DAILY ENRICHMENT PROGRAMME (DEP _0065)
Today’s Topics List:
Quota and Delimitation – What is the link?
42nd Amendment Act – Socialist and Secular in Preamble
Sugar Production – The Concern over the Supply
Indian Graduates and Unemployment:
Rashtriya Vigyan Puruskar
Tasmanian tiger
The Ban on cruise ships in Madhya Pradesh
POLITY, GOVERNANCE & LAWS AND SCHEMES
Quota and Delimitation – What is the link?
News:
- The NARI Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, or Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth Amendment) Bill, 2023, was passed by the Lok Sabha,
- It aims to provide 33% reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
- However, its implementation is contingent on a delimitation exercise and Census, making it unlikely to be applied before the 2029 elections.
What is the Contingency?
- Implementation Contingency: The bill specifies that the reservation for women will come into effect only after the completion of a delimitation exercise.
- The delimitation will be based on the population data from the latest Census conducted after the commencement of the law.
► Delimitation: Delimitation is the process of redrawing parliamentary and assembly constituencies based on the most recent population data. ▪ This process aims to ensure equitable representation, where each person’s vote carries a similar weight. ▪ Delimitation is also crucial for preventing gerrymandering, the manipulation of boundaries for political advantage. ► Delimitation Commission: The delimitation exercise is carried out by an independent delimitation commission, and its decisions are considered final and cannot be challenged in court to prevent indefinite delays in elections. ▪ Previous Delimitation Exercises: Delimitation has occurred four times in independent India, in 1952, 1963, 1973, and 2002. ▪ The last exercise in 2002 only involved redrawing boundaries and did not increase the number of constituencies. |
- Census: The bill relies on the population figures from the 2021 Census (or the first Census carried out after the commencement of the law) as the basis for the delimitation exercise.
- However, the Census itself may take some time to complete and publish its findings.
- Effect on Elections: Given that the 2024 elections are approaching, it’s unlikely that the women’s reservation will take effect in the Lok Sabha before the 2029 elections, provided the Census is conducted, its findings are published, and the delimitation exercise is completed before that time.
Strength of Lok Sabha & Delimitation:
- Frozen Lok Sabha Strength: The number of Lok Sabha constituencies has remained frozen at 543 since the 1970s due to political concerns related to delimitation, particularly in terms of inter-state seat distribution.
- Amendments to Freeze Delimitation: To address these concerns, the government enacted amendments to suspend the redrawing of seat boundaries and allocation until certain years.
- The 42nd Amendment in 1976 and the 84th Amendment in 2002 both contributed to this freeze.
- Motivation for Freezing Delimitation: The freeze on delimitation was justified by citing the promotion of family planning and population stabilization as part of the National Population Policy.
- The assumption was that by 2026, there would be a roughly equal number of births and deaths in India.
Way Forword:
- The NARI Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam represents a significant step toward enhancing gender equality and women’s participation in politics.
- However, its full implementation depends on the completion of the delimitation exercise and the Census, making it unlikely to take effect before the 2029 elections.
- Delimitation remains a politically contentious issue due to its impact on seat distribution among states.
42nd Amendment Act – Socialist and Secular in Preamble
Context:
- After Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury claimed the words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ were missing in the Preamble of the Constitution, the copies of which were given to MPs Tuesday.
- Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said, “It was like this when the Constitution was adopted. After 42nd amendment so it must be the original copy.”
- Lok Sabha Secretariat in a bulletin said, “ a calligraphed copy of the original Constitution of India” would be presented to MPs to mark the first sitting of Parliament in its new building.”
Preamble and Amendment:
- The Preamble was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on January 22, 1947.
- It serves as an introduction to the Constitution
- It articulates its philosophy, basic principles, and goals.
- In 1950 it reads:
- “We, the people of India, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a sovereign democratic republic and to…”
- The Word Socialist and Secular were added by the Constitution 42nd Amendment Act, 1976, during the Emergency.
- Why Socialist? Indira sought to cement her approval among the masses with slogans such as “garibi hatao ”, and the word ‘socialist’ was inserted in the Preamble to underline that socialism was a goal and philosophy of the Indian state.
- However, Indira clarified that “we have our own brand of socialism”, which was not the same as that of the USSR or China of the time.
