[Mission 2024] Insights SECURE SYNOPSIS: 17 February 2024

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. Swami Dayanand Saraswati’s contributions to Indian society during the 19th century earned him recognition as one of the “Makers of Modern India.” Explain.

Reference: The Hindu , Insights on India

Introduction

Dayanand Saraswati About this sound pronunciation born (12 February 1824 – 30 October 1883) was a Hindu religious leader who founded the Arya Samaj, a Hindu reform movement of the Vedic tradition. He was a profound scholar of the Vedic lore and Sanskrit language. He was the first to give the call for Swaraj as “India for Indians” – in 1876, later taken up by Lokmanya Tilak. Denouncing the idolatry and ritualistic worship prevalent in Hinduism at the time, he worked towards reviving Vedic ideologies. Subsequently, the philosopher and President of India, S. Radhakrishnan, called him one of the “makers of Modern India,” as did Sri Aurobindo.

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Contributions of Swami Dayananda Saraswati   

• Advocacy for the Authority of the Vedas: Swami Dayananda emphasized the primacy and authority of the Vedas, considering them as the ultimate source of knowledge. He sought to eliminate what he perceived as corruptions and distortions in Hindu practices that had strayed from the original teachings of the Vedas.
• Monotheism and Opposition to Idol Worship: Dayananda Saraswati was a staunch advocate of monotheism, asserting the existence of one supreme God. He opposed idol worship, believing it to be inconsistent with Vedic principles. His emphasis on a singular, formless God aimed to purify and simplify the Hindu religious landscape.
• Social Equality and Opposition to Caste Discrimination: One of Swami Dayananda’s most significant contributions was his vehement opposition to caste discrimination. He advocated for the idea that all individuals, regardless of their caste or social status, were equal. His teachings challenged the hierarchical caste system prevalent in society at the time.
• Education for All: Swami Dayananda believed in the transformative power of education. He emphasized the need for modern, Vedic-based education accessible to all, irrespective of caste or gender. The Arya Samaj established schools and colleges that aimed at providing education with a focus on moral values and Vedic principles.
• Opposition to Rituals and Superstitions: Dayananda Saraswati criticized various rituals and superstitious practices that had crept into Hinduism over the centuries. He advocated for a return to the simplicity and purity of Vedic rituals, rejecting customs that he considered irrational or deviant from the original Vedic teachings.
• Promotion of Swadeshi and Economic Self-Reliance: Swami Dayananda promoted the idea of Swadeshi, urging Indians to rely on locally produced goods and support indigenous industries. His emphasis on economic self-reliance aimed at fostering national pride and reducing dependence on foreign products.

Shaping modern India

• Influence on Independence Movement: While Swami Dayananda himself did not actively participate in politics, his ideas and principles influenced later leaders in the Indian independence movement. The emphasis on truth, righteousness, and justice resonated with the values of leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, who drew inspiration from Dayananda’s teachings.
• Legacy in Educational Institutions: The educational institutions established by the Arya Samaj, promoting a blend of modern education with Vedic principles, left a lasting legacy. These institutions contributed to the development of a skilled and educated workforce, shaping the intellectual landscape of modern India.
• Continued Relevance in Cultural and Religious Discourse: Swami Dayananda’s ideas continue to be influential in contemporary cultural and religious discussions. His emphasis on rationality, rejection of superstitions, and promotion of ethical living remain relevant in shaping the mindset of a modern, forward-thinking society.

Conclusion

Swami Dayananda Saraswati’s contributions played a pivotal role in shaping modern India by influencing religious thought, social reforms, education, economic policies, and the broader cultural ethos. His vision of a society rooted in Vedic principles, with an emphasis on truth, equality, and self-reliance, contributed significantly to the nation’s development and continues to resonate in various facets of contemporary Indian life.

2. The Indian monsoon patterns play a significant role in shaping the climate and impacting various sectors in the Indian subcontinent. Analyse.

Reference:  Insights on India

Introduction

Monsoons are seasonal winds which reverse their direction with the change of season. The monsoon is a double system of seasonal winds. They flow from sea to land during the summer and from land to sea during winter. Monsoons are peculiar to Indian Subcontinent, South East Asia, parts of Central Western Africa etc. Indian Monsoons are Convection cells on a very large scale. They are periodic or secondary winds which seasonal reversal in wind direction.

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Indian Monsoon and its significance to global monsoon

• Monsoon rainfall is the life-blood of more than half the world’s population, for whom agriculture is the main source of subsistence.
• The monsoon affects a region comprising nearly 25 countries and its influence stretches across a distance of 18,000 kilometres (from east to west) and 6,000 kilometres (from south to north).
• Over half of the globe’s population, most in developing countries, live under the influence of monsoon-dominated climates.
• Their culture and lifestyle have evolved around its cyclical nature, and agriculture is still the most common form of land use in most of these regions.
• The dependency of the agricultural sector on monsoonal rains – particularly in countries with poor infrastructure and increased urbanisation – results in societies that are highly vulnerable to variability in monsoonal characteristics, such as onset and termination dates, total rainfall amounts, and rainfall intensities

