
• The security concern: Rise of Islamic State in Syria and
Iraq. Iran has already targeted Saudi civilians with missiles
launched by its proxy forces in Iraq and Yemen
• Making the cancellation of Iran nuclear deal
irreversible
o Both these blocs were wary of U.S. President Barack
Obama’s Iran outreach.
o However, this is an election year in the U.S. and if a
Democratic President comes to power and restores the
Iran deal, both the Israeli and the Arab blocs in West Asia
would come under pressure to live with an empowered
Iran in what President Obama called “cold peace”.
o A formal agreement and enhanced security and economic
ties make the Arab and Israeli sides better prepared to
face such a situation. So, there is a convergence of
interests for the UAE, Israel and the U.S. to come together
in the region. They want to ensure that coming out of Iran
nuclear deal is irreversible.
4
 International Relations
• Growing slow and sustainable ties
o Israelis and Emiratis have shared intelligence initiatives to
counter Iranian influence. When Mr. Trump became the
President, his administration brought these two blocs of
West Asia, both American allies, together.
o In February 2019, the U.S. brokered a security conference
in Warsaw to build a global strategy against Iran.
o Following this conference, in August 2019, the U.S.
arranged secret talks between the UAE and Israel. These
meetings laid the foundations for the agreement.
• Israeli PM in a fix: Netanyahu, who has been facing mass
protests for weeks against his mishandling of
the coronavirus outbreak, a drop in popularity in his
country, and is on trial for corruption, may be banking on
this agreement to revive his image. As Prime Minister
Netanyahu said, Israel made peace with an Arab country
without “our returning to the 1967 borders”.
• Failure of President Trump's foreign policy
o With the US presidential elections around the corner,
Trump may consider this agreement to be a foreign policy
success.
o The deal has salvaged something resembling an
achievement for Trump from the ruins of his foreign
policy.
o His attempts to create a lasting legacy in the Koreas
bombed, while the Afghanistan peace process is still
struggling to get on its feet. US-China relations are on the
rocks.
o Traditional NATO allies in Europe have been sidelined.
Even if the UAE-Israel agreement does not bring Israel-
Palestine peace, the new equations that it will give rise to,
including the isolation of Iran, are already being heralded
in the US as an achievement.
HOW DOES THE REGION’S GEOPOLITICS CHANGE?
• If the Arab states do fall in line, it would dramatically bring
all Sunni nations in the region in an anti-Iran alliance with
Israel that they have secretly wished for all these years.
• Iran and its proxies and allies – in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq,
the Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen –
have been weakened and broken by war, the ISIS and al-
Qaeda. Hezbollah, which Israel has treated as enemy
number 1 after Iran, faces a domestic backlash in Lebanon
after the explosion that has destroyed Beirut.
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
• Turkey and Iran emerge as the strongest supporters of the
Palestinians in the Muslim world. This tripolar contest is
already at work in West Asia. The UAE-Israel thaw could
sharpen it further.
• China has good ties with both Saudi Arabia and Iran. Role
of China will become crucial in deciding the tilt of balance.
• India has maintained historic ties with both Shia and
Sunni world. India will have to walk on the tighter rope in
the geopolitical terrain.
• The Arab Peace Initiative, a Saudi Arabia initiative
endorsed by the Arab League, offered recognition to Israel
in exchange for its full withdrawal from the occupied
territories.
• Ironically, the UAE’s peace agreement comes close on the
heels of the Trump administration’s back-to-back decisions
to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and its
sovereignty over the Syrian Golan Heights.
• Clearly, the UAE has moved away from the Arab initiative.
• The question now is whether the Emirates would be able
to press the Jewish state to relax its inhuman and illegal
occupation of the Palestinian territories and start talks
between the occupier and the occupied. If it cannot, the
UAE-Israel deal would be of little significance for the
Palestinians.
• The Palestinian leadership, on its part, should understand
the emerging reality in West Asia — the Arab-Israel conflict
is coming to a close, but the Palestine-Israel conflict is to
continue without any respite.
INDIA'S STAND
• India has consistently supported peace, stability and
development in West Asia, which is our extended
neighborhood. In that context, India welcomes the full
normalization of ties between UAE and Israel.
• India will also need to watch ties with Iran, which has
slammed the agreement and will see Arab-Israeli tie-ups as
a direct threat to its security.
• The deal opens up new opportunities for India to play a
much larger role in the regional security and stability in the
Gulf, where India enjoys special relations with both Abu
Dhabi and Jerusalem.
• This is a region where India has deep stakes in terms of
energy supplies and expatriate populations. India should
5
 International Relations

use this unexpected opportunity to give itself a bigger role Israel’s suspension of a planned annexation, not for any
in a region which is its strategic backyard. relaxation of the actual occupation. As Prime Minister

• In recent years, China has indicated its willingness to play a Netanyahu said, Israel made peace with an Arab country

larger role in this region, and is close to both UAE and without “our returning to the 1967 borders”. The Arab Peace

Israel and, increasingly, Saudi Arabia. India should make its Initiative, a Saudi Arabia initiative endorsed by the Arab

moves before this market and this extended League, offered recognition to Israel in exchange for its full

neighbourhood come under the Chinese sphere of withdrawal from the occupied territories. Ironically, the UAE’s

influence. peace agreement comes close on the heels of the Trump

administration’s back-to-back decisions to recognise
Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and its sovereignty over the
 RELATED OPINION FOR REFERENCE Syrian Golan Heights. Clearly, the UAE has moved away from
the Arab initiative.
Limited peace: On UAE-Israel The question now is whether the Emiratis would be able to

peace agreement press the Jewish state to relax its inhuman and illegal
occupation of the Palestinian territories and start talks
between the occupier and the occupied. If it cannot, the UAE-
Israel deal would be of little significance for the Palestinians.
The peace agreement reached between Israel and the United
The Palestinian leadership, on its part, should understand the
Arab Emirates has formalised the thaw in Arab-Israeli
emerging reality in West Asia — the Arab-Israel conflict is
relations that has been under way for a few years. As part of
coming to a close, but the Palestine-Israel conflict is to
the deal announced by U.S. President Trump, the UAE would
continue without any respite.
recognise the state of Israel and establish formal diplomatic
relations, while Israel would halt its controversial plan to
annex swathes of the Palestinian West Bank. It is a landmark
agreement given that the UAE is only the third Arab country
ISOLATING CHINA?
and the first in the Gulf recognising Israel. It could pave the #Geopolitics
way for the region’s Sunni Arab kingdoms and the Jewish-
majority Israel enhancing regional cooperation against their
common foe, Shia Iran.
IN NEWS
Israel has said it would focus on “expanding ties with other
Among war of words between India and China, China has
countries in the Arab and Muslim world”, while the U.S. has
waded into Jammu and Kashmir which is India’s internal
expressed hope that more Arab countries would follow the
matter. In this backdrop despite continuous calls for isolating
UAE’s lead — Arab-Israeli relations have largely been conflict-
China, it would be difficult in reality to achieve this
ridden ever since the state of Israel was declared in 1948. For
proposition. So let us analyse as to how difficult it would be to
Mr. Trump who played a critical role, it is a rare diplomatic
isolate China in reality.
victory just months before he seeks re-election. His other
foreign policy bets — Iran, North Korea or Afghanistan — DIFFICULT TO TAKE SIDES FOR CHINA’S NEIGHBOURS
were either disastrous or inconclusive. But in the case of IN COLD WAR 2.0
Israel and the UAE, both allies of the U.S., quiet diplomacy
• In this era of New Cold War or Cold War 2.0 the world at
worked. The U.S. had arranged several meetings between
the macro level, is slowly shifting its allegiance with US or
Israeli and Emirati officials last year, which probably laid the
China especially amid declining US-China relations. India is
foundations for the agreement.
no different despite India not agreeing to a kind of
While the deal has the potential to change Arab-Israeli alignment which US seeks for its own geo-political
relations for good, it also shows how the Arab countries are comforts. However, countries in Asia are in a difficult
gradually decoupling themselves from the Palestine question. position as they do not want to overtly express allegiance
The UAE offered full diplomatic recognition in return for especially with a belligerent China as neighbour.

FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS 6

 International Relations
FEAR OF CHINA – CHINA’S EXPANSIONISTS PURSUITS
SINCE 1970S
• China is clearly more feared than loved (exception
Pakistan) no Asian country has any doubt about China’s
‘imperialist ambitions’, or about Chinese President Xi
Jinping’s authoritarian world view.
• China’s takeover of Hong Kong, rampant land grab in the
South China sea – an expedition which started in the
1970s. In the 1970s, China grabbed control over the
Paracel Islands from Vietnam. In the 1990s, it occupied
Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands, an area of the South
China Sea that the Philippines had always considered its
territory.
• In the 21st Century, China has continued with the same
tactics of taking control over territories belonging to
smaller neighbours; one which attracted international
attention was the Scarborough Shoal confrontation in
2012, when Chinese Marine Surveillance Ships came into
direct confrontation with the Philippine Navy.
• China’s expansionist attitude extends beyond South China
Sea and Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia and South
Korea have all complained about China’s expansionist
appetite. So, hardly any country in Asia is willing to openly
confront China, and side with the U.S.
• Neither the presence of U.S. aircraft carriers in the South
China Sea, the presence of China’s missile sites in recently
reclaimed areas, or the wariness that most Association of
Southeast Asian Nations display vis-à-vis China, has been
enough to make countries in the region openly side with
the U.S. and against China.
• Meanwhile, China is determined to press home its
advantage, irrespective of international law or regional
concerns.
CHINA REMAINS UNFAZED IN ITS EXPANSIONIST
DELIGHT DESPITE SANCTIONS FROM WEST
• What is specially disconcerting is that despite a series of
diktats from Washington to restrict economic and other
relations with China, the United Kingdom’s decision to end
reliance on Chinese imports and call off its Huawei 5G
project, and growing anti-China sentiments heard across
Europe — all of which make for good copy — China
remains unfazed.
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
• China seems confident that its stranglehold on the global
economy ensures that it does not face any real challenge.
• It would be wise for India to recognise that China
maintains a strong grip over global economy.
• It is equally necessary to realise how fickle some of these
countries can be when it comes to economic issues.
Australia is a prime example. Australia made it clear that
China is important for Australia, that it would not do
anything contrary to its interests, and a strong economic
engagement was an essential link in the Australia-China
relationship.
• Likewise, the U.K.’s Secretary of State for Foreign and
Commonwealth Affairs, recently stated in its Parliament,
that the U.K. wants a positive relationship with China,
would work with China, and that there was enormous
scope for positive constructive engagement.
• It is thus more than evident that few nations across the
world are willing to risk China’s ire because of strong
economic ties that have been forged over the years.
• Economic ties are proving way stronger than military and
strategic ones.
• Even in Asia, while a majority of ASEAN countries have
grave concerns about China’s predatory tactics, with the
ASEAN having become one of China’s biggest trading
partners, it adopts a default position. viz., “not to take
sides”.
INDIA’S DECLINING NEIGHBOURHOOD RELATIONS
• At this time, when the dice should actually have been
loaded against China, it is India that is finding many of its
traditional friends being less than helpful.
• While India’s relations with Pakistan had nowhere to go
but downhill, India’s present stand-off with China has
provided Pakistan with yet another opportunity to fish in
troubled waters, including the production of a “fake map”
of Pakistan, which includes parts of Indian territory such as
Siachen, Jammu and Kashmir and Gujarat.
• India’s relations with Nepal, meanwhile, have hit a road
block. Relations have soured in recent months, and Nepal
has gone to the extent of publishing new maps which
show the ‘Kalapani area’ as a part of Nepal.
• In Sri Lanka, the return of the Rajapaksas to power after
the recent elections does not augur too well for India-Sri
Lanka relations.
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• It is, however, the strain in India-Bangladesh relations
(notwithstanding the warm relationship that exists
between Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and
Indian leaders), that is a real cause for concern, since it
can provide a beachhead against Chinese activities in the
region.
CHINA MOVES AHEAD - TRANS-HIMALAYAN MULTI-
DIMENSIONAL CONNECTIVITY NETWORK
• China is, meanwhile, busy ‘stirring the pot’ elsewhere in
South Asia.
• In July, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi organised a
virtual meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Nepal,
Afghanistan and Pakistan,. Here, he proposed taking
forward an economic corridor plan with Nepal, styled as
the Trans-Himalayan Multi-Dimensional Connectivity
Network, and expanding the China-Pakistan Economic
Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan, touting benefits of new
economic corridors on the lines of the CPEC.
• China has also made headway in Iran to an extent, again at
India’s expense. Iran and China are reported to be
currently pursuing an economic and security partnership
that would involve massive Chinese investments in energy
and other sectors in Iran, in exchange for China receiving
regular supplies of Iranian oil for the next 25 years.
• China has also dexterously positioned itself to circumvent
India’s monopoly over the Chabahar Port, by providing a
munificent aid package for the Chabahar-Afghanistan Rail
link, thereby undercutting India’s offer of aid and
assistance for the rail project.
WAY FORWARD
Geo-balancing is not happening to China’s disadvantage. This
lesson must be well understood, when countries like India
plan their future strategy.
CHINA AND RUSSIA
#Geopolitics
IN NEWS
Recently Chinese President Xi Jinping described Russian
President Vladimir Putin, as “my best friend and colleague”. At
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no time since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in
1949 has such public bonhomie been seen between leaders of
Russia and China. It has sparked intense discussion on
whether they are moving in the direction of a formal alliance,
and what that could mean for the rest of the world.
THE KEY TRIANGLE
• The triangular relationship between America, China and
Russia has, for the most part, shaped global politics since
1950.
• The disintegration of the Soviet Union essentially negated
the Russian threat in Chinese eyes.
• For the American Cold Warriors, the road to victory lay
through Beijing; today, the Kremlin seems to believe that
the road to revival of Russian power and prestige similarly
runs through it.
• Hence, a proper appraisal of the Sino-Russian relationship
will be critical to our foreign policy calculus.
COLUMNS OF THE CHINA-RUSSIA PARTNERSHIP
The three pillars on which the Sino-Russian partnership
currently rests are:
1. A peaceful boundary;
2. Expanding trade; and
3. A shared distrust of American intentions.
• Western sanctions have tended to push the Russians
closer to China. Falling oil prices and fears of new
sanctions on Russian gas supplies (Nord Stream 2) are
demolishing the core of Russian exports to Europe, thus
compelling them to depend to an even greater degree on
the Chinese.
• Ironically, even though it is in neither Russia’s nor the
European Union’s interest to hasten a bi-polar world,
western actions to punish Russia have served to
strengthen China’s position in the strategic triangle.
• After the western sanctions, China-Russia trade has
more than doubled to $108 billion, Russia’s central bank
has increased its Chinese currency reserves from less than
one per cent to over 13%, and China has surpassed
Germany as the principal supplier of industrial plant and
technology.
• Most of the Chinese exports to Russia are now at a higher
technology level while the share of labor-intensive goods
has declined. At the other end of the spectrum, Russian
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exports have continued to focus on raw materials,
especially oil and gas.
• Coordinated action in multilateral forums, increasingly
sophisticated joint military exercises, and including
activities with third countries such as Iran, reinforce
western beliefs about it morphing into an alliance.
• China has strategically invested in Russia such as the $400
billion deal over 30 years to supply gas to China along the
1,800 miles long pipeline known as the Power of Siberia.
• Russia remains wary about allowing any dominating role
for China in oil and gas. In fact, over the long term, their
economic interests are divergent. Russia presumably
thinks to control China through its energy dependency, a
situation that the Chinese will not accept; and China feels
that it can integrate Russia into its economy by re-directing
Russian oil and gas eastwards.
THORN IN THE SINO-RUSSIAN RELATIONSHIP
• Chinese continue to nurse historical grievances despite the
formal resolution of the border issue, and still make critical
references to the nearly 600,000 square miles of Chinese
territory that Tsarist Russia allegedly annexed in the late
19th century.
• Russians have concerns over Chinese migration in the
Russian Far East.
• Each still hopes to repair ties with USA.
• Russia has supplied S-400 missile system to China and
Russia does not want China to become self-sufficient in
defence.
• The new reality of Sino-Russian relations is thus one where
substantial expansion of bilateral cooperation is
accompanied by growing asymmetry and China’s pre-
eminence, including in Russian ‘backyards’ such as Central
Asia and the Arctic regions.
• Moscow is in real danger of permanently becoming the
‘junior partner’.
WHAT IT MEANS TO INDIA?
• There has been call by many political analysts to re-
calculate our relationship with Russia.
• There is an opinion that Politically reliable, trustworthy
defence supplier with shared misgivings about the Beijing,
that the Soviet Union was, has long been replaced by a
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politically agnostic, commercially motivated Russia that no
longer shares our concerns about China.
• A strategic partnership with Russia based on the absence
of fundamental conflicts of interest and a shared belief
that some form of multipolarity is better than any sort of
Sino-U.S. condominium, is important for India, and this
relationship deserves more attention from both sides.
HUAWEI 5G ISSUE
#Geopolitics
IN NEWS
In January, U.K allowed Huawei to have a limited role in its
telecommunications network. However after a review, U.K. has
finally decided to ban the Chinese company. This entails
banning U.K. mobile providers from buying new Huawei 5G
equipment after the end of this year as well as removing all of
Huawei’s 5G kit from their networks by 2027. U.S. sanctions
imposed on Huawei has created uncertainty around Huawei’s
supply chain. Let us understand the impact of such restrictions
imposed on this Chinese company and also its geostrategic
importance and India’s response.
THE DOMINO EFFECT
• The US government has banned Huawei from the
country’s networks and has advised the UK, Australia, New
Zealand and Canada to do the same. The US claims that
Huawei’s close ties with the Chinese government and its
army make it a national security risk.
• Last December, Huawei’s chief financial officer Meng
Wanzhou was arrested by Canadian authorities at the
request of the US, with which it has an extradition treaty.
• In August 2018, the Australian government banned Huawei
and ZTE from supplying telecom equipment for 5G
network, citing national security concerns.
• In November, New Zealand’s security services too blocked
Huawei from supplying mobile network kit to a local
company on concerns of national security.
• France also decided to limit the use of Huawei’s 5G kit by
issuing limited term licences.
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• Germany too is reducing its reliance on Huawei as the • Presently, India-China ties have altered due to the border
mood against China has soured across Europe. crisis and Chinese insensitivity to Indian concerns.

• For Huawei, a domino effect across Europe might pose a • India is toughening its posture across domains and it looks
serious challenge given that almost a quarter of its sales rather unlikely that Huawei would get to participate in the
come from the European market. 5G network roll-out in India.

ALLEGATION AGAINST HUAWEI • India is signalling that it is willing to bear economic and
technological costs if it means limiting Chinese
1. Close ties of Huawei with the communist government -
involvement in critical infrastructure.
it was founded by an engineer who has earlier worked in
PLA and is also a member of the Communist Party • Losing such a large market might be a devastating blow to
of China. Journalist Richard McGregor, the author of The Huawei.
Party: The Secret World of China’s Communist Rulers, had • It is becoming increasingly clear that the decision on
claimed that Huawei has received state support at crucial Huawei is not merely a technological or economic decision
points in its development. but a fundamentally political decision for most countries.
2. National security risk due to hidden backdoors in the • China’s decision to weaponize trade and technology ties
software - The concerns are over a perceived security risk might now come back to haunt it as other nations begin to
posed by Huawei to countries it is operating in. For pay back in the same coin.
example, as per a report in Bloomberg quoting security
briefing documents from 2009 and 2011 of Vodafone,
which was using Huawei equipment, Vodafone had ILO CONVENTIONS ON
identified hidden backdoors in the software that could
have given Huawei unauthorized access to the carrier’s CHILD LABOUR
fixed-line network in Italy. According to the report,
Vodafone had asked Huawei to remove backdoors in #International Organisations
home routers in 2011 and received assurances that the
issues were fixed, but further testing revealed that the
security vulnerabilities remained. IN NEWS
3. Skirting US sanctions - U.S accuses Huawei of running a ILO Convention No. 182 is the first ILO Convention to achieve
Hong Kong-based company, Skycom, as an unofficial universal ratification.
subsidiary to obtain US-origin goods, technology and
services, including banking services, otherwise prohibited
THINGS TO KNOW
to China. • The two ILO Conventions on child labour are Convention
No.138 on Minimum Age and Convention No. 182 on
INDIA’S RESPONSE
the Worst Forms of Child Labour. These Conventions are
• In India, there has been confusion among telecom “fundamental” Conventions.
operators on what to do about Huawei when they switch
• This means that, under the ILO Declaration on
to 5G networks. Huawei network equipment has been
Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, all ILO
used by Vodafone Idea and Airtel in many circles, but the
member States have an obligation to respect, promote and
Chinese company has still not got a nod on 5G trials.
realize the abolition of child labour, even if they have not
Huawei and ZTE were barred from taking part in the trials
ratified the Conventions in question.
initially.
• ILO Convention No. 182 is the first ILO Convention to
• The Indian response is being closely watched: Last year,
achieve universal ratification. It was also the most
India had allowed Huawei to participate in 5G trials which
rapidly ratified Convention in the history of the ILO, with
could not happen because of the disruptions caused by
the majority of ratifications occurring within the first 3
the pandemic.

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OUTER SPACE TREATIES

years after it was adopted in 1999. ILO Convention No. 138
has also been widely ratified by ILO member States.

• A majority of countries have now adopted legislation to

prohibit or place severe restrictions on the employment
and work of children, much of it following ratification of
the child labour Conventions.
• In spite of these efforts, child labour continues to exist on
a massive scale, sometimes in appalling conditions,
particularly in the developing world. This is because child
labour is an immensely complex issue. It cannot be made
to disappear simply by the stroke of a pen.
• Nevertheless, the basis of determined and concerted
action must be legislation, which sets the total elimination
of child labour as the ultimate goal of policy, and puts
measures into place for this purpose, and which explicitly
identifies and prohibits the worst forms of child labour to
be eliminated as a matter of priority.
• India has ratified both the conventions.
CONVENTION NO. 182 ON THE WORST FORMS OF
CHILD LABOUR COMPRISE OF:
a. all forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery, such as
the sale and trafficking of children, debt bondage and
serfdom and forced or compulsory labour, including
forced or compulsory recruitment of children for use in
armed conflict;
b. the use, procuring or offering of a child for prostitution, for
the production of pornography or for pornographic
performances;
c. the use, procuring or offering of a child for illicit activities,
in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs as
defined in the relevant international treaties;
d. work which, by its nature or the circumstances in which it
is carried out, is likely to harm the health, safety or morals
of children.
#International treaties
IN NEWS
Outer Space has been the arena of most memorable
demonstrations since second world war. Russian Sputnik (first
artificial space satellite) and American Apollo 11 (Landed on
moon) were seen as symbols of geopolitical competition during
the cold war era. Even during the COVID pandemic a lot of
space related activity has taken place.
This highlights that outer space is witnessing unprecedented
activity. In this background let us understand the need for
reforming the present treaties that govern the outer space.
RECENTLY LAUNCHED MISSIONS
• Tianwen-1 - Chinese Mars mission
• Hope orbiter - United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) Mars Mission
• A six-wheeled rover named Perseverance to Mars -
USA
• The first astronaut trip to orbit on a commercial enterprise
built by Space X.
• ‘BeiDou’ - Chinese satellite navigation system
• Russia conducted a “non-destructive test of a space-based
anti-satellite weapon”
• This highlights that outer space is witnessing
unprecedented activity.
OUTER SPACE TREATIES
There are five UN treaties relating to activities in Outer Space.
The primary treaty is the Outer Space Treaty, 1967.

Outer Space Treaty 1967

SUMMARY
The Outer Space Treaty was signed in
January of 1967 and entered into force in
October of that same year. The
significant principles behind its 35-year
Article III reiterates that "exploration
and use of outer space" will be carried
out "in accordance with international
law, including the Charter of the United
Nations..."
Article IX ensures the peaceful uses of
outer space exploration; if one State
Part/ believes that the activities of
another State Party "would cause
potentially harmful interference" with

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success include the prohibition of Article IV prohibits the deployment of the activities of other States Parties in
nuclear weapons in space, and the "nuclear weapons or any other kinds of outer space, "appropriate international
guarantee of cooperation between states weapons of mass destruction... in outer consultations" can be called for;
in all peaceful uses of outer space. space..." It further prohibits "the Article X states that all launches may be
However, with the rapid development of establishment of military bases, observed by other States Parties, but
laser technology, outer space can easily installations and fortifications, the testing that this opportunity "and the conditions
be militarized without the deployment of of any type of weapons and the conduct under which it could be afforded shall be
nuclear weapons. Furthermore, with the of military manoeuvers on celestial determined by agreement between the
US' stated plans of "dominating the bodies..." States";
space dimension of military Article V renders "astronauts as envoys Article XI calls for States Parties to
operations...(and) integrating space of mankind" and shall be assisted in any inform the Secretary-General, the public,
[2]
forces into war fighting capabilities of full way by all countries; and "the international scientific
[1]
spectrum of conflict," the Treaty is Article VI upholds nation-states as the community" of all of its activities in outer
insufficient against saving outer space bearer of responsibility for all activities in space "to the greatest extent possible."
from weaponisation. outer space, including those conducted The Secretary-GeneraI in turn
Article I maintains that "the exploration by nongovernmental entities; disseminates this information
and use of outer space... shall be carried furthermore, all activities require "immediately and effectively";
out for the benefit and in the interests of "authorization and continuing Article XII ensures that all installations
all countries..." supervision" by nation-states; and equipment are open to other States
Article II states that "outer space... is not Article VII holds a State Party Parties "on a basis of reciprocity";
subject to national appropriation by "internationally liable" if an object Article XIII holds all States Parties
claim of sovereignty..." launched into outer space should inflict responsible for resolving disputes under
damage onto the territory of another this Treaty.
[3]
State Party;
Article VIII maintains that a State Party
has control over any object that they
launch into space;

1 U.S. Space Command's Vision for 2020. http://www.peaceactionme.org/vision.html

2 The 1968 Rescue Agreement (formally titled as the Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts and the
Return of Objects Launched into Outer Space).
http://www.islandone.org/Treaties/BH523.html further elucidates the principles contained in Article V of the Outer Space
Treaty.
3 In 1972, 87 countries signed the "Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects, which further
elucidates the compensation and liability clauses contained in Article VII of the Outer Space Treaty. Available at:
http://www.idandone.org/Treaties/BH595.html

• The four other treaties are: o The Registration Convention of 1975 requires States to

o The Rescue Agreement of 1968 requires States to assist register all objects launched into outer space with the

an astronaut in case of accident, distress, emergency or United Nations.

unintended landing. o The Moon Agreement of 1979 elaborates on the

o The Liability Convention of 1972 establishes the provisions of the Outer Space Treaty as they apply to the

standards of liability for damage caused by space objects. Moon and other celestial bodies.

Note: India has signed all the five treaties but only ratified
four whereby Moon Agreement is pending.

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 International Relations
Challenges in fulfilling the potential of space: The outer
space is becoming democratised, commercialised and
crowded, the multilateral framework for its governance is
becoming obsolete. Since most of the Treaties governing the
outer space were finalised in 1960s-70s.
ISSUES WITH THE PRESENT FRAMEWORK
• Space law does not have a dispute settlement mechanism,
is silent on collisions and debris, and offers insufficient
guidance on interference with others’ space assets.
• These gaps heighten the potential for conflict in an era of
congested orbits and breakneck technological change.
ISSUES WITH LEGAL FRAMEWORK
The legal framework is state-centric, places responsibility on
states alone. Non-state entities are now in the fray for
commercial space exploration and utilisation.
SPACE ARMS RACE
• Space arms race is inevitable. Example - Russia conducted
a “non-destructive test of a space-based anti-satellite
weapon”. India's Mission Shakti.
• Despite concerns about military activity in outer space for
long, not much progress has been made in addressing
them.
• Various initiatives to counter the Space arms race have not
made any progress.
EXPANSION OF SPACE INDUSTRY
• Declining cost of space missions - A decade ago NASA’s
space shuttle cost about $54,500 per kg; now, SpaceX’s
Falcon 9 advertises a cost of $2,720 per kg. In a decade,
the cost could be less than $100 per kg. Reduced cost
enhances human space travel possibilities by leveraging
new commercial capabilities.
• According to a Bank of America Report, the $350 billion
space market today will touch $2.7 trillion by 2050.
• Starlink, the constellation being constructed by SpaceX to
provide global Internet access, plans more than 10,000
mass-produced small satellites in low Earth orbit. It aims at
transcending the digital divide and provide everyone,
everywhere access to services such as distance education
and telemedicine.
• Amazon’s Project Kuiper - will launch more than 3,000
micro-satellites.
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• Projection - 80,000 satellites could be in space compared
to less than 3,000 at present.
WAY FORWARD
The world needs a space legislation enabling coherence
across technical, legal, commercial, diplomatic and defence
goals. Our space vision also needs to address global
governance, regulatory and arms control issues. As space
opens up our space vision needs broadening too.
FATF
#International organisation
IN NEWS
Pakistan was earlier placed on the grey list by the FATF last
year for failing to curb anti-terror financing. It has been
scrambling in recent months to avoid being added to a list of
countries deemed non-compliant with anti-money laundering
and terrorist financing regulations
ABOUT FATF
• The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is the global money
laundering and terrorist financing watchdog.
• The inter-governmental body sets international standards
that aim to prevent these illegal activities and the harm
they cause to society.
• As a policy-making body, the FATF works to generate the
necessary political will to bring about national legislative
and regulatory reforms in these areas.
• With more than 200 countries and jurisdictions committed
to implementing them. The FATF has developed the
FATF Recommendations, or FATF Standards, which
ensure a co-ordinated global response to prevent
organised crime, corruption and terrorism.
• They help authorities go after the money of criminals
dealing in illegal drugs, human trafficking and other
crimes.
• The FATF also works to stop funding for weapons of
mass destruction.
• The FATF reviews money laundering and terrorist
financing techniques and continuously strengthens its
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standards to address new risks, such as the regulation of
virtual assets, which have spread as cryptocurrencies gain
popularity.
• The FATF monitors countries to ensure they implement the
FATF Standards fully and effectively, and holds countries to
account that do not comply.
• FATF does not address at all issues related to low tax
jurisdiction or tax competition.
• The FATF mandate focuses only on the fight against
laundering of proceeds of crimes and the financing of
terrorism.
FATF ‘40+9’
• FATF issues a report containing a set of Forty
Recommendations, which are intended to provide a
comprehensive plan of action needed to fight against
money laundering.
• In 2001, the development of standards in the fight against
terrorist financing was added to the mission of the FATF
thereby further adding 9 Special Recommendations.
• FATF has formed 40 recommendations against money
laundering and 9 special recommendations against
terrorist financing, which forms the commonly known
‘40+9’ FATF Standards.
MUTUAL EVALUATIONS
• The FATF conducts peer reviews of each member to assess
levels of implementation of the FATF Recommendations.
• It provides an in-depth description and analysis of each
country’s system for preventing criminal abuse of the
financial system.
FATF LISTINGS
• FATF issues a list of ‘Non-Cooperative Countries or
Territories’ (NCCTs), commonly called the FATF Blacklist.
• These countries or territories are considered to be
uncooperative in international efforts against money
laundering and terrorism financing.
• The grey list is a list of countries or territories with
strategic anti-money laundering/countering the financing
of terrorism deficiencies for which they have developed an
action plan with the FATF.
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AFGHAN PEACE PROCESS
#India and its Neighbourhood
IN NEWS
Taliban announced cease fire for three days during Id-ul-Adha.
The Taliban’s ceasefire was seen as an opportunity to kick-
start intra-Afghan peace talks. In this background, let us
understand the issue of Afghan peace process and India’s
stand on the issue.
WHY IS CEASE FIRE ANNOUNCEMENT IMPORTANT?
• Since 2001 Taliban has announced ceasefire only thrice. In
June 2018 and May this year, the Taliban had announced
ceasefire to mark the end of the holy month of Ramzan.
But it did not extend the ceasefire on both the occasions.
• This time the ceasefire could be extended because Taliban
and the Afghan government are planning to start the
intra-Afghan talks that were promised in the U.S.-
Taliban deal.
• These talks were to begin in March. But both sides failed to
reach an agreement on prisoner exchange, which the U.S.
had agreed with the Taliban.
US - TALIBAN PEACE DEAL
Through this the US agreed to:
• Within the first 135 days of the deal the US will reduce its
forces in Afghanistan to 8,600, with allies also drawing
down their forces proportionately.
• The deal also provides for a prisoner swap arrangement.
Some 5,000 Taliban prisoners and 1,000 Afghan security
force prisoners were to be exchanged in March when talks
between the Taliban and the Afghan government were due
to start.
• The US will also lift sanctions against the Taliban and work
with the UN to lift its separate sanctions against the group.
ISSUES WITH THE PEACE DEAL
• In the peace deal US did not insist on a ceasefire.
• USA kept the Afghanistan government out of the peace
process.
• Due to this Afghanistan has witnessed continuous violence
led by the Taliban.
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• The recently held presidential elections witnessed a very • He backed off, but only after being appointed the head of
low voter turnout. the High Council for National Reconciliation that will lead

• As a result, the main opposition candidate Abdullah talks with the Taliban

Abdullah did not recognise the elected government. • Due to this, the Taliban has an upper hand in the
prevailing situation in Afghanistan.

UN SECRETARIAT - 6+2+1 MEETING • 6 neighbours of Afghanistan (China, Iran, Pakistan,

Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan), 2 global players
• UN Secretariat held a “6+2+1” meeting on regional efforts
(the USA and Russia) and 1 (Afghanistan) attended the
to support peace in Afghanistan.
meeting.

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• India was not invited to this meeting • Establishment of democratic process with respect for
human rights, including women’s rights.
WHY INDIA WAS NOT INVITED IN THE MEETING?
• The peace process should not leave any ungoverned
• It was sighted that India shares no physical boundary with
spaces where terrorists and their proxies can relocate.
Afghanistan.

• India never announced its support to the US Taliban

WHY AFGHANISTAN IS IMPORTANT TO INDIA?
peace process • Regional Balance of Power: Afghanistan is tied to India’s

• India’s resistance to publicly talking to Taliban has also vision of being a regional leader and a great power,

contributed to absence of invitation. coupled with its competition with China over resources
and its need to counter Pakistani influence.
INDIA'S CONCERNS ABOUT THE PEACE DEAL
• India’s ability to mentor a nascent democracy will go a long
• India has thus far not recognized the Taliban, which has
way to demonstrate to the world that India is indeed a
had links with terror groups like the Lashkar – e - Toiba major power, especially a responsible one.
and Jaish - e - Mohammad, who have targeted Indians in
• India’s interest in Afghanistan relates to its need to reduce
Afghanistan. India was also not invited to a UN-led regional
Pakistani influence in the region.
conference on the peace process.
• Energy Security: The pipeline project TAPI (Turkmenistan-
• India wants the democratically elected government of
Afghanistan-Pakistan-India), which seeks to connect an
Ashraf Ghani government to continue in office as it is more
energy-rich Central to South Asia, will only see the light of
friendly towards India.
the day if stability is established in Afghanistan
• Taliban as an organization gets a lot of support from
• Strategic Location: For access to the landlocked Central
Pakistan and ISI and hence, Taliban, victory in the peace
Asian countries that border Afghanistan.
deal would be a blow to India’s effort to reach to Central
Asia and positively engage Afghan government. • Natural Resources: The country is home to resource
deposits worth one trillion dollars, according to the US
• If Taliban comes to power, then there is a high chance that
Geological Survey.
China will get free access to Afghanistan and this will be
another blow to India’s strategic interests. • Regional Security: A stable Afghanistan is important for
regional security in South Asia.
• Above all, if Taliban comes to power then India’s effort to
fight terrorism in Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir
may also suffer a blow.

INDIA’S STAND ON AFGHAN PEACE PROCESS

NEW POLITICAL MAP OF
• The peace process has to be Afghan-led, Afghan-owned PAKISTAN
and Afghan-controlled.
#Bilateral Relations
• Afghanistan should build national consensus for talks with
the Taliban.

• India was among the countries that had refused to

IN NEWS
recognise the Taliban regime of 1996-2001, as Taliban’s
growth in Afghanistan was being driven by deep state in On the eve of the first anniversary of the withdrawal of Jammu
Pakistan and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 and its
bifurcation into Union territories, Pakistan released a new
• All initiatives and processes must include all sections of the
political map which depicts J&K as a disputed territory, and
Afghan society, including the legitimately elected
claims the regions of Sir Creek and the erstwhile state
government.
of Junagadh in Gujarat as part of its territory,
• Any process should respect the constitutional legacy and
political mandate.

FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS 16

 International Relations
PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW POLITICAL MAP OF
PAKISTAN
• The map depicts the entirety of Jammu and Kashmir as a
disputed territory while also incorporating Siachen as part
of Pakistan.
• It does not show any borders in the east of Kashmir,
where China illegally occupied Aksai Chin.
• It also incorporates Sir Creek into Pakistani territory as well
as parts of the erstwhile princely state of Junagadh.
INDIA’S REACTION
• Ministry of External Affairs has categorised this effort by
Pakistan as political absurdity” and accused Pakistan of
attempting a form of “territorial aggrandisement (an act
undertaken to increase one’s power and influence or to
draw attention to your own importance) supported by
cross-border terrorism.
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
• The map also shows the Federally Administered Tribal
Areas as being part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
• In the new map of Pakistan, it draws a line demarcating
Gilgit-Baltistan separately from the part of Kashmir under
its control (Pakistan occupied Kashmir), and renames
Jammu and Kashmir as “Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu
and Kashmir” and has left the claim line with Ladakh
unclear.
• These ridiculous assertions have neither legal validity nor
international credibility.
• In fact, this new effort only confirms the reality of
Pakistan’s obsession with territorial aggrandisement
supported by cross-border terrorism.
17
 International Relations

KAVAZ
• A huge explosion near the centre of Beirut killed around
200 people, sending shockwaves across the Lebanese
capital.
#Military Exercise
• Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon.

CYPRUS
IN NEWS
India has withdrawn its participation in Kavkaz 2020
multinational exercise in Russia in September due to the
participation of Chinese troops.
• Russia and India are close and privileged strategic
partners. At Russia’s invitation, India has been participating
in many international events. However, in view of the
pandemic and consequent difficulties in exercise, including
arrangements of logistics, India has decided not to send
the contingent to Kavkaz 2020.
• The same has been informed to the Russian side. Other
reasons include participation of Chinese troops and the • Turkey said it will hold a military exercise off northwest
Georgian breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Cyprus, amid growing tension with Greece over disputed
Ossetia which have been recognized only by Russia and a claims to exploration rights in the east Mediterranean.
few other countries.
• The long-running dispute between Turkey and Greece,
• The invitees to Kavkaz 2020 strategic command-post both NATO members, flared after the two countries
exercise, also referred to as Caucasus-2020, is to be held agreed rival accords on their maritime boundaries with
in Astrakhan in Southern Russia in September. It includes
Libya and Egypt, and Turkey sent a survey vessel into
Pakistan, Turkey and other member-states of the Shanghai
contested waters.
Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
• Both sides have held military exercises in the east
Mediterranean, highlighting the potential for the dispute to

PLACES IN NEWS escalate into confrontation.

• Turkey issued a NAVTEX notice — an advisory message to

# Locations mariners — saying it would be holding a “gunnery
exercise” off northwest Cyprus.
BEIRUT – LEBANON

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 International Relations

practice questions

MCQs
Q1. Sinai Peninsula sometimes seen in the news is (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
located in which of the following countries?
(a) Israel (b) Egypt Q4. Which of the following statements is/are correct
(c) Lebanon (d) Syria about the Financial Action Task force (FATF)?
1. It works to stop funding for weapons of mass destruction
Q2. Gulf of Aqaba is located in which of the following 2. It addresses issues related to low tax jurisdiction or tax
seas ? competition.
(a) Mediterranean Sea (b) Persian Gulf Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(c) Red Sea (d) North Sea (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Q3. West bank sometimes seen in news shares borders
with which of the following countries? Q5. Cyprus sometimes seen in the news is located in
1. Israel 2. Jordan which of the following seas?
3. Syria (a) Mediterranean Sea (b) Persian Gulf
Select the correct answer using the code given below: (c) Red Sea (d) North Sea
(a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2 only

descriptive Questions
Q1. Explain how the UAE – Israel agreement will impact the geopolitics of the region? What should be India’s stand on the
agreement? (250 Words)

Q2. “Multilateralism and Strategic autonomy have always been a part of India’s Foreign policy”. Discuss. (250 Words)

Answers to above MCQs: 1 (b), 2 (c), 3 (b), 4(a), 5(a)

FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS 19

 CONSTITUTION, POLITY AND
GOVERNANCE
# GS Paper (Prelims) & GS Paper II (Main)

Lead Article
NATIONAL DIGITAL
treatments, all historical health records etc. All these
records will be stored in a common database through a

HEALTH MISSION
single National Health Identity Card.

• The National Digital Health Mission includes health ID,

#Mission #Health digidoctor, telemedicine, e-pharmacy, healthcare registry
and personal health records digitally stored.

CREATION OF AN INTEGRATED HEALTH

IN NEWS INFRASTRUCTURE
As part of Independence Day Speech, Prime Minister Narendra • Integration of health care activities - NDHM is holistic
Modi unveiled the National Digital Health Mission and voluntary healthcare programme which will integrate
(NDHM) where every Indian will get a Health Identity Card doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, insurance companies to
which will have health details of all Indians. create a digital health infrastructure.
The National Health Authority (NHA), an attached office of the • Core Building Blocks - The core building blocks of NDHM
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare which runs the Ayushman such as Health ID, Digi-Doctor and Health Facility Registry
Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, will design, build, shall be owned, operated and maintained by the
roll-out and implement the NDHM. Government of India.

VISION & AIM OF NATIONAL DIGITAL HEALTH
MISSION (NDHM)
• The vision of NDHM is to create a national digital health
ecosystem which provides timely and efficient access to
inclusive, affordable, and safe healthcare to all citizens.
• Aim to significantly improve the efficiency, effectiveness,
and transparency of health service delivery and will be a
major stride towards achievement of the SDG Goal 3 of
Universal Health Coverage.
• Every Indian citizen will get a Health ID which will be a
repository of all health-related information of a person
such as medical tests, previous prescriptions, diagnosis,
• Health ID to have Details - Every Health ID will create
health account of citizens which will contain health details
of citizens like blood test reports, report on every disease,
visits of the doctor, medicines taken as well the diagnosis
provided by the doctor. The Health ID card will be created
with details like Aadhar, mobile number and generate
unique ID for each individual.
• Portable Information - According to the government,
these informations will be very useful as it is portable and
easily accessible even if the patient shifts to new place or
visits a new doctor.
• Private Sector Involvement - Private stakeholders will
have an equal opportunity to integrate with these building

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 Constituti0n, Polity and
Governance
blocks and create their own products. However, core • A Coverage and Claims platform: building blocks to
activities and verifications, for example, generation of support large health protection schemes, enable
Health ID or approval of a doctor/facility shall remain with horizontal and vertical expansion of PM Rashtriya
the government. Swasthya Suraksha Mission (PMRSSM) - RSSM by states

• The scheme would first be tested in the Union Territories and robust fraud detection.

of Chandigarh, Ladakh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and • A Federated Personal Health Records (PHR)
Daman and Diu, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands Framework: to solve twin challenges of access to their
and Lakshadweep. own health data by patients and availability of health data
for medical research, critical for advancing our
IDEA OF NDHM BASED ON NITI AAYOG’S 2018
understanding of human health.
REPORT ON NATIONAL HEALTH STACK (NHS)
• A National Health Analytics Platform: to bring a holistic
• The National Health Stack (NHS) is a visionary digital
view combining information on multiple health initiatives
framework of NITI Aayog which can be used both by the
and feed into smart policy making, for instance, through
centre and state governments across public and private
improved predictive analytics.
sectors. The document was released by NITI Aayog in
July2018. • Other horizontal Components: including, and not
restricted to, unique Digital Health ID, Health Data
• NHS represents a holistic platform that supports a
Dictionaries and Supply Chain Management for Drugs,
multitude of health verticals and their different branches
payment gateways etc shared across all health programs.
and is capable of integrating future IT solutions for the
health sector. NATIONAL DIGITAL HEALTH BLUEPRINT (NDHB)

• National Health Stack (NHS) is a digital infrastructure
built with a deep understanding of the structures
prevalent in the Indian healthcare ecosystem.
• So, National Health Stack is a set of building blocks which
are essential in implementing digital health initiatives
which would be built as a Common Public Good to avoid
duplication of efforts and successfully achieve
convergence.
• Aim of the National Health Stack (NHS) is to facilitate
collection of comprehensive healthcare data across the
country. NHS will help in data analysis which will allow
policy makers to experiment with policies, detect fraud in
health insurance, measure outcomes and move towards
smart policy making.
• It will also engage market players (NGOs, researchers,
watchdog organizations) to innovate and build relevant
services on top of the platform and fill the gaps.
• The design is geared to generate vast amounts of data
resulting in some of the largest health databases with
secured aggregated data that will put India at the forefront
of medical research in the world.
KEY COMPONENTS OF NATIONAL HEALTH STACK
• National Health Electronic Registries: to create a single
source for and manage Master Health Data of the country.
• So, based on National Health Stack as suggested by NITI
Aayog, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare came up with
the policy of National Digital Health Blueprint to build
an ecosystem which can integrate the existing disparate
health information systems.
• NDHB identifies the necessity to establish a specific
organisation, called the National Digital Health Mission
(NDHM) that can facilitate the implementation of the
blueprint, to support and simplify the development of a
national digital health ecosystem.
• The key features of this blueprint include a unified
architecture, a set of architectural elements, a five-layered
structure of architectural institutional blocks, a Unique Health
ID (UHID), privacy and consent control, national portability,
electronic health records, appropriate principles and
guidelines, and, health analytics.
• Based on the Blueprint, Prime Minister of India announced
National Digital Health Mission from the ramparts of
Red Fort on the eve of Indian Independence.
LEGAL CHALLENGES THAT MAY LIE AHEAD
• Use of Aadhaar Card to create National Health Card
without approval of law may create legal hassles as such
linking may not be approved under the Aadhaar Act and
also infringes right to privacy of citizens.

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 Constituti0n, Polity and
Governance

• The Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 has defined
Sensitive Personal Data which includes (i) financial data;
(ii) health data; (iii) official identifier; (iv) sex life; (v) sexual
orientation; (vi) biometric data; (vii) genetic data; (viii)
transgender status; (ix) intersex status; (x) caste or tribe;
(xi) religious or political belief or affiliation or if the Central
Government in consultation with Data Protection Authority
categorises Personal Data as Sensitive Personal Data.
• Personal Data means data about or relating to a natural
person who is directly or indirectly identifiable, having regard
to any characteristic, trait, attribute or any other feature of
the identity of such natural person, whether online or offline,
or any combination of such features with any other
information, and shall include any inference drawn from such
data for the purpose of profiling.
• Commercial Exploitation and harvesting of Sensitive
Personal Data of individuals on the dark web may create
further challenges for the government as such data can be
used by pharmaceutical giants, insurance companies or
other interested stakeholders to profile individual based
on their health or sexual orientation.
SUTLEJ-YAMUNA CANAL
#Water Resources
IN NEWS
Punjab Chief Minister has asked the Central government to be
cautious on the contentious Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal
issue, which has been the focal point of water sharing dispute
between Punjab and Haryana. According to the CM of Punjab,
if SYL issue is not settled amicably, then it has the potential to
disturb the nation’s security.
Apart from domestic issue of water sharing CM of Punjab
highlighted that Pakistan has been making continuous
attempts to foment trouble and to try and revive the separatist
movement through the banned Sikhs for Justice Organisation.
The water issue could further destabilise the State of Punjab as
it shares border with Pakistan.

• India with its sizeable population will become the black

market for data theft as such data can be misused by
corporates including social media giants like Amazon,
Facebook etc.

• Another problem is that as per The Personal Data

Protection Bill, 2019, present government sees storage of
individual data for public good and does not take into
account a rights based approach. This gives government
the right to use, monetise and exploit data in any manner
it desires so long as it guards against security incidents
such as breaches and unauthorised access. This mindset
of the government has allowed selling or transferring
sensitive personal data by the fiduciary to a third party in
the Data Protection Bill of 2019.

