Coronavirus impact on environment
Corona virus impact on environment According to WHO, Increasing incidents of virus outbreaks are due to The destruction of wild habitat, forest and their food sources for urbanisation, mining, industry and agriculture expansion means pathogen once confined to wild are better positioned to infect humans. Elimination of biodiversity and the distance barriers that lent resilience to a human and domestic animal,due to mono cropping and live stock farming system. Instead learning lessons from the pandemic, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) have considered, and in many cases cleared multiple industrial, mining and infrastructure proposals in critical wildlife habitats, and life and livelihood-sustaining forests. These include… Etalin Hydropower Project in the biodiversity-rich Dibang valley of Arunachal Pradesh. A coal mine in Assam’s Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve Diamond mining in the Panna forested belt in Madhya Pradesh. Read Also Central Administrative Tribunal A coal mine to be operated by Adani Enterprises with a coal-fired power plant in Odisha’s Talabira forests A limestone mine in the Gir National Park, Gujarat. A geotechnical investigation in the Sharavathi Lion-Tailed Macaque Sanctuary in Karnataka. More over the draft Environment Impact Assessment is diluting it’s earlier version. As per the draft, starting a project before obtaining environmental approvals will no longer be a violation, and it can be regularised post-facto. Provision for ‘public hearing’ is diluted which is an opportunity of voice for the project affected community and environmental and social experts. The notification proposes to exempt a wider range of projects from hearings, including those which authorities can arbitrarily designate as ‘strategic’. The draft notification says virtually nothing on improving monitoring and compliance with clearance conditions and safeguards. Read Also Space- Role for private sector Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now
Rajya Sabha
Rajya Sabha The origin of the second Chamber can be traced to the Montague-Chelmsford Report of 1918. The Government of India Act, 1919 provided for the creation of a ‘Council of State’ as a second chamber of the then legislature with a restricted franchise which actually came into existence in 1921. Role of Rajya Sabha Rajya Sabha has prevented hasty legislation and has served as a dignified chamber representing the federal principle. As a federal chamber, it has worked for the unity and integrity of the nation and has reinforced the faith of the people in parliamentary democracy. The Rajya Sabha has some special powers as required to adopt a resolution allowing Parliament to legislate on subjects in the State List and creating All India Services (Art 312), besides approving proclamations of Emergency and President’s Rule when the Lok Sabha is dissolved. It has been playing a pivotal role in India’s much cherished parliamentary democracy, keeping the bicameral structure alive, setting new records and creating history since its inception. Rajya Sabha has been more like an eclectic mix of minds from different streams of life as parties could afford to nominate writers, actors, economists or even poets or political leaders in the house. It helps in a deeper review of laws, it provides a wider platform for more talent and expertise as it complements the first chamber in securing greater executive accountability. The Upper House had cleared bills to penalise untouchability (1954), prohibit dowry (1959), set up All India Institute of Medical Sciences (1956), and give all Indian children the right to education (2009). It had also passed the Women’s Reservation bill [also called the Constitution (108th Amendment) Bill] (2010) though the Lok Sabha didn’t take it up. It ensures continuity and also brings about a fusion of new and old in the House .This type of arrangement is designed to secure the representation of past as well as current opinion and help in maintaining continuity in public policy. The Rajya Sabha has remained a vanguard for political and social values, a melting pot of culture and diversity and over all, a relentless flag-bearer of sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic called India. It fortifies the federal nature of the Indian democracy. It serves the purpose of check and balance on the activities of the ‘Lok Sabha’. It also provides a platform to the small and regional parties to present their views. The ‘Rajya Sabha’, the bureaucracy and the judiciary act as the 3-layered wall that sees to the upkeep of the principles of a democratic republic like India. It would introduce an element of sobriety and second thought besides lending voice to the constituent units in the legislative scheme of things. The mandate of the Rajya Sabha is to revise or delay legislation without proving a clog in the wheel of the progress; to represent the interests of the States as a federal chamber; and be a deliberative body holding high-quality debates on important issues. HereIssues related to Rajya Sabha The Upper House spends only 24% of its time in deliberating and passing laws It witnesses a disturbing trend of rising disruptions which dent the quality of law-making as seen in passing of Bills without discussion sometimes.. Productivity of the house fell from 87% during 1998-2004 to 61% during 2015-19. Legislatures ensure accountability of the executive through Questions, Calling Attention Notices etc. This Oversight function of the Council of States has fallen from 39.50% to 12.34% since 2015. The Rajya Sabha has become a haven for losers in elections, crony capitalists, compromised journalists and party fundraisers. It acts as a “clog in the wheel of progress” of the nation by delaying the major legislations in the house. Reform measures needed The council of states should not be abolished, but it definitely needs to be reformed to get the institutional incentives right.It is much more practical to try and reform the Rajya Sabha than seeking to abolish it. One useful reform step would be to have members of the Rajya Sabha be directly elected by the citizens of a state. This will reduce cronyism and patronage appointments. This step should be combined with equal representation for each state in the house The Rajya Sabha is here to stay. It is our responsibility to make it an effective and time-bound contributor to India’s parliamentary system. Question India needs a strong council of states, perhaps even more so today when there is so much attention being paid to the principle of cooperative federalism. Critically analyse this statement Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey.Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. contact us
