[Mission 2023] Insights SECURE SYNOPSIS: 28 January 2023

NOTE: Please remember that following ‘answers’ are NOT ‘model answers’. They are NOT synopsis too if we go by definition of the term. What we are providing is content that both meets demand of the question and at the same

Answer the following questions in 150 words:

General Studies – 1

1. Evaluate the role played by the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) countries, especially India during the Cold war era. Did India remain truly non-aligned?

Reference: Insights on India , Insights on India

Introduction

The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) was created and founded during the collapse of the colonial system and the independence struggles of the peoples of Africa, Asia, Latin America and other regions of the world and at the height of the Cold War. Throughout its history, the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries has played a fundamental role in the preservation of world peace and security.

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Role of NAM countries in reducing cold war conflicts

• In middle of the cold war, NAM ensured that peoples being oppressed by foreign occupation and domination can exercise their inalienable right to self-determination and independence.
• South-South Cooperation: NAM acted as a protector for the small countries against the western hegemony. The third world nations and newly independent countries supported each other in their quest for development.
• NIEO: During the 1970s and 1980s, the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries played a key role in the struggle for the establishment of a new international economic order(NIEO) that allowed all the peoples of the world to make use of their wealth and natural resources and provided a wide platform for a fundamental change in international economic relations and the economic emancipation of the countries of the South.
• Disarmament: The Non-aligned Movement repeatedly comes out for maintenance of peace, ‘the cessation of arms race and the peaceful coexistence of all States.

India’s contribution to NAM

• As a leader of NAM, India’s response to the cold war power politics was two-fold:
  • India steered itself away from the great power politics, positioning itself as an ‘interested observer’.
  • It raised its voice against the newly decolonized nations from joining the either bloc.
• During the cold war, India made a, concerted effort to activate those regional & international organizations, which were not a part of the alliances led by US & USSR, thus maintaining the spirit of NAM.
• In the General Assembly, India submitted a draft resolution declaring that the use of nuclear weapons would be against the charter of the United Nations and crime against humanity and should therefore be prohibited.
• Non-alignment has been an influential tenet of India’s foreign policy since its emergence from decolonization.
• It was based on a realistic assessment of India’s geopolitical situation.
• Nehru, one of the chief architects of NAM intended to give India room to manoeuvre according to its own interests rather than allowing it to become confined within the limitations of the cold-war alliance.

Critical analysis

• India’s inclination towards erstwhile USSR created confusions in smaller members. It led to the weakening of NAM and small nations drifted towards either US or USSR.
• The signing of Friendship Treaty with Soviet Union was a major Faultline and India was considered anti-west for a long time.
• However, with the end of cold war power politics and emergence of Unipolar World, non-alignment, both as an international movement as well as the core of India’s foreign policy, has lost some of its relevance & importance.
• The NAM countries did not have any concrete initiative in the context of crisis in Syria & Libya.
• Many ‘non-aligned’ countries, including India are continuing NAM as a historical legacy and have re-oriented their foreign policy towards strengthening engagements with major powers, such as USA, Russia & China, for their domestic development agenda.
• The sparse attendance by heads of government/State at 17th NAM Summit (Venezuela) is the key evidence of the crisis of relevance of NAM.
• According to C. Raja Mohan NAM is in the state of ‘COMA’. It is passing through the crisis of identity and relevance.

Conclusion

Non alignment as a foreign policy is very much alive even today in India’s foreign policy. The strategic autonomy approach is a manifestation of the same. The NAM platform is still the biggest arena of developing nations. Hence it becomes relevant to mobilize international public opinion against terrorism, weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), nuclear proliferation, ecological imbalance, safeguarding interests of developing countries in WTO (World Trade Organization) etc.

Value Addition

• The basic concept for the group originated in 1955 during discussions that took place at the Asia-Africa Bandung Conference held in Indonesia.
• The Non-Aligned Movement was founded and held its first conference (the Belgrade Conference) in 1961 under the leadership of Josip Broz Tito of Yugoslavia, Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt, Jawaharlal Nehru of India, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, and Sukarno of Indonesia.
• NAM does not have a formal constitution or permanent secretariat, and its administration is non-hierarchical and rotational. Decisions are made by consensus, which requires substantial agreement, but not unanimity.
• It has 120 members as of April 2018 comprising 53 countries from Africa, 39 from Asia, 26 from Latin America and the Caribbean and 2 from Europe (Belarus, Azerbaijan). There are 17 countries and 10 international organizations that are Observers at NAM.

2. “India has succeeded as a democratic republic because many creeds and languages have united and not divided the country”. How does Indian society show ‘Unity in Diversity’? Has diversity been its strength or a weakness?

Reference: The Hindu

Introduction

India is a plural society both in letter and spirit. It is rightly characterized by its unity and diversity. A grand synthesis of cultures, religions and languages of the people belonging to different castes and communities has upheld its unity and cohesiveness despite multiple foreign invasions.

National unity and integrity have been maintained even through sharp economic and social inequalities have obstructed the emergence of egalitarian social relations. It is this synthesis which has made India a unique mosque of cultures. Thus, India presents seemingly multicultural situation within in the framework of a single integrated cultural whole.

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Background: India’s diversity

• India today is home to varied cultures and ethnic groups with substantial differences in physical appearance, language, religion and customs.
• India also has vast economic differences between regions and its richest state is 10x more prosperous (on a per capita basis) than its poorest, with high-growth states and large metros at middle-income level resembling coastal China, and others more closely resembling Sub-Saharan Africa, with incomes under US$1,000 per capita.
• It is said that geography is destiny, and if this is true, then India’s land itself is a key determinant of the diversity of its peoples, varying from desert to savannah and rain forests, from the roof of the world to coastal swamps and tropical islands. This geography, coupled with major urban centres and valleys of technology clusters, shapes its inhabitants daily lives and therefore their culture and beliefs.
• While ethnicity and religion form a core of each Indian’s identity, those identities themselves can vary widely depending on backgrounds, regions and socio-economic levels. Even within religions, there can be significant differences in how this is practiced and therefore how identity is defined.

