[Mission 2022] SECURE SYNOPSIS: 19 August 2021 – INSIGHTSIAS

 

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 time gives you extra points in the form of background information.

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General Studies – 1

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Topic:  The Freedom Struggle — its various stages and important contributors/contributions from different parts of the country.

1. The Partition of Bengal was the culmination of systemic attack on nationalists of Bengal by Curzon and was not done for administrative convenience as stated officially by the government. Analyse. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Reference: Chapter 10 – India’s Struggle for Independence by Bipin Chandra.

Why the question:

The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 1 as mentioned in Mission-2022 Secure timetable.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about the actual reasons behind the partition of Bengal.

Directive word: 

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

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Start by giving context of regarding partition of Bengal into Muslim dominated province with Dacca as a provincial capital and the Bengal region with Bengalis being outnumbered by Hindi ,Oriya and  other language speaking population.

Body:

Mention the systemic attacks by Curzon on Bengal to stifle Indian nationalists. The Calcutta Corporation readjustment of 1899, Calcutta university Act of 1904 and explain them in brief.

Next, Write about the initial suggestion of administrative readjustment of Bengal for equal development, by Curzon in 1904.However, instead of the readjustment on linguistic lines, how Bengal was planned to be readjusted to stifle the voice of the nationalists of the region and divide the Bengali speaking educated middle class. The maxim of divide and rule was being followed to check on the Bengalis expressing patriotic views based on Western Liberal Ideas.

Conclusion:

Mention about the with the intent behind partition of Bengal to create mutual animosity rather than stated intent of administrative convenience and Indian response to it.

Introduction

Lord Curzon was a true successor of Lord Dalhousie. He was great imperialist, authoritarian in temperament, ruthless in his ways and wanted to achieve too much at too great pace. The time of his governorship (1899-1905), was the formative phase of Indian national movement. He tried to strangulate Indian nationalism and freedom movement by all fair and foul means.

Body:

Systemic attack of nationalists through repressive policies of Lord Curzon:

• Calcutta Corporation act 1899: Through this, he reduced the number of elected legislatures to deprive Indians from self-governance.
• Punjab Land Alienation Act, 1900: Curzon Government enacted the Punjab Land Alienation Act of 1900 which placed a 15-year limitation on all land purchases and mortgages. It put restrictions on the transfer of lands of the peasants to money-lenders in cases of failure of payment of their debts, Curzon attempted to bring about improvement in revenue administration.
• Official Secrets Act (1904): It was amended to curb the nationalist tone of Indian newspapers
• Indian Universities Act, 1904: Main aim was to bring the Universities under the supervision of the government and the Act served that purpose. the government was authorised to change, amend and even reject the proposals of the Senate. The government, on its own, could also frame rules and regulations concerning functioning of the Universities. The colleges were subjected to inspections and were placed under strict watch by the government through the Universities.

Partition of Bengal, 1905:

• In July 1905, Curzon announced the partition of the undivided Bengal Presidency.
• The Presidency was the most populous province in India, with around 8 crore people, and comprised the present-day states of West Bengal, Bihar, parts of Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Assam, as well as today’s Bangladesh.
• A new province of East Bengal and Assam was announced, with a population of 3.1 crore, and a Muslim-Hindu ratio of 3:2. Bengal, the western province, was overwhelmingly Hindu.
• While the move was ostensibly aimed at making the administration of the large region easier, Curzon’s real intentions were far less benign.
• He looked at Indians with contempt and insulted and injured their feelings. He described Bengalis as cowards, windbags, impracticable talkers and mere frothy patriots. He even refused to meet to president of Indian national congress.
• Divide and rule:
  • The partition separated the largely Muslim eastern areas from the largely Hindu western areas
  • It was definitely the ‘divide and rule’ policy for the Indians and the whole population was outraged about the fact that the colonisers were turning native population against itself in order to rule.
  • It was seen as an intrigue to divide Hindus and Muslims. It was seen as dividing the Bengalis from Bengalis and was not acceptable.
• Although the reasons for the partition was all administrative
• Bengal was as large as France and had a significantly larger population
• Curzon had stated that the eastern region was neglected and under-governed and hence, by splitting the province, an improved administration could be established there.
• The other reason for partition is believed to be that the Hindus were in a better position in terms of economic status and professional qualities than the Muslims; and during the pre-Sepoy Mutiny period, Hindu traders had greatly helped the British while their Muslim counterparts did not.
• This had made the British angry