WAY FORWARD
Introduction of National Digital Health Mission to achieve
universal health coverage is a noble idea which must be
backed by a law passed by Parliament which not only
protects sensitive personal data of citizens but also guards
against commercial exploitation of such data by corporates
and other private stakeholders including insurance sector for
profit.
WHAT IS SUTLEJ YAMUNA CANAL (SYL) PROJECT?
• Sutlej Yamuna Link Canal (SYL) is a proposed 214-
kilometer-long canal to connect river Sutlej and Yamuna
along the states of Punjab and Haryana.
• Sutlej river originates near Lake Rakshastal in Tibet
then enters India at Shipki La pass in Himachal Pradesh

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 Constituti0n, Polity and
Governance
and flows south west through Punjab before entering • However, under Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi, a new
Pakistan. settlement was reached between Punjab Haryana and

• Whereas river Yamuna originates from Yamunotri glacier Rajasthan in 1981 where share of Punjab and Rajasthan

of lower Himalayas in Uttrakhand. It initially flows south was increased. All states withdrew their suits from the

and then take left turn towards south east before meeting Supreme Court following the signing of agreement.

river Ganga at Allahabad. • Thus in April 1982, Mrs. Gandhi formally launched the
construction of SYL in Punjab. Under the terms of the
WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF ANIMOSITY BETWEEN
“Punjab Accord” a tribunal was to be set up to investigate
PUNJAB AND HARYANA OVER SHARING OF WATER
the river water claims of Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan.
THROUGH SYL?
• However, Akali Dal government came back to power in
• The entire issue erupted with the partition of India in 1947
1985 in Punjab and repudiated the 1981 Punjab Accord.
which also resulted in partition of Punjab by the
• The Ravi and Beas Waters Tribunal (Eradi Tribunal) was
recommendation of Radcliffe Commission. The issue of
constituted on 2 April 1986 which was chaired by V.
separation of riparian and non-riparian states came to the
Balakrishna Eradi upheld the legality of the agreements of
core as major rivers flowed to the then created Pakistan.
1955, 1976 and 1981 on water sharing of the three rivers
• The dispute between Indian and Pakistan was settled
in 1987.
through the Indus Water Treaty, 1960. However, the river
• The Tribunal increased shares of both Punjab and
disputes among the Indian states still remained.
Haryana, allocating them 5 MAF and 3.83 MAF waters
• In January 1955, the states of Punjab, PEPSU- (State of
respectively. It also noted that while the canal's portion
Punjab, Patiala and East Punjab States Union), Rajasthan
had been completed in Haryana, but not in Punjab and
and Jammu & Kashmir came to an agreement regarding
urged Punjab government to complete it expeditiously.
the distribution of water from the rivers Sutlej, Ravi and
The Akali Dal government in Punjab started the
Beas.
construction of canal in 1990.
• The dispute over sharing of river water emerged after re-
• The canal however remained incomplete due to dispute
organisation of states in 1966 when PEPSU was added to
over the issue. In 1999, Haryana filed a suit in the Supreme
Punjab and a separate state was carved out from Punjab
Court seeking construction of the canal. In 2002, the
namely Haryana.
Supreme Court directed Punjab to complete the SYL canal
• Haryana demanded 4.8 MAF (million acre-feet) of water within a year.
out of Punjab's total 7.2 MAF share of water from the
• Punjab refused the Court’s order and filed a Review
rivers after states re-organisation. Punjab denied sharing
Petition which was rejected by the Supreme Court. In 2004,
any volume of water so Haryana asked the Union
the Supreme Court directed the Union government to get
government to settle the issue.
the canal completed through a Central Agency. The Central
• Union Government through an executive order in 1976 Public Works Department (CPWD) was appointed on 2 July
(during emergency) allocated 3.5 MAF of water to Punjab 2004 to take over the canal work from Punjab government.
and Haryana while Delhi received the remaining 0.2 MAF.
• However, on 12 July 2004, the Punjab Legislative Assembly
The Union government also proposed the Sutlej-Yamuna
passed the Punjab Termination of Agreements Act,
Link Canal for proper utilisation of water between the two
2004 which abrogated all its river water agreements with
states. The decision was met with opposition in Punjab.
neighbouring states.
• After coming to power in 1977, the Shiromani Akali
• The President of India then referred this bill to the
Dal demanded that the water sharing between Punjab,
Supreme Court in the same year under Article 143 of the
Haryana and Rajasthan be adjudicated by Supreme
Indian Constitution which deals with power of the
Court and filed a suit against the order of the Union
President to consult Supreme Court.
government.
• In March 2016, the Punjab Assembly passed the Punjab SYL
Canal (Rehabilitation and Re-vesting of Proprietary Rights) Bill

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 Constituti0n, Polity and
Governance
2016. It provided for return of the 5,376 acres of land in legislation Punjab Sutlej-Yamuna Link Canal Land (Transfer
acquired for the incomplete SYL canal to the land owners of Propriety Rights) Bill, 2016 to de-notify land meant for
which ruled out any further construction of the canal. construction of the canal and sought to return it to original
landowners.
WHAT DID STATE OF PUNJAB AND STATE OF
HARYANA PLEAD BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT? In 2019: Supreme Court gave four more months to Punjab,
Haryana, and the Centre to find an amicable solution to break
• State of Punjab said that the entire matter could be
the deadlock between the two states over the Sutlej-Yamuna
referred to the Inter-State Water Tribunal since
Link Canal.
circumstances regarding availability of water had changed
over the years. NEED FOR TRIBUNAL (PUNJAB) & CONSTRUCTION

• Punjab also pleaded that since the Court verdicts on the OF CANAL (HARYANA)
SYL were no longer valid in view of the 2004 Act, the 2016 • Capt. Amarinder said it was necessary to set up a tribunal
legislation for the return of SYL land did not violate any SC for fair adjudication of the water availability, and pointed
order. out that the water sharing proposed by Eradi Commission

• Punjab pleaded for a fresh tribunal to ascertain the was 40 years old, while international norms require a

present flow of waters and decide the entitlement of each review every 25 years to ascertain the status.

state on the basis of the rights of riparian and non-riparian • However, CM of Haryana said that SYL should be
states under national and international law. constructed as construction of SYL canal and availability of

• Whereas State of Haryana pleaded that Punjab had water are two different issues and completely

enacted the 2004 Act to nullify the SC verdicts for the unconnected and should not be confused with. The talks

completion of the SYL canal and to deny it a share in the between both CM of Punjab and Haryana will continue.

Ravi-Beas waters while the 2016 Act was meant to render CONCLUSION
the Presidential reference irrelevant.
The matter is still subjudice and further development on the
WHAT DID THE SUPREME COURT SAY? amicable solution will be covered in subsequent edition

In 2016 based on judgments provided by Supreme Court.

• Five Judge Constitutional Bench of Supreme Court ruled

that Punjab had no right to unilaterally terminate water-
sharing agreements with neighbouring states and declared
NEW EC GUIDELINES ON
“Punjab Termination of Agreement Act, 2004”
unconstitutional. The matter was raised as a Presidential
as
BIHAR POLLS
Reference under Article 143 of the Indian Constitution. #Election
• The court gave special impetus to the completion of SYL
which so far remains incomplete. The Court also said that
State of Punjab cannot absolve itself from its duties and IN NEWS
liabilities arising out of the Agreement and cannot Ahead of the Bihar Assembly poll, the Election Commission
unilaterally move out of the agreement involving other (EC) has approved guidelines for conducting polls during the
states and deprive them of their right to use water. COVID-19 pandemic, allowing public meetings and roadshows,
• Supreme Court also restored and revived the decree subject to social distancing and other safety norms. Election
passed by itself in 2004 whereby the Union government Commission is convinced that elections can be held
was directed to mobilise a central agency to take control of successfully with proper supervision and precautions as
the canal works from Punjab immediately and complete countries like Singapore and South Korea have demonstrated
the remaining work. recently. Hence, the EC has released guidelines for elections

• The bench also called it “unwarranted” that while it was based on feedback from political parties. The broad guidelines
hearing the Reference, the Punjab legislature had brought for elections and by-elections include allowing online

FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS 24

 Constituti0n, Polity and
Governance
submission of nomination forms, affidavits and security
amount, and limiting the number of people accompanying
candidates for filing nomination to two.
IMPORTANT GUIDELINES
• The Commission has revised the norms of number of
persons accompanying the candidate and number of
vehicles at the time of nomination.
• It has created optional facility to fill the nomination form
and the affidavit online and submission of the same, after
taking print before the Returning Officer concerned.
• For the first time, the candidates will have the option to
deposit security amount for contesting the elections
online.
• Keeping the containment guidelines in view, the
Commission has limited the number of persons including
candidate for door to door campaign to five.
• Public meeting and road shows shall be permissible with
suitable instructions subject to containment instructions
issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs/State.
• Face Mask, Sanitizer, Thermal scanners, gloves, face shield
and PPE kits shall be used during the electoral process
ensuring social distancing norms.
• Hand gloves shall be provided to all the electors for signing
on the voter register and pressing button of EVM for
voting.
• The Chief Electoral Officers of concerned States/UTs, shall
make comprehensive State/District wise election plans
regarding arrangement and preventive measures following
these guidelines taking local conditions into account.
• These plans will be prepared in consultation with Nodal
Officer for COVID-19 in their respective States/UTs.
RELATED INFORMATION: EC AND ELECTORAL
OFFICERS
Article 324 - Superintendence, direction and control of
elections to be vested in an Election Commission
(1) The superintendence, direction and control of the preparation
of the electoral rolls for, and the conduct of, all elections to
Parliament and to the Legislature of every State and of
elections to the offices of President and Vice-President held
under this Constitution shall be vested in a Commission
(referred to in this Constitution as the Election Commission).
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
(2) The Election Commission shall consist of the Chief Election
Commissioner and such number of other Election
Commissioners, if any, as the President may from time to time
fix and the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner
and other Election Commissioners shall, subject to the
provisions of any law made in that behalf by Parliament, be
made by the President.
(3) When any other Election Commissioner is so appointed the
Chief Election Commissioner shall act as the Chairman of the
Election Commission.
 Conduct of election is done successfully by the
Election Commission with the help of officers whose
role and responsibilities are prescribed under
electoral laws of India: Let us go through important role
and functions performed by Chief Electoral Officer,
District Election Officer and Returning Officers in India
during the conduct of elections.
Chief Electoral Officer – Section 13A – Representation of
People Act, 1950
• The law provides for a chief electoral officer for each State
who shall be such officer of Government as the Election
Commission may, in consultation the respective
Government designate or nominate in its behalf.
• Subject to the superintendence, direction and control of
the Election Commission, the chief electoral officer shall
supervise the preparation, revision and correction of all
electoral rolls in the State under the Representation of
People Act, 1950.
District Election Officers - Section 13AA – Representation
of People Act, 1950
• As per this provision, for each district in a State, the
Election Commission shall, in consultation with the
Government of the State, designate or nominate a district
election officer who shall be an officer of Government.
• Election Commission may designate or nominate more
than one such officer for a district if the Election
Commission is satisfied that the functions of the office
cannot be performed satisfactorily by a single officer.
• Subject to the superintendence, direction and control of
the chief electoral officer, the district election officer shall
coordinate and supervise all work in the district or in the
area within his jurisdiction in connection with the
preparation and revision of the electoral rolls for all
25
 Constituti0n, Polity and
Governance
parliamentary, assembly and council constituencies within
the district.
• The district election officer shall also perform such other
functions as may be entrusted to him/her by the Election
Commission and the chief electoral officer.
Returning Officers – Section 21 – Representation of
People Act, 1951
• For every constituency, for every election to fill a seat or
seats in the Council of States and for every election by the
members of the Legislative Assembly of a State to fill a
seat or seats in the Legislative Council of the State, the
Election Commission shall, in consultation with the
Government of the State, designate or nominate a
returning officer who shall be [an officer of Government or
of a local authority.
• Election Commission can designate or nominate the same
person as the returning officer for more than one
constituency.
Observers – Section 20B – Representation of People Act,
1951
• The Election Commission may nominate an Observer who
shall be an officer of Government to watch the conduct of
election or elections in a constituency or a group of
constituencies and to perform such other functions as may
be entrusted to him by the Election Commission.
• Power to Stop Counting of Votes - The Observer
nominated by the Commission shall have the power to
direct the returning officer
 to stop the counting of votes at any time before the
declaration of the result or
 not to declare the result if in the opinion of the Observer
booth capturing has taken place at a large number of
polling stations
 to stop counting if the votes have been tampered with.
ARUNACHAL SEEKS SIXTH
SCHEDULE STATUS
#Sixth Schedule
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
IN NEWS
State Government of Arunachal Pradesh has decided to appeal
to the Centre for bringing the State under the purview of the
Sixth Schedule of the Constitution towards protecting the
rights of its indigenous peoples. The Sixth Schedule consists of
provisions for the administration of tribal areas in Assam,
Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.
In this regard, the State government had a fortnight ago
formed a Consultative Committee headed by Deputy Chief
Minister to hold a meeting with the community-based
organisations for discussing issues related to constitutional
safeguards for the indigenous peoples.
The demand for the creation of two autonomous councils —
Mon Autonomous Region in the western part and Patkai
Autonomous Council in the eastern part — had led to the
creation of the committee.
TRIBES IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH
• Arunachal has 26 major tribes like Adis, Apatanis, Buguns,
Hrusso, Singphos, Mishmis, Monpas, Nyishi, Sherdukpens,
Tagins, Khamtis, Wanchos, Noctes, Yobin and Khambas
and Membas.
• The 'Adis' tribe is democratic and organized tribal people
and the women are known for their very good weaving
skills.
• The 'Apatanis' tribe are a settled agriculturist and are good
cultivators of both wet and terrace cultivation.
• The 'Buguns' and 'Monpas' are a gentle and hospitable
tribe. 'Hrusso' tribe are mainly focused in the trading of
clothing and various items.
• The 'Singphos' tribe are an expert blacksmiths and good
weavers. 'Mishmi' tribes are good in agriculture and are
also good in trade.
• The 'Nyishi' are a large tribe inhabiting the major part of
Lower Subansiri district, the ‘Tagins’ inhabitant Upper
Sunansiri district and the 'Sherdukpens' are a small tribe of
Arunachal Pradesh.
WHY HAS STATE DEMANDED SIXTH SCHEDULE
STATUS?
• The state government stated that they were under the
wrong impression of being protected through Inner Line
Permit in the state which is primarily an official travel
26
 Constituti0n, Polity and
Governance
document issued by the State government to let in an
Indian citizen into a protected area for a limited period.
• The provisions of Article 371(H) for Arunachal Pradesh do
not ensure full protection to the State’s people.
ABOUT INNER LINE PERMIT & RECENT
DEVELOPMENTS
• The Inner Line Permit was established by the British
government under the Bengal Eastern Frontier
Regulations, 1873 to safeguard tribals of eastern part of
Bengal. The 1873 regulation is also known as Inner Line
Regulation (ILR) or Inner Line Permit (ILP).
 The system requires outsiders to obtain a permit from the
government to enter the designated territory.
 It can be issued for travel purposes solely.
 The main objective of the ILP system is to provide a special
protection of the distinct identity and safeguard for the
peaceful existence of the indigenous people of the state
where it is applicable.
 System of ILP is applicable in Arunachal Pradesh,
Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram.
ARTICLE 371H – ADDED BY CONSTITUTION 55TH
AMENDMENT
• Special provision with respect to the State
Arunachal Pradesh - the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh
shall have special responsibility with respect to law and
order in the State of Arunachal Pradesh and in the
discharge of his functions in relation thereto, the Governor
shall, after consulting the Council of Ministers, exercise his
individual judgment as to the action to be taken:
 Provided that if any question arises whether any matter is
or is not a matter as respects which the Governor is under
this clause required to act in the exercise of his individual
judgment, the decision of the Governor in his discretion
shall be final, and the validity of anything done by the
Governor shall not be called in question on the ground
that he ought or ought not to have acted in the exercise of
his individual judgment.
 Provided further that if the President on receipt of a report
from the Governor or otherwise is satisfied that it is no
longer necessary for the Governor to have special
responsibility with respect to law and order in the State of
Arunachal Pradesh, he may by order direct that the
Governor shall cease to have such responsibility with
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
effect from such date as may be specified in the order; (b)
the Legislative Assembly of the State of Arunachal Pradesh
shall consist of not less than thirty members.
COPARCENARY RIGHTS
FOR DAUGHTERS
#Empowerment
IN NEWS
In a significant judgment of Vineeta Sharma v Rakesh Sharma,
Three Judge Bench of Supreme Court has held that a daughter
will have a share in ancestral property as per Hindu Succession
(Amendment) Act, 2005, irrespective of whether her father was
alive or not at the time of the amendment.
About Coparcener: Coparcener is a person who has a
birthright to parental property. Earlier, as per Hindu
Succession Act, 1955, only son was considered as coparcener
having birthright to parental property and daughters did not
have this right.
HINDU SUCCESSION (AMENDMENT) ACT, 2005
of
• The Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005 included
daughters to be coparceners to parental property in Joint
Hindu Family.
• The 174th Law Commission Report had also
recommended this reform in Hindu succession law. Even
before the 2005 amendment, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,
Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu had made this change in the
law, and Kerala had abolished the Hindu Joint Family
System in 1975.
• The 2005 Amendment: Section 6 - Devolution of interest
in coparcenary property
(1) On and from the commencement of the Hindu Succession
(Amendment) Act, 2005, in a Joint Hindu family governed
by the Mitakshara law, the daughter of a coparcener shall–
(a) by birth become a coparcener in her own right the same
manner as the son;
(b) have the same rights in the coparcenery property as she
would have had if she had been a son
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 Constituti0n, Polity and
Governance
(c) be subject to the same liabilities in respect of the said
coparcenery property as that of a son and any reference
to a Hindu Mitakshara coparcener shall be deemed to
include a reference to a daughter of a coparcener.
BACKDROP TO THE PRESENT JUDGEMENT
• While the 2005 law granted equal rights to women,
questions were raised in multiple cases on whether the
law applied retrospectively, and if the rights of women
depended on the living status of the father through whom
they would inherit.
• Different benches of the Supreme Court had taken
conflicting views on the issue. Different High Courts had
also followed different views of the top court as binding
precedents.
• Prakash v Phulwati (2015) - Division Bench of Supreme
Court held that the benefit of the 2005 amendment could
be granted only to “living daughters of living coparceners”
as on September 9, 2005 (the date when the amendment
came into force).
• In February 2018, contrary to the 2015 ruling, another
Division Bench held that the share of a father who died in
2001 will also pass to his daughters as coparceners during
the partition of the property as per the 2005 law.
• In April 2018 of the same year, yet another Division Bench
reiterated the position taken in by Supreme Court in 2015.
• These conflicting views by Benches of equal strength led to
a reference to a three-judge Bench in the current case.
There were two problems in this case
th
1. Whether the amendment which came into effect on 9
September, 2005 would apply to all daughters born before
the said amendment.
2. If a father died without a Will (also referred as intestate)
before 9 September 2005 i.e. before coming into effect of
Hindu Succession Amendment Act, 2005 - then in such
situation - whether inheritance will be governed by the old
section 6 of Hindu Succession Act or as per the amended
Section 6 of the Act which gave coparcenary rights to
daughters.
DECISION OF SUPREME COURT - 2020
• Supreme Court has held that daughters have an equal
birthright along with sons to inherit joint Hindu family
property. The Supreme Court held that the amended
Hindu Succession Act, which gives daughters equal rights
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
to ancestral property, will have a retrospective effect as
rights of daughters are accrued by their birth.
• Thus, the Court agreed with the view that the substituted
Section 6 of the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 confers the
status of ‘coparcener’ to a daughter born before or after
the amendment in the same manner as a son.
• Since the right to coparcenary of a daughter is by birth, it is
not necessary that the father should be alive as on
September 9, 2005. The Supreme Court has thus overruled
an earlier 2015 decision.
• Thus, the present ruling of Supreme Court now overrules
the contrary observations made in Prakash v. Phulavati and
Mangammal v. T.B. Raju.
Recognising Equal Status of Daughters as Right Accrues
by Birth : The apex court has now categorically ruled that the
daughters’ right flows from their birth and not by any other
factor such as the existence of their fathers. The court has
rightly recognised that the amendment conferred equal
status as a coparcener on daughters in Hindu families
governed by Mitakshara law, and this right accrued by birth.
WAKE UP CALL FOR JOINT FAMILY BUSINESS
• Traditional Business Families which have not yet
recognised the rights of daughters will now (post SC
verdict) have to accommodate rights of daughters in
sharing wealth and allowing them to take part in family
business. If they fail to do so, daughters can claim their
right by filing petition in the Court.
• The judgment further reinstates faith in the judicial system
by making it loud and clear that daughters can no longer
be deprived of their rights to ancestral property, no matter
when they were born.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
FOR WOMEN IN INDIAN
ARMY
#Empowerment
IN NEWS
Supreme Court in a landmark judgment in February, 2020 in
the case of Secretary, Ministry of Defence v Babita Puniya and
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 Constituti0n, Polity and
Governance
Others held that that all serving women officers recruited in 10
combat support arms and services of the Indian Army under
the Short Service Commission (SSC) scheme will have to be
considered for Permanent Commission (PC).
Accordingly, Ministry of Defence (MOD) has issued an order for
grant of Permanent Commission to women officers in the
Army. So, in July, 2020, MOD issued formal sanction offering
Permanent Commission to women officers of the Indian Army.
So, the SC judgment is the culmination of a struggle for equal
opportunity that began almost 27 years ago when the Army
inducted the first batches of women as officers in non-medical
corps. The Indian Air Force was first among the three services
to grant PC to SSC women officers.
BACKGROUND – WOMEN IN INDIAN ARMY
• The induction of women officers in the Army started in
1992. They were commissioned for a period of five years in
certain chosen streams such as Army Education Corps,
Corps of Signals, Intelligence Corps, and Corps of
Engineers.
• Recruits under the Women Special Entry Scheme (WSES)
had a shorter pre-commission training period than their
male counterparts who were commissioned under the
Short Service Commission (SSC) scheme.
• In 2006, the WSES scheme was replaced with the SSC
scheme, which was extended to women officers. They
were commissioned for a period of 10 years, extendable
up to 14 years. Serving WSES officers were given the
option to move to the new SSC scheme, or to continue
under the erstwhile WSES.
• Women Officers were however restricted to roles in
streams specified earlier (Army Education Corps, Corps of
Signals, Intelligence Corps, and Corps of Engineers) which
excluded combat arms such as infantry and armoured
corps.
THE PROBLEM
• While male SSC officers could opt for permanent
commission at the end of 10 years of service, this option
was not available to women officers.
• They were, thus, kept out of any command appointment,
and could not qualify for government pension, which
starts only after 20 years of service as an officer.
• The first batch of women officers under the new scheme
entered the Army in 2008.
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QUEST FOR EQUALITY IN COURTS
Delhi HC Judgment 2010
• Women officers of the Air Force and Army on Short Service
Commission (SSC) scheme who had sought Permanent
Commission but were not granted that status, would be
entitled to Permanent Commission at par with male SSC
officers. However, this benefit was only available to
women officers in service who had instituted proceedings
before the High Court, and had retired during the
pendency of the writ petitions. Women officers who had
not attained the age of superannuation for permanently
commissioned officers would be reinstated with all
consequential benefits.
• The government challenged the order in the Supreme
Court, and even though the High Court judgment was not
stayed, the Defence Ministry did not implement those
directions.
New Order of MOD – February 2019
• While the proceedings were on, the government passed an
order in February 2019 for the grant of PC to SSC women
officers in eight streams of the Army, in addition to the JAG
and AEC, which had been opened up in 2008. But they
would not be offered any command appointments, and
would serve only in staff posts.
New Proposal Made by the Government in Supreme
Court
• During the hearing, the government came up with a
proposal whereby women officers of up to 14 years of
service would be granted Permanent Commission in line
with the letter of February 2019.
• Women officers with more than 14 years of service would
be permitted to serve for up to 20 years without being
considered for Permanent Commission, but would retire
with pension, and those with more than 20 years of service
would be released with pensionary benefits immediately.
SUPREME COURT FINAL DECISION
• Supreme Court rejected the arguments presented by the
government saying they are based on sex stereotypes
premised on assumptions about socially ascribed roles of
gender which discriminate against women. It has also said
that such arguments of the centre only show the need to
emphasise the need for change in mindsets to bring about
true equality in the Army.
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 Constituti0n, Polity and
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• So, the SC has done away with all discrimination on the
basis of years of service for grant of PC in 10 streams of
combat support arms and services, bringing them on a par
with male officers.
• The Court has also removed the restriction of women
officers only being allowed to serve in staff appointments,
which is the most significant and far-reaching aspect of the
judgment.
DIRECTIONS GIVEN BY THE SUPREME COURT
• The policy decision which has been taken by the Union
Government allowing for the grant of PCs to SSC
women officers in all the ten streams where women
have been granted SSC in the Indian Army is accepted
subject to the following:
o All serving women officers on SSC shall be considered for
the grant of PCs irrespective of any of them having crossed
fourteen years or, as the case may be, twenty years of
service.
o The option shall be granted to all women presently in
service as SSC officers.
o Women officers on SSC with more than fourteen years of
service who do not opt for being considered for the grant
of the PCs will be entitled to continue in service until they
attain twenty years of pensionable service.
o As a one-time measure, the benefit of continuing in service
until the attainment of pensionable service shall also apply
to all the existing SSC officers with more than fourteen
years of service who are not appointed on PC.
o SSC women officers with over twenty years of service who
are not granted PC shall retire on pension in terms of the
policy decision.
o At the stage of opting for the grant of PC, all the choices for
specialisation shall be available to women officers on the
same terms as for the male SSC officers. Women SSC
officers shall be entitled to exercise their options for being
considered for the grant of PCs on the same terms as their
male counterparts.
o SSC women officers who are granted PC in pursuance of
the above directions will be entitled to all consequential
benefits including promotion and financial benefits.
However, these benefits would be made available to those
officers in service or those who had moved the Delhi High
Court by filing the Writ Petitions and those who had retired
during the course of the pendency of the proceedings.
BENEFITS OF THE JUDGEMENT
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• Serve till retirement
• Command Appointments-If women officers had served
only in staff, they would not have gone beyond the rank of
Colonel. Now, women officers can be considered for
command roles, career postings and many other
opportunities to distinguish themselves professionally.
• Other Additional Benefits - A grant of PC will accrue
many other employee benefits, as, ‘In service career
courses’ (such as the National Defence College, College of
Defence Management, the Army War College, etc), the
Defence Services Staff College, options in higher studies
(such as a Master of Business Administration or a Master
of Technology), pension, ex-servicemen status and
consequent benefits to name a few.
• Mitigate Shortage of Staff - In addition, allowing a
motivated set of experienced women officers in
permanent cadre would be a small way to mitigate the
shortage of officers in the Indian Army.
• Attending same training Courses - It also means that in
junior ranks and career courses, women officers would be
attending the same training courses and tenanting critical
appointments, which are necessary for higher promotions.
CONCLUSION - TIME FOR PATRIARCHAL MINDSET TO
CHANGE IN INDIA
• The judgment is important not only because it allows
women officers equal opportunities to serve in the Indian
Army but also because the judgment addresses the issue
of regressive mindsets.
• With women already in combat support arms and Services,
the question remains as to whether women shall be
allowed in COMBAT ARMS. Here, we need to overcome the
regressive Patriarchal mindset and integrate women in the
evolving nature of warfare supported by technology.
TO REVIEW AGE OF
MARRIAGE FOR GIRLS
#Social Issue
IN NEWS
On the eve of Independence Day, Prime Minister of India
announced that the government may take a relook at the age
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 Constituti0n, Polity and
Governance
of marriage of women in its bid to fight malnutrition.
Currently, the law prescribes a minimum age of 21 years for
men and 18 years for women.
LAWS ON AGE OF MARRIAGE
• The minimum age of marriage is distinct from the age of
majority which is gender-neutral. An individual attains the
age of majority at 18 as per the Indian Majority Act, 1875.
• The Special Marriage Act, 1954 and the Prohibition of Child
Marriage Act, 2006 also prescribe 18 and 21 years as the
minimum age of consent for marriage for women and men
respectively.
• The Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929 had set 16 and 18
years as the minimum age of marriage for girls and boys
respectively. The law, popularly known as the Sarda Act
after its sponsor Har Bilas Sarda, a judge and a member of
Arya Samaj, was eventually amended in 1978 to prescribe
18 and 21 years as the age of marriage for a woman and a
man respectively.
• For Hindus, The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, sets 18 years as
the minimum age for the bride and 21 years as the
minimum age for the groom.
• The Indian Christian Marriage Act, 1872 also prescribes the
minimum age of marriage – 21 years for man and 18 years
for woman.
• However, in Islam, the marriage of a minor who has
attained puberty is considered valid.
COMMITTEE FORMED BY MINISTRY FOR WOMEN
AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
nd
• On 2 June, the Union Ministry for Women and Child
Development set up a task force to examine matters
pertaining to age of motherhood, imperatives of lowering
Maternal Mortality Ratio and the improvement
nutritional levels among women.
• The task force will examine the correlation of age of
marriage and motherhood with health, medical well-being,
and nutritional status of the mother and neonate, infant or
child, during pregnancy, birth and thereafter.
• The Committee will also look at key parameters like Infant
Mortality Rate (IMR), Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR), Total
Fertility Rate (TFR), Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) and Child Sex
Ratio (CSR), and will examine the possibility of increasing
the age of marriage for women from the present 18 years
to 21 years.
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
• The government has formed Ten Member Panel which
includes Secretaries from the Ministries of Human
Resource Development, Women and Child Development,
and Health and Family Welfare, Dr Vinod Paul from NITI
Aayog among others. The Panel is headed by former
Samata Party president Jaya Jaitely.
PROBLEMS IN CHILDREN DUE TO EARLY MARRIAGE
OF MOTHERS
• A study conducted by International Food Policy Research
Institute (IFPRI) and published last year in The Lancet Child
and Adolescent Health showed that children born to
adolescent mothers (10-19 years) were 5 percentage
points more likely to be stunted (shorter for their age) than
those born to young adults (20-24 years), and 11
percentage points more stunted than children born to
adult mothers.
• Children born to adolescent mothers also had 10
percentage points higher prevalence of low weight as adult
mothers. It also highlighted other factors, such as lower
education among teenage mothers and their poor
economic status, which had the strongest links with a
child’s height and weight measurements.
• It recommended that “increasing age at first marriage, age
at first birth, and girl’s education are a promising approach
to improve maternal and child nutrition.
CHALLENGES IN INCREASING MARRIAGE AGE FOR
GIRLS
The National Coalition Advocating for Adolescent Concerns
•
on behalf of 21 NGOs in its submission to the Task Force
asserted that increasing the legal age of marriage for girls
will only “artificially expand the numbers of married
persons deemed underage and criminalise them and
of render underage married girls without legal protection.
• Instead, transformative, well resourced measures that
increase girls’ access to education and health, create
enabling opportunities and place girl’s empowerment at
the centre will not just delay marriage but lead to a long
term, positive health and education outcomes.
• The NGO has rather called for the need for awareness
about safe sex, access to reproductive health information,
improving access to education, and retaining girls in the
education system so that they are able to transition from
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 Constituti0n, Polity and
Governance
elementary to secondary education, and beyond which can • To render financial assistance, provide grants of payments
then delay marriage. of money or take such other steps as may be deemed

WAY FORWARD necessary by the Board of Trustees to the affected

While legal enactment to prevent child marriages is
necessary, we must simultaneously work towards keeping
girls in school, invest in economic and social empowerment
of women and girls, as well as targeted social and behaviour
change communication (SBCC) campaigns to put an end to
this harmful practice.
population.
• To undertake any other activity, which is not inconsistent
with the above Objects.
CONSTITUTION OF THE TRUST
• Prime Minister is the ex-officio Chairman of the PM CARES
Fund and Minister of Defence, Minister of Home Affairs
and Minister of Finance, Government of India are ex-officio

PM-CARES Trustees of the Fund.

• The Chairperson of the Board of Trustees (Prime Minister)

#Judgement #Audit shall have the power to nominate three trustees to the
Board of Trustees who shall be eminent persons in the
field of research, health, science, social work, law, public
IN NEWS:
administration and philanthropy.
The Supreme Court has endorsed the PM CARES Fund as a
• Any person appointed a Trustee shall act in a pro bono
“public charitable trust” to which donors contribute
capacity.
voluntarily. The Court observed that there is “no occasion” for
the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) to audit a public OTHER IMPORTANT DETAILS
charitable trust independent of budgetary support or • The fund consists entirely of voluntary contributions from
government money. The court said that it is “not open” for a individuals/organizations and does not get any budgetary
PIL petitioner to question the “wisdom” that created the fund support. The fund will be utilised in meeting the objectives
in an hour of need. So, the Court held that no exception can be as stated above.
taken to the constitution of a public charitable trust, namely,
• Donations to PM CARES Fund would qualify for 80G
PM CARES Fund.
benefits for 100% exemption under the Income Tax Act,
About PM-CARES: Keeping in mind the need for having a 1961. Donations to PM CARES Fund will also qualify to be
dedicated national fund with the primary objective of dealing counted as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
with any kind of emergency or distress situation, like posed expenditure under the Companies Act, 2013
by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to provide relief to the
• PM CARES Fund has also got exemption under the FCRA
affected, a public charitable trust under the name of ‘Prime
and a separate account for receiving foreign donations has
Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency
been opened. This enables PM CARES Fund to accept
Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund)’ has been set up.
donations and contributions from individuals and
OBJECTIVES organizations based in foreign countries. This is consistent

• To undertake and support relief or assistance of any kind with respect to Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund

relating to a public health emergency or any other kind of (PMNRF). PMNRF has also received foreign contributions

emergency, calamity or distress, either man-made or as a public trust since 2011.

natural, including the creation or upgradation of • During 2019-20 (from 27th to 31st March, 2020), an
healthcare or pharmaceutical facilities, other necessary amount of Rs. 3076.62 Crore has been collected under PM
infrastructure, funding relevant research or any other type CARES Fund
of support.

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 Constituti0n, Polity and
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MHA NOTIFICATION ON
JAMMU & KASHMIR
#Governance
IN NEWS
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has notified The
Transaction of Business of the Government of Union Territory
of Jammu and Kashmir Rules, 2019 that specify the functions
of the Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) and the Council of Ministers
(CoM). J&K has been without a Chief Minister since June 2018.
According to the requirements of the Jammu and Kashmir
Reorganisation Act, 2019, fresh elections will be held after the
delimitation exercise is completed next year.
J&K REORGANISATION ACT, 2019
• The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019
provides that the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and
Kashmir (J&K) will have an elected legislature and
accordingly has provided for powers and functions of
Council of Ministers and LG for the UT of J&K.
• Let us first for all go through the provisions of J&K
Reorganisation Act and then we will understand about the
notification issued by Ministry of Home Affairs allocating
functions of LG & CoM.
• Section 53(1) of J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019: There
shall be a Council of Ministers consisting of not more than
ten percent of the total number of members in the
Legislative Assembly with the Chief Minister at the head to
aid and advise the Lieutenant Governor in the exercise of
his functions in relation to matters with respect to which
the Legislative Assembly has power to make laws except
where the LG is required to act in his discretion or under
any law to exercise any judicial or quasi-judicial functions.
• Section 53(2) of J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019: The
Lieutenant Governor shall, in the exercise of his functions,
act in his discretion in a matter:
(i) which falls outside the purview of the powers conferred
on the Legislative Assembly; or
(ii) in which he is required by or under any law to act in his
discretion or to exercise any judicial functions.
(iii) related to All India Services and Anti Corruption Bureau
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
BASED ON THESE PROVISIONS OF J&K
REORGAINSATION ACT, 2019, MHA HAS
ISSUED NOTIFICATION SPECIFYING
FUNCTIONS OF LG & COUNCIL OF
MINISTERS
UNDER L-G’S JURISDICTION
• According to the transaction of business rules, “police,
public order, All India Services and anti-corruption” will fall
under the executive functions of the L-G, implying that the
Chief Minister or the Council of Ministers will have no say
in their functioning.
• According to the Rules, the proposals relating to matters
connected with All India Services Officers and Anti-
Corruption Bureau shall be submitted to the Lieutenant
Governor by the commissioner or secretary of the General
Administration Department.
• Proposals or matters which affects or are likely to affect
peace and tranquility or the interest of any minority
community, the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes
and the Backward Classes shall essentially be submitted to
the Lieutenant Governor through the Chief Secretary,
under intimation to the Chief Minister, before issuing any
orders.
JURISDICTION OF COUNCIL OF MINISTER
• The Council of Ministers, led by the CM, will decide service
matters of non-All India Services officers, proposal to
impose new tax, land revenue, sale grant or lease of
government property, reconstituting departments or
offices and draft legislation.
In cases of Difference of Opinion between CoM & LG
DECISION OF LG IS FINAL IF MATTER NOT RESOLVED
WITHIN 30 DAYS
• Under the Rules, in case of a difference of opinion
between LG and a minister of the Jammu and Kashmir
Union Territory on any matter, the LG can refer such
matter to the Council of Ministers.
• If the difference of opinion persists, the Lieutenant
Governor may direct that the matter be referred to the
Council of Minister, which shall consider the matter in its
next scheduled meeting and shall convey its decision - not
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 Constituti0n, Polity and
Governance
later than 15 days from the date on which the matter was
referred by the LG.
• In case no such decision is received within 15 days from
the date of such reference by LG, the decision of the
Lieutenant Governor shall be deemed to have been
accepted by the Council of Ministers.
REFERENCE TO CENTRAL GOVERNMENT IN CASE OF
DIFFERENCE OF OPINION – RULE 47
• In case of difference of opinion between the Lieutenant
Governor and the Council with regard to any matter, the
Lieutenant Governor shall refer it to the Central
Government for the decision of the President and shall act
according to the decision of the President.
• So now, the President of India will have the final say on any
matter over which differences may arise between the LG
and J&K’s Council of Ministers.
• Further, the LG of J&K has also been empowered to pass
directions in such situations that action taken by the
Council of Ministers will be suspended for as long as it
takes the President of India to decide on the cases referred
to her.
COMMUNICATION WITH CENTRE ON IMPORTANT
MATTERS
• The rules state that any matter which is likely to bring the
Government of the Union territory into controversy with
the Central Government or with any State Government
shall, as soon as possible, be brought to the notice of the
L-G and the CM by the Secretary concerned through the
Chief Secretary.
• As per the rules, all communications received from the
Centre, including those from the Prime Minister and other
Ministers (other than those of a routine or unimportant
character) shall as soon as possible after their receipt, be
submitted by the Secretary to
 Chief Secretary,
 Minister in charge,
 Chief Minister and
 L-G for information.
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PARLIAMENTARY
STANDING COMMITTEE
#GovernancE
IN NEWS
A day after Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla wrote to chairpersons
of parliamentary standing committees advising them to ensure
confidentiality of panel meetings, Rajya Sabha Chairman M.
Venkaiah Naidu also wrote an advisory on similar lines. In this
context, let us understand about Parliamentary Committees.
ABOUT PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES
• Parliamentary Committee means a Committee which is
appointed or elected by the House or nominated by the
Speaker and which works under the direction of the
Speaker and presents its report to the House or to the
Speaker and the Secretariat.
• By their nature, Parliamentary Committees are of two
kinds: Standing Committees and Ad hoc Committees.
o Standing Committees are permanent and regular
committees which are constituted from time to time in
pursuance of the provisions of an Act of Parliament or
Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha.
The work of these Committees is of continuous nature.
The Financial Committees, Department Related Standing
Committees (DRSCs) and some other Committees come
under the category of Standing Committees.
o Ad hoc Committees are appointed for a specific purpose
and they cease to exist when they finish the task assigned
to them and submit a report. The principal Ad hoc
Committees are the Select and Joint Committees on Bills.
Railway Convention Committee, Joint Committee on Food
Management in Parliament House Complex etc also come
under the category of ad hoc Committees.
NEED FOR PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES
• Scrutiny - The need for Committees arises out of two
factors, the first one being the need for vigilance on the
part of the Legislature over the actions of the Executive,
while the second one is that the modern Legislature these
days is over-burdened with heavy volume of work with
limited time at its disposal. It thus becomes impossible
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 Constituti0n, Polity and
Governance
that every matter should be thoroughly and systematically SCRUTINISE AND Government Assurances
scrutinised and considered on the floor of the House. CONTROL (b) Committee on Subordinate
• Consider Complexity & Nature of Bills - Considering the Legislation and
complexity of Bills, nature of conduct of business of (c) Committee on Papers Laid
Parliament and limited time available at Parliament’s on the Table
disposal (Budget Session, Monsoon Session & Winter
3 COMMITTEES (a) Business Advisory
Session), good deal of Parliament’s business is therefore,
RELATING TO DAY- Committee
transacted in Committees of the House, known as
TO-DAY BUSINESS OF (b) Rules Committee.
Parliamentary Committees.
THE HOUSE
• Deliberation & Discussion - In a Committee, the matter is
deliberated at length, views are expressed freely, the 4 HOUSE KEEPING (a) House Committee;
COMMITTEES (b) General Purposes
matter is considered in depth, in a business-like manner
Committee; and
and in a calmer atmosphere.
(c) Committee on Provision of
• Vibrant Link between Legislature, Executive & Public -
Computers to Members of
In most of the Committees, public is directly or indirectly
Rajya Sabha
associated when memoranda containing suggestions are
received, on-the-spot studies are conducted and oral
evidence is taken which helps the Committees in arriving
DEPARTMENT RELATED PARLIAMENTARY STANDING
at the conclusions. Thus, Parliamentary Committees acts
COMMITTEES - DRPSC
as vibrant link between the Parliament, the Executive and
the general public. • The need to constitute some kind of Subject Specific
Committees or the Department-related Parliamentary
• Assist Legislature & Prevent Misuse of Power of
Standing Committees was felt for the last several years.
Executive - The Committees aid and assist the Legislature
in discharging its duties and regulating its functions • In 1989, in fact, 3 Standing Committees were constituted
effectively, expeditiously and efficiently. Through which dealt with Agriculture, Science and Technology and
Committees, Parliament exercises its control and influence Environment and Forests.
over administration. Parliamentary Committees have a • In 1993, it was finally decided to set up 17 Department-
salutary effect on the Executive. The Committees are not related Parliamentary Standing Committees each
meant to weaken the administration, instead they prevent consisting of 15 members of Rajya Sabha and 30 from Lok
misuse of power exercisable by the Executive. Sabha to cover various Ministries/Departments of the
• Provides Expertise - Entrusting certain functions of the Union Government in order to further strengthen the
House to the Committees has, therefore, become a normal accountability of the Government to Parliament.
practice. This has become all the more necessary as a • With the addition of 7 more Committees in July 2004, the
Committee provides the expertise on a matter which is number of Department-related Parliamentary Standing
referred to it. Committees was raised to 24 but with reduced

STANDING COMMITTEE – RAJYA SABHA membership of 10 members from Rajya Sabha and 21
members from Lok Sabha.
It may be divided in terms of their functions under four broad
• Of the total Department-related Parliamentary Standing
heads:
Committees, 8 were placed within the jurisdiction of the
1 COMMITTEES TO (a) Committee on Petitions Chairman, Rajya Sabha and 16 within the jurisdiction of the
ENQUIRE (b) Committee of Privileges Speaker, Lok Sabha.
(c) Ethics Committee. • The Chairmen of the first 8 Committees are appointed
by Chairman, Rajya Sabha and the remaining
2 COMMITTEES TO (a) Committee on
16 by the Speaker of Lok Sabha.

FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS 35

 Constituti0n, Polity and
Governance
• Rules 268 to 277 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of 21 Committee on Chemicals and Fertilizers
Business in the Conduct of States and Rules 331 C to 331 N
of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok 22 Committee on Rural Development
Sabha govern the Constitution and functioning of these
Committees. 23 Committee on Coal and Steel

DRPSC WHICH COMES UNDER THE PURVIEW OF 24 Committee on Social Justice & Empowerment
CHAIRMAN - RAJYA SABHA

1 Committee on Commerce
RULES OF PROCEDURE AND CONDUCT OF
2 Committee on Home Affairs
BUSINESS IN THE COUNCIL OF STATES
3 Committee on Human Resource Development
FUNCTIONS ENTRUSTED TO 8 DRPSC
4 Committee on Industry
(a) to consider the Demands for Grants of the related
5 Committee on Science & Technology, Environment Ministries/ Departments and report thereon. The report
& Forest shall not suggest anything of the nature of cut motions;

6 Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture
7 Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law
and Justice
8 Committee on Health and Family Welfare
DRPSC WHICH COMES UNDER THE PURVIEW OF
SPEAKER - LOK SABHA
(b) to examine Bills, pertaining to the related Ministries/
Departments, referred to the Committee by the Chairman
or the Speaker, as the case may be, and report thereon;
(c) to consider the annual reports of the Ministries/
Departments and report thereon; and
(d) to consider national basic long term policy documents
presented to the Houses, if referred to the Committee by

9 Committee on Agriculture the Chairman or the Speaker, as the case may be, and
report thereon:
10 Committee on Information Technology
Provided that the Standing Committees shall not consider
11 Committee on Defence matters of day to-day administration of the related
Ministries/Departments.
12 Committee on Energy
REPORTS OF THE COMMITTEE
13 Committee on External Affairs
1. The report of the Standing Committee shall be based on
14 Committee on Finance
broad consensus.
15 Committee on Food, Consumer Affairs and Public 2. Any member of the Committee may record a minute of
Distribution
dissent on the report of the Committee.
16 Committee on Labour 3. The report of the Committee, together with the minutes of
dissent, if any, shall be presented to the Houses.
17 Committee on Petroleum & Natural Gas
A Standing Committee shall not ordinarily consider matters
18 Committee on Railways
within the purview of any other Parliamentary Committee.
19 Committee on Urban Development The report of a Standing Committee shall have persuasive
value and shall be treated as considered advice given by the
20 Committee on Water Resources
Committee.

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 Constituti0n, Polity and
Governance
CONCERNS WITH
DEMOCRACIES IN
PRESENT COVID TIMES
#Democracy
IN NEWS
In disturbing time of COVID-19 pandemic, modern world where
technology has far exceeded the regulations and control by
state actions needs to be regulated through political will and
able leadership. Let us go through some of the highlighted
concerns which have the potential to disturb a liberal, inclusive
and egalitarian society with the help of intrusive technological
surveillance placed at all corners.
HIGHLIGHTED CONCERNS
1. Millennium Development Goals: The United Nations
Millennium Development Goals are eight goals that all UN
member states had agreed to try to achieve by the year 2015
by signing the United Nations Millennium Declaration in
September, 2000. The Eight Millennium Development Goals
are:
1. to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger;
2. to achieve universal primary education;
3. to promote gender equality and empower women;
4. to reduce child mortality;
5. to improve maternal health;
6. to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases;
7. to ensure environmental sustainability; and
8. to develop a global partnership for development.
Concerns –Failed leadership across the world has ensured
that MDG set out in September, 2000 still needs to be
achieved. The present disruption caused due to pandemic
and digital divide are another obstacle in achieving MDG
completely by all UN Member States.
2. Retreat of Democracies in Pursuit of Raw Power
• A phenomenon of global retreat of democracies has been
observed in the pursuit of raw power and this presents a
daunting and depressing picture especially with respect to
liberty, equality and justice. Obsessive pursuit of raw
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
power as an end in itself has obliterated institutional
legitimacy due to failure in observance of rule of law.
• Obsessive raw power pursued by democracies for a set of
goals and ideologies nurtures jingoistic nationalism which
then thrives on saga of fake news and misinformation. This
disturbs the balance between demands of security and
sanctity of civil rights without discrimination.
3. No Concerns for Loss of Jobs
• COVID has brought unprecedented times of economic
crisis as millions across the globe has lost their jobs and it
is estimated that roughly 3.4 trillion dollars have been lost
in labour revenue. This economic crisis has increased
social distress, heightened geopolitical rivalries, increased
racism and xenophobia.
• In such situations of grief, there is a need for an
international cooperative endeavour to chart out policies
to revive the global economy including reviving the supply
chain which has been disrupted due to COVID crisis. Such
economic crisis should not be used as an opportunity by
nations to increase their power without doing much to
restore economy and jobs for millions.
4. Increasing encroachment of private life through
‘surveillance state’
• Increasing encroachment of the private sphere by a
‘surveillance state’ through the abuse of digital
technologies and Artificial Intelligence systems raise
discomforting questions about the flawed dominance of
efficiency over ethics and power over principle.
• Further, the omnipresence of algorithm-driven platforms
and commercial harvesting of personal data raise
uncomfortable questions about privacy rights and human
dignity.
• Digital Surveillance by state in complicity of private entities
raises questions over infringement of rights including right
to life and personal liberty as well as right to privacy
(Article 21).
5. Lack of Cyber Security
• There is a need to develop global norms on cybersecurity
which must be adhered as law by all UN member states by
incorporating such norms as part of domestic laws.
• Such an effort at international level will bring more
accountability into the system as it will keep a check on
over increasing cases of cyberbullying and use of
37
 Constituti0n, Polity and
Governance
technology for communal polarisation used by political WAY FORWARD
parties to suit their political ends.
Existentialist questions of the day magnify the importance of
• Such an effort will also ensure rights and dignity of citizens inspiring leadership committed to a liberal, inclusive and a
including those of minorities and oppressed classes across truly egalitarian order. The time for such a leadership is
the globe. here. Thus, integrity, consistency, empathy, relentless
6. Diminished Authority of State – Absence of Boundaries determination, self-effacing humility, a binding moral
of Digital World compass and the ability to motivate masses within the
inviolate ethical and ideological framework of politics are
• Modern World has seen the rise of algorithm based cyber
leadership attributes which are more relevant and required
world and its impact are also severe on different aspects of
today than ever in a fast changing world penetrated by
life. In such scenario, the diminished authority of the state
technology.
to regulate the impact of technology on our social and
political life questions the original premises of the
agreement on which citizens agreed to obey state laws
(social contract or social compact). UNITED NATIONS POLICY
• So, the absence of enforceable boundaries of the digital
world could lead us to a life where decisions would be
BRIEF ON EDUCATION
based on algorithms set to harvest commercial or political
benefits.
DURING COVID-19
• This new world in which life will be re-engineered and #Education
adapted to unprecedented changes will need
extraordinary leadership that can not only apply
knowledge of the new age but also rise to the unforeseen IN NEWS
challenges and safeguard freedom and fairness.
United Nations Policy Brief on Education during COVID-19 and
7. Concentration of Wealth in Few Hands beyond highlights that children are at risk of not returning to
• Another problem brought by democracy is free market school next year due to the economic fallout of COVID-19. The
which results in concentration of wealth. Concentration of report also mentioned that the educational financing gap is
wealth in few hands has the potential to change the fabrics also likely to increase by one third in upcoming times. So, let
of free and fair elections in India through use of money us go through the important highlights about the UN Report.
power and lobbying between corporates and government • Impact on Education due to COVID: The COVID-19
in power. pandemic has created the largest disruption of education
• Credit Suisse India Report of 2018 - The richest 10% of systems in history, affecting nearly 1.6 billion learners in
Indians own 77.4% of the country’s wealth whereas the more than 190 countries and all continents. Closures of
bottom 60%, the majority of the population, owns only schools and other learning spaces have impacted
4.7% of the total wealth in India. And top of it, richest 1% 94 per cent of the world’s student population, up to
Indians controls more than 51% of the wealth. India's 99 per cent in low and lower-middle income countries.
richest 1% got richer by 39% in 2018 while the bottom-half • Most impacted by the COVID Crisis: The crisis has
saw just 3% rise in their wealth. reduced opportunities for many in their continued
• Thus, concentration of wealth and Political Power has learning process including most vulnerable children, youth,
become a more general global phenomena and can be and adults, those living in poor or rural areas, girls,
seen in the US, China, Russia, India, Brazil, Hungary, Turkey refugees, persons with disabilities and forcibly displaced
and elsewhere. persons.

