[Mission 2023] Insights SECURE SYNOPSIS: 23 February 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

General Studies – 1

Topic: Geography: Important Geophysical phenomena.

Q1. “Rising temperatures, scorching heat, and economic distress – Heat dome is a triple threat to India’s progress”. Explain how heat domes are formed and enumerate their socio-economic impact. (250 Words)

 Difficulty level: Moderate

Reference: IE, Hindu BL

 Why the question:

‘Heat dome’ over North-West India may retract from Wednesday. Also, the world is seeing above-average temperatures this year as well

Key Demand of the question:

To write about the formation of heat domes and their socio-economic impact on India.

 Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Start by defining what a heat dome is and how it is formed.

Body:

Explain the science behind it and the conditions required for its formation.

Discuss the impact of heat domes on India, considering various regions of the country. Highlight the economic distress that results from extreme temperatures, including the impact on agriculture, energy demand, and public health.

Enumerate the socio-economic impact of heat domes, including the loss of productivity, increase in poverty and unemployment, and displacement of people due to climate-induced migration.

Conclusion:

Finally, suggest measures that can be taken to address the issue of heat domes, including adaptation and mitigation strategies to reduce the impact on people and the economy.

Introduction

According to the US-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a heat dome is created when strong high-pressure atmospheric conditions combine with weather patterns like La Niña, creating vast areas of sweltering heat that get trapped under the high-pressure “dome”. Heat Dome also prevents clouds from forming, allowing for more radiation from the sun to hit the ground.

Over the past week, maximum temperatures have been 5-11 degrees C higher than normal in most parts of northern and western India.

Body

In the process known as convection, the temperature difference causes more warm air, heated by the ocean surface, to rise over the ocean surface. That temperature difference creates winds that blow dense, tropical, western air eastward. Eventually that warm air gets trapped in the jet stream—a current of air spinning counter clockwise around the globe—and ends up on the U.S. West Coast, resulting in heatwaves. This strong change in ocean temperature from the west to the east is the reason for the heat dome. The western Pacific ocean’s temperatures have increased in the past few decades and are relatively more than the temperature in the eastern Pacific. A Heat dome is more likely to form during La Niña years like 2021, when waters are cool in the eastern Pacific and warm in the western Pacific.

Impact of a heat dome:

• Temperatures beyond wet bulb temperature can cause heat related illnesses including heat stroke, heat exhaustion, sunburn and heat rashes. Sometimes these can prove fatal.
• Trapping of heat can also damage crops, dry out vegetation and result in droughts.
• The heat wave will also lead to rise in energy demand, especially electricity, leading to pushing up rates.
• Heat domes can also act as fuel to wildfires, which destroys a lot of land area in the US every year.
• Heat dome also prevents clouds from forming, allowing for more radiation from the sun to hit the ground.

Measures needed: 

• There is a need to formulate action plans for the prevention and management of heat waves, outlining four key strategies:
  • Forecasting heat waves and enabling an early warning system
  • Building capacity of healthcare professionals to deal with heat wave-related emergencies
  • Community outreach through various media
  • Inter-agency cooperation as well as engagement with other civil society organizations in the region.
• Scientific Approach:
  • Climate data from the last 15-20 years can be correlated with the mortality and morbidity data to prepare a heat stress index and city-specific threshold.
  • Vulnerable areas and population could be identified by using GIS and satellite imagery for targeted actions.
• Advance implementation of local Heat Action Plans, plus effective inter-agency coordination is a vital response which the government can deploy in order to protect vulnerable groups.
• The Local Cooling Action Plansmust emphasize the urgency and need for better planning, zoning and building regulations to prevent Urban Heat Islands
• This will require identification of “heat hot spots”, analysis of meteorological data and allocation of resources to crisis-prone areas.
• Provision of public messaging (radio, TV), mobile phone-based text messages, automated phone calls and alerts.
• Promotion of traditional adaptation practices, such as staying indoors and wearing comfortable clothes.
• Popularisation of simple design features such as shaded windows, underground water storage tanks and insulating housing materials.

General Studies – 2

Topic: Indian Constitution/ Social Justice

Q2. What are India’s major social and political contradictions after 75 years of independence, and what measures can be taken to address them? (250 Words)

Difficulty level: Easy

Reference: The Hindu

Why the question:

The question is taken from the Editorial Article of the Hindu. It talks about social and political issues confronting India, as it celebrates its 75^th year of independence.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about the various social and political contradictions that India faces and suggest solutions.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Introduce the topic by briefly discussing India’s journey since its independence in 1947 and highlighting the achievements and challenges faced by the country.

Body:

Define what is meant by social and political contradictions, and provide examples of the major ones in India today. This could include issues such as caste discrimination, communalism, gender inequality, poverty, corruption, and political polarization, among others.

Offer suggestions for addressing these contradictions, such as legislative reforms, social and cultural changes, and strengthening institutions and governance mechanisms. It could also include community-led initiatives and collaborations between the government, civil society, and the private sector.