Implications of the partition:

• The partition of Bengal in 1905 was one measure which created deep discontentment among the Indians.
• The Swadeshi Movement was the expression of the outrage triggered in Bengal by the partition of the province of Bengal in 1905.
• The partition led to widespread protest all across India, starting a new phase of the Indian national movement.
• His policies gave a fertile ground for the emergence of revolutionary terrorist movements in India and across the globe. E.g. Muzzafarpur Bomb incident by Khudiram Bose and Prafulla Chaki.
• The partition of Bengal sowed the seeds of Communalism between Hindus and Muslims, which finally ended up in partition of India and Pakistan in 1947,
• Tall leaders like Gandhi, Tilak emerged on the scene with inclusion of wide base of women and students.
• A strong phase of nationalism in the form of Swadeshi began with many new universities, chemical companies etc.
• New forms of protests like picketing of shops, huge bonfires, mass congregations and oath-taking were seen in the region of Bengal.

Conclusion:

Lord Curzon came to India (1899-1905) with a strong determination to stem the rising tide of nationalism. He ruled India as a Britisher whose primary-concern remained the safety of the British empire. Moreover, he believed in the superiority of the English race and therefore, in his behaviour, language and policies he ignored the welfare and feelings of the Indians. In turn, the Indians were provoked and did not fail to exhibit their deep resentment against his policies and views.

 

Topic: The Freedom Struggle — its various stages and important contributors/contributions from different parts of the country.

2. There was much in common between the Moderates and the Extremists. But they also shared certain differences in political perspectives and methods which led to the Surat Split. Comment. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Easy

Reference: Chapter 11 – India’s Struggle for Independence by Bipin Chandra.

Why the question:

The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 1 as mentioned in Mission-2022 Secure timetable.

Key Demand of the question:

To discuss and contrast the ideologies and methods of Moderates and Extremists which ultimately resulted in the Surat Split.

Directive word: 

Comment– here we have to express our knowledge and understanding of the issue and form an overall opinion thereupon.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Mention the similarities between the Moderates and extremists such as love for the nation, using Congress as a platform for political reforms etc.

Body:

Bring out the shortcomings of liberal moderates and their disconnect with the masses and the rise of extremists to fill this gap. Contrast the ideas of Extremists vis-à-vis the Moderates such as use of methods of appeals as against the radical moves, belief in masses, use of press with a strong language against the British by Tilak, personalities such as Aurobindo promoting superiority of our own civilisation etc.

Mention their differences on swaraj and the disagreements on the swadeshi movements.

Conclusion:

Mention that although the end was to attain Swaraj, the means to achieve it was different in the eyes of the Moderates and Extremists and that mutual distrust lead to the Surat split.

Introduction

In the early twentieth century the nationalism was gaining fervour so Curzon decided to divide Bengal, to break the unity of Indians and to check the growth of nationalism. This move was inception point to Surat split of INC in 1907. The ideological difference between moderates and extremists further widened with moderates opposing the resolutions on Swaraj, Swadeshi, Boycott of foreign goods and National Education and also there as issue with the leadership of congress sessions as well that ultimately led to Surat split.

Body

Commonalities between Moderates and Extremists:

• While Moderates and Extremists constitute contrasting viewpoints, their contribution to the freedom struggle in its early phase is nonetheless significant.
• Both the moderates and extremists were driven by the Spirit of Nationalism.
• They both had a staunch belief on better future for India.
• The moderates as well as the extremists used the Indian National Congress as a pan India platform for political agitation.

Ideological differences between moderates and extremists:

The issues that led to the Congress split at Surat Session:

• There was a great deal of public debate and disagreement among Moderates and Extremists in the years 1905-1907, even when they were working together against the partitioning of Bengal.
• The Extremists wanted to extend the Swadeshi and the Boycott Movement from Bengal to the rest of the country.
• They also wanted to gradually extend the boycott from foreign goods to every form of association or cooperation with the colonial Government.
• The Moderates wanted to confine the boycott part of the movement to Bengal and were totally opposed to its extension to the Government.
• Matters nearly came to a head at the Calcutta Congress in 1906 over the question of its Presidentship.
• A split was avoided by choosing Dadabhai Naoroji.
• Four compromise resolutions on the Swadeshi, Boycott, National Education, and Self-Government demands were passed.
• Throughout 1907 the two sides fought over differing interpretations of the four resolutions.
• By the end of 1907 the Extremists were convinced that the battle for freedom had begun as the people had been roused.
• Most of them felt that the time had come to part company with the Moderates
• Most of the Moderates, led by Pherozeshah Mehta, were no less determined on a split. They were afraid that the Congress organization built carefully over the last twenty years, would be shattered.