Challenges with India’s diversity

• Regionalism: Regionalism tends to highlight interests of a particular region/regions over national interests. It can also adversely impact national integration. Law and order situation is hampered due to regional demands and ensuing
• Divisive politics: Sometimes, ascriptive identities such as caste, religion etc. are evoked by politicians in order to garner This type of divisive politics can result in violence, feeling of mistrust and suspicion among minorities.
• Development imbalance: Uneven pattern of socio-economic development, inadequate economic policies and consequent economic disparities can lead to backwardness of a region. Consequently, this can result in violence, kickstart waves of migration and even accelerate demands of separatism.. For instance, due to economic backwardness of the North East region, several instances of separatist demands and secessionist tendencies have sprung up in the
• Ethnic differentiation and nativism: Ethnic differentiation has often led to clashes between different ethnic groups especially due to factors such as job competition, limited resources, threat to identity E.g. frequent clashes between Bodos and Bengali speaking Muslims in Assam. This has been accentuated by son of the soil doctrine, which ties people to their place of birth and confers some benefits, rights, roles and responsibilities on them, which may not apply to others.
• Geographical isolation: Geographical isolation too can lead to identity issues and separatist The North-East is geographically isolated from the rest of the country as it is connected with the rest of the country by a narrow corridor i.e the Siliguri corridor (Chicken’s neck). The region has inadequate infrastructure, is more backward economically as compared to the rest of the country. As a result, ithas witnessed several instances of separatism and cross-border terrorism, among others.
• Inter-religious conflicts: Inter-religious conflicts not only hamper relations between two communities by spreading fear and mistrust but also hinder the secular fabric of the country.
• Inter-state conflicts: This can lead emergence of feelings related to regionalism. It can also affect trade and communications between conflicting states. For instance, Cauvery River dispute between Karnataka and Tamil
• Influence of external factors: Sometimes external factors such as foreign organizations terrorist groups, extremist groups can incite violence and sow feelings of separatism. g. Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has been accused of supporting and training mujahideen to fight in Jammu and Kashmir and sow separatist tendencies among resident groups.

Success as a republic

• Constitutional identity: The entire country is governed by one single Even, most of the states follow a generalised scheme of 3-tier government structure, thus imparting uniformity in national governance framework. Further, the Constitution guarantees certain fundamental rights to all citizens regardless of their age, gender, class, caste, religion, etc.
• Religious co-existence: Religion tolerance is the unique feature of religions in India due to which multiple religions co-exist in Freedom of religion and religious practice is guaranteed by the Constitution itself. Moreover, there is no state religion and all religions are given equal preference by the state.
• Inter-State mobility: The Constitution guarantees freedom to move throughout the territory of India under Article 19 (1) (d), thus promoting a sense of unity and brotherhood among the
  • Other factors such as uniform pattern of law, penal code, and administrative works (eg. All India services) too lead to uniformity in the criminal justice system, policy implementation
• Economic integration:    The      Constitution    of India secures the freedom of Trade, Commerce and Intercourse within the Territory of India under Article Further, the Goods and Service Tax (GST) have paved way for ‘one country, one tax, one national market’, thus facilitating unity among different regions.
• Institution of pilgrimage and religious practices: In India, religion and spirituality have great significance. . From Badrinath and Kedarnath in the north to Rameshwaram in the south, Jagannath Puri in the east to Dwaraka in the west the religious shrines and holy rivers are spread throughout the length and breadth of the Closely related to them is the age-old culture of pilgrimage, which has always moved people to various parts of the country and fostered in them a sense of geo-cultural unity.
• Fairs and festivals: They also act as integrating factors as people from all parts of the country celebrate them as per their own local Eg. Diwali is celebrated throughout by Hindus in the country, similarly Id and Christmas are celebrated by Muslims and Christians, respectively. Celebration of inter-religious festivals is also seen in India.
• Climatic integration via monsoon: The flora and fauna in the entire Indian subcontinent, agricultural practices, life of people, including their festivities revolve around the monsoon season in
• Sports and Cinema: These are followed by millions in the country, thus, acting as a binding force across the length and breadth of the country

Conclusion

This diversity and the pluralism it fosters have been a key strength for India, creating a vibrant and dynamic society that is open to new ideas, and quick to adopt and adapt innovations regardless of their origin, as well as creating a strong democratic polity with checks and balances on its leadership. If properly leveraged, India’s diversity is a fundamental strategic asset for the country’s development and standing in the world.

General Studies – 2

3. Developing inclusive and accessible schools will help challenge perceptions about children with disabilities and actualise the zero-rejection policy in schools. Examine.

Reference: The Hindu

Introduction

A UNESCO 2019 report mentioned that CWD Children with Disabilities comprise 1.7% of the total child population in India (Census 2011). As they are faced with physical, institutional, socioeconomic and communication barriers from an early age, more than 70% of five-year-olds with disabilities in India have never attended any educational institution, the report said. Many CWD also tend to drop out of school as they grow older.

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Statistics: Children with Disabilities

• There are more than 78 lakh children with disabilities in India between 5-19 years.
• Only 61% of children were attending an educational institution.
• About 12% had dropped out, while 27% had never been to school at all.
• There are fewer girls with disabilities in schools than boys
  • School enrollment: In this regard more girls with disabilities get left behind than boys.

Issues and barriers children face

• Inaccessible school buses in India, especially for rural children suffering from disabilities.
• Inaccessible facilities in schools (drinking water facilities, canteens and toilets) that are not designed to be inclusive of all children.
• Inappropriate infrastructure in classrooms (uncomfortable seating, slippery flooring and low illumination).
• Misinformed attitudes and perceptions among parents, teachers, staff, and communities.
• The lack of teaching and learning practices that integrate inclusive technologies and digital equipment to engage the child, such as assistive devices, are additional challenges.
• Accessible infrastructure within schools, such as ramps or tactile paths, are either in deficit or have not been constructed utilizing suitable materials.