Changing patterns of Indian monsoon over the subcontinents

• Climate Change has been ruining quite a few things such and Indian Monsoon might be one of them.
• The worst part here is that the effects of the Indian Monsoon are also felt by others and not just India, making it an active feature of the weather across the globe.
• Research has confirmed that Monsoon in Asia is entwined with several aspects of global climate along with having an influence over the global atmospheric circulation as well.
• Since the year 1950, average summer rains in India have declined by around 7 percent.
• In 1990s, high concentrations of aerosols were found in the northern Indian Ocean. In fact, satellite images even showed a stain across the Indo-Gangetic Plain and over the Indian Ocean, which was named as the “brown cloud”. In 1999, a team of investigators set out to understand what brown cloud exactly was.
• Black carbon combines with sulfates and other aerosols, wherein the Indo-Gangetic Plain contributes highly due to intensive industrial and extractive activity.
• Regional Climate Change has been occurring also because of changes in land use.
• In the last 15 decades, forest cover over Asia has reduced significantly.
• Increase in agricultural production in India, excessive use of water for irrigation has caused a negative impact on the moisture of the soil thereby diminishing its capability to reflect or absorb heat.
• Due to all these factors, Monsoon is shifting its patterns.
• Aerosols absorb solar radiation due to which less of it reaching the surface of the Earth.
• This leads to cooling of land, reducing the contrast of temperature between sea and land, thereby weakening the atmospheric circulation that sustains the Indian Monsoon.
• Not only this, changes in circulation in the Indian subcontinent affect air-sea interaction which is the binding factor between Asia and the Indian Ocean.

Way forward:

• Monsoon does play a big role in India. It has social, political, as well as economic implications.
• Thus monsoon doesn’t only affect the crops but all the industries in the country.
• The monsoon-dependent Indian economy needs climate-sensitive budgeting.
• The excessive dependence on monsoon may be mitigated by the construction of modern irrigation canals, afforestation, and diversification of Indian industries.
• Farmers, especially smallholder farmers, need advance warning of emergent weather conditions at a local level.
• Develop climate-smart agriculture practices.
• Build adaptive capacities to climate variability and strengthen the sustainability of farming systems.
• Preventive measures for drought that include growing of pulses and oilseeds instead of rice.
• Mobile telecommunication systems are increasingly cost-effective and an efficient way of delivering weather-based agro-advisories to farmers at a large scale.

Conclusion

Monsoon does play a big role in India. It has social, political, as well as economic implications. Thus, monsoon doesn’t only affect the crops but all the industries in the country. The monsoon-dependent Indian economy needs climate-sensitive budgeting. The excessive dependence on monsoon may be mitigated by the construction of modern irrigation canals, afforestation, and diversification of Indian industries.

General Studies – 2

3. Do the recent election results in Pakistan offer a way forward for the normalisation of bilateral relations between India and Pakistan? Critically analyse.

Reference: The Hindu , Insights on India

Introduction

The relations between India and Pakistan have been marked by a history of tensions and conflicts since their independence in 1947. The issue of Kashmir, territorial disputes, and differing political ideologies have been central to the tumultuous relationship between the two neighboring nations.

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Tumultuous relations of India-Pakistan

• Kashmir Dispute:
  • Core of Tensions: The territorial dispute over Kashmir has been a persistent source of conflict between India and Pakistan. Both countries claim Kashmir in its entirety, leading to wars in 1947, 1965, and 1999 (Kargil War).
• Cross-Border Terrorism:
  • Accusations by India: India alleges that Pakistan supports and harbors terrorist groups responsible for attacks on Indian soil.
  • Mumbai Attacks 2008: The Mumbai terror attacks, carried out by militants allegedly supported by Pakistan, severely strained relations.
• Uri Attack (2016):
  • Militant Infiltration: In September 2016, militants attacked an Indian Army base in Uri, Jammu and Kashmir.
  • Escalation: India blamed Pakistan for supporting the attackers, leading to heightened tensions and the “surgical strikes” by India.
• Pathankot Attack (2016):
  • Attack on Air Base: In January 2016, militants attacked the Pathankot Air Force Base in India.
  • Allegations Against Pakistan: India accused Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed for the attack, leading to a pause in dialogue.
• Pulwama Attack (2019):
  • Suicide Bombing: In February 2019, a suicide bomber targeted a convoy of Indian paramilitary personnel in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir.
  • Jaish-e-Mohammed Involvement: India attributed the attack to Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed, leading to heightened tensions.
• Halted Bilateral Talks:
  • India’s Stance: India insists on a terrorism-free environment for meaningful talks, holding Pakistan responsible for failing to curb militant activities.
  • Pakistan’s Response: Pakistan argues that its support for certain groups stems from concerns about the situation in Kashmir.

Recent elections in Pakistan and its impact on Indo-Pak relations

• Army-influence: First, despite the people of Pakistan turning out in large numbers to vote against the Pakistan Army-backed Sharifs and the Bhutto-Zardaris and casting their “anti-establishment” vote against the Pakistan Army, the establishment has been able to manipulate the outcome in their favour.
  • India will not be in favour of opening channels of communication with the Army dominated Pakistan.
• No civilian government in fray :  The lack of political power centre in the civilian structure, Pakistan Army now has the complete control and levers on each of the political actors. Having learnt their lessons from the past experiences — with Sharif challenging them in 2017-18 and Khan challenging them since last year — Rawalpindi has gotten smarter and doesn’t want to empower any of the civilian political leaders.
  • In such instance, India cannot resume trade or talks with continued targeting of India by Pakistan.
  • It may be futile to engage with the civilian government. In realpolitik terms, this means the most effective person to talk to is Pakistan Army chief General Asim Munir— who wields influence over the political actors.
  • A new government in Delhi in May will have to take a long and hard look if it should continue with the doctrine of indifference or reopen channels of communication with the GHQ in Rawalpindi.

Conclusion and way forward

• Pakistan’s economic crisis- Pakistan’s economy is in dire straits with very high inflation, very low foreign exchange reserves, and global lenders like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) refusing to disperse further funds.
• Nuclear armed country– Pakistan is India’s neighbour and it’s perennial rival, the political landscape will have impact on the diplomatic relations between the two countries.
• Regional stability– The outcome of the election holds significant implications for regional stability, particularly concerning security cooperation, economic relations, and efforts to combat terrorism.