Conclusion

British policy of Divide and Rule, saw a major victory in form of Surat Split and the British believed that they were in control of the affairs of the INC after significant period of time. While the leadership of the Congress remained in the hands of the Moderates for some time more, as the Extremists worked separately till 1916. Later both groups reunited at Lucknow session of Congress in 1916 due to the efforts of the leaders of Home Rule movement.

 

Topic: population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues.

3. What do you understand by demographic transition? By emphasising on demographic dividends, our government must not ignore the inevitability of population ageing and take steps to address the challenges that will arise in the future. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Reference:  Live Mint , Insights on India

Why the question:

India is at a peculiar stage in its demographic transition, characterized by a bulge in its youth population, which can be a window of opportunity to accelerate growth. However, a parallelly occurring phenomenon that requires equal attention is rapid ageing.

Key Demand of the question:

To understand and highlight the follow up challenge of demographic dividend i.e. high old-age dependency ratio and suggest steps to account for it in policymaking.

Directive word: 

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

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Begin by writing about the demographic transition and India’s vantage point in this transition.

Body:

Mention the advantages of having high demographic dividend and how India can reap benefits from it. Also, highlight the challenge of Rapid Ageing due to falling fertility rates and increased life expectancy, following the phenomena of demographic dividend.

India’s demography in 2050 and the pressure to have a sound Pension system to ensure income security at the same time, mitigating the fiscal costs of high old-age dependency ratio.

Mention the existing policy for care of the elderly and its shortcomings.

Conclusion:

Conclude with a way forward.

Introduction

Demographic transition refers to a population cycle that begins with a fall in the death rate, continues with a phase of rapid population growth and concludes with a decline in the birth rate. India is in transition phase between 3rd and 4th stages of demographic transition. Population exploded in 1970s/80s, but has shown a declining rate of population growth in the last two decades.

According to Census 2011, the decadal population growth rate has declined by about 5 percentage points to 16-17%. India has one of the youngest populations in an aging world. By 2020, the median age in India will be just 28 years. Demographics can change the pace and pattern of economic growth.

Body:

Stages of demographic transition:

• Stage I: It is characterized by high birth rate, death rate and low rate of population growth.
• Stage II: It is characterized by high and stationary birth rate, rapidly declining death rate and very rapid increase in population.
• Stage III: It is characterized by a falling birth rate, low and stationary death rate and rapidly rising population. India is currently in this stage of transition.
• Stage IV: It is characterized by low birth rate and low death rate with stationary population at a low level.
• Stage V: It is characterized by death rate slightly exceeding the birth rate, and this causes population decline. This stage has only been recently recognized, and there are very few countries that are considered in stage 5.

Consequences of demographic transition in India:

• India is one of the largest developing countries in the world and a country of growing economic and political importance not only in Asia, but in the world at large. It is in the midst of a momentous demographic transition. 
• As a consequence of baby boom, reduction in infant and child mortality rates, increase in access to better medical aid, improvement in hygiene and better education the age structure of a country is transformed which reflects the   demographic
• India’s demographic transition is reflected in its changing age composition, specifically in the share of the working-age population, which we refer to as the economically productive population or Active Asset.
• This “active asset” of our country has the potential to enhance our countries growth prospects. The greater the share of the population in the working –age group; the more will be the savings and investments in the economy.
• Though, India is the second most populous country of the world, it is 1210.6 million according to 2011 census and its population is increasing continuously; out of the total population, the Active Asset/economically productive age group of 15-59 years constitute of 729.9 million people that is 60.3 percentage of the whole population.
• On the other hand, the 60+ age people constitute only 8.6 percentage of the population. Thus, we   can   say   that   India   is   experiencing   its “first   demographic dividend”.
• A study on demographic dividend in India by United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) throws up two interesting facts.
  • The window of demographic dividend opportunity in India is available for five decades from 2005-06 to 2055-56, longer than any other country in the world.
  • This demographic dividend window is available at different times in different states because of differential behaviour of the population parameters