Way forward

• To motivate all children to meaningfully participate in all indoor and outdoor activities without barriers or limitations, the school ecosystem has to be made safe, accessible, and reliable.
• The cooperation, involvement, and sensitisation of parents and caregivers, teachers, school management authorities, and the local government departments are required so that all these barriers are actively addressed.
• Inclusion through interactive training sessions and simulation exercises that encourage empathy-building.
  • It can go a long way in creating inclusive spaces.
• Developing inclusive and accessible schools will be a big step towards not only challenging perceptions about CWD, and the associated discrimination, but also in actualizing the zero-rejection policy in schools.
• A multi-pronged participatory approach towards providing an enabling environment for the empowerment of future citizens is needed to ensure that stakeholders in the school ecosystem collectively work towards promoting accessibility and inclusion in schools.
• Five principles:
  • Equitability, usability and durability, affordability, cultural adaptability, and aesthetic appeal.
  • They should be embedded from the planning to implementation to evaluation stages of providing infrastructure services in schools.

Conclusion

To motivate all children to meaningfully participate in all indoor and outdoor activities without barriers or limitations, the school ecosystem has to be made safe, accessible, and reliable. Leave no one behind attitude  by Sabka prayas can lead to Sabka Vikas.

4. What is the importance of having a ‘strategic partnership’? Explain the significance of having a such partnership with Egypt in the context of wider India-Middle east relations.

Reference: Indian Express

Introduction

Strategic partnership is a long-term relation between two countries to share knowledge and expertise with each other related to various sectors such as defense, education, health, economy, etc. Strategic partnership emerges as a preferred mode of inter-state interaction, at the intersection of realist and neo-liberal imaginations of international politics.

For the first time, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, an Egyptian President has been invited as chief guest for the Republic Day celebrations in India.

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Importance of Strategic Partnership

• A ‘strategic relationship’ involves a shared understanding between the two or more states involved on the nature of threats in the environment and the place of their collective power in helping mitigate the threats.
• It offers enormous scope for interstate interaction in multiple areas, as also opportunity for states to maximise their relative power.
• It also helps them balance their threats/anxieties in more un-threatening ways than the balance-of-power politics of the Cold War years could ever guarantee.
• The ambit of these talks can be quite broad, to include technology, strategic perspectives, state of and progress in the relationship, future directions of international affairs and the relations in particular, etc.
• It need not be restricted to the military sphere and could include civilian areas, such as nuclear technology, space, agriculture, etc.

Importance of Strategic relationship with Egypt

• India and Egypt have long-standing, people-to-people-based civilizational, cultural, and economic ties, spanning across various timelines of history
• With the trade between the countries touching 12 billion USD in the last five years, the countries have now entered into Strategic Partnership.
• India is looking at increasing investmentsin the country, especially in major infrastructure projects in and around the Suez Canal, and special economic zones in Alexandria and Cairo.
• Egypt is interested in procuring defence equipment from India.India plans to sell LCA Tejas, missiles like Akash, DRDO’s Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon and radars.
• Egypt is facing a massive economic crisis due to depleted forex reserves.
• Improving ties with Muslim-majority countries: Egypt is viewed as a moderate Islamic voice by New Delhi since it has made an attempt over the years to play a nuanced and positive role in the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
• With Egypt, India has signed the agreement on terrorism. The countries will work together in resolving cross-border terrorism
• Also, the agreement will focus in areas such as cyber security, Information Technology, youth, culture, and broadcasting
• India-Egypt cooperation in the field of science and technology is also noteworthy. They have held workshops on Agriculture-Biotechnology and Nanotechnology.
• The grants-in-aid projects include Pan Africa Tele-medicine and Tele-education project at Alexandria University, the Solar electrification project in Agaween village, and Vocational Training Centre for textile technology in Shoubra, Cairo, which have been completed. An IT Centre at Al Azhar University, CEIT, is also operational since February 2019.
• Space cooperation is an emerging vertical of cooperation between India and Egypt. Joint Working Group meetings and discussions between ISRO and NARSS (National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences) have been held.

Conclusion

Egypt’s geopolitical and geoeconomic importance in the African and Middle-east area is imperative for India. India’s status as a prominent global player is likewise respected by Egypt. Relations between Egypt and India have a lot of unrealized potentials. Both countries could shape the regional security and economic architecture and engage in multilateral engagements.

General Studies – 3

5. Tourism is considered to be important for the country’s economy. It is a multi-segment industry which brings in a lot of economic value & associated benefits. Discuss the positive economic effects of tourism.

Reference: The Hindu

Introduction

Every region in India is identified with its handicraft, fairs, folk dances, music and its people. Hence, India is a country with a great potential for tourism. The tourism industry employs a large number of people, both skilled and unskilled. It promotes national integration and international brotherhood. There is no other country in the world which offers such a wide choice of destinations like India.

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Background

Today is National Tourism Day (January 25) and the Ministry of Railways, in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism, is launching its Jagannath Yatra train package, an eight-day tour that begins in from Delhi, traverses Kashi, Baidyanath Dham, Jagannath Puri, Bhubaneshwar and Konark, and ends at the Vishnupad temple in Gaya. All this is linked to using Bharat Gaurav Trains (or theme-based tourist circuit trains) to highlight India’s rich cultural heritage and history.