- Secularism: Secularism in the Constitution means that the state protects all religions equally, maintains neutrality and impartiality towards all religions, and does not uphold any one religion as a “state religion.
- Secularism was a part of the philosophy of the Constitution even before 1976. The 42 nd Amendment only formally inserted the word into the Constitution and made explicit what was already implicit in its various provisions
Discussions on Socialism:
- In 2020 BJP MP Rakesh Sinha moved a resolution in Rajya Sabha seeking to remove the word socialism from the Preamble, saying, “You cannot tie a generation to a particular way of thinking”
- In 2008, when a plea for the removal of ‘socialist’ came before the SC, the Bench said:“ Why do you take socialism in a narrow sense defined by Communists? In a broader sense, it means welfare measures for the citizen
ECONOMY
Sugar Production – The Concern over the Supply
News:
Geography of the sugarcane cultivation: ► Climate: Sugarcane requires a tropical or subtropical climate for optimal growth. ► Temperature: Between 21-27°C with hot and humid climate. ► Rainfall: Around 75-100 cm. ► Soil Type: Deep rich loamy soil. ► Top Sugarcane producing countries: Brazil>India>Thailand>Australia. (BITA) ► Top Sugarcane Producing States: Maharashtra>Uttar Pradesh > Karnataka. (MUK) |
- India’s sugar supply situation has been a matter of concern due to unusual weather patterns affecting the sugarcane crop. This has led to discussions and measures taken at both the state and national levels to address the challenges faced by the sugar industry.
Key Aspects of Sugarcane:
- Weather Impact: In August, India experienced its driest ever August, with all-India rainfall 36.2% below the normal average for the month.
- This dry spell raised concerns, particularly in cane-growing regions such as western Maharashtra, Marathwada, and northern Karnataka, where rainfall deficiencies ranged from 64 percent to 74 percent.
- Importance of August and September: August and September are critical months for sugarcane as they determine both yield (weight) and sucrose (sugar) accumulation in the cane.
- Lack of rainfall in August had farmers worried about the crop’s development.
- Revival of Monsoon: However, September witnessed a revival of the southwest monsoon, recording an overall 10.6 percent rainfall surplus.
- These rains have been a significant relief to the sugarcane crop, preventing potential damage.
- Government Measures: The Maharashtra government, India’s top sugar producer, imposed restrictions on the export of sugarcane outside the state to ensure an adequate supply for sugar mills during the ensuing 2023-24 season.
- Crop Varieties and Planting: Maharashtra grows three types of sugarcane crops:
- Adsali (planted in April-July and harvested in 18 months),
- pre-seasonal (August-November: 15 months), and
- suru (January-February: 12-13 months).
- Hence, Staggered planting ensures a continuous supply for crushing from mid-October to mid-April.
- Stock Projections: The National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories Ltd (NFCSF) projects that the closing stock for the 2022-23 sugar year will be 58.23 lakh tonnes (lt), which is lower than the preceding two years.
- This stock is estimated to cover domestic consumption requirements for approximately 2.5 months.
- Government’s Price Concerns: The Government aims to prevent a surge in sugar prices, especially during the festive months, with Dussehra and Diwali approaching.
- It has already banned sugar exports since May and has not yet set quotas for shipments in the new sugar year.
- Decisions are likely to be made after assessing the impact of rainfall in September and October.
- Global Sugar Trends: The International Sugar Organization, based in London, anticipates a decline in global sugar production from 1,770.24 lt in 2022-23 to 1,748.39 lt in 2023-25.
- Concurrently, global sugar consumption is expected to rise from 1,765.31 lt to 1,769.57 lt.
Way Forward:
- The sugar supply situation in India is a critical issue that has implications for domestic and global markets. Weather conditions, government policies, and international trends all play a significant role in shaping this sector, making it an area of interest for policymakers and stakeholders.
Indian Graduates and Unemployment:
Context:
- Azim Premji University’s Centre for Sustainable Employment released “State of Working India 2023”, It discussed various aspects of Indian graduates and employment scenario in India.
The Main Findings:
- The overall unemployment rate reduced to 6.6 % in 2021-22 from 8.7 % in 2017 – 18.
- Over 42 % of India’s graduates under 25 were employed in 2021 -22.