Challenges in India to reap the demographic dividend:

• Poor human capital: Formation reflected in low employability among India’s graduates and postgraduates. According to ASSOCHAM, only 7 % of MBA graduates have employable skills in India, and only around 20-30 % of engineers find a job suited to their skills. Technological change is making labour partially or wholly redundant in a number of sectors, across the world.
• Low human development reflected in the human development report of UNDP. According to the Human Development Index of 2016, India stood at 131 out of 188 countries. Life expectancy at birth in India (68 years) is much lower than other developing countries (Sri Lanka – 75 years, China – 76 years). The mean years of schooling and the expected years of schooling are still low at 6.3 years and 11.7 years respectively.
• Jobless growth: India’s high growth rate phase (2004-05 to 2010-11) has created significantly fewer jobs as compared to previous decades of economic growth. Around 47 % of India’s population is still dependent on agriculture which is notorious for underemployment and disguised unemployment. Majority of the workforce is employed by the unorganized sector where workers are underpaid and lack any kind of social security.
• Falling female labour force participation: According to data from International Labour Organization and World Bank, India’s female labour force participation rates have fallen from 34.8 % in 1990 to 27 % in 2013. This has further declined to 23.7 % in 2016, as per the data from the Labour Ministry. Socio-cultural factors and rising family incomes have been identified as the main reasons for this decline. Another appalling concern is that a significant proportion of qualified women drop out of the workforce for reasons ranging from no suitable jobs in the locality—particularly in rural areas—to family responsibilities and marriage.
• Poor Socio-Economic factors: The quality of primary schooling and teachers in India is very poor. ASER reports show the quality of education among children. Moreover, because modern ailments such as obesity are increasing in many developed countries, there is no guarantee that adult longevity will continue to increase perpetually.

Way forward:

• To be able to harness the potential of this large working population, which is growing by leaps and bounds, new job generation is a must. The nation needs to create jobs to absorb the addition of young people into the workforce.
• Improved infrastructure, skill development, access to easy finance, reducing barriers to entrepreneurship and forums for mentorship of emerging entrepreneurs in partnership with corporates are some of measures.
• India has to invest more in human capital formation at all levels, from primary education to higher education, cutting-edge research and development as well as on vocational training to increase the skill sets of its growing working-age population.
• The current situation calls for more and better schools, especially in rural areas. It also calls for better transportation links between rural areas and regional urban hubs.
• Equally important focus on elderly people to make use of their wisdom and experience.
• Increasing the number of formal jobs in labour intensive, export-oriented sectors such as textiles, leather and footwear, gems and jewelry These sectors also have a higher share of the female workforce.
• The flagship schemes such as Skill India, Make in India, and Digital India have to be implemented to achieve convergence between skill training and employment generation.
• Increased use of technology in all sectors.
• The government must also ensure better quality of jobs with a focus on matching skill-sets and job opportunities.
• There is a need to look into these qualitative issues of job satisfaction, job profile and skill matching, and the creation of opportunities for entrepreneurship in order to be able to harness the vast potential of human resources.

Conclusion:

A multi-pronged approach is imperative to reap the second demographic dividend. There is also a need to engage with the youth and create an enabling environment for entrepreneurship. The demographic dividend offers them a unique opportunity to boost living standards, but they must act now to manage their older populations in the near future by implementing policies that ensure a safe and efficient transition from the first demographic dividend to the second demographic dividend.

 

 

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General Studies – 2

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Topic:  Parliament and State legislatures—structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these.

4. The neutrality and independence of the speaker is quintessential for having consultative and constructive debates and deliberations in our legislatures which in turn enriches our democracy. Analyse. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Easy

Reference: Indian Express  

Why the question:

Past few years, there are various instances of speakers showing Partisan behaviour. This article suggests measures for having independent and impartial speaker.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about the importance of having non-partisan speaker and suggest steps to ensure his/her neutrality.

Directive word: 

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

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Mention the role of speaker as envisaged by the constitution – their roles and responsibility.

Body:

Write about how over the recent year’s speakers have acted in political manner with respect to discharge of their constitutional duties. Cite examples from the parliament and state legislatures and bring out the impact of partisan conduct of speakers.

