[Mission 2024] Insights SECURE SYNOPSIS: 26 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

General Studies – 1

Topic: Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies.

1. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India serves as a cornerstone of India’s democratic system by ensuring financial accountability, promoting transparency, and contributing to the effective and responsible use of public resources. 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 Mission-2024 Secure timetable.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about the powers, functions and responsibilities of Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in India.

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: 

Begin by stating that the Constitution of India provides for an independent office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) and relevant articles mentioned in the constitution.

Body:

In the first part, write about the major functions of CAG – responsible for auditing and accounting of all receipts and expenditures of the Government of India and the state governments.

Next, write about its audit functions – performance audits, compliance audits, and financial reviews of various government programs and initiatives.

Next, write about its reports to uphold transparency and accountability – reports prepared by the CAG are presented in the Parliament, and the findings are discussed and debated by the Members of Parliament.

Conclusion:

Conclude by summarising.

Introduction

The Constitution of India provides for an independent office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in chapter V under Part V. The CAG is mentioned in the Constitution of India under Article 148 – 151. He is the head of the Indian Audit and Accounts Department. He is the guardian of the public purse and controls the entire financial system of the country at both the levels- the centre and state. His duty is to uphold the Constitution of India and the laws of Parliament in the field of financial administration.

Body

Powers: CAG derives its audit mandate from different sources like:

• Constitution (Articles 148 to 151)
• The Comptroller and Auditor General’s (Duties, Powers and Conditions of Service) Act, 1971
• Important Judgments
• Instructions of Government of India
• Regulations on Audit & Accounts-2007

Duties

• He audits the accounts related to all expenditure from the Consolidated Fund of India, Consolidated Fund of each state and UT having a legislative assembly.
• He audits all expenditure from the Contingency Fund of India and the Public Account of India as well as the Contingency Fund and Public Account of each state.
• He audits all trading, manufacturing, profit and loss accounts, balance sheets and other subsidiary accounts kept by any department of the Central Government and the state governments.
• He audits the receipts and expenditure of all bodies and authorities substantially financed from the Central or State revenues; government companies; other corporations and bodies, when so required by related laws.

Functions

• He audits all transactions of the Central and state governments related to debt, sinking funds, deposits, advances, suspense accounts and remittance business.
• He audits the accounts of any other authority when requested by the President or Governor e.g. Local bodies.
• He advises the President with regard to prescription of the form in which the accounts of the Centre and states shall be kept.
• He submits his audit reports relating to the accounts of the Centre to the President, who shall, in turn, place them before both the houses of Parliament.
• He submits his audit reports relating to the accounts of a State to the Governor, who shall, in turn, place them before the state legislature.
• He ascertains and certifies the net proceeds of any tax or duty and his certificate is final on the matter.
• He acts as a guide, friend and philosopher of the Public Accounts Committee of the Parliament.
• He compiles and maintains the accounts of state governments. In 1976, he was relieved of his responsibilities with regard to the compilation and maintenance of accounts of the Central government due to separation of accounts from audit.
• He submits 3 audit reports to the President: audit report on appropriation accounts, audit report on finance accounts and audit report on public undertakings.

Responsibilities

• His duty is to uphold the Constitution of India and laws of Parliament in the field of financial administration.
• The accountability of the executive (i.e., the council of ministers) to the Parliament in the sphere of financial administration is secured through audit reports of the CAG.
• The CAG is an agent of the Parliament and conducts an audit of expenditure on behalf of the Parliament.
• Therefore, he is responsible only to the Parliament.
• The CAG has more freedom with regard to the audit of expenditure than with regard to the audit of receipts, stores, and stock. ―Whereas in relation to expenditure he decides the scope of the audit and frames his own audit codes and manuals, he has to proceed with the approval of the executive government in relation to rules for the conduct of the other audits.
• The CAG has to ascertain whether money shown in the accounts as having been disbursed was legally available for and applicable to the service or the purpose to which they have been applied or charged and whether the expenditure conforms to the authority that governs it.
• In addition to this legal and regulatory audit, the CAG can also conduct the propriety audit, that is, he can look into the wisdom, faithfulness and economy ‘of government expenditure and comment on the wastefulness and extravagance of such expenditure.
• However, unlike the legal and regulatory audit, which is obligatory on the part of the CAG, the propriety audit is discretionary.