- The same stands at 21.4 % for those who have completed higher education in the same age group.
- With lower educational qualifications, the rate of unemployment also decreases
- For Women, post pandemic, 60 % of the women were self employed compared to 50% pre pandemic.
- This indicated increase in Women’s workforce participation
- It was accompanied by a decline in self- employment earnings.
- It is also accompanied by a decline in self-employment earnings, which in 2022 were only 85% of what they were in the 1st Quarter of 2019.
- Reflects the impact of distress induced by the pandemic.
- There has been an upward trend in intergenerational mobility.
- But, this trend has been weaker for workers belonging to SC and ST categories as compared to workers belonging to General castes.
- 6 percent of SC/ST men in casual wage work also had sons involved in casual wage work in 2018.
- In comparison, the figure stood at 86.5 percent in 2004, indicating that sons of casual wage workers belonging to SC/ST category have moved to other kinds of employment, most notably informal regular wage work.
- The drop in this figure is more significant for the general caste category, from 83.2 per cent in 2004 to 53 per cent in 2018.
Analysis:
- There are two things that are potentially happening here–
- One is of course that as a graduate your aspirations and ambition for the kind of work you want to do and the minimum wage, you’d demand is much higher.
- So, if the economy is not generating such jobs, they may choose to be unemployed.
- A second potential reason for this could be that those getting graduate-level education come from high-income households or with at least one parent with a good job.
- For those kinds of young people, they have the luxury to stay unemployed. They don’t necessarily have to bring in money so which is why you see higher unemployment numbers for such category.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY & HEALTH
Rashtriya Vigyan Puruskar
- News: The Government of India has introduced the Rashtriya Vigyan Puruskar to acknowledge the achievements and contributions of scientists in their respective fields.
- The awards will commence from 2024.
- Categories:
- Vigyan Ratna
- It will recognise the lifetime achievement of scientists
- Vigyan Shri
- It will recognise distinguished contributions to a field
- Vigyan Yuva–Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar
- It will encourage young scientists who have made exceptional contributions in their field
- Vigyan Team
- It will recognise teams of three or more.
- Domains:
- Puraskar will be awarded in 13 domains:
- News: The Government of India has introduced the Rashtriya Vigyan Puruskar to acknowledge the achievements and contributions of scientists in their respective fields.
- Physics,
- Chemistry,
- Biological Sciences,
- Mathematics and Computer Science,
- Earth Science,
- Medicine,
- Engineering Sciences,
- Agricultural Science,
- Environmental Science,
- Technology and Innovation,
- Atomic Energy,
- Space Science and
“When is the announcement of the award scheduled?”
- Nominations for the awards will be recognised on National Science Day, February 28th.
- The awards will be announced on National Technology Day, May 11th.
- The award ceremony will be held on National Space Day, August 23rd.
- The awards will be given annually.
- Committee
- The Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar Committee will be constituted of all secretaries of all six science departments, four presidents selected from science and engineering academies, and six distinguished scientists and technologists from different fields of science.
- The committee members ineligible for the award during their tenure.
- Who will process the awards?
- The awards processes will be carried out by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for the first two years
- After two years it will be taken over by the newly instituted National Research Foundation.
- What do the award contains?
- Like the Padma awards, these prizes will not contain monetary compensation but will provide a certificate and a medallion
- Other facts:
- There will only be three Vigyan Ratnas awarded yearly: 25 Vigyan Shri, 25 Vigyan Yuva, and 3 Vigyan Team. Only Vigyan Yuva will have an age limit of 45 years.
ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT
Tasmanian tiger
- News: Researchers has recovered RNA for the first time from Tasmanian tiger.
- The RNA was recovered from the desiccated skin and muscle of a Tasmanian tiger stored since 1891 at a museum in Stockholm.
- News: Researchers has recovered RNA for the first time from Tasmanian tiger.