• India would be closely monitoring all activities in its neighbouring country ahead of the elections particularly focusing on the Pakistan Army’s involvement in selecting the next prime minister.

General Studies – 3

4. Do you think it is time for India to provide a legal backing to Minimum Support Price (MSP) in order to ensure effective income support for farmers? Examine.

Reference: Indian Express. , Insights on India

Introduction

Minimum Support Price (MSP) is the minimum price set by the Government at which farmers can expect to sell their produce for the season. When market prices fall below the announced MSPs, procurement agencies step in to procure the crop and ‘support’ the prices. Currently, it fixes MSPs for 23 crops grown in both Kharif and Rabi seasons.

For the last few years, farmers have been agitating for a legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their crop, calculated as per the Swaminathan Commission formula. Protesting farmers from Punjab are set to reach the national capital in the coming days. One of their key demands is that the Centre bring in a law guaranteeing minimum support prices or MSP.

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The various issues that prevent MSP from becoming a mechanism of income support for the farmers

The trouble with MSP is that while it is touted as an all-important factor for farmers promising an instant rise in their income and stability, it also has many drawbacks in implementation. This affects the price realisation of farmers, in reality for several reasons.

• Methodology: MSP covers numerous costs such as the cost of sowing (A2) and labour (FL). These considerations are controversial with suggestions that it should be based on comprehensive costs (C2), which also include land rent costs.
• Inflation: Too much of a hike on MSP either paves way for inflationary effects on the economy, with a rise in prices of food grains and vegetables, or loss to government treasury if it decides to sell at a lower price as compared to the higher MSP it bought at.
• Diverse factors: MSP is a nationwide single price policy. However, the actual costing for production varies from place to place, more severely so in areas lacking irrigation facilities and infrastructure. Thus, not all farmers have equal benefits.
• Procurement at MSP is flawed: First, procurement of wheat and paddy for meeting the requirement of the public distribution system (PDS) is undertaken largely by state governments.
  • Of the total procurement of wheat and paddy from farmers, the Food Corporation of India’s (FCI’s) share is less than 10%.
  • In the north-east and many other states, procurement operations are almost nonexistent and farmers are forced to sell below MSP.
  • As the experiences of these schemes show, the benefit of higher MSPs for kharif crops or rabi, is unlikely to be available to most farmers as the states lack adequate storage capacity, working capital and manpower for undertaking large-scale procurement of all commodities
  • The MSP-based procurement system is also dependent on middlemen, commission agents and APMC officials, which smaller farmers find difficult to get access to.
• Agri-Infrastructure: Hiking the MSP without investing in infrastructure is just a short-term play. While it does deliver immediate results, long-term developments to back-it up are also important.
• Environmental harm: It degrades the soil because of irrespective of the soil condition, some crops are preferred which have MSP over them which results in exploitation of group water resources, alkalinity, decrease in the production of the crops in long run and much harm to environment.

Rationale behind the legal guarantee for MSP

• The Centre currently announces the MSPs of 23 crops. They include 7 cereals (paddy, wheat, maize, bajra, jowar, ragi and barley), 5 pulses (chana, tur/arhar, moong, urad and masur), 7 oilseeds (rapeseed-mustard, groundnut, soyabean, sunflower, sesamum, safflower and nigerseed) and 4 commercial crops (sugarcane, cotton, copra and raw jute).
• While the MSPs technically ensure a minimum 50% return on all cultivation costs, these are largely on paper.
• In most crops grown across much of India, the prices received by farmers, especially during harvest time, are well below the officially-declared MSPs.
• And since MSPs have no statutory backing, they cannot demand these as a matter of right.
• The unions want the Modi government to enact legislation conferring mandatory status to MSP, rather than just being an indicative or desired price.

Challenges of granting statutory guarantee to MSP in India

• Statutory MSP is unsustainable: A policy paper by NITI Aayog’s agricultural economist Ramesh Chand argued against legalising MSP. It reasoned that any fixed pre-determined price will push away private traders whenever production is more than demand, and there is a price slump in the market. This, in turn, will lead to government de-facto becoming the primary buyer of most farm produce for which MSP is declared, which is unsustainable.
• Huge scope for corruption and recycling/leakage of wheat and rice, from godowns, ration shops or in transit.
• Disposal problems: While cereals and pulses can be sold through the public distribution system, disposal becomes complicated in the case of niger seed, sesamum or safflower.
• Inflation: Higher procurement cost would mean increase in prices of foodgrains, leading to inflation, which would eventually affect the poor.
• It will also impact India’s farm exports, if the MSP is higher than the prevailing rates in the international market. Farm exports account for 11% of the total exports of commodities.
• With a legally guaranteed higher MSP, India will face stiff opposition at the WTO. The US had successfully won a case against China at the WTO in 2019 which was concerned with China’s domestic support to agriculture in the form of Market Price Support (MPS).
• It would lead to a huge burden on the exchequer, since the government would have to procure all marketable surplus in the absence of private participation.
• Demands from other sectors: If the Centre makes a law to guarantee 100% procurement in all the 23 crops where MSP is announced, farmers cultivating fruits and vegetables, spices, and other crops will also demand the same.

Legal backing for MSP alone will not solve the agricultural sector woes

• Farmers face many other issues other than price, which itself is not guaranteed given the influence of politicians and cartels in mandis.
• They lack information on which crop to grow, when to sow, apply plant nutrients and which pest is attacking their crop.
• Farmers are also short of post-harvest technologies to ensure a better shelf life for their produce.
• In addition, they do not get adequate facilities to irrigate their lands, with nearly 50 per cent of the land being rain-fed and lacking ample warehouses to store their produce at the village level, besides proper roads to connect them to the mandis.
• Legal backing for the MSP could also lead to the danger of the trade keeping away from places where the law is implemented vigorously.
• For example, when Punjab said it would make MSP legal and binding, wheat traders said they would keep off the state to avoid trouble for themselves.