Performance of CAG over last few years

• There was a delay of 17-50 months in identifying areas and people affected by mining in Chhattisgarh, an audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) found.
• The CAG has showcased at least half-a-dozen such case studies showing use of these tools in a ‘Compendium on Responsible Artificial Intelligence’.
• The Odisha Train Crash Was the Terrible Cost of Ignoring CAG Audits.
• CAG has strengthened its engagement efforts not only through various innovative products such as ‘departmental appreciation notes’ and ‘management letters’ but also by increasing level of interaction and touch points.
• CAG’s engagements with political exectutives have helped in creating shared understanding of the most pressing concerns, nuances of the challenges faced and possible solutions which would help in furthering the shared goal of good governance.
• Another sphere where the CAG is moving away from the traditional role and adopting a pro-active role is in trying to bring about mid-course corrections and suggesting ways and means to achieve economy and efficiency even during the course of the audit process.
• In the past, the CAG’s role was limited to reading of accounts while maintaining total distance from policy design and execution.
• Another area witnessing CAG’s proactive initiative is in the effort to improve effectiveness and efficiency of local self-government bodies be it the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) or the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).
• The Comptroller Auditor General of India (CAG) is now aggressively trying to rebuild its image from being the quintessential watchdog finding loopholes in the country’s public expenditure books to a “friend, philosopher and guide,” especially to the state governments.

Conclusion

CAG helps the parliament/state legislatures hold their respective governments accountable. He is one of the bulwarks of the democratic system of government in India. It is for these reasons Dr. B R Ambedkar said that the CAG shall be the most important Officer under the Constitution of India and his duties are far more important than the duties of even the judiciary.

Topic: Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act.

2. Making the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) legally binding could enhance its effectiveness and contribute to more uniform implementation across different contexts. However, such a move also raises concerns related to practical challenges that need careful consideration. Critically analyse. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Reference: Insights on India

Why the question:

The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 1 as mentioned in Mission-2024 Secure timetable.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about the need to frame a law of model code of conduct to make it more effective.

Directive word: 

Critically analyze – When asked to analyse, you must examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts and present them in a summary. When ‘critically’ is suffixed or prefixed to a directive, one needs to look at the good and bad of the topic and give a balanced judgment on the topic.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Begin by defining model code of conduct.

Body:

First, mention the various features of MCC and its evolution since 1960 – enumerate the 7 Parts of the Code, Public meetings by political parties, Processions by political parties, Poll day conduct etc.

Next, write about the need to bring the MCC under the statute by enacting a law – does not specify the type of punishment, EC’s arbitrariness and individual bias, failure to provide for decisions to be made within a certain time frame etc.

Next, write the reasons for not including MCC in the statute – Election Commission has opposed this, interpretation of laws by the courts will take a lot of time, keeping MCC open ended and organic etc.

Conclusion:

Conclude by writing a way forward to make MCC more robust and effective.

Introduction

Model code of conduct is the guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India for conduct of political parties and candidates during elections mainly with respect to speeches, polling day, polling booths, election manifestos, processions and general conduct. It aims to ensure free and fair elections.

Body

Authority of ECI vis-à-vis MCC:

• Article 324 says the superintendence, direction and control of all elections to Parliament, the State legislatures, and the offices of the President and Vice-President shall be vested in the EC.
• The Article has been interpreted by courts and by orders of the EC from time to time to mean that the power vested in it is plenary in nature.
• In other words, the EC can take any action it deems fit to ensure that elections and the election process are free and fair.
• The EC monitors the adherence of political parties and candidates to the ‘Model Code of Conduct’.
• If the violations are also offences under election law and the criminal law of the land, the EC has the power to recommend registration of cases against the offenders.
• However, for some violations — such as canvassing for votes during a period when electioneering is barred, making official announcements while the MCC is in force, and making appeal to voters on sectarian grounds — the EC has the power to advise or censure candidates, in addition to directing registration of cases.
• In some cases, as recent incidents would show, the EC may bar candidates or leaders from campaigning for specified periods.
• Asking individuals to leave a constituency or barring entry into certain areas are other powers that the EC may exercise.
• These powers are not necessarily traceable to any provision in law, but are generally considered inherent because of the sweeping and plenary nature of the EC’s responsibility under the Constitution to ensure free and fair elections.
• Its powers extend to postponing elections to any constituency, cancelling an election already notified, and even to abrogate or annul an election already held.