Suggest reforms to ensure the speaker remains independent, impartial and performs his duty according to ideals guided by the constitution and not any political affiliations.

Conclusion:

Conclude with a way forward.

Introduction

The Speaker is the presiding officer of the Lok Sabha (House of the People), the lower house of the Parliament of India. The speaker is elected generally in the very first meeting of the Lok Sabha following general elections. Serving for a term of five years, the speaker chosen from sitting members of the Lok Sabha (House of the People), and is by convention a member of the ruling party or alliance.

Body:

Importance of office of Speaker:

• The office of the Speaker occupies a pivotal position in our parliamentary democracy.
• It has been said of the office of the Speaker that while the members of Parliament represent the individual constituencies, the Speaker represents the full authority of the House itself.
• She symbolizes the dignity and power of the House over which she is presiding.
• In the Lok Sabha, as in the United Kingdom, the Speaker is the supreme authority; she has vast powers and it is his primary duty to ensure the orderly conduct of the business of the House.
• Every textbook of constitutional law points out the two essential qualities of a Speaker: Independence and impartiality.
• GV Mavlankar, the first Speaker, observed: “Once a person is elected Speaker, he is expected to be above parties, above politics. In other words, he belongs to all the members or belongs to none. He holds the scales of justice evenly, irrespective of party or person”.
• Pandit Nehru referred to the Speaker as “the symbol of the nation’s freedom and liberty” and emphasised that Speakers should be men of “outstanding ability and impartiality”.
• MN Kaul and SL Shakdher, in their book Practice and Procedure of Parliament, refer to him as the conscience and guardian of the House.
• As the principal spokesperson of the Lok Sabha, the Speaker represents its collective voice and speaks for the House as a whole.
• Her unique position is illustrated by the fact that she is placed very high in the Warrant of Precedence in our country, standing next only to the President, the Vice-President and the Prime Minister.
• In India, through the Constitution of the land, through the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha and through the practices and conventions, adequate powers are vested in the office of the Speaker to help her in the smooth conduct of the parliamentary proceedings and for protecting the independence and impartiality of the office.
• The Constitution of India provides that the Speaker’s salary and allowances are not to be voted by Parliament and are to be charged on the Consolidated Fund of India.
• Therefore, it is expected that the holder of this office of high dignity has to be one who can represent the House in all its manifestations.

Functions and powers of Lok Sabha speaker:

• Speaker of Lok Sabha is basically the head of the house and presides over the sittings of Parliament and controls its working.
• The constitution has tried to ensure the independence of Speaker by charging his salary on the consolidated Fund of India and the same is not subject to vote of Parliament.
• While debating or during general discussion on a bill, the members of the parliament have to address only to the Speaker.
• Whenever there is a joint sitting of both houses of Parliament (Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha), the Speaker of the Lok Sabha presides over this meeting.
• In the normal circumstances the Speaker does not cast his vote over any matter in Lok Sabha. But whenever there is a tie on votes between the ruling party and opposition, the Speaker at that time can exercise his vote.
• It is the Speaker who decides the agenda of various discussions.
• The speaker has the power to adjourn or suspend the house/meetings if the quorum is not met.
• The Speaker ensures the discipline and decorum of the house. If the speaker finds the behaviour and a member of Parliament is not good, he/she can punish the unruly members by suspending.
• The Speaker decides whether a bill brought to the house is a money bill or not. In the case Speaker decides some bill as a money bill, this decision cannot be challenged.
• Speaker is the final and sole authority to allow different types of motions and resolutions such as No Confidence Motion, Motion of Adjournment, Censure Motion
• The Speaker of Lok Sabha does not leave the office just after dissolution of the assembly. He continues to be in the office till the newly formed assembly takes its first meeting and elects the new Speaker.