Conclusion

The government should shift its focus from providing only price support to farmers and focus on building better infrastructure, minimizing the gap between farmers and the market, land reforms, policy reforms to increase flow of credit to farmers, establishing food-processing industries for perishable goods, providing better irrigation facilities etc so, that agriculture emerges as a viable means of sustenance.

5. What Is the Dutch Disease? Discuss the pros and cons of the influx of foreign capital in the economy.

Reference: Live Mint , Insights on India , Insights on India

Introduction

Dutch Disease in economics refers to a phenomenon wherein a country witnesses uneven growth across sectors due to the discovery of natural resources, especially large oil reserves. According to the concept, when a country discovers natural resources and starts exporting them to the rest of the world, it causes the exchange rate of the currency to appreciate significantly and this, in turn, discourages the exports from other sectors while encouraging the import of cheaper alternatives.

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Pros of foreign capital inflow

• Economy:
  • Capital inflows create higher output and jobs.
  • Capital inflows can help finance a current account deficit.
  • Long-term capital inflows are more sustainable than short-term portfolio inflows.
    • For e.g., in a credit crunch, banks can easily withdraw portfolio investment, but capital investment is less prone to sudden withdrawals.
  • Acts as a bridge by filling up budgetary gap, stabilize rupee and improves Balance of Payment situation.
• Knowledge economy:
  • Recipient country can benefit from improved knowledge and expertise of foreign multinational.
• Employment generation:
  • creates employment opportunity mainly in service sector and ITEC.
  • Investment from abroad could lead to higher wages and improved working conditions, especially if the MNCs are conscious of their public image of working conditions in developing economies.
• Infrastructure development:
  • FDI in construction, railways except operation help in developing projects like high-speed train, Freight corridor, etc.
• Taxation:
  • Increased revenue in the form of corporate tax and for community welfare development as CSR.
• Enhances Competition:
  • Increase competition among domestic manufacture, may lead to improved quality and services.

Cons of foreign capital inflow

• The motive of the foreign investors is only profit not the development of country sothey often shifts their bases in search of high profits so there is more volatility and speculations in capital market. With their sudden exit, there may be unemployment and high inflation.
• Gives multinationals controlling rights within foreign countries. Critics argue powerful MNCs can use their financial clout to influence local politics to gain favourable laws and regulations.
• FDI does not always benefit recipient countries asit enables foreign multinationals to gain from ownership of raw materials, with little evidence of wealth being distributed throughout society.
• Multinationals have been criticized for poor working conditions inforeign factories. e.g., Apple’s factories in China
• It threatens existing markets that are labour intensive byreplacing with technology as in multi brand retail.
• FDI favours short term returns over investments in
• Diffusion of technology in difficult inour country where the state of both human and physical capital is not yet on par with developed countries. so with the increase in technology many unskilled workers lost their jobs.
• In India, FDI is sector specific likefinance , IT, Banking, Insurance and outsourcing which predominantly employ skilled workers.
• The capital inflow at times worsen the regional inequalities. It is usually limited to urban and well developed regions like Delhi, Maharashtra etc, and states like Odisha receives around 1% of FDI. This makes richer region more rich and poor regions poorer.
• FDI may be a convenient way to bypass local environmental laws. Developing countries may be tempted to compete on reducing environmental regulation to attract the necessary FDI.

Measures needed

• Role of fiscal policy: 
  • Rising income due to the export of natural resources should be adjusted with cautious spending on public welfare.
  • There should be an efficient use of revenues coming from taxation to compensate for the adverse effects of the Dutch disease.
• Promoting spending policies: 
  • Public spendingsuch as concentrating on imports of tradeable rather than non-tradeable would help slow the impact of the Dutch disease.
  • Private spendingin order to improve the productivity of private firms would also help reduce the impact.
• Monetary policy: 
  • With the discovery of natural resources, the country seesa huge inflow of money, especially foreign currency.
  • The export of natural resources tends to affect the equilibrium in the money and exchange rate markets.
  • The Dutch disease can be prevented if the central bank raises the banking system reserve’s requirement, which decreases domestic credit.

Way forward

• Role of FDI can at most be seen as complementary and qualitative in nature.
• Government must bring reforms to encourage MSME sector which could boost the rural employment generation.
• Public expenditurefor investment in capital formation as infrastructure and energy is for long term benefits of spurring economic activity and creating short term demands.
• Spending on social sectors and India’s pressing issues of poverty, demographic challenge and agrarian stagnation are towards avoiding social unrest and maintain a social security net.
• Government while continuing to simplify processes to attract FDI must realise it’s limited role and thereby take upon itself to make headway towards strengthening pillars of economic development which are health, education, and employment.

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

General Studies – 1

6. Recognizing the importance of livestock in the farmers’ economy is essential for sustainable rural development and improving the overall well-being of farming communities. Discuss.

Reference: Insights on India

Introduction

India’s livestock sector is one of the largest in the world. About 20.5 million people depend upon livestock for their livelihood. Livestock contributed 16% to the income of small farm households as against an average of 14% for all rural households. Livestock provides livelihood to two-third of rural community. It also provides employment to about 8.8 % of the population in India. India has vast livestock resources. Livestock sector contributes 4.11% GDP and 25.6% of total Agriculture GDP.