Conclusion:

Conclude by summarizing the main points and emphasizing the importance of addressing these contradictions to achieve India’s potential as a vibrant, diverse, and inclusive democracy.

Introduction

The nation may have celebrated “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav”, on the completion of 75 years of Independence and the 74th anniversary of the founding of the Republic, but there are still deep contradictions in the country. Abject poverty prevails, there is a deepening divide between the rich and the poor, precarious conditions affect the rule of law, and not-so-good governance poses grave challenges to the very existence of democracy and the republic.

Body

Social and political contradictions

• Inability to eradicate extreme poverty and marginalization: Multi-dimensional poverty has become deeply entrenched and inequalities have widened sharply.
• Communalism: Clashes between two religious groups and rioting are still a feature of Indian society, even though the freedom fighters and the forefathers of the constitution renounced it and envisaged a new India.
• Today, on the one hand, India stands tall as one of the world’s emerging economies with an advantageous demographic dividend, a vibrant democracy that ensures enthusiastic participation in elections, a diverse polity, and a diversified economy.
  • But it also faces humongous challenges. Its people live in a more chaotic world where cooperation and liberal trade relations have taken a beating and where climate change is a challenge.
• Also, the emergence and consolidation of a dominant political force that seeks to centralise power and homogenise the idea of India has threatened to unravel the constitutional structure of recognition of diversity and inclusion as the means for overall progress.
• Economic progress through inclusive growth — a process that was accelerated following comprehensive reforms in the early 1990s and the institution of a rights-based approach towards welfare in the mid-2000s — has slowed down in the last few years.
• Meanwhile, there is an exacerbation of inter-State disparities, with southern and western India delivering better outcomes in education, health care and thoroughgoing economic growth than other regions, an issue that requires careful deliberation in the near future.

Measures to address the contradictions

• The successes and failures of the earlier generations in post-independent India have provided the nation with the pathways to address the challenges of the future.
  • For one, neither a statist nor a market-only emphasis on development and growth is ideal.
  • India must continue policies, framed in the 1990s, of allowing entrepreneurial energies to flourish while relying on comprehensive welfare with a rights approach, which was given impetus in the late 2000s, to help utilize its demographic potential.
• In the early years of Independence, many modern institutions of higher education, industry and health care were built and endured but India missed out on a strong focus on primary healthcare and education, a weakness that has led to the persistence of poverty and social marginalization based on caste.
• A bottom-up approach to development that should focus on building capabilities of the citizenry through both affirmative actions and state responsiveness would lead to better release of productive forces in the economy.
• States getting more fiscal latitude and local governments being empowered to implement programmes could go a long way in achieving this.
• While, since the reforms in 1991, interdependence in a globalised world allowed for the export sectors to flourish, the lack of diversified employment and increased labour productivity in comparison to other countries such as China or South Korea is a failing.
• As the world transits towards a new industrial revolution in its reliance on technologies such as 5G, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, robotics, and green technologies, India must embark upon building significant capabilities in these in a way that does not just result in a few corporations gaining but which allows for more gainful employment and diversification of the economy.
• In external relations, while India must continue to skillfully navigate the contradictions emerging in the international order with an emphasis on its interests, it should not disavow the time-tested adherence to values — of non-interference, building an equanimous world order and striving for peace — that allowed it to emerge as a leader of the non-aligned world.
• India has come a long way since 1947 in finding its footing among the comity of nations, but there still needs a lot more distance to be travelled

Conclusion

As we are celebrating “Azaadi ka Amrit Mahotsav”, the completion of 75 years of independence can be taken as a new opportunity to build an India of our aspirations and make positive contributions to the changing landscape of India.

Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

 Q3. “Empowering the rural workforce, one job at a time – MGNREGA is a powerful tool for poverty alleviation, but its success lies in addressing the challenges that hinder its potential”. Discuss (250 Words)

 Difficulty level: Easy

 Reference: Insights on India

 Why the question: 

The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 2 and mentioned as part of the Mission-2023 Secure timetable.

 Key Demand of the question: 

To write about the potential, successes and limitations of MGNREGA

 Directive word: 

Discuss: This is an all-encompassing directive – you must debate on paper by going through the details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You must give reasons for both for and against arguments.

 Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Start by explaining what MGNREGA is and how it has been a game-changer for rural employment in India.

Body:

Discuss the key features and potential of MGNREGA and how it can help in alleviating poverty in rural areas.

Discuss the challenges faced by MGNREGA, such as corruption, delays in wage payments, inadequate funds, lack of awareness, and poor implementation.

Highlight the steps taken by the government to address the challenges and improve the implementation of MGNREGA. Also, suggest some measures that can be taken to make MGNREGA more effective.

Conclusion:

Summarize the key points discussed and emphasize the need to address the challenges that hinder the potential of MGNREGA to empower the rural workforce and alleviate poverty.

Introduction

The MGNREGA was launched in 2006 in order to provide at least 100 days of guaranteed employment to rural households. It is the largest scheme run by the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD).

An internal study commissioned by the Ministry of Rural Development has argued for decentralisation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), allowing for more “flexibility” at the ground level.