• Learning will be impacted in future: Learning losses also

threaten to extend beyond this generation and erase

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 Constituti0n, Polity and
decades of progress, not least in support of girls and
young women’s educational access and retention. Some
23.8 million additional children and youth (from pre-
primary to tertiary) may drop out or not have access to
school next year due to the pandemic’s economic impact
alone.
• Impact of Closure of Educational
worldwide: The education disruption has had, and will
continue to have, substantial effects beyond education.
Closures of educational institutions hamper the provision
of essential services to children and communities,
including access to nutritious food, affect the ability of
many parents to work, and increase risks of violence
against women and girls.
• Fiscal Strain on Education: As fiscal pressure increases,
and development assistance comes under strain, the
financing of education could also face major challenges in
the future leading to worsening of massive pre-COVID-19
education funding gaps. For low income countries and
lower-middle-income countries, for instance, that gap has
reached a staggering $148 billion annually and it could
now increase by up to one-third.
• Some Positives & Challenges: Despite the challenges, the
crisis has stimulated innovation within the education
sector. We have seen innovative approaches in support of
education and training continuity: from
television to online education including
packages. Distance learning solutions
Governance
mitigate the potentially devastating consequences of the
COVID-19 pandemic, governments and stakeholders are
encouraged to pursue the following policy responses:
1. Suppress transmission of the virus and plan thoroughly
for school re-openings: While re-opening the schools, it is
important to ensure the safety of all, plan for inclusive re-
Institutions opening, listen to the voices of all concerned and coordinate
with key stakeholders including the health community.
2. Protect education financing and coordinate for impact:
National authorities and the international community need to
protect education financing through the following avenues:
o strengthen domestic revenue mobilization;
o preserve the share of expenditure for education as a top
priority and address inefficiencies in education spending;
o strengthen international coordination to address the debt
crisis; and
o protect official development assistance (ODA) for
education.
3. Build resilient education systems for equitable and
sustainable development: Strengthening the resilience of
education systems enables countries to respond to the
immediate challenges of safely reopening schools and
positions them to better cope with future crises. In this
regard, governments could consider the following:
radio and
o focus on equity and inclusion;
take-home
have been o reinforce capacities for risk management, at all levels of

developed thanks to quick responses by governments and the system;

partners all over the world supporting education o ensure strong leadership and coordination; and
continuity, including the Global Education Coalition o enhance consultation and communication mechanisms.
covered by UNESCO. However, the crisis has also
4. Reimagine education and accelerate change in
reminded us that the promising future of learning, and the
teaching and learning: There is a need to find new ways to
accelerated changes in modes of delivering quality
address the learning crisis and bring about a set of solutions
education, cannot be separated from the imperative of
previously considered difficult or impossible to implement.
leaving no one behind. This is true for children and youth
The following entry points could be to the fore of our efforts:
affected by a lack of resources or enabling environment
including children from vulnerable sections to access new o focus on addressing learning losses and preventing
form of learning including online learning. Thus, dropouts, particularly of marginalized groups;
governments and important stakeholders must come o offer skills for employability programmes;
together to provide access of education to such students
o support the teaching profession and teachers’ readiness;
who lack adequate resources at their disposal.
o expand the definition of the right to education to include
RECOMMENDATIONS BY UNITED NATIONS connectivity;
Preventing a learning crisis from becoming a generational o remove barriers to connectivity;
catastrophe requires urgent action from all. So, in order to

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 Constituti0n, Polity and
Governance
o strengthen data and monitoring of learning; • On August 3, 2015, the Centre signed a framework

o strengthen the articulation and flexibility across levels; agreement with the NSCN (I-M) to resolve the Naga issue,

and but both sides maintained secrecy about its contents.

o strengthen types of education and training. • The optimism among some Naga groups eroded a bit
when the Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) were
CONCLUSION
brought on board the peace process on November 17,
Education is not only a fundamental human right. It is an 2017.
enabling right with direct impact on the realization of all
• The NNPGs are a group of Seven Naga outfits and
other human rights. It is a global common good and a organizations who along with NSCN-IM are also involved in
primary driver of progress across all 17 Sustainable
talks with the Centre to sign a Final Agreement to the Naga
Development Goals as a bedrock of just, equal, inclusive
issue. NNGPs and NSCN (I-M) are not on same page
peaceful societies. When education systems collapse, peace,
regarding the political solution of Nagaland. This aspect of
prosperous and productive societies cannot be sustained.
division among Naga Group was kept in mind by the
Indian Government while bringing NNGPs along with
NSCN (I-M) in the peace deal.
NAGA PEACE • So, according to NSCN (I-M) bringing along NNGPs on
board the peace deal created suspicion about New Delhi
#Security exploiting divisions within the Nagas on tribal and
geopolitical lines. It was also a throwback to the first peace
deal, The Shillong Accord of 1975 that Naga hardliners
had rejected.

IN NEWS • Rejection of the Shillong Accord had led to the birth of the
NSCN in January 1980. However, differences surfaced
The Framework Agreement signed in August 2015 between
within the outfit a few years later over initiating a dialogue
Government of India and National Socialist Council of
process with the Indian government. Because of the
Nagalim, or the NSCN (I-M) promised roads to peace in
difference, NSCN split into the NSCN (I-M) and NSCN
Nagaland. The contents of the Agreement were kept
(Khaplang) in April 1988 who often engaged in fratricidal
confidential by mutual consent between the government and
battles.
NSCN (I-M) “for security reasons”.

Recently, on the eve of independence-day, the contents of the

REASONS FOR GROWING DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
agreement were made public by NSCN (I-M) signaling the GOVERNMENT AND NSCN (I-M)
growing tension with the Union Government. NSCN (I-M) • When Mr. Ravi was appointed as Nagaland’s Governor in
released the draft because it believed that Centre’s July 2019, there was certain amount of euphoria that the
interlocutor for talks Mr. R.N. Ravi who is also the Governor of peace deal would eventually be fruitful and there would be
Nagaland had made unilateral changes to the Framework light at the end of long drawn tunnel. As the Centre’s
Agreement which NSCN (I-M) did not agree to. Earlier, Mr. R.N. interlocutor, Mr. Ravi had signed the framework
Ravi had said that all important agreements on the peace deal agreement in the presence of the Prime Minister.
were settled in October 2019 and only some minor outstanding
• In October 2019, Mr. Ravi issued a statement blaming the
issues were left to be worked upon.
“procrastinating attitude” of the NSCN (I-M) for the delay in
However, there seem certain problems with the peace process a mutually-agreed draft comprehensive settlement. He
as NSCN (I-M) has demanded removal of R.N. Ravi who has also said the NSCN (I-M) imputed “imaginary contents” to
been Centre’s interlocutor for the last 23-year-old in the peace the framework agreement while referring to the
process. government’s purported acceptance of a ‘Naga national
HISTORICAL BACKDROP TO THE 2015 FRAMEWORK flag’ and ‘Naga Yezhabo (constitution)’ as part of the deal.

AGREEMENT

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 Constituti0n, Polity and
Governance
• In June 2020, the NSCN (I-M) took offence to Mr. Ravi’s
letter to Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio in which he
referred to them as “armed gangs” running parallel
governments. The NSCN (I-M) reacted by demanding Mr.
Ravi’s removal from the peace process. However, this
demand was opposed by Naga National Political Groups
(NNPGs), a conglomerate of seven rival groups, and some
social organisations as they want Mr. Ravi to stay as the
interlocutor.
MAJOR HURDLES TO PEACE PROCESS
• Greater Nagalim - NSCN (I-M) believes in the idea of
Greater Nagalim, which is a homeland encompassing all
Naga-inhabited areas in Nagaland and beyond including
parts of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Manipur.
• Problem in Accepting the demand of Greater Nagalim -
Accepting this demand would leave the centre no choice
but to reorganize the states of Nagaland, Assam, Manipur
and Arunachal. No states presently would agree to such a
proposal which carves away their settled territory. The
Assam government has vowed not to part with “even an
inch of land”, the All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union
warned against any “territorial changes” while finding a
solution. Manipur Chief Minister said he has received the
Centre’s assurance that the peace deal with the NSCN (I-M)
will not affect the territorial integrity of Manipur.
• Peaceful Settlement outside the purview of Indian
Constitution – NSCN (I-M) wants settlement of peace
outside the purview of Indian Constitution as that will
allow them to fulfill their demand of peaceful co-existence
of two sovereign entities. Now, in his ‘Naga Independence
Day’ speech on August 14, NSCN (I-M) general secretary
Thuingaleng Muivah insisted the Nagas “will never merge
with India and strongly indicated a settlement outside the
purview of the Constitution of India.
• Demand for a separate Flag and Constitution – NSCN (I-
M) faction have demanded a separate Flag
Constitution for their Greater Nagalim. However, so far the
Naga leaders are divided around the demand for a
separate flag and a constitution separate from the Indian
constitution as NNGPs are ready to go ahead with the
peace deal even without a separate flag and constitution.
Way Forward: So, the NSCN, by making public the original
copy of the Framework Agreement of 2015 has blamed Mr.
Ravi for doctoring the peace deal. However, this step also
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
keeps the government separate from Mr. Ravi which also
allows a window of opportunity for the government to
peacefully settle the deal as per the Framework Agreement
agreed upon in 2015 in the presence of Indian Prime
Minister.
DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE
#Justice
IN NEWS
Theories of distributive justice seek to specify what is meant by
a just distribution of goods among members of
society. Distributive Justice is an important idea which deals
with distribution of burden and benefits among members of
any society. This idea is also provided in the Indian
Constitution as part of Directive Principles of State Policy
(which cannot be enforced) under Article 39(b) and Article
39(c).
The provision states that the State shall in particular direct its
policy towards securing that the ownership and control of the
material resources of the community are so distributed as best to
subserve the common good and that the operation of the
economic system does not result in the concentration of wealth
and means of production to the common detriment. So, in this
backdrop let us go through the concept of distributive justice
based on distribution of burdens and benefits among members
of the society and also learn about John Rawl’s Theory of Justice.
UPSC MAINS – GS PAPER 4 – (2016)
Q. Analyse John Rawl’s concept of Social Justice in the Indian
Context. (10 Marks) (150 Words)
THEORY OF JOHN RAWL
►Justice as Fairness
and
• One of the most famous American philosophers to focus
on the topic of distributive justice was John Rawls. In his
work, A Theory of Justice, Rawls mentions about as
“Justice as Fairness.”
• The wellbeing of representatives is assessed by their
allocation of what Rawls terms primary goods. There are
two classes of primary goods. The first class comprises
Social Primary Goods, such as Liberty and Wealth. The
41
 Constituti0n, Polity and
Governance
second class comprises Natural Primary Goods - such as
personal characteristics. Justice as fairness is concerned
with the distribution of social primary goods.
►Difference Principle
• The part of Rawls’ theory that addresses economic
inequalities is often referred to as the “Difference
Principle.” According to Rawls, a just society is one whose
major political, social, and economic institutions, taken
together, satisfy the following two principles:
1. Each person has an equal claim to a scheme of basic rights
and liberties that is the maximum consistent with the
same scheme for all.
2. Social and economic inequalities are permissible only if: (a)
they confer the greatest benefit to the least-advantaged
members of society, and (b) they are attached to positions
and offices open to all under conditions of fair equality of
opportunity.
• The basic rights and liberties in Principle 1 include the
rights and liberties of democratic citizenship, such as the
right to vote; the right to run for office in free
elections; freedom of speech, assembly, and religion; the
right to a fair trial; and more generally, the right to the rule
of law. Principle 1 is accorded strict priority over principle
2, which regulates social and economic inequalities.
• Principle 2 combines two ideals. The first, known as the
“Difference Principle,” requires that any unequal
distribution of social or economic goods (e.g., wealth) must
be such that the least-advantaged members of society
would be better off under that distribution than they
would be under any other distribution consistent with
principle 1, including an equal distribution. This is because
a slightly unequal distribution might benefit the least
advantaged by encouraging greater overall productivity.
• The second ideal of Principle 2 is Meritocracy and is
understood in a very demanding way. According to Rawls,
fair equality of opportunity obtains in a society when all
persons with the same native talent (genetic inheritance)
and the same degree of ambition have the same prospects
for success in all competitions for positions that confer
special economic and social advantages. Based on these
understandings, let us go through the principle of
distributive justice.
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
►Understanding Distributive Justice
• Distribution of Benefits and Burdens in societies - The
economic, political and social frameworks that each society
has its laws, institutions, policies, etc. which result in
different distributions of benefits and burdens across
members of the society. These frameworks are the result
of human political processes and they constantly change
both across societies and within societies over time. The
structure of these frameworks is important because the
distributions of benefits and burdens resulting from them
fundamentally affect people’s lives. Arguments about
which frameworks and/or resulting distributions are
morally preferable constitute the topic of distributive
justice.
• Moral Guidance - Principles of distributive justice are
therefore best thought of as providing moral guidance for
the political processes and structures that affect the
distribution of benefits and burdens in societies, and any
principles which do offer this kind of moral guidance on
distribution, regardless of the terminology they employ,
should be considered principles of distributive justice.
• Distributive justice is a concept that addresses the
ownership of goods in a society. It assumes that there is a
large amount of fairness in the distribution of goods. Equal
work should provide individuals with an equal outcome in
terms of goods acquired or the ability to acquire goods.
Distributive justice is absent when equal work does not
produce equal outcomes or when an individual or a group
acquires a disproportionate amount of goods.
• Distributive principles vary in numerous dimensions -
They vary in what is considered relevant to distributive
justice (income, wealth, opportunities, jobs, welfare, utility,
etc.); in the nature of the recipients of the distribution
(individual persons, groups of persons, reference classes,
etc.); and on what basis the distribution should be made
(equality, maximization, according to individual
characteristics, according to free transactions, etc.).
►DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE
Sharing to reduce inequality
• At the very least, justice requires that we not be greedy
and grab things; instead, we share them with those we
don’t know or love. Simply put, a sense of justice is born
when we begin sharing things with strangers.
42
 Constituti0n, Polity and
Governance
• The basic idea of justice is that ‘each person gets what is
properly due to him or her’, that the benefits and burdens
of society be distributed in a manner that gives each
person his or her due.
HIERARCHICAL & EGALITARIAN NOTIONS OF JUSTICE
• Now, the question arises is that what is a person’s due and
how to determine it. It is here where we can distinguish
between hierarchical and egalitarian notions of justice.
• In hierarchical notions, what is due to a person is
established by her or his place within a hierarchical
system. For instance, by rank determined at birth. Certain
groups are born privileged. Therefore, their members are
entitled to a disproportionately large share of benefits, and
a disproportionately small share of burdens. On this
conception, justice requires that the benefits and burdens
be unequally shared or distributed.
• To take just one example, in a society ridden with caste
hierarchies, those born in high castes are entitled to a
much greater share of wealth, power, cultural status and
knowledge. Conversely, those born in ‘low castes’ get
whatever is their proper due — very little, sometimes
nothing. The hierarchical conception of justice has
rarely remained unchallenged.
ESSENCE OF EGALITARIAN DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE
• In societies still infested with live hierarchies, people must
first struggle for recognition as equals, for what might be
called basic social justice. Then, they must decide how to
share all social benefits and burdens among equal
persons, the essence of egalitarian distributive justice.
PRINCIPLES OF NEED AND DESERT
• For the first need-based principle, what is due to a person
is what she really needs, i.e., whatever is necessary for
general human well-being. Since our basic needs are
identical, justice requires their fulfillment in every single
person. Beyond this basic threshold, our needs usually
vary, and therefore justice further requires the fulfillment
of different needs — say, the specific needs of a scholar, as
well as the very different needs of a mountaineer.
• Second, the principle of desert for which what is due to a
person is what he or she deserves, determined not by
birth or tradition but by a person’s own qualities, for
instance ‘natural’ talent or productive effort.
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
• So, even though we start as equals, those who are talented
or work hard should be rewarded with more benefits and
be less burdened. Conversely, those contributing
unequally to the creation of wealth or cultural assets, do
not deserve the same benefits yielded by them. This
underpins the idea of equal opportunity to all, albeit with
justified inequalities of outcome.
FINDING THE BALANCE
• Most reasonable egalitarian conceptions of justice try to
find a balance between need and desert. They try to
ensure a distribution of goods and abilities (benefits) that
satisfies everyone’s needs, and a fair distribution of social
burdens or sacrifices required for fulfilling them. After this,
rewards are permissible to those who by virtue of natural
gift, social learning and personal effort, deserve more.
INEQUALITY INCREASING IN OUR SOCIETY
• Our society is afflicted by deep material, cultural and
knowledge-related inequalities and these inequalities are
growing by the day. Sometimes these inequalities are
accompanied by blatant assertions of unequal moral
worth, though today, a deafening silence on social and
distributive justice is more common.
• Overall we can say that we are falling way short of
standards of social and distributive justice as provided in
the Preamble. Putting justice back into public discourse
should be government’s priority as it will help in removing
inequality from the society thereby fulfilling the mandate
of Directive Principles of State Policy Particularly Article
39.
NATIONAL RECRUITMENT
AGENCY
#Recruitment
IN NEWS
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister has approved the
proposal to set up the National Recruitment Agency (NRA),
paving the way for a transformational reform in the
recruitment process for central government jobs.
43
 Constituti0n, Polity and
Governance
NRA has been set up as an independent, professional,
specialist organization for conduct of a computer based online
common eligibility test for recruitment and will help in
bringing reform in the area of recruitment. The Government
has sanctioned a sum of Rs. 1517.57 crore for the National
Recruitment Agency (NRA). The expenditure will be undertaken
over a period of three years. Apart from setting up the NRA,
costs will be incurred for setting up examination infrastructure
in the 117 Aspirational Districts.
NEED FOR RECRUITMENT REFORM
• At present, candidates seeking government jobs have to
appear for separate examinations conducted by multiple
recruiting agencies for various posts, for which similar
eligibility conditions have been prescribed. Candidates
have to pay fee to multiple recruiting agencies and also
have to travel long distances for appearing in various
exams.
• These multiple recruitment examinations are a burden on
the candidates, as also on the respective recruitment
agencies, involving avoidable/repetitive expenditure, law
and order/security related issues and venue related
problems.
• On an average, 2.5 crore to 3 crore candidates appear in
each of these examinations. A Common Eligibility Test
would enable these candidates to appear once and apply
to any or all of these recruitment agencies for the higher
level of examination.
COMMON ELIGIBILITY TEST TO BE CONDUCTED BY
NRA
• National Recruitment Agency (NRA) will conduct a
Common Eligibility Test (CET) to screen/shortlist
candidates for the Group B and C (non-technical) posts.
• NRA will have representatives of Ministry of Railways,
Ministry of Finance/Department of Financial Services, the
SSC, RRB & IBPS.
• It is envisioned that the NRA would be a specialist body
bringing the state-of-the-art technology and best practices
to the field of Central Government recruitment.
MAJOR BENEFITS OF NRA
►Examination Centre in Every District
• Examination Centres in every District of the country would
greatly enhance access to the candidates located in far-
flung areas.
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
• Special focus will be on creating examination
infrastructure in all the 117 Aspirational Districts as it will
go a long way in providing access to candidates at a place
nearer to where they reside. This will immensely benefit
the candidates in terms of cost, effort, safety and time.
►Relief to Candidates
• The proposal will not only ease access to rural candidates,
it will also motivate the rural candidates residing in the far-
flung areas to take the examination and thereby, enhance
their representation in Central Government jobs. Taking
job opportunities closer to the people is an important step
that would greatly enhance ease of living for the youth.
• Presently, the candidates have to appear in multiple
examinations conducted by multiple agencies. Apart from
the examination fees, candidates have to incur additional
expenses for travel, boarding, lodging and other such. A
single examination would reduce the financial burden on
candidates to a large extent.
►Benefits for Women Candidates
• Women candidates especially from rural areas face
constraints in appearing in multiple examinations as they
have to arrange for transportation and places to stay in
places that are far away. They sometimes have to find
suitable persons to accompany them to these Centres that
are located far away. The location of test centres in every
District would greatly benefit candidates from rural areas
in general and women candidates in particular.
►NRA will allow Candidates to compete for more post
• Given the financial and other constraints, earlier the
candidates from rural background had to make a choice as
to which examination they want to appear in.
• Under the NRA, the candidates by appearing in one
examination will get an opportunity to compete for many
posts. NRA will conduct the first-level /Tier I Examination
which is the stepping stone for many other selections.
►CET Score to be valid for three years, no bar on
attempts
• The CET score of the candidate shall be valid for a period
of three years from the date of declaration of the result.
• The best of the valid scores shall be deemed to be the
current score of the candidate. There shall be no
restriction on the number of attempts to be taken by a
44
 Constituti0n, Polity and
Governance
candidate to appear in the CET subject to the upper age and Private Sector. This would help such organizations in
limit. saving costs and time spent on recruitment.

• Relaxation in the upper age limit shall be given to

candidates of SC/ST/OBC and other categories as per the
extant policy of the Government. This would go a long way ISLAND DEVELOPMENT
in mitigating the hardship of candidates who spend a
considerable amount of time, money and effort preparing AGENCY
and giving these examinations every year.

►Separate Testing for different Grades – Reduce Burden

#Development
of Candidates

• NRA shall conduct a separate CET each for the three levels
of graduate, higher secondary (12th pass) and the
th
matriculate (10 pass) candidates, for those non-technical
posts to which recruitment is presently carried out by the
Staff Selection Commission (SSC), the Railway Recruitment
Boards (RRBs) and by the Institute of Banking Personnel
Selection (IBPS).
IN NEWS
While launching the submarine Optical Fibre Cable (OFC)
connecting Andaman & Nicobar Islands to the mainland, Prime
Minister highlighted that the Island Development Agency (IDA)
which was formed in 2017 has been reviewing the progress of
the important works carried out in the islands of Andaman

• Based on the screening done at the CET score level, final and Nicobar Islands and in the Lakshadweep islands.

selection for recruitment shall be made through separate IMPORTANT HIGHLIGHTS - MEETING OF ISLAND
specialised Tiers (II, III etc) of examination which shall be DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
conducted by the respective recruitment agencies.
• The Union Home Minister chaired the Sixth meeting of IDA
• The curriculum for this test would be common as would be
where he reviewed the progress made towards the
the standard. This would greatly ease the burden of
programme “Holistic development of islands”.
candidates who are at present required to prepare for
each of the examinations separately as per different • For the first time under the guidance of IDA, an initiative of
curriculum. sustainable development in the identified Islands within
scientifically-assessed carrying capacity was taken-up.
CET AVAILABLE IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES
• The meeting also focused on creation of jobs for the
The CET would be available in a number of languages. This
islanders through tourism promotion as well as export
would greatly facilitate people from different parts of the
of seafood and coconut-based products made in the
country to take the exam and have an equal opportunity of
Islands.
being selected.
• Model tourism projects both Land-based and Water Villas
MARKS OF CET CAN BE USED BY PUBLIC AND
is planned and bids have been invited for private sector
PRIVATE AGENCIES
participation.
• Initially the scores would be used by the three major
• As a unique initiative, to spur investment, it was decided to
recruitment agencies. However, over a period of time it is
obtain clearances for implementation of the planned
expected that other recruitment agencies in the Central
projects up-front. Environment and Coastal Regulation
Government would adopt the same. Further, it would be
open for other agencies in the public as well as private Zone (CRZ) clearances have already been obtained for four

domain to adopt it if they so choose. exemplary tourism projects of Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

• Thus, in the long run, the CET score could be shared with • Improving air, sea and digital connectivity was also
other recruiting agencies in the Central Government, State discussed and on similar lines government has announced
Governments/Union Territories, Public Sector Undertaking inauguration of submarine Optical Fibre Cable (OFC)
connecting Chennai and Port Blair.

FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS 45

 Constituti0n, Polity and
Governance
• The submarine cable will also connect Port Blair to Swaraj These islands carry importance because of their size and
Dweep (Havelock), Little Andaman, Car Nicobar, strategic location.
Kamorta, Great Nicobar, Long Island, and Rangat. This
connectivity will enable delivery of faster and more reliable
mobile and landline telecom services to Andaman & SCHEDULED
Nicobar Islands, at par with other parts of India.

• Better communication services would facilitate setting up CASTE/SCHEDULED TRIBES

CAN HAVE SUB-GROUPS
of Information Technology based and other Micro, Small
and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the islands with
incentives through Lakshadweep and Andaman &
#Reservation
Nicobar Islands Industrial Development Scheme
(LANIDS), 2018 notified on 1st January, 2019. All new
industrial units and existing industrial units undertaking
IN NEWS
substantial expansion in manufacturing and services
sectors located in the Lakshadweep and Andaman & In State of Punjab v Davindar Singh, a five-judge Constitution
Bench of Supreme Court observed that there can be sub
Nicobar Islands, will be eligible for incentives under the
classifications within Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled
scheme.
Tribes (STs) to provide preferential treatment in reservation to
HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT OF IDENTIFIED ISLANDS– the “weakest of the weak”. Accordingly, the Supreme Court
NITI AAYOG held that the decision of similar bench in E V Chinnaiah vs

• For overall development of the islands of Andaman and
Nicobar and Lakshadweep, the initiative
Development of Identified Islands” was accorded high
priority by the Government and NITI Aayog was mandated
to steer the process.
• In consultation with the UT Administrations, the concerned
Central Ministries/ Departments and other stakeholders,
10 islands namely Aves, Long, Little Andaman, Smith and
Ross in Andaman & Nicobar and Bangaram, Cheriyam,
State of Andhra Pradesh and Others requires to be revisited
and referred the matter to the Chief Justice for placing it
“Holistic
before an appropriate larger seven judge bench.
REASON FOR THE PRESENT JUDGEMENT
• Section 4(5) of the Punjab Scheduled Castes and Backward
Classes (Reservation in Services) Act, 2006 provides that
fifty per cent of the vacancies of the quota reserved for
Scheduled Castes in direct recruitment, shall be offered to
Balmikis and Mazhbi Sikhs, if available, as a first

Minicoy, Suheli and innakara in Lakshadweep were initially preference from amongst the Scheduled Castes.

identified for sustainable development. • This provision was held unconstitutional by Punjab and
Haryana High Court as the Court relied on the judgment
• Subsequently, 17 more islands (12 in Andaman & Nicobar
pronounced in V Chinnaiah vs State of Andhra Pradesh and
and 5 in Lakshadweep) were identified for coverage under
Others which disallows such sub-categorisation in
the initiative. These include North Passage, Cinque, Inglis,
reservation for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes.
Viper, Shaheed Dweep (Bharatpur Beach), Ramnagar
Beach, Karmatang Beach, Dhaninallah Beach, Kalipur • E.V. Chinnaiah Judgement held that that all the castes in

Beach, Rutland, North Bay and Great Nicobar (B Quarry) in the Presidential Order under Article 341(1) of the
Constitution formed one class of homogeneous group and
Andaman & Nicobar and Kalpeni, Kadmat, Agatti, Chetlat
the same could not be further sub divided.
and Bitra in Lakshadweep.
• Presidential Order for SC - Article 341 – With respect to
• Further, potential sites for sustainable development in
State and Union Territories, the President after consulting
Little Andaman and Great Nicobar, outside Tribal Reserves,
with the Governor, through public notification specify the
are being identified separately for coverage under the
castes, races or tribes or parts of or groups within castes,
initiative “Holistic Development of Identified Islands”. -
races or tribes which shall for the purposes of this

FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS 46

 Constituti0n, Polity and
Governance
Constitution be deemed to be Scheduled Castes in relation
to that State or Union territory.
• Presidential Order for ST - Article 342 - With respect to
State and Union Territories, the President after consulting
with the Governor, through public notification specify the
tribes or tribal communities or parts of or groups within
tribes or tribal communities which shall for the purposes
of this Constitution be deemed to be Scheduled Tribes in
relation to that State or Union territory.
IMPORTANT HIGHLIGHT OF SUPREME COURT’S
DECISION
►Sub-classification favours Article 14
• The court observed that sub-classification made under
Section 4(5) of the Punjab Act was to ensure that the
benefit of the reservation percolate down to the deprived
section, to provide benefit to all and give them equal
treatment. On the question whether it is violative of Article
14, the bench observed:
It would be permissible on rationale basis to make such sub--
classification to provide benefit to all to bring equality, and it
would not amount to exclusion from the list as no class (caste) is
deprived of reservation in totality. In case benefit which is meant
for the emancipation of all the castes, included in the list of
Scheduled Castes, is permitted to be usurped by few castes those
who are adequately represented, have advanced and belonged to
the creamy layer, then it would tantamount to creating inequality
whereas in case of hunger every person is required to be fed and
provided bread. The entire basket of fruits cannot be given to
mighty at the cost of others under the guise of forming a
homogenous class.
Article 342A - inserted by the Constitution (One Hundred and
Second Amendment) Act, 2018 - The President may with respect
to any State or Union territory, and where it is a State, after
consultation with the Governor thereof, by public notification,
specify the socially and educationally backward classes which
shall for the purposes of this Constitution be deemed to be
socially and educationally backward classes in relation to that
State or Union territory.
Article 16 - Equality of opportunity in matters of public
employment - Article 16(4) - Nothing in this article shall prevent
the State from making any provision for the reservation of
appointments or posts in favour of any backward class of citizens
which, in the opinion of the State, is not adequately represented
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in the services under the State.
IMPACT OF ARTICLE 342A ON SC/ST
• The Court held that the provisions of Articles 341, 342, and
342A are pari material i.e. same subject matter and the
reservation for socially and educationally backward classes
was the subject matter under consideration in Indra
Sawhney judgment.
• Thus, the question arises how different opinions can be
expressed with respect to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled
Tribes, and Socially and Educationally Backward Classes for
the purposes of classification as Indra Sawhney judgment
allowed creamy layer among the Other Backward Classes
based on economic criteria.
• So, a sort of creamy layer for members of SC/ST who have
progressed or advanced in their life can be created as
compared to the weakest among the weaker sections of
Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe.
• The Court also held that the provisions of Article 16(4) and
Article 342A indicate that it would not be permissible to
adopt different criteria for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled
Tribes, and socially and educationally backward classes.
SUPREME COURT ON SOCIAL REALITY OF DEPRIVED
SECTIONS OF SC/ST
• The Court said that there is cry and caste struggle within
the reserved class as benefit of reservation in services and
education is being enjoyed, who are doing better
hereditary occupation. The scavenger class given the name
of Balmikis remains more or less where it was, and so on,
disparity within Scheduled Caste is writ large from various
reports.
• The Constitution is an effective tool of social
transformation; removal of inequalities intends to wipe off
tears from every eye. The social realities cannot be ignored
and overlooked while the Constitution aims at the
comprehensive removal of the disparities.
• The very purpose of providing reservation is to take care of
disparities. The Constitution takes care of inequalities but
still in reality there are unequals within the list of
Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Socially and
Educationally Backward Classes.
• Various reports indicate that Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled Tribes do not constitute a homogenous group.
The aspiration of equal treatment of the lowest strata, to
47
 Constituti0n, Polity and
Governance
whom the fruits of the reservation have not effectively
reached, remains a dream. At the same time, various
castes by and large remain where they were, and they
remain unequals.
STATE’S OBLIGATION
• According to the Court, it is the State’s obligation to
undertake the emancipation of the deprived section of the
community and eradicate inequalities. When
reservation creates inequalities within the reserved
castes itself, it is required to be taken care of by the
State making sub-classification and adopting
distributive justice method so that State largesse does
not concentrate in few hands and equal justice to all is
provided. It involves redistribution and reallocation of
resources and opportunities and equitable access to all
public and social goods to fulfil the very purpose of the
constitutional mandate of equal justice to all.
• Providing a percentage of the reservation within
permissible limit is within the powers of the State
legislatures. It cannot be deprived of its concomitant
power to make reasonable classification within the
particular classes of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes,
and socially and educationally backward classes without
depriving others in the list.
• To achieve the real purpose of reservation, within
constitutional dynamics, needy can always be given
benefit; otherwise, it would mean that inequality being
perpetuated within the class if preferential classification is
not made ensuring benefit to all.
• The State Government is conferred with the power to
provide reservation and to distribute it equitably. The State
Government is the best judge as to the disparities in
different areas. Thus, it is for the State Government to
judge the equitable manner in which reservation has to be
distributed. It can work out its methodology and give the
preferential treatment to a particular class more backward
out of Scheduled Castes without depriving others of
benefit.
• So, the bench expressed the view that once a State
Government has the power to make reservation, it
also has the power to make sub-classifications and
that such sub-classification will not amount to
tinkering with the reservation list.
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• Justice Arun Mishra held that in a federal structure, the
State Government cannot be denied the power to make
laws to give preferential treatment to sub-categories
within the reservation list.
• However, in view of the contrary view expressed by a 5-
judge bench in EV Chinniah, the bench said that the issue
needs reconsideration by a larger seven judge bench.
the
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE ACT,
a
1963
#Language
IN NEWS
Supreme Court stayed the Delhi High Court’s contempt of court
proceedings initiated against the Ministry of Environment and
Forest (MOEF) for failing to publish the draft EIA notification in
22 regional languages as provided in the Eight Schedule to the
Indian Constitution. The Official Languages Act 1963 stipulates
the government to publish rules only in Hindi and English.
DECISION OF DELHI HIGH COURT
• Delhi High Court earlier ordered the government to
publish the Draft Environment Impact Assessment Report
issued by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate
Change in 22 languages as provided in Eight Schedule of
the Indian Constitution.
• The EIA should reach the maximum number of people
without discrimination to any part of the country,
especially the non-Hindi speaking parts of India. It should
reach and be understood by the rural population of the
country.
• The High Court wanted to ensure maximum public
participation, so that people studied the draft and
responded with suggestions and objections. SC said that it
has no objection to the Delhi High Court judgment.
• However, the centre failed to obey orders of Delhi High
Court. Accordingly, a contempt proceeding was initiated
against MOEF. Accordingly, decision of Delhi Court was
challenged before three Judge Bench of Supreme Court
headed by CJI.
48
 Constituti0n, Polity and
Governance
Supreme Court’s Decision: Chief Justice of India Sharad A.
Bobde while hearing an appeal against the Delhi High Court
judgment observed that the government should consider
amending the Official Languages Act of 1963 to include more
vernacular languages in governance, and not just confine it to
Hindi and English as there are many people in India who do
not know Hindi and English. CJI has asked the petitioner i.e.
the government to review the decision of Delhi High Court
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF INDIA
• Article 343(1) - The official language of the Union shall be
Hindi in Devanagari script. The form of numerals to be
used for the official purposes of the Union shall be the
international form of Indian numerals.
• Article 343(2) - provides that English shall also be
continued to be used in official work of the Union for a
period of 15 years from the date of commencement of the
constitution, i.e., up to the 25th of January 1965.
• Again, Article 343(3) made provisions for the continuation
of English from 26th January 1965 by empowering the
parliament to make laws to that effect.
• Accordingly, Parliament passed The Official Languages
Act, 1963 to provide for the languages which may be used
for the official purposes of the Union, for transaction of
business in Parliament, for Central and State Acts and for
certain purposes in High Courts.
• The Official Languages Act, 1963 allowed continuance of
English language for official purposes of the Union and for
use in Parliament even after1965. As per the Act, both
English and Hindi shall be used for certain specified
purposes like resolutions, rules, general orders,
notifications, press communiqués, administrative and
other reports, licenses, tenders, etc.
• The Act provides for the following –
 English language shall be used for purposes
communication between the Union and a State which has
not adopted Hindi as its official language.
 For communication between states where only one state
has recognised Hindi as its official language, then
communication in Hindi shall be accompanied by a
translation of the same in the English language.
• Optional use of Hindi or other official language in
judgments, etc., of High Courts - As from the appointed
th
day (26 January, 1965) or any day thereafter the Governor
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
of a State may, with the previous consent of the President,
authorise the use of Hindi or the official language of the
State, in addition to the English language, for the purposes
of any judgment, decree or order passed or made by the
High Court for that State. Where any judgment, decree or
order is passed or made in any such language (other than
the English language), it shall be accompanied by a
translation of the same in the English language issued
under the authority of the High Court.
CONTEMPT OF COURT
• Contempt of Court proceedings in India is governed
through The Contempt of Courts Act, 1971. The Act defines
contempt as civil contempt or criminal contempt.
• “Civil Contempt” means willful disobedience to any
judgment, decree, direction, order, writ or other process of
a court or willful breach of an undertaking given to a court.
• “Criminal Contempt” means the publication (whether by
words, spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible
representations, or otherwise) of any matter or the doing
of any other act whatsoever which
(i) scandalises or tends to scandalise, or lowers or tends to
lower the authority of, any court; or
(ii) prejudices, or interferes or tends to interfere with, the due
course of any judicial proceeding; or
(iii) interferes or tends to interfere with, or obstructs or tends
to obstruct, the administration of justice in any other
manner.
• Contempt of Court is a punishable offence and High Court
and Supreme Court can provide for certain punishment as
per the Act.
PROCEDURE WHERE CONTEMPT IS IN THE FACE OF
THE SUPREME COURT OR A HIGH COURT (SECTION
14)
of
• When it is alleged, or appears to the Supreme Court or the
High Court upon its own view, that a person has been
guilty of contempt committed in its presence or hearing,
the Court may cause such person to be detained in
custody, and, at any time before the rising of the Court, on
the same day, or as early as possible thereafter, shall –
(a) cause him to be informed in writing of the contempt with
which he is charged,
49
 Constituti0n, Polity and
Governance
(b) afford him an opportunity to make his defence to the (d) make such order for the punishment or discharge of such
charge, person as may be just.

(c) after taking such evidence as may be necessary or as may

be offered by such person and after hearing him, proceed,
either forthwith or after adjournment, to determine the
matter of the charge; and

practice questions
MCQs
Q1. The meetings of Island Development Agency is 2. Separate Constitution and Flag
chaired by Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) Prime Minister (b) CEO-NITI Aayog (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
(c) Home Minister (d) Finance Minister (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Q2. Consider the following statements: Q4. The concept of “National Health Stack” has been
1. The Constitution of India does not mention about suggested by
India’s Official Language. (a) NITI Aayog (b) Ministry of Health
2. Eight Schedule of the Indian Constitution has listed 22 (c) Ministry of Finance (d) Finance Commission
languages.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? Q5. Consider the following statements:
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only 1. Article 371H was added through the Constitution (Fifty-
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 Fifth Amendment) Act, 1986.
2. The Constitution (Fifty-Fifth Amendment) Act, 1986
Q3. Which of the following can be said to be the major conferred statehood on the erstwhile Union Territory
hurdle/s in finalising the Naga Framework of Arunachal Pradesh.
Agreement signed in 2015? Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
1. Idea of Greater Nagalim encompassing areas of other (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
states (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2

descriptive Questions
Q1. Highlight the salient features of National Digital Health Mission as proposed by the Prime Minister of India. Mention the
challenges which the government of India might face while implementing the National Digital Health Mission. (250 Words)
Q2. Trace the historical backdrop to the Framework Agreement signed in August 2015 between Government of India and
National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM). Elaborate the reasons as to why the framework agreement is still under
negotiations and is not able to see the light of the day. (250 Words)
Answers to above MCQs: 1 (c), 2 (b), 3 (c), 4(a), 5(c)

FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS 50

 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
# GS Paper (Prelims) & GS Paper III (Main)
Lead Article
IS INDIA READY FOR
ELECTRIC VEHICLES?
#Government Policies
IN NEWS
Recently, the Delhi Government has come out with the Electric
Vehicles Policy 2020 in order to ensure that at least 25% of the
registered new vehicles should be electric by the end of 2024.
The Government of India has also come up with a number of
policy initiatives for the faster adoption and manufacturing of
Electric Vehicles. However, these Initiatives have so far had
limited success.
In this regard, from the Perspective of UPSC Exam, let us focus
on the following dimensions:
1. Need to Push for Electric Mobility
2. Initiatives taken for Electric Mobility
3. Challenges/ Concerns
4. What should be done to address these concerns?
NEED TO PUSH FOR ELECTRIC MOBILITY
• Climatic change: India has committed to cutting its GHG
emissions intensity by 33% to 35% percent below 2005
levels by 2030
• Advances in renewable energy and battery technology:
Lower cost of clean, low-carbon energy with higher energy
densities, faster charging and long-lasting batteries.
• Rapid urbanization: According to a recent study by WHO,
India is home to 14 out of 20 most polluted cities in the
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
world. Electric vehicles (EVs) can improve that scenario by
reducing local concentrations of pollutants in cities. Data
capture and analysis - Mobility has undergone a digital
revolution. This has created possibility of a greater
utilization of existing transportation assets to move
towards electric mobility.
• Opportunities through Improved battery technology:
Advances in battery technology have led to higher energy
densities, faster charging and reduced battery degradation
from charging.
• Energy security: EV’s will facilitate lower reliance on fossil
fuel imports and at the same time reduce India's Current
Account Deficit (CAD).
• Lower Maintenance of Electric Vehicles due to less
number of moving parts.
NITI Aayog in its recent report has highlighted that making
India's passenger mobility shared, electric and connected can
cut its energy demand by 64% and carbon emissions by 37%.
This roughly translates into savings of Rs 3.9 lakh crores by
2030.
INITIATIVES TAKEN FOR ELECTRIC MOBILITY
• National Electric Mobility Mission Plan 2020: Aims to
have 6-7 Million Electric Vehicles by the end of 2020.
Implemented by Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public
Enterprises.
• National Council for Electric Mobility: Inter-Ministerial
team headed by Minister of Heavy Industries to approve
Electric Mobility Plans.
• National Board for Electric Mobility: Inter-Secretarial
team headed by Secretary, Department of Heavy
Industries to recommend Policies for adoption of Electric
Vehicles.
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 Economic Development
• FAME Scheme (Phase II): The Department of Heavy
Industries is implementing phase 2 of the FAME Scheme
(Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric
Vehicles) for a period of 3 years starting from 1st April
2019.
o Objective: Target to achieve 6-7 million sales of hybrid and
electric vehicles year on year from 2020 onwards.
o Mandate: Demand Incentive and Charging Infrastructure.
o Nature of Demand Incentive: The higher cost of Electric
vehicles can act as prohibitive factor. Hence, the
Government provides for upfront demand incentive on
purchase of Electric Vehicles. This demand incentive leads
to decrease in purchasing cost of Electric vehicle for the
consumer. For example, to buy Electric Vehicle worth Rs
1.5 lakh, the customer would be required to pay only Rs
1.3 lakhs. The remaining amount of Rs 20,000 is later
reimbursed by the Government to the manufacturer.
o Applicability: Applicable for all vehicles (Two-Wheelers,
Three-Wheelers, Four-Wheelers, Buses etc) used for both
Public and Private Transportation. However, higher
preference is being given for Public Transportation
vehicles. Further, incentive depends upon battery capacity
of vehicles. Higher the battery capacity, higher would be
the demand incentive.
CHALLENGES IN THE ADOPTION OF ELECTRIC
VEHICLES
In spite of these initiatives, the share of Electric vehicles in
India has remained below 1%. This is quite low as compared
to countries such as Norway where the share of electric
vehicles is as high as 40%. Similarly, last year, China alone
accounted for more than half of the global sale of Electric
Vehicles. Some of the constraints and Challenges are:
• Higher Dependence on Raw Materials: India does not
have enough reserves of rare earth minerals such as
Lithium, Cobalt etc. which are required for manufacturing
batteries. Most of these minerals are imported from
countries such as China.
• Poor Charging Infrastructure: Once fully charged, the
Electric Vehicles can run for an average maximum distance
of around 250 km. Hence, unless the charging
infrastructure improves, the demand for electric vehicles
would remain lower.
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
• Higher Capital costs of Electric vehicles in comparison to
conventional vehicles.
• Lower efficiency of Electric vehicles in terms of average
speed and distance travelled.
• Energy Insecurity: The Fossil fuels account for almost 65%
of electricity needs in India. Hence, the higher demand for
electricity to charge electric vehicles could lead to
increased demand for fossil fuels.
• Lack of skilled manpower for the manufacture of Electric
and hybrid vehicles.
WHAT SHOULD BE DONE TO PROMOTE ADOPTION
OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES?
• Revisiting FAME Scheme: India has a unique mobility
pattern which is quite distinct from other countries. The
vehicle fleet in India is dominated by two-wheelers which
account for almost 80% of vehicles, while premium four-
wheelers (costing more than 10 lakhs) account for only 2%.
Hence, incentives have to be designed keeping in mind the
unique aspect of vehicle fleet in India.
However, the demand incentive under FAME scheme
depends upon the battery capacity. Higher the battery
capacity, higher the demand incentive. Such an incentive
structure tends to provide higher incentive for premium
four-wheelers as compared to two-wheelers. Further,
Government's additional requirements on two-wheelers
such as higher average speed and higher travel distance
upon charging has led to absence of demand incentive on
purchase of large number of electric vehicles.
• Battery Swapping: The batteries account for around 50%
of the Electric Vehicles and thus increase their cost. Hence,
people should be allowed to purchase Electric cars without
batteries. Later, the vehicle owner can fit the fully charged
battery from a service centre owned by a private company.
As and when, the battery runs out, the vehicle owner
would pay replace the existing battery with another fully
charged battery. Here, the vehicle owner would not bear
the cost of entire battery, rather he would pay only for the
charging. The batteries would continue to be owned by the
private company operating the service centre.
• Retrofitting Existing Vehicle Fleet by enabling them to
act as Hybrid Vehicles (both Petrol/Diesel and Electric).
• Ensuring availability of critical and strategic minerals
such as Lithium, Cobalt etc by acquiring mines overseas.
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 Economic Development
The setting up of Khanij Bidesh India Ltd. (KABIL) to ensure
mineral security is a step in the right direction.
• Providing charging infrastructure: The limiting factor of
batteries on driving range may be addressed by
developing charging infrastructure for fast charging of
batteries.
• Import Duty and Make in India: Finished electric cars
should have highest import duty. However, components
such as batteries, drive-trains etc. should have lower
customs duty as compared to finished Electric cars.
• GST rates: The GST rates should favour commercial
vehicles in comparison to private vehicles.
• Invest in Research and Development in new approaches
and technologies such as hydrogen fuel-cells, new battery-
chemistries (with higher specific energy and energy
densities) etc. Appropriate guidelines have to be laid down
for providing tax exemption and utilisation of CSR Funds.
Banking and Finance
RBI’s RESOLUTION
FRAMEWORK TO DEAL
WITH COVID-19
#Banking
IN NEWS
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to worst health and Economic
Crisis in India. Hence, there is a need for dynamic, proactive
and balanced approach to deal with the crisis. In this regard,
the RBI has recently announced a number of policy
announcements to minimize the impact of COVID-19 and
promote economic revival. We shall focus on the following
dimensions:
1. Recent Decisions of MPC
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
• Added thrust on Renewable energy projects such as
Solar, Wind etc. for charging of Electric Vehicles and to
ensure energy security.
• Explore innovative incentives to promote Electric Vehicles
such as Doing away with Road Tax and Registration
charges, Free toll, free parking, dedicated parking spaces in
offices and residential buildings etc.
As discussed before, unlike other countries, the vehicle fleet
in India is dominated by smaller vehicles such as Two-
wheelers, Three-wheelers, shared four-wheelers (taxi
aggregators such as Uber). Hence Electric vehicles policy
must be tailor made to suit India’s needs and requirements.
India has unique opportunity to take up leadership role in
Electric Vehicles, emerge as global manufacturer and become
Aatma Nirbhar. It has to leverage this opportunity through
the measures highlighted above to push for electric mobility
and achieve multi-faceted objectives- Addressing Climate
Change and Pollution, Energy Security, Make in India and Job
Creation.
2. Resolution Framework for COVID-19-related Stress
3. Debt Restructuring for MSMEs
4. Review of Priority Sector Guidelines
5. Additional Special Liquidity Facility (ASLF)
6. Advances against Gold Ornaments and Jewellery
7. Flexibility in Management of Cash Reserve Requirements
8. Offline Retail Payments using Cards/Wallets/ Mobile Devices
RECENT DECISION OF MPC
The CPI rate of Inflation in June 2020 has increased to 6.1%.
The increase in rate of Inflation is mainly attributed to
temporary supply side factors- Supply chain disruptions,
Increase in Vegetable Prices, increased taxes on fuels etc.
Hence, contraction in GDP growth accompanied by higher
rate of Inflation had put Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) in
a fix as to whether the Repo Rate should be reduced or not.
It is to be noted that the Primary Mandate of the MPC is to
keep rate of Inflation between 2%-6%. Hence, keeping in
mind its primary mandate, the MPC has unanimously decided
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 Economic Development
to keep the policy rates unchanged and not to reduce them
further. It also decided to continue with its accommodative
Policy Stance.
Policy rates:
• Repo Rate: 4%
• MSF and Bank rate: 4.25%
• Reverse Repo: 3.35%
RESOLUTION FRAMEWORK FOR COVID-19-RELATED
STRESS
Background: In March 2020, the RBI had announced
Moratorium on the repayment of loans for the corporates
and Individuals for a period of 6 months from March 2020 to
August 2020. Even after 6 months, a large number of
Individuals and Businesses are not in position to repay back
the loans. Hence, it was being speculated that RBI may
extend the moratorium by another 3-6 months.
However, the RBI has decided not to extend the moratorium
on repayment of loans beyond the month of August.
However, doing so, may lead to increase in NPAs of Banks.
Announcement: To deal with problem of possible increase in
NPAs, RBI has allowed the Banks to carry out debt-
restructuring of the loans given to Corporates as well as
Individuals. As part of one-time debt restructuring, the Banks
can extend the tenure of loans, sanction additional loans,
convert debt into Equity etc.
Rationale behind Debt Restructuring: A large number of
corporate and Individual borrowers may have a good track
record in repayment of loans, however, due to COVID-19,
they are not in a position to repay loans. Hence, lack of
provision of Debt Restructuring would be unfair to them. At
the same time, lack of debt restructuring would lead to
increase in NPAs, affect balance sheets of Banks leading to
decrease in Credit Creation and consequently prolong the
economic revival.
CONDITIONS FOR CARRYING OUT DEBT
RESTRUCTURING
o Facility would be extended to only those loans that have
been stressed purely on account of CoVID-19. Every Bank
should frame Board approved policies to identify such
borrowers.
o Facility would be extended to only those loans which were
classified as Standard and not in default for more than 30
days as on March 1, 2020.
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
o Facility to undertake Debt Restructuring would be available
to the Banks only until December 31, 2020.
o In case of multiple Banks lending to a single borrower, the
Inter-Creditor Agreement needs to be signed between
these Banks. Further, the resolution plan/Restructuring
plan has to be approved within a period of 30 days.
o Banks must make additional provisioning of 10% for such
loans.
o The Loans which have undergone Debt Restructuring
would continue to categorised as Standard Assets by
Banks.
Appointment of Expert Committee: The RBI has also
constituted an Expert Committee under the Chairmanship of
K.V. Kamath which shall make recommendations to the RBI
on the required financial parameters to be factored into
resolution plans. The Expert Committee shall also have the
responsibility of vetting the resolution plans where the
exposure of banks is more than Rs 1500 crores.
DEBT RESTRUCTURING FOR MSMES
Background: In Feb 2020, the RBI had allowed the Banks to
carry out one-time debt restructuring of Loans given to
MSMEs. This facility was applicable to only those MSMEs
whose total borrowings was less than Rs 25 crores. Further,
the loans should have been a Standard Asset as on January 1,
2020.
New Announcement: The earlier Debt Structuring scheme
for MSMEs was applicable only until December 31, 2020. The
RBI has now decided to extend this by another 3 months up
to March 31, 2021.
ADDITIONAL SPECIAL LIQUIDITY FACILITY (ASLF)
Additional special liquidity facility of Rs 10,000 crore will be
provided at the Repo rate.
• Rs 5,000 crore to the National Housing Bank (NHB) to
augment the flow of finance to the sector through housing
finance companies (HFCs);
• Rs 5,000 crore to the NABARD to ensure flow of finances to
NBFCs and MFIs.
ADVANCES AGAINST GOLD ORNAMENTS AND
JEWELLERY
Background: As per existing guidelines, loans sanctioned by
banks against pledge of gold ornaments and jewellery for
non-agricultural purposes should not exceed 75 per cent of
the value of gold ornaments and jewellery.
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 Economic Development

New Announcement: In order to mitigate the impact of New Announcement: The RBI has announced a pilot scheme
COVID-19 on households, it has been decided to increase the to encourage technological innovations to enable offline
permissible loan to value ratio (LTV) for such loans to 90 digital transactions through Cards, Wallets and Mobile
per cent. This relaxation shall be available till March 31, 2021. devices.