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Trends in livestock population: (Source: 20th Livestock Census)

• Total Livestock population is 535.78 million- an increase of 4.6% over Livestock Census-2012.
• Total Bovine population (Cattle, Buffalo, Mithun and Yak)-79 Million in 2019- an increase of about 1% over the previous census.
• A decline of 6 % in the total Indigenous/ Non-descript cattle population over the previous census.
• The population of cows in the country has risen by 18 per cent in the last seven years, while that of oxen dipped by 30 per cent, according to the latest census of livestock.
• there was a spectacular 16.8 per cent increase in the poultry population in the country to 851.81 million, mainly on account of a 46 per cent rise in backyard poultry birds, whose numbers have gone up to 317 million.
• The number of female cattle is 145.12 million, which is 18 per cent over the 122.98 million in 2012. The number of male cattle, on the other hand, dropped to 47.4 million as against 67.92 million in 2012.
• While cattle accounted for 35.94 per cent of total livestock in the country, goats accounted for 27.80 per cent, buffaloes: 20.45 per cent, sheep: 13.87 per cent and pigs: 1.69 per cent.

Role of livestock in socio-economic life of India:

The livestock plays an important role in the economy of farmers. The farmers in India maintain mixed farming system i.e. a combination of crop and livestock where the output of one enterprise becomes the input of another enterprise thereby realize the resource efficiency. The livestock serve the farmers in different ways.

• Income:
  • Livestock is a source of subsidiary income for many families in India especially the resource poor who maintain few heads of animals.
  • Cows and buffaloes if in milk will provide regular income to the livestock farmers through sale of milk.
  • Animals like sheep and goat serve as sources of income during emergencies to meet exigencies like marriages, treatment of sick persons, children education, repair of houses etc.
  • The animals also serve as moving banks and assets which provide economic security to the owners.
• Employment:
  • A large number of people in India being less literate and unskilled depend upon agriculture for their livelihoods.
  • But agriculture being seasonal in nature could provide employment for a maximum of 180 days in a year.
  • The land less and less land people depend upon livestock for utilizing their labour during lean agricultural season.
• Food:
  • The livestock products such as milk, meat and eggs are an important source of animal protein to the members of the livestock owners.
  • The per capita availability of milk is around 355 g / day; eggs is 69 / annum;
• Social security:
  • The animals offer social security to the owners in terms of their status in the society.
  • The families especially the landless which own animals are better placed than those who do not.
  • Gifting of animals during marriages is a very common phenomenon in different parts of the country.
  • Rearing of animals is a part of the Indian culture. Animals are used for various socio religious functions.
  • Cows for house warming ceremonies; rams, bucks and chicken for sacrifice during festive seasons;
  • Bulls and Cows are worshipped during various religious functions. Many owners develop attachment to their animals.
• Gender equity:
  • Animal husbandry promotes gender equity.
  • More than three-fourth of the labour demand in livestock production is met by women.
  • The share of women employment in livestock sector is around 90% in Punjab and Haryana where dairying is a prominent activity and animals are stall-fed.
• Draft:
  • The bullocks are the back bone of Indian agriculture.
  • The farmers especially the marginal and small depend upon bullocks for ploughing, carting and transport of both inputs and outputs.
• Dung:
  • In rural areas dung is used for several purposes which include fuel (dung cakes), fertilizer (farm yard manure), and plastering material (poor man’s cement).

Measures to strengthen Livestock sector

• Increase in the market share depends on how dairy firms’ capabilities and their resources are utilised given the opportunities and threats emanating from emerging markets economies.
• Contract/corporate dairying and emerging global dairy trade are required to rope in dairy supply chains stakeholders in order to expand their outreach and “on-the-go” product positioning into the target segment.
• Digital technology-enabled dairy firms need to identify their compatible partners and competitors for co-creation through product-process innovation via relationship/value-based marketing.
• Freshness in milk, and convenience to store milk or milk products can be a technology innovation brought in by large dairy firms in association start-ups.

• Education and Training at Panchayat level for small and medium size farmers
• Subsidizing cattle production and encouraging cattle markets
• Facility of logistics for produced milk
• Improved Veterinary facility specially in artificial insemination of cattle
• Encouraging private sector firm to procure dairy produced at rural level
• Low interest loans for small and medium scale farmers for cattle purchase
• Encouraging rural women to take up animal husbandry
• Insurance of cattle against diseases like Anthrax, Foot and Mouth, Peste des Ruminantes, etc.
• Nurture dairy entrepreneurs through effective training of youth at the village level coupled with dedicated leadership and professional management of farmers’ institutions.
• Agricultural practices, sanitation, quality of drinking water & fodder, type and quality of pipelines – all of these need to be aligned to the goal of healthy milk

Conclusion

With increasing population, persistent rise in food inflation, unfortunate rise in farmer’s suicide and majority of the Indian population having agriculture as the primary occupation, the practice of animal husbandry is no more a choice, but a need in contemporary scenario. Its successful, sustainable and skilful implementation will go a long way in ameliorating the socio-economic condition of lower strata of our society.  Linking the animal husbandry with food processing industry, agriculture, researches & patents has all the possible potential to make India a nutritional power house of the world. Animal husbandry is the imperative hope, definite desire and urgent panacea for India as well as the world.

General Studies – 2

7. Prioritizing women’s equality and equity is not only a matter of social justice but also a key driver of sustainable development. Analyse the statement in the context of launch of the “Alliance for Global Good – Gender Equity and Equality” by India at the World Economic Forum (WEF).