Tourism Status in India

• In the Pre- pandemic times, tourism sector contributed ~US$ 250 billion in 2018 to India’s GDP.
• It crumbled down to US$ 122 billion in 2020 due to pandemic.
• The share of Tourism to GDP has hovered around ~5-6%. With post-pandemic recovery, the tourism industry is  expected to reach US$ 512 billion by 2028.
• In 2020, the Indian tourism sector accounted for 39 million jobs, which was 8% of the total employment in the country. By 2029, it is expected to account for about 53 million jobs.
• India ranked 34th in the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2019 published by the World Economic Forum.
• Data show that domestic tourism has recovered to pre-pandemic levels, even exceeding it in some cases. This is evident in a record 1.84 crore domestic tourists visiting Jammu and Kashmir in 2022

Positive effects of Tourism in India

• Employment generation: Tourism sector provides diverse opportunities for jobs like in hospitality/hotels/accommodation, transportation, tour guides, travel operations etc.
• Revenue Generation: Tourism contributes 6.23% to the national GDP and 9.3% of the total employment in India. More than 20 million people are now working in the India’s tourism industry.
• Source of Foreign Exchange Earnings:Tourism Sector was the third-largest foreign exchange earner for the country in 2019. Tourism is an important source of foreign exchange earnings in India. This has favorable impact on the balance of payment of the country. By 2028, Indian tourism and hospitality is expected to earn US$ 50.9 billion as visitor exports compared with US$ 28.9 billion in 2018.
• Preservation of National Heritage and Environment:Tourism helps preserve several places which are of historical importance by declaring them as heritage sites. For instance, the Taj Mahal, the Qutab Minar, Ajanta and Ellora temples, etc. would have been decayed and destroyed, if the efforts had not been taken by Tourism Department to preserve them. Likewise, tourism also helps in conserving the natural habitats of many endangered species.
• Developing Infrastructure:Tourism tends to encourage the development of multiple-use infrastructure that benefits the host community, including various means of transports, health care facilities and sports centers, in addition to the hotels and high-end restaurants that cater to foreign visitors. The development of infrastructure has in turn induced the development of other directly productive activities.
• Promoting Peace and Stability:The tourism industry can also help promote peace and stability in developing country like India by providing jobs, generating income, diversifying the economy, protecting the environment and promoting cross-cultural awareness. However, key challenges like adoption of regulatory frameworks, mechanisms to reduce crime and corruption, etc, must be addressed if peace-enhancing benefits from this industry are to be realized.

Measures needed to boost Tourism sector

• Infrastructure: The Government has been increasing investments in strengthening of the country’s road and rail networks and promoting port development is a significant driver for the growth of the Tourism sector. The Adarsh Station Schemeis helping modernize railway stations, while the Regional Connectivity Scheme – UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik), is helping make air travel more economical and widespread to hitherto unserved routes. The Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD schemes aim to stimulate growth in niche tourism segments such as religious, heritage, wellness, medical, adventure, MICE, wildlife etc. Under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme, the Government has launched several theme based circuits like Buddhist circuit which covers destinations associated with the life of Lord Buddha.
• Promotional Campaign: Promotional activities such as the Incredible India 2.0campaign focuses on niche tourism products including yoga, wellness, luxury, cuisine wildlife among others. “Find the Incredible You” Campaign focuses on the promotion of niche tourism products of the Country on digital and social media.
• Information Helpline: The government has introduced the concept of e-tourist and e-medical visaswhich has helped increase inbound tourists to the country. Additional initiatives such as Atithi Devo Bhava, a 24×7 multi-lingual Tourist Helpline, among others have helped improve the safety and security of tourists. On a pilot basis, an ‘Incredible India Helpline’ has been set up to guide the tourists.
• Safety: The Ministry of Tourism has adopted a code of conduct for safe tourism, which contains a set of guidelines to encourage tourism activities to be undertaken with respect to basic rights like dignity, and  safety of both tourists and local residents, in particular women and children.
• Investment: The government allows 100% Foreign Direct Investment in the Travel and Tourism sector through the automatic route to increase investments across the sector. More recently, the GST rate cut on hotel room tariffs across the board has been a positive move for the industry and is expected to boost the sector’s competitiveness globally.
• Cleanliness and Hygiene: Major cleanliness campaign has been launched under the Swachh Bharatmovement for protecting and preserving the sanctity of monuments of national heritage. The Ministry of Tourism has also launched awareness campaign to ensure cleanliness of surroundings and help create a Swachh Bharat, Swachh Smarak.
• Assistance to States: Financial assistance to states, including places of religious importance, for various tourism projects in consultation with them subject to availability of funds, inter-se priority, liquidation of pending utilisation certificates and adherence to the scheme guidelines.
• Digital Database: In September 2021, the Government launched NIDHI 2.0(National Integrated Database of Hospitality Industry), a scheme which will maintain a hospitality database comprising accommodation units, travel agents, tour operators and others. NIDHI 2.0 will facilitate digitalisation of the tourism sector by encouraging hotels to register themselves on the platform.
• Skilling: The Ministry of Tourism has introduced the Incredible India Tourist Facilitator(IITF) and Incredible India Tourist Guide (IITG) Certification Programme to create an online learning platform of well-trained tourist facilitators and guides across the country.

Way forward

• The government should continue to promote India’s diversity and rich heritage to re-establish its position as a tourist paradise.
• The promotional campaigns should target both domestic and foreign tourists. Similarly, the extent of theme-based tourist circuits can be expanded.
• Tourism sector has a potential to provide lot of livelihood opportunities in smaller cities/towns. Upskilling and Reskilling can help address the issue of jobless growth.
• The government should also promote green and sustainable tourismto tackle issues relating to water crisis, pollution, waste management, etc.
• There is need to balance the promotion of tourism with safeguarding the physical, social, and cultural environment in the destination areas.
• The Government should further reform the tourist visa norms and processes to facilitate tourism. The Government should also explore the possibility of expanding the visa-on-arrival facility.
• The focus should also be on supporting and promoting the emerging segments of tourism.

Conclusion

If the goal of positioning of India as one of the world’s best tourism destinations by 2047, there is need to integrate various schemes of different ministries. Need to involve various stakeholders, and local communities; necessary interventions at urban and rural level should be a priority.

Answer the following questions in 250 words(15 marks each):

General Studies – 1

6. How has women’s participation in sports changed over time? Enlist the challenges and limitations that women in sports face and measures taken to empower them.

Reference: The Hindu

Introduction

India’s top wrestlers, including Olympic medallists Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, and World Championship medallist Vinesh Phogat, staged a protest against Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accusing him and coaches of the Federation of sexual harassment. Singh was asked to step aside, and the Union Sports Ministry constituted a five-member oversight committee to investigate the charges.