Why MCC needs to be under statute:

• The EC does not have the power to disqualify candidates who commit electoral malpractices. At best, it may direct the registration of a case.
• The EC also does not have the power to deregister any political party. However, the Constitution empowers the EC to decide whether a candidate has incurred disqualification by holding an office of profit under the appropriate government, or has been declared an insolvent, or acquired the citizenship of a foreign state.
• When a question arises whether a candidate has incurred any of these disqualifications, the President of India or Governor has to refer it to the EC. The poll panel’s decision on this is binding.

Way Forward:

• Under Chief Election Commissioners like T.N. Seshan and J.M. Lyngdoh, the commission has in the past shown the capacity to come up with creative solutions that adhere to both the spirit and the letter of the law.
• MCC should be provided with statutory backing. It should be made a part of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 to make the MCC more powerful.
• Establishment of special fast track courts to solve the MCC violation cases at a faster rate.
• The law commission recommendations should be implemented to save the unnecessary spending of public money during elections.
• Public awareness about MCC needs to be developed. The use of app like cVIGIL should be encouraged to reduce violations during polls.
• Stakeholders including Internet companies should come up with a code for Social Media and Internet.

Conclusion

MCC has an indisputable legitimacy and parties across the political spectrum have generally adhered to its letter and spirit. The immaculate independence of the EC and its uncompromising attitude towards enforcing the code, combined with the perception among parties that following the code far outweighs the costs accrued if violated by other parties, especially the ruling one, have led to the success of the MCC since its inception.

Value addition

Instances of violation of MCC by candidates:

• The recent incident where the Prime Minister made a public announcement on 27 March 2019 about the successful launch of India’s first anti-satellite weapon (ASAT), which made India the fourth nation in the world with anti-satellite missile capabilities, was against the MCC guidelines.
• Former Chief Election Commissioner Dr SY Quraishi also criticised Prime Minister’s speech on India’s Anti Satellite Test capability (ASAT), saying it was not in conformity with ethics and spirit of the model code of conduct for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
• The NaMo TV channel launched on 31 March 2019, which, without any formal approval of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, is propagating the image and views of Shri Narendra Modi.
• The incumbent Governor of Rajasthan has made certain statements that virtually amount to canvassing for a specific political party.
• The present Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh had, at a recent public election meeting, referred to the armed forces as the army of incumbent PM.
• Previously, A law minister was censured by the president after EC filed a complaint against him for violating MCC by announcing a scheme when MCC was in force.
• Election Commission served a show cause notice to Bengal chief minister for announcing a new district during 2016.

Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

3. A cut in budgetary allocation to higher education raises serious concerns about the quality, accessibility, and affordability of education. Critically analyse. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Tough

Reference: The Hindu

Why the question:

The Interim Budget has slashed allocation to higher education by 16.8%. This will exacerbate the economic burden on both educational institutions and students

Key Demand of the question:

To write about the consequences of cut in budgetary allocation to higher education.

Directive word: 

Critically analyse – When asked to analyse, you must examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts and present them in a summary. When ‘critically’ is suffixed or prefixed to a directive, one needs to look at the good and bad of the topic and give a balanced judgment on the topic.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Begin by giving context.

Body:

First, write about the impact of cut in funding to higher education – financial capabilities of educational institutions, impacting the quality of education and services offered, heavier economic burden on students etc.

Next, write the long-term impact of the same – on broader economy, innovation, and societal well-being.

Next, write about the steps that are needed to rectify the same.

Conclusion:

Conclude with a way forward.

Introduction

The Interim Budget has reduced funding for higher education by over 60%, cutting ₹9,600 crore from last year. This affects institutions like IITs and IIMs. There’s a small increase in school education funding. But significant portions allocated for specific projects like PM-SHRI schools and Eklavya Model Residential Schools, which impacts the budget for existing schools.