Reference: The Hindu

Introduction

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Gender inequality in India

• High gender divide: The gender gap in the country has widened, with only 62.5% of it closed and especially low gender parity in political empowerment and economic participation and opportunity.
• Wage gap: Women are paid considerably less than men, with some research showing that the gender pay gap between women and men in the same jobs with equivalent qualifications can be as much as 34%. 
• Labour force participation: India, as of 2020, has the lowest female labour force participation rate among South Asian nations, with four out of five women neither working nor looking for jobs.
• High Job loss: According to Oxfam, 17 million women in India lost their jobs in April 2020, with their unemployment rate rising far higher than that among men. 
• Lesser opportunities for women: Women were found to be seven times more likely to lose their jobs during the lockdown phases, and if rendered unemployed, were 11 times more likely to remain jobless than their male counterparts.
• Uneven domestic responsibility: Potential reasons for this include the increased burden of domestic responsibilities that Indian women typically had to bear, in terms of not just household chores but extra time needed for elderly care and children’s studies, with schools shut.
  • Even pre-pandemic, a Time Use Survey conducted by the National Sample Survey Office showed that women spent nearly 4.5 hours on childcare and other care-giving responsibilities, in contrast with the meagre 0.88 hours for men. 

Factors leading to gender inequality

• Deep rooted patriarchy: The cultural baggage about women working outside the home is so strong that in most traditional Indian families, quitting work is a necessary precondition to the wedding itself.
• Childcare responsibility solely on women: One big factor is maternity. Many women who join the workforce are unable to re-join after having a child. This is because, childcare is mainly seen as a woman’s job.
• Bias at workplace against women: The landmark legislation, which entitles a woman to 26 weeks of paid maternity leave is becoming a big hurdle.
  • As per a study this increased cost for companies and this may discourage them from hiring women.
  • Mothers are also not given preference because they are seen to take less official responsibilities due to family.
• Safety: The safety in metropolitan, tier 1 and tier 2 cities is the major issue. Concerns about safety and Harassment at work site, both explicit and implicit.
• Education: Higher Education levels of women also allow them to pursue leisure and other non-work activities, all of which reduce female labour force participation.
  • When income increases, men allow Indian women to withdraw from the labour force, thereby avoiding the stigma of working (cultural factors).
• Insufficient availability of the type of jobs that women say they would like to do, such as regular part-time jobs that provide steady income and allow women to reconcile household duties with work.

Measures to remedy the situation

• Behavioural Nudge: For instance, by using taxes to incentivize fairly sharing child-care responsibilities, or by encouraging women and girls to enter traditionally male-dominated sectors such as the armed forces and information technology. , Supreme Court in India declared that women could now hold commanding positions in Army.
  • Paternity leaves for men, to share the responsibility of child rearing.
  • Incentivizing companies to employ women, and reach 50% target.
• Strong laws and policies wrt equal pay for equal work, maternity benefits are needed to promote women’s representation in economy.
• Maternity and paternity: . An amendment to the Act in 2017 increased paid maternity leave from 12 to 26 weeks. Though well-meaning, this unfortunately fortifies notions of care-giving being primarily the onus of the woman, and thus reinforces and raises the risk of women being subject to the motherhood penalty.
  • An explicit law for mandatory paternity benefits will go a long way towards equalizing gender roles and reducing employer bias
• Better work conditions: The provision and strengthening of childcare facilities for working mothers are very important.
  • The Maternity Benefit Act mandates the setting up of creche facilities for organizations with over 50 employees.
  • A better policy measure would be to provide mothers in need of childcare with a monthly allowance. This will also help mothers working from home.
• Political Representation: India has provided 33% reservation for women in the Panchayats and Local Bodies. Capacity Building and training can increase their capabilities further.

Conclusion

Gender equality is a human right which entitles all persons irrespective of their gender to live with dignity and with freedom. Gender equality is also a precondition for development and reducing of poverty. Gender shouldn’t be an unreasonable determining factor curbing the potential of women.

8. Anonymous donations of high value tend to undermine electoral democracy and governance as they facilitate a quid pro quo culture involving donors and beneficiaries. Critically analyse the statement in the light of SC judgement on electoral bonds.

Reference: The Hindu , Indian Express.

Introduction

An electoral bond is a non – redeemable debt instrument. Designed to be a bearer financial instrument in the manner of a promissory note it is much more similar to a bank note which is liquid able in nature, or generally which is payable to the bearer on demand. This bond can be purchased by any citizen belonging to our country or any corporation registered or established in India.

The Supreme Court struck down the electoral bonds scheme as unconstitutional, relying on several grounds in its verdict..

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Critical analysis of electoral bonds

• Since its introduction, electoral bonds have become an essential source of financing for all major political parties.
  • Between March 2018 and January 2021, electoral bonds worth Rs 6,514.50 crore were redeemed by parties.
• While the ruling government has managed to receive the lion’s share (60.17%) of political funding made through the bonds, over half of the total income of all national and regional parties too was contributed through this method.
• for both the principal political parties, it seems that the quantum of political donations channelised through cash donations/non-identifiable sources has decreased substantially.
• Instead, today more funds are channelised through the formal banking system. This was not the case with the earlier system in which half of the political donations were not traceable as they were made in cash form.
  • Viewed from this angle, the electoral bonds scheme is an improvement over the previous system.
• Electoral bonds have only legitimized opacity: The move could be misused, given the lack of disclosure requirements for individuals purchasing electoral bonds.
• Electoral bonds make electoral funding even more opaque. It will bring more and more black money into the political system. Electoral bonds would cause a “serious impact” on transparency in funding of political parties
• With electoral bonds there can be a legal channel for companies to round-trip their tax haven cash to a political party. If this could be arranged, then a businessman could lobby for a change in policy, and legally funnel a part of the profits accruing from this policy change to the politician or party that brought it about.
• The amendments would pump in black money for political funding through shell companies and allow “unchecked foreign funding of political parties in India which could lead to Indian politics being influenced by foreign companies.
• Companies no longer need to declare the names of the parties to which they have donated so shareholders won’t know where their money has gone.
• They have potential to load the dice heavily in favour of the ruling party as the donor bank and the receiver bank know the identity of the person. But both the banks report to the RBI which, in turn, is subject to the Central government’s will to know.