The committee, led by the celebrated boxer M.C. Mary Kom, has also been tasked with managing the day-to-day affairs of the Federation until the submission of its report. The controversy has yet again brought into focus the many problems in Indian sports governance.

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Challenges and limitations faced by women in sports

• Funding and Budget: Sportswomen face a lack of equal funding compared to men’s athletics, making it difficult for them to compete and run consistent programs.
• Buoyant Sexism: Women are made to face the barrels of buoyant sexism on a daily basis, be it at work or even at home. They are monitored and judged by the way they dress, by the way they speak.
• Gender Disparity: Despite women’s efforts to advocate for their social rights, they still do not receive the same level of respect or recognition on the professional front, particularly in the sports industry, as their male counterparts.
• Lack of Access and Costlier: Lack of physical education in schools and limited opportunities to play sports in both high school and college mean girls have to look elsewhere for sports –which may not exist or may cost more money.
  • Often there is an additional lack of access to adequate playing facilities near their homes that makes it more difficult for girls to engage in sports.
• Safety and Transportation Issues: Sports require a place to participate – and for many girls, especially in dense urban environments, that means traveling to facilities through unsafe neighborhoods or lacking any means to get to a good facility miles away.
  • And if there isn’t a safe option like carpooling with other families, the only option for a girl and her family may be to stay home.
    • For example, Manipur is a sporting powerhouse, but 48% of female athletes travel over 10 km to reach the practice facility.
  • Social Attitudes and Disfigurement: Despite recent progress, discrimination based on the real or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity of female athletes persists.
    • Girls in sports may experience bullying, social isolation, negative performance evaluations, or the loss of their starting position.
    • During socially fragile adolescence, the fear of being tagged “gay” is strong enough to push many girls out of the game.
  • Decreased Quality Training: The facilities are not as good as the boys’ venues and the playing times may not be optimal.
    • The availability of quality, trained coaches may be lacking in their community or these coaches may be more focused on the boys’ programs that have more money for training.
    • Equipment, and even uniforms aren’t funded for many girls’ programs at the same levels as boys so their ability to grow and enjoy the sport is diminished. In short, sports just aren’t “fun” any more.
  • Lack of Positive Role Models: Today’s girls are bombarded with images of external beauty, not those of confident, strong female athletic role models.
    • Peer pressure can be hard for girls at any age; when that pressure isn’t offset with strong encouragement to participate in sports and healthy physical activity, the results may lead girls to drop out altogether.
  • Limited Media Coverage: Women’s sports are often underrepresented in the media, which can make it harder for female athletes to gain recognition and sponsorship opportunities.
  • Pregnancy and Maternity: Female athletes often face challenges balancing motherhood and their sports careers.
    • This can affect the training and competing opportunities for female athletes.

Need for more women’s participation in sports

• Economic Empowerment:
  • Women who participate in sports often have more opportunities for education and employment, which can lead to greater economic empowerment.
• Rectify Societal Connotations:
  • Women’s participation in sports can also help to change societal attitudes towards women and their capabilities.
  • By seeing women excel in sports, it can inspire more women to pursue their own goals and aspirations, and challenge stereotypes about what women are capable of achieving.
• Representation:
  • Women’s participation in sports can help to provide better representation for women in leadership roles, including coaching and administration.
  • It can also serve as an inspiration for young girls to pursue sports as a career.
• Community Building:
  • Sports can bring people together and promote greater understanding and respect between different groups within society.
  • By promoting greater participation in sports among women, we can help to build stronger and more inclusive communities.

Conclusion

Sports in India is in the process of development. To accelerate this rate of development, a holistic approach should be adopted. Efforts are required in developing infrastructure, identifying sports talents, organising regular sports events, and generating awareness at the grass-root level.

Value addition

Women sportspersons in India

• Usha(Athlete): Her 102 medals won at national and international tournaments created a sensation in the country and motivated a generation of young women athletes.
• Karnam Malleswari: the first Indian woman who won a bronze medal in the 2000 Sydney Olympics in women’s 69 kg category in weightlifting.
• Mary Kom(Boxing) and Saina Nehwal(Badminton): Bronze Medal in London Olympics in 2012
• V. Sindhu(Badminton): Silver medal in badminton
• Sakshi Malik(Wrestling): Bronze medal in wrestling in 2016 Rio Olympics
• Women Athletes in Tokyo 2020: V. Sindhu, Saikhom Mirabai Chanu and Lovlina Borgohain made India proud by winning medals and have clearly shown the positive change that is taking place in our country. While, Saikhom Mirabai Chanu won the Silver medal at the very first day of the Tokyo Olympics 2020, P.V. Sindhu became the first Indian women to win two Olympic medals. She won the Silver medal in Rio 2016 and in Tokyo 2020 she captured the Bronze medal. Also, Lovlina Borgohain achieved her first Olympic medal in Women’s welterweight 64-69 kg.

7. “Globalization has intensified alienation, exploitation, and commodification of human life and nature”. Do you agree? Justify your viewpoint.

Reference: Indian Society by Rajendra Sharma,  Insights on India

Introduction

Globalization is an international platform for maintaining evenness in the living mode of the people all over the world. Globalization is the resultant of the interchange of worldly views, opinions and the various aspects of the culture everywhere around the world. The impact of globalization on Indian and rural life has a tremendous influence which is both positive as well as negative. The Indian urban and rural life is viewed as the two faces of the same coin. They are mutually interdependent and both have a greater impact of globalization.