However, there have been many instances when the Speaker’s office has been in the dock:

• Appointment and tenure: The structural issues regarding the manner in which the Speaker is appointed and his tenure in office. Usually, the speaker is from the ruling party and this makes it a more of a political liability on speaker to favour his party.
• Lack of Tenure security: With no security in the continuity of office, the Speaker is dependent on his or her political party for re-election. This makes the Speaker susceptible to pulls and pressures from her/his political party in the conduct of the proceedings of the Lok Sabha.
• Anti-defection law: In recent times, there are number of instances where the role of speaker has been criticized for decision on membership of MLAs under the anti-defection law and their ruling have been challenged in courts. The Tenth Schedule says the Speaker’s/Chairperson’s decision on questions of disqualification on ground of defection shall be final and can’t be questioned in courts. It was anticipated that giving Speakers the power to expel legislators would prevent unnecessary delays by courts and make anti-defection law more effective.
• Discretionary power: There are various instances where the Rules vest the Speakers with unbridled powers such as in case of declaration of bill as money bill (Lok Sabha Speaker). This discretionary power comes under criticism when Aadhar bill was introduced in Lok Sabha as Money Bill.
• Referral to DSRCs: The Speaker is also empowered to refer the Bill to a Standing Committee. As per prevailing practice house members or speaker usually refers all important bills to the concerned Departmentally Related Standing Committees for examination and report. But in recent time speaker uses its discretionary power to pass many important bills on day after introduction of bill without proper discussion and references.
• Increased disruptions: Frequent disruptions reduced the time required for important discussions and compel speaker to allocate less time for discussion. This often questions the impartiality of speaker as he allegedly provides more time to ruling party. Also, it is alleged that speaker took harsh punishment against the disrupting member of opposition compared to government
• Elections: The position of the Indian Speaker is paradoxical. They contest the election for the post on a party ticket. Yet they are expected to conduct themselves in a non-partisan manner, while being beholden to the party for a ticket for the next election.
• Political Aspirations: The position is often used to woo the political parties by favouring them to harbour political ambitions. The need for re-election also skews incentives for the Speaker. The fear of losing the position in case of not favouring their political parties also pushes them to compromise neutrality.

Measures needed:

• The Page Committee, headed by V.S. Page, suggested that if the Speaker had conducted himself or herself in an impartial and efficient manner during the tenure of his or her office, he or she should be allowed to continue in the next Parliament.
• Anyone seeking the office of the Speaker might be asked to run for election on an independent ticket.
• Any Speaker should be barred from future political office, except for the post of President, while being given a pension for life.
• Following the UK model of Speaker where the Speaker elect compulsorily resigns from the party membership. This will ensure neutrality of the office.
• The Speaker should be allowed to recommend a range of disciplinary actions like cuts in salary, reduction in speaking time for the member based on the recommendation of the parliamentary committee.
• The Speaker can arrange informal sessions with the members who frequently disrupt the house. He can try to resolve their grievances if any with respect to the conduct of the house.
• A code of ethics for MPs must be formed to clearly define cases for suspension and dismissals.
• Power must be given to speaker to form a parliamentary committee to recommend removal of MPs regularly disrupting the house. The decision of the committee must be subject to judicial review.
• Ethics committee of Lok Sabha need to be given more mandate like other mature democracies

Conclusion:

The office of the Speaker in India is a living and dynamic institution which deals with the actual needs and problems of Parliament in the performance of its functions. It is in her that the responsibility of conducting the business of the House in a manner befitting the place of the institution in a representative democracy is invested.

The founding fathers of our Constitution had recognized the importance of this office in our democratic set-up and it was this recognition that guided them in establishing this office as one of the prominent and dignified ones in the scheme of governance of the country smoothly.

 

Topic:  Role of civil services in a democracy. 

5. Trace the journey of police reforms in India since independence. Examine as to why despite many attempts at reforms, the police are top heavy, selectively efficient and unsympathetic. Suggest measures to have a more responsive and respected police force. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Tough

Reference: The Hindu

Why the question:

Several committees have made several recommendations on the issue of reforms for a healthy police system. But have yielded mixed results. This article suggests reforms that are needed.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about various attempts and reforming the police force in India, its impact and further measures need to augment it.

Directive word: 

Examine – When asked to ‘Examine’, we must look into 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 mentioning importance of police in maintaining law and order in the country.

Body:

In the first part of the body, mention the various attempts at reforming policing in India. National Police Commission (1978-82); Ribero committee (1998); the Padmanabhaiah Committee on restructuring of Police (2000); and the Malimath Committee on reforms in Criminal Justice System (2002-03). The recommendations of Supreme Court in Prakash Singh case and D.K Basu case. In brief mention key suggestions of each.