FLEXIBILITY IN MANAGEMENT OF CASH RESERVE

REQUIREMENTS
The RBI has decided to introduce an automated mechanism
DECODING RBI RESERVES
in e-Kuber System to provide banks more
flexibility/discretion in managing their liquidity and
AND ECONOMIC CAPITAL
maintenance of cash reserve requirements. (From perspective
of UPSC Prelims, automated mechanism is not important. But
FRAMEWORK
one needs to be aware about e-Kuber System).
#Banking
The e-Kuber is the Core Banking Solution of the RBI which
enables each bank to connect their single current account
across the country. The e-Kuber is also used by RBI to
IN NEWS
execute various transactions with banks such as carrying out
overnight and term repos, reverse repos etc The RBI has recently decided to transfer Rs 57,000 crores as
dividend to the Government for the accounting year 2019-20.
OFFLINE RETAIL PAYMENTS USING CARDS/WALLETS/
Prior to this, last year, the RBI had transferred Rs 1.76 lakh
MOBILE DEVICES crore based upon the recommendations of Bimal Jalan
Background: Absence of internet connectivity, especially in Committee on Economic Capital Framework.
remote areas, is a major impediment for adoption of digital
WHY DOES THE RBI PAY THE DIVIDEND?
payments. Availability of options to make offline payments,
using cards, wallets or mobile devices could boost the The RBI is a statutory body under the RBI Act, 1934. The
adoption of digital payments. Section 47 of the RBI Act states that profits made by the RBI
from its operations has to be sent to the Centre.

FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS 55

 Economic Development
HOW DOES THE RBI EARN PROFITS?
The following are considered to be main sources of Income
for the RBI:
• Returns on the foreign currency assets such as bonds and
treasury bills of other central banks.
• Appreciation in the value of Gold held in its custody.
• Interest on its holdings of G-Secs.
• Interest on the loans given to the banks.
• Management commission on handling the borrowings of
state governments and the central government.
Note: The Net profit is calculated by subtracting the
operation expenditures and other expenses as stipulated in
section 47 of the RBI Act.
Note: The Government follows April-March as the Financial
year. However, presently, the RBI's financial year runs from
July-June. From the next financial year 2021-22, the RBI's
financial year would be harmonised with the government’s
April-March Financial year. In the current year i.e. 2020-21,
the RBI will have a nine-month financial year, ending in March
2021.
RECENT TUSSLE BETWEEN RBI AND GOVERNMENT
• The total asset of the RBI for 2017-18 was Rs 36 lakh crores
and it comprises of the Gold, Foreign Currency Assets
(FCA), Government Securities, Loans to Central and State
Governments, Loans to Banks etc.
• From these assets, the RBI earns profits. Certain
percentage of the profits are used to meet its own
expenses and later the remaining amount is transferred to
its Reserves. The total reserve with the RBI in 2018-19 was
around 10 lakh crores which is around 28.92% of the total
assets.
• Last year, there was tussle between RBI and Government
over the transfer of its surplus Reserves. The Government
wanted RBI to transfer at least 1/3 of its Reserves, but it
was rejected by the RBI on the grounds that it would
affects its functioning as a Central bank. Finally, to sort out
this issue, the Government had appointed Bimal Jalan
Committee to decide on the Economic Capital
framework i.e. how much Reserves should RBI maintain
and how should be transferred to Government.
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
WHAT SHOULD BE IDEAL SIZE OF RBI’S RESERVES?
Usha Thorat committee (2004) had examined the question
of what the ideal size of RBI’s reserves should be and
concluded that reserves should be around 18% (as against
28.92%). Subsequently, Malegam committee (2013-14)
recommended that since the Reserves were in excess of the
buffers needed, there was no need to make any more
transfers to these funds. The entire surplus should be
transferred to the Central government. Accordingly, since
2013-14, the RBI has been transferring the entire profits to
the Centre without adding any profits to its Reserves.
RECOMMENDATIONS OF BIMAL JALAN COMMITTEE
(2019)
Economic Capital Framework
Realized Equity Revaluation Reserves
Unrealized profits/ Notional
Nature Realized Profits
Profits
• Interest on loans given to
Banks • Appreciation in foreign
Sources of Profits • Interest on G -Sees Currency with the RBI
• Interest on loans to State • Appreciation in Gold etc.
Governments etc.
Transferrable to Govt. Yes No
How much Reserves 5.5% – 6.5% of the total
15.3% – 18.9% of total Assets
to be maintained? Assets
• Composition of Economic Capital: The committee has
defined Economic capital as a combination of realized
equity and revaluation reserves. The realized equity is the
total realized profits of the RBI while the revaluation
reserves is the unrealized and notional profits of the RBI
which may arise from changes in the valuation of Gold,
Foreign Currency or foreign securities.
• Adequacy of Economic Capital: The realized equity
should be maintained at within a range of 6.5 per cent to
5.5 per cent of the RBI’s balance sheet, comprising 5.5 to
4.5 per cent for monetary and financial stability risks and
1.0 per cent for credit and operational risks. Further, any
shortfall in revaluation balances would add to the
requirement for realized equity.
• Transfer Policy: The Committee has stated that the
surplus distribution policy must take into the account the
total realized equity. Only if realized equity is above its
requirement (6.5 per cent to 5.5 per cent), the entire net
income should be transferable to the Government. If it is
below the lower bound of requirement, risk provisioning
56
 Economic Development
will be made to the extent necessary and only the residual
net income should be transferred to the Government.
DECISION OF THE RBI'S CENTRAL BOARD (2019)
Realized Equity: The available realized equity stood at 6.8
per cent of balance sheet, while the requirement
recommended by the Committee was 6.5 per cent to 5.5 per
cent of balance sheet. The Central Board has decided to
maintain the realized equity level at 5.5 per cent of balance
sheet and transfer Rs 52,000 crore of excess provisions
identified as per the revised Economic Capital Framework
(ECF).
Economic capital levels: The revised framework would allow
the RBI’s economic capital levels to lie within the range of
24.5 per cent to 20.0 per cent of balance sheet. Presently, the
economic capital stood at 23.3 per cent of balance sheet. In
this regard, the RBI has decided to transfer its entire net
income of Rs 1.23 lakh crores (2018-19) to the Government.
NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR
FINANCIAL INCLUSION
2020-25
#Banking
IN NEWS
Improvement in Financial Inclusion is considered as key
enabler to promote socio-economic development in a country.
Financial literacy supports the pursuit of financial inclusion by
empowering the customers to make informed choices leading
to their financial well-being. In this regard, the RBI has recently
released National Strategy for Financial Inclusion 2020-25.
This is second such strategy after the completion of the period
of the first National Strategy for Financial Education (2013-
2018). Let us look at some of the important highlights of the
new strategy.
UNDERSTANDING FINANCIAL LITERACY AND
EDUCATION
• OECD defines Financial Literacy as "A combination of
financial awareness, knowledge, skills, attitude and
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
behavior necessary to make sound financial decisions and
ultimately achieve individual financial well-being".
• Financial Education, on the other hand is defined as the
process by which financial consumers/investors improve
their understanding of financial products, concepts and
risks and through information, instruction and/or objective
advice, develop the skills and confidence to become more
aware of financial risks and opportunities, to make
informed choices, to know where to go for help and to
take other effective actions to improve their financial well-
being”.
• As can be seen, the term Financial Education and Financial
Literacy are not the same, these are related concepts.
People achieve Financial Literacy through the process of
Financial Education. The achievement of Financial Literacy
empowers the users to make sound financial decisions
which result in financial well-being of the individual.
STEPS TAKEN TO IMPROVE FINANCIAL INCLUSION
The latest available World Bank’s Findex 2017 Report had
brought out that the proportion of adults with a formal
account in the country has risen from 35% in 2011 to 80%
in 2017. India has also made extraordinary progress in
reducing the country’s gender gap in account ownership,
from nearly 20% in 2014 to 6% in 2017.
• The improvement in Financial inclusion is attributed to
various schemes and initiatives such as Pradhan Mantri
Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), social security schemes such as
Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan
Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), Atal Pension Yojana
(APY), Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maan Dhan Yojana (PM-KMY),
Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Mann Dhan Yojana (PM-SYM)
and Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY).
• Hence, in order to take forward the benefits achieved
through the financial inclusion efforts, financial literacy will
have to play a central role in ensuring that people use
appropriate formal financial services to ensure their
financial well-being.
NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR FINANCIAL EDUCATION
2020-25
Prepared by: National Centre for Financial Education
(NCFE) in consultation with Financial regulators such as RBI,
SEBI, IRDA, PFRDA etc.
57
 Economic Development

Objectives: Inculcate financial literacy concepts; Encourage o Streamline efforts of other stakeholders for financial
active savings behaviour; Improve usage of digital financial literacy.
services; Encourage participation in financial markets;
Manage risks through suitable insurance cover; Plan for old- CONSUMER CONFIDENCE
age and retirement etc.

Approach: The document recommends adoption of a ‘5 C’

SURVEY
approach as under: #Banking
• Content

o Financial Literacy content for school children, teachers,

IN NEWS
young adults, women, new entrants at
workplace/entrepreneurs (MSMEs), senior citizens, Recently, the RBI has published the Consumer Confidence

persons with disabilities, illiterate people, etc. Survey for July 2020.

• Capacity
IMPORTANCE OF CONSUMER CONFIDENCE

o Develop the capacity of various intermediaries who can be
involved in providing financial literacy.
o Develop a ‘Code of Conduct’ for financial education
providers.
• Community
• In case of India, the consumption expenditure accounts
for almost 60% of India's GDP and hence it is considered
to be the major driver of economic growth and
development.
• The main driver of the consumption expenditure is the
Consumer Confidence. If the consumers are optimistic

o Evolve community led approaches for disseminating
financial literacy in a sustainable manner.
• Communication
o Use technology, mass media channels and innovative ways
about the current and future economic state of country,
then they would spend more money leading to increase in
the GDP. On the other hand, if the Consumer confidence is
low, this can lead to decrease in the consumption
expenditure and hence impacts the GDP Growth rate.

of communication for dissemination of financial education
messages.
o Identify a specific period in the year to disseminate
financial literacy messages on a large/ focused scale.
• Hence, there is a need to measure the consumer
confidence in a country to understand the prospects of
economic growth.
ABOUT CONSUMER CONFIDENCE SURVEY (CCS)

o Leverage on Public Places with greater visibility (e.g. Bus • The Consumer Confidence survey is conducted by the RBI
in 13 major cities of India and covers almost over 5,000
Stands, Railway Stations, etc.) for meaningful
respondents. The survey measures consumer perception
dissemination of financial literacy messages.
(current and future) on five economic variables -
• Collaboration economic situation, employment, the price level,
o Preparation of an Information Dashboard. income and spending.

o Integrate financial education content in school curriculum, • The Consumer Confidence survey has two main indices -
current situation index and future expectations index.
various Professional and Vocational courses (undertaken
The current situation index measures the change in
by Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
consumer perception over an economic issue in the last
(MSD&E) through their Sector Skilling Missions and the
one year while the future expectations index measures
likes of B.Ed./M.Ed. programmes.
what consumer thinks about the same variables, one year
o Integrate financial education dissemination as part of ahead.
various on-going programmes.

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 Economic Development

• A consumer confidence Index above 100 gives below 100 denotes pessimistic perception.
optimistic perception of the consumers while reading

SNAPSHOT OF CONSUMER CONFIDENCE SURVEY- JULY 2020

FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS 59

 Economic Development
INDIAN DEPOSITORY
RECEIPTS
#FINANCE
IN NEWS
Recently, Standard Chartered Bank decided to de-list its Indian
Depository Receipts (IDRs) from stock exchanges. It was the
only listed IDR, which was unveiled exactly a decade ago in
June 2010. Hence, in this regard, the concept of IDRs become
quite important from the perspective of UPSC Prelims exam.
UNDERSTANDING IDR
• The American Depository Receipts (ADRs)/ Global
Depository receipts (GDRs) are the financial instruments
through which the Indian Companies can raise capital
from the equity markets based in other countries. Indian
companies are prohibited from directly issuing rupee
denominated securities which can be listed abroad on
foreign stock exchanges. Thus, the equity shares of an
Indian company cannot be directly listed on, say, the New
York Stock Exchange. To overcome this problem, Indian
companies adopt the ADR/ GDR route.
• An ADR is quoted in US dollars and one ADR represents a
certain number of equity shares in the Indian company.
The foreign investors can then directly buy and sell the
ADRs as if they were the shares of a foreign corporation.
• Similarly, the Indian Depository Receipts (IDRs) are
issued by the foreign companies in India to raise
capital from the Indian investors.
• They are denominated in terms of Rupees and listed on
Indian Stock exchanges. Just like ADRs, the IDRs are
created against the shares of an overseas company.
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
REASONS FOR POOR RESPONSE TO IDRS:
• Though SEBI conceptualised the idea of IDRs in 2000, only
in 2010 did the first, and only, IDR take off from Standard
Chartered Bank. The Bank had raised around Rs 2,500
crores through IDR route.
• India has not been able to attract foreign companies to
raise funds through IDR route on account of various
reasons such as lack of interest in IDRs, Initial entry
barrier, lack of fungibility awareness, tax issues and failure
to popularise the product across the globe.
PMJDY
#Banking
IN NEWS
Recently, the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY)
completed six years of successful implementation.
ABOUT PMJDY
• Launched under the National Mission for Financial
Inclusion initially for a period of 4 years (in two phases) in
August 2014. It envisages universal access to banking
facilities with at least one basic banking account for
every household, financial literacy, access to credit,
insurance and pension. It comes under the Department
of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance.
• It has provided a platform for social security schemes i.e.
Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan
Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), Atal Pension Yojana
(APY) and Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY).
• The Government has decided to extend the
comprehensive PMJDY program beyond 2018 with the
change in focus on opening accounts from “every
household” to “every adult”, with following modification:
o Existing Over Draft (OD) limit of Rs. 5,000 revised to Rs.
10,000.
o No conditions attached for active PMJDY accounts availing
OD up to Rs. 2,000.
o Age limit for availing OD facility revised from 18-60 years to
18-65 years.
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 Economic Development
o The accidental insurance cover for new RuPay card holders
raised from existing Rs.1 lakh to Rs. 2 lakh to new PMJDY
accounts opened after 2018
BENEFITS UNDER PMJDY
• One basic savings bank account(BSBA) is opened for
unbanked person.
• There is no requirement to maintain any minimum
balance in PMJDY accounts.
• Interest is earned on the deposit in PMJDY accounts.
• Rupay Debit card is provided to PMJDY account holder.
• Accident Insurance Cover of Rs.1 lakh (enhanced to Rs. 2
lakh to new PMJDY accounts opened after 2018.
• Life Insurance Cover of Rs. 30,000 to eligible PMJDY
account holders who opened their account for the first
time between 15th August 2014 and 31st January 2015.
• An overdraft (OD) facility up to Rs. 10,000 to eligible
account holders is available.
• PMJDY accounts are eligible for Direct Benefit Transfer
(DBT), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY),
Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), Atal
Pendion Yojana (APY), Micro Units Development &
Refinance Agency Bank (MUDRA) scheme.
WHAT IS BASIC SAVINGS BANK DEPOSIT ACCOUNT
(BSBDA)?
The BSBD Account is designed as a savings account which
would offer certain minimum facilities, free of charge, to the
holders of such accounts. These accounts were earlier known
as "No-frills account"
The BSBD can be opened by any individual and is not
restricted to only poor and weaker sections.
An individual is eligible to have only one Basic Savings Bank
Deposit Account in one bank. Further, following conditions
are applicable to BSBD Small Accounts, which are opened on
the basis of simplified KYC norms:
o Total credits in such accounts should not exceed one lakh
rupees in a year.
o Maximum balance in the account should not exceed fifty
thousand rupees at any time
o The total debits by cash withdrawals and transfers in a
month cannot exceed Rs 10,000.
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NEW CHANGES/ MODIFICATIONS
In the interest of better customer service, it has been decided
to make the following changes:
o No limit on number and value of deposits that can be
made in a month.
o Minimum of four withdrawals in a month, including ATM
withdrawals.
o ATM Card or ATM-cum-Debit Card.
o Banks are free to provide additional value-added services,
including issue of cheque book, beyond the above
minimum facilities, which may/may not be prized.
Are PMJDY accounts same as BSBD account? PMJDY
accounts are BSBD accounts in nature with additional facility
of RuPay Debit card with accident insurance coverage and
overdraft facility.
ACHIEVEMENTS SO FAR
o Total number of PMJDY Accounts: 40.35 Crores (Rural-
64%; Women- 55%)
o Number of Operative accounts: 34.81 crores (86%).
(Account is treated as inoperative if there are no customer
induced transactions in the account for over a period of
two years)
o Total Balances: Deposits have increased about 5.7 times
to around Rs 1.31 lakh crores.
o Average deposit per account has increased over 2.5
times to Rs 3200.
PRIORITY SECTOR
LENDING NORMS
#Banking
IN NEWS
The RBI has decided to comprehensively review the Priority
Sector Lending (PSL) guidelines. The Revised PSL guidelines will
enable better credit penetration to credit deficient areas;
increase the lending to small and marginal farmers and
weaker sections; boost credit to renewable energy, and health
infrastructure.
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 Economic Development

DETAILS ABOUT PRIORITY SECTOR LENDING (PSL) event of shortfall. This also incentivizes surplus banks as it
NORMS allows them to sell their excess achievement over targets
thereby enhancing lending to the categories under priority
As part of PSL, all the banks are required to give certain
sector. Under the PSLC mechanism, the seller sells fulfilment
percentage of their loans to the sectors categorized as
of priority sector obligation and the buyer buys the obligation
Priority sectors. This has been introduced by the RBI to
with no transfer of risk or loan assets.
promote financial inclusion and ensure access to credit for
certain vulnerable sectors to promote economic growth and NON-ACHIEVEMENT OF PRIORITY SECTOR TARGETS
development. The below table shows that sectors identified • Banks having any shortfall in lending to priority sector shall
as Priority Sectors and the targets laid down for the be allocated amounts for contribution to the Rural
scheduled Banks. Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) established with
NABARD and other funds with NABARD/NHB/SIDBI/
PRIORITY SECTOR MIN.% OF LOANS
MUDRA Ltd., as decided by the Reserve Bank from time to
Agriculture 18% (Out of 18%, 10% time.
should be earmarked for • For example, the foreign banks having shortfall in lending
Small and Marginal to stipulated priority sector targets /sub-targets will be
farmers) required to contribute to Small Enterprises Development
Fund (SEDF) to be set up by Small Industries
Micro Enterprises 7.5%
Development Bank of India (SIDBI). The interest rates on
Advances to Weaker 12% such contributions by the Banks is fixed by the RBI.
Sections NEW CHANGES INTRODUCED BY THE RBI IN PSL

• Export Credit Remaining • Address Regional Disparities in flow of PSL Credit: The
• Education RBI has been decided to rank districts on the basis of per
• Housing capita credit flow to priority sector and build an incentive
• Social Infrastructure framework for districts with comparatively lower flow of
(Schools, Health Care credit and a dis-incentive framework for districts with
Facilities etc.) comparatively higher flow of priority sector credit.
• Renewable Energy Accordingly, from FY 2021-22 onwards, a higher weight
(125%) would be assigned to priority sector credit in the
Total 40% identified districts where the credit flow is comparatively
lower and a lower weight (90%) would be assigned for
PRIORITY SECTOR APPLICABILITY
incremental priority sector credit in the identified districts
• Scheduled commercial banks (excluding Regional Rural where the credit flow is comparatively higher.
Banks) : 40%
• Push to Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs): Higher
• Foreign Banks with less than 20 branches: 40% (32% can credit limit (Rs 5 crore per borrowing entity) has been
be in the form of lending to Exports and at least 8% can be specified for FPOs undertaking farming with assured
to any other priority sector) marketing of their produce at a pre-determined price.
• Regional Rural banks: 75% of total loans • Push to Renewable Energy: Loan limits for renewable
• Small Finance Banks: 75% of total loans energy have been doubled to Rs 30 crore. Loans to
farmers both for installation of solar power plants for
• Urban Cooperative Banks: 40% of total loans.
solarisation of grid-connected agriculture pumps, and for
PRIORITY SECTOR LENDING CERTIFICATES (PSLCS): setting up compressed biogas (CBG) plants have been
Priority Sector Lending Certificates (PSLCs) are a mechanism included as fresh categories eligible for finance under the
to enable banks to achieve the priority sector lending target priority sector.
and sub-targets by purchase of these instruments in the

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 Economic Development
• Boost to Start-Up Ecosystem: Loans of up to Rs 5 crores
to the Start-ups would be considered as Priority sector
lending.
G-SECS AS SAFE HAVENS
#Banking
IN NEWS
There has been increase in the Bank Deposits in the aftermath
of Economic Slowdown in Indian Economy. However, this has
failed to translate into higher credit creation as Banks have
been investing the deposits in the G-Secs rather than lend
loans to private corporate entities. This shows the extent of
risk aversion of both Banks and lenders during COVID-19
pandemic. So, let us understand this issue in detail.
STATUTORY LIQUIDITY RATIO (SLR)
• The SLR is one of the monetary policy tools used by the RBI
to control the amount of money supply in the economy. As
part of SLR, the Banks are required to maintain certain
percentage of depositors' money with themselves in the
form of G-Secs, Gold or Cash. Presently, the SLR rate is
18%.
Taxation / Govt. Budgeting
GST COMPENSATION: A
STICKING POINT IN
FISCAL FEDERALISM
#Taxes #Cooperative Federalism
IN NEWS
The outbreak of COVID-19 has led to large-scale decline in the
GST collection and has accordingly led to increase in the GST
compensation requirement to the states. Accordingly, the
Finance Minister has given 2 options to the States to bridge the
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
• It is quite distinct from Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) wherein
the Banks are required to maintain certain percentage of
depositors' money with the RBI in the form of Cash.
Presently, the CRR rate is 4%.
G-SECS AS SAFE HAVENS
th st
• Between 27 March and 31 July, banks have raised fresh
deposits worth Rs 5.95 trillion. Of this, around Rs 5.32
trillion has been invested in government securities as part
of SLR. This essentially means that close to 89% of the
fresh deposits have been invested in government
securities, as against the mandated 18%. This mainly
highlights multiple things:
• Lockdown due to COVID-19 has led to increased savings
and hence increase in Bank deposits.
• People have been reluctant to borrow following the covid-
19 outbreak.
• Risk aversion of the Banks due to fear of the NPAs has
prevented Credit Creation.
• The problem is not of shortage of liquidity; rather shortage
of confidence over future growth prospects.
shortfall in the GST Compensation requirement. However, the
opposition-ruled states have openly rejected these options and
accused the Centre of abdicating its responsibility under the
GST Compensation Act.
The Introduction of GST was heralded as the new era of
Cooperative Federalism. However, the recent tussle between
the Centre and States over the payment of GST Compensation
has raised questions over Fiscal Federalism in India. In this
regard, we will focus on the following dimensions:
1. Mechanism of GST Compensation
2. Shortfall in GST Compensation
3. Options given to the States
4. Arguments of the State Governments
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 Economic Development
5. Details about GST Council- Prelims perspective
UNDERSTANDING THE GST COMPENSATION
MECHANISM
• The introduction of the GST was a major tax reform aimed
at simplifying and rationalizing the indirect tax regime in
India. It subsumed a number of central and state indirect
taxes such as Excise Duty, Service tax, Central Sales Tax,
VAT/ Sales Tax, Octroi duty etc.
• Some of the states had apprehension that introduction of
the GST would lead to fall in their revenue. Hence, in order
to allay the fears of the states, the Central Government
promised for compensating the states for the losses in
their revenue through the imposition of GST
Compensation cess.
• Compensation cess is levied on luxury and sin goods,
and the proceeds are used to compensate states for any
loss they incur within the first five years of GST
implementation.
• According to the GST Act, States and UTs with Assemblies
are guaranteed compensation if the GST revenue growth is
less than 14 per cent. The amount is paid bi-monthly.
SHORTFALL IN GST COMPENSATION:
• The Centre has highlighted that the States could face GST
revenue gap of Rs 3 lakh crores in the Financial year 2020-
21. However, the GST Compensation Cess amount which
would be collected would be only around Rs 65,000 crores.
Hence, the States are expected to see a shortfall of almost
around Rs 2.35 lakh crores in the present financial year.
• However, this entire shortfall of Rs 2.35 lakh crores is not
due to GST implementation alone, it is also on account of
COVID-19. Accordingly, the Centre has estimated that out
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
of total shortfall of Rs 2.35 lakh crores, only Rs 97,000
crores is on account of GST implementation due to rate cut
or lower tax returns, the rest Rs 1.38 lakh crores is on
COVID-19.
• It is to be noted that there is no constitutional obligation
on the Centre to compensate the States from the
Consolidated Fund of India in case of shortfall in the GST
Compensation Fund. Hence, the question arose as to how
the States need to be compensated for this revenue loss?
OPTIONS GIVEN TO STATES
The Centre has proposed to continue to impose the GST
Compensation Cess beyond the mandated 5 year period to
compensate the States for their revenue loss incurred during
the transition period July 2017 to June 2022. In order to
compensate the States for their revenue loss during the
present financial year, the States have been given two
options:
Option 1: States could borrow Rs 97,000 crores (Shortfall
purely on account of GST Implementation) from the RBI
through a special window at G-Sec linked Interest rate. The
borrowed amount would be repaid from the GST
Compensation cess extended beyond 5-year period. Plus, the
States would also be entitled to their compensation
requirement due to COVID-19.
Option 2: States could borrow the entire shortfall amount of
2.35 Lakh crores from the open Market which would be
facilitated by RBI. This entire borrowed amount would be
repaid from GST Compensation Cess after 2022.
Arguments of the States: Some of the States such as West
Bengal demanded that the Centre should compensate the
States from the Cess that it collects from other taxes such as
Education and Health Cess, Road and Infrastructure cess
imposed on petroleum products etc. On the other hand,
Delhi argued that when the GST compensation amount was
in excess during the first 2 years, the excess money was
transferred to the Consolidated Fund of India. Hence, in case
of shortfall, the Centre should tap into Consolidated Fund of
India to compensate the States.
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 Economic Development

Some of the States such as Punjab argued that the Centre reforms like Faceless Assessment, Faceless Appeal and
should itself borrow money in order to compensate the Taxpayers Charter.
States.
"TRANSPARENT TAXATION - HONOURING THE
The States have also been arguing that GST Council has given
HONEST PLATFORM"
up its earlier consensus oriented approach. Instead, the
• Faceless Assessment and Appeal
Centre is forcing its views and opinions upon the State
Governments. The aim of this scheme is to eliminate the face-to-face
interactions between taxpayers and Income Tax
Overall, the shortfall in the GST Compensation requirement is
considered as a one of the biggest challenges to Federal Department officers. Under faceless assessment, a central

structure in the recent times. computer picks up tax returns for scrutiny based on risk
parameters and mismatch and then allots them randomly to
ABOUT GST COUNCIL
a team of officers. This allocation is reviewed by officers at
The GST Council is a constitutional body for making
another randomly selected location and only if concurred, a
recommendations to the Union and State Government on
notice is sent by the centralised computer system. However,
issues related to Goods and Service Tax. The GST Council is
exceptions will be made in cases of serious fraud, major tax
chaired by the Union Finance Minister and other members
evasion, sensitive and search matters, international tax
are the Union State Minister of Revenue or Finance and
charges, Black Money Act and Benami property.
Ministers in-charge of Finance or Taxation of all the States.
Benefits:
Every decision of the Goods and Services Tax Council shall be
taken by a majority of not less than three-fourths of the • Ease of Compliance for taxpayers

weighted votes of the members present and voting, in • No human Interface leading to transparency and efficiency
accordance with the following principles, namely:
• Improvement in quality of assessment
• The vote of the Central Government shall have a
• Expeditious disposal of cases.
weightage of one third of the total votes cast, and
• Taxpayer charter
• The votes of all the State Governments taken together
The Finance Minister had proposed to introduce Taxpayers
shall have a weightage of two-thirds of the total votes cast.
charter in the Union Budget 2020-21. The Taxpayers Charter,
like the Citizens' charter, highlights the roles and

TAXPAYERS CHARTER responsibilities of Citizens and Tax authorities, obligations of

the tax payers and provides a mechanism for Grievance

#Taxation redressal. The introduction of taxpayers' charter would

reduce the compliance burden, enhance trust between the
taxpayers and tax authorities, reduce litigations and thus
Promote good Governance Practices.

Now, through the Taxpayers charter, the Income tax

IN NEWS
department has committed itself to 14-points, while the Tax
Prime Minister has recently unveiled the new platform known
payers are required to follow 6-points.
as “Transparent Taxation - Honouring the Honest” in order to
implement various tax reforms. The platform has major

FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS 65

 Economic Development

FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS 66

 Economic Development

Government Policies /
Interventions

IS INDIA STARING AT
ECONOMIC RECESSION?
# GDP

IN NEWS

The lockdown imposed due to COVID-19 has led to both

demand and supply side disruption to the Indian Economy.

According to a recent report published by National Statistical

Office (NSO), the GDP has contracted by 24% in the first

quarter (April-June) of 2020-21 as compared to 5% growth

registered in Q1 2019-20.

It is for the first time that India has recorded contraction in the

quarterly GDP data since it started publishing GDP data on a

quarterly basis since 1996. Further, India has seen contraction

in GDP for the first time in the last 41 years since 1979.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE GDP ESTIMATES

The GDP at Constant (2011-12) Prices in Q1 of 2020-21 is

estimated at Rs 27 lakh crore, as against Rs 35 lakh crore in

Q1 of 2019-20. As seen in the figure below, barring Indian

agriculture, all other sectors have seen contraction, with the

largest decline in the labour-Intensive construction sector.

Further, the major drivers of India's GDP, Consumption

Expenditure and Investment have both seen a decline. The

only saving grace was the increase in the Government's

expenditure to provide stimulus. In the absence of increase in

Government's expenditure, the GDP contraction would have

been far higher.

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 Economic Development
ECONOMIC RECESSION IN INDIA
Recession is defined as a fall in the overall economic activity
for two consecutive quarters (six months) accompanied by a
decline in income, sales and employment. In independent
India's history, four such years of negative GDP growth were
registered. They saw contraction of -1.2% (FY58), -3.66%
(FY66), -0.32% (FY73) and -5.2% (FY80). The economic
contraction in the next quarter of 2020-21 could see India
entering into its 5th Recession in its economic history.
REASONS FOR PRESENT ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN
The Economic survey 2018-19 had recommended for
sustaining virtuous economic cycle of higher investment-
higher GDP growth- higher consumption in order to realise
the vision of $5 trillion economy. The increase in Investment
rates leads to greater employment creation, increase in
production and exports leading to higher GDP growth rates.
The higher GDP growth rates leads to increase in disposable
income levels of the people leading to increase in
consumption expenditure. The higher demand for goods and
services, in turn incentivises greater amount of private sector
Investment leading to virtuous economic cycle.
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
Two important points:
1. Increase or decrease in Investment does not immediately
impact the Economic growth. Usually, the impact of either
increase or decrease in Investment on the GDP growth is
seen after a period of 4 years. This is known as lagged
effect of Investment on GDP Growth rates.
2. Similar to lagged effect of Investment on GDP growth,
there is a lagged effect of economic growth on
Consumption. The impact of increase or decrease in the
GDP growth on the consumption is usually seen after a
period of 2-3 years.
IMPORTANT OBSERVATIONS
• The Investment rate within Indian Economy started
declining from 2012-13. However, in spite of decline in
Investment, the Indian economy continued on higher GDP
growth trajectory for the next 4 years. Ultimately, the
decline in Investment led to decline in GDP growth rates
from 2016-17 i.e. after a period of 4 years due to lagged
effect.
• The decline in the GDP growth rate from 2016-17 did not
immediately impact the consumption. The Consumption
expenditure started declining only in first quarter of 2019-
20 due to lagged effect of 2-3 years. The decline in
consumption expenditure has in turn led to decrease in
Investment rates.
• Hence, the present economic slowdown can be traced to
2012-13 when the Investment rate started declining. Thus,
India is facing economic slowdown because of its inability
to sustain virtuous economic cycle.
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 Economic Development
DECODING INVESTMENT SLOWDOWN
Trends in Investment Rates
The Total Investment rate within Indian Economy has
declined from 34% in 2011-12 to 28.5% in 2017-18. The
Household sector is one of the dominant sources of
Investment. However, the share of household Investment has
reduced from 16% in 2011-12 to 10.5% in 2017-18. The share
of Private corporate sector and Public sector has remained
stagnant at 11% and 7% respectively.
REASONS FOR DECLINE IN INVESTMENT:
• Household sector: Maximum Investment in Real estate
sector. The poor financial position of Banks and NBFCs
has led to decline in household Investment in Real estate
sector. (Drag of Financial sector on Real Estate Sector)
• Private Corporate Sector: Stagnant Private Corporate
Investment due to higher NPAs of Banks (Drag of Financial
sector on Corporate Investment)
These two factors highlight that the Investment cycle within
Economy would kick in only when the financial position of
Banks and NBFCs improve. This is quite critical to sustain the
virtuous economic cycle.
EXPORT PREPAREDNESS
INDEX 2020
# Economic Growth
IN NEWS
India’s vision of becoming a $ 5 trillion economy by 2024 is
intricately linked with an export-oriented approach. Greater
integration with global value chains (GVCs) will enable India to
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
attract investment, create Jobs, Boost Exports and hence
sustain virtuous economic cycle. In line such a strategy, NITI
Aayog has taken a significant step by developing the first-ever
Export Preparedness Index for Indian states.
IMPORTANCE OF EXPORTS FOR INDIA
Based upon the experience of East Asian Economies, the
exports are considered as Engines of Growth. Countries such
as Japan, South Korea, Singapore etc. have been able to
sustain higher economic growth by following export-led
strategy. In the recent times, such an export-led strategy has
benefitted both bigger economies such as China as well as
smaller economies such as Vietnam.
India’s growth drivers highlight that its economic growth has
been primarily propelled by domestic demand which
accounts for 60% of India's GDP. However, exports account
for only 12% GDP.
While it is necessary to accelerate domestic demand to
promote higher consumption and investment, it should also
be recognised that an economy with only $2,000 per capita
income will not be able to expand simply based on domestic
demand. Moreover, too much focus on domestic demand
might strengthen imports faster than exports, which could
potentially lead to a widening deficit. Consequently, it is
essential for India to not merely rely on domestic demand,
but also boost its export potential to enhance its growth.
69
 Economic Development

IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT INDIA'S EXPORTS

FIGURE: India’s share in World Exports, Share of Manufactured & Non-Manufactured Items in India’s Total
Merchandise Exports

Source: Trademap.org.
Note: The years
mentioned are calendar
years.

• Total Merchandise Exports: In the year 2018-19, the total • Increase in share of manufactured exports: The
merchandise exports from India was around $ 337 billion merchandise exports from India could be categorized into
accounting for around 12% of India's GDP. Manufactured and Non-Manufactured Exports. Increase in

• Trends in Merchandise Exports: Between 2009 to 2014,
the merchandise exports accounted for 16% of GDP.
However, since then the merchandise exports as % of GDP
have steadily declined to 11.3% of GDP in first half of 2019-
20.
the share of manufactured exports is due to better
integration of Indian Economy into Global Value Chains
(GVCs).
• Top 5 Export commodities: Petroleum Products, Pearls
and Precious Stones, Drug Formulations, Gold Jewelry, Iron

• Trends in India's share of World's exports: As shown in and Steel.

the figure, India's share in the world's exports has • Top 5 Export Destinations for India: USA, UAE, China,
remained stagnant at 1.6% in the last decade. Hongkong and Singapore.

INDIA'S PERFORMANCE ON GLOBAL TRADE INDICES

Logistics Performance Trading Across Borders - Trade Facilitation
Index Enabling Trade Index
Index (LPI) Doing Business Index
Publishing
World Bank World Bank OECD World Economic Forum
Agency
What it Assessment of trade
Time and cost of the Factors, policies and services
measures Logistics Friendliness of facilitation policies,
logistical process of that facilitate trade across
countries areas for action and
countries borders and to destination.
impact of reforms
India's Rank 44/160(2016) 68/190 (2019) 1.52/2 (2018) 102/136 (As per 2016)
Best Austria, Belgium,
performing Denmark. France. Top 5: Singapore,
Top 5: Germany. Sweden.
states/ Hungary. Italy. 1.86/2- Netherlands Netherlands. Hong Kong.
8elgium, Austria. Japan
countries Netherlands. Spain all tied Luxembourg. Sweden
for Rank 1

FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS 70

 Economic Development
WHY THE NEED TO FOCUS ON STATES?
• The Economic Survey 2017-18 established that the states
which engage with the world markets as well as with the
other states within the country are richer. The findings
highlight that: a state’s GSDP per capita is highly correlated
with its export share in GSDP. This implies that the
participation of the states in the global economy,
therefore, becomes vitally important for the economic
growth and the standard of living for the states.
• As of present, 70 per cent of India’s export has been
dominated by five states – Maharashtra, Gujarat,
Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Telangana. There is a need to
boost exports from other states to promote regional
development.
DETAILS ABOUT EXPORT PERFORMANCE INDEX 2020
• Mandate: Examine export preparedness and performance
of Indian states, Identify challenges and opportunities;
enhance the effectiveness of government policies; and
encourage a facilitative regulatory framework.
• Parameters considered: 4 pillars –Policy; Business
Ecosystem; Export Ecosystem; Export Performance – and
11 sub-pillars –Export Promotion Policy; Institutional
Framework; Business Environment; Infrastructure;
Transport Connectivity; Access to Finance; Export
Infrastructure; Trade Support; R&D Infrastructure; Export
Diversification; and Growth Orientation.
• Macro-view: On the whole, India has scored an average of
39 on the index. Both Policy and Business Ecosystem are
the two highest scoring pillars, with the Export Ecosystem
being the least scoring pillar.
• Ranking of States:
o Top 3 states: Gujarat, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
o Rajasthan is top ranked State among the land-locked
states, followed by Telangana and Haryana.
o Among the Himalayan states, Uttarakhand is top ranked
followed by Tripura and Himachal Pradesh.
o Across Union Territories/City States, Delhi has performed
the best, followed by Goa and Chandigarh.
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
PLI SCHEME
# Manufacturing
IN NEWS
Recently, the Government has highlighted that a total
of 22 companies have filed application under the PLI Scheme
for the Large-Scale Electronics Manufacturing which was
notified on 1st April, 2020.
PRODUCTION LINKED INCENTIVE (PLI) SCHEME
• Objective: Boost domestic manufacturing and attract
large investments in mobile phone manufacturing and
specified electronic components including Assembly,
Testing, Marking and Packaging (ATMP) units.
• Incentives: Extend an incentive of 4% to 6% on
incremental sales (over base year of 2019-20) of goods
manufactured in India for a period of 5 years.
• Target Segments: Mobile phones (which sell for more
than Rs 15,000) and specified electronic components such
as Printed circuit boards, Semiconductor devices etc.
• Eligibility: Incentives are provided under the scheme to
only those companies which cross the threshold level in
terms of incremental sale of Manufactured Goods and
Incremental investment over the base year. For example,
to avail benefits in the first year, Incremental investment
for the first year should be Rs 250 crores and Incremental
sales of goods should be worth Rs 4000 crores.
• Tenure of Scheme: 5 years
• Financial Implications: The total cost of the proposed
scheme is around Rs 41,000 Crores.
Which companies have shown interest so far? Global
MNCs such as Samsung, Foxconn, Rising Star, Wistron and
Pegatron have already shown interest. Out of these, 3
companies namely Foxcon, Wistron and Pegatron are
contract manufacturers for Apple iPhones. Apple (37%) and
Samsung (22%) together account for nearly 60% of global
sales revenue of mobile phones and this scheme is expected
to increase their manufacturing base in India. Further,
domestic companies such as Lava, Micromax etc have also
applied under the scheme
71
 Economic Development
BENEFITS
• Attract global MNCs to manufacture in India.
• Boost domestic Industries.
• Assemble in India to be integrated with Make in India.
• Creation of 8 lakh direct and indirect jobs.
HEFA
# Education
IN NEWS
The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has received a funding
of Rs 450 crores from Higher Education Financing Agency
(HEFA) to improve its infrastructure.
ABOUT HIGHER EDUCATION FINANCING AGENCY
(HEFA)
It is a joint venture company of Canara Bank and Ministry of
Education GoI. HEFA provides financial assistance for creation
of educational infrastructure and R&D in India’s premier
educational Institutions.
• Mandate:
o Provide timely finance at low interest rates for capital
assets in centrally funded higher education institutions
o Develop India’s top ranked institutions into Globally top-
ranking institutions through financial capital expenditure.
o Supplements the loans with the grants by channelizing the
CSR fund and donations
• Eligibility: All the Centrally Funded Higher Educational
Institutions are eligible
• Existing Arrangement: Entire principal amount repaid by
Institution over the next 10 years and Interest portion
given by the Government in form of Grant.
REVITALIZING INFRASTRUCTURE AND SYSTEMS IN
EDUCATION (RISE) SCHEME
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
• Increased the authorized Share Capital of HEFA to Rs
10,000 crores.
• HEFA to mobilise Rs 1 lakh crores over the next 4 years till
2022 to meet the infrastructure needs of the institutions.
CHUNAUTI
#StartUps
IN NEWS
The Union Government has recently launched “Chunauti”- Next
Generation Start-up Challenge Contest to further boost start-
ups and software products with special focus on Tier-II towns
of India.
DETAILS ABOUT “CHUNAUTI”
• Under this challenge the Ministry of Electronics and IT will
invite start-ups in the various areas of work such as
Edutech, Agritech, Fintech, logistics management etc. The
start-ups selected through Chunauti will be provided
various support from the Government through Software
Technology Parks of India centers across India.
• They will get incubation facilities, mentorship, security
testing facilities, access to venture capitalist funding,
industry connect as well as advisories in legal, Human
Resource (HR), IPR and Patent matters. They will also get
seed funding of up to Rs 25 lakhs.
IMPORTANT ASPECTS ABOUT START-UPS FROM
PRELIMS PERSPECTIVE
Definition of Start-up: An entity is considered as a Start-up
for up to ten years (earlier 7 years) from the date of its
incorporation/ registration, with an annual turnover not
exceeding Rs 100 crores (earlier Rs 25 crores) for any of the
financial years since incorporation/ registration.
• Initiatives to boost Start-Ups:
o Startup India Scheme
 Three Year Income Tax Exemption
 Self-Certification based Compliance Regime: Compliance
norms relating to Environmental and Labour laws have
been eased in order to reduce the regulatory burden on
Start-ups
 Start-up India web portal
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 Economic Development
 States’ Start-up Ranking Framework
 Relaxed norms in Public Procurement: Central Ministries/
Departments have to relax condition of prior turnover and
prior experience in public procurement to all Start-ups.
o Fund-of-Funds (FFS) for Start-ups: The Government has
set up FFS with initial corpus of Rs 10,000 crores. It makes
contribution to the corpus of Alternate Investment Funds
(AIFs) for investing in equity of start-up companies. This
fund is managed by SIDBI.
o Stand-up India Scheme: Facilitate bank loans between 10
lakh and 1 crore to at least one scheduled caste (SC) or
Scheduled Tribe, borrower and at least one women per
bank branch for setting up a greenfield enterprise.
Note: The Start-up India scheme comes under the Ministry of
Commerce and Industry while Stand-up India scheme comes
under Ministry of Finance.
KHADI AGARBATTI
AATMANIRBHAR MISSION
(KAAM)
# Manufacturing
IN NEWS
The Government has recently approved a unique employment
generation program to make India Aatmanirbhar in Agarbatti
production. The program named as “Khadi Agarbatti
Aatmanirbhar Mission (KAAM)” aims at creating employment
for unemployed and migrant workers in different parts of the
country while increasing domestic Agarbatti production
substantially.
Need for the scheme: The current consumption of Agarbatti
in the country is approximately 1490 MT per day; however,
India’s per day production of Agarbatti is just 760 MT. There is
a huge gap between the demand and the supply and hence,
immense scope for job creation.
DETAILS ABOUT THE SCHEME
• The scheme designed by Khadi and Village Industries
Commission (KVIC) on PPP mode is unique in the sense
that in a very less investment and create sustainable
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employment and help private Agarbatti manufacturers to
scale up Agarbatti production without any capital
investment by them.
• Under the scheme, KVIC will provide Automatic Agarbatti
making machines and powder mixing machines to the
artisans through the successful private Agarbatti
manufacturers who will sign the agreement as business
partners. KVIC has decided to procure only locally made
machines by Indian manufacturers which also aims at
encouraging local production.
• KVIC will provide 25% subsidy on the cost of the machines
and will recover the remaining 75% of the cost from the
artisans in easy instalments every month. The business
partner will provide the raw material to the artisans for
making Agarbatti and will pay them wages on job work
basis. After recovery of the 75% cost, the ownership of the
machines will automatically be transferred to the artisans.
TOY MANUFACTURING
# Manufacturing
IN NEWS
The tradition of Toy making in India is as old as Indus valley
Civilization. However, today India is not self-reliant in
manufacturing of toys. In this regard, Prime Minister has
called upon startups and entrepreneurs to "team up for toys".
Further, the Prime Minister had also recently chaired a
meeting aimed at boosting India’s share in the global toy trade
in which China is one of the largest manufacturers and
exporters.
Present Status of Toy Industry in India: The global toy
market is worth Rs 7 lakh crores, however, India's share is
quite miniscule. Over 85% of toys in India are imported,
mainly from China, followed by Sri Lanka and Malaysia. The
country’s imports of toys and related items grew almost 8%
to $650million in 2018-19. Further, the QCI’s quality test
found that 80% of the plastic toy samples failed on
mechanical and physical safety properties.
NEED TO PUSH FOR MANUFACTURING OF TOYS IN
INDIA
• Employment Opportunities: India is home to several toy
clusters and thousands of artisans who produce
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 Economic Development
indigenous toys which not only have cultural connect but
also helps in building life-skills.
• Improved Learning Outcomes: Playing with toys can
improve the psychomotor / cognitive skills of children.
Hence, they can be used as pedagogical tools across all
Anganwadi Centres and Schools for all-round development
of children.
• Promote Cultural Values: Toys reflect India's heritage
and culture and hence can be an excellent medium to
further the spirit of "Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat".
• Opportunity to be Self-Reliant: According to a recent
report by the Department for Promotion of Industry and
Internal Trade (DPIIT), increasing wages in China is making
Toy Manufacturing unprofitable and hence India needs to
leverage this opportunity.
RECENT INITIATIVES TO PROMOTE SELF-RELIANCE IN
TOY MANUFACTURING
• Increase in Customs Duty: The Budget 2020-21 had
proposed 200% increase in the customs duty on Toys from
20% to 60% to prevent dumping of Toys and to boost
domestic Manufacturing.
• Quality Control Order: Toys manufactured in India or
imported for use by Children below the age of 14 should
comply with the BIS Standards from September 1, 2020.
• Toy Manufacturing Cluster: The Karnataka Government
has recently announced setting up of India's first toy
manufacturing cluster at Koppal.
RORO SERVICE
# Infrastructure
IN NEWS
Recently, the first ever RORO service of South Western Railways
was flagged on Bengaluru- Solapur section. It is also India's first
privately operated RORO train services on Indian Railways.
WHAT IS RORO?
• Roll on Roll Off (RORO) is a concept of carrying road
vehicles loaded with various commodities, on open flat
railway wagons.
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• RO-RO train services were first introduced in Indian
Railways on Konkan Railways in 1999 and are running
successfully since then.
• RORO services are combination of best features of road
and rail transports in the sense that they offer door to
door service.
• Road transport has advantage of door to door delivery of
goods. On the other hand, Railways provide hassle free
and environmentally friendly transport to medium to large
quantum of freight. Rail transport is most fuel efficient of
all means of transport and is much safer than road.
ADVANTAGES OF RO-RO
• Faster movement of goods and essentials
• Reduces congestion on the roads.
• Saves precious fuel.
• Reduces carbon footprint.
• Relief to crew of truck as it avoids long distance driving.
• No hassles of check posts/toll gates etc.
• Seamless Inter-operability between roadways & Railways-
Inter-modal transport on existing track.
• Ensuring uninterrupted supply of essential commodities.
• RO-RO will help government initiatives like "operation
green" to stabilize prices of TOP ( Tomato, Potato and
Onion)
• Provides link between agriculture producing regions and
agro consumption centres
• Ensures farmers get the right market and right price for
their produce
• Connects and Balances the commodity deficient and
surplus markets.
PRICE MONITORING AND
RESOURCE UNIT
# Govt. Initiatives
IN NEWS
The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has set
up Price Monitoring and Resource Unit (PMRU) in the state of
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 Economic Development
Karnataka. Till now National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority
(NPPA) is headquartered at Delhi only and with the setting up
of PMRUs in States/ UTs, NPPA shall have outreach at State
Level as well.
Details: The primary function of PMRUs is to assist NPPA in
monitoring of prices of drugs, ensuring availability of drugs
and raising consumer awareness. They act as collaborating
partners of NPPA with information gathering mechanism at
the grass-roots level. They will render necessary technical
assistance to both the NPPA and the respective State Drug
Controllers of States/ Union Territories.
REGULATION OF DRUG PRICES IN INDIA
• The Drug Price Control Orders (DPCO) are issued by the
Government in exercise of the powers conferred under the
Essential Commodities Act, 1955. This enables the
Government to declare ceiling price for lifesaving
medicines so as to ensure that these medicines are
available at a reasonable price to the general public.
• The Price controls are applicable to “Scheduled drugs” or
“Scheduled formulations” i.e. those medicines which are
listed out in the Schedule I of DPCO, also referred to as
National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM).
• The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) fixes
the prices of controlled drugs and formulations and
enforces prices and availability of the medicines in the
country.
• It is to be noted that the NPPA not only fixes the prices of
Essential Medicines, but it also ensures that the prices of
the non-scheduled drugs do not increase by more than
10% every year.
HOW ARE THE PRICES OF THE ESSENTIAL MEDICINES
FIXED?
The prices of the medicines are fixed based on Market pricing
model. The ceiling price of the Essential drugs is the fixed by
calculating the simple average price of all the brands having
at least 1% of the market share. Further, under Paragraph 19
of DPCO, the NPPA has been given the following exceptional
powers:
• Fix the prices of even those drugs that are not listed under
NLEM. Example: In pursuance of these powers, the NPPA
has fixed the ceiling prices of Cardiac Stents and Knee
implants.
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• Increase or decrease the prices of the drugs listed under
NLEM. Example: NPPA has recently increased the prices of
the 21 essential medicines by almost 50%.
MEIS
# Govt. Initiatives
IN NEWS
The government has recently decided to cap the benefits under
the Merchandise Export from India Scheme (MEIS) at Rs 2 crore
per exporter on exports made between September 1, 2020 to
December 31, 2020. Further, the Government has decided to
withdraw MEIS from 1st Jan 2021. In this regard, the
Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) has
highlighted that the Government's move would have serious
impact on the traders.
About MEIS Scheme: This scheme was introduced in the
Foreign Trade Policy 2015-20 to incentivise exports from
India. Under this Scheme, the exporters are given incentive in
the form of duty scrips on exporting goods from India. The
value of the duty scrips depends upon the type of product as
well as the country to which the goods are exported. These
duty scrips can be used by the exporters to pay the customs
duty, whenever they import goods. The duty scrips can also
be sold by the exporters in the open market to other
exporters.
RECENT CONTROVERSY OVER MEIS SCHEME
• In 2019, the US Government had filed a complaint before
the WTO Dispute panel against India's MEIS Scheme on
grounds that it is violative of WTO agreement on Subsidies
and Countervailing Measures (SCM). It had argued that the
subsidies given by the Indian Government come under the
category of prohibited subsidies and hence India should
not be allowed to provide such subsidies. Based upon this
argument, the WTO dispute panel has recommended India
to withdraw these prohibited subsidies in provisions with
the WTO agreement on SCM.
• Accordingly, the Government has sought to introduce
WTO-Compliant scheme known as Remission of Duties
or Taxes on Export Product (RoDTEP)
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 Economic Development
REMISSION OF DUTIES OR TAXES ON EXPORT
PRODUCT (RoDTEP)
• The introduction of GST was a major indirect tax reform. It
has subsumed a number of indirect taxes and at the same
time it provides for input tax credit. All of these measures
seek to do away with the Cascading effect of tax-on-tax
and boost the manufacturing sector.
• However, even today, the Industries pay number of taxes
and levies which are outside the GST regime. Hence, the
Industries cannot avail input tax credit on such taxes. This
in turn leads to increase in the prices of the Goods. Such
taxes and levies called as "Embedded taxes". Some of
these embedded taxes are Electricity duty, duties on fuel,
clean energy cess, mandi tax etc.
• Just imagine as to what would happen when such Goods
with Embedded taxes are exported to other countries?
Obviously, this would lead to increase in the prices of our
exported Goods and make them costlier and
uncompetitive in the destination country.
Agriculture
ARAKUNOMICS: FOOD
SYSTEM VISION PRIZE
2020
# Agriculture
IN NEWS
The Rockefeller Foundation has selected Hyderabad-based
non-profit, Naandi Foundation, as one of the ‘Top 10
Visionaries’ in the world for the Food Vision 2050 Prize. The
Naandi Foundation has adopted unique model of agriculture
known as "Arakunomics" which has shown as to how
agriculture can be practiced profitably without affecting the
environment.
ARAKUNOMIS
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• Hence, the Union Cabinet has "Remission of Duties and
Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP)". Under this scheme,
the exporters are provided with reimbursement of taxes/
duties/ levies imposed at the central, state and local level.
The refund is provided in the form of Duty Credit Scrip.
These scrips can be used by the exporters to pay various
taxes/duties to the Government. These duty scrips can
also be sold by the exporters in the open market.
RECENT GOVERNMENT'S MOVE AND RATIONALE
The government has recently decided to cap the benefits
under the Merchandise Export from India Scheme (MEIS) at
Rs 2 crore per exporter on exports made between September
1, 2020 to December 31, 2020. It has also decided to
withdraw MEIS from 1st Jan 2021. This has been done mainly
on account of 2 reasons:
1. Introduce more WTO-Compliant Remission of Duties or
Taxes on Export Product (RoDTEP)
2. Fund crunch on account on COVID-19.
The model of Arakunomics has been used by the Naandi
Foundation the regions of Araku, Wardha and New Delhi. This
vision can be summarized as the ‘ABCDEFGH’ approach:
• AGRICULTURE, NOT FARMING: Traditionally, agriculture
was a culture, a way of life where people lived in harmony
with nature. Over time, the world transitioned from
agriculture to farming, an economic activity, an input
versus output battle focusing heavily on how to get more
by putting in less.
• BIOLOGY, NOT CHEMISTRY: Till the green revolution in
India, the approach to agriculture was based on life
science, on biology. At the centre of it was the use of
natural elements, activation of biomes & microbes, all of
which contributed to the goodness of the soil. It was only
when we moved from biology to chemistry did we trigger
the collapse of the natural symbiotic agriculture system.
• COMPOST, NOT CHEMICALS: In all three, replaced the use
of Chemicals with Compost. Democratized scientific
knowledge about organic cultivation. As a result, not only
enhanced produce, but also reversed soil erosion and
mitigated impact of climate change.
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 Economic Development
• DECENTRALIZED DECISION MAKING: Compost
preparation, Bio Fertilizer spraying, pruning and harvesting
are all decentralized and executed in a customized manner
at the farm level.
• ENTREPRENEUR, NOT SUBSISTENCE FARMER: A farmer
should function as an entrepreneur and should be able to
make profits through quality, value addition and
ownership. He or she should not have to rely on wages or
subsistence income through subsidies. Such an approach
has been adopted in all our regions of work.
• FAMILY, NOT MALE ALPHA FARMER: Farming is
sustainable only when it is made a viable option for the
next generation.
• GLOBAL MARKETS, RATHER THAN MINIMUM SUPPORT
PRICES: Farmers are empowered not only to withstand
impact of globalization but also to enter global markets.
Araku coffee farmers get the highest price a coffee farmer
gets anywhere in India or the world.
• HEADSTAND: Only when we turn the current approach on
its head, can we expect to solve India’s food and
agriculture system crisis.
About Food System Vision Prize: It is an initiative of
Rockfeller foundation in association with SecondMuse and
OpenIDEO to develop a Vision of the regenerative and
nourishing food system that they aspire to create by the year
2050.
KRISHI MEGH
# Agriculture
External Sector
WORLD BANKS HALTS
DOING BUSINESS REPORT
# External Sector
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IN NEWS
The Union Government has recently launched Krishi Megh
(National Agricultural Research & Education System -Cloud
Infrastructure and Services). It is the Data Recovery Centre of
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
DETAILS ABOUT KRISHI MEGH
• Currently, the main data centre of the ICAR is at the Indian
Agricultural Statistics Research Institute (IASRI) in New
Delhi. Now, Krishi Megh has been set up at National
Academy of Agricultural Research Management (NAARM)
in Hyderabad.
• Hyderabad has been chosen as it lies in a low intensity
seismic zone. Hyderabad is also suitable as skilled IT
manpower is available along with other suitable climatic
conditions such as low humidity level which is controllable
in the data centre environment.
• Krishi Megh has been set up under the National
Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP), funded
by both the government and World Bank.
FEATURES OF KRISHI MEGH
• Built to mitigate the risk, enhance the quality, availability
and accessibility of e-governance, research, extension and
education in the field of agriculture in India.
• Latest AI/Deep learning software/tools kits for building and
deploying of deep learning based applications such as
disease and pest identification using image analysis,
detection of maturity and ripening of fruits through image
analysis, disease identification in livestock etc.
• Out-reach of existing ICAR Data Centre is broadened to
cover the Agriculture Universities enabling them to host
their websites and IT solutions.
IN NEWS
The World Bank's " Doing Business" Report is considered to be
one of the most authoritative reports to measure the Ease of
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 Economic Development
Doing Business across different countries. It has been used as
a valuable tool by countries such as India to improve their
business climate and attract Investment. However, a number
of irregularities have been reported related to the authenticity
and integrity of the data published in the report in the last 2-3
years. Hence, the World Bank has decided to pause the
publication of this Report. It has asked its internal audit team
to perform an audit of the process of the data collection and
review the methodology of report to ensure data Integrity.
From the perspective of UPSC Exam, we would focus on the
following dimensions:
1. About Doing Business Report
2. India's Performance on Ease of Doing Business
3. Flaws in the Report
ABOUT DOING BUSINESS REPORT
• The Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business,
from 1–190. A high ease of doing business ranking means
the regulatory environment is more conducive to the
starting and operation of a local firm.
• The Doing Business Index covers 12 areas of business
regulation. Ten of these areas—starting a business, dealing
with construction permits, getting electricity, registering
property, getting credit, protecting minority investors,
paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts,
and resolving insolvency—are included in the ease of
doing business score and ease of doing business ranking.
• Doing Business also measures regulation on employing
workers and contracting with the government, which are
not included in the ease of doing business score and
ranking.
EASE OF DOING BUSINESS SCORE
• It captures the gap of each economy from the best
regulatory performance observed on each of the
indicators across all economies. One can both see the gap
between a particular economy’s performance and the best
performance at any point in time and assess the absolute
change in the economy’s regulatory environment over
time as measured by Doing Business.
• An economy’s ease of doing business score is reflected on
a scale from 0 to 100, where 0 represents the lowest and
100 represents the best performance.
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• For example, an ease of doing business score of 75 in
Doing Business 2019 means an economy was 25
percentage points away from the best regulatory
performance constructed across all economies and across
time. A score of 80 in Doing Business 2020 would indicate
the economy is improving.
About India' Performance: India has successfully improved
its position from 142nd rank in 2014 to 63 in 2020. It is to be
noted that Government has set a target of bringing India
within the top 50 rankings in the Doing Business Index.
India’s score improved from 67.23 (2019) to 71.0 (2020).
FLAWS IN THE REPORT
• Poor Correlation between Economic Growth and Ease
of Doing Rankings: Inspite of improvement in rankings,
most of the economies have failed to see improvement in
FDI inflows or GDP growth rates. In fact, improvement in
the rankings of countries such as Russia has been
accompanied by stagnation in Investment. On the other
hand, countries such as India and China had attracted
huge FDI inflows inspite of poor rankings between 2005 to
2015. Similarly, phenomenal increase in India's rankings in
last 4-5 years has not translated into higher FDI inflows.
• Unrepresentative: Data for computing the Index obtained
from only 2 cities- Mumbai and Delhi and hence not
representative of entire country.
• Selection Bias: Since Delhi and Mumbai are majorly
Sevice-based economies, higher focus on easing
restrictions in Services sector and lower focus on
improving business climate in Manufacturing and
Agriculture.
• Unrealistic Assumptions: The Report only looks at
reforms introduced by the Government and assumes that
these reform measures will automatically be implemented
in effective manner. It does not measure the actual
implementation of the reforms. For example, introduction
of GST and IBC has led to improvement in India's rankings,
but the implementation of these reforms has been quite
poor.
• Lack of Focus on Easing Laws: Complexity in the labour
laws is considered as one of the biggest hindrances to Ease
of Doing Business. However, the report does not explicitly
consider the Indicator of Labour Laws for calculating the
score.
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 Economic Development
• Political and Ideological Biasedness:
o The rankings have an inherent bias towards Capitalism
and tend to discriminate against socialism. For example, as
recently reported in Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Chile's
ranking deteriorated under Socialist Government and then
improved under Conservative Government without any
substantial changes at the ground level.
o The Indicators used in the Report mainly focus on
improving business climate for the entrepreneurs and
private sector. It does not measure the improvement in
the "Ease of Living" such as Government's initiatives to
promote Social Welfare, improvement in Social Indicators
such as Education, Health etc.
• Data Manipulation: As reported in Wall Street Journal
(WSJ) recently, some of the countries such as China, UAE,
Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan have been accused of not
presently the actual data to the World Bank for the
publication of Report.
WAY FORWARD
The flaws in the report indicate that the Government of India
should stop chasing ranks on an Index which is considered to
be faulty. The Government must realize that higher Focus on
improving the ranking has led to lack of focus on improving
"Ease of Living" of the people. At the same time, the World
Bank should see the halt in the publication of the report as an
opportunity to address the inherent flaws and make the
report more inclusive, flawless and politically and
ideologically unbiased.
UNIVERSAL RATIFICATION
OF ILO CONVENTION
# Labour
IN NEWS
Presently, more than 152 million children are employed
globally with 73 million in hazardous work. Hence, since its
inception, one of the main goals of International Labour
Organization (ILO) has been to end child labour. This objective
got a major thrust when for the first time recently, ILO
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
Convention No. 182 on Worst forms of Child Labour became
the first International labour standard ever to achieve
universal ratification. This is a significant event considering the
fact that the UN General Assembly has declared 2021 as the
International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour.
Further, last year in 2019, the ILO celebrated its 100th
anniversary. In this regard, ILO and its various labour
convention, including Convention No. 182 become quite
important for the UPSC exam. In this regard, we will discuss on
the following dimensions:
• About International Labour Organization (ILO)
• International Labour Standards
• ILO Convention 182
• India and ILO
ABOUT INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION
(ILO)
• Establishment and its Role: The ILO was created in 1919
as part of the Treaty of Versailles after the end of First
World War. It is a United Nations agency that sets
international labour standards and promotes social
protection and work opportunities for all. It is
headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
• Unique Structure of ILO: Unlike other UN specialized
agencies, the ILO has a tripartite governing structure
that brings together governments, employers, and workers
to set labour standards.
• How ILO Works? The ILO accomplishes its work through
three main bodies which comprise governments,
employers and workers' representatives:
• International labour Conference: It sets the International
labour standards and the broad policies of the ILO. It
meets annually in Geneva and it is also as international
Parliament of labour.
• Governing body: It is the executive council of the ILO.
• International Labour Office: It is the permanent
secretariat of the International Labour Organization.
• Supervision of Labour Standards: The ILO regularly
examines the application of standards in member states
and points out areas where they could be better applied. If
there are any problems in the application of standards, the
ILO seeks to assist countries through social dialogue and
technical assistance.
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 Economic Development

• Reports published by ILO: ABOUT ILO CONVENTION 182

 World Employment and Social Outlook
 Global Wage Report
 World Social Protection Report
INTERNATIONAL LABOUR STANDARDS
• International labour standards are legal instruments
setting out basic principles and rights at work. They are
either Conventions (or Protocols), which are legally
binding international treaties that may be ratified by
member states, or Recommendations, which serve as
non-binding guidelines. In many cases, a Convention lays
down the basic principles to be implemented by ratifying
countries, while a related Recommendation supplements
the Convention by providing more detailed guidelines on
how it could be applied.
• 8 Fundamental ILO Conventions are:
ILO Convention Name Convention
Number
Freedom of Association and Protection of the 87
Right to Organise
Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining 98
Convention
Forced Labour Convention 29
• The two ILO Conventions on child labour are Convention
No.138 on Minimum Age and Convention No. 182 on
the Worst Forms of Child Labour. These Conventions are
“fundamental” Conventions. This means that, all ILO
member States have an obligation to respect, promote and
realize the abolition of child labour, even if they have not
ratified the Conventions in question.The ILO defines as a
“child” a person under 18 years of age.
• ILO Convention 182 requires ratifying states to eliminate
the worst forms of child labour, including: all forms of
slavery or practices similar to slavery, such as the sale and
trafficking of children, debt bondage and serfdom and
forced or compulsory labour, child prostitution and
pornography and work which is likely to harm the health,
safety or morals of children.
• The Convention requires ratifying states to provide the
necessary and appropriate direct assistance for the
removal of children from the worst forms of child labour
and for their rehabilitation and social integration. It
complements the ILO's efforts under the 1973 Minimum
age convention to prevent employment of children.
INDIA AND ILO
• India is a founding member of ILO. India has so far ratified
47 ILO Conventions. Out of the 8 Fundamental
Conventions highlighted above, India has ratified 6.

Abolition of Forced Labour Convention
Minimum Age for Admission to Employment
Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention
105 • The Conventions which are not ratified by India are-
Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to
138
Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87) and Right to Organise
182 and Collective Bargaining Convention (No. 98).

Equal Remuneration Convention 100 • India has signalled its legal commitment to the elimination
of child labour with its 2017 ratification of Convention
Discrimination in Respect of Employment and 111 182 and the instrument prescribing the minimum age of
Occupation work for children.

Important Indices in news

PURCHASING MANAGERS
IN NEWS
INDEX (PMI) According to the Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) for August
2020, the manufacturing sector has rebounded to the pre-
# Index

FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS 80

 Economic Development

COVID levels after four months of contraction. The Index stood

Statistical Office
at 52 in August as compared to 46 in July.

DETAILS ABOUT PMI Does not track the actual Tracks the actual
Published by: PMI Data is published by Japanese firm Production Production
Nikkei but compiled and constructed by Markit
Economics (for the US, it is the Institute of Supply Covers only 500 private Covers both Private Sector
Management). sector companies as well as PSUs

SOURCE OF INFORMATION
Covers both Covers only the
• PMI is calculated on the basis of information received from Manufacturing and Manufacturing Sector
companies on various factors that represent demand Services
conditions. It is very different from IIP which is indicative of
actual production. The PMI takes in responses from a Less Comprehensive since More Comprehensive
company on a monthly basis on whether there has been it covers only private
improvement, deterioration or no change for a set of sector companies
parameters relative to the previous month.
• It takes into account the following parameters for the Not used for GDP Used for GDP Calculation to
calculation: new orders, output, employment, supplier's calculation account for the
delivery and stock of purchases. This questionnaire is unorganised sector
administered to 500 private sector companies and the
comprehensive score is arrived at.
• The PMI is constructed separately for manufacturing and
services sector. But the manufacturing sector holds more
HURUN INDEX
importance.
# Index
UNDERSTANDING THE INDEX VALUE
• A figure above 50 denotes expansion in business
activity. Anything below 50 denotes contraction. Higher IN NEWS
the difference from this mid-point greater the expansion According to the Hurun Global Unicorn Index 2020, India has
or contraction. The rate of expansion can also be judged been ranked at 4th place behind US, China and UK.
by comparing the PMI with that of the previous month
Details about Hurun Global Unicorn Index: The Unicorn is
data.
defined as a tech start-up founded in the 2000s that has
• If the figure is higher than the previous month’s then the reached a valuation of US$1bn, but not yet listed on a public
economy is expanding at a faster rate. If it is lower than
exchange. The Hurun Global Unicorns attempts to capture all
the previous month then it is growing at a lower rate.
of the world’s unicorns into one list. It is published by Hurun
Importance of PMI: The PMI is usually released at the start Research Institute located in UK.
of the month, much before most of the official data on
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE REPORT
industrial output, manufacturing and GDP growth becomes
available. It is, therefore, considered a good leading indicator Hurun Research found 586 unicorns in the world, based in 29
of economic activity. countries and 145 cities. The total value of all known unicorns
in the world is US$1.9tn, equivalent to the GDP of Italy.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN IIP AND PMI
• Top Countries: The world’s unicorns are based in only 29
Purchasing Managers Index of Industrial countries around the world. USA has the around 233
Index (PMI) Production (IIP) unicorns and is ranked at first place. It is followed by China
with almost 227 unicorns. Both USA and China together
Published by Nikkei Published by National account for over 80% of the world’s unicorns. India has 21

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 Economic Development

unicorns such as payments solutions platform One97 o However, India fares poorly in terms of Internet quality
Communications, Ola Cabs and OYO Rooms. wherein it has been placed at 78th position.

• Top Companies: China based Ant Financial, whose main SOME IMPORTANT INITIATIVES UNDER DIGITAL
business is online payment platform, Alipay is the most INDIA
valuable unicorn in the world. It is followed by two other
The Government has launched Digital India Campaign to
Chinese based companies - Byte dance (which runs video
transform India into digital empowered society and
sharing application TikTok) and Didi Chuxing (Cab-hailing
knowledge economy. Some of the key initiatives under the
platform).
Digital India include:
• Top Industries: E-commerce and fintech make up 31% of
• e-Hastakshar: e-Sign service facilitates instant signing of
the world’s unicorns, followed by cloud and AI.
documents online by citizens in a legally acceptable form.
The services are being leveraged by various applications,
such as, Digital Locker, Financial Sector, various
DIGITAL QUALITY OF LIFE Government agencies etc.

INDEX 2020 • GI Cloud (MeghRaj): MeghRaj initiative is intended to

deliver ICT services over cloud to all the
departments/Ministries at the Centre and States/UTs. The
# Index
vision of this initiative is to accelerate delivery of e-Services
in the country, while optimizing ICT spending of the

IN NEWS Government.

• National Knowledge Network (NKN): The objective of

According to the Digital Quality of Life Index 2020, India has
the National Knowledge Network (NKN) is to interconnect
been ranked quite lower at 57th place out of 85 countries.
all institutions of higher learning and research with a high
ABOUT DIGITAL QUALITY OF LIFE INDEX 2020 speed data communication network to facilitate
• Published by: SurfShark, an online privacy solutions knowledge sharing and collaborative research.
provider. • Vikaspedia Project: The Ministry of Electronics and IT
• Mandate: Analyses 85 countries around the world in (MeitY) has implemented Vikaspedia project for providing
terms of five core pillars: internet affordability, internet e-knowledge and using ICT-based applications for
quality, e-infrastructure, e-security, and e-government. empowerment of poor (rural and urban). It seeks to
Underpinning these pillars are 12 indicators that are maximise utility of ongoing Government programmes
interrelated and work together to provide a measure of through provision of universally accessible digital
overall digital quality of life. The indicators are given equal information resources in Indian languages.
weights within their pillar. • Unified Mobile Application for New-Age Governance
• Global Rankings: The Scandinavian countries excel in (UMANG): UMANG has been developed as a single mobile
offering high quality digital wellbeing to their citizens. At platform to deliver major Government services.
the same time, 7 out of 10 countries with the highest DQL • Electronic Transaction Aggregation and Analysis Layer
are in Europe. (eTaal) : It acts as an electronic dashboard for providing a
• India's performance: real time aggregated view of eServices being delivered
o India stands out in the field of e-government advancement across different States and levels of Government.

despite lower than average digital quality of life level.
Similarly, India makes it into the top 10 in terms of Internet
affordability. With a ranking of nine, it outperforms
countries such as the U.K., the U.S. and China.
• Jeevan Pramaan: Using Jeevan Pramaan platform, a
pensioner can now digitally provide proof of his existence
to the authorities for continuity of pension every year
instead of requiring to present himself physically or
through a Life Certificate issued by specified authorities.

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 Economic Development
• PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance and Timely
Implementation): It is a multi-purpose and multi-modal
platform that is aimed at addressing common man’s
grievances, and simultaneously monitoring and reviewing
important programmes and projects of the Government of
India as well as projects flagged by State Governments.
• DARPAN (Dashboard for Analytical Review of Projects
across Nation): It is an online tool that can be used to
monitor and analyse the implementation of critical and
high priority projects of the State.
STATE OF FOOD SECURITY
AND NUTRITION IN THE
WORLD 2020 REPORT
# Index
IN NEWS
According to the latest State of Food Security and Nutrition in
the World 2020 Report, world is progressing neither towards
SDG target 2.1, of ensuring access to safe, nutritious and
sufficient food for all people all year round, nor towards target
2.2, of eradicating all forms of malnutrition. In this regard, let
us look at some of important highlights of this report.
About State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World
2020 Report: The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the
World is an annual flagship report jointly prepared by Food
and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Fund
for Agricultural Development, UNICEF, World Food
Programme and World Health Organization.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE REPORT
Progress on ending Hunger: Current estimates are that
nearly 690 million people (8.9%) are suffering from hunger.
The majority of the world’s undernourished – 381 million –
are still found in Asia. Further, the world is not on track to
achieve Zero Hunger by 2030. If recent trends continue, the
number of people affected by hunger will surpass 840 million
by 2030, or 9.8 percent of the population.
TYPES OF DIETS
• “ENERGY SUFFICIENT DIET”: This diet provides adequate
calories for energy balance for work each day. This is
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
achieved using only the basic starchy staple for a given
country (e.g. maize, wheat or rice only).
• “NUTRIENT ADEQUATE DIET”: This diet not only provides
adequate calories (per the energy sufficient diet above),
but also relevant nutrient through a balanced mix of
carbohydrates, protein, fat, essential vitamins and
minerals
• “HEALTHY DIET”: This diet provides adequate calories
and nutrients (per the energy sufficient and nutrient
adequate diets above), but also includes a more diverse
intake of foods from several different food groups.
• For “healthy diet” FAO uses actual recommendations for
selected countries. The Indian recommendation includes
consumption of items from six groups: starchy staples,
protein-rich food (legumes, meat and eggs), dairy,
vegetables, fruits, and fats. It includes 30 gm of cereal, 30
gm of pulses, 50 gm of meat/chicken/fish and 50 gm of
eggs, 100 gm of milk, 100 gm of vegetables and fruit each,
and 5 gm of oil a day. In short, a balanced and healthy
meal but not excessive in any way.
FAO FINDINGS FOR SOUTH ASIA
• Energy-sufficient diet costs around 80 cents a day in South
Asia. It is thus affordable to a poor person or one defined
as having an income of $1.9 a day.
• The nutrient-adequate diet costs $2.12 a day. If a person
with income just above the poverty line spent her entire
daily expenditure on food (ignoring fuel, transport, rent,
medicines or any other expenditure), even then she would
not be able to afford the nutrient-adequate diet.
• The healthy diet costs $4.07 a day, or more than twice the
international poverty line. In other words, a healthy diet is
totally unaffordable for those with incomes at even twice
the poverty line
MESSAGE FOR INDIA FROM THE SOFI REPORT
• Indian poverty line of 2011-12, as defined by the Tendulkar
Committee, amounted to Rs 33 per day in urban areas and
Rs 27 per day in rural areas, and corresponded roughly to
$1 a day at international PPP prices. The Indian poverty
line is thus lower than the international poverty line used
in the SOFI Report. So actual number of people unable to
afford “Basic energy sufficient” and "Healthy diet" will be
much higher.
• Hence, if we want to reduce malnutrition and food
insecurity, we have to address the problem of affordability
of healthy diets.
83
 Economic Development

Prelims Pointers
POKKALI RICE VARIETIES
• Functions under Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

IMPORTANT INITIATIVES
NEWS
• Nodal agency for implementing the MSP for Minor Forest
Farmers in West Bengal are trying to introduce Pokkali Rice Produce (MSP) Scheme and the Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan
variety from Kerala. Yojana (PMVDY)

DETAILS • Markets tribal products through the network of its retail

Pokkali is a unique saline tolerant rice variety that is
cultivated in an organic way in the water-logged coastal
regions of Alappuzha, Thrissur and Ernakulam districts of
Kerala. The rice is cultivated from June to early November
when the salinity level of the water in the fields is low.
outlets ‘TRIBES INDIA’.
• Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) organises National Tribal
Festival titled “Aadi Mahotsav” in collaboration with
TRIFED.

From mid-November to mid-April, when the salinity is high,

prawn farming takes over. The prawn seedlings, which swim KISAN RAIL
in from the sea and the backwaters after the rice harvest,
In line with the Budget 2020-21 announcement, recently the
feed on the leftovers of the harvested crop. The rice crop,
Government has unveiled the KISAN rail for benefit of
which get no other fertilizer or manure, draw nutrients from
farmers. This train will help in bringing perishable agricultural
the prawns' excrement and other remnants. The uniqueness
products like vegetables, fruits to the market in a short period
of the rice has brought it the Geographical Indication (GI) tag
of time. The train with frozen containers is expected to build
and is the subject of continuing research.
a seamless national cold supply chain for perishables,
inclusive of fish, meat and milk.

TRIBAL COOPERATIVE Indian Railways has earlier run single commodity special
trains like Banana Specials etc. But this will be the first ever

MARKETING multi commodity trains and will carry fresh fruits and
vegetables.

DEVELOPMENT
FEDERATION OF INDIA WORLD'S LARGEST SOLAR
(TRIFED) TREE
NEWS A solar tree is a structure where solar modules are planted
on a single pillar, which looks like a tree trunk. It serves the
TRIFED has recently celebrated its 33th foundation day on
dual purpose of being an artwork and an energy generator.
August 6, 2020.
CSIR-CMERI has developed the World’s Largest Solar Tree,
ABOUT TRIFED
which is installed at CSIR-CMERI Residential Colony,
• Established in 1987 under Multi-State Cooperative Durgapur. It has the annual capacity to generate 12,000-
Societies Act, 1984 for socio-economic development of 14,000 units of Clean and Green Power”.
Tribals.

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 Economic Development

practice questions

MCQs
Q1. With reference to FAME Scheme, consider the 4. Currency in circulation
following statements: Select the correct answer using the code given below:
1. The Scheme provides for demand-incentive on (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 1, 2 and 3 only
purchase of only Public Transportation Vehicles. (c) 1, 2 and 4 only (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
2. The incentive provided under the scheme depends
upon the Battery capacity.
Q4. Consider the following statements:
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
1. Economic Recession is defined as contraction in GDP
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only growth for at least 4 consecutive quarters.
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 2. India has not faced Economic Recession so far.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Q2. What does e-Kuber, which was recently in news (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
deals with?
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
(a) Treasury Management of Finance Ministry
(b) Core Banking Solution of RBI
Q5. Which among the following agencies has recently
(c) E-Governance Initiative for Land Records published "Export Preparedness Index 2020"
(d) None of the above recently?
(a) Reserve Bank of India
Q3. Which among the following is/are considered as (b) Ministry of Commerce and Industry
assets of RBI? (c) NITI Aayog
1. G-Secs in custody of RBI (d) EXIM Bank
2. Gold
3. Loans to Centre and States

descriptive Questions
Q1. In spite of Government's initiatives, the adoption of Electric Mobility in India is saddled with multi-faceted challenges.
Elaborate

Q2. Do you think the present Economic Slowdown is entirely on account of disruption caused due to COVID-19? Give
arguments in support of your answer.

Answers to above MCQs: 1 (b), 2 (b), 3 (b), 4(d), 5(c)

FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS 85

 SOCIETY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
# GS Paper I & GS Paper II (Main)

ERADICATING AIDS BY
immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV interferes with body's
ability to fight infection and disease, by damaging

2030
immune system.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE STUDY

# Health • Decline in annual new HIV infections was only 27% from
2010 to 2017 against a national target of a 75% decline by
2020.
IN NEWS
• People Living With HIV/AIDS (PHLIV): 2.1 million in 2017.
As per survey Indian Council of Medical Research Study, India
• States with highest number of PHLIV in 2017:
is likely to miss target of eradicating AIDS by 2030.
Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
• In 2016, at the UN’s High-Level Meeting on AIDS, India
• Signs of rising new HIV infections in the low-burden states
committed towards the goal of ‘ending the AIDS epidemic
of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Mizoram etc. in 2017
as a public health threat by 2030'.
compared with 2010.
• SDG 3.3 aims to end AIDS as a public health threat by
2030. STEPS TAKEN TO ERADICATE AIDS
• National AIDS Control Programme, based on three
pillars-Prevention, Care-counselling and Treatment.

• National Strategic Plan (2017-24) on HIV/AIDS and

Sexually Transmitted Infection.

• Project Sunrise for prevention of AIDS in 8 North-Eastern

states.

INSTITUTIONAL
DELIVERIES
# Health

IN NEWS
As per survey on the state of India's health conducted by the
National Statistical Office (NSO),institutional deliveries have
increased over the past two decades.

• Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a chronic, WHAT IS INSTITUTIONAL DELIVERY?

life-threatening condition caused by the human • Giving birth to a child in a healthcare institution under the

FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS 86

 Society and Social Justice

overall supervision of trained and competent health IN NEWS

personnel where there are more amenities to handle the
Ministry of Human Resource Development launches India
situation to care and save the life of the child and mother
Report of Digital Education. The Report elaborates on the
is Institutional delivery.
innovative methods adopted by MHRD, Education
• Giving birth at home is Non - institutional delivery. The Departments of States and UTs for ensuring accessible and
chances of getting infected from the unhygienic inclusive education to children at home and reducing learning
environment are more in the case of delivery of a child at gaps.
home. Sometimes, it is very tough or impossible to handle
• COVID-19 has led to closure of schools and has impacted
childbirth complications.
learning of over 240 million children in India.
• The ancient method of delivering the child at home is still
• Also, MHRD recently released PRAGYATA guidelines for
prevalent practice in India. It is seen to be more common
digital education.
in rural areas as compared to urban areas.
FINDINGS
• Institutional births result in reduced infant and maternal
mortality and increased overall health status of the • Report identifies 3 broad pathways being followed to
mother and the child. ensure continuous learning, depending upon level of
available technology as follows:
FINDINGS
o Where videoconferencing tools are available, live classes
• Over past two decades, proportion of women delivering a are being held. It is tried in 25 States and UTs.
child in a hospital (or health care institution) increased by
o Where digital technology is completely absent, classes are
nearly 73% in rural India and 37% points in urban India.
broadcasted via television in at least 25 States and UTs
• At least 9 of every 10 women now deliver a child in a and radio is being used in 18 State and UTs.
hospital availing better health care facilities.
o Most common type of distance learning seems to be
• 28.1% of women who deliver in hospital undergoes a asynchronous digital education that uses already
caesarean-section or C-section surgery, leading to prepared digital content hosted on platforms such as
increase in overall cost for childbirth. (ideal rate is 10 to DIKSHA.
15%, as per WHO).
• It mentions following plans for imagining & shaping digital
o Personal preferences, older mothers and role of private education as long-term learning strategy:
sector hospitals are reasons for high rate of C-section.
o Developing digital classrooms as an instructional
• Institutional deliveries can significantly reduce the risk of modality.
maternal and neonatal deaths attributable to
o Virtual vocational training, skill development courses etc.
prematurity etc. E.g. Infant Mortality Rate (number of
deaths under one year of age for 1000 live births in a o Developing quality e-content in local languages.
year) declined to 32 in 2018 from 129 in 1971.

• Schemes to promote institutional deliveries: Janani RELATED OPINION FOR REFERENCE

Suraksha Yojana (under National Health Mission),
Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, Pradhan Take the digital plunge
Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan etc.

DIGITAL EDUCATION With the closure of educational institutions during the

lockdown, approximately 1.72 billion learners have been
# Education #Technology affected worldwide, and around 32 crores in India alone,
resulting in high socio-economic costs for education
stakeholders.

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 Society and Social Justice
The inaccessibility to physical classrooms encouraged ed-
tech platforms to announce free live sessions, thereby
questioning the role of education institutions. In response,
private schools were quick to adopt, mandate, and
implement new educational pedagogy — learning through
digital means.
LEARNING FOR ALL
In this situation, the teacher’s role was challenging. Besides,
teaching online, they also had to support students to
complete assessments and tests. They stayed in constant
touch with parents about their wards’ progress through
WhatsApp groups, and virtual parent-teacher meetings. This
blurring of professional and personal boundaries took a toll
but they got the opportunity to gain more knowledge and
skills. Parents had to invest in seamless wi-fi connectivity and
ensure that their children paid attention to classes. In some
cases, new gadgets had to be bought as well. However,
students were quick to adapt to online classes and, even if
they missed a session, teachers shared recorded sessions.
Thus, it became possible to independently navigate the
world of online learning.
IMPACT OF GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES
The government has also encouraged digital learning
through initiatives such as DIKSHA and eVidya. However,
students belonging to less affluent families or living in
remote places with no mobile network were left behind
because of the cost of digital devices, data plans, or network
connectivity. All this led to the broadening of the digital
divide.
State administrations took a plunge to fill the gap for
children studying in government schools by developing apps,
sharing content through WhatsApp groups, and
broadcasting content on radio, Doordarshan or other
regional TV channels.
BLENDED LEARNING
Various tech and ed-tech companies supported live classes,
made recorded classroom sessions available on YouTube
channels, allowed access to interactive study material rich in
video and graphics, and helped students understand
concepts easily.
Considerable planning will be required once the lockdown
lifts. It is imperative to re-evaluate every school activity and
emerge with new systems, which will become the ‘new
normal’. Following strict social distancing measures and
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
regimented one-desk-one-child seating arrangement could
be implemented once schools re-open. Parents may opt for
home schooling, if the situation worsens. While this strategy
may not result in finishing the quarterly curriculum, it will at
least reduce the learning gap that students are likely to
experience if schools continue to remain shut.
Blended learning could also be the next normal. Schools can
explore tutoring platforms with video conference facilities,
customised modules, and assessments using technology and
data that can help analyse what students like, their learning
patterns, and their understanding of the concepts.
With the challenges and gaps associated with digital
learning, the launch of a new education policy could serve as
the first step for Indian education to transition into the
digital sphere.
COMMONWEALTH
HUMAN RIGHT INITIATIVE
REPORT
# Human Right
IN NEWS
A report released by Walk Free (Global anti-slavery
organization) and CHRI (international NGO) highlights the
need for renewed urgency to eradicate modern slavery and
achieve SDG Target 8.7 by 2030.
• Modern slavery refers to situations of exploitation that a
person cannot refuse or leave because of threats,
violence, coercion, deception, or abuse of power.
SDG Target 8.7 by 2030: Take immediate and effective
measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery
and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and
elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including
recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child
labour in all its forms.
ILO Flagship Program: International Programme on the
Elimination of Child Labour and Forced Labour (IPEC+)
In line with Sustainable Development Target 8.7, IPEC+
focuses on the elimination of child labour in all its forms by
88
 Society and Social Justice

2025 and the eradication of forced labour, modern slavery Act, 1961, and Unorganised Workers' Social Security Act,
and human trafficking by 2030 2008.

The Commonwealth of Nations, simply known as the • Social security refers to measures to ensure access to
Commonwealth, is a political association of 54 member health care and provision of income security to workers.
states, nearly all former territories of the British Empire. • It is one of the four codes that amalgamates 44 Acts
KEY FINDINGS pertaining to labour issues. Others are Code on Wages;
Code on Occupation Safety, health & working conditions
MODERN SLAVERY
and Code on Industrial Relations.
• Estimated one in every 150 people in the Commonwealth
KEY SUGGESTIONS BY PANEL
living in conditions of modern slavery.
• Definition of social security be modified to make it in line
• 71% of all victims of modern slavery are women and girls.
with ILO Convention on Social Security (minimum
• Only 1/3rd of Commonwealth members criminalise standards) 1952.
forced marriage. India accounted for one-third of all child
• Expand the definition of employee so as to encompass all
brides in the world.
sorts of workers such as 'Anganwadi' and 'Asha' workers.
LEGISLATION
• Clearly mention the status of the gig workers and
• A fifth of countries have yet to criminalise human platform workers.
trafficking, while forced labour is not yet criminalised in
• Determine wage thresholds through an automatic
35% of countries.
process of wages indexation with Consumer Price Index
• India had not ratified 2011 Domestic Workers Convention periodically.
& 2014 Forced Labour Protocol.
• Specify the source of funding for running social security
• India has the weakest response on national schemes enshrined in the Code.
coordination, with no national coordinating body or
National Action Plan in place.

