Hand Holding Programme of “Thinking Palette”

1st August 2020 

Editorial  
 
ED 1 The COVID​19 crisis as a metropolitan battle  
Relevance GS II (Urban Governance)
Context of the article:-​ This article tries to make a point that poor urban planning is visible in
the incapacity of metropolitan cities to check rising pandemic. According to a McKinsey report,
in 2012, 54 metropolitan cities and their hinterlands accounted for 40% of India’s GDP, and by
2025, 69 metropolitan cities, combined with their hinterlands, will generate over half of India’s
incremental GDP between 2012 and 2025. Despite this, India is yet to begin an active
discourse on cohesive metropolitan governance frameworks.

Content of the article:-

What is the constitutional mandate for city governance?
Ans:- ​The Constitution mandates formation of Metropolitan Planning Committees (MPCs) in
all metropolitan areas with a million​ plus population. MPCs are envisioned to ensure integrated
planning for the entire metropolitan area, and are responsible for the preparation of draft
development plans, synthesising priorities set by local authorities, State and Central
governments.
What are the challenges in Municipal Governance?
Ans:-
1. Not Constituted MPC:-​ According to Janaagraha’s Annual Survey of India’s City​
Systems (ASICS) 2017 report found that only nine out of 18 cities assessed had
constituted MPCs even if on paper.
2. Absence of integrated planning:- Poor housing, sanitation, and a lack of access to
meaningful social security are a reality for the urban poor.
3. Weak municipal capacities:- ​In​dia’s metropolitan cities have weak capacities in
nance and staff. According to ASICS 2017, Mumbai has the highest number of
officers per lakh population at 938 however it is low as compared to Global cities such
as New York with 5,446 officers.
Suggestion:-
Need of appointed Mayor:-
What is the status of Mayor today?
Ans:-
❖ No big metropolitan cities with 10 million​ plus population have a directly​ elected Mayor.
❖ Mumbai’s Mayor has a tenure of 2.5 years, Delhi and Bengaluru, a mere one year.
❖ Furthermore, Mayors do not have full decision making authority over critical functions
of planning, housing, water, environment, re and emergency services in most cases.
❖ Parastatal agencies for planning, water and public transport report directly to State
governments
Advantages of Elected Mayor:- ​Globally, metropolitan cities are steered by a directly elected
lead​er, like Tokyo,UK, Australia.

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● An elected mayor with substantial powers of his own not only provides a single point
for negotiations with outside agencies and investors but also ensures greater
coordination among the different city departments and promotes decisive decision
making.
● A popularly elected mayor with a fixed tenure also offers more stability in governance
as the person is not dependent on the elected members of the council or on the local
or state level political leadership for his survival in office. A stable leadership can also
afford to roll out long term plans that will ensure major changes in the cities political
and economic landscape.

Conclusion:-​ India should use the current pandemic as an opportunity to introspect and re​
form the way its metropolises are governed.

ED 2 Diluting the EIA process spells a path of no return  

Context of the article:- ​The Delhi government has invoked UAPA against environmental
groups “Friday for Future” for sending too many mails in protest against the draft
Environmental impact assessment.However later Delhi police has withdrawn UAPA.
Content of the article:-
What is EIA?
● UNEP defines Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) as a tool used to identify the
environmental, social and economic impacts of a project prior to decision-making.
● It aims to predict environmental impacts at an early stage in project planning and
design, find ways and means to reduce adverse impacts, shape projects to suit the
local environment and present the predictions and options to decision-makers.
Background:-
The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) notified new EIA
legislation in September 2006.
➢ The notification makes it mandatory for various projects such as mining, thermal power
plants, river valley, infrastructure (road, highway, ports, harbours and airports) and
industries including very small electroplating or foundry units to get environment
clearance.
➢ However, unlike the EIA Notification of 1994, the new legislation has put the onus of
clearing projects on the state government depending on the size/capacity of the
project.

But 2006 EIA notification was also regressive in nature like:-

● The nal EIA report was not made available to the public.
● In case the project clearances were challenged, the courts treated the views of the
assessment authorities as sacrosanct.
● Applicability: There are several projects with significant environmental impacts that are
exempted from the notification either because they are not listed in schedule I, or their
investments are less than what is provided for in the notification.