Body

How has MGNREGA fared so far?

• MGNREGA works have demonstrably strong multiplier effects are yet another reason to improve its implementation.
• It is a labour programme meant to strengthen participatory democracy through community works. It is a legislative mechanism to strengthen the constitutional principle of the right to life.
• It has helped in increasing rural household income.
• It has not only helped in increasing groundwater table in the last one decade, but also agriculture productivity, mainly cereals and vegetables and fodders.
• The water conservation measures, including farm ponds and dug wells, have made a difference to the lives of the poor.
• While the scheme was earlier focused on creation of community assets, in the last three years, individual assets have also been emphasised.
• It has provided goat, poultry and cattle shed as per the need of poor households.
• One national study found that MGNREGS has created valuable public goods which have augmented rural incomes.
• Another national study found that, even after deficiencies in implementation, MGNREGS may have improved nutrition outcomes.
• Even consumption has been shown to improve if MGNREGS is implemented well. A 2018 study of a better-implemented version of MGNREGS in Andhra Pradesh, where there was significantly less leakage or payment delays, estimated that MGNREGS increased income households’ earnings by 13% and decreased poverty by 17%
• MGNREGS can smoothen food consumption of rural poor by providing them with an alternate source of income during the agricultural lean season.
• According to a study conducted by New Delhi-based Institute of Economic Growth.
  • there has been an 11 per cent increase in rural household income,
  • 5 per cent increase in cereal productivity and
  • 32 per cent increase in vegetable productivity,

Challenges to MGNREGA

• Low Wage Rate: These have resulted in a lack of interestamong workers making way for contractors and middlemen to take control. Currently, MGNREGA wage rates of 17 states are less than the corresponding state minimum wages. The above study also noted that the MGNREGS wages were far below the market rate in many States, defeating the purpose of acting as a safety net.
• Case study:At present, the minimum wage of a farm labourer in Gujarat is ₹324.20, but the MGNREGS wage is ₹229. The private contractors pay far more. In Nagaland, the wage is ₹212 per day, which does not take into account the difficult terrain conditions. Similarly, in Jammu and Kashmir, the rate is ₹214 per day. This, the study noted, “is lower than what is offered by private contractors which can go up to to ₹600-₹700 per day”.
• Insufficient Budget Allocation: The funds have dried up in many States due to lack of sanctions from the Central government which hampers the work in peak season.
• Payment Delays: Despite Supreme Court orders, various other initiatives and various government orders, no provisions have yet been worked out for calculation of full wage delays and payment of compensation for the same. The internal study also flagged the frequent delay in fund disbursal, and to deal with it suggested “revolving fund that can be utilised whenever there is a delay in the Central funds”.
• Case study: In Lower Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh, for example, the surveyors found that because of the delay in the material component the beneficiaries ended up buying the construction material themselves to complete the projects. In Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat, the delay in wages was by three or four months and the material component was delayed by six months.
• Corruption and Irregularities:Funds that reach the beneficiaries are very little compared to the actual funds allocated for the welfare schemes.
• Discrimination:Frequent cases of discrimination against the women and people from the backwards groups are reported from several regions of the country and a vast number goes unreported.
• Non-payment of Unemployment Allowance: There is a huge pendency in the number of unemployment allowances being shown in the Management Information System (MIS).
• Lack of Awareness: People, especially women, are not fully aware of this scheme and its provisions leading to uninformed choices or inability to get the benefits of the scheme.
• Poor Infrastructure Building: Improper surveillance and lack of timely resourcesresult in the poor quality assets.
• Non Purposive Spending: MGNREGA has increased the earning capacity of the rural people but the spending pattern of the workers assumes significance because there ishardly any saving out of the wages
• Workers penalised for administrative lapses: The ministry withholds wage payments for workers of states that do not meet administrative requirements within the stipulated time period.
• Too much centralisation weakening local governance: A real-time MIS-based implementation and a centralised payment system has further left the  representatives of the Panchayati Raj Institutions with literally no role in implementation, monitoring and grievance redress of MGNREGA schemes.

Way forward

• It is evident that the jobs under MGNREGS can only be revived through:
  • Adequate allocation of Budget funds
  • Timely payment for workers
  • Complete decentralisation of the implementation
  • Improving entitlements (wages, compensations and worksite facilities)
  • Allocation for a year should include pending liabilities of previous years.
• It should also respect the idea of the decentralised planning processes through Gram Sabhas across the country and allow adequate fund allotment as per labour budgets provided by each Gram Panchayats.
• The government should come up with only one delay-payment report that accounts for the entire time taken and delays during the closure of muster roll and wages credited to workers’ accounts.
• Also, the MGNREGA payment procedures should be simplified to ensure transparency and accountability.
• Better coordination must be ensured among various government departments involved.
• Better mechanism must be provided to allot and measure work.
• Gender gap in wages under this scheme must be addressed. In this scheme, women earn 22.24% less than their male counterparts.
• MGNREGA has been implemented for more than a decade now. It is necessary to understand its performance through output indicators like the number of workers, person days of work generated, quantum of assets completed etc.
• The data collected can be used to compare inter-state and inter-district differences in performance.
• In addition, MGNREGA must encompass provision for safe working conditions for the beneficiaries, like temperature checks, masks, hand washing facilities, proper hydration etc.