Suggestions: Support survivors; Strengthen Criminal Justice;

improve coordination among national agencies and
AADHAAR
accountability; eradicate exploitation from supply chains; AUTHENTICATION
strengthening and enforcing national laws and policies etc.
# Rules

CODE ON SOCIAL IN NEWS

SECURITY (CSS), 2019 Aadhaar authentication for good governance (social welfare,
innovation, knowledge) Rules, 2020, notified.
# Report • As per Rules, Central government may allow Aadhaar
authentication by requesting entities for the following
purposes­
IN NEWS
o usage of digital platforms to ensure good governance;
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on labour submits
report on 'Code on Social Security (CSS), 2019. o prevention of dissipation of social welfare benefits;

• Code was introduced in Lok Sabha in 2019 and then o enablement of innovation and spread of knowledge.
referred to the Standing Committee by the Speaker. • Till now, the government has allowed seeding of Aadhaar
• CSS replaces nine laws related to social security, including number for delivery of social welfare benefits under some
Employees' Provident Fund Act, 1952, Maternity Benefit programmes such as Public Distribution System. However,

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 Society and Social Justice
new rules would expand the scope of Aadhaar for
agriculture, education and health schemes etc.
• For availing authentication services, individual government
departments will have to seek approval of Unique
Identification Authority of India (UIDAI),
• UIDAI is statutory body to manage Aadhaar and runs
Aadhaar-based services.
• Also, only the government agencies would be allowed to
use Aadhaar authentication services, not any private
entity.
• This is in line with the 2018 Supreme Court judgment that
Aadhaar could only be used to authenticate beneficiaries
of government subsidy schemes.
• There are arguments that Aadhaar and Other Laws
(Amendment) Act, 2019 seeks to effectively allow private
entities access to Aadhaar-based authentication. That,
however, is under constitutional challenge in the Supreme
Court.
TAGORE's VIEW ON
EDUCATION
# Education
IN NEWS
According to the Prime Minister, the new Education Policy
reflects ideas of Rabindranath Tagore.
TAGORE'S VIEW ON EDUCATION
• Three cardinal principles of his educational philosophy
are Freedom, creative self-expression and active
communication with nature and man.
• Childhood ought to be a time of self-learning, outside the
rigid and restricting discipline of the schooling system set
up by the British.
• Teachers had to be imaginative, understand the child, and
help the child develop her curiosity.
• Education should help develop sensitivity in a student by
directly experiencing nature.
• Curriculum should revolve organically around nature with
classes held in open air, under trees, to provide for a
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
spontaneous atmosphere.
• In his vision of education moral man is placed above the
commercial man, but education that promotes economic
success and benefits is not devalued.
• Education is that social process by which man attains
physical progress and spiritual wholeness.
• Difference of Opinion with Gandhiji: Gandhiji was highly
critical of Western civilisation and its worship of machines
and technology. Tagore wanted to combine elements of
modern Western civilisation with best within Indian
tradition.
INHERITANCE RIGHTS
# Empowerment
IN NEWS
According to the Supreme Court, daughters have equal
inheritance rights. SC judgment came on a batch of appeals
that raised a legal issue whether the Hindu Succession
(Amendment) Act, 2005:
o Has a retrospective effect?
o If the claim of women depended on the living status of
father as on amendment date (9.9.2005)?
JUDGEMENT OF THE SUPREME COURT
• A Hindu woman's right to be a joint heir to the ancestral
property is by birth and does not depend on whether her
father was alive or not when the law was enacted in 2005
i.e. it has retrospective effect.
• Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005 granted equal
rights to women and men in ancestral property and to
intestate succession in personal property where
succession happens as per law and not through a will.
• Before the 2005 amendment, daughters were entitled only
to a share of their father's inheritance and weren’t
independent coparceners (a person who has a birthright
to parental property) like sons.
• Amendment had laid down a cutoff date of September 9,
2005 for claims, to avoid legal complications. Certain SC
rulings had subsequently said that law would not apply to
cases where the father had died before the law came into
90
 Society and Social Justice
effect.
HINDU SUCCESSION (AMENDMENT) ACT OF 2005
• The 1956 Act was amended in September 2005 and
women were recognised as coparceners for property
partitions arising from 2005.
• Section 6 of the Act was amended to make a daughter of a
coparcener also a coparcener by birth “in her own right in
the same manner as the son”.
• It also gave the daughter the same rights and liabilities “in
the coparcenary property as she would have had if she
had been a son”.
• The law applies to ancestral property and to intestate
succession in personal property, where succession
happens as per law and not through a will.
• Background for the Amendment: The 174th Law
Commission Report had recommended the reform in
Hindu succession law. Before the 2005 amendment,
Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu
had made this change in the law and Kerala had abolished
the Hindu Joint Family System in 1975.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE JUDGEMENT
• The verdict has cleared the confusion about the law and
made it clear that the amendment to the Hindu Succession
Act, 1956 granting equal rights to daughters to inherit
ancestral property would have retrospective effect.
• The court recognized that gender cannot be grounds for
denying anyone their inheritance rights. This interpretation
by the Supreme Court has removed male primacy over
Hindu ancestral property.
• Giving the daughter equal coparcenary rights is in
consonance with the spirit of equality, under Article 14 of
the Indian constitution.
• A Step Towards Women Emancipation: It is a major push
for women who lack economic resources and are often
marginalised by male members of the family. The fact that
a law and not just a will decides women’s property rights is
significant.
ASSOCIATED CHALLENGES
• While the ruling is a progressive step towards gender
parity, it is by no means a guarantee that Indian families
will willingly cede reins to their women members.
• This is because, passing on the succession of the family
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enterprise only to sons stems from deep-rooted tradition
and the patriarchal notion in the society.
• Given this context, it is quite likely that some business
families after this ruling, will bypass this ruling, to park
their assets or write wills to bequeath assets in favour of
male heirs.
• There is a challenge in ensuring that women are actually
empowered by this legal provision, as the majority of
women are not aware about their rights.
Though the judgement is a progressive step in pursuit of
creating a level-playing field in legal rights for women,
bringing behavioural change in society will play a bigger role
towards the goal of gender parity.
Thus, there is a need to bring a change in the patriarchal
mindset of the society and ensuring that women have access
to the same opportunities as men in acquiring educational
qualifications and the training needed to run an enterprise.
RELATED OPINION FOR REFERENCE
Right by birth: On daughters
and Hindu succession act
The latest decision of the Supreme Court on the right of
Hindu daughters to ancestral property corrects an obvious
anomaly in the interpretation of a crucial 2005 amendment to
the Hindu Succession Act, 1956. The verdict settles the
question whether the coparcenary right of daughters comes
into effect only if the father through whom they claim that
right was alive on the day the amendment came into force.
The apex court has now categorically ruled that the
daughters’ right flows from their birth and not by any other
factor such as the existence of their fathers. In other words, it
has rejected the common misinterpretation that only
daughters of coparceners who were alive on that day could
get an equal share in property. The court has rightly
recognised that the amendment conferred equal status as a
coparcener on daughters in Hindu families governed by
Mitakshara law, and this right accrued by birth. The change
came into effect from September 9, 2005, but with a
provision that partitions or testamentary disposition that had
taken place prior to December 20, 2004 — the date on which
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 Society and Social Justice
the amendment Bill was introduced in the Rajya Sabha — will
remain valid and unaffected by the change. This led to the
interpretation that the daughters’ coparcenary rights, being
prospective, would not come into effect unless both the
coparcener father and his daughter were alive on September
9, 2005. This position was crystallised in a 2015 judgment of
the Supreme Court in Prakash and Others vs. Phulavati. This
judgment now stands overruled.
The court’s reasoning is unexceptionable. First, it locates the
origin of the coparcenary right in one’s birth. Second, it finds
that there is no necessity for a predecessor coparcener to be
alive for one to acquire that status, as what is relevant is birth
within the degrees of succession to which it extends. In that
sense, the legislation, even though it comes into effect on a
prescribed date, is retroactive in its application as it is linked
to birth, an antecedent event. It also underscores that the
legislation makes it clear that the daughter’s rights are the
same “as that of a son,” and “as if she had been a son at the
time of birth”. The coparcenary status given to daughters has
been a subject of reform in many States, particularly in south
India, long before the UPA regime brought in the amendment
for the whole country. Kerala had introduced legislation in
1975, Andhra Pradesh in 1986, Tamil Nadu in 1989 and
Maharashtra and Karnataka in 1994. The legislative aim was
that a flagrant discrimination between sons and daughters in
entitlement to an equal share in coparcenary property, that is
property inherited from one’s father, grandfather or great-
grandfather, should be done away with. It is indeed welcome
that the apex court has sought to give full effect to this intent
by setting at rest doubts arising from varying interpretations.
RELOOK ON THE
MARRIAGE AGE FOR
WOMEN
# Empowerment
IN NEWS
The Central government has set up a committee to reconsider
the minimum age of marriage for women. Earlier in June
2020, Ministry for Women and Child Development set up a
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
task force to examine matters pertaining to age of
motherhood, imperatives of lowering Maternal Mortality
Ratio and the improvement of nutritional levels among
women.
• Minimum age of marriage was initially introduced to
combat child marriages and prevent the abuse of minors.
• Currently, Special Marriage Act, 1954 and the
Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 prescribes that
the minimum age of marriage is 21 years and 18 years for
men and women respectively.
THE MINIMUM AGE OF MARRIAGE AND RELATED
OPINIONS
• The Special Marriage Act, 1954 and the Prohibition of Child
Marriage Act, 2006 also prescribe 18 and 21 years as the
minimum age of consent for marriage for women and men
respectively.
• Additionally, sexual intercourse with a minor is rape, and
the ‘consent’ of a minor is regarded as invalid since she is
deemed incapable of giving consent at that age.
• Arguments in favour of increasing the marriageable age
for girls [note that the argument is mostly centered on
gender equality]
• Gender-neutrality - Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution,
which guarantee the right to equality and the right to live
with dignity, were violated by having different legal ages
for men and women to marry.
• The international treaty Committee on the Elimination
of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), calls for the
abolition of laws that prescribe different marriageable age
for men and women. Such differentiation assumes
women have a different physical or intellectual rate of
growth than men. [HOWEVER The Commission
recommended that the minimum age of marriage for both
genders must be set at 18.]
• The Law Commission consultation paper has argued that
having different legal standards “contributes to the
stereotype that wives must be younger than their
husbands”
• Women’s rights activists have argued that the law also
perpetuates the stereotype that women are more mature
than men of the same age and, therefore, can be allowed
to marry sooner.
• Early pregnancy is associated with increased child
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 Society and Social Justice
mortality rates and affects the health of the mother.
• Raising the age at marriage by amending the law is
costless and can be effortlessly achieved by legal fiat.
• A report published by the United Nations Population
Fund (UNFPA) on July 2 said that while child marriages
were almost universally banned, “yet they happen 33,000
times a day, every day, all around the world”.
• UNICEF estimates suggest that each year, at least 1.5
million girls under the age of 18 are married in India, which
makes the country home to the largest number of child
brides in the world — accounting for a third of the global
total. Nearly 16 per cent adolescent girls aged 15-19 are
currently married.
ARGUMENT AGAINST INCREASING THE
MARRIAGEABLE AGE FOR GIRLS
o The change will leave the vast majority of Indian women
who marry before they are 21 without the legal
protections that the institution of marriage otherwise
provides, and make their families criminalisable.
o Raising the age of marriage from 18 to 21 for women will
lead to an increase in parental backlash against young
adults who marry against the wishes of their parents or
elope and will lead to criminalisation of sexual activity,
o If the minimum age of men and women should be the
same for gender equality, then India must follow global
norms of 18 years for both. For gender equality if
marriageable age of both men and women has to be the
same then, for both it must be made 18 years. However,
there is no direct data analysis suggesting that increasing
the age of women will be automatically and substantially
improving the nutritional status of women.
DRINKING WATER SUPPLY
# Health
IN NEWS
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has prepared a draft
standard for the drinking water supply system, which aims to
act as a “benchmark” for maintaining water quality and
developing a uniform process for states opting to implement
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
it.
HIGHLIGHTS OF DRAFT
• The draft standard has been developed keeping in view
the Centre’s Jal Jeevan Mission for providing safe and
adequate drinking water to all rural households by 2024
through individual tap connections.
• It lays down the requirements for water utilities, including
procurement of raw water, its treatment, distribution,
quality maintenance and responsibilities of the
management.
• It outlines the requirements for a water supplier or a water
utility on how they should establish, operate, maintain and
improve their piped drinking water supply service.
• Water source can either be groundwater or surface water
sources such as rivers, streams or reservoirs.
• Water quality should conform to Indian Standard (IS)
1O5OO.
• IS 10500 outlines acceptable limit of various substances in
drinking water like heavy metals and other parameters like
pH value, odour, etc.
• District metering area (DMA) should be adopted where
possible.
• DMA is a concept for controlling leakages in the water
network, which is essentially divided into a number of
sectors, called the DMAs, and where flow meters are
installed to detect leaks.
• Water audit should be conducted on a quarterly basis.
• It outlines the process of water supply, from raw water
sources to household taps which aims to act as a
"benchmark" for maintaining water quality and developing
a uniform process for states opting to implement it.
NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR
TRANSGENDER PERSON
# Empowerment
IN NEWS
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment formed
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 Society and Social Justice

National Council for Transgender Person. NCTP was • UBA is a Ministry of Human Resource Development
established by centre in exercise of the powers conferred by initiative which connects higher education institutions
the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019. The with villages for the economic and social betterment of
Act provides for prohibition against discrimination against rural communities.
transgender persons, right to self-perceived gender identity, • It aims to create a virtuous cycle between society and an
welfare measures by governments, offences and penalties inclusive academic system by providing knowledge and
provisions etc. practices for emerging professions.
COMPOSITION • llT Delhi is the National Coordinating Institute for the UBA.
• Chairperson - Union Minister for Social Justice;

• Vice- Chairperson - Minister of State for Social Justice;

• Members from the ministries of health, home, minority

SIDDI COMMUNITY
affairs, education, rural development, labour and law.
# Community
• Members from the department of pensions, Niti Aayog,
National Human Rights Commission and National
Commission for Women.
• Siddi community has got its first representative in
• Representatives from five states or UTs, on a rotational
Karnataka State legislature.
basis
• They are an ethnic group inhabiting India and Pakistan.
• Five members of the community and five experts, from
non-governmental organisations • They are descendants of Africans from North-East and East
Africa who were brought to India as slaves, soldiers or
MAIN FUNCTIONS OF NCTP
servants.
• Advising central government on policies, programmes,
• In India, they are spread along the coast of Gujarat,
legislation and projects with respect to transgender
Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
persons.
• Current estimated population: 20,000-55,000 individuals.
• Monitoring and evaluating the impact of policies and
programmes designed for achieving equality and full • Religion: Siddis are primarily Sufi Muslims, although some

participation of transgender persons. are Hindus and Roman Catholic Christians.

• Reviewing and coordinating activities of all departments.

• Redressing grievances of transgender persons. PMJDY

• Performing such other functions as prescribed by the
Centre. # Financial Inclusion

UNNAT BHARAT ABHIYAN • Recently, Bank accounts opened under PMJDY crossed 40-
crore mark.
# Empowerment
• UP accounted for maximum number of accounts (6.69
crore), followed by Bihar (4.63 crore).

• PMJDY under National Mission for Financial Inclusion was

• Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of
launched in 2014 initially for a period of 4 years.
India (TRIFED} has entered into a partnership with llT Delhi
under UBA to boost livelihood opportunities and income • Later program was extended beyond 2018 with the change

generation for tribal communities. in focus on opening accounts from every household to
every adult.

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 Society and Social Justice
• Accounts opened under PMJDY are Basic Savings Bank
Deposit accounts with additional features of RuPay debit
card and overdraft.
WOMEN
ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND
EMPOWERMENT (WEE)
# Empowerment
• It is India's First of its kind social, national initiative by llT
Delhi and supported by Department of Science and
Technology.
• It aims to strengthen women entrepreneurship in the
country and promote an ecosystem that enables creation
and sustenance of such enterprises by women.
• It helps women ranging from college going students to
middle-aged housewives to take up entrepreneurship as a
viable, fulfilling career option.
• It connects women entrepreneurs from all across India to
potential investors and buyers for their products so that
they can take their business idea to a financially
sustainable enterprise.
RURAL HOUSEHOLDS AND
TAP WATER SUPPLY
# Benefits
IN NEWS
51 million rural households to get tap water but pace slow for
2024 target.
• Out of 189 million rural households in India, 51 million
households (27% of the total) were provided with tap
water connection till August 2020.
• Of this 20 million were added in the past year under Jal
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
Jeevan mission (JJM). However, this needs to expand at a
quicker rate to meet its 2024 deadline under JJM.
• Also, while Telangana and Haryana have over 80% of
households with tap connections, Uttar Pradesh and West
Bengal have less than 10%.
• Use of contaminated water causes diseases such as
diarrhea is the third leading cause of childhood mortality
in India.
• JJM was launched in 2019 with aim to provide
Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) to every
rural household (Har Ghar Nal Se Jal) by 2024.
• FHTC means a tap connection to a rural household for
providing drinking water in adequate quantity (55 litres per
capita per day) on regular basis.
• Issues in JJM implementation: Funding of scheme,
capacity of water supply departments to execute the
projects, may lead to neglect of local water resources,
neglect of root cause of water contamination etc.
NATIONAL CANCER
REGISTRY PROGRAMME
REPORT 2020
# Report #Health
• Released by the Indian Council of Medical Research
(ICMR) and the National Centre for Disease Informatics
and Research (NCDIR), Bengaluru.
• Cancer cases in India are likely to increase to 15.6 lakhs by
2025, a 12% increase from the current estimated cases.
• Tobacco-related cancers are estimated to contribute 27.1%
of the total cancer burden.
• Cancers related to use of any form of tobacco were highest
in the North Eastern region of the country and in higher
proportions in men.
• A significant increase in the incidence rates of breast
cancers in women and lung and head and neck cancers in
both men and women was observed.
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 Society and Social Justice

practice questions
descriptive Questions
Q1. Critically evaluate the recent measures taken by the government to address the vulnerabilities of the transgender
community.

Q2. Comment on the status of health of women in India. Can increasing the age of marriage help in women’s health status in
India?

Q3. What is the significance of recent Supreme Court judgement on equal right of Hindu women to family property by birth?
How far it can go in empowering women in India?

Q4. How has COVID-19 impacted digital learning in India? What measures have been taken by government in this regard?

FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS 96

 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
# GS Paper (Prelims) & GS Paper III (Main)

DNA TECHNOLOGY
• The Bill provides for the removal of DNA profiles of
suspects on filing of a police report or court order, and of

REGULATION BILL
undertrials on the basis of a court order. Profiles in the
crime scene and missing persons’ index will be removed
#Health #Biotechnology on a written request.

ISSUES RAISED
• The committee, in its draft report, pointed out that DNA
CONTEXT
profiles can reveal extremely sensitive information of
Currently, the use of DNA technology for identification of
an individual such as pedigree, skin colour, behaviour,
individuals is not regulated. In the past, several expert groups
illness, health status and susceptibility to diseases.
including the Law Commission, have looked at the use and
• Under the provisions of the Bill, access to such intrusive
regulation of DNA technology. The Commission submitted its
information can be misused to specifically target
report as well as a draft Bill in 2017.
individuals and their families with their own genetic data.
In this context, the DNA Technology (Use and Application)
This is particularly worrying as it could even be used to
Regulation Bill, 2018 was introduced in Lok Sabha. The Bill
incorrectly link a particular caste/community to criminal
regulates the use of DNA technology for the purpose of
activities.
identification of persons in criminal and civil matters.
• The Bill proposes to store DNA profiles of suspects,
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE BILL undertrials, victims and their relatives for future
• The Bill regulates the use of DNA technology for investigations. “While there is a good case for a DNA
establishing the identity of persons. These include database of convicts, so that repeat offenders may be
criminal matters (such as offences under the Indian Penal easily identified, there is no legal or moral justification for
Code, 1860), and civil matters such as parentage disputes, a database with DNA of the other categories as noted
emigration or immigration, and transplantation of human above, given the high potential for misuse,”.
organs. • The Bill refers to consent in several provisions, but in
• The Bill establishes a National DNA Data Bank and each of those, a magistrate can easily override
Regional DNA Data Banks. Each Data Bank will maintain consent, thereby in effect, making consent
the following indices: (i) crime scene index, (ii) suspects’ or perfunctory. There is also no guidance in the Bill on the
undertrials’ index, (iii) offenders’ index, (iv) missing grounds and reasons when the magistrate can override
persons’ index, and (v) unknown deceased persons’ index. consent, which could become a fatal flaw.

• The Bill establishes a DNA Regulatory Board. Every • The committee said in the absence of a robust data
DNA laboratory that analyses a DNA sample to establish protection legislation, the security of a huge number of
the identity of an individual, has to be accredited by the DNA profiles that will be placed with the National DNA
Board. Data bank and its regional centres is questionable. The
draft report also red-flagged certain provisions of the Bill.
• Written consent by individuals is required to collect
DNA samples from them. Consent is not required for • The Bill permits retention of DNA found at a crime
offences with punishment of more than seven years of scene in perpetuity, even if conviction of the offender
imprisonment or death. has been overturned. The committee urged the

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 Science & Technology
government to amend the provisions to ensure that if the
person has been found innocent his DNA profile must be
removed immediately from the data bank.
• The committee recommended that independent scrutiny
must be done of the proposals to destroy biological
samples and remove DNA profiles from the database.
• The Bill also provides that DNA profiles for civil matters will
be stored in the data banks, but without a clear and
separate index. The committee questioned the necessity
for storage of such profiles, pointing out that this violates
the fundamental right to privacy and does not serve any
public purpose
INTERNET GOVERNANCE
# IT
CONTEXT
While the cyberspace has enabled new modes of digital
interaction like work-from-home etc. it is also becoming
increasingly vulnerable to attacks, even state-sponsored ones.
This has highlighted the need for Internet Governance.
• On one hand China and Russia have been blamed for such
state-sponsored attacks (for instance in Australia, UK, US,
India etc.). On the other side, the governments across the
world have imposed restrictions and bans on technology
products like the recent app bans in India and US, ban on
5G technology rollout from Huawei in UK and US etc.
• While national laws have been evoked to protect the
domestic assets, given the cross-border nature of the
internet and digital technologies, the need for a global
framework to govern the internet is desperately felt to
keep the cyberspace secure.
THIS TO KNOW
• What is Internet Governance? Refers to the rules,
policies, standards and practices that coordinate and
shape global cyberspace. Currently there is no global
internet governance framework.
• Need for Internet Governance Framework: Internet has
fundamentally changed the social, economic and political
milieu of the world by its sheer reach. This has enabled
one country to shape activities in another. Eg: Arab Spring
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was triggered by Social Media Platforms owned by US
companies.
• Cross-border nature: Data is seen as the new engine of
growth and thus where the data is produced, who owns
the data and for what purpose have significant impact on
the economies. Further with increasing deployment of
digital technology the critical infrastructure of countries
are vulnerable to attacks from across borders.
• Power Struggle: Internet is used by both state and non-
state actors of one country to influence political and social
life of another. E.g. Russia in US elections.
• Equitable Use of Internet: While the use of internet for
development was discussed as early as 1998 in the UN
there is no consensus among countries with regard to
what constitutes internet governance. For e.g. Although
the users of internet are spread across the world yet the
infrastructure like undersea cables that fuel the internet is
dominated by few countries.
• Lack of uniform cyber laws: Given the cross-border
nature of data flow, countries lack jurisdiction over
another. Thus, there is an increasing need for “cyber
norms” that can balance the competing demands of
national sovereignty and transnational connectivity.
• Current Status on the actions taken for promoting
st
Internet Governance. As stated above, the 1 time the
issue of use of internet for development was discussed at
the UN platform in 1998. Accordingly, the UN set up a
mechanism called Group of Governmental Experts to
discuss the issue of internet governance. However, the
problem is this body has limited membership and thus
proven ineffective.
For the 1st time in October 2019, this was made more
inclusive by another mechanism called Open-Ended
Working Group which included all 193 members.
VACCINE NATIONALISM
#Health
IN NEWS
There are over 200 COVID-19 vaccine candidates in
development and 27 of them are on clinical trials across the
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 Science & Technology
world. Russia has already launched its vaccine triggering a
race towards vaccine nationalism to score points over each
other.
In this context, Chief Scientist at the World Health
Organization (WHO) Soumya Swaminathan called for
multilateral or global approach to vaccine deployment and
distribution, rather than a more nationalistic approach.
What is “vaccine nationalism”? It is a term used to describe
the fact that many countries are only thinking about their
own population during vaccine development.
Why “vaccine nationalism” is not desirable? The virus is
everywhere in the world and it would be impossible for the
world to go back to normal, and for the economy to recover if
only pockets of people are protected. Political compulsions
are the chief cause of “vaccine nationalism”. Most political
leaders would first think about protecting their own people.
IF WE HAVE A LIMITED SUPPLY OF VACCINES AT THE
BEGINNING OF 2021, WHO SHOULD GET IT FIRST?
• People around the world must have access in an equitable
way.
• Frontline workers, health workers and social care workers,
police and others at high risk of getting the infection.
Today, 10% of all infections have occurred in healthcare
workers.
Bad experiences of the past: During H1N1 pandemic
vaccines were cornered by high income countries, and very
little left for low income countries. Only when the pandemic
turned out not so serious that those countries, which had
stockpiled vaccines, gave up some of their stock for
distribution in low income countries. This could be a terrible
thing to happen this time around.
COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS UNDERTAKEN TO
COUNTER VACCINE NATIONALISM
• Chinese and Australian researchers made the COVID-19
genome freely available, speeding the vaccine hunt. The
virus has since been sequenced in excess of 3,000 times,
charting both the original genome and its mutations. The
much-needed vaccine would not be possible without this
research.
• A team of engineers, physicians, computer scientists and
others at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have
been working on a low-cost ventilator. Its open-source
design was taken up by a group of Indian engineers (who
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develop robots) in a race to build ventilators to ease the
country’s shortage.
• One of the leaders in vaccine development is the Coalition
for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), a not-
for-profit organisation headquartered in Norway, that
brings together public, private, philanthropic and civil
organisation to develop new vaccines. Researchers from
around the world have now joined CEPI’s effort to develop
a Covid-19 vaccine.
• COVAX Facility - COVAX aims to accelerate the
development and manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines and
to guarantee fair and equitable access for every country in
the world.
o COVAX is co-led by Gavi, the Coalition for Epidemic
Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and WHO.
o The goal of COVAX is by the end of 2021 to deliver two
billion doses of safe, effective vaccines that have passed
regulatory approval and/or WHO prequalification.
• Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research is
a model of a North-South scientific collaboration.
• Sanofi Pasteur and Johnson & Johnson have each
partnered with the US Biomedical Advanced Research and
Development Authority, with BARDA contributing to the
costs associated with the research being undertaking by
both companies.
• Pfizer has also announced a partnership with BioNTech, a
German company, to develop a mRNA-based vaccine and
hopes to begin human trials in a few weeks.
• The Serum Institute of India (SII), aiming to develop a
COVID-19 vaccine has started human trials of its Oxford
vaccine in the country from August. It is working on the
AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine. The SII has formally
entered into a partnership with AstraZeneca to
manufacture and supply a billion doses of the vaccine
being developed by Oxford University.
In short, from smallpox to Ebola, international collaboration
in health and science has historically been a major success
instead of vaccine nationalism. It has led to breakthroughs
and advances we could not have imagined if countries had
gone it alone. COVID-19 has not only raised the expectations
we have of science, it has also accentuated the fact that
global challenges require global solutions.
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 Science & Technology
SUBMARINE OPTICAL
FIBRE CABLE
#Internet
CONTEXT
The Prime Minister launched an undersea Optical Fibre Cable
(OFC) connecting the Andaman and Nicobar Islands with the
mainland that would provide residents of the Union Territory
high-speed Internet connection. The Prime Minister had laid
the foundation stone for the 2,300-km-long submarine optical
fibre cable project connecting Chennai and the Andaman and
Nicobar Islands on December 30, 2018.
ABOUT SUBMARINE OPTICAL FIBRE CABLE
• Under-sea cable has been executed by BSNL in a record
time of less than 24 months and this will give 4G mobile
services a big boost on these islands due to OFC
connectivity. This will boost Digital Services like Tele-
education, Tele- Health, e-Governance Services and
tourism on the islands.
• The Connectivity will boost the Opportunities in the
Andaman & Nicobar Islands says Prime Minister. It will
promote Ease of Doing Business and simplify maritime
logistics.
• The Andaman and Nicobar Island is to be developed as
hub of Port led Development and it will also be a major
port hub for international maritime trade.
• OFC project will strengthen base for Digital India and
Atmanirbhar Bharat.
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BENEFITS AND IMPORTANCE OF OPTICAL FIBRE
CABLE
• The Submarine Cable will help A&N in getting cheaper &
better connectivity and all the benefits of Digital India,
especially in improving online education, tele-medicine,
banking system, online trading and in boosting tourism.
• According to the Prime Minister, Indian Ocean has been
the centre of India's trade and strategic prowess for
thousands of years and that Andaman & Nicobar is an
important centre for India’s Economic-Strategic
Cooperation. He said all the Islands of India would be
playing an important role under India’s new trade strategy
for Indo-Pacific region.
• Andaman & Nicobar will be developed as hub of Port Led
Development as it is at a Competitive Distance from many
st
ports of the World and this will help to boost trade in 21
Century.
• Under the Act-East policy, the role of Andaman and
Nicobar in India's strong relations with East Asian
countries and other countries connected to the sea is very
high and is going to increase.
• The Island Development Agency was formed 3 years ago
to strengthen its role. IDA is chaired by Union Home
Minister as Home Minister is its Chairman and CEO of NITI
Aayog acts as its Convenor.
• Apart from providing for better internet & mobile
connectivity, the effort is to further improve physical
connectivity through road, air and water.
• The Prime Minister also referred to the work on two major
bridges and the NH-4 in order to improve the road
connectivity of North and Middle Andaman. He said the
Port Blair Airport is being enhanced to handle a Capacity of
1200 passengers. Along with this the airports are ready for
operations in Diglipur, Car Nicobar and Campbell - Bay. 4
Ships being built at Kochi Shipyard shall be delivered soon
to improve the Water connectivity between the islands and
the mainland.
BOOSTING INTERNATIONAL MARITIME TRADE
• Government's focus is also on promoting Ease of Business
in the sea and simplifying Maritime Logistics. Speedy
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 Science & Technology

construction of the deep draft inner harbour and the

proposal to construct Trans-Shipment Port in Great
Nicobar at an estimated cost of about Rs 10 thousand
crores. This would enable big ships to anchor and would
increase India’s share in maritime trade, along with new
employment opportunities.

• The Blue Economy like Fisheries, Aquaculture and Sea-

Weed farming in the island will accelerate in
commensurate with the modern infrastructure being
developed in Andaman and Nicobar. The efforts of the
Government will give Andaman and Nicobar, not only new
facilities but also as a prominent place on the World SOMETHINGS ABOUT T CELLS
Tourist Map. • A T cell is a type of lymphocyte, which develops in the
thymus gland (hence the name) and plays a central role
Note: Also read and revise our coverage on ‘ANDAMAN &
in the immune response.
NICOBAR: ISLANDS OF NEW POSSIBILITIES’ in FOCUS-
AUGUST 2020, SECURITY section. • T cells can be distinguished from other lymphocytes by the
presence of a T-cell receptor on the cell surface.

• These immune cells originate as precursor cells, derived

T-CELL IMMUNITY from bone marrow, and develop into several distinct types
of T cells once they have migrated to the thymus gland.

DO ALL INFECTED PEOPLE DEVELOP T CELLS

#Health
IMMUNITY?
• All categories of people — recovered from moderate or
severe COVID-19 disease, or in the convalescent phase
IN NEWS (recovering) after mild or severe disease or exposed family
members or healthy people — exhibited “robust memory T
A recent study has claimed that natural exposure or infection
cell responses months after infection, even in the absence
with the novel coronavirus may “prevent recurrent episodes of
of detectable circulating antibodies specific for SARS-CoV-
severe COVID-19”. This is because, once infected with SARS-
2”.
CoV-2, the immune system elicits “robust, broad and highly
• They were able to detect similar memory T cell responses
functional memory T cell responses”.
directed against the internal and surface proteins
WHAT IS RESEARCH ABOUT? (membrane and/or spike) of the virus in some people in
whom SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies could not be
• The study published by a team led by Marcus Bugger from
detected.
Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden, found SARS-CoV-
2-specific T cells even in family members who have been CAN T CELLS PROTECT US FROM RE INFECTION?
exposed to the virus but have tested negative on antibody • Studies undertaken in rhesus macaques had found that
blood tests. once infected, the animals were fully protected from
reinfection.
• SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells were also seen in convalescent
individuals with a history of asymptomatic infection and • Till date, no documented case of reinfection has been

mild COVID-19 disease. found in people anywhere in the world, whether they had
recovered from mild or severe COVID-19 disease or even
been asymptomatically infected.

FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS 101

 Science & Technology
So even as antibodies wane with time, robust T cell memory
formed after SARS-CoV-2 infection suggests that “potent
adaptive immunity is maintained to provide protection
against severe re-infection”.
NEW ALZHEIMER’s TEST
#Health #Technology
IN NEWS
A new blood test may help detect Alzheimer’s disease even 20
years before onset of cognitive impairment, according to a
study published in Journal of the American Medical
Association. Usually, Alzheimer’s disease is diagnosed by
characterization of the amyloid plaques and tau tangles in the
brain, typically, this is done after the person dies. In the new
study, the phosphor-tau217 protein found in the tangles could
be an accurate indicator in living people.
Alzheimer’s Disease: Alzheimer's disease is a progressive
disorder that causes brain cells to waste away (degenerate)
and die. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of
dementia --a continuous decline in thinking, behavioural and
social skills that disrupts a person's ability to function
independently.
What are Amyloid Plaques? Amyloid is a general term for
protein fragments that the body produces normally. Beta
amyloid is a protein fragment snipped from an amyloid
precursor protein (APP). In a healthy brain, these protein
fragments are broken down and eliminated. Amyloid plaques
are hard, insoluble accumulations of beta amyloid proteins
that clump together between the nerve cells (neurons) in the
brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients.
What Causes Beta Amyloid Plaques? Beta amyloid
molecules are initially found in very small strands that can
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
dissolve in the fluid between cells, which will be washed out
of the brain. However, the enzyme that cuts APP into beta
amyloid is not very precise and can also result in slightly
larger strands that do not dissolve. The longer strands are
very ‘sticky’ at the level of individual molecules and start the
process of clumping into the deposits referred to as plaques.
What are Neurofibrillary Tangles? Neurofibrillary tangles
are insoluble twisted fibers found inside the brain's cells.
These tangles consist primarily of a protein called tau, which
forms part of a structure called a microtubule. The
microtubule helps transport nutrients and other important
substances from one part of the nerve cell to another. In
Alzheimer's disease, however, the tau protein is abnormal
and the microtubule structures collapse.
How Do Plaques and Tangles Cause Dementia? The
presence of plaques around a neuron causes them to die,
possibly by triggering an immune response in the immediate
area. Tangles form inside of neurons and interfere with the
cellular machinery used to create and recycle proteins, which
ultimately kills the cell.
BIFIDOBACTERIA
#Health
IN NEWS
Lactase persistence is the continued activity in adults of the
enzyme lactase, whose role is to digest lactose. Paradoxically
most pastoralists don’t have the ability to digest milk beyond
infancy. A recent study in PLOS Biology suggests that Central
Asians adapted either by fermenting milk or by selecting
bifidobacteria as part of their gut microbiota.
• Bifidobacteria are a group of bacteria called probiotics
that normally live in the intestines and stomach. They help
the body perform essential functions such as digestion
and staving off harmful bacteria.
• Bifidobacterium are among the first microbes to colonize
the human gastrointestinal tract and are believed to exert
positive health benefits on their host.
• Due to their purported health-promoting properties,
bifidobacteria have been incorporated into many
functional foods as active ingredients.
102
 Science & Technology

• Bifidobacteria naturally occur in a range of ecological

niches (a niche is the match of a species to a specific
environmental condition) that are either directly or IN NEWS
indirectly connected to the animal gastrointestinal tract,
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced that it has started
such as the human oral cavity, the insect gut and sewage.
operations in the first of four reactors at the Barakah nuclear
Lactase - The LCT gene provides instructions for making an power station - the first nuclear power plant in the Arab world.
enzyme called lactase. This enzyme helps to digest lactose, a
• Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC), which is
sugar found in milk and other dairy products. Lactose
building and operating the plant with Korea Electric Power
intolerance in adulthood is caused by gradually decreasing
Corporation (KEPCO) said that its subsidiary Nawah Energy
activity (expression) of the LCT gene after infancy, which
Company has successfully started up Unit 1 of the Barakah
occurs in most humans.
Nuclear Energy Plant, located in the Al Dhafrah Region of
Abu Dhabi.

• IAEA said that the plant's Unit 1 had "achieved its first

NUCLEAR POWER PLANT criticality" - that is, generation of a controlled fission chain
reaction.

IN ARAB WORLD • Last year Qatar called the Barakah plant a flagrant threat
to regional peace and environment. Qatar is a bitter
#Nuclear Power regional rival of the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS 103

 Science & Technology

practice questions

MCQs
Q1. The Serum Institute of India (SII) has partnered 2. Amyloid plaques are hard, insoluble accumulations
with which of the following organisations to that clump together between the nerve cells (neurons)
produce Oxford COVID vaccine:- in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients.
(a) Sanofi Pasteur (b) Johnson and Johnson Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(c) GAVI (d) AstraZeneca (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Q2. Consider the following statements:
1. Bifidobacteria are a group of bacteria called probiotics. Q4. Consider the following statements:
2. Bifidobacteria help the body perform essential 1. A T cell is a type of lymphocyte.
functions such as digestion. 2. T cell develops in the Thyroid gland.
Which of the above given statements is/are correct? Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Q3. Consider the following statements: Q5. Barakah nuclear power station is located in which
1. Amyloids are protein fragments that the body of the following countries:-
produces abnormally. (a) Qatar (c) Bahrain
(c) Egypt (d) UAE

Answers: 1-(d), 2-(c), 3-(b), 4-(a), 5-(d)

FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS 104

 Geography, Environment,
Biodiversity & Disaster
Management
# GS Paper (Prelims) and GS Paper I & III (Main)

Lead Article

LANDSLIDES
warning. They often take place in conjunction with
earthquakes, floods and volcanic eruptions.

#Disaster Management • The extent and intensity of landslide depends upon

number of factors- Steepness of the slope, amount of
vegetation cover, tectonic activity, bedding plane of
IN NEWS
the rocks etc.
The heavy rainfall in the State of Kerala has led to devastating
• Landslide Prone areas in India: The major landslide
landslide in Idukki district of Kerala leading to death of more
prone areas in India include:-
than 20 people. As per Geological Survey of India (GSI), about
1. Western Ghats and Konkan Hills (Tamil Nadu, Kerala,
0.42 million sq.km covering nearly 12.6% of land area of our
Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra);
country is prone to landslide hazards.
2. Eastern Ghats (Araku region in Andhra Pradesh);
Now, as far as UPSC Exam is concerned, Disaster
Management under GS-Paper III encompasses the Topic of 3. North-East Himalayas (Darjeeling and Sikkim);

Landslides. This topic is also included under GS Paper I as 4. North West Himalayas (Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh,
part of Indian Geography. Jammu and Kashmir).

DEFINING LANDSLIDES • The Himalayan mountain ranges and hilly tracts of the
North-Eastern region are highly susceptible to slope
• Landslide is rapid movement of rock, soil and vegetation
instability due to the immature and rugged topography,
down the slope under the influence of gravity. These
fragile rock conditions, high seismicity resulting from
materials may move downwards by falling, toppling,
proximity to the plate margins, and high rainfall. Extensive
sliding, spreading or flowing. Such movements may occur
anthropogenic interference, as part of developmental
gradually, but sudden sliding can also occur without
activities, is another significant factor.

FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS 105

 Geography, Environment, Biodiversity & Disaster Management
• Similarly, the Western Ghats, though located in a
relatively stable domain, experiences landslides due to
number of factors- steep hill slopes, high intensity
rainfall and anthropogenic activities. The Nilgiris hills
located at the convergence zone of the Eastern Ghats and
the Western Ghats experiences a number of landslides
due to high intensity and protracted rainfall.
TYPES OF LANDSLIDES
• Falls: Abrupt movements of materials that become
detached from steep slopes or cliffs, moving by free-fall,
bouncing, and rolling.
• Creep: Slow, steady downslope movement of soil or rock.
• Debris flow: Rapid mass movement in which loose soils,
rocks, and organic matter combine with water to form
slurry that then flows down slope. Usually associated with
steep gullies
• Mudflow: Rapidly flowing mass of wet material that
contains at least 50 percent sand-, silt-, and clay-sized
particles.
• Flows: General term including many types of mass
movement, such as creep, debris flow, mudflow etc.
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
CAUSES OF LANDSLIDES
• Geological Causes: Weak, Sensitive and Weathered
material, Sensitive material, Presence of Joints and
Fissures, Variation in physical properties such as
Permeability.
• Morphological Causes: Tectonic or volcanic uplift, Erosion
due to Wind and Water, Higher deposition of load on the
slope or its crest, Removal of Vegetation.
• Physical Causes: Intense rainfall, Earthquake/Volcanic
eruption, Rapid snow melt/freeze
• Human Causes: Excavation of the slope or its toe,
Deposition of load on the slope, Drawdown of Reservoir,
Deforestation, Mining, Irrigation and artificial vibration.
IMPACT OF LANDSLIDES
• Short run: Loss and damage to property, loss of lives,
Destruction to agricultural crops, Damages to Vegetation,
Obstruction of vehicular movement leading to Traffic jam,
temporary loss of livelihood for the poor people etc.
• Long-run:
o Increase in the sediment load of the river which can lead to
floods.
o Reduce the effective life of hydroelectric and multipurpose
projects by adding an enormous amount of silt load to the
reservoirs.
o Loss of cultivable land
o Environmental impact in terms of erosion and soil loss
o Demographic Impact in terms of relocation of population
towards other areas
o Frequent disruption of transportation networks leads to
geographical isolation and hence perpetuates under-
development
NDMA GUIDELINES FOR LANDSLIDE DISASTER
MANAGEMENT
• Landslide Hazard, Vulnerability and Risk Assessment:
This includes delineating areas susceptible to landslide
hazards in different areas and to assess the resources at
risk.
• Early Warning Systems for Landslides: This includes the
continuous monitoring of movements, development of
stresses and the transmission of this data at regular time
intervals.
106
 Geog raphy, Envvironmentt, Biodiverrsity & Disaaster Mannagement

• Investigation
ns for Landslide Risk A
Assessment: Multi- niques, with tthe applicatio
new investigation techn on of the
disciplinary
d investigations
i s of landslid
de risk assesssment elopments in remote senssing, commun
latest deve nications,
leading to forrmulation of Standards to
o mitigate imp
pact of mentation technologies.
and instrum
landslides.

• Landslide Rissk Mitigation

n and Remed
diation:

o Restricting De
evelopment in
n Landslide-P
Prone Areas th
hrough CR AL WIL
RITICA LDLIFE
E
Land use plan
nning.

o Laying down standards to

o be followed for Excavatio
on and
HABIT
H TAT (CW
WH)
Construction
C #Con servatio n
o Protecting Existing
E Deve
elopments th
hrough restraining
walls
w and rock anchors

o Slope
S Stabilisation measures: Genera
ally, include works
IN NEWS
involving modification of the natural la
andslide conditions The
T as driven miggrant workerss back to
COVID-19 pandemic ha
such
s as topo
ography, geo
ology, ground
d water, and other their
t ny situated in
villages, including man nside or on th
he fringes
conditions
c th
hat indirectly control porttions of the entire of ng sanctuariess and national parks.
o forested arreas, includin
landslide mov
vement. These include dra
ainage improvvement Even
E as they se e livelihoods tthere, a new b
eek to remake battle has
works,
w soil/de
ebris removal works etc. emerged
e ween the foresst departmen
betw nt (FD) and th
hese local

o Landslide Insurance and Compensation

n for Losses communities.
c It pertains to the declaratioon of a Critica
al Wildlife
Habitat
H (CWH).
• Regulation and
a Enforcem
ment:
Forest
F s Act, 2006 (FRA) definees CWHs as ‘areas of
Rights
o The
T state g
governments/SDMAs will adopt the model
national
n aries where itt has been sp
parkss and sanctua pecifically
techno-legal
t framework
f fo
or ensuring co
ompliance witth land
a clearly esttablished, casse by case, on
and n the basis of scientific
use zoning an
nd landslide safety issues in all develo
opment
a objective criteria, that such areas arre required to
and o be kept
activities
a and plans.
as es of wildlife cconservation’..
a inviolate for the purpose
o Awareness
A an
nd Preparedn
ness: Compre
ehensive awareness
otify a CWH, the Act requirres state gove
In order to no ernments
campaigns
c ta
argeting diffe
erent groups of people livving in
to establish that
t the pressence of righ
ht-holders iss causing
landslide prone areas shou
uld be carried
d out systema
atically
irreversible da dlife and theirr habitats, and
amage to wild d that co-
• Capacity
C Development (Including
( Ed
ducation, Trraining existence
e bettween rights holders and
d wildlife wa
as not a
and
a Docume
entation): reasonable
r op
ption.
o Introduction of curricculum relatted to D
Disaster NOTIFYING
N CWHS: KEY FEATURES O
OF GUIDELIN
NES
Managementt, including Landslides in th
he Schools
• The Chief Wildlife
W Warden of a statee will notify a
an Expert
o Training
T of the Adminisstrators to p
plan, respond and Committee for the purpose of ideentification o
of critical
mitigate the impact of Landslides wildlife hab n a national p
bitats (CWH) in park or sanctu
uary.
o Technical
T insstitutes located in vulnerrable areas should • The Expertt Committee will identify areas within national
develop
d ade
equate techn
nical expertisse on the vvarious parks and sanctuaries, based on sccientific and objective
subjects
s relatted to landslid
de manageme
ent. criteria rele protected areaa, required to
evant to the p o be kept
• Immediate Response:
R e of wildlife co
inviolate for the purpose onservation.

o Put in place Standard Op

perating Proccedure (SoP) which • The Expertt Committee shall issue a public notice on the
should
s ensure coordinated and susttained action
n from H. The publicc notice shall include
intention to notify CWH
various
v agenccies in the afte
ermath of lan
ndslides details of areas requirred to be keept inviolate, criteria

o Research and
a Development: Go
overnment should adopted for
f dentification,
CWH id implication of the
notification
n on ng
existin rights, aand all opttions of
encourage,
e promote, an
nd support R&D activities to
nt and rehabilitation schem
resettlemen mes, if applica
able.
address
a current challenge
es, offer solu
utions, and develop

FOCUUS| Sept ember 2020

2 | RAAU’S IAS 107
 Geography, Environment, Biodiversity & Disaster Management
ISSUES AND CONCERNS
• In the existing guidelines, CWH notification does not stand
any public scrutiny once consultations have been carried
out. Contrast this to the notification of Eco-Sensitive Zones
(ESZ) around protected areas, where the draft notification
of every ESZ is put up in public domain for at least 60 days
before its finalisation.
• Forest rights activists have demanded that Ministry of
Tribal Affairs and MoEF&CC should make the guidelines
public, allow sufficient time to seek comments and then
notify the guidelines.
FOREST DWELLERS VS. WILDLIFE
• Conservationists believe that wildlife needs absolutely
“inviolate” areas — those devoid of humans and human
activities.
• Many others believe human-wildlife co-existence
generally possible and must be promoted if we are to have
“socially just conservation”.
ACHIEVING BALANCED CONSERVATION: THE FRA
PROVISIONS
• A careful reading of the CWH provisions in the FRA shows
that it is open to both possibilities, as long as they are
arrived at through a rigorous and participatory process.
• It requires setting up a multi-disciplinary
committee, including representatives from
communities.
• It also requires determining — using “scientific and
objective criteria” and consultative processes — whether,
and wherein the PA, the exercise of forest rights will cause
irreversible damages.
• It then requires determining whether coexistence is
possible through a modified set of rights or management
practices.
• Only if the multi-stakeholder expert committee agrees that
co-existence or other reasonable options are not possible,
should relocation be taken up, again with the informed
consent of the concerned gram sabhas.
• For any such process to commence, the Act requires that
all forest rights under the FRA must first be recognised.
SO WHAT ARE THE ISSUES WITH THE FRA
• Concerns of eviction
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
o For some (specially Hard line conservationists), FRA was a
major tool for carrying out eviction of forest-dwellers from
Protected areas.
o If you focus on the way the Provisions of FRA have been
implemented, it has been observed that
o Many villages were resettled when they had rights claims
pending,
o Others had their claims illegally rejected or incompletely
granted
o Several had not even applied to this controversy erupted.
o However, there are settlements in some of these PAs, and
of course, people in villages adjacent to all the PAs are
likely to have customary rights.
o In spite of the court ordering rapid completion of the
rights recognition process, there has been almost no
progress on this front.
is
• Issues with expert committees
o The constitution of the expert committees is faulty. They
do not contain expert social scientists familiar with the
area. Wildlife enthusiasts are sometimes substituted for
experts in life sciences.
o Many members have challenged the very constitutionality
of the FRA, making a travesty of the idea of “objectivity” in
the process.
expert • Criteria judging the damages
local o The criteria being used by the committees to determine
the threat of “irreversible damage” to wildlife are quite
extreme and are not supported by any consensus even
among ecologists.
o There are no objective criteria decided yet by these
committees.
The FRA begins by recognising that forest dwellers “are
integral to the very survival and sustainability of the forest
ecosystem”. In that context, the CWH provision should not be
seen as simply a tool for evicting forest-dwellers to create so-
called “inviolate” spaces. It is an opportunity to rigorously and
participatory explore all avenues of co-existence. Such co-
existence is indeed possible. We should never forget that
forest-dwellers harbour both the knowledge and the
attitudes needed for conservation. Co-managing PAs is,
therefore, the most effective and socially just long-term
solution, and relocation should be seen as the absolute last
resort.
108
 Geography, Environment, Biodiversity & Disaster Management

EARLY MIGRATION OF
• Observers also found that thousands of butterflies had
died of vehicle hits along the migratory path.

BUTTERFLIES FROM Reasons for early migration: The change in rainfall pattern
and a considerable increase in the number of sunny days

EASTERN TO WESTERN
may be the major reasons for the earlier migration.

Butterfly migration pattern and climate change : The only

GHATS thing guiding butterflies on their migration

is temperature telling them when they need to travel – like a
biological trigger setting them in flight. Hence changing
#Conservation
pattern of their migration is the direct indication of climate
change and changing weather pattern.

IN NEWS
It has been observed that this year the annual migration of
butterflies from the hill ranges of the Eastern Ghats towards
CHEETAH
the Western Ghats happened early. #Conservation #Biodiversity

IN NEWS
Century-old Mysuru zoo has become the second Indian zoo to
house the African cheetah, the fastest land animal, as it
managed to get a male and two females from a cheetah
conservation centre in South Africa under an animal exchange
programme.

Also, Supreme court had lifted seven year stay on a proposal to

introduce African cheetahs from Namibia into the Indian
habitat on an experimental basis.

WHAT IS THE MIGRATION PHENOMENON?

• Usually, butterfly migration in south India begins in
October-November, with the onset of the northeast
monsoon, from the plains to the Ghats, and in April-June,
just before the advent of the southwest monsoon, from
the Ghats to the plains.

• But this year, the first migratory sighting was recorded in

the Parambikulam Tiger Reserve in July. Large butterfly
Why is there a need for re-introduction? Because the
movement were observed on August 21, which is still
Cheetah species has got extinct in the country and the plan is
continuing.
to revive the Cheetah population in India.
• Observers noted that Blue Tiger and Dark Blue Tiger
Reintroduction of the cheetah in India involves the re-
accounted for 90% of the butterflies involved in the early
establishment of a population of cheetahs into areas where
migration.
they had previously existed. A part of the reintroduction

FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS 109

 Geography, Environment, Biodiversity & Disaster Management
process is the identification and restoration of their former
grassland scrub forest habitats
ORIGINAL GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE
Fig: showing the range of Cheetah
CAUSES WHICH LED TO THE EXTINCTION OF
CHEETAHS
• Hunting: They were hunted into extinction during and
after the Mughal Period, largely by Rajput and Maratha
Indian royalty and later by British colonialists, until the
early 20th century when only several thousand remained.
• Captive (help in hunting): Trapping of large numbers of
adult Indian cheetahs, who had already learned hunting
skills from wild mothers, for assisting in royal hunts is said
to be another major cause of the species rapid decline in
India as they never bred in captivity with only one record
of a litter ever.
SO WHAT ARE THE WAYS IN WHICH A CHEETAH
POPULATION CAN BE REVIVED?
• Biotechnology: Cloning
o India first proposed this method during last decade but it
didn’t work.
o During the early 2000s, Indian scientists from the Centre
for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad,
proposed a plan to clone Asiatic cheetahs obtained from
Iran.
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
o Indian scientists requested Iran to allow them to collect
some live cells of the cheetah pair in Iran itself, which can
then be made into living cell lines. They planned to use the
nucleus from these cells to manually reproduce their own
cheetahs, over a significantly long amount of time.
o Iran refused to cooperate (would neither send any
cheetahs to India nor would allow Indian scientists to
collect their tissue samples)
o It is said that Iran wanted an Asiatic lion in exchange for a
cheetah and that India was not willing to export any of its
lions.
• Reintroducing live Cheetahs
o So it was decided that African Cheetah would be
introduced in protected areas in India.
WHAT ARE THE ISSUES WITH THE REINTRODUCTION?
• Clash with lion conservation
o As the habitat for Asiatic lion as well as the Cheetah is
similar, many sites identified for Cheetah reintroduction
clash with lion conservation. As we know that there is only
a single population of Lion in India in Gir and that has
become unsustainable due to rapid growth in their
population and there is a need to relocate many lions from
Gir.
o An expert panel formed by the government shortlisted a
number of protected areas where cheetahs could be
relocated. These were Kuno-Palpur and Nauradehi
Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, Velavadar
National Park in Gujarat and the Shahgarh bulge in
Rajasthan.
o The Kuno reintroduction plan ran into trouble. The
protected area had also been shortlisted for introduction
of Asiatic Lions from heavily populated Gir in Gujarat. In
order to not give lions to Kuno, Gujarat's legal counsel had
put forward the argument that Kuno was being used for
the introduction of African cheetah which might take
several years to fully settle down and repopulate the area
and hence reintroduction of lions should only be done
after that.
• Perpetual problems with India’s wildlife
110
 Geography, Environment, Biodiversity & Disaster Management

o As the import of the Cheetahs from Africa will be very DRAGONFLY

limited, the problems being faced by the wildlife in the
country might undo the efforts.

o It is advisable to resolve following issues first:

 Human-wildlife conflict,

 loss of habitat and loss of prey

 illegal trafficking.

 The advent of climate change and growing human

populations have only made these problems worse.