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Impact of globalization on Indian rural society

• Positives:
  • Commercialization of agriculture: There is an increased trend of commercialization from sustenance farming. This has been successful only with farmers having large tracts of lands.
  • Expansion of agro-industries: Increased crop yield has led to development of agro-processing industries which help in adding value to the products and increasing their shelf life. E.g.; Tomato Ketchup, Potato chips etc.
  • Wider use of information, communication and technologies: Agricultural extension techniques like Kisan TV, sms about weather conditions has helped farmers plan better. Initiatives like e-Nam have helped farmers get better prices in certain areas.
  • Increased Mechanization, better inputs: Mechanization like use of tractors, harvesters, tillers has eased the job. High yield variety seeds, fertilizers have given better yield as seen during Green Revolution
  • Socio-economic development: With telemedicine and teleeducation, people are able to access the health and education facilities at the remotest areas. Adult literacy has helped in fighting for their rights.
  • MSMEs: There has been a rise of MSMEs with women entrepreneurs heading it.
• Negatives:
  • Changes in Land-Use patterns
  • Internal labour migration: Labour migration  to  cities from  rural  areas  in  search  of  employment  was  a  common phenomenon.  This  was  for  various  reasons  especially  for luxurious  life,  handsome  salary  and  for  numerous  job opportunities
  • Increasing privatization of resources: Rural population is still    suffering    from    unemployment    as    rural    labour    is    mostly    uneducated and unskilled.  Machines and latest technologies   have   reduced   the   number   of manpower a lot
  • Loss of jobs and Displacement: due to mechanization, women are the worst sufferers. When big-ticket projects like Dams, Roads, and Mining come up, people are displaced making them internal refugees.
  • Increased inequality: Regional and sectional disparity due to only a few reaping the benefits.
  • No Behavioural changes: Open defecation still present, caste discriminations are still prevalent.

Impact of globalization on Indian urban society

Positives:

• Increased Urbanization: It has been estimated that by 2050 more than 50% of India’s population will live in cities. The boom of services sector and city centric job creation has led to increasing rural to urban migration.
• Increased job opportunities: due to inflow of MNCs, FDIs, people have a wide choice of job opportunities provided they have the requisite skills. Startups like Ola, Swiggy etc. have revolutionized the Gig-Economy. Development of Industries have also provided with jobs.
• Higher Per capita income: employees are paid well albeit lesser than the global pay levels.
• Enhanced lifestyle: due to higher PCI and wide array of facilities available from which the consumer can choose. It has raised the quality of life of many.
• Better infrastructure: In terms of education, health, transport available to people. This has in turn enhanced the agglomeration of economies leading to industrial belts, IT parks, SEZ, CEZ etc.
• Rapid Digitization: for faster and ease of connectivity, most of the services are digitized. This also increases the awareness of citizens in terms of rights, happenings around world etc. On the Governmental side, there is more accountability and transparency and faster delivery of services.

Negatives:

• Family Structure: The increasing migration coupled with financial independence has led to the breaking of joint families into nuclear ones. The western influence of individualism has led to an aspirational generation of youth. Concepts of national identity, family, job and tradition are changing rapidly and significantly.
• Marriage Values: Similarly, marriages have also lost their values. It is very much evident from the increasing number of divorce cases and the extra-marital affairs reported every now and then.
• McDonaldization: A term denoting the increasing rationalization of the routine tasks of everyday life. It becomes manifested when a culture adopts the characteristics of a fast-food restaurant. McDonaldization is a reconceptualization of rationalization, or moving from traditional to rational modes of thought, and scientific management.
• Walmartization: A term referring to profound transformations in regional and global economies through the sheer size, influence, and power of the big-box department store WalMart. It can be seen with the rise of big businesses which have nearly killed the small traditional businesses in our society.
• Rise in Lifestyle diseases: due to reduced physical activity, increased habits of liquor and smoking etc.
• Urban Sprawl: Increasing slums, unplanned urbanizations are on the rise which is a ticking time-bomb.

Conclusion

It is difficult to say that the impact of globalization has been totally positive or totally negative. It has been both. Each impact mentioned above can be seen as both positive as well as negative. However, it becomes a point of concern when, an overwhelming impact of globalization can be observed on the Indian rural and urban society.

General Studies – 2

8. While the constitutional reasoning that resulted in the institution of Governor may still hold good today, the metamorphosis in Indian politics calls for transformed gubernatorial functioning. Critically analyse.

Reference: The Hindu , Insights on India

Introduction

Article 154 of the Constitution envisages Governor as the executive chief of the state. All executive actions are taken in his name. B R Ambedkar called the office of the Governor as the “office of dignity”. He is not an agent of the Centre, but the governor’s post in an independent Constitutional office. His office is the linchpin of Indian Cooperative Federalism.

The Governors are once again becoming public spectacles in many States, as seen in Punjab, Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Delhi, and in a few others earlier.

Body

Need for relook into Governor’s post

• Gubernatorial powers: Misusing the powers of Governor Eg.: the disagreements spill out in the open, to the media, reinforcing a political divide. Recently, the Governor of Tamil Nadu, R.N. Ravi, seems to have opened another front, i.e., defining the idea of Indian nationalism and imparting lessons to Tamil people..
• Locking horns with Government:: Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi omitted some sections from a speech he made in the state Assembly on Monday, 9 January. Ravi cut short the speech, the text of which the state government, as per convention, had given him, to exclude some key points. This led to TN Chief Minister MK Stalin moving a resolution against Ravi in the Assembly and the Governor leaving the venue amid protests.
• Governor’s appointment: Article 155says that governor should be appointed (not elected) from amongst persons of high status with eminence in public. The elected government at the state is not even consulted while making appointment of the Governors. Further successive governments have reduced this important constitutional office to a sinecure and resting place for loyal and retired / about to retired / about to retire politicians apart from docile bureaucrats.
• Appointment and dismissal of the Chief Minister: Governor appoints Chief Minister, other ministers, Advocate General, Chairmen and members of the State Public Service Commission in the state. After elections in the state, there is a convention to invite the largest party to form government in the state. This convention has been flouted many times at the whim of the governor. E.g.: The recent episode Maharashtra where Governor inducted a new government at 5:00 am without ascertaining the requisite numbers for the government.
• Reservation of Bills for Consideration of President: As per Article 200of the Constitution, the governor can reserve certain types of bills passed by the State Legislature for the President’s consideration. Centre, through the governor in case of different parties ruling, used this provision to serve partisan interests. In Tamil Nadu, Governor R.N. Ravi has not acted upon the T.N. Admission to Undergraduate Medical Degree Courses Bill, adopted by the Assembly in September 2021. the indefinite delay in taking a decision amounts to undermining the legislature, and is unjustifiable.
• Misuse of Article 356: Article 356is the most controversial article of the Constitution. It provides for State emergency or President’s rule in State if the President, on receipt of report from the Governor of a State. But since the SR Bommai case, this has been sparsely used.
• Removal of the Governor:Article 156says that the governor will hold office during the pleasure of the President for five years. The governor has no security of tenure and no fixed term of office. This prevents to uphold neutrality of the governor, fearing retribution. E.g.: The mass changing of the governors of state whenever a new government comes to power at Centre..