Conclusion

MGNREGA is playing a critical role in providing economic security for the rural population post the COVID-19 crisis. Therefore, the government must take steps to ensure that it is made use of to its fullest extent to address the current economic problems and bringing the economy back on track.

Value addition

Importance of MGNREGA

• MGNREGA is vital for addressing India’s current problems.
• It boosts rural demand and ensure economic development of the rural population
• It seeks to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor.
• This Act aims to improve the purchasing powerof the rural population by providing them primarily the semi-skilled or unskilled work, especially to those living below the poverty line.
• This can help solve rural poverty, farmer suicides, unemployment crisis in rural areas etc.
• Furthermore, it is a scheme that has the potential to undertake progressive measureslike infrastructure development in rural India, improving agricultural productivity through labour-intensive, supportive projects related to water conservation, drought relief measures, flood control etc.
• This Act is also highly significant because it allows for grass-root level developmentas it is implemented mainly by the Gram Panchayats. It does not allow the involvement of contractors so that the workers under this scheme are not exploited.
• It also stands out in its worker-centric legislation with a high emphasis on transparency and accountability.
• If the government supports this Act, then it can become the solution to the present-day problems like water scarcity, climate change etc.
• It is demand-driven wage employment schemethat provides additional 50 days of unskilled wage employment during drought/natural calamities.
• Section 3(4) of the Act allows states/Centre to provide additional days beyond the guaranteed period from their own funds.

Topic: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections

Q4. What are the staffing problems and other concerns affecting the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) in India and their impact on addressing discrimination against scheduled tribes (ST)?

 Difficulty level: Moderate

 Reference: Insights on India, The Hindu

 Why the question:

The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 2 and mentioned as part of the Mission-2023 Secure timetable.

Also, The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes has asked the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay why it allowed a counsellor with “casteist sentiment” to continue working with the SC/ST Cell on campus.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about the recent issues with staffing in NCST and their impact on its functioning.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

You may introduce it by

With the Constitution (89th Amendment) Act, 2003, under Article 338A, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) was established in the year 2004. As per the Article, it is the duty of the Commission to oversee the effective implementation of the safeguards available for the Scheduled Tribes (STs). The role of NCST is to protect and promote the socio-economic development of STs.

Body:

Write staffing and other issues with NCST such as NCST struggling to function due to a severe manpower crunch. As many as 70 posts out of 124 sanctioned posts in the commission are lying vacant; Recruitment rules are not finalised; Lack of applicants; non-binding recommendations; Less sensitive; Cash crunch; Fewer meetings etc. 

Next, write about the Impact of the above issue such as Delayed hearings; High rate of pendency of cases; Poor performance; Failure to protect tribal identity; Fewer report submissions etc.

Then write measures needed:  E.g., The vacancies should be immediately filled as there should be no reason now for any further delay since the recruitment rules have been suitably revised; Increasing budgetary allocation; Framing rules for an appointment: commission and tribal ministry should immediately finalise the rules for the recruitment of officials; The commission should be given additional powers, in the matter of criminal investigation.

 Conclusion:

Conclude on a positive note.

Introduction

National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) was established by amending Article 338 and inserting a new Article 338A in the Constitution through the Constitution (89th Amendment) Act, 2003. In order to provide safeguards against the mistreatment of SCs & STs and to promote and protect their social, educational, economic and cultural interests, special provisions were made in the Constitution.

Data from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) revealed that the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) is currently functioning with less than 50% of its sanctioned strength.

Body:

Issues with NCST

• The sanctioned strength of the ST panel isone Chairperson+ one Vice-Chairperson+ three Members= total of Five members (two among V-C and Members must be from the ST community and one member must be a woman).
  • However, currently, it just has a Chairperson(Harsh Chouhan) and one Member (Ananta Nayak) with all other positions, including that of the mandatory ST Member, vacant for the last three years
• Posts under Group A, B and C:Against total sanctioned posts of 124; 70 posts are vacant
  • Among the group A posts:Sanctioned posts of one Superintendent of Police, one Law Officer and one Accounts Officer are vacant since 2004.
    • While Group A posts in the NCSTare filled by the Ministry, Groups B and C posts are the NCST’s responsibility
  • The recruitment rulesfor the posts are yet to be framed
• Posts of Research Officers, Investigators and Directors are vacant
• Lack of applicants: The Ministry claimed that the eligibility barwas set too high for the entry of applicants

 Other concerns:

• Fewer meetings: In the financial year 2021-22, it has met only four times.
• High rate of pendency of cases: Its rate of pendency of resolution of complaints and cases that it receives is also close to 50%

Measures needed

• There is a dire need of thorough introspection of the NCST and address the miscarriage of social justice in order to uphold the spirit of diversity and the very objectives of Preamble, i.e. to secure justice, liberty, equality to all citizens and promote fraternity to maintain unity and integrity of the nation.
• The need of the hour is to reform the institutionslike criminal investigation, power to penalize, fixed time period for discussion of commission reports, suo moto powers etc. to bring discernible change and address the real issues more effectively.