Body

Impacts of financial strain on education

• The grant for higher education has reduced by ₹9,600 crore from the preceding fiscal year’s revised estimate
• Second consecutive year of slashes in allocations for institutions such as the Indian Institutes of Technology and the Indian Institutes of Management.
• Funding is being redirected from the University Grants Commission to the Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA), increasing reliance on loans instead of grants.
• Despite the budget asserting a 28% increase in funding for Central universities, it is directed not to the UGCbut to the Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA).
• These cuts compel colleges and universities to introduce more self-financing courses, likely leading to increased tuition fees.
• It will aggravate the already precarious educational condition of marginalized groups
  • Their Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) falls significantly below the national average of 3%
  • Women, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes registering a GER of 24.9%, 23.1%, and 18.9%, respectively (All India Survey on Higher Education 2020-21).
• Over 72% of students find themselves excluded from the prospect of higher education, primarily due to the fiscal deficit experienced by institutions and students.
• The reduction in funding exacerbates the challenges faced by marginalized groups in accessing higher education, as their Gross Enrolment Ratios are already below the national average.
• India’s GER at the higher education level trails significantly behind the global average of 38% marking it the lowest among BRICS nations.
• The shift in funding priorities and the ensuing financial challenges might adversely affect the overall quality of education offered in Indian higher education institutions.

• The budget cut is at odds with India’s commitment to the ‘Education 2023: Incheon Declaration,’ which calls for allocating 4-6% of GDP to education. The current allocation stands at approximately 2.8% of GDP, significantly lower than the target range.

Way Forward

• Robust funding stands as a crucial linchpin.
  • propelling initiatives to bridge gaps
  • enhance enrolments
  • ensure retention
  • elevate the overall quality of education, making it more equitable and inclusive.
• 3% of the total school education budget is dedicated exclusively to a mere 7% of schools, leading to a substantial decrease in the overall budget for existing schools and leaving them in the lurch.
  • Proper distribution of budgetary allocation is a way forward.
• The higher education regulator(s) must demonstrate zero toleranceand act swiftly to quell even the smallest trace of corruption in the admission, examination, hiring processes or any aspect of university administration.

Conclusion

Thus, to improve education in India, the government should increase funding for higher education, aligning with the 4-6% GDP goal of the Incheon Declaration. This will support marginalized groups and reduce the economic burden on students, as currently, higher education GER is much lower than the global average.

General Studies – 3

Topic: Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices.

4. How is the minimum price of sugarcane determined in India? Examine the issues with respect to fair and remunerative price (FRP) of sugarcane with special emphasis on profitability of sugar mills. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Tough

Reference: The Hindu

Why the question:

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Wednesday approved ₹340/quintal as the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane for sugar season 2024-25 at 10.25% sugar recovery rate.  

Key Demand of the question:

To mention the various way in which minimum price for sugarcane is determine and write about issues in FRP.

Directive word: 

Examine – When asked to ‘Examine’, we must investigate the topic (content words) in detail, inspect it, investigate it and establish the key facts and issues related to the topic in question. While doing so we should explain why these facts and issues are important and their implications.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Mention the scenario about the Sugarcane and Sugar industry.

Body:

Write in detail about the two mechanisms for determination of minimum price of sugarcane in India – Fair and remunerative price (FRP) and State Advised Prices (SAP).

Next, write about issues in regards to Fair and remunerative price (FRP). Explain how rise FRP without rise in sugar prices have negatively impacted the sugar Industry.

Conclusion:

Conclude with a way forward.

Introduction

The Fair and Remunerative Pricing (FRP) is used in sugarcane industry to replace the MSP, it is based on the Rangarajan Committee report of reorganizing the sugarcane industry. The committee found that in the production of sugar, 70% of the input cost is sugarcane. This FRP method is useful in times when the sugar prices are high but the FRP method ask the sugar companies to pay the farmer the MSP for sugar when the sugar and hence sugarcane price is low.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs recently approved ₹340/quintal as the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane for sugar season 2024-25 at 10.25% sugar recovery rate.  

Body

Determination of FRP:

• The pricing of sugarcane is governed by the statutory provisions of the Sugarcane (Control) Order, 1966 issued under the Essential Commodities Act (ECA), 1955.
• Prior to 2009-10 sugar season, the Central Government was fixing the Statutory Minimum Price (SMP) of sugarcane and farmers were entitled to share profits of a sugar mill on 50:50 basis.
• As this sharing of profits remained virtually unimplemented, the Sugarcane (Control) Order, 1966 was amended in October, 2009 and the concept of SMP was replaced by the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane.
• A new clause ‘reasonable margins for growers of sugarcane on account of risk and profits’ was inserted as an additional factor for working out FRP and this was made effective from the 2009-10 sugar season.
• The Federal/Central Government announces Fair and Remunerative Prices which are determined on the recommendation of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) and are announced by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, which is chaired by Prime Minister.
• The FRP, the minimum price that mills have to pay to cane growers, every year before start of the sugarcane crushing season.