Issues Highlighted by SC Against the Electoral Bond Scheme of the government:

Alternate mechanisms for electoral funding

• According to Former Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi, an alternative worth exploring is a National Electoral Fund to which all donors can contribute.
• The funds would be allocated to political parties in proportion to the votes they get. Not only would this protect the identity of donors, it would also weed out black money from political funding.
• The total cost of MPLADS funding for all MPs is nearly ₹4,000 crore every year, and scrapping the scheme even for one year in an MP’s five-year term will be enough to bankroll state funding of Lok Sabha candidates. This is a legalized way of allowing MPs and MLAs to shower money on their constituencies at state expense.
• Direct funding of candidates, who will be reimbursed according to their final share of the votes cast.
• The best way to bring about such transparency in political funding is to put a complete ban on cash donations by individuals or companies to political parties.
• Making it mandatory for all parties to receive donations only by cheque, or other modes of money transfer.
• There should be clear provisions for getting tax benefits for all those making such donations.
• Make it mandatory for political parties to submit details of all donations received with the Election Commission and also with the income-tax department.
• State funding of political parties can be considered. The Indrajit Gupta Committee on State Funding of Elections had endorsed partial state funding of recognised political parties.
• The mechanics of this process need to be carefully worked out to establish the allocation of money to national parties, State parties and independent candidates, and to check candidate’s own expenditure over and above that which is provided by the state.
• Voters have to be made aware through awareness campaigns about ill effects of money power during elections. Bringing political parties under the preview of RTI act.

Conclusion

The 255^th Law Commission Report on Electoral Reforms observed that opacity in political funding results in “lobbying and capture” of the government by big donors. Various commissions, including the Election Commission, have given detailed recommendations on suitable remedies. Public funding needs to be examined and introduced with proper checks and balances.

General Studies -3

9. Securing border areas through infrastructure development requires a sensitive approach that balances security needs with environmental, cultural, and humanitarian considerations. Elaborate.

Reference: The Print , Insights on India

Introduction

India has one of the longest and most varied of international borders. Historical and political reasons have left India with an artificial unnatural border. Border Management is an integral approach towards borders in which along with security enhancement, infrastructure & human development is undertaken. The challenge of coping with long-standing territorial and boundary disputes with China and Pakistan, combined with porous borders along some of the most difficult terrain in the world, has made effective and efficient border management a national priority.

In order to bolster border infrastructure, India and China are ramping up construction of villages in their respective border areas.

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India has had to deal with numerous challenges with respect to border management such as:

• Porous borders: International borders with Pakistan and Bangladeshrun through diverse terrain including deserts, marshes, plains and mountains. This porosity of borders facilitates various illegal activities such as smuggling, trafficking of humans, drugs and arms and infiltration.
• Contested International borders: History of mistrustand constant border skirmishes with Pakistan along line of control (LOC) makes India highly susceptible to cross-border terrorism. Similarly, India’s border with Myanmar is threatened by several insurgent groups that have found sanctuaries in jungles along the border. Political boundary issues of “enclaves and adverse possessions” in Bangladesh have resulted in political sensitivity along the entire eastern border.
• Inefficiency in Border management: Indian borders continue to be guarded by military and police forces that report to different ministries in the Centre and states, making the border management task arduous and leading to duplication of efforts by the security forces.
• Lack of critical infrastructure: Critical infrastructure such as observation towers, bunkers, Border Flood Lights etc. are lacking in many border areas which also prevent deployment of hi-tech equipment.
• Poor intelligence and resource efficiency: Security forces are ill-equipped to handle border management given poor intelligence capabilities and severe resource deficiency.
• Ethnic conflicts and separatist movements: The situation has worsened due to the changed demographic profile of many Border States and shift in ethnic balance of communities as a result of illegal migration.
• Over-population in the border areas: Density of population in the border areas at some places is approximately 700-800 persons per square km on the Indian side and about 1,000 persons on the Bangladesh side.
• Political instability and disorder in its periphery impacts India’s security directly or indirectly. Proxy war between India and Pakistan adds to this security risk.

The implications on the internal security due to the above challenges of border management is marked by

• increased cross-border terrorism
• infiltration and ex-filtration of armed militants
• emergence of non-state actors
• nexus between narcotics traffickers and arms smugglers
• left-wing extremism
• fake Indian Currency network
• separatist movements aided and abetted by external powers
• illegal cattle trade

Diverse influences in borderlands and issues

• Economic support for insurgency: The Golden Triangle (comprising Myanmar, Laos and Thailand) has provided an economic boom for the insurgent groups to sustain themselves.
• Availability of weapons: Easy availability of small arms in neighboring countries like Bangladesh and Myanmar has been another factor behind the sustenance of insurgency in the region.
• Terrain of Border: Difficult terrain along border with different countries in north east make means of transportation and communication difficult and as a result, the border area remains sparsely populated with depressed economic development.
• Boundary issue: Even though the international boundary between countries like India and Myanmar had been formally delimited and demarcated following the boundary agreement in 1967, the boundary has not crystallised on the ground as lines separating two sovereign countries.
  • Border with China is disputed, and Kashmir has been an ongoing issue with Pakistan since Independence without solution.
• Lack of critical infrastructure: Critical infrastructure such as observation towers, bunkers, Border Flood Lights etc. are lacking in many border areas which also prevent deployment of hi-tech equipment.
• Poor intelligence and resource efficiency: Security forces are ill-equipped to handle border management given poor intelligence capabilities and severe resource deficiency.
• Ethnic conflicts and separatist movements: The situation has worsened due to the changed demographic profile of many Border States and shift in ethnic balance of communities as a result of illegal migration.
• Over-population in the border areas: Density of population in the border areas at some places is approximately 700-800 persons per square km on the Indian side and about 1,000 persons on the Bangladesh side.
• Political instability and disorder in its periphery impacts India’s security directly or indirectly. Proxy war between India and Pakistan adds to this security risk.