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● Composition of expert committees and standards: It has been found that the team
formed for conducting EIA studies is lacking the expertise in various fields such as
environmentalists, wildlife experts, Anthropologists and Social Scientists.

Draft EIA 2020:-

What is the issue?
Ans:-
Post Facto Approval:-​ The new draft allows for post-facto approval for projects. It means that
the clearances for projects can be awarded even if they have started construction or have
been running phase without securing environmental clearances. This also means that any
environmental damage caused by the project is likely to be waived off as the violations get
legitimised.
Public consultation Process:-​ The draft notification provides for a reduction of the time
period from 30 days to 20 days for the public to submit their responses during a public hearing
for any application seeking environmental clearance.Unless a public hearing is meaningful,
the whole EIA process would lack transparency and credibility.
Compliance Report :-​ The 2006 notification required that the project proponent submit a
report every six months, showing that they are carrying out their activities as per the terms on
which permission has been given. However, the new draft requires the promoter to submit a
report only once every year.
Bypassing EIA process:- ​Through the draft notification, the central government gets the
power to categorise projects as “strategic. Once a project is considered as strategic, the draft
notification states that no information related to such projects shall be placed in the public
domain.

Conclusion:-​ Environmental regulation must balance damage to the environment with

sustainable development and possible benefits but the new notification lays more emphasis
on the benefits and so must be reconsidered.  
 
 
Daily News Articles (​covering ‘The Hindu’+ ‘PIB’+ ‘Indian Express’) 
 
1. Core sector output shrinks 15%  
● The Office of Economic Adviser, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal
Trade is released Index of Eight Core Industries (June, 2020).
● The Eight Core Industries comprise 40.27 per cent of the weight of items included in
the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
Key findings
● The growth rate of Index of Eight Core Industries for June 2020 declined by 15.0 %
(provisional) compared to decline of 22.0 % (revised) in the previous month of May
2020.
● Of the eight core sectors, the fertilizer industry was the only one which saw actual
growth in June, with output rising 4.2% in comparison to June 2019.

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● The steel sector continues to remain the worst performer, with a 33% drop in
production in comparison to the previous year. Cement production alo fell almost 7%,
albeit an improvement from the May contraction.
● The energy sectors also showed negative growth, with coal production falling 15.5%
and crude oil and natural gas production dropping 6% and 12% respectively.
 
● The monthly Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) is a production volume index. ICI
measures collective and individual performance of production in selected eight core
industries viz. Coal, Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Refinery Products, Fertilizers, Steel,
Cement and Electricity.
● The Eight Core Industries comprise 40.27 per cent of the weight of items included in
the Index of Industrial Production (IIP). It is called core industries because of their
likely impact on general economic activity as well as other industrial activity.
● It is compiled and released by the Office of the Economic Adviser (OEA), Department
for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), and the Ministry of Commerce &
Industry. (Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion was renamed to Department
for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT))

Index of Industrial Production (IIP)

● Index of Industrial Production (IIP) is an indicator that measures the changes in the
volume of production of industrial products during a given period. It calculates the
data of eight core sectors
● IIP index is currently calculated using 2011-2012 as the base year.
● IIP data is compiled and published by CSO every month.
● (Central Statistics Office (CSO) merged with the National Sample Survey Office
(NSSO) to form the National Statistical Office (NSO).) 

 
 
2. ASMITA scheme (can be used as an example)
● The State Rural Development department initiated the implementation of ASMITA
Yojana in Maharashtra, to provide sanitary napkins at subsidised rates to rural girls
and women.
● The scheme aims to promote the use of sanitary napkins and reduce the school
dropout rate of adolescent girls.
● The scheme covers adolescent girls aged between 11 and 19 years in zila parishad
schools and rural women. A pack of eight pads is available at Rs 5 for schoolgirls and
at Rs 24 for rural women.
● Under the scheme, beneficiary girls will be given “Asmita Cards”, and participating Self
Help Groups (SHGs) will be entrusted with the task of the supply and sale of sanitary
pads and counselling the girls and women.
● The government followed the Bureau of Indian Standards to fix requirements for
sanitary napkins in 2018.