Issues with respect to fair and remunerative price (FRP) of sugarcane:

• FRPs would adversely affect the financial health of the sugar factories in times of low sugar prices where the companies has to pay the MSP even though the sugar prices are low.
• The FRPs are not market-based and are priced at artificially inflated levels by governments.
• This, in turn, puts pressure on the sugar mills who have to purchase the crop from the farmers at these inflated FRPs.
• And while the government has raised ethanol prices dramatically to help sugar mills find an alternative source of demand to pay for the excessively priced sugarcane, once oil prices fall to reasonable levels, oil PSUs won’t be able to afford the ethanol.

Way forward

• Rangarajan committee (2012) proposed decontrol of sugar industry and linking sugarcane prices with market price of sugar to account for this structural imbalance.
• Based on the report, Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) recommended a hybrid approach of fixing sugarcane prices, which involved fair and remunerative price (FRP) or floor price and revenue sharing formula (RSF). Under this approach farmers’ revenue from sugarcane would be higher if the price of sugar and by-products is high.
• This is similar to many other committees formed by the government to recommend the sugar industry decontrol. Committees under Mahajan (1998), Tuteja (2004), Thorat (2009) and Nandakumar (2010) had similar recommendations.
• Ease the market control of government on export and import. The move is to help India (17% of world production) to enable its exports (only 4% of world export), but leaving it all to the market is risky.
• Do away with minimum distance between mills to enable competition.
• The new national policy on biofuels 2018, expands the scope of raw material for ethanol production by allowing use of Sugarcane Juice.
• Policy modifications to increase the ethanol blending vis-à-vis the foreign countries like Australia which has 85% blending. Better prices for ethanol can also help in export of the same.
• To diversify crops and ensure that sugarcane production falls. This requires long-term investment, and the government will have to encourage farmers to cultivate crops like pulses and oilseeds.
• Better irrigation techniques to reduce the water usage.
• Reducing the information asymmetry to improve farmer’s knowledge about the possible output in a year using Bigdata technique.

Value Addition:

Background:

• The fair & remunerative price (FRP) for sugarcane has been increased to ₹290 per quintal for 2021-22, which will be based on 10% recovery. If recovery is less than 9.5%, then farmers will be given ₹275 per quintile. 
• In FRP, the farmer is paid 70% of the total turnover of the company if only the sugar turnover is considered and 75% of the total turnover if other products like bagasse and molasses etc are also considered.
• The approval is the highest ever FRP, approved for sugarcane farmers and the decision will benefit 5 crore sugarcane farmers & their dependents, as well as 5 lakh workers employed in sugar mills and related ancillary activities
• The CACP is required to pay due regard to the statutory factors listed in the Control Order, which are
  • the cost of production of sugarcane;
  • the return to the grower from alternative crops and the general trend of prices of agricultural commodities;
  • the availability of sugar to the consumers at a fair price;
  • the price of sugar;
  • the recovery rate of sugar from sugarcane;
  • the realization made from sale of by-products viz. molasses, bagasse and press mud or their imputed value (inserted in December, 2008) and;
  • reasonable margins for growers of sugarcane on account of risk and profits (inserted in October, 2009).
• States also announce a price called the State Advisory Price (SAP), which is usually higher than the SMP.

Topic: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

5. What is ‘climate justice’? Analyse the disproportionate impact of climate change across the north-south divide and role of ‘climate justice’ in ensuring sustainable climate action and equitable future for all. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Tough

Reference: livelaw.in , Insights on India

Why the question:

A two-day Conference on Sustainable Climate Action hosted by the India International University of Legal Education and Research (IIULER) at Goa, concluded at the Moot Court Hall of the Bar Council of India (BCI) Trust run Law School this evening.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about the concept of climate justice and how it can lead to equity.

Directive word: 

Analyse – When asked to analyse, you must examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts and present them in a summary.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Start by explaining the concept of climate justice.

Body:

Further elaborate upon the various dimensions of the climate justice and what it seeks to achieve.

Next, bring out how impact of climate change will be disproportionate across the north-south divide, income levels, gender, race etc. Mention statistics, facts and figures to substantiate your answer.

 Write as to how climate justice can be a way to reduce such disproportionate impact and to achieve climate goals in an equitable way.

Conclusion:

Conclude with a way forward to achieve climate justice.