Balochistan Liberation Army
Balochistan Liberation Army The June 29 attack on the Karachi Stock Exchange that claimed at least eight lives brought back attention on the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) as well as the complexity of the Baloch militancy. Three phases of Baloch militancy are The first phase unfolded in the immediate aftermath of the partition and creation of Pakistan. The second phase during the era of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto following the 1971 Indo-Pak Bangladesh liberation war. The launching of a military campaign against the rebels by Pervez Musharraf leading resistance by Baloch people. Read Also India and Terrorism Baloch Liberation Army is associated with Free Balochistan Movement, under the leadership of Baloch leader Hyrbyair Marri. Their concern is that Pakistan government is an exploitative arm that cart away the natural resources of the region without pushing proportionate development. Baloch Liberation Army is a strong opposer of CPEC project which runs through the Balochistan region. Read Also Terrorism Financing Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now
Privatisation of Indian Railways
Privatisation of Indian Railways Indian Railways has launched the process of opening up train operations to private entities on 109 destination pairs of routes using 151 modern trains. The Tejas train operated by IRCTC,in which government is majority stakeholder, is the first train allowed to be run by a ‘non-Railway operators. Bibek Debroy committee constituted in 2015 has recommended liberalisation and not privatisation of railways as the way forward. The present move takes another step towards competing passenger train operations, bringing new-generation trains and attracting investments of an estimated ₹30,000 crore. Participation of the private sector ensures a better quality of service and new train travel experience similar to aircraft and air-conditioned buses. From a passenger perspective, there is a need for more train services, particularly between big cities. Train services operated by Indian Railways cover several classes of passengers, meeting the social service obligation to connect remote locations, and adopting the philosophy of cross-subsidy for passengers in low-cost trains through higher freight tariffs. However private operators are not expected to shoulder the burden of universal service norm. Read Also Kisan Rail https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJh8L3Ezodw Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now
World Bank’s STARS project
World Bank’s STARS project World Bank has approved a new project worth $500 million to improve learning outcome and governance of government schools in six Indian states. The project, named STARS (Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States Program), will be implemented through the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan. The project, ‘STARS’ will be implemented in Himachal, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and Rajasthan. Read Also Gig Economy STARS will help improve learning assessment systems, strengthen classroom instruction, and remediation, facilitate school-to-work transition, and strengthen governance and decentralized management. STARS will support India’s renewed focus on addressing the ‘learning outcome’ challenge and help students better prepare for the jobs of the future – through a series of reform initiatives. The program will also support individualized, needs-based training for teachers that will give them an opportunity to have a say in shaping training programs and making them relevant to their teaching needs. The STARS program builds on the long partnership between India and the World Bank, since 1994, for strengthening public school education and to support the country’s goal of providing ‘Education for All’. However there are concerns that instead of building state capability, the World Bank education project gives a larger role to non-state actors and use of technology. Read Also Green Crackers and Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now
The World Drug Report
The World Drug Report World Drug Report is published by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Afghanistan is the largest producer of opium constituting 84% of global production. The main opiate trafficking flows originate from three key production areas: Afghanistan, Myanmar-Laos and Mexico-Colombia-Guatemala. In terms of heroin seizure (1.3 tonnes), India was at the 12th position in the world. Trafficking of drugs to India are mainly through 3 routes. The Golden Triangle [the area where the borders of Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar meet] to Bangladesh, crossing India. The Golden crescent the area spreading from Afghanistan,Iran and Pakistan crossing Indian border. The maritime trafficking routes from Myanmar along the Andaman Sea, which cross Indian territorial waters. Read Also New Visa order Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey.Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. contact us
Naga issue- Timeline