In the next part, mention reasons as why reforms have not yielded desired results and failed to bring about a change. Mention systemic factors, attitudinal factors, and political factors etc which are responsible for this. Use recent examples such as Jayaraj and Felix case from Tamil Nadu to substantiate your points.

Next, suggest measures to have an efficient, empathetic, sensitive, responsive and an accountable police force.

Conclusion:

Conclude with way forward

Introduction

The primary role of police forces is to uphold and enforce laws, investigate crimes and ensure security for people in the country. Under the Constitution, police is a subject governed by states. There has been almost 30 years of debate on policing and reform in India.

Body:

Evolution of police reforms in India:

• Since 1902 little has changed. The Police Act of 1861 still guides and governs our police system. The colonial mindset of the police, the distrust people had for the police in British India has continued to date.
• So far, we have seen either bad reforms or no reforms in making the police relevant to highly insecure India that is prone to various threats from both inside and outside its geopolitical borders.
• Police is an exclusive subject under the State List ( List II, Schedule 7 of the Indian Constitution). States can enact any law on the subject of police.
• But most of the states are following the archaic Indian Police Act 1861 with a few modifications.
• Police have become the ‘subjects’ of Parliamentarians and legislators – with a high degree of politicization and allegiance towards ruling party.
• Starting from the second Police Commission in 1902 headed by A.H.L. Fraser, there have been many commissions and committees formed to look into reforming the police in India.
• Prominent among them are: Gore Committee on Police Training, the National Police Commission, The Ribeiro Committee on Police Reforms, The Padmanabhaiah Committee on Police Reforms (summary), Prakash Singh Vs Union of India – SC directives for Police Reforms and Soli Sorabjee Committee.
• The 22 September, 2006 verdict of the Supreme Court in the Prakash Singh vs Union of India case was the landmark in the fight for police reforms in India. Unfortunately, even the directions of SC have not been implemented by the states.
• The Supreme court ordered the states and UTs to implement the directions immediately either through legislation or executive order.
• But, the police – politician nexus is so much deep-rooted that states are reluctant to implement any of the directions.
• In 2010, the SC asked for the personal presence of Chief Secretaries of 4 major states(Karnataka, WB, Maharashtra and UP) to learn the progress and give stern directions.
• On April 12, 2013, the Supreme Court again sternly asked states and the Union government to furnish before it the details of actions taken by them in establishing Security Commissions as ordered by it in its 2006 verdict.
• Instead of following SC’s ruling, the Centre called a meeting of states and asked them to implement some of the recommendations of 2^nd Administrative Reforms Commission.

Need for Police Reforms:

• If India is to achieve its status as a great power, it is absolutely essential that police is restructured and modernised.
• Without the police ensuring good law and order in the country, the other services would find it difficult to operate.
• To transform the colonial police structure of the country into a progressive, modern force sensitive to the democratic aspirations of the people.
• To eliminate the undue political interference. The police of today are victims of politicization as well as criminalization.
• To instil the confidence of the people in the institution of police by making police more people friendly.
• The security of the society and the welfare of the people is dependent on the efficiency of the police.

Key reasons hindering both police reforms:

• An overburdened police force:
  • Police force is overburdened especially at lower levels where constabulary is forced to work continuously 14-16 hrs and also for 7 days a week. It adversely impacts their performance.
  • While the sanctioned police strength was 181 police per lakh persons in 2016 when the United Nations recommended standard is 222 police per lakh persons.
  • 86% of the state police comprises of constabulary. Constables are typically promoted once during their service. This could weaken their incentive to perform well.
• Improving police infrastructure:
  • Failure of police infrastructure like vehicles, weaponry. Also audits have found that the POLNET network is non-functional in various states.
  • For example, an audit of the Gujarat police force reported that the network had not been operationalised till October 2015 due to non-installation of essential infrastructure, such as remote subscriber units and generator sets.
  • Funds dedicated for modernisation of infrastructure are typically not utilised fully. For example, in 2015-16, only 14% of such funds were used by the states.
• Political influence:
  • Second Administrative Reforms Commission has noted that ministers have used police forces for personal and political reasons.
• Police accountability:
  • Police forces have the authority to exercise force to enforce laws and maintain law and order in a state. However, this power may be misused in several ways.
• Poor quality of investigation:
  • Crime per lakh population has increased by 28% over the last decade (2005-2015). However, convictions have been low. So it shows the poor quality of investigation.
  • The Law Commission and the Second Administrative Reforms Commission have noted that state police officers often neglect investigation because they are understaffed and overburdened with various kinds of tasks.
  • Further, they lack the training and the expertise required to conduct professional investigations.
  • They also have insufficient legal knowledge and the forensic and cyber infrastructure available to them is both inadequate and outdated. In light of this, police forces may use force and torture to secure evidence.
  • Crime investigations may be influenced by political or other extraneous considerations
• Forensic labs:
  • Expert bodies have however said that these laboratories are short of funds and qualified staff. Further, there is indiscriminate referencing of cases to these labs resulting in high pendency.
• Lack of co-ordination between centre and states is matter related to maintenance of law & order results in ineffective functioning of police force.
• Police force is not in the position to tackle present problems of cybercrime, global terrorism, Naxalism because of structural weaknesses.
• Prevalence of Rank system within the police force results in abuse of power by top level executive over lower-level personnel.