Conclusion:

To summarize, National Commission for scheduled Tribes was set up with the major aim to protect the weaker section of society. Commissioner for STs was allocated the duty to examine all matters relating to the safeguards for STs in various statutes and to report to the President upon the working of these protections.

Value addition

Functions of NCST:

• To investigate & monitor matters relating to Safeguards provided for STs under the Constitution or under other laws or under Govt. Order, to evaluate the working of such Safeguards.
• To inquire into specific complaints relating to Rights & Safeguards of STs;
• To participate and advise in the planning process relating to Socio-economic development of STs, and to evaluate the progress of their development under the Union and any State;
• To submit report to the President annually and at such other times as the Commission may deem fit, upon/ working of Safeguards, Measures required for effective implementation of Programmers/ Schemes relating to Welfare and Socio-economic development of STs;
• To discharge such other functions in relation to STs as the President may, subject to the provisions of any law made by Parliament, by rule specify;
• The Commission would also discharge the following other functions in relation to the protection, welfare and development & advancement of the Scheduled Tribes, namely
  • Measures that need to be taken over conferring ownership rights in respect of minor forest produce to the Scheduled Tribes living in forest areas.
  • Measures to be taken to safeguard rights to the Tribal Communities over mineral resources, water resources etc. as per law.
  • Measures to be taken for the development of tribals and to work for move viable livelihood strategies.
  • Measures to be taken to improve the efficacy of relief and rehabilitation measures for tribal groups displaced by development projects.
  • Measures to be taken to prevent alienation of tribal people from land and to effectively rehabilitate such people in whose case alienation has already taken place.
  • Measures to be taken to elicit maximum cooperation and involvement of Tribal Communities for protecting forests and undertaking social afforestation.
  • Measures to be taken to ensure full implementation of the Provisions of Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (40 of 1996).
  • Measures to be taken to reduce and ultimately eliminate the practice of shifting cultivation by Tribals that lead to their continuous disempowerment and degradation of land and the environment

General Studies – 3

Topic: Environment Conservation

Q5. List down the initiatives taken by India to conserve biodiversity, and examine their effectiveness. (250 Words)

Difficulty level: Easy

Reference: The Hindu

Why the question:

This came in the Hindu editorial. Also, there is a summit going on under the United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea (UNCLOS) for the conservation of Marine biodiversity.

Key Demand of the question:

To list down initiatives (government, CSO, private sectors) and evaluate their success/limitations

 Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Start by defining biodiversity and its significance for India.

Body:

Write down various initiatives taken. Some examples of initiatives taken by India to conserve biodiversity include the National Biodiversity Act, the National Biodiversity Authority, the National Wildlife Action Plan, and the Forest Conservation Act.

Next, write about their success and then their limitations.

Then briefly write how those limitations can be removed.

Conclusion:

Conclude with a way forward.

Introduction

In simple terms, biodiversity is the number and variety of living organisms present in a specific geographical region. It includes various plants, animals and microorganisms, the genes they have and the ecosystems formed by them.

It relates to the diversity among living organisms on the earth, including the diversity within and between the species and that within and between the ecosystems they form.

Body

Measures undertaken by the Government to safeguard biodiversity

• Legislations passed to safeguard the biodiversity include Fisheries Act 1897, Indian Forests Act 1927, Prevention of cruelty to animals 1960, Wildlife protection act 1972, Water (prevention and control of pollution) act 1974, Forest Conservation Act 1980, Air(prevention and control of pollution) act 1981, Environment Protection Act 1986, Biological Diversity Act 2002, Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers (recognition of rights) act 2006.
• Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972: The Act, inter alia, provides for the creation of Protected Areas for the protection of wildlife and also provides for punishment for hunting of specified fauna specified in the schedules I to IV thereof.
• Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules 2010 have been framed for the protection of wetlands, in the States.
• The Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Eco-System also provides assistance to the States for the management of wetlands including Ramsar sites in the country.
• Wildlife Crime Control Bureau has been established for control of illegal trade in wildlife, including endangered species.
• Wildlife Institute of India, Bombay Natural History society and Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History are some of the research organisations undertaking research on conservation of wildlife.
• The Indian Government has banned the veterinary use of diclofenac drug that has caused the rapid population decline of Gyps vulture across the Indian Subcontinent. Conservation Breeding Programmes to conserve these vulture species have been initiated at Pinjore (Haryana), Buxa (West Bengal) and Rani, Guwahati (Assam) by the Bombay Natural History Society.
• The Centrally Sponsored Scheme ‘Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats‘ has been modified by including a new component namely ‘Recovery of Endangered Species‘ and 16 species have been identified for recovery.
• Protected Areas, viz, National Parks, Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserves and Community Reserves all over the country covering the important habitats have been created as per the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 to provide better protection to wildlife, including threatened species and their habitat.
• Financial and technical assistance is extended to the State Governments under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes, viz, ‘Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats’, ‘Project Tiger’ and ‘Project Elephant’ for providing better protection and conservation to wildlife.
• India is a signatory to several major international conventions relating to conservation and management of wildlife.
• Some of these are Convention on Biological Diversity, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals etc