3. Foster care scheme 

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● In the news, as Maharashtra is set to witness the implementation of a “Foster care

scheme for orphaned children. This new scheme can be an alternative to adoptions,
and ensure that a child can develop mentally, physically and socially. It would help in
ensuring a safe family environment and a secure house for the children.

● Under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, orphaned
children are taken care of in orphanages under the Women and Child Welfare
department.

● Considering the child’s rights and possibility of overall development, they can either be
adopted or come under the foster care scheme.

● A primary difference between adoption and foster care is the type of commitment.
Foster care is a temporary commitment. Adoption is a permanent commitment.

● Under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, sponsored
guardianship can be offered as foster care. Foster care involves identifying sponsor for
further development of a child and allowing him or her to live in a family environment
approved by the committee.

Central Adoption Resource Authority

CARA is a statutory body of the Ministry of Women & Child Development,
Government of India. It functions as the nodal body for adoption of Indian children
and is mandated to monitor and regulate in-country and inter-country adoptions.

CARA is designated as the Central Authority to deal with inter-country adoptions in

accordance with the provisions of the ​Hague Convention on Intercountry
Adoption, ​1993, ratified by the Government of India in 2003.

CARA primarily deals with adoption of orphan, abandoned and surrendered children
through its associated /recognised adoption agencies.

4. Muslim Women’s Rights Day 

● Union Minority Affairs Minister said ​August 1​ to be recorded as “​Muslim Women’s
Rights Day”​ in the country as the day marked the anniversary of the law making triple
talaq a criminal offence.

● The law, formally called the ​Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act,
2019,​ was passed in last year after intense debates in both the lower and upper
houses of Parliament, with opposition parties stating it targeted the Muslim community
even as the centre asserted that it would help achieve gender justice for Muslim
women.

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● The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act prohibits the practice of
instant divorce by Muslim men. Any violation of the law is punishable by jail term of up
to three years.

● According to the government, the law ensured gender equality and strengthened
constitutional, fundamental and democratic rights of Muslim women by bringing law
against the social evil of triple talaq.

● The Supreme Court had in August 2017 declared the practice of talaq-e-biddat or a
form of divorce based on a husband pronouncing divorce thrice in quick succession or
as unconstitutional.

5. PIB-SKOCH Gold Award  

● The Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) has received SKOCH Gold Award for its
“Empowerment of Tribals through IT enabled Scholarship Schemes”, a project of the
Scholarship Division of the Ministry.
● To assimilate with the larger vision of ‘Digital India’ and to realize the cherished goal of
e-governance, MoTA has integrated all Scholarship Schemes with DBT Portal under
the guidance of DBT Mission.
● The project is a step towards achieving the unwavering commitment of the
Government of India towards realizing the dreams of Digital India and bringing
transparency as well as ease in the delivery of services.
● The project will help in understanding the aspirations of tribal youth and help in
realizing their cherished dream to develop as entrepreneurs, researchers and
flag-bearers of schemes of Government of India meant for welfare for STs.

6. PIB-Gramodyog Vikas Yojana 

● In the news, as the Government of India launched a programme for the benefit of
artisans involved in manufacturing of Agarbatti under the ​‘Gramodyog Vikas
Yojana​’(as a pilot project)

● Recently the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, as a part of rationalization

exercise, merged, 8 different schemes of Khadi & Village Industries are under 2
umbrella heads i.e. 'Khadi Vikas Yojana' and 'Gramodyog Vikas Yojana':

1. Khadi Vikas Yojana​ [Market Promotion & Development Assistance (MPDA),

Interest Subsidy Eligibility Certificate (ISEC), Workshed, Strengthening Weak
Infra, Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana, Khadi Grant and Khadi & VI S&T]

2. Gramodyog Vikas Yojana​ [Village Industries Grant].

● Also the cabinet brought a new component of​ 'Rozgar Yukt Gaon' ​to introduce
enterprise-based operation in the Khadi sector and to create employment opportunities
for thousands of new artisans.

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