Recommendations made regarding the Governor Posts

Sarkaria Commission Report Recommendations

• “The Governors tenure of office of five years in a State should not be disturbed except very rarely and that too for some extremely compelling reason. It is very necessary to assure a measure of security of tenure to the Governor’s office.”
• Governor should be an eminent person and not belong to the state where he is to be posted.
• State chief minister should have a say in the appointment of governor
• Governor should be a detached figure without intense political links or should not have taken part in politics in recent past.
• Governor should not be a member of the ruling party.
• Governor should be removed before his tenure only on the grounds as if aspersions are cast on his morality, dignity, constitutional propriety, etc.

The National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution recommendations:

• Governor’s appointment should be entrusted to a committee comprising the prime minister, the home minister, the speaker of the Lok Sabha and the chief minister of the concerned state.
• If they have to be removed before completion of their term, the central government should do so only after consultation with the Chief Minister.

The Punchhi commission recommendations

• The person who is slated to be a Governor should not have participated in active politics at even local level for at least a couple of years before his appointment.
• For office of Governor, the doctrine of pleasure should endand should be deleted from the constitution. Governor should not be removed at whim of central government. Instead, a resolution by state legislature should be there to remove Governor.
• There should be provisions for impeachment of the Governor by the state legislature along the same lines as that of President by President.
• The convention of making the Governors as chancellors of universities should be done away with.
• The commission recommended for “localising emergency provisions” under Articles 355 and 356, contending that localised areas— either a district or parts of a district — be brought under Governor’s rule instead of the whole state.

The Supreme Court’s interpretation

• In 2010, a constitutional bench of the Supreme Court interpreted these provisions and laid down some binding principles (B.P. Singhal v. Union of India), the Supreme Court held:
• President, in effect the central government, has the power to remove a Governor at any time without giving him or her any reason, and without granting an opportunity to be heard.
• However, this power cannot be exercised in an arbitrary, capricious or unreasonable manner.  The power of removing Governors should only be exercised in rare and exceptional circumstances for valid and compelling reasons.
• The mere reason that a Governor is at variance with the policies and ideologies of the central government, or that the central government has lost confidence in him or her, is not sufficient to remove a Governor.  Thus, a change in central government cannot be a ground for removal of Governors, or to appoint more favourable persons to this post.
• Such a decision, to remove a Governor can be challenged in a court of law.

Conclusion

Despite several commissions appointed by Government themselves and the Supreme Court guidelines, the post of governor is misused again and again.

It is, however, time for a thorough review of the Governor’s powers and the process of appointment and removal.

• New rules and conventions may need to be put in place so that Governor’s constitutional mandate is strengthened.
• All part conference to review the role of the Governors, the powers exercised by him and the manner in which he should be appointed and removed.
• The Constitution should be amended and security of tenure must be provided to the Governors. The judgment of the Supreme Court delivered in B. P. Singhal case is the law of the land and the Government should respect it.
• The Governors should be treated with dignity, and should not be fired only for political considerations.
• The Constitution of the land prohibits the arbitrary exercise of power and the Government is not an exception to the equality law.

9. Trans fats are easy to use, inexpensive to produce and last a long time. Regulating the limit of industrially produced trans- fats in food products has been enacted by many countries as they contribute to significant negative health effects. Analyse.

Reference: Down to Earth

Introduction

Trans fatty acids (TFAs) or Trans fats are the most harmful type of fats which can have much more adverse effects on our body than any other dietary constituent. These fats are largely produced artificially but a small amount also occurs naturally. Thus in our diet, these may be present as Artificial TFAs and Natural TFAs.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has restricted the permissible amount of industrial Trans Fatty Acid (TFA) in food products to 2 per cent from 2022. In December 2020, the FSSAI had capped TFAs in oils and fats to 3% by 2021, and 2% by 2022 from the current levels of 5%.

Five billion people globally are exposed to harmful trans fat, increasing their heart disease and death risk, according to a new report by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Body:

Artificial TFAs are formed when hydrogen is made to react with the oil to produce fats resembling pure ghee/butter. In our diet the major sources of artificial TFAs are the partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (PHVO)/Vanaspati/ margarine while the natural TFAs are present in meats and dairy products, though in small amounts.

Health impacts:

• TFAs pose a higher risk of heart diseasethan saturated fats. While saturated fats raise total cholesterol levels, TFAs not only raise total cholesterol levels but also reduce the good cholesterol (HDL), which helps to protect us against heart disease.
• It is also associated with a higher risk of developing obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, infertility, certain types of cancersand can also lead to compromised foetal development causing harm to the yet to be born baby.
• Metabolic syndrome includeshigh blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist and abnormal cholesterol levels. The syndrome increases a person’s risk of heart attack and stroke.
• Studies have recently shown that 60,000 deaths occur every year due to cardiovascular diseases, which in turn are caused due to high consumption of trans fats.

Measures to curb their usage and intake:

National level:

• FSSAI launched a “Trans Fat Free”logo for voluntary labelling to promote TFA-free products. The label can be used by bakeries, local food outlets and shops for preparations containing TFA not exceeding2 per 100 g/ml.
• FSSAI launched a new mass media campaign “Heart Attack Rewind”to eliminate industrially produced trans-fat in the food supply by the year 2022.
• “Heart Attack Rewind” is a follow-up to an earlier campaign called “Eat Right”,which was launched in July, 2018.
• Edible oil industries took a pledge to reduce the levels of salt, sugar, saturated fat and trans fat content by 2% by 2022.
• Swasth Bharat Yatra,an initiative started under the “Eat Right” campaign is a Pan-India cyclothon to engage citizens on issues of food safety, combating food adulteration and healthy diets.