 With less available land for wildlife, species that require
vast home range like the cheetah are placed in
competition with other animals and humans, all fighting
over less space.
ACTIVITIES TO BE UNDERTAKEN FOR THE
CELEBRATION OF THE FESTIVAL
• Citizen science project - A ‘dragonfly backyard watch’ has
been announced to enhance the participation of people
and improve their observation skills

• A social media campaigns

DRAGONFLY FESTIVAL • A field guide on the common dragonflies of Kerala

• Children’s dragonfly coloring and activity book

#Conservation #Biodiversity
• A knowledge hub will also be set up under the
SOS/Thumbipuranam Facebook page, which will host all
available material in the form of scientific papers, posters,
IN NEWS videos and stickers on dragonflies.

The WWF-India Kerala unit has joined hands with the Society
for Odonate Studies (SOS) [The Odonata are an order of flying
insects that includes the dragonflies and damselflies] for the BARN OWLS
first-ever State Dragonfly Festival in Kerala, named
Thumbimahotsavam 2020. ‘Pantalu’ is the official mascot of #Conservation #Biodiversity
the festival.

• This is part of a national dragonfly festival being organised

by the WWF India, Bombay Natural History Society &
Indian Dragonfly Society in association with the National
Biodiversity Board, United Nations Environment
Programme, United Nations Development Programme and
IUCN - Centre for Environment Conservation.
• The festival is dedicated to dragonflies, aims to create
awareness for the conservation of these insects. The
Dragonfly Festival started in 2018 to educate and inform
the public about the integral role that dragonflies, and
their lesser known siblings damselflies, play in our
environment.
IN NEWS
The Lakshadweep Administration had embarked on the ‘Pilot
project on Biological Control of Rodents (Rats) by Using Barn
Owls (Tyto alba) in Kavaratti Island’.
Three pairs of barn owls shipped to the Lakshadweep Islands
from Kerala in 2019 have apparently proven skilful slayers of
pesky rats which have been ravaging the coconut plantations
that the Union Territory is hoping to recruit more of the
“winged assassins”.

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 Geography, Environment, Biodiversity & Disaster Management

ABOUT BARN OWL Present

classification 6,02,850 1,40,511 23.27 4,62,539 76.72
582 105 477
after revised hectare hectare % hectare %
parameters

TWEAKING THE CLEARANCE SYSTEM

• The government used a ‘decision support system software’
that rated forest lands on environmental parameters for
determining which of forests were too ecologically
important to touch, and which were amenable to be
opened up using.
• The barn owl (Tyto alba) is the most widely distributed
• In some cases, the CSE investigation found that results of
species of owl in the world and one of the most
the software evaluation were “tweaked” to make ‘No-Go’
widespread of all species of birds.
land into ‘Go-forests’
• It is also known as the common barn owl, to distinguish it
from the other species in its family, Tytonidae, which forms
one of the two main lineages of living owls, the other being
the typical owls (Strigidae).
BHADHUT PROJECT
• The barn owl is found almost everywhere in the world #ConservatioN
except for the polar and desert regions, Asia north of the
Himalayas, most of Indonesia, and some Pacific islands.

IN NEWS

NO-GO ZONES Bhadbhut project in Bharuch is meant to solve freshwater

problems in this region of Gujarat. It has also faced protests

#Conservation from local fishermen for its likely impact on fishing patterns,
notably those of hilsa.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

IN NEWS • It is planned to be a 1.7-km causeway-cum-weir barrage,
Center for science and environment has found that, since 2015, across the River Narmada, 5 km from Bhadbhut village,
of the 49 blocks cleared for coal mining, nine were in ‘No-Go’ and 25 km from the mouth of the river, where it flows into
areas. In 2020, of the 41 blocks put up for auction, 21 feature the Gulf of Khambhat.
in the original No-Go list. • The barrage will stop most of the excess water flowing out
The coal and environment ministries had jointly undertaken of the Sardar Sarovar Dam from reaching the sea and thus
an exercise to mark 'go' and 'no-go' areas for mining in nine create a “sweet water lake” of 600 mcm (million cubic
coal fields in June 2010. As per the parameters set by the metres) on the river.
ministries, of the 582 coal blocks over 600,000 hectares, 49 • The barrage will also have a six-lane road that will connect
per cent were declared no-go zone, where mining could be the left and right banks of the river and provide shorten
carried out in compliance with the environment and forest the land distance between two large industrial estates in
laws. Surat and Bharuch.
Initial classification and current status of 'no-go' and 'go' zones • The project also aims to prevent flooding in years when
TOTAL NO-GO ZONES GO ZONES rainfall is higher than normal. Embankments 22 km long
Total Total No of %of No of %of will be made and will extend upstream towards Bharuch,
Total land Total land
land Blocks Blocks Land Blocks Land from either side of the river.
Initial
6,52,572 3,20,684 3,31,888
classification in 605 222 49% 383 51%
hectare hectare hectare
May 2010

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 Geography, Environment, Biodiversity & Disaster Management
WHY WAS THE NEED FELT FOR THIS PROJECT?
• The main purpose of the project is to prevent salinity
ingress.
• For example
o At the beginning of the 21st century, an estimated 16.30
million acre feet (MAF) of water used to be released from
the dam.
o By 2017, when the height of the dam rose, flow into the
river reduced to 4.7 MAF. Due to the reduced flow of fresh
water, saline seawater gushes into the Narmada estuary
during high tide, thus increasing salinity along the banks.
• The sweet water from the reservoir will aim to meet the
residential and industrial water requirements of Bharuch,
Ankleshwar and Dahej.
• The project is part of the larger Kalpasar Project, which
entails construction of a 30-km dam across the Gulf of
Khambhat between Bharuch and Bhavnagar districts. The
reservoir is meant to tap the waters of the Narmada,
Mahisagar and Sabarmati.
• Part of Aliya Bet, an island in the delta of the Narmada
and known for shrimp farming, is likely to get submerged.
A portion of the forest in Aliya Bet too will get affected by
the project. Most of the Aliya Bet is downstream from the
barrage.
WHY ARE FISHERMEN UPSET?
• The barrage is expected to interfere with the migration
and breeding cycle of hilsa.
• A marine fish, hilsa migrate upstream and arrives in the
brackish water of the Narmada estuary near Bharuch for
spawning usually during the monsoon months of July and
August, and continue doing so till November. Once the
barrage is built, it is expected to block their natural entry.
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What is the government’s stand on this? Government
officials say the entry of hilsa will not be restricted on account
of the barrage. The Kolkata-based CIFRI has been asked to
study the migration patterns for informed decision making.
AIR QUALITY INDEX
#Pollution #Index
IN NEWS
Throughout the COVID-19 lockdown — though air pollution in
Delhi was less compared to 2019 — the air quality of the city
was still worst among six large cities in different parameters,
according to an analysis by the Centre for Science and
Environment (CSE).
WHY IS SUCH AN INDEX IMPORTANT?
• Awareness of daily levels of air pollution is important to
the citizens, especially for those who suffer from illnesses
caused by exposure to air pollution.
• Further, success of a nation to improve air quality depends
on the support of its citizens who are well-informed about
local and national air pollution problems and about the
progress of mitigation efforts.
• Thus, a simple yet effective communication of air quality is
important.
The concept of an air quality index (AQI) that transforms
weighted values of individual air pollution related parameters
(e.g. SO2, CO, visibility, etc.) into a single number or set of
numbers is widely used for air quality communication and
decision making in many countries.
ABOUT NATIONAL AIR QUALITY INDEX
• Air Quality Index is a tool for effective communication of
air quality status to people in terms, which are easy to
understand.
• It transforms complex air quality data of various pollutants
into a single number (index value), nomenclature and
colour.
CATEGORIES
• There are six AQI categories, namely Good, Satisfactory,
Moderately polluted, Poor, Very Poor, and Severe.
• Each of these categories is decided based on ambient
concentration values of air pollutants and their likely
health impacts (known as health breakpoints).
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 Geography, Environment, Biodiversity & Disaster Management
Pollutants: AQ sub-index and health breakpoints are evolved
for eight pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, NO2, SO2, CO, O3, NH3,
and Pb) for which short-term (upto 24-hours) National
Ambient Air Quality Standards are prescribed.
CHAAR DHAAM PROJECT
#Conservation
IN NEWS
A group of scientists, environmentalists and ecologists have
written to Prime Minister demanding a halt to the Char Dham
road construction work and that the recommendation of
environmentalist Ravi Chopra, who heads a Supreme Court-
appointed High-Power Committee (HPC) to advise on the
sustainable execution of the project should be taken into
consideration.
ABOUT CHAR DHAM PROJECT
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• The project proposes the widening of single lane roads
into double lanes by up to 10 metres, developing highways
in Uttarakhand and thereby improving access to the Char
Dham (four shrines) — Yamunotri, Gangotri, Badrinath and
Kedar Nath. The Char Dham Programme was initially
targeted for completion by March, 2020.
• The works under Char Dham are being implemented by
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
• The projects also include mitigation measures/
stabilisation of chronic landslide & sinking spots/zones as
standalone project or part of road widening projects to
avoid land slide and safety of road users.
• Bio engineering methods like hydro seeding are being
used for vegetative growth on fragile slopes for their
stability. All these measures shall safeguard the highway
and habitation against natural calamity.
WHAT HAS CAUSED THE DELAY?
• However, the schedule date of completion of the
programme has been delayed mainly due to litigation in
the NGT and further Civil Appeal by the petitioner in the
Hon’ble Supreme Court.
• Further, the section from Dharasu bend to Gangotri
(94km) lies under Bhagirathi Eco- Sensitive Zone on which
works can be taken up only after approval of Master plan
by MoEF&CC.
• The Hon’ble Supreme Court vide order dated 08.08.2019
has disposed of the Civil Appeal and constituted a High
Power Committee (HPC) to look into the environmental
and other issues related to the Char Dham Programme as
per the terms of reference set by the Hon’ble Supreme
Court.
• The date of completion of the programme depends on the
report of the HPC and approval of Masterplan for
Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone by MoEF&CC.
OXYGEN
CONCENTRATORS
#Health #Pollution
IN NEWS
The Delhi government has prepared SOPs to provide oxygen
concentrators to patients who have recovered from Covid-19
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 Geography, Environment, Biodiversity & Disaster Management
but continue to face breathing difficulties. According to
officials, the state health department will provide 10 oxygen
concentrators — a device that makes oxygen from air — to
each of the 11 districts, and two will be placed in each
government-run dispensary.
What are Oxygen Concentrators? An oxygen concentrator
is a device that concentrates the oxygen from a gas supply
(typically ambient air) by selectively removing nitrogen to
supply an oxygen-enriched product gas stream.
APPLICATIONS
• Medical Sector: Medical oxygen concentrators are used in
hospitals or at home to produce oxygen for patients.
• Industry: They are a safer, less expensive, and more
convenient alternative to tanks of cryogenic oxygen or
pressurise cylinders. They can be used in various
industries including pharmaceutical production, water
treatment and glass manufacture.
REGENERATIVE
AGRICULTURE
• “Regenerative Agriculture” describes farming and grazing
practices that, among other benefits, reverse climate
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How do Oxygen Concentrators work? An oxygen
concentrator takes in air and removes nitrogen from it,
leaving an oxygen enriched gas for use by people requiring
medical oxygen due to low oxygen levels in their blood.
Oxygen concentrators provide an economical source of
oxygen in industrial processes where they are also known as
oxygen gas generators or oxygen generation plants.
change by rebuilding soil organic matter and restoring
degraded soil biodiversity – resulting in both carbon
drawdown and improving the water cycle.
• The key to regenerative agriculture is that it not only “does
no harm” to the land but actually improves it, using
technologies that regenerate and revitalize the soil and the
environment.
• Regenerative agriculture leads to healthy soil, capable of
producing high quality, nutrient dense food while
simultaneously improving, rather than degrading land, and
ultimately leading to productive farms and healthy
communities and economies.
• It is dynamic and holistic, incorporating permaculture
(sustainable and self-sufficient agricultural ecosystems)
and organic farming practices, including conservation
tillage, cover crops, crop rotation, composting, mobile
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 Geography, Environment, Biodiversity & Disaster Management

animal shelters and pasture cropping, to increase food • It has been promoted to counter loss of the world’s fertile
production, farmers’ income and especially, topsoil. soil and biodiversity, along with the loss of indigenous
seeds and knowledge.

practice questions
MCQs
Q1. Consider the following statements regarding Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Cheetah: (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
1. The species is extinct in India. (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) None of the Above
2. They are being reintroduced in India from Namibia.
3. Cheetah is the second fastest land animal after Q4. Consider the following statements regarding
leopard. Pokkali Rice:
Which of the above statements is/are correct? 1. It is known for its saltwater resistance.
(a) 1 and 2 only (b) 1 and 3 only 2. It flourishes in Odisha
(c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 3. It has a GI Tag.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Q2. Consider the following statements: (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 1 and 3 only
1. Landslide is rapid movement of rock, soil and (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
vegetation down the slope under the influence of
gravity. Q5. Consider the following statements :
2. Debris flow and creep are types of landslides. 1. There are six AQI categories, namely Good,
Which of the above statements is/are correct? Satisfactory, Moderately polluted, Poor, Very Poor, and
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only Severe.
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) None of the Above 2. AQ sub-index and health breakpoints are evolved for
eight pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, NO2, SO2, CO, O3, NH3,
Q3. Consider the following statements: and Pb) for which short-term (upto 24-hours) National
1. An oxygen concentrator is a device that concentrates Ambient Air Quality Standards are prescribed.
the oxygen from a gas supply (typically ambient air) by Which of the above statements is/are correct?
selectively removing nitrogen to supply an oxygen- (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
enriched product gas stream. (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) None of the Above
2. They are economical source of oxygen for patients
having breathing difficulties.

Answer for the above MCQs: 1 (a), 2 (c), 3 (c), 4 (b), 5 (c)

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 History, HERITAGE & Culture
# GS Paper (Prelims) & GS Paper I (Main)

History & Culture – Part-I

LINGARAJ TEMPLE
o Jagamohana (assembly hall)

o Natamandira (festival hall)

#Art and Culture o and bhoga-mandapa (hall of offerings)

RELATED INFORMATION: KALINGA ARCHITECTURE

IN NEWS • In Kalinga Architecture, basically a temple is made in two
th
Odisha to give face lift to 11 century Lingaraj Temple. parts, a tower and a hall. The tower is called deula and
the hall is called jagmohan.
ABOUT LINGARAJ TEMPLE
• The walls of both the deul and the jagmohan are lavishly
The old town area referred to as Ekamra Kshetra is the
sculpted with architectural motifs and a profusion of
heritage part of the capital city that is dotted with hundreds
figures.
of monuments and temples including the famous Lingaraj
• The most repeated form is the horseshoe shape, which
Temple, Rajarani Temple, Kedar Gouri Temple and
has come from the earliest times, starting with the large
Mukteswar Temple.
windows of the chaitya-grihas. It is the deul or deula which
• Lingaraja Temple is a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.
makes three distinct types of temples in Kalinga
• It was built by King Jajati keshari of Soma Vansh. But later Architecture.
additions were done by the Ganga rulers.
• The style consists of three distinct types of temples: Rekha
• It is an example of Kalinga Style of Architecture. This Deula, Pidha Deula and Khakhara Deula. The former two
style broadly comes under the Nagara style. are associated with Vishnu, Surya and Shiva temples while
• The temple is built in red stone. the third is mainly with Chamunda and Durga temples.

• Lingaraj is referred to as ‘Swayambhu” – self-originated

Shivling.

• Bindusagar lake is located in the north of the temple.

Marichi Kunda and Ganga Jamuna are other lakes existing
near the temple periphery.

• The temple is out of bounds for non-Hindus.

• It is built in the Deula style that has four components

namely

o Vimana (structure containing the sanctum),

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 History, Heritage & Culture

ZARDOZI
#Art and Culture IN NEWS
The finger-sized Karuna dolls was launched on National
Handloom Day (August 7). These dolls are being used for
IN NEWS community messaging on important issues like health etc.

The lock down due to COVID-19 has left Zardozi workers in ABOUT KARUNA DOLLS
Bhopal with mounting losses.

ABOUT ZARDOZI

• Kovid Kumari symbolises hope and joy. She is one of the

many Karuna (compassion) dolls being made across the
country to highlight the plight of artisans during the
COVID-19 pandemic. Kovid Kumari from Haryana convey
the women in the villages that their family’s health is in
their hands.
• ‘Zardozi’ is a Persian word that means “Sewing with the
• It is conceptualised and promoted by the voluntary online
gold string”.
movement creativedignity.org (CD).
• It involves weaving metallic threads on fabric to create
• These dolls are being created by women spinners, weavers
intricate patterns.
and embroiderers from their homes across India.
• Initially, the embroidery was done with pure silver wires
RELATED INFORMATION
and real gold leaves. However, now days, craftsmen make
use of a combination of copper wire, with a golden or NAME OF DOLLS STATE
silver polish, and a silk thread. Maru Dolls Rajasthan
• It was used to embellish the attire of the Kings and the Veerawali and Veer Punjab
royals in India.
Tsunamika Puducherry
• It was used to adorn walls of the royal tents, wall hangings, Babua and Babuni Bihar
scabbards and the paraphernalia of regal elephants and
Chekutty Kerala
horses.

• It is a type of embroidery in Iran, India and Pakistan.

• It was also patronised by the Mughals (especially Akbar).

TYAGARAJ
• Zardozi style is at present very popular in the Indian cities
of Bhopal, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Farrukhabad and
#Art and Culture
Chennai.

CURRENT CONTEXT

KARUNA DOLLS Saint Tyagaraja’s kirtanas were the earliest one to celebrate
“God Ram” musically in ragas Kalyani, Bhairavi, Begada etc.
#Art and Culture

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 History, Heritage & Culture
ABOUT TYAGARAJ
• Tyagaraja (1767-1847), his contemporaries Syama Sastri
and Muttusvami Dikshitar are together known as the
“Trinity” of Carnatic music.
• Saint Tyagaraja has composed thousands of devotional
compositions, mostly in Telugu in the praise of Lord
Rama, many of which remain popular today.
• Tyagaraja saw the reigns of four kings of Maratha
dynasty Tulaja II (1763-1787), Amarasimha (1787-1798),
Serfoji II (1798-1832) and Sivaji II (1832-1855), although he
served none of them.
MALABAR REBELLION
#Modern India
IN NEWS
The next year will mark the 100th anniversary of the Malabar
rebellion of 1921.
ABOUT MALABAR REBELLION
• Reasons: The trigger of the uprising came from the Non-
Cooperation Movement launched by the Congress in 1920
along with the Khilafat agitation. The anti-British sentiment
fuelled by these agitations affected the Muslim Mapillahs
(also known as Moplahs) of south Malabar region of
Kerala.
• New Tenancy Laws: After the death of Tipu Sultan in 1799
in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War, Malabar had come under
British authority as part of the Madras Presidency.
The British had introduced new tenancy laws that
tremendously favoured the landlords known as Janmis and
instituted a far more exploitative system for peasants than
before.
The new laws deprived the peasants of all guaranteed
rights to the land, share in the produce they earlier got and
in effect rendered them landless.
• The Communal Angle: Most of the landlords were
Namboodiri Brahmins while most of the tenants were
Mapillah Muslims.
• The Revolt: The Mopillahs launched a violent rebellion.
Numerous actions of violence were reported and series of
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persecutions were committed both against the British and
the landlords.
• Support: In the initial stages, the movement had the
support of Mahatma Gandhi and other Indian nationalist
leaders, but as it turned violent they distanced themselves
from it.
• Collapse: By the end of 1921, the rebellion was crushed by
the British who had raised a special battalion, the Malabar
Special Force for the riot.
• Wagon Tragedy: In November 1921, 67 Moplah prisoners
were killed when they were being transported in a closed
freight wagon from Tirur to the Central Prison in Podanur.
They died of suffocation. This event is called the Wagon
Tragedy.
• The Malabar Rebellion in 1921 started as resistance
against the British colonial rule and the feudal system in
southern Malabar but ended in communal violence
between Hindus and Muslims.
BAL GANGADHAR TILAK
#Modern India #Personality
IN NEWS
th
The 100 death anniversary of Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak
was observed by Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR)
through a webinar.
ABOUT BAL GANGADHAR TILAK
• Born- July 1856, Ratnagiri, Maharashtra.
st
• Died – 1 Aug,1920
• Profession- Lawyer
• Known as-
o Lokmanya
o ‘Father of the Indian unrest” by British colonial rulers.
o ‘The maker of modern India’ by Mahatma Gandhi.
o ‘Father of Indian revolution’ by Jawaharlal Nehru.
• Newspapers -Kesari (Marathi) and Mahratta (English)
• Books- Gita Rhasya and Arctic Home of the Vedas.
• Slogan - ‘Swaraj is my birth right and I shall have it’.
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 History, Heritage & Culture
HOW HE MOBILISED THE SOCIETY?
• With Gopal Ganesh Agarkar he founded the Deccan
Education Society (1884).
• In the Maharashtra region, he popularised the Ganesh
Chaturthi festival.
• Tilak propounded the celebration of Shiv Jayanti on the
birth anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji.
• Devout Hindu and used Hindu scriptures to rouse people
to fight oppression.
CONTRIBUTION TO INDIAN STRUGGLE FOR
INDEPENDENCE
• He joined Indian National Congress (INC) in 1890.
(Note- Tilak was released from jail in 1914. But the release of
Tilak was in no way an automatic re-entry of Tilak into the
INC, because of the firm opposition from Pheroze Shah Mehta
and Gopal Krishna Gokhale. But, the death of G.K. Gokhale,
and Pheroze Shah Mehta in 1915, gave a possibility of the
entry of Tilak into the INC. With Annie Besant’s help, Tilak was
able to re-enter the INC.)
• He encouraged people to boycott foreign goods and
propagated swadeshi movements.
• He was one of the most vocal earliest proponents of
swarajya (self-rule) or complete independence.
• Along with Lala Lajpat Rai and Bipin Chandra Pal, he was
part of the Lal-Bal-Pal trio of leaders with extremist
outlooks.
• In April 1916, he started Indian Home Rule Movement , it
is believed to have set the stage for the independence
movement under the leadership of Annie Besant and Bal
Gangadhar Tilak for the educated English speaking upper
class Indians. (It worked in Maharashtra (except Bombay),
the Central Provinces, Karnataka and Berar.)
(Note- Annie Besant started the Home Rule League in
September, 1916 and spread it to other parts of India.)
• In 1916, Lucknow Pact was signed between the INC
headed by Tilak and All-India Muslim League led by
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Muhammad Ali Jinnah for Hindu-Muslim unity in
nationalist struggle.
TILAK’S IDEAS AND CURRENT TIME
• Promotion to mother tongue strengthens democratic
principles .Tilak advocated local languages and the
government is also promoting local languages through the
NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY of 2020. Further, under
Article 350A, it shall be the endeavour of every State and of
every local authority within the State to provide adequate
facilities for instruction in the mother-tongue at the
primary stage of education to children belonging to
linguistic minority groups.
• Present time, Economic Nationalism through initiatives
such as ATMANIRBHAR BHARAT can be related to Tilak’s
ideology of “Swadeshi” (Swadeshi product and Swadeshi
movement).
• He was an opponent of untouchability and launched a
huge movement to unite the society divided on the basis
of caste and sects.
RELATED INFORMATION: ICCR
• The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) was
founded in 1950 by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad,
independent India’s first Education Minister. It is an
autonomous organisation of the Government of India,
• Its objectives
o to actively participate in the formulation and
implementation of policies and programmes pertaining to
India’s external cultural relations;
o to foster and strengthen cultural relations and mutual
understanding between India and other countries;
o to promote cultural exchanges with other countries and
people, and to develop relations with nations.
• The ICCR runs 36 cultural centres across the globe and its
emphasis is on making India a hub of higher education.
• Since 2015, ICCR has been assigned the responsibility of
facilitating the celebration of the International Day of Yoga
by Indian Missions/Posts abroad.
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 History, Heritage & Culture
Art & Culture: Part-II
INDIAN CULTURE PORTAL
• Indian culture portal is the first government authorized
portal where knowledge and cultural resources of
various organizations of Ministry of Culture are now
available in public domain on a single platform.
• This portal hosts documents, images, audio-video files and
other data from archives, museums, academies and
libraries across the nation.
• The larger aim of the Indian Culture portal is to create
awareness among the citizens about the diverse
heritage of our country.
• The portal is more than a repository, it is a proud
culmination of the mélange of Indian cultures that has co-
existed and thrived for more than five thousand years.
• The content available on the portal comprises mainly of
rare books, e-books, manuscripts, artefacts from museum,
virtual galleries, archives, photo archives, gazetteers,
Indian National Bibliography, videos, images, cuisine,
UNESCO, Musical Instruments of India among others.
• One of the unique features of the portal is the stories,
based on original archival documents narrated in an
interesting, easy to read and understand format.
• The portal also contains write-ups and beautiful pictures
on cuisines, festivals, paintings, folk art and classical art
from different states of India.
• The content on the portal is available in English and Hindi
language in an interactive, user-friendly interface.
• As envisioned by the Ministry, the portal also will be
available in other regional languages in future.
HIDDEN CAVES OF
MAHARASHTRA
• The caves include the natural wonders like the Jangubai
Cave Temple and the Kaplai Caves which are known to
the aboriginal people and are their pilgrim centres.
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• The Jangubai Cave Templeis a popular pilgrim centre for
the Raj Gond, Pardhan and Kolam tribes of the former
composite Adilabad district. It is comparatively small in
length.
• The Kaplai Caves which are said to be much longer,
running into a few kilometres.
• Kaplai can be accessed from two routes but both the
routes are unmotorable.
• The pilgrims perform puja and visit the temple of Lord
Shiva located near Kaplai in another green valley.
SATTRIYA DANCE
• Sattriya originated in Sattra, monastery, as a part of neo-
Vaishnavite movement started by Srimanta Sankardev in
the 15th Century.
• He propagated the “ek sharan naama dharma”
(chanting the name of one God devotedly).
• It consists of dhemali, drum playing, known as gayan
bayan, where several men play drums, in various talas and
also use hand gestures.
• Corpus of Sattriya dances thus consist of ankiya bhaona,
dance-dramas in Brajabuli which is understood by
common people.
• Sattriya dance tradition is governed by strictly laid down
principles in respect of hastamudras, footworks, aharyas,
music etc.
• They also consist of Ojapali dances in which the main
singer sings and enacts abhinaya, telling stories and a
group of dancers dance as back up dancers playing small
cymbals.
• The dance was formerly performed by celibate monks
and female roles were also enacted by them.
• A pivotal role has been played by monasteries in
preserving and nurturing Sattriya for more than 500 years.
• Leading an austere and simple life, the monks are
completely devoted to the dance form.
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 History, Heritage & Culture
• There are more than 600 Sattras all over Assam, besides
some major ones on Majuli island. Therefore, the Sattriya
has survived.
ELEPHANTA CAVES
• Elephanta was anciently known as Gharapuri. This island
was the capital of Konkan Mauryas.
• It is celebrated for its colossal image of Mahesamurti
with three heads each representing a different form.
• The island was renamed by Portuguese invaders after a
giant stone sculpture of an elephant, which was removed
from the island and now stands outside the Dr. Bhau Daji
Lad Museum.
• The cave temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, was excavated
sometime in the 8th century by the Rashtrakuta kings,
who ruled the area between A.D. 757-973.
• The Elephanta caves is a conglomeration of seven caves,
out of which the most important is the Mahesa-murti
cave.
• The main body of the cave, excluding the porticos on the
three open sides and the back isle, is 27 metres square
and is supported by rows of six columns each.
• The gigantic figures of 'dvarapalas' or doorkeepers are
very impressive.
• There are sculptured compartments in this cave with
remarkable images of Ardhanarisvara, Kalyana-sundara
Shiva, Ravana lifting Kailasa, Andhakari-Murti (slaying
of Andhaka demon) and Nataraja Shiva.
• There are also ancient Buddhist stupa mounds on the
same island.
• The cave complex has been given the status of world
heritage by UNESCO in 1987.
• The logo of the Maharashtra Tourism Development
Corporation shows a 20 ft high monolith of the three-
headed Trimurti Sadashiva representing the three
aspects of Shiva. This awe-inspiring piece of carving, hewn
out of rocks similar to Ellora in the same State, is the
focal point of the Elephanta Caves.
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BOJJANNAKONDA
• Bojjannakonda is located in Sankaram, Andhra
Pradesh.
• The name Sankaram is derived from the term,
‘Sangharama’. It is famous for the whole lot of votive
stupas, rock-cut caves, brick-built structural edifices,
early historic pottery and Satavahana coins that date
back to the 1st century AD.
• It is here that “Bojjannakonda along with Lingalametta
are situated. They are twin Buddhist monasteries dating
back to the 3rd century BC.
• These sites have seen three forms of Buddhism – the
Theravada period when Lord Buddha was considered a
teacher, the Mahayana, where Buddhism was more
devotional, and Vajrayana, where Buddhist tradition
was more practised as Tantra and esoteric form.
• The main stupa was carved out of rock and then
covered with bricks, where one can see a number of
images of the Buddha sculpted on the rock face all over
the hill.
• At Lingalametta, one can see hundreds of rock-cut
monolithic stupas in rows.
• Tourists visit the Buddhist sites in large numbers to see
the relic casket, the three Chaitya Halls, the votive
platforms, the stupas and the Vajrayana sculpture.
STONE PELTING AND ITS PREVENTION
• The villagers, as a part of the ancient ritual, used to pelt
stones at a belly-shaped object, believing it to be a
part of a demon.
• This ritual is practiced on the Kanuma day during
Sankranti which has been done away with following the
intervention of the Indian National Trust for Art and
Cultural Heritage (INTACH)
• After a sustained campaign, heritage lovers and officials
have been successful in almost stopping the stone-pelting
ritual at Bojjannakonda.
RELATED INFORMATION: SECTS OF BUDDHISM
►Theravada School
• Theravada is also known as Shravakayana or Hinayana.
• They saw Buddha as a great soul but not God.
• They were orthodox in nature.
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• Their followers believed in helping themselves over
others in order to attain salvation.
• They did not believe in Bhakti and idol worship.
• Their scriptures are written in Sanskrit.
• It was later divided into 2 sects i.e. Vaibhashika and
Sautrantika.
►Mahayana School
• It was started by Nagarjuna with its prime center in
Andhra Pradesh.
• Its scriptures are written in Pali.
• They see Buddha as incarnation of God and started his
idol worship.
• Mahayana attaches importance to the role of
Bodhisattvas who delay their own salvation in order to
help others to its path.
• They believed in the concept of transmigration of soul
and rebirth.
• It was later divided into 2 sects i.e. Shunyavaad and
Vigyanvaad.
►Vajrayana School
• In the 8th century A.D Vajrayana School developed as
an offshoot of Mahayana school.
• Vajrayana form also known as Tantric Buddhism
developed in India and neighbouring countries,
notably Tibet.
• Vajrayana, in the history of Buddhism, marks the
transition from Mahayana speculative thought to the
enactment of Buddhist ideas in individual life.
• It is grounded on esoteric elements and very complex
set of rituals compared with the rest of the Buddhist
schools.
KALARIPAYATTU
• It is one of the oldest existing martial arts in the world
which dates back to the 3rd century.
• The disciples start learning the art of payattu (fight) at
the age of seven in kalaries i.e. the gymnasium for
martial exercises. Years of discipline and hard work are
required to train the body, the mind and oneself.
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• The heroic ballads of Kerala are legendary sagas of the
heroes of the payattu.
• Kalaripayattu reached its pinnacle of glory during wars
between the Cholas, Cheras, and Pandyas in the early part
of the first millennium. The warring states refined the
fighting skills and techniques prevalent in the area into a
martial art form.
• The inherent beauty of this art form lies in the harmonious
synergy of art, science and medicine.
• It is an art of the stage, drama, music and action eulogizing
the manhood and the spirit of victory. Kalaripayattu has
strongly influenced the evolution of several of Kerala's
theatre and dance forms, most prominently Kathakali and
Theyyam. Kathakali practitioners are required to train
under Kalari masters to develop various attributes such as
fitness, stamina, and martial movements enacted in their
performances.
BIHU
• Assam celebrates Bihu thrice in a year but Rongali
Bihu is the biggest and most popular.
• It is considered as the Assamese new year.
• Rongali or the Bohag (spring) Bihu starts on the last day
of the Assamese calendar month of Chot, which
normally falls on April 13 or 14 annually.
• On the occasion, youngsters visit their elders and seek
blessings. ‘Bihuwan’ (the traditional Assamese towel
known as Gamocha) is exchanged as a mark of respect.
• Rongali Bihu is a major source of income for singers,
musicians, comedians, actors and everyone else
associated with the entertainment industry in Assam.
REGIONAL HARVEST
FESTIVALS
ABOUT BHOGALI OR MAGH BIHU
• Bhogali bihu or magh bihu in January, is a harvest festival
celebrated in Assam.
• This festival marks the beginning of the planning for the
coming ploughing season, saving and exchanging
seeds.
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 History, Heritage & Culture
• On this day the locals, show gratitude to the field and the
sky for the good year that went by and for the year to
come.
• The rest of the day goes in visiting friends and family, or
taking part in the village games.
ABOUT PONGAL
• It is a harvest festival celebrated in Tamil Nadu in
January.
• The heroes of the big day are farm animals; cows and
bulls, especially as they play a key role in agriculture and
toil in the fields all through the year.
• On Pongal day, they are paid with obeisance.
• The locals worship the sun and offer him the dish made
from the first harvest of the season.
GAMES PLAYED DURING PONGAL
Playing games is an integral part of harvest season
celebrations and certain traditional games are played only
during the festival:-
 Vazhukku Maram (slippery pole)
 Mallar Kambam (a combination of gymnastics and
yoga which involves climbing up a pole, but this is not
a slippery one)
 Kazhumaram (involves climbing of coconut trees)
 Uri adithal (involves players breaking a pot that is
suspended at a certain height, blindfolded)
 Elavatta Kal (demands physical strength and expertise
in equal measure)
KOLAMS
• Kolam is a form of drawing that is drawn by
using rice flour, chalk, chalk powder or rock powder,
often using naturally or synthetically colored powders.
• It is practiced in the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka,
Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and some parts
of Goa, Maharashtra and a few other Asian countries.
• A Kolam is a geometrical line drawing composed of
curved loops, drawn around a grid pattern of dots.
• Kolams are regionally known by different names in
India, Raangolee in Maharashtra, Aripan in Mithila,
Hase and Raongoli in Karnataka, Muggulu in Andhra
Pradesh and Telangana.
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• In Sangam literature, a large body of work, extending
over about six centuries, kolams have remained the
bastion of women.
• Kolaputhagam that came in 1899 mentions about
the panchavarnam, aka five main colors used in kolam:
white, black, red, yellow and green.
• Most kolams today play the role of welcome mats, albeit
with intricate art and centuries of patterns to back them
up.
• Kolams have also been used in mathematical research,
with their hexagons, dotted grids, hidden motifs and
loops.
MOHINIYATTAM
• It is a classical solo dance form.
• Mohini here refers to the celestial enchantress of Hindu
mythology.
• It traces its origin to the temples of Kerala and was
performed only by women.
• References of Mohiniyattam can be found in the
texts Vyavaharamala written in 1709 by
Mazhamagalam Narayanan Namputiri and
in Ghoshayatra, written later by great poet Kunjan
Nambiar.
• This dance form was structured into its present-day
classical format by the Travancore Kings, Maharaja
Tirunal and Maharaja Swati Tirunal (18th – 19th
century).
• The early specimens of this dance include Nangiars
(women of Nambiar community) and Dasiyattam.
• Mahakavi Vallatol a poet laureate of Kerala succeeded
in giving this art form a distinct classical solo style. He
established Kerela Kalamandalam (1930), a pioneer
institute for training in art forms.
• Movement technique includes feminine movements, hand
gestures and soft footwork.
BHAONA, ASSAM
• Bhaona is a mythology-based theatrical performance,
and monastic dances that evolved into the classical
Sattriya.
• Bhaona is a presentation of the Ankia Naat of Assam.
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 History, Heritage & Culture
• In Bhaona, cultural glimpses of Assam, Bengal Orissa,
Mathura and Brindavan can be seen.
• A Bhaona, involving dialogues, songs and dances by
performers in costumes and ornaments, usually involves
40-50 people, including those playing heavy drums and
cymbals.
• This form of theatre began almost 500 years ago by the
saint-reformer Srimanta Sankardeva who experimented
with the literary language of Brajavali.
 RELATED INFORMATION: SHANKARADEVA
• Shankaradeva was a Bhakti saint in Assam during the
late fifteenth century.
• He emphasised devotion to Vishnu.
• He composed poems and plays in Assamese.
• He began the practice of setting up namghars or houses
of recitation and prayer, a practice that continues to
date.
• Entertainment played a major role in the neo-Vaishnavite
movement that Sankardeva started in Assam.
• He wrote his prose in Sanskrit but used Assamese and
Brajavali to develop Borgeet, a new form of spiritual
music, and Bhaona.
• Linguistic researchers say Sankardeva needed to connect
with his Assamese masses, who did not expect the divine
characters of his plays to speak in the common man’s
language.
• So, he created the Brajavali, a literary language limited to
theatrical usage.
GOGONA INSTRUMENT
• Gogona is made of bamboo and it resembles the Jaw
harp.
• It is played during Bihu performances, and is also used by
the Mongoloid and Kirat tribes in their folk music.
• Gogona is a vibrating reed instrument made of a single
piece of seasoned bamboo or horn that has a bifurcation
on one end. It requires great skill to make the Gogona.
• According to the size, Gogona is known by different names
such as Lahori Gogona, Ramdhan Gogona, and Xaliki
Gogona.
• The Ramdhan and Lahori Gogona are used more
commonly.
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• The former is played by men and is short, broad and a bit
heavy. It is usually tucked into the tongali that is tied
around the waist or inserted into the gamocha tied around
the head.
• The Lahori Gogona is performed by women. It is
slenderer and long.
• While performing Bihu dance, women tuck this instrument
into their knotted hair.
UNESCO CREATIVE CITIES
NETWORK (UCCN)
UCCN TAG
• UNESCO has designated Hyderabad as a member of
UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) in the field of
GASTRONOMY.
• UNESCO has also designated Mumbai as a member of
UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) in the field of
FILM.
• Previously, 3 Indian cities were recognized as members of
UCCN, namely- Jaipur-Crafts and Folk Arts(2015),
Varanasi-Creative city of Music (2015), Chennai-
Creative city of Music(2017).
RELATED INFORMATION: UCCN
• UCCN, created in 2004, is a network of cities which are
thriving, active centres of cultural activities in their
respective countries.
• The UNESCO Creative Cities Network now counts a total of
246 cities.
• The member cities that form part of the Network come
from all continents and regions with different income
levels and populations.
• They work together towards a common mission: placing
creativity and the creative economy at the core of their
urban development plans to make cities safe, resilient,
inclusive and sustainable, in line with the United Nations
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
• The 7 categories for recognition under UCCN are:- Crafts
and Folk Arts; Design; Film; Gastronomy; Music; Media
Arts; Literature.
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 History, Heritage & Culture
DHRUPAD
ABOUT DHRUPAD
• Dhruapd is a form of Nibaddha Sangeet and a part of
the Hindustani Classical Music.
• It might have had an impetus for popularity even by the
14th century however, it finds a blossoming period from
15th century onwards to about the 18th century.
• There was Man Singh Tomar, the Maharaja of Gwalior.
It was he who was mainly responsible for the enormous
vogue of dhrupad.
• There were Baiju, Bakshu and others.
• Swami Haridasa a hermit of Brindavan was not only
a dhrupadiya, but one of the most central figures in the
Bhakti cult in the Northern areas of India. By tradition, he
was the guru of Tansen, one of the best known dhrupad
singers and one of the nine jewels of Emperor Akbar's
court.
• There were four schools or vanis of singing the
dhrupad.
1. The Gauhar vani developed the raga or unadorned
melodic figures.
2. The Dagarvani emphasized melodic curves and graces.
3. The Khandar vani specialised in quick ornamentation of
the notes.
4. Nauhar vani was known for its broad musical leaps and
jumps. These vanis 'are now indistinguishable.
• The dhrupad is even now highly respected and can be
heard on the concert platform but more often in temples
of North India.
• The dhrupad however, has somewhat receded to the
background and is not so popular with the masses.
• The Been and Pakhawaj which were closely associated
with the dhrupad also do not find much patronage these
days.
GURU NANAK AND BIDAR
• Bidar, a town in northeastern Karnataka, holds a special
place in the history of the Sikh faith as it is connected to
the life of Guru Nanak and a few other religious figures.
• Bidar town marked the 550th anniversary of Guru Nanak
with special fervour, under the aegis of the Gurudwara
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Prabhandak Committee and the Guru Nanak
Foundation.
• Guru Nanak is believed to have visited Bidar during the
‘dakshinapatha’ or his southern sojourn.
• Legend has it that he stopped in the hilly town of Bidar
while returning from Sri Lanka in 1512.
• The people of the parched land asked him for water and
he moved a stone with his toe and an eternal spring came
alive there.
• The spring (jhira) that bears his name still exists in the
town near Gurudwara Guru Nanak Jhira Sahib.
ABOUT GURU NANAK DEV
• Guru Nanak, was born in the village of Talwandi (now
called Nankana) in 1469.
• He died at Kartarpurin in 1538.
• He founded the Sikh faith, introducing the concept of one
God.
• Like Kabir, Nanak also preached a casteless, universal, anti-
ritualistic, monotheistic and highly spiritual religion.
• He started the institution of Guru Ka Langar. Langar in
the Sikh religion refers to the common kitchen where food
is served to everyone without any discrimination.
• He emphasized the equality of women, rejected the path
of renunciation and he rejected the authority of the Vedas.
• His approach aimed at bridging distinctions between the
Hindus and the Muslims.
• Janam-Sakhis are hagiographic narratives of his life.
• He was the contemporary of Mughal emperor - Babur.
URDU LANGUAGE
HISTORY OF URDU IN INDIA
• Urdu as a language was born out of the interaction
between Hindi and Persian. After the conquest of Delhi
(1192), the Turkish people settled in this region. Urdu was
born out of the interaction of these settlers and soldiers in
the barracks with the common people.
• Originally, it was a dialect but slowly it acquired all the
features of a formal language when the authors started
using Persian script.
• Role of Amir Khusrau: It has put forward that Urdu was
born, nurtured and cultured in India during the first two
decades of the 13th century by Amir Khusrau (1253-1325),
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 History, Heritage & Culture

who was earliest Urdu poet. He started writing as a poet
in the reign of Sultan Balban and was a follower of
Nizam ud-din Auliya. He is said to have composed ninty-
nine works on separate themes and numerous verses
of poetry. Among the important works composed by him
are Laila Majnun and Ayina-I-Sikandari dedicated to
Alau-din-Khalji.
• Urdu was further given an impetus by its use in Bahamani
states of Ahmadnagar, Golkunda, Bijapur and Berar. Here
it was even called dakshini or daccani (southern). As
time passed, it became popular with the masses of Delhi.
• Urdu became more popular in the early eighteenth
century. People even wrote accounts of later Mughals in
Urdu. Gradually it achieved a status where literature-both
poetry and prose-started being composed in it. Among
other well-known poets are Ghalib, Zauq, and Iqbal.
• Among the best prose writers were people like Pandit
Ratan Nath Sarshar, who wrote the famous Fasanah- i-
Azad.
• Even in the early days, Munshi Prem Chand, who is
supposed to be a doyen of Hindi literature, wrote in Urdu.
• Not only this, even Punjabi language was put on the path
of development by Baba Farid Ganj Shakar.

practice questions
MCQs
Q1. Which of the following statements is/are correct 3. Tilak advocated local languages.
about Zardozi? Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
1. It involves weaving metallic threads on fabric to create (a) 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only
intricate patterns. (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1,2 and 3
2. It was also patronised by the Mughals.
Select the correct answer using the code given below: Q4. Saint Tyagaraj, is related to which of the following
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only fields:-
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 (a) Hindustani Music (b) Carnatic Music.
(c) Kathak (d) Kathakali
Q2. The “wagon tragedy” is related to which of the
following? Q5. Consider the following statements regarding Kalinga
(a) Tebhaga Movement (b) Moplah Rebellion Architecture:
(c) Wahabi Movement (d) Deccan Riots 1. In this, a temple is made in two parts, a tower and a hall .
2. The tower is called Jagmohan and the hall is called deula.
Q3. Consider the following statements regarding Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Balgangadhar Tilak: (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
1. He founded the Deccan Education Society in 1884. (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
2. He started Indian Home Rule Movement in April 1916.

Answers to above MCQs: 1 (c), 2 (b), 3 (d), 4(b), 5(a)

FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS 127

 SECURITY
# GS Paper III (Main)

Lead Article
QUAD
USA
• US have emerged as India’s biggest defence partner in
# Security #India and the World terms of joint exercises and sale of defence equipment.

• Today, the US and India enjoy a Comprehensive Global

IN NEWS
In recent years, India has developed close strategic
partnerships with the United States of America (USA), Japan
and Australia in the framework of the Quadrilateral Security
Dialogue, or the QUAD. It is instructive to review how the QUAD
partners stand on issues concerning India’s sovereignty and
territorial integrity. This is of particular significance at a time
when India is facing an aggressive China on its borders which
has led to a military face-off.
QUAD
• The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue is an informal
strategic forum between the United States, Japan,
Australia and India that is maintained by semi-regular
summits, information exchanges and military
between member countries.
• The forum was initiated as a dialogue in 2007 by Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, with the support of Vice
President of the US, Prime Minister of Australia and Prime
Minister of India.
• The dialogue was paralleled by joint military exercises,
titled Exercise Malabar. The diplomatic and military
arrangement was widely viewed as a response to
increased Chinese economic and military power, and the
Chinese government responded to the Quad by issuing
formal diplomatic protests to its members.
Strategic Partnership with wide-ranging cooperation in
every conceivable field. India-US defence ties are deep and
expanding, with several key agreements for the exchange
of military information, logistics support and
communication.
• The recently concluded Industrial Security Annex (ISA) is
expected to spur cooperation for Make in India in the
defence sector.
AUSTRALIA
• India and Australia have also drawn increasingly closer in
recent years. Economic and strategic ties have been
strengthened as reflected in the outcome documents of
the virtual summit between Prime Ministers of both the
countries.
• Defence and security ties are a cornerstone of the
Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP).
drills
• Joint naval exercises such as AUSINDEX and KAKADU, the
Indian Air Force’s (IAF) participation in Australia’s Pitch
Black exercise, and the conclusion of a Mutual Logistics
Support Agreement (MLSA) in particular, will contribute
to the strengthening of defence cooperation.
• The Joint Declaration on a Shared Vision for Maritime
Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific will provide a fillip to
Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) activity involving
submarines and P8 maritime patrol aircraft of the two
countries.
• The ‘two plus two’ dialogue, upgraded to the ministerial
level, augurs well for the future of ties.