Some Recent initiatives of Government

• Union Budget 2023mentioned “Green Growth” as one of the seven priorities or Saptarishis.
• The National Mission for a Green Indiaaims to increase forest cover on degraded lands and protect existing forested lands.
• The Green Credit Programme has the objective to “incentivize environmentally sustainable and responsive actions by companies, individuals and local bodies”.
• The Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes (MISHTI) is significant because of the extraordinary importance of mangroves and coastal ecosystems in mitigating climate change.
• The Prime Minister Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Nourishment, and Amelioration of Mother Earth (PM-PRANAM)for reducing inputs of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides is critical for sustaining our agriculture.
• The Amrit Dharohar schemedirectly mentions our biological wealth and is expected to “encourage optimal use of wetlands, and enhance biodiversity, carbon stock, eco-tourism opportunities and income generation for local communities”.
• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to stop the draining of Haiderpur, a Ramsar wetland in Uttar Pradesh, to safeguard migratory waterfowl is encouraging.

Way forward

• A science-based and inclusive monitoring programmeis critical for the success of efforts and for documentation and distillation of lessons learnt for replication, nationally as well as globally.
• New missions and programmes should effectively use modern concepts of sustainability and valuation of ecosystems that consider ecological, cultural, and sociological aspects of our biological wealth.
• Prioritization of the benefits to ‘resource people’, and fund-services (rather than stock-flows) as the economic foundation for generating value has enormous potential for multiple sustainable bio-economies.
• Green India Mission: implementation should focus on ecological restoration rather than tree plantation
  • Choose siteswhere it can contribute to ecological connectivity in landscapes fragmented by linear infrastructure.
• Choice of species and density should be informed by available knowledge and evidence on resilience under emerging climate change and synergies and trade-offs with respect to hydrologic services.
• Site selection should also be carefully considered for the mangrove initiative with a greater emphasis on diversity of mangrove species with retention of the integrity of coastal mud-flats and salt pans themselves, as they too are important for biodiversity.
• Each of these efforts must be inclusive of local and nomadic communities where these initiatives will be implemented.
• Traditional knowledge and practices of these communities should be integrated into the implementation plans.
• Encouraging changes to less-water intensive crops such as millets
• Investments in water recycling in urban areas using a combination of grey and blue-green infrastructure.

Conclusion

The emphasis on green growth is a welcome step for India’s biological wealth as the country is facing serious losses of natural assets such as soils, land, water, and biodiversity. The future of our wetland ecosystems will depend on how we are able to sustain ecological flows through reduction in water use in key sectors such as agriculture. Each of these programmes has the potential to greatly improve the state of our nation’s biodiversity if their implementation is based on the latest scientific and ecological knowledge. Each programme should include significant educational and research funding to critically appraise and bring awareness to India’s biological wealth.

Value addition

Importance of biodiversity

• Ecological role: Species of many kinds perform some of the other functions in an ecosystem. Every organism, besides fulfilling its own needs, also contributes something useful to different other organisms in the environment.
  • Species capture, store and utilise energy, produce and decompose organic materials, are part of cycles of water and nutrients throughout the ecosystem, fix gases in the atmosphere and also help regulate the climate.
  • Thus, they help in soil formation, reducing pollution, protection of land, water and air resources. These functions of biodiversity are important for ecosystem functions and stability.
• Ecosystem services:Biodiversity underpins the basis of all the ecosystem services on the planet.
• Provisioning Services: Various plants, animals and microorganisms which form the biodiversity, provide us with foods such as cereals, fishes etc., fibre for our clothes such as cotton, wool etc., fuelwood for survival as well as pharmaceutical products such as neem, tulsi etc.
• Regulating services: Biodiversity regulates the local as well as global climate, manages the global levels of oxygen, carbon dioxide and other gases, maintains freshwater quality by vegetation slowing runoff, absorbs carbon by acting as carbon sinks etc. Thus biodiversity regulates the life and life processes on the planet.
• Supporting services: Biodiversity helps in pollination, nutrient cycling as well as recycling, greenhouse gas reduction by sequestration.
• Social and cultural services:Biodiversity provides us with aesthetic pleasure.It provides recreational avenues and rich biological diversity encourages tourism in the region. Many communities and cultures have co-evolved with the surroundings and the resources provided by a biologically diverse environment. Hence, it performs an important social role as well. Important services which are provided by biodiversity are: Recreation and relaxation Tourism especially ecotourism, Art, Design and inspiration Spiritual experiences.
• Food web maintenance:Biodiversity helps in maintaining food webs as higher the diversity of an ecosystem, more complex is the food web because there are so many options to eat. Therefore, higher the chances of survival of every species. This results in more stable food chains and food webs.
• Scientific role:Biodiversity help in scientific research, education and monitoring. For example, research about new genetic materialswith the help of gene pools. Biodiversity, thus, helps in understanding the functioning of life and the role that each species plays in sustaining ecosystems of which we humans are also a part.