Global level:

• WHO launched a REPLACE campaign in 2018for global-level elimination of trans-fats in industrially produced edible oils by 2023.

Way forward:

• Eat a dietary pattern that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, poultry, fish and nuts. Also limit red meat and sugary foods and beverages.
• Use naturally occurring, unhydrogenated vegetable oils such as canola, safflower, sunflower or olive oil most often.
• Look for processed foods made with unhydrogenated oil rather than partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated vegetable oils or saturated fat.
• Limit commercially fried foods and baked goods made with shortening or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. Not only are these foods very high in fat, but that fat is also likely to be trans-fat.

General Studies – 3

10. Electric vehicles (EVs) must focus on long-term, concerted, unidirectional effort to ensure this sector is self-reliant and a gets the country closer to the eventuality of being a net-zero emissions economy. Discuss.

Reference: Indian Express , Insights on India

Introduction

An electric vehicle, uses one or more electric motors or traction motors for propulsion. An electric vehicle may be powered through self-contained battery, solar panels or an electric generator to convert fuel to electricity. India is among a handful of countries that supports the global EV30@30 campaign, which aims for at least 30 per cent new vehicle sales to be electric by 2030.

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Potential of EVs in India

• Help tackle Climate change and air pollution:
  • India has committed to cutting its GHG emissions intensity by 33% to 35% percent below 2005 levels by 2030.
  • As per NITI Aayog’s report EVs will help in cutting down as much as 1 Gigatonne (GT) of carbon emissions by 2030.
  • Electric vehicles don’t produce emissions that contribute to climate change and smog than conventional vehicles.
  • All-electric vehicles produce zero direct emissions, which specifically helps improve air quality in urban areas.
  • According to a recent study by WHO, India is home to 14 out of 20 most polluted cities in the world. EVs will help in tackling this problem by reducing local concentrations of pollutants in cities.
  • Cost reduction from better electricity generating technologies. This has introduced the possibility of clean, low-carbon and inexpensive grids.
• Energy security:
  • India imports oil to cover over 80 percent of its transport fuel.
  • Electric mobility will contribute to balancing energy demand, energy storage and environmental sustainability.
  • Electric vehicles could help diversify the energy needed to move people and goods thanks to their reliance on the wide mix of primary energy sources used in power generation, greatly improving energy security.
• Cutting edge Battery Technology:
  • Advances in battery technology have led to higher energy densities, faster charging and reduced battery degradation from charging.
• Innovation:
  • EVs manufacturing capacity will promote global scale and competitiveness.
• Employment:
  • Promotion of EVs will facilitate employment growth in a sun-rise sector.

growth of electric vehicles in India

• The Electric vehicle adoption, be it four-, three-, two-wheelers, or buses, has seen a massive uptick over the past year or so.
• As an example, Hero Electric, India’s pioneering electric two-wheeler manufacturer, clocked its highest ever calendar year volumes in 2022, with more than 1,00,000 units finding new homes across the year
• As fuel prices skyrocket, there are rising concerns about the steep increase in the cost of running petrol and diesel vehicles. Electric vehicles seem to be coming into their own at last.
• The Indian electric vehicle market was valued at USD 1,434.04 billion in 2021, and it is expected to reach USD 15,397.19 billion by 2027, registering a CAGR of 47.09% during the forecast period (2022-2027).
• The National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) and Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid & Electric Vehicles in India (FAME I and II) helped create the initial interest and exposure for electric mobility.
• To promote the domestic electric vehicle industry, the Indian government has provided tax exemptions and subsidies to EV manufacturers and consumers.
• India’s shift to shared, electric and connected mobility could help the country save nearly one giga-tonne of carbon dioxide emissions by 2030.

Various measures taken by the government to promote electric vehicles

• Most recently, Government think-tank Niti Aayog has prepared a draft battery swapping policy, under which it has proposed offering incentives to electric vehicles (EVs) with swappable batteries, subsidies to companies manufacturing swappable batteries, a new battery-as-a-service business model, and standards for interoperable batteries, among other measures.
• Government has set a target of electric vehicles making up 30 % of new sales of cars and two-wheelers by 2030.
• To build a sustainable EV ecosystem initiative like –National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) and Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric vehicles in India (FAME India) have been launched by India.
• NEMMP was launched with an aim to achieve national fuel security by promoting hybrid and electric vehicles in the country.
• FAME India Scheme was launched with the objective to support hybrid/electric vehicles market development and manufacturing ecosystem.
• The Union power ministry categorized charging of batteries as a service, which will help charging stations operate without licenses.
• Implementation of smart cities would also boost the growth of electric vehicle

Way Forward:

• For EVs to contribute effectively, we need commensurate efforts in developing an entire ecosystem.
• Need to shift the focus from subsidizing vehicles to subsidizing batteries because batteries make up 50% of EV costs.
• Increasing focus on incentivizing electric two-wheelers because two-wheelers account for 76% of the vehicles in the country and consume most of the fuel.
• A wide network of charging stations is imminent for attracting investment.
• Work places in tech parks, Public bus depots, and Multiplexes are the potential places where charging points could be installed. In Bangalore, some malls have charging points in parking lots.
• Corporates could invest in charging stations as Corporate Social Responsibility compliances.
• Addressing technical concerns like AC versus DC charging stations, handling of peak demand, grid stability etc.
• India needs to leap into EV battery manufacturing.
• Private investment in battery manufacturing plants and developing low cost production technology is needed.
• Need for a policy roadmap on electric vehicles so that investments can be planned.
• Acquiring lithium fields in Bolivia, Australia, and Chile could become as important as buying oil fields as India needs raw material to make batteries for electric vehicles.
• Providing waiver of road tax and registration fees, GST refunds and free parking spaces for EVs.
• There is also the task of bringing skilled professionals into the workforce that are knowledgeable about the benefits and advantages associated with electric vehicles.

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