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 Security
• On the border tensions with China, the Australian
government has conveyed its condolences to the families
of Indian soldiers who lost their lives in the clash at
Galwan.
JAPAN
• Japan is today unquestionably one of India’s closest friends
with a robust Special Strategic and Global Partnership that
encompasses economic and defence cooperation.
• One of India’s biggest investors, Japan is present in
virtually every large infrastructure and developmental
project in India.
• It is a permanent partner since 2015 in the tri-lateral
Malabar naval exercise, along with India and the US. A
military logistics agreement, known as the Acquisition
and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA), is under
discussion.
In short, the US, Japan and Australia are today among India’s
closest friends and partners, with growing economic
cooperation and deepening defence and security ties.
 RELATED OPINION FOR REFERENCE
A new dimension: On Quad
In what will be seen as a significant shift of the government’s
posture towards the India-U.S.-Australia-Japan Quadrilateral
(Quad), Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat
stated that India believes the Quad would be a “good
mechanism” to “ensure Freedom of Navigation Operations”
(FONOPs) in the Indian Ocean and surrounding oceans
including the Indo-Pacific.
The suggestion is that India is now prepared to join Quad
military patrols, which marks a departure from its earlier
reticence and public statements by the leadership. The Indian
Navy has not taken part in any joint patrols outside of the
Indian Ocean, and even within it, held its first one, with
France, only recently.
In terms of the engagement with the Quad, India has not yet
formally announced a decision to include Australia in the
annual Malabar exercises with the U.S. and Japan, although it
is expected to do so. However, the move from conducting
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
exercises together to joint operations would take time,
something that makes the CDS’s assertion significant.
It is easy to surmise that his contention that the Quad
operations are needed to ensure there is no “fear of any
other nation singularly trying to dominate the oceans”, is a
veiled reference to China. It is also clear that the LAC tensions
and clashes, as well as the PLA’s refusal to implement border
agreements, have convinced New Delhi that new strategies
will be required to deal with China. While India continues to
engage China diplomatically, there is no doubt that an
outcome of the tensions will be a strengthening of India’s ties
with global powers such as the U.S., as well as formations like
the Quad.
An indication of this is the government’s plans to host a
ministerial-level meeting of the Quad. While India considers
its options, it is necessary to remember some of the reasons
for its reticence in terms of militarising the Quad in any way.
Prime Minister said in 2018 that India sees the Indo-Pacific as
a “geographical concept”, not a “strategy or a club of limited
members”, and it would be important to know whether that
formulation has changed. India is the only Quad member not
already tied in a treaty alliance with the others, and External
Affairs Minister’s statement that India would never be part of
any “alliance system” would run counter to what the CDS
suggests. Finally, India is the only country in the Quad that
shares a land boundary with China, and it is unclear how the
militarisation of the Quad in Indo-Pacific waters would
alleviate the territorial threat it faces. If, however, New Delhi’s
view of its Quad engagement has shifted, clarity and an
expansion of CDS statement are essential.
 RELATED OPINION FOR REFERENCE
How China Strengthens the
Quad
The Quad has regained strength in the face of an aggressive
China. The foreign ministers of the four countries – Australia,
India, Japan, and the United States – are scheduled to meet in
Delhi for a face-to-face meeting in late September. That New
Delhi is playing host to the Quad ministerial meeting amid
the COVOD-19 pandemic is particularly noteworthy. The
countries are reacting to increased bullying by China.
129

The grouping has gained greater traction since early 2020
because of China’s role in the COVID-19 pandemic and the
manner in which it has attempted to hijack multilateral
institutions, such as the World Health Organization (WHO)
and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
The four countries are also concerned about global supply
chain problems, recognizing the vulnerability of their
dependence on China. The upcoming in-person foreign
ministers meeting appears, at the least, aimed at sending a
strong message to China about the resoluteness of the Quad.
That said, the Quad does face some minor headwinds, which
are likely to be easily overcome, due to political changes in
both Japan and the United States.
Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo’s sudden resignation was
a blow to the Quad because Abe was one of the major
proponents of this initiative, even if his departure does not
shift Japan’s policy. Under Abe’s leadership, Japan had
become a driving force for the Quad. His strategic vision and
determined leadership in the face of China’s belligerent
behavior will be missed by Japan’s Quad partners. Although
Abe was not successful in changing Japan’s
constitution, he has been instrumental in bringing important
changes to Tokyo’s approach to regional and global security.
For India, Abe was a reliable pillar of support. The big push
for Japan to build closer relations with India happened in
2004-05 because of anti-Japan protests taking place in China,
leading Tokyo to reduce the risks to its investments by
moving to other countries. Thus, although India-Japan ties
had been gaining momentum even before Abe came into
office, but recently it gained momentum. It
strengthened military and security ties, including military
exercises across all the branches of the military, and a civil
nuclear agreement. With Abe leaving office, it remains to be
seen how bilateral India-Japan relations as well as Japan’s
broader strategic engagement in the Indo-Pacific will play out
with a new leader in office.
Second, the coming presidential elections in the United States
in November also raises some concerns about a possible
change in leadership. While Joe Biden and the Democrats are
not against the Quad or the free and open Indo-Pacific
strategy, a change in the political powers that be could
introduce short-term policy turbulence. It will take a few
months for a new administration to settle into office before
addressing some of the political and strategic issues in the
Indo-Pacific region. That said, China’s aggressive behavior will
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
Security
invariably draw any administration’s attention. A Biden
administration may differ from the Trump administration
more in terms of style and rhetoric than actual policy when it
comes to China. Indeed, the two parties are competing over
who is harsher on China.
Set against these small challenges is China’s behavior, which
serves to promote the Quad. India and Australia, the other
two Quad parties, have recently faces even greater
aggression from Beijing.
Since early May, China has crossed into Indian territory and
engaged in violent clashes, including the one at Galwan in
June that resulting in the deaths of 20 Indians and an
unknown number of Chinese troops. Since then, there have
been several military and diplomatic discussions between
India and China, but with no progress. China claimed that
India violated the consensus and crossed the Line of Actual
Control (LAC). In India, both the foreign ministry and army put
out statements blaming China. The expectation appears to be
that the border confrontation will escalate further. India, for
good measure, has also banned another 118 Chinese apps.
pacifist Similarly, Australia has been under strident Chinese attack
almost from the beginning of 2020. China has been using
coercive trade practices to target Australia for asking for an
independent investigation into the origin of the novel
coronavirus. In the latest move, China targeted Australian
barley in response to Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s
announcement of a new Australian legislation that would
“tear up” the Belt and Road Initiative agreements with the
state of Victoria that run into billions of dollars. A few days
led to earlier, China targeted Australian beef exports. Prior to this, it
was the Australian wine that was banned by China. But Jeffrey
Wilson of the Perth US Asia Centre says it is not that the
Chinese government cares about wine, beef, or barley, but
“the real game is to create societal splits that pressure the
Government to change foreign policy toward China.”
China’s crude attempts to put pressure on other countries
have met with increasingly stiff resistance, of which the Quad
is a clear manifestation. In India, there have even been
suggestions for the Quad to assume a military role. Thus,
whatever minor headwinds the Quad faces are likely to be
easily overcome by the rapidly changing attitudes in the
region because of China’s unrelenting pressure on others.
130
 Security
ARMS IMPORT BAN
# Equipment
IN NEWS
Prime Minister’s call for an Atma Nirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant
India), and subsequent defence-specific reforms announced,
the Ministry of Defence (MoD) released a negative list of 101
defence items which are banned for import.
THE NEGATIVE LIST AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE
• Among all the listed weapons and platforms, 69 items are
banned for import from December 2020, 11 from
December 2021, four from December 2020, eight each
from 2023 and 2024, and one (long range land attack
cruise missile) from December 2025.
• The staggering timelines seem to be driven by the current
developmental status of various projects being undertaken
by the Defence Research and Development Organisation
(DRDO), Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs),
Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and the private sector at
large.
• With the negative list in place, the MoD estimates that
orders worth Rs four lakh crore (US$ 53 billion) will be
placed on the domestic industry in the next five to seven
years.
• The importance of the list is three-fold.
o One, the list recognises the ability of the Indian industry,
which is otherwise known for inefficiency and poor
innovation, to design and produce a vast range of complex
weapon systems.
o Second, the listed items provide order visibility to the
Indian industry in so far as the forthcoming requirements
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
of the Indian armed forces are concerned. The industry
can use the information in the negative list for advance
planning and eventual manufacturing in India if they
choose to do so.
o Third and perhaps the most important, the list has been
prepared by the newly created Department of Military
Affairs (DMA), headed by the Chief of Defence Staff
(CDS), and not by the Department of Defence Production
(DDP), which is in charge of the Indian defence industry
and responsible for indigenisation.
ROLE OF FOREIGN COMPANIES
With the negative list in place, the Indian industry is clearly
the biggest winner as all the identified projects are to be
executed within India. This does not, however, mean that the
foreign companies will not have any role in the identified
projects. The foreign companies could have a direct and
major role if the government decides to float tenders to
subsidiaries of foreign defence companies operating in India.
With the Government enhancing the defence foreign direct
investment (FDI) cap from 49 per cent to 76 per cent under
the automatic route, the foreign vendors through their
subsidiaries would like to be treated just like any other Indian
company and demand a fair chance to participate in the
tendering process for certain embargoed items. If this is
permitted, it would put the Indian companies in tough
competition with foreign subsidiaries and may drive a better
price for the armed forces.
In short, the negative list is one more step taken by the
Government to create a strong domestic arms industry and
make India self-reliant in arms production. All eyes would
now be on the MoD, particularly the DMA, as to how the
projects are implemented.
131
 Part TWO

Ethics, Integrity
& Aptitude
Coverage from varied sources
 Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude

VICTORY OVER SELF

#Ethics #Integrity #Aptitude

“The first and greatest victory is to conquer self.” – Plato

In continuation and connection with the front editorial

on Self-Discipline, this section on Ethics has combined
some daily practices, modes of inculcating self-discipline
for bringing ethical behavioural changes in one’s
personality, approach, attitude and aptitude. Along with
this, the purpose is to show that the intent of UPSC is to
check general personality traits of a person, where
common daily habits can help in answering many
questions in the examination. For this, given below are • It is the ability to control one's impulses, emotions, desires
some of the UPSC Topics asked in Essay papers followed and behaviour. It is being able to turn down immediate
by LIFE LESSONS which young aspirants like you should
pleasure and instant gratification in favour of gaining the
inculcate.
long-term satisfaction and fulfilment from achieving
PAST UPSC ESSAYS TOPICS: higher and more meaningful goals.
1. Courage to accept and dedication to improve are two keys
• To possess self-discipline is to be able to make the
to success.(2019)
decisions, take the actions, and execute your game plan
2. Quick but steady wins the race. (2015)
regardless of the obstacles, discomfort, or difficulties, that
3. Be the change you want to see in others. (2013)
may come your way.
4. Discipline means success, anarchy means ruin. (2008)
5. Attitude makes, habit makes character and character • Certainly, being disciplined does not mean living a limiting
makes a man. (2007)
or a restrictive lifestyle. Nor, does not mean giving up
WHAT IS SELF-DISCIPLINE? everything you enjoy, or, to relinquish fun and relaxation.

It does mean learning how to focus your mind and

energies on your goals and persevere until they are

accomplished. It also means cultivating a mindset

whereby you are ruled by your deliberate choices rather

than by your emotions, bad habits, or the sway of others.

Self-discipline allows you to reach your goals in a

reasonable time frame and to live a more orderly and

satisfying life.

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 Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude

WHY SELF DISCIPLINE IS IMPORTANT FOR SUCCESS? your self-esteem and work ethic at the same time. When
you discipline yourself, you are actually improving your
1. Self-discipline creates a habit.
work ethic by sticking to it.

• It will help you to achieve your objectives.

• However, when you complete your objectives every day,

you will start to boost your self-esteem and confidence
in your work. This is the reason self-discipline is
important for success.

5. It helps you to achieve mastery

• Success comes to those who are masters not beginners.

If you want success, you need to be master at
something. You become master by putting the work and
• Habits can make you or break you. Self-discipline creates spending adequate time on one thing.
a habit in your life that builds up only through discipline.
• Mastery comes with discipline. Most people fail because
• Most people never remain disciplined in their lives they don’t master anything. Self-discipline will bring out
because they are lazy. However, laziness is form of habit mastery and mastery will bring out success.
as well.
6. It helps you to become best version of yourself.
• Successful people discipline themselves to work and stay
• Success comes only when you deserve it. You cannot
consistent to it. And it becomes a habit. This is what
become successful with the personality you currently
attracts success in their lives.
have. So, you need improvements every single day.
2. It helps you get things done.
• You need become best version of yourself to become
• Self-discipline is important to get things done. It can be successful in life. Self-discipline helps you to improve
anything, either you commit to read books or complete a yourself daily. When you do something consistently, you
task in a timeline. become better and better everyday.

• When you discipline yourself to finish every single thing

and you form a personality around it.
HOW TO NURTURE SELF-DISCIPLINE TO BECOME BEST
• This habit makes you an achiever in your life. VERSION OF YOURSELF?
3. It helps you to focus
-----------------------------------------------------------
• We live in a world full of distractions. Self-discipline
 THE BEGINNING
helps you to focus on your goals. It helps you stick to the
work you want to get it done in order to achieve success. Discover yourself

When you are focused on your goal, you will complete • The greatest purpose of life is to live a life of purpose.
every single thing that needs to be done. • For this, you need to discover your calling because life
• Successful people have laser sharp focus. They are should not be lived on a default mode but in a properly
always looking forward towards their goals and planned manner.
achievements in life. This helps them achieve great level • Life has a habit of acting on you as it overpowers a
of success in their lives. person, and as a result, days become weeks, weeks

4. It boosts your self-esteem and work ethics become months, and months slip into years. This
scenario leaves behind a regret over a life half-lived.
• Success comes to those who believe in themselves and
who works relentlessly. Self-discipline helps you to boost

FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS 134

 Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude
• So after a life half-lived, a question naturally
emerges….”What would you do if you could live your life
over again?” Naturally, you will not like to repeat similar
mistakes.
Maintain your focus
• Is it difficult to maintain focus? Are you overpowered by
your thoughts, inertia and problems?
• Try to question yourself now….”Are the problems you
have experienced or the challenges you might currently
be facing really as serious as you have made them out to
be?”
• Our lives are just a blip in the realm of time so have your
focus and develop wisdom to enjoy the journey and
savour the process.
Develop self-discipline
• The golden thread of a highly successful and meaningful
life is self-discipline.
• A good sportsperson is highly self-disciplined so as to
improve on daily process.
• For a student, self-discipline is to learn new things on
daily basis, and the cumulative effect of daily sustained
learning will naturally be seen in the examination.
• Self-discipline basically requires toughness with oneself
so as to overcome deviations and desires.
• This tough love with yourself is actually the greatest gift
to yourself because it is due to self-discipline only that
you can make your life meaningful and rewarding.
Have a positive start
• A positive start to a day is half the work done.
• Silent contemplation is required for atleast 15 minutes
on how the day is going to be unfolded for reaping
positive dividends.
• For next 15 minutes, read and focus on a positive story,
or a piece of literature so that early morning infuses and
enlightens every remaining hour of the day.
• So start your day well and this is the beginning of right
self-discipline.
 ART OF PERSONAL PROGRESS
Develop an honesty policy
• It develops by keeping small promises intact.
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
• We tend to promise a lot in a daily conversations
whether with others or with ourselves.
• The most common promise that we break is ‘New Year
Resolution’, and similarly we break many on daily basis
for eg. promising somebody to meet or call but we fail to
abide. All these reflect basic dishonesty and it tends to
increase regularly.
• To become honest, start respecting and abiding with
promises and this is the start of an ethical honest life.
• Be a person of your word rather than being “all talk and
no action”.
Regularly talk to yourself
• The mantra is selecting a phrase that will train you to
focus your mind. For e.g.
 For inner peace and calm…”I am so grateful that I am a
serene and tranquil person”;
 For confidence…..”I am delighted that I am full of
confidence and endless courage”;
 For material prosperity…..”I am so grateful that money
and opportunity is flowing into my life”.
• Repeat your mantras softly like chants so as to calm
your nerves.
• According to Hazarat Inayat Khan (Sufi saint)…”The
words that enlighten the soul are more precious than
jewels.”
Power of inner silence
• When was the last time you made the time to be silent
and still?
• When was the last time you carved out a chunk of time
to enjoy the power of solitude to restore, refocus and
revitalise your mind and body?
• Power of silence:
 Power of silence helps us in reconnecting better with
who you really are as a person and to come to know the
glory that rests within you.
 The power of silence also helps us in becoming better
listener. Better listening helps us in thinking better,
planning better and actualising better.
List your problems
• According to a saying, “A problem well stated is a
problem half solved”.
135
 Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude
• To let go the mental blockade that your problems tends
to generate, list all your worries on a piece of paper.
• If you do so then this simple exercise will help you to put
your problems into perspective and tackle them in an
orderly, well-planned sequence. They will no longer
clutter and drain your energy.
Conquer your worries
• People are spending the best years of their lives stuck in
a state of constant worry, whether about jobs,
payments, kids, future etc.
• Constant worrying makes people clueless and helpless,
and also affects overall productivity and raise health
concerns.
• One of the simple habits to conquer worry is to schedule
“worry breaks”. For e.g. Half an hour on daily basis, you
may sit alone, think, analyse and search for solutions
rather than letting your worries overtake you and
intrude your daily hours.
Believe in actions
• All too often, we spend our days waiting for the ideal
path to appear in front of us. We forget the paths are
made by walking, not waiting.
• Similarly, knowledge is not power. It is actually only a
potential power. It transforms into actual power the
moment you decisively act on it.
• According to Thomas Carlyle (philosopher), “ The end of
a man is an action and not a thought, though it were the
noblest”. The smallest of actions is always better than
the boldest of intentions.
 NECTOR OF SUCCESS
Enjoy the journey
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
• Enjoy the path, Not just the reward.
• Thinking just about the reward and blind pursuit of
goals, kill seamless/smooth transition to success and
converts the path into a punishment rather than being
an enriching journey.
• You fail to recognise various growth charts that have
already built up while relishing the journey towards
desired goals.
• Actually, this movement on the path has improved the
person you are. You have built self-discipline, discovered
new things about your abilities and manifested more of
your human potential.
• These are reward in and of themselves.
Master your time
• Each one of us gets 24 hours in a day so time is life’s
greatest leveller.
• What separates the people who create great lives from
the also-rans is how they use these hours.
• Most of us live as we have got infinite time at our
disposal and this leads to us to procrastinate and put the
achievements of our dreams on hold. This is certainly a
beacon for a life of regret.
• Instead of this, commit yourself in managing your time
more effectively. Develop a keen sense of awareness
about how important your time really is.
Prepare and carry a goal card
• In your daily activity add a thing…..i.e. carry a goal card
in your wallet/purse or pocket so that you can review it
in quieter moments in a day.
• The card simply lists top life goals with clear deadlines
for achieving them.
• It inculcates discipline of reconnecting to your highest
priorities, whether personal or professional, and this is a
smart move.
• If one sticks to it then it is certain that your life’s journey
will end in complete joy.
Taking one day at a time
• A great life is nothing more than a series a great, well-
lived days strung together like a beautiful necklace.
136
 Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude
Every day counts and contributes to the quality of end
result.
• The past is gone, the future is but a figment, so this day
is really all you can own. Invest it wisely.
• Today vow to increase your passion for living and
multiply your commitment you will bring to each of the
days that will follow this one.
 WAY FORWARD
Discover your genius
• Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.
• Hard and smart work is essential for a life of fulfilment,
but being filled with a deep sense of inspiration and
commitment to making a difference in the world is an
even more important attribute.
• All of the great geniuses of the world were inspired and
driven by their desire to enrich the lives of others.
• So with a healthy dose of inspiration, you can raise your
life to a whole new plane of living and unleash your
inner genius for your sake and for the sake of others.
Become your life CEO
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
• We should not be fatalist as we are the drivers of our
life. “ If it is going to be, it’s up to me” is a wonderful
mantra.
• If we don’t act on our life and take actions then it will act
on its own and give us results which we might not want.
• To become more active, begin to see yourself as Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of your destiny and life.
• Seeing yourself as CEO of your life can create a
fundamental shift in the way you perceive the world.
• Thus try to become a captain of your ship instead of just
sailing through your life as a passenger.
 INSPIRING QUOTES
“A disciplined mind leads to happiness, and an
undisciplined mind leads to suffering.” – Dalai Lama
“The price of excellence is discipline. The cost of mediocrity
is disappointment.” – William Arthur Ward
“Success doesn’t just happen. You have to be intentional
about it, and that takes discipline.” – John C. Maxwell
“Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines,
practiced every day.” – Jim Rohn
“All successes begin with self-discipline. It starts with you.”
– Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
137
 Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude

CASE STUDIES for Practice

MAINS GS PAPER IV
temporary respite and take adequate step to bring her
Case 1: Suppose you are an officer in-charge of
under the fold of beneficiary of the scheme.
implementing a social service scheme to provide support to
old and destitute women. An old and illiterate woman comes This will ensure consonance between organisational and
to you to avail the benefits of the scheme. However, she has personal values.
no documents to show that she fulfils the eligibility criteria.
 Objectivity is considered as cardinal value of civil servant.
But after meeting her and listening to her you feel that she
This helps in equal and impartial treatment of all. This
certainly needs support. Your enquiries also show that she is
helps in not allowing any sense of relative deprivation to
really destitute and living in a pitiable condition. You are in a
creep in. This is why following the rule can help in
dilemma as to what to do. Putting her under the scheme
resolving ethical dilemma.
without documents would clearly be violation of rules. But
denying her the support would be cruel and inhuman. Further the problem of exclusion has to be dealt with
holistically. The issue of documentation has to be resolved
Q. Can you think of a rational way to resolve this dilemma?
for all of the likes of the old lady. For this systemic change
Give your reasons for it. (250 words)
is required. Discretionary approval of individual for the
This case presents the difficulty in implementing socially scheme will create more problems of error, nepotism and
important schemes without any exclusion. Following are corruption.
other important issues and values involved:

1. Objectivity in public service.

Case 2: You are a young, aspiring and sincere employee in a
2. Rule of law and work culture. Government office working as an assistant, to the director of
3. Empathy and compassion for poor and destitute. your deportment. Since you’ve joined recently, you need to
learn and progress. Luckily your superior is very kind and
4. Right of genuine beneficiaries to avail social service
ready to train you for your job. He is a very intelligent and
schemes.
well-informed person having knowledge of various
5. Effectiveness and inclusiveness of government schemes. departments. In short, you respect your boss and are looking
forward to learn a lot from him.
6. Organisational and personal value conflict.
Since you’ve good tuning with the boss, he started depending
 The dilemma is to maintain rule of law and organisational
on you. One day due to ill health he invited you at his place
value and work culture without compromising on the
for finishing some urgent work. You reached his house and
personal value of empathy and compassion for the poor
you heard shouting noises before you could ring the bell. You
and destitute. To resolve the dilemma I will follow the rule
waited for a while. After entering, boss greeted you and
for the scheme. As per the rule old lady is not eligible for
explained the work. But you were constantly disturbed by the
the scheme. Rules are made with proper reasoning and
crying of a woman. At last, you inquired with the boss but his
for greater good of society. It provides legitimacy and
answer did not satisfy you. Next day, you were compelled to
credibility of government bodies. Understanding this will
inquire further in the office and found out that his behaviour
help me resolve my dilemma.
is very bad at home with his wife. He also beat up his wife.
However on personal level I will also try to preserve my
His wife is not well educated and is a simple woman in
own values to avoid any crisis of conscience and inner
comparison to her husband. You see that though your boss is
dissonance. I will help the old lady with some money for
a nice person in the office, he is engaged in domestic violence

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 Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude

at home. In such a situation, you are left with the following risk my relation with my boss without surety of justice for his
options. Analyse each option with its consequences. wife.

A. Just ignore thinking about it because it is their personal
matter.
B. Report the case to the appropriate authority.
C. Your own innovative approach towards the situation.
In this case there is lack of integrity in the superior as his
attitude and behaviour in public life and private life is
different. Following are other issues and values involved in
the case:
1. Good work culture at work place.
2. Right of a women to be treated with dignity and respect.
3. Empathy and compassion for vulnerable women.
c) Your own innovative approach towards the situation.
Lasting effect can come when change from within is brought
in my boss while maintaining his dignity. This will ensure
healthy and sustainable relationship between him and his
wife. I will try following innovative approaches:
1. I will narrate him some moral stories, informally, at work
place, to bring attitudinal change in him.
2. I will invite him for some movie with persuasion power
towards respecting women and changing attitude towards
them.
3. I will invite him at my own home with his wife and show
how well I treat my wife. This may move his conscience

4. Courage to bring justice against domestic violence. and he is a good person at work place.

5. Balancing personal interest at office with moral 4. I will try to find some strength and qualities in his wife

responsibility of checking Boss’s behaviour at home. which will make my boss more appreciative of her.

a) Just ignore thinking about it because it is their 5. I will present some data of domestic violence in our

personal matter. country and how it is holding back socio-economic

development of our country. My boss is person with good
Ignoring the matter will avoid putting my boss in an aptitude, hopefully he will understand.
embarrassing situation in front of me and others. It will also
not affect my relation with him and not create any hurdle for
me at work place. It will help maintain the prevailing good
work culture at office.

However, I will be held guilty in my own court of conscience. I

lose my integrity as I will not act as per my values of empathy
and compassion. Sense of guilt may arise in me leading to
inner dissonance and crisis of conscience. Also justice to my
boss’s wife will not be done. My boss behaviour will remain
the same. My value of courage will be compromised and this
will affect me all through my career, especially when my boss
knows that I can’t stand for my own values.

b) Report the case to appropriate authority

This may act as deterrent and may change my Boss

behaviour at home. This will preserve my value of courage,
empathy and compassion. I may also be able to bring justice
to my boss’s wife.

But there is no surety whether the authority will take

appropriate action. Also my boss may not change from within
and he may not develop compassion for his wife. So I would

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 Part Three

Essays
of

the month
Selected essays from Rau’s GSI students
 ESSAY WRITING FOR UPSC
# Paper I
The essay is a literary device for saying almost everything
about almost anything. The Concise Oxford Dictionary
defines the word ‘essay’ as a literary composition (usually
prose and short) on any subject. In simple words, an essay is
a written composition giving a clear and concise expression
to one’s own personal ideas or opinions on some given topic.
In UPSC, the Essay Paper poses serious challenge for the
candidates appearing in the mains examination but it is also
highly crucial in determining the candidates’ personalities by
the UPSC examiner, as their essays completely reflect the
thought process going on in their minds. The essay paper is
used to judge the mastery and comprehension over the
material. Students are asked to explain, comment on, or
assess a topic of study in the form of an essay.
From the selection point of view, the Essay Paper of 250
marks consists of enough weightage to determine the final
outcome/selection and ranking of the candidates. The
significance of the Essay Paper for the civil services aspirants
can be gauged from the fact that it has been assigned
compulsory status by the UPSC and designated as Paper I.
In order to score effectively in Essay Paper and write a
masterpiece the candidates are not only required to have a
reservoir of information and knowledge but also the way of
expression should be logical, effective and composed in a
lucid language, which in turn reflects the personality of the
candidate.
Further, essay is comprehensive knowledge and it requires
understanding of broad issues. There is no single source to
master it. The task of the student is to connect the dots of
knowledge from multiple sources and that can be school
textbooks, newspapers, guidelines and practice provided by
the mentors, audio and visual media, movies, documentaries
etc.
On this note, let us answer common queries about the Essay
Paper.
►QUESTION: How does an essay impact students’ overall
performance in the UPSC examination?
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
Answer: Essay does not have a defined syllabus so this
means that everything is a syllabus for writing a decent essay.
It is basically a benchmark of UPSC preparedness. The day, a
student is able to write an effective essay on any given topic,
means that the student is now a UPSC fit candidate.
The Essay Paper provides an opportunity to a student to
explore in-depth, plan and present himself/herself as a well
organised, knowledgeable job-fit candidate.
Most students score a standard level of marks in four General
Studies papers but it is primarily the 250 marks Essay Paper
that catapults a student towards high score in Mains
examination with a potential to get high rank, that can easily
be converted to top 100 post interview.
►QUESTION: Which are the preferred thematic areas on which
essays are asked in UPSC?
Answer: In the form of topics, UPSC presents a set of
problems from different thematic areas to aspirants. The
purpose is to identify an aware citizen who knows about the
existence of the problem, reasons for its prevalence and also
the possible solution for improving the situation.
Overall our desire is to create a productive, progressive and
safe society. Hence on such consideration, the thematic areas
on which the topics are asked are given hereunder:
Frequently asked: Broad thematic areas which are
frequently asked in Essay paper are: Democracy and
Governance Reforms; Economic issues for an inclusive economy;
Social justice issues for a just society and philosophical & ethical
topics.
Occasionally asked: Other areas which are occasionally
asked can be: Environment conservation; Security issues;
International issues etc.
►QUESTION: How to choose a suitable topic?
Answer: This is the first major decision that a candidate faces
in the Essay Paper. This challenge of choice ranges from easy
to extremely difficult. The choice is easy if the candidate has
excellent command, background and factual recollections on
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one topic vis à-vis the remaining options. But it becomes
trickier and more daunting if no single topic appears
favourable from the outset. Then the candidate has to make
estimations of her knowledge base for different segments
and viewpoints of the essay topics in question and finally
undertake a judicious comparison between the topics to
select the one he or she feels most strongly in command of.
As a rule of thumb, regular and non-controversial topics
should be preferred over the more opinionated topics as a
safer bet, but only if the candidate has a sufficiently vast and
diverse factual base to support his or her points. Correct
choice of topic can also be made by using the principle of
three M’s: Motive, Method and Message. These not only
define the essay but also help in achieving
communication goals in the appropriate language and writing
style.
In case of opinionated statement based essays for e.g.
Customary morality cannot be a guide to modern life, the most
important aspect is decoding the most apt meaning of the
topic, convert the statement into applied writing by choosing
most apt examples from the current society to explain it
further. More the suitable examples, the better the impact on
the reader. The examples for these essays are mainly drawn
from the similar realm of thematics areas, such as Polity,
Social, Economy, IR, History etc.
But in case of any doubt in decoding the meaning of such
essays then skip them and move towards more regular and
non- controversial topics.
►QUESTION: What are the key requisites of a good essay? What
should be the structure of the essay?
Answer: The structure comprises of Introduction, Main
body and Conclusion. For 1200 words essay,
introduction should be on 100-120 words, main body in 1000
words and conclusion in remaining in 100-120 words.
A good essay is one which induces the reader to get
immersed and engrossed in reading the entire text. For right
inducement, attractive (Introduction) of the essay is
extremely important. It should be like an attractive movie
trailer which gives a hint/glimpse on the things to explore
while reading further. So, the best way of introduction is
picking a (live example) related with the topic asked. This
helps in connecting with the topic instantly and the examiner
also knows that the student understands the topic, and also
knows what is happening currently with respect to the topic.
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
The (main body) should be comprising of analysing the
factors impacting the topic. The factors can be:-
Historical/cultural, Political/Legal, Economic,
Geographical/Environmental, Psychological, Behavioural etc.
So it is expected to decode right factors, analysing the gaps
resulting from these factors and then suggesting logical
solutions, and the opinions should be backed by authentic
sources.
Conclusion should always be optimistic, providing a silver
lining and benefiting the entire society.
►QUESTION: How much time should a student allocate in the
exam towards essay writing? How can the student get started in
writing an effective essay?
the
Answer: In Essay paper, 3 hours are allotted for writing two
essays. The equation is 1 Essay in 90 minutes. So, it boils
down to effective time management, because students
have got a tendency to write on the topic in which they are
most comfortable and they lose their time track and breach
the limit of 90 minutes and thus they fail to do justice with
the second topic, and resultantly they lose marks.
Outcome: Even the examiner now knows that the aspirant is
not a good time manager and thus lacks a key element of job
fitness i.e. effective time management.
Further, it will easily reflect that student had more inclination
towards safer topic only from the comfort zone. This will
again bring negative impression as it would portray that the
student wants to confine herself in the comfort zone and play
safe and if moves outside the zone then she is found wanting
and perplexed.
To get started: There is a difference between reply and
response. Reply is instinctive which is mostly not balanced
the
but response is properly planned balanced reply. So, UPSC
checks planned response of a student.
To do this, first 10 minutes out of 90 minutes should be
utilised in collecting random points with respect to topic, note
them on the rough space, and then arrange them in the serial
order in the manner they should be aligned in the write up.
This will show coherent flow and reflect that the writer
believes in proper planning and then responding.
►QUESTION: What is the significance of language in essay
writing? If a student is weak in English, what kind of reading
should he/she do to improve his/her language proficiency?
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Answer: The language should be simple but effective. Xth
standard English is more than sufficient to put thoughts
effectively. Queen’s English is not required.
This is not an English test but it is a communication test.
Whatever the student is writing should be understood by any
reader, and this is a work place requirement. For e.g.
everything moves on files in govt. and whatever is noted on
file should be understood by subordinates, peers, seniors etc.
To increase effectiveness in writing, easy and interesting texts
should be read such as school story books, English versions
of comics and newspapers.
ESSAY 1: INNOVATION IS THE KEY
DETERMINENT OF ECONOMIC GROWTH AND
SOCIAL WELFARE
# Science # Society
SUBMITTED BY: MUSKAN ARYA
Disclaimer: The viewpoints in the topic are strictly personal of
the writer above. The role of Rau’s IAS Study Circle is to present
the write-up in its original form, hence the study circle neither
endorses nor rejects any viewpoint in the submission. The
purpose is only to showcase the manner of writing.
Therefore, it is the sole responsibility of the reader to use
his/her intellect to check the veracity of viewpoints.
Mr. Mathur is a retired bank employee in order
to avail his pension and obtain certain
documents all he had to is call the Delhi
Government Helpline number to get doorstep
assistance and delivery of a lot of other services. Anita
Sharma, 63 years lives alone in Pune while her daughter is
away in Bangalore. She no longer has to worry about
standing in lines to pay her electricity bills as it is convenient
to pay online.
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
►QUESTION: What are the features of a good essay?
Answer: Foremost, the candidate should keep in his/her
mind that the essay will lead the examiner through his/her
organized thoughts on a single topic. The essentials of essay
writing would be the format (framework, structure),
information (content, substance), language (expression,
presentation), and logic (analysis and information).
An essay must materialize itself as topic-centred, all
pervasive and unified, developing one theme with a definite
purpose.
Mr. Kamal Arora recently bought a new car, he instantly
availed a great insurance deal on Policy Bazar and mobile
application and got himself relieved from tedious paper work.
Innovation relates to formulating something new and creative
in order to help in simplifying our life. With change being the
only constant, the world around us has changed in terms of
functioning with the aid of innovation and technology. Today,
we are able to relish our favourite delicacies, plan an entire
holiday and crack big deals from the comfort of our
respective couches. Such a leap of change wouldn’t have
been possible without the ignited minds being put into
favourable conditions to innovate and experiment.
Innovation holds tremendous power to churn the wheels of
economic growth to boost development. Exploring
Innovation in agriculture with the introduction of e-NAM
opens up possibility of making agriculture accessible and
profitable. Further, experiencing and encouraging farmers to
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plant climate resistant crops will help us to adapt ourselves in farmers to choose wisely and plant their crop and will also aid
the climate change battle. Recently, a farmer in Assam was government to fix MSP.
encouraged by the District Agriculture Research College to
Innovation can on the other hand be equally determining
plant flood resistant variety of rice. He took a chance and
factor in social welfare. Covid-19 has put our health
planted on 1/4th of his field, he was really happy to see the
infrastructure at stress test, at this challenging hour robots
results as his 1/4th crop survived even after weeks of floods
are aiding our health professionals in hospitals by carrying
in Assam. Similarly, arsenic resistant variety of paddy in West
out routine task of delivering medicines and other supplies to
Bengal opens Pandora box to stop bioaccumulation of
patients. Innovation has brought about a number of
harmful chemicals. Not only this ‘Apiary on Wheels’
techniques to carry out tests from RT-PCR to serological tests.
undertaken by Ministry of Agriculture to help and Skill
India and Israel will soon be collaborating to develop
farmers in Agriculture answers the question of diversification
coronavirus test which gives results in less than 30 seconds.
of livelihood with aid of innovative thinking.
Similarly iLAB flagged off by government under Atmanirbhar
India has been producing PPE kits during pandemic on a war- Bharat and Make in India Programme will provide rapid
footing and was soon to rise up to 2nd manufacturing hub of response to fight the pandemic by reaching the remotest
PPE kits of the world. Opening the gates of innovation in area.
textiles can help us to fulfill our National Textile Mission of
Innovation has also come to our aid in protecting our
manufacturing and exporting technical textiles. Adidas has
environment. mStripes app, radio collar on various animals,
successfully set up a plant in Maharashtra to manufacture
camera traps have all helped us to conserve our precious
sportswear and denims utilizing tons of plastic waste
wildlife. Weather pattern monitoring mechanism with
specially bottles (single-use plastic). Reliance Industries has
prediction was used in Bandipur Forest fires to mitigate the
recently laid roads using single use plastics which have not
damage. Drones can also be leveraged in a similar way to
only proved to be durable but also help us recycling our
help prevent poaching and help in conservation.
waste innovatively.
It should be kept in mind that though innovation has helped
India’s service sector is a leading global service provider. A
us in a number of ways but it has also created fractions
shift in focus from mere provider to innovator and facilitator
within the society. One such instance is that of education
would help us enhance our economic competitiveness.
during lockdown. Technology and access to gadgets has
Finance Technology, big data analytics to aid policy making,
created a digital divide. Many university final year students
Internet of things are fields that lie unexplored but can differ
are staring at an uncertain future with delayed examination
huge potential of growth facilitating social welfare as well.
and missed opportunities.
However, being innovative while sustaining our planet should
So, in a way it can be said that innovation with equity would
be our priority. Government has worked a lot in direction of
be an enabler to our economic and social welfare. Products
Ease of Doing Business but it is time to focus on Ease of
and technologies brought about should be made available to
Living. Innovative technologies can come to our aid by
all and not just a few. For example, the government can
analysing the various factors of production and helping us in
allocate the funds to schools and colleges by providing them
better planning and efficient use of resources. For instance,
laptops and tablets to help cover classes. Mind you, this
e-NAM website can be enhanced to include the area under
wouldn’t be an over and above demand of resources but
cultivation and expected demand and supply of crops in
many previously used for maintenance can be used like this
metric tonnes. This data can be collected and uploaded by
as the institutions remaining closed.
District Agriculture Research Centres along with help from
RESOURCE SATELLITES and CARTO SAT already deployed by Therefore, equity in terms of opportunity to access will only
ISRO. Such information would clearly send signals to the help to make innovation a key determinant of economic
growth and social welfare.

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 Essays OF THE MONTH
ESSAY 2: CRISIS FACED IN INDIA – MORAL OR
ECONOMIC
# Ethics #Society
SUBMITTED BY: MUSKAN ARYA
Disclaimer: The viewpoints in the topic are strictly personal of
the writer above. The role of Rau’s IAS Study Circle is to present
the write-up in its original form, hence the study circle neither
endorses nor rejects any viewpoint in the submission. The
purpose is only to showcase the manner of writing.
Therefore, it is the sole responsibility of the reader to use
his/her intellect to check the veracity of viewpoints.
Mohan was a worker in a sugar mill, due to heavy
losses faced by the industry and economic
slowdown the mill was forced to close. Mohan
had worked for decades in the mill and was
suddenly rendered jobless. He did not possess
any skills, required in the current time and therefore was
unable to get any job. Sole breadwinner of the family was
forced to indulge in theft to keep himself surviving in this
world. Ranjana, was a CEO of infrastructure company. She
shot to fame in a limited time due to her excellent work
quality and timely completion of projects. But in a
government flagship project she got to know that her firm
was to loose the bid. She used her money power and
contacts to unethically got a backdoor consent for the project
to save her reputation in the market.
The two individuals are differently placed in terms of their
economic situations but that has a great influence on their
activities which they choose to undertake. Morality is a
concept concerned with the principles of right and wrong;
ethical and unethical. But a number of reasons lead to the
decision so it will be wrong to judge the behavior and choices
of a person in isolation. Lack of equal opportunities and
resources often lead to systematic deprivation to the
individual in terms of his/her ability to perform. The
education system prevailing often focuses on standardization
of learning and outcomes in terms of marks. The important
aspect of quality and value based education is ignored.
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Furthermore, unsupportive social settings, family, parents
and institutions add to the burden.
Furthermore, it is not a hidden fact that our morals are set up
in a patriarchal background. This mindset puts numerous
restriction on the conduct and choices that women and girls
have. Everything from the way of dressing, talking, eating to
even choice is regulated. In such a system where progress is
hindered only backwardness prevails. All these have deprived
women of their economic rights and opportunities. Not only
this but this system has a process of reinforcing itself. Often
illiterate and economically deprived girls are forced in
marriage where they are victim of harassment, domestic
violence, mental abuse and dowry deaths. Had women given
a chance of breaking the chains of patriarchal morality, we
would see an economically fairer and better world.
Coming to the economic crisis that we are facing is an
outcome of unequal distribution of wealth. In India, top 1% of
the richest population controls more than 70% of
population’s disposable income. Such a stark inequality is due
to lack of status and opportunity given to people. With greed
of richest population growing we see a destructive effect in
terms of growth of materialistic society which indulges in
economic exploitation often keeping the fair play rules aside.
This leads to weakening of institutions and further the entire
democratic setup as the rich control the machinery through
money and muscle power. It further breads ultra-nationalism
and causes irrepairable damage to the environment.
In order to counter this, the solution lies in being guided by
the values of Preamble. Such economic crisis can be ended
by having justice in social, economic and political spheres by
giving equality of status and opportunity. Equality in terms of
education and skill based learning should be imparted. It is
better to lend a helping hand than giving a dole. MGNREGA
which is largest employment programme move a step ahead
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and introduce stipend based skilling initiatives. Further, the
government must think to expand its reach by launching
urban employment guaranter act to help the large population
of urban poor.
Further, we are staring at a 45yr high unemployment figures.
Therefore, equality in opportunity would require creation of
many jobs. The government can use these employment
programme to revive infrastructure – health, education,
environmental. Assam government employed MGNREGA
workers to plant fruit trees for golden langur in wildlife
sanctuaries. Similarly, India should generate employment by
setting a global manufacturing of solar cells under aegis of
solar Alliance to create Atmanirbhar Bharat (in times of
energy). Section 135 of companies Act provides compulsory
spending of income for corporate social responsibility.
Instead of this the company should be motivated to be
responsible from its very inception. By undertaking fair
recruitment policies, regular payment of wages, creating
environmental sustainable products, indulging in responsible
consumption a lot of difference can be made. The moral crisis
should be tackled from the foundation of a child. He should
ESSAY 3: GRASS ROOTS DEMOCRACY IS AN
EFFECTIVE INSTRUMENT OF GOVERNANCE
# Governance
The essence of democracy is decentralisation
of power and allowing governance to reach to
the grass root level for welfare of people. Local
Government elected by the people thus
imbibes democratic functioning of the society involving
residents of the area. The concept of local government has
been in India ever since the dawn of civilization in various
forms including that of Sabhas and Samitis at the village level.
It was in the year 1882 when Lord Ripon issued a resolution
on Local Self Government. Objections were raised by the
bureaucracy of those days against any extension of the
powers of local bodies and giving them a democratic
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be nurtured and surrounded by the system which breeds
justice. This can be done by providing value based education
to children. Practical and textbook examples should be
cumulated to give an overall knowledge experience. Life
teachings of Mahatama Gandhiji, Mother Teresa, A P J Abdul
Kalaam, Lal Bahadur Shastri etc. should be induced.
In the syllabus, practical learning where pupil gets to apply
and make their decisions should be done through
encouraging sports and cultural activities like dance, drama,
story telling etc. Needless to say parental support would be a
major influence in the lives of children.
A moral society can also be set up by creating certainty of
praise and punishment. When the society sees the values
gaining importance and reinforcing themselves then a
change in bond to happen. Certainty of punishment requires
an informed society and effective judicial functioning.
Lastly, it can be concluded by observing that Economic
Conditions – Moral Outcome seem to work in tandem,
leading to one another. Both should be improved together to
bring sustainablility.
character. It was a comprehensive resolution which dealt with
administrative areas, the constitution of local bodies, their
functions, finances and powers. This was an important
landmark in the evolution of local self- government in India.
This led to the strengthening of local institution over a period
of time leading to its incorporation in PART IV of the Indian
Constitution.
Article 40 of the Constitution provides for organisation of
village panchayats and also endows them with such powers
and authority to enable them to function as units of self-
government. But Article 40 being part of Directive Principles
of State Policy could not be judicially imposed. Consequently,
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government of India constituted various committees for the
proper functioning and devolution power at the ground level.
Government accepted the recommendations of Balwant Rai
Mehta Committee which proposed to set up a three tier
structure of panchayats in India having gram panchayats at
the village level, Panchayat Samiti at the block level and Zilla
Parishad at the district level. It was also considered that there
is an imperative need to enshrine in the Constitution certain
basic and essential features of Panchayati Raj Institutions to
impart strength, certainty and continuity to it. Thus,
accordingly the Constitution (Seventy-Third Amendment) Act,
1992 and Constitution (Seventy-Fourth Amendment) Act,
1992 were enacted by the government.
PART IX and IXA was added to the constitution after the
amendment to the constitution. It provides for constitution of
Panchayat at the village, intermediate and district level; Gram
Sabha at the village level consisting of persons registered in
the electoral rolls of the village; Reservation of seats for
Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes, women; constitution of
Finance Commission to review financial position
Panchayats and make suitable recommendations
devolution of funds to panchayats; elections to be conducted
for panchayats by State Election Commission. PART IXA
provides for the constitution and composition
Municipalities; ward committees; power to impose tax by
municipalities; Finance Commission to review financial
position of municipalities and allocate taxes; election to
municipalities; District Planning Committee and Metropolitan
planning Committee.
On the basis of above, the Panchayati Raj Institutions have
been in existence for a long time, the participation of people
at the grass root level have become more of a bureaucratic
and mechanical exercise. There have been various instances
in the past where approval from gram Sabha has been either
forced or forged for acquisition of land for various
commercial purposes including mining. Even the local
bureaucracy has not helped much in nurturing the institution
to grow and sustain at ground level. Merely by making
panchayats a part of constitution will not solve the case of
grass root democracy unless its limbs are empowered. Thus,
the core issues of local self- governance involve the principle
of subsidiarity which means that what can best be done at
the lower levels of government should not be centralised at
higher levels; a clear delineation of functions entrusted to the
local bodies; effective devolution of financial powers and
FOCUS | S eptember 2020 | RAU’S IAS
functions and convergence of services for the citizens as well
as citizens centric governance structures. The Second
Administrative Reform Commission (2nd ARC) on Local
Governance has suggested various measures to address
these core issues. Let us understand each of those issues and
probable solutions suggested by 2nd ARC.
Constitutional status to panchayats and municipalities aimed
at a fundamental shift in the nature of governance. However,
experience of the past suggests that creating structures of
elected local governments and ensuring regular elections do
not necessarily guarantee effective local empowerment.
While Panchayats, Nagarpalikas and Municipalities have
come into existence and elections are being held, this has not
always translated into real decentralisation of power because
the Constitution left the issue of degree of empowerment
and devolution to the State Legislature. State Governments
and its bureaucracy are not always in favour to effectively
empower local governments because they view it as
diminishing of their power and hold. Even mandatory
of provisions like the constitution of District Planning
for Committees and Metropolitan Planning Committees have
been ignored in many States. Thus, compulsory
empowerment of panchayats and municipalities by the state
of having a dedicated bureaucracy at ground level is necessary
for effective local empowerment.
Under Article 243G, while framing laws on Panchayats, State
Legislatures should endow these institutions ‘with such
power and authority as may be necessary to enable them to
function as institutions of self-government’. Thus, Panchayats
are ‘governments at their own level’ and have autonomous
jurisdiction of their own. However, the problem arises when
we find government functioning at various levels thereby
creating overlapping jurisdiction and autonomy. In such a
case, autonomy of one may rub against autonomy of another
in similar jurisdictions. Thus, providing autonomy to
panchayats will also mean withdrawal of certain activities or
functions from the State Government and transferring them
to local bodies. This will give panchayats a true independent
and autonomous identity independent from the state
government to perform their power and functions.
Powers to panchayats and municipalities have been provided
to enable them to function as institutions of self- governance
under Article 243 (G) and 243(W) respectively. For this, they
may also be empowered to prepare local plans for economic
development and social justice and to implement schemes
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and perform functions including those listed in the Eleventh implement the report of SFCs which further delay the process
and Twelfth Schedules. However, the past experience of devolution of funds.
suggests that progress of devolution of powers and
The crucial issue of capacity building in urban and rural local
responsibilities to local governments at various levels have
bodies remains a largely neglected area in decentralised self-
been poor and uneven. The implementation space at local
governance. Lack of training of personnel has resulted in
levels is thus occupied by a multiplicity of governmental
capacity deficit within the Panchayat and Municipal
agencies leading to confusion, unnecessary duplication and
Institutions. Thus, a proper exercise needs to be taken for
wastage of funds. Thus, there should be clear delineation of
capacity building which includes individual development
functions for each level of local government. It has to be done
along with organisational development through various
continuously by restructuring organisations and framing
schemes. Individual development involves the development
subject-matter laws so as to avoid overlapping of functions.
of human resources including enhancement of an individual’s
2nd ARC has suggested adding subjects on education, public
knowledge, skills and access to information. It enables them
health including community health centres/area hospitals,
to improve their performance and that of their organisation.
traffic management and civic policing activities, urban
State government should encourage holistic training
environment management and heritage and land
programmes involving expertise in different fields. This can
management including registration in the 12th Schedule.
be best achieved by ‘networking’ of institutions concerned
The local bodies rely heavily on their respective state with various subjects such as financial management, rural
governments for financial inflows. The major sources of development, disaster management and general
income for local governments like property tax are not management etc.
properly collected due to lack of a proper mechanism of
Empowering local bodies at ground level is very important as
levying and collection of such tax. This makes the coffers of
it involves people at local level which helps in strengthening
local bodies extremely inadequate to meet their operational
democratic decentralisation. However, for the local bodies to
needs. Responsibility to provide civic amenities falls short of
function efficiently, they must be provided autonomy in their
expectation due to inadequacy of funds. Thus, the local
functioning. Local bodies having administrative, legislative
governments have to stay at the mercy of their state
and financial autonomy with a dedicated bureaucracy at the
government for allocation of funds through grants to meet
lower level will help in realizing the dream of Mahatma
their needs including salary of the staff. In this respect, Article
Gandhi.
243H and 243X makes it obligatory for the State Government
to authorise the local bodies by law to impose taxes, duties “In this structure composed of innumerable villages, there will
etc. and assign to the local bodies such taxes/duties levied be ever widening, never ascending, circles. Life will not be a
and collected by the State Government. pyramid with the apex sustained by the bottom. But, it will be
an oceanic circle, whose centre will be the individual, always
State Finance Commission (SFC) under Article 243I and
ready to perish for the village, the latter ready to perish for
243Y recommends principles for distribution of funds
the circle of the villages, till at last the whole becomes one life
between the urban local bodies and different panchayats.
composed of individuals, never aggressive in their arrogance,
Thus, the role of State Finance Commission becomes
but ever humble, sharing the majesty of the oceanic circle of
important regarding devolution of financial resources for
which they are integrated units. Therefore, the outermost
panchayats and municipalities. However, devolution of
circumference will not wield power to crush the inner circle,
finance to local bodies depends upon the revenue generated
but will give strength to all within and will derive its own
by each state which is never same. While some States have
strength from it.” – Mahatma Gandhi
followed the concept of pooling of all revenues and then
sharing, others follow different percentages of devolution for
different taxes. Thus, apart from principles of devolution of
taxes, even fiscal administration of every state needs to be
improved as it involves levy and collection of taxes at local
level. State governments generally take a long time to

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