Introduction

Climate justice can be defined “as a form of environmental justice, climate justice is the fair treatment of all people and the freedom from discrimination in the creation of policies and projects that address climate change as well as the systems that create climate change and perpetuate discrimination.” It is a term used for framing climate change as an ethical and political issue, rather than one that is purely environmental or physical in nature.

Body

Climate change and its impacts on the disadvantaged groups:

• Around the world, people are experiencing both the subtle and stark effects of climate change.
• Gradually shifting weather patterns, rising sea levels and more extreme weather events are devastating evidence of both a rapidly changing climate and an urgent need for solutions.
• While the impacts of climate change affect every country on every continent, they don’t do it equally.
• People already burdened by poverty and oppression often suffer the harshest consequences, while having the least ability to cope. Their struggle to earn a living, feed their families and create stable homes is made more difficult every day the climate crisis continues.
• Low-income communities, people of colour, indigenous people, people with disabilities, older or very young people, women – all can be more susceptible to risks posed by climate impacts like raging storms and floods, increasing wildfire, severe heat, poor air quality, access to food and water, and disappearing shorelines.
• The increased frequency and intensity of such extreme weather events drive people from their homes and jeopardizing food sources and livelihoods. All these effects increase the likelihood of more conflict, hunger and poverty.
• It is a global justice concern that those who suffer most from climate change have done the least to cause it.

The idea of ‘climate justice’ will go a long way in achieving equity in sustainability:

• The concept of climate justice acknowledges that because the world’s richest countries have contributed most to the problem, they have a greater obligation to take action and to do so more quickly.
• Climate justice demands to look beyond the environmental and ecological consequences of climate change and take strong political action to secure the future generations.
• It humanises the effect of climate change and insists on a shift from a discourse on greenhouse gases and melting ice caps into a civil rights movement with the people and communities most vulnerable to climate impacts at its heart.
• Climate Justice   links   human  rights   and  development  to  achieve  a  human-centred  approach, safeguarding  the  rights  of  the  most  vulnerable  and sharing  the  burdens  and  benefits  of  climate change    and  its  resolution  equitably  and
• Climate justice  is  informed  by  science,  responds  to science and acknowledges the need for equitable stewardship of the world’s resources.

Measures needed to achieve climate justice:

• Respect and Protect Human Rights
• Support the Right to Development
• Share Benefits and Burdens Equitably
• Recognize the key groups that are differently affected by climate change
• Ensure that decisions on Climate Change are participatory, transparent and accountable
• Highlight gender equality and equity
• Harness the transformative power of education for climate stewardship
• Use effective partnerships to secure climate justice

Way forward:

• Organizations like the Climate Justice Alliance are working to bring race, gender, and class considerations to the centre of the climate action discussion.
• The NAACP is also advocating for efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and advance clean energy while promoting food justice, transportation equity, and civil rights in emergency planning.
• And the UN and IPCC each continue to place greater emphasis on these issues.
• In order to create climate justice, gender equality must also be brought into the conversation

Conclusion

We now know that climate change is not just an environmental or sustainable development concern involving trade-offs. It requires a civilisational transformation in what we value, the way we live, and how we interact with one another.

Value Addition:

India’s role in ensuring Climate Justice

• India is currently setting up voluntary targets in the international forums to commit itself to the mission to combat climate change. It is also playing a major role in climate change mitigation.
• India’s proactive role in mitigating climate change is due to the domestic compulsion of tackling issues like the need for poverty eradication, food and nutritional security, universalization of health and education, water security, sustainable energy, employment
• India is of the opinion that the developing countries’ need for inclusive growth, sustainable development, poverty eradication and universal access to energy must be made the fundamental differentiation between them and the developed nations.
• Currently, the Conventions recognise that the historical emissions of the developed nations as the basis for differentiation between the developed and developing nations.
• Being a developing nation, India also has come up with many initiatives to make India a carbon neutral economy, especially with schemes such as Mega Solar park, FAME and so on.

Topic: basics of cyber security;

6. Deepfakes can be used to create convincing fake content that could mislead the public, spread misinformation, and even manipulate political events which can pose a threat to democracy. Examine. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Reference: Live Mint , Insights on India

Why the question:

Realistic AI-generated images and voice recordings may be the latest threat to democracy, but they’re part of a long-standing family of deceptions.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about deepfakes, threat posed by them and steps that are needed to counter them.