About Tasmanian Tiger
Another name | Thylacine |
Animal Type | Carnivorous Marsupial |
Geography | Native to Tasmania, Australia, and New Guinea. |
Appearance | It looks like dog but has a stiff, kangaroo-like tail and dark stripes on its back, resembling a tiger. Like other marsupials, females had a pouch |
Extinction | The thylacine is considered extinct, with the last confirmed individual dying in captivity in 1936. |
Causes of Extinction | Extensive hunting, habitat destruction, and introduced diseases. |
RNA – Ribonucleic Acid RNA is a single-stranded molecule that carries genetic information it gets from DNA. RNA synthesizes the panoply of proteins that an organism DNA is a double-stranded molecule that contains an organism’s genetic code, carrying the genes that give rise to all living things. |
- Significance
- “RNA sequencing gives a taste of the real biology and metabolism regulation that was happening in the cells and tis sues of the Tasmanian tigers before they went extinct,”
- Challenges:
- Questions arose regarding the viability of RNA’s survival under the specific conditions in which these remains had been stored, namely, at room temperature in a cupboard.
- The Ban on cruise ships in Madhya Pradesh
- News:
- The case involving the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in Bhopal revolves around the operation of cruise ships in various water bodies of Madhya Pradesh and whether these operations violate environmental laws.
- Complaint by Environmentalist: Dr. Subhash C. Pandey, an environmentalist, filed a complaint with the NGT against the operation of cruise ships in Madhya Pradesh, specifically focusing on the Bhopal Upper Lake and other water bodies.
About National Green Tribunal (NGT):
Features | Description |
Establishment: | The NGT was established in 2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act, enacted by the Indian Parliament. It became operational in 2011. |
Jurisdiction: | The NGT has jurisdiction over all environmental matters, including those related to air and water pollution, forest conservation, biodiversity, and the enforcement of environmental laws and regulations. |
Composition: | The NGT consists of both judicial and expert members. It is headed by a Chairperson, who is a retired Supreme Court judge or a sitting High Court judge. |
Speedy Resolution: | One of the primary objectives of the NGT is to provide speedy and cost-effective justice in environmental cases, reducing the backlog of such cases in regular courts. |
Appellate Authority: | Apart from its original jurisdiction, the NGT also serves as an appellate authority, hearing appeals against decisions made by various environmental bodies and authorities at the state and central levels. |
Key points:
- Concerns About Upper Lake: The Upper Lake in Bhopal is a crucial water source for the city, accounting for over 40% of its water supply.
- A portion of the lake falls within the Van Vihar National Park, a Wildlife Conservation Park under the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.
- Environmental Impact: Pandey argued that the cruise ships, even the smaller ones, generate significant waste and could potentially harm the aquatic ecosystem.
- He mentioned that the Upper Lake houses various fish species, vulnerable animals, and migratory birds.
- Government’s Argument: The Madhya Pradesh government defended the cruise ship operations, asserting that measures were in place to prevent pollution.
- They argued that the cruise tourism industry was part of the state’s tourism policy aimed at economic development and job creation.
- Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) Reports: The CPCB was tasked with evaluating the cruise ships.
- Their reports revealed several violations, including excessive noise levels, lack of arrangements for oil spillage, inadequate ventilation for exhaust gases, and direct discharge of wash basin wastewater into the lake.
- The lake water quality was also found to be moderately polluted.
- NGT Ruling: The NGT ruled that cruise ships with a capacity of more than 12 passengers fell under the ambit of various environmental laws, including the Water Act, 1974, Air Act, 1981, and Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
- They argued that these cruise ships were commercial or industrial activities with commercial objectives on inland waters and, therefore, subject to environmental regulations.
- Impact on Cruise Tourism: The NGT’s ruling has put a halt to cruise ship operations in Madhya Pradesh, affecting the state’s growing cruise ship tourism industry.
- One of the significant projects affected is a luxury cruise on the Narmada River, covering Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat.
- The Madhya Pradesh government is likely to challenge the NGT’s order.
Way forward:
- The recent NGT ruling in Bhopal against cruise ship operations in Madhya Pradesh’s water bodies underscores the importance of upholding environmental laws to protect these vital resources.
- While the state government argued in favour of cruise tourism for socio-economic development, the NGT’s decision highlights the need for stringent environmental compliance by cruise operators.
- This ruling has implications for the industry, including the ambitious Narmada luxury cruise project, emphasizing the significance of balancing tourism with environmental preservation.
- It also establishes that cruise ships, irrespective of size, fall under the purview of environmental regulations to safeguard India’s inland waters.