Strategies for effective border management have been continuously evolving. Some of them are:

• 24x7x365 day surveillance along Indo-Pak border with 5-layer smart fence
• Agreement on basic guiding principles and standard operating procedures
• Increasing confidence building measures and communication linkages to avoid unnecessary confrontation and escalation
• Integrated border management by involving and enhancing cooperation with counterparts of neighbouring countries especially along open borders.
• Effective implementation of the recommendations of One Border One Force by the Task Force on Border Management to weeds out inter agency frictions.
• Community measures and awareness can be deployed along open borders to prevent illegal activities.
• Implementation of Border Area Development Programme and other developmental initiatives so that there is no feeling of being left out.

Way forward:

• Infrastructure along with border has to be improved – rail connectivity along with road connectivity has to be provided for quick mobilization.
• Building of additional checkpoints and Border posts along major and minor trade routes connected with borders
• Building of floating bridges, walls & electrical fences where there is high probability of infiltration.
• Taking up of joint Border management with Countries like Myanmar, Bhutan and Nepal.
• Improving healthcare, physical infrastructure and digital connectivity in villages around borders thus making them stakeholder in Border Management.
• Madhav Godbole task force recommendations on border management need to be implemented.
• It had recommended that the CRPF should be designated as the primary national level counter-insurgency force. This would enable the other central paramilitary forces like the BSF and Indo-Tibetan Border Police to return to their primary role of better border management.
• It had also recommended that all paramilitary forces managing unsettled borders should operate directly under the control of the army and that there should be lateral induction from the army to the paramilitary forces so as to enhance their operational effectiveness.
• The principle of ‘single point control’ must be followed if the borders are to be effectively managed.
• The advances in surveillance technology, particularly satellite and aerial imagery, can help to maintain a constant vigil along the LAC and make it possible to reduce physical deployment.

Conclusion

Keeping a strong vigil on its border is very important for any nation to check any kind of illegal activities or intrusion through them. For India, the task becomes difficult where terrain and climate is very complex across some of its border areas. Focussing on improved technology will help in making the task easier for the security forces and make its borders more secure.

10. Climate change has a substantial impact on heat waves in India, contributing to their increased frequency, intensity, and duration. Examine.

Reference: Down to Earth , Insights on India

Introduction

Heat wave is a period of abnormally high temperatures, more than the normal maximum temperature that occurs during the pre-monsoon (April to June) summer season. According to Indian Meteorological Department, Heat wave is considered if maximum temperature of a station reaches at least 40°C or more for Plains, 37°C or more for coastal stations and at least 30°C or more for Hilly regions.

The combined impact of global warming and ongoing El Nino conditions in the equatorial Pacific Ocean has started showing heightened temperatures across many regions of the northern hemisphere, including south India. This could lead to an early and intense heatwave in these regions.

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Reasons for India to experience increasing instances of heatwaves

• Magnified effect of paved and concrete surfaces in urban areas and a lack of tree cover.
• Urban heat island effects can make ambient temperatures feel 3 to 4 degrees more than what they are.
• More heat waves were expected as globally temperatures had risen by an average 0.8 degrees in the past 100 years. Night-time temperatures are rising too.
• Higher daily peak temperatures and longer, more intense heat waves are becomingly increasingly frequent globally due to climate change.
• High intensity of UV rays in medium-high heat wave zone.
• Combination of exceptional heat stress and a predominantly rural population makes India vulnerable to heat waves.

Climate change and Heatwaves

• Climate change is making heat waves phenomenon more frequent and severe
• Due to climate change, periods of hot days in heat wave conditions stretch out longer in places like South Asia.
• Climate models reveal that future heatwaves will have a more intense geographic pattern. The world will experience more intense, more frequent, and longer-lasting heat waves in the second half of the 21st century.
• Increased anthropogenic activities causing increased greenhouse gas emissions show that heatwaves will be more severe.
• Heatwaves and droughts, as a result, minimise ecosystem carbon sequestration or carbon uptake.
• This will cause changes in the ecosystem’s carbon cycle feedback because there will be less vegetation to hold the carbon from the atmosphere, which will only contribute more to atmospheric warming.
• Due to climate change, the problem of heat waves is also becoming widespread across the country, affecting not only the typical hot spots in the northwest and southeast but also regions that aren’t used to seeing so much extreme heat.
• The effects of heat waves are even more stark because of a lack of rainfall so far this season due climate change.

Measures to mitigate heat waves:

• Switching to lighter-colored paving or porous green roads and cool roofs, to reflect more solar radiation.
• For instance, after a severe 2010 heat wave, the city of Ahmedabad implemented a Heat Action Plan, including a cool-roofs program; research has shown this plan has prevented thousands of deaths.
• Cities could increase their share of tree cover, which is significantly lower than what’s required to maintain an ecological balance.
• People in urban areas could be encouraged to grow climbing plants and curtains of vegetation outside their windows.
• Greenbelts around cities, for wind paths, would allow the passage of exhaust heat from urban air conditioners and automobiles.
• Finally, air-quality standards should be enforced rigorously and continuously—not just when air pollution reaches hazardous levels.

Way forward:

• In 2016, the National Disaster Management Agency prepared guidelines for state governments 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.
• This will require identification of “heat hot spots”, analysis of meteorological data and allocation of resources to crisis-prone areas.
• The India Cooling Action Planmust emphasize the urgency and need for better planning, zoning and building regulations to prevent Urban Heat Islands.
• 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.
• Popularization of simple design features such as shaded windows, underground water storage tanks and insulating housing materials.

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