Directive word: 

Examine – When asked to ‘Examine’, we must investigate the topic (content words) in detail, inspect it, investigate it and establish the key facts and issues related to the topic in question. While doing so we should explain why these facts and issues are important and their implications.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Begin by defining deepfakes.

Body:

First, Deepfakes leverage powerful techniques from machine learning and artificial intelligence to manipulate or generate visual and audio content. Discuss then the concerns posed by them. Deepfakes can be and have been weaponised to inflict harm. Deepfakes can inflict damage to individuals, institutions, businesses and democracy.

Next, write about the steps that are needed to overcome the challenges posed by it.

Conclusion:

Conclude by writing a way forward.

Introduction

Deep Fakes are the digital media (video, audio, and images) manipulated using Artificial Intelligence. Deep fakes are a new tool to spread computational propaganda and disinformation at scale and with speed. Deep fakes have evolved from mere annoyance to high stake warfare for creating social discord, increasing polarisation, and in some cases, influencing an election outcome. It allows hyper-realistic digital falsification that can inflict damage to individuals, institutions, businesses and democracy.

Realistic AI-generated images and voice recordings may be the latest threat to democracy, but they’re part of a long-standing family of deceptions.

Dangers Associated With Deep Fake

• Deep Fake makes it possible to fabricate media — swap faces, lip-syncing, and puppeteers — mostly without consent and bring threat to psychology, security, political stability, and business disruption.
• Undermining democracy: A deep fake can also aid in altering the democratic discourse and undermine trust in institutions and impair diplomacy.
  • False information about institutions, public policy, and politicians powered by a deep fake can be exploited to spin the story and manipulate belief.
  • A deep fake of a political candidate can sabotage their image and reputation.
  • Leaders can also use them to increase populism and consolidate powe Deep fakes can become a very effective tool to sow the seeds of polarisation, amplifying division in society, and suppressing dissent.
  • Another concern is a liar’s dividend an undesirable truth is dismissed as deep fake or fake news.
• Damage to Personal Reputation of personalities: Deep fake can depict a person indulging in antisocial behaviours and saying vile things.
  • These can have severe implications on their reputation, sabotaging their professional and personal life.
  • Even if the victim could debunk the deep fake, it may come too late to remedy the initial harm.
• Further, Deep fakes can be deployed to extract money, confidential information, or exact favours from individuals.
• A deep fake could act as a powerful tool by a nation-state to undermine public safety and create uncertainty and chaos in the target country.
• Nation-state actors with geopolitical aspirations, ideological believers, violent extremists, and economically motivated enterprises can manipulate media narratives using deep fakes.
• It can be used by insurgent groups andterrorist organisations, to represent their adversaries as making inflammatory speeches or engaging in provocative actions to stir up anti-state sentiments among people.

Concerns regarding deep fake images:

• The technology becomes vulnerable because deep fake images, audio and videos are very realistic and can be used by cybercriminals to spread misinformation to intimidate or blackmail people, seek revenge or commit fraud on social networking and dating sites.
• It has become one of the modern frauds of cyberspace, along with fake news, spam/phishing attacks, social engineering fraud, cat fishing and academic fraud.
• It can be used to create fake pornographic videos and to make politicians appear to say things they did not, so the potential for damage to individuals, organisations and societies is vast.
• With the improvement in technology, deep fakes are also getting better.
• Initially, an individual with advanced knowledge of machine learning and access to the victim’s publicly available social media profile could only make deep fakes.
• Development of apps and websites capable of such editing became more frequent and easily accessible to an average user.

Way Forward:

• Stringent regulations against unethical use or misuse of deepfakes. Typically, platforms must remove unlawful content within 36 hours of being notified by a court or government.
  • If an individual is depicted in sexual acts or partial nudity or otherwise impersonated complains, platforms are required to remove such content within 24 hours.
  • They are also required to publish terms of service that prohibit users from uploading content that impersonates other persons, and content that knowingly communicates “misinformation”.
• Online platforms must also “make reasonable efforts to cause the user” to not upload such content on their platforms, and “act on” user complaints within 72 hours
• To defend the truth and secure freedom of expression, we need a multi stakeholder and multimodal approach.
• Media literacy for consumers and journalists is the most effective tool to combat disinformation and deep fakes.
• Media literacy efforts must be enhanced to cultivate a discerning public.
  • As consumers of media, we must have the ability to decipher, understand, translate, and use the information we encounter.
  • Even a short intervention with media understanding, learning the motivations and context, can lessen the damage.
  • Improving media literacy is a precursor to addressing the challenges presented by deep fakes.
• Meaningful regulations with a collaborative discussion with the technology industry, civil society, and policymakers can facilitate disincentivising the creation and distribution of malicious deep fakes.
• We also need easy-to-use and accessible technology solutions to detect deep fakes, authenticate media, and amplify authoritative sources.