Nagaland Governor R.N. Ravi’s recent letter to the CM says ‘scenario in Nagaland is grim, law and order has collapsed’. There is no progress in finalising Naga peace accord since 2015. The Naga Hills became part of British India in 1881. The effort to bring scattered Naga tribes together resulted in the formation of the Naga Club in 1918, which told the Simon Commission in 1929 “to leave us alone to determine for ourselves as in ancient times”. The club metamorphosed into the Naga National Council (NNC) in 1946. Under the leadership of Angami Zapu Phizo, the NNC declared Nagaland as an independent State on August 14, 1947, and conducted a “referendum” in May 1951 to claim that 99.9% of the Nagas supported a “sovereign Nagaland”. On March 22, 1952, Phizo formed the underground Naga Federal Government (NFG) and the Naga Federal Army. The government of India sent in the Army to crush the insurgency and, in 1958, enacted the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act. The insurrection petered out by the mid-1970s, a peace accord between the government and the NNC was signed (Shimla Accord), but returned with more intensity in the form of the NSCN led by Mr Muivah and S.S. Khaplang. In 1997, the NSCN(I-M) signed a ceasefire agreement with the government. In 2015, the Naga Peace Accord, a framework agreement was signed, setting the stage for the ongoing peace talks. Read Also Nagaland peace accord Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join here
Criminalisation of Politics
Criminalisation of Politics According to recent findings, 46% of Members of Parliament have criminal records and among Loksabha MPs 29% are with serious declared criminal cases such as murder and rape. Researchers have found that such candidates with serious records seem to do well despite their public image, largely due to their ability to finance their own elections and bring substantive resources to their respective parties Voters view their candidates through the narrow prism of parochial interest such as caste, religion etc. No real choice for the voters to elect from. India is the only democratic country with a free press where we find a problem of this dimension. The growing criminalisation of politics is an unhealthy tendency in a maturing democracy. February 2020 SC judgement on Criminalisation of politics The judgement was on a contempt petition filed by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay about the general disregard shown by political parties to a 2018 Constitution Bench judgment (Public Interest Foundation v. Union of India) to publish the criminal details of their candidates in their respective websites and print as well as electronic media for public awareness. SC ordered political parties to publish the entire criminal history of their candidates for Assembly and Lok Sabha elections along with the reasons that goaded them to field suspected criminals over decent people. For the first time, the political party and its leadership would have to publicly own up to criminalisation of politics. The information should be published in a local as well as a national newspaper as well as the parties’ social media handles. It should mandatorily be published either within 48 hours of the selection of candidates or less than two weeks before the first date for filing of nominations, whichever is earlier, failing to whisk attracts contempt of court. The judgment is applicable to parties both at Central and State levels. Read SARTHAQ Other SC judgements addressing the criminalisation of politics In 2013 judgement SC removed the statutory protection for convicted legislators from immediate disqualification. In 2014 SC directed the completion of trials involving elected representatives within a time frame of a year. In 2017, asked the centre to appoint special courts to exclusively try cases against politicians. In 2018, directed political parties to publish the criminal antecedent of their candidate before public via newspaper, party website and social media. SC issued directions to ensure the asset disclosure and criminal records of candidates during filing of nominations and the incorporation of the ‘none of the above’ option in the voting machine. Read Also Hate Speech Way forward While judicial pronouncements on making it difficult for criminal candidates to contest are necessary, only enhanced awareness and increased democratic participation could create the right conditions for the decriminalisation of politics. Whatever progress made towards decriminalisation of politics were through the initiative of SC and Election Commission, a more meaningful effort from political parties and voters are needed. Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now
Reconstitution of central zoo authority (CZA)
Reconstitution of central zoo authority (CZA) The Environment Ministry has reconstituted the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) to include an expert from the School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi, and a molecular biologist. The CZA is a statutory body chaired by the Environment Minister and tasked with regulating zoos across the country. CZA was established under wild life protection act of 1972. The main objective of Authority is to complement and strengthen the national effort in conservation of rich biodiversity of the country. The authority lays down guidelines and prescribes rules under which animals may be transferred among zoos nationally and internationally. Read Also Dibru Saikhowa National Park Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now
New domicile rule in J&K
New domicile rule in J&K Before the abrogation of article 370 and article 35A, State of J&K gained special powers to define its ‘permanent residents’ and restrict land, educational and employment rights only to them. Subsequent to changes in article 370 and 35A, the concept of “permanent resident of the State” was discontinued in J&K. As per the new domicile rules, those persons and their children who have resided for 15 years in J&K, or have studied for seven years and appeared in the Class X or XII exam in an educational institution in the UT, are eligible for grant of domicile. The new domicile rule brings hope and respite to sections of people such as refugees from Pakistan, sanitary workers resettled from other parts of India, people belonging to SC & ST and Gorkha soldiers arrived their before independence. There is also concern about the new domicile rule that it will lead to large influx of migration to the region and fear of engineered demographic change under state initiative. But such fears are misplaced and movement of people would leads only to progress and prosperity. Read Also Delimitation Commision