 Threat to biodiversity

• Habitat loss and fragmentation:The habitat loss and fragmentation have been through changes of land use, in particular, the conversion of natural ecosystems to cropland, development of infrastructure projects like rails and roadways, increasing urbanisation and mining activities.
  • As per the Living Planet report, there has been about a 30% decline in wetlands in the last 40 years.
  • Wetlands have been primarily reclaimed for agriculture and urbanisation.
  • Also, about 50% of the tropical and subtropical forests and 45% of the temperate grasslands have been converted for human use.
• Degradation:Besides total loss, the degradation of many habitats by pollution also threatens the survival of many species.
  • When large habitats are broken up into smaller fragments because of different human activities, mammals and birds which require large territories and certain animals with migratory habits are adversely affected, causing a decline in their population.
• Over-exploitation of species:Unsustainable use of ecosystems and over-exploitation of biodiversity are a major reason behind biodiversity loss.
  • Over-hunting or poaching of species, overfishing and overharvesting of plant products can quickly lead to a decline in biodiversity.
  • Changing consumption patterns of humans is often cited as the key reason for this unsustainable exploitation of natural resources.
  • Many species which got extinct in the past 5 centuries, like Steller’s Sea cow, passenger pigeon, were subject to over-exploitation by humans.
• Introduction of alien species:Plants, animals and microorganisms transported deliberately or unintentionally from an outside geographical region can cause great damage to native species by competing with them for food and shelter, spreading diseases unknown to them, causing genetic changes through the process of interbreeding with native species, and disrupting various aspects of their food chains and the physical environment.
• For example, in India Water hyacinth was introduced by the Britishfor beautification. But over time, it has become an invasive species, clogging rivers, lakes and other water bodies, thus not allowing any aquatic life to grow and survive.
• Environmental pollution:The accumulation of Pollution such phosphorus and nitrogen largely from excess fertilizers running off farmland, harmful chemicals firm urban and suburban runoff, industrial effluents etc. which are discharged into the natural water bodies. For example, oil spill off the port of Ennore in Chennai in 2017.
  • Similarly, plastic pollution causes the death of animals. Also, air pollution from industries and vehicles has resulted in the death of many bird species in urban areas.
• Global climate change:Climate change is projected to become a progressively more significant threat to biodiversity in the coming decades.
  • Already, changes in the flowering and migration patterns as well as in the distribution of various species have been observed throughout the world.
  • These changes have altered food chains and created mismatches within ecosystemswhere different species have evolved synchronised inter-dependence.
• Co-extinctions:When a particular species becomes extinct, the plants and animals associated with it in an obligatory way also come under the danger of becoming extinct.
  • For example, when a host fish species becomes extinct, its unique assemblage of parasites also meets the same fate.
• Natural causes: Likefloods, earthquakes and other natural disasters also cause loss of biodiversity.

General Studies – 4

Topic: Human Values – lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators;

Q6. To what extent do cultural and societal norms shape an individual’s moral values, and how can individuals reconcile conflicting personal morality with the expectations of their community or society? (150 Words)

 Difficulty level: Moderate

 Why the question:

The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Abstract Thursdays’ in Mission-2023 Secure.

Also, there is a rising number of brutal murders (e.g., the Shraddha Murder case, Nikki Yadav case and the Anjali murder case), which has raised the question of our understanding of morals in society.

 Structure of the answer: 

Introduction: 

Start by defining cultural and societal norms, moral values, and personal morality.

Body:

Discuss the relationship between cultural and societal norms and an individual’s moral values, citing relevant examples.

Examine the impact of conflicting personal morality with the expectations of the community or society, highlighting the challenges individuals face in reconciling these differences.

Provide suggestions on how individuals can reconcile their personal morality with societal expectations without compromising their values, citing relevant examples.

Conclusion:

Conclude by summarizing your key points and restating your thesis statement.

Introduction

Social and cultural norms are rules or expectations of behavior and thoughts based on shared beliefs within a specific cultural or social group. While often unspoken, norms offer social standards for appropriate and inappropriate behavior that govern what is (and is not) acceptable in interactions among people. Social and cultural norms are highly influential over individual behavior in a broad variety of contexts, including violence and its prevention, because norms can create an environment that can either foster or mitigate violence and its deleterious effects.

Body

Man is embedded in the society and in a network of relations. He is a social animal and community values remain important to man.  It is part of what makes up our self-identity and unconsciously helps the person interpret events and make decisions without much effort. Cultural norms are influenced by traditions, beliefs and values of a culture. A value that helps dictates the wrong and right, and what is good or bad and more.

For example practicing pre-marital sex, people in open-culture countries would be favor to it and are practicing it compare to those living in close-culture countries; they perceive pre-marital sex as something immoral. Somehow, how we see facts is anchored on the medium introduced to us. Television, internets, radios, magazines and other easy-access technology; and the cultural norms are shaped by these means. What is immoral before are redefine moral today, though not all means.