Conclusion:

• To counter the menace of deep fakes, we all must take the responsibility to be a critical consumer of media on the Internet, think and pause before we share on social media, and be part of the solution to this infodemic.
• To defend the truth and secure freedom of expression, there is a need for a multi-stakeholder and multi-modal approach.
• Collaborative actions and collective techniques across legislative regulations, platform policies, technology intervention, and media literacy can provide effective and ethical countermeasures to mitigate the threat of malicious deep fakes.

General Studies – 4

Topic: ethics – in private and public relationships;

7. The ethical responsibility of civil servants lies in understanding and navigating the complex interplay between personal rights and professional duties. Justify. (150 words)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Why the question:

The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4.

Key Demand of the question:

Directive:

Justify – When you are asked to justify, you must pass a sound judgement about the truth of the given statement in the question or the topic based on evidence.  You must appraise the worth of the statement in question using suitable case studies or/ and examples.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction:

Write about how there is a conflict between private and public relationships during day to day administrative work.

Body:

From the perspective of an administrator further elaborate that having a right is not same as doing the right thing. Mention as to why it is imperative for the administrator to do the right thing. Use examples to substantiate your point.

Bring out the various facets of integrity, impartiality and nonpartisan ship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker sections that an administrator must consider before taking any actions in case of conflict.

Mention certain principles, theories and benchmarks one can take the right decision especially when faced with a conflict or dilemma.

Conclusion:

Complete by summarizing the need for doing the right thing especially for those who are in power.

Introduction

There is an intimate relationship between private and public life, especially for civil servants. No sharp line can be drawn where private life starts and where public life ends for a Civil Servant . However, when the border when blurred can lead to moral turpitude. It is in these situations; one must know the difference between their right to do something vis-a-vis the right and just thing to do.

Body

Private relationship

• Private relationships (often called as personal relationships) refer to close connections between people, formed by emotional bonds and interactions. E.g. Husband-Wife relation, Father-Son relation etc. Ethics in private relationship deals with which values should guide these relationships.
• The values in private relationships can be love between the family, trust and honesty between siblings, spouses, fidelity in a marriage, respect for elders etc.

Public relationship

• Public relations involve relation between individual in public sphere. Public relationships are more instrumental such as organisational colleagues, politicians, teachers, etc.
• Here the values are integrity, accountability, transparency and so on.

Civil servants are administrators who have a lot of discretionary powers. For instance, the calling of tender for road construction, dam construction and such other infrastructure projects are common. Consider an instance where an officer must select between two contractors who are equally competent with their offer but one of them is a relative of the officer. Naturally, the officer is expected to act in non-partisan manner, but his private and public life will contradict in this situation.

Likewise, in recent times, the Chanda Kocchar case came out in the public and the misdemeanours that took place during her tenure as ICICI CEO. These are the clear cases, where one must know what is the right thing to do, rather than exercising their rights in favour of their kith and kin. The issue of crony capitalism exists for the very reason of lack of ethics in professional life.

Since the boundaries between professional and personal life is shrinking in contemporary lives, it is imperative for civil administrator to cherish same values which forms the ethical basis of civil administration job.

Sometimes in complex and emotional situations, it is very hard to decide what is the right thing to do. It manifests in the decision-making process by civil servants where the decision can impact a huge number of people. The problem arises when they are pressurised under some influence to take immoral decisions or implement unethical policies.

But public servants have an obligation to protect and promote our constitutional ideals enshrined in the preamble, to uphold the rule of law, dispense administrative justice and ensure administrative facilitation. As an elite segment of society, public servants have an important role in informing and even formulating public opinion and perception on various issues.

Conclusion

The public servant should be empathetic as also advised by Mahatma Gandhi’s that if anyone was in doubt if an action was good or not was to put oneself in the situation of the poorest of the poor in the country and see how a particular policy and programme will impact him or her. The right intermingling ethics of private relationship and public relationship from a perspective of civil servant can lead to transparency, good governance and public welfare in society.

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