Conflicts are often a result of differing value systems. An example conflict would be a value system based on individualism pitted against a value system based on collectivism. A rational value system organized to resolve the conflict between two such value systems might take this form: Individuals may act freely unless their actions harm others or interfere with others’ freedom or with functions of society that individuals need, provided those functions do not themselves interfere with these proscribed individual rights and were agreed to by a majority of the individuals.

For example, Donald Trump claims to be pro-life and also an avid supporter of the death penalty.

Another example may be of an individual being a homosexual. Homosexuality is not openly embraced in India yet, as in the west. It is an evolving concept and the conservative society does not accept this in India.  However, sexuality is not a choice and an individual may have severe conflict in acting as per societal norms.

Conclusion

Social and cultural norms affect individuals greatly as we are part of the society. Our behavior, our attitude is all shaped by the norms of the society and is the basis of the value system. Conflict arises when personal values go against societal values. Life is all about reconciling the contradictions between the two.

Topic: Ethics in Public Service

Q7. How can we ensure the ethical use of social media by bureaucrats, and what mechanisms can be employed to regulate and enforce such ethical standards? (150 Words)

 Reference: Times of India

 Difficulty level: Moderate

 Why the question:

The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Abstract Thursdays’ in Mission-2023 Secure.

Also, there was a public brawl between two officers in Karnataka

 Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Begin by explaining the importance of the ethical use of social media by bureaucrats and how it can impact the public’s perception of the government.

Body:

Discuss the various ways in which bureaucrats can ensure ethical use of social media, such as avoiding partisan politics, refraining from sharing confidential information, and being respectful in their online interactions.

Outline some of the mechanisms that can be used to regulate and enforce ethical standards (by government agencies, professional organizations, and social media companies) for social media use by bureaucrats, such as developing social media policies, providing training and guidance, and monitoring online activity.

Provide some examples of situations where unethical social media use by bureaucrats has caused issues (e.g., in the present case), and how these situations were addressed.

Conclusion:

Sum up the main points of the discussion and emphasize the need for continued vigilance and accountability in ensuring the ethical use of social media by bureaucrats.

Introduction

Body

Benefits of using social media by bureaucrats

• Accessible to the Common People: Civil servants have become accessible to the common people and public service delivery issues have been resolved through the use of social media.
• Created Positive outlook: Social media has also created a positive outlook towards an institution long perceived as opaque and inaccessible.
• Increased Awareness: Social media has increased awareness among people about government policies and programmes.
• Opportunity to Shape Public Discourse: It provides an opportunity for bureaucrats to shape the public discourse and engage with the public while being politically neutral.
  • The use of social media helps minimise blind obedience among bureaucrats at a time when politicians tend to receive the advice they want to hear from bureaucrats.

For a bureaucrat, social media can be an excellent way to disseminate information about their work, and government programmes and schemes. But using social media for self-propagation and personal benefit will not hold them in good stead in the long run and will not be favourable for their careers

Why social media use by bureaucrats must be regulated?

• Anonymity:
  • Anonymity has been a hallmark of Westminster bureaucracies, including in India.
    • Public service anonymity is the convention that ministers answer to Parliament and to the public for government actions without naming the public servants who provided advice or who carried out the administrative action.
  • In a world where public governance has become the norm, remaining habitually anonymous is counterproductive.
• Dominance of Values:
  • Further, values are becoming more dominant than facts in public policymaking.
  • And both values and facts are getting reshaped due to fake news and systematic propaganda within public policy circles as well.
  • As a result, the bureaucracy, which is expected to serve as a repository of facts and epitome of public values, shouldn’t be expected to govern privately.
• Institutionalisation of Social Media:
  • The use of social media is gradually getting institutionalized in many Westminster system-based countries.
  • During the Brexit debate in the U.K., many civil servants shaped public debate through the use of social media even while remaining politically neutral.
  • In India, civil servants haven’t reflected on this aspect of digital bureaucracy.
    • Anonymity and opaqueness have already been watered down through the Right to Information Act of 2005, but they continue to be prominent features.
  • Accessibility and Accountability:
    • In India, the role of social media in bureaucracy has taken a different direction.
    • Social media is getting used by civil servants for self-promotion.
    • Through their selective posts and promotion of these posts by their social media fans, civil servants create a narrative of their performance, which is justified in the name of accessibility and accountability.
    • There is a wrong notion getting entrenched in the public consciousness that social media is the way to access civil servants and make them accountable.

Conclusion

Bureaucrats should use social media to improve public policies. If they don’t use social media appropriately, their role as independent advisers stands threatened.

Social media may have improved accessibility and accountability, but it is important to note that civil servants are at an advantage to share the information they want and respond to those they want.

It is not a formal set-up where accessibility and accountability are based on uniformity of treatment.

Social media accountability is no alternative to institutional and citizen-centric accountability.

It is, in fact, partly unethical to use social media during office hours and justify it when some people who have travelled long distances are waiting outside the office.

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