Reforms needed:

• Directions of the Supreme Court in Prakash Singh vs Union of India:
  • Fixing the tenure and selection of the DGP to avoid situations where officers about to retire in a few months are given the post.
  • In order to ensure no political interference, a minimum tenure was sought for the Inspector General of Police so that they are not transferred mid-term by politicians.
  • Postings of officers should be done by Police Establishment Boards (PEB) comprising police officers and senior bureaucrats to insulate powers of postings and transfers from political leaders.
  • Set up State Police Complaints Authority (SPCA) to give a platform where common people aggrieved by police action could approach.
  • Separate investigation and law and order functions to better improve policing.
  • Set up of State Security Commissions (SSC) that would have members from civil society.
  • Form a National Security Commission.
• Independent Complaints Authority:
  • The Second Administrative Reforms Commission and the Supreme Court have observed that there is a need to have an independent complaints authority to inquire into cases of police misconduct.
  • Example is that of the New York City Police which has a Civilian Complaint Review Board comprising of civilians appointed by local government bodies and the police commissioner to investigate into cases of police misconduct.
• Investigation:
  • Experts have recommended that states must have their own specialized investigation units within the police force that are responsible for crime investigation.
• Padmanabhaiah commission:
  • It has also been recommended that constables, and the police force in general, should receive greater training in soft skills given they need to deal with the public regularly.
• Housing:
  • Importance of providing housing to the constabulary (and generally to the police force) to improve their efficiency and incentive to accept remote postings has also been emphasised by expert bodies, such as the National Police Commission.
• Community policing: Janamaithri Suraksha in Kerala
  • This project is an initiative of the Kerala Police to facilitate greater accessibility, close interaction and better understanding between the police and local communities. For example, Beat Constables are required to know at least one family member of every family living in his beat area.
  • Meira Paibi (Torch-bearers) in Assam: The women of the Manipuri Basti in Guwahati help with improving the law and order problem in their area, by tackling drug abuse among the youth. They light their torches and go around the basti guarding the entry and exit points, to prevent the youth of the area from going out after sunset
• Courts:
  • The Madras High Court has said that the state government should contemplate giving policemen a day off in a week like other government officials in order to spend time with their families.
  • The court suggested introducing an 8-hour, three-shift system for police personnel. It will help them rejuvenate themselves and relieve them from stress.
• Evidence based policing is gaining credibility day by day – Indian police force must be exposed to it.
• Second ARC recommended that the government should declare certain crimes as “federal” and entrust their investigation to a Central agency.
• Police need to have the operational freedom to carry out their responsibilities professionally, and satisfactory working conditions, while being held accountable for poor performance or misuse of power.
• Gender Parity in Police force: The 2nd Administrative Reform Commission recommended that the representation of women in police at all levels should be increased through affirmative action so that they constitute about 33% of the police.
• Improvement in Intelligence gathering: The intelligence gathering machinery in the field needs to be strengthened and at the same time, made more accountable. Human intelligence should be combined with information derived from diverse sources with the focus on increased use of technology.

Conclusion:

The police force needs to be freed from the stranglehold of the executive and given functional autonomy to enforce the rule of law. Police should be a SMART Police -a police which should be strict and sensitive, modern and mobile, alert and accountable, reliable and responsible, tech-savvy and trained.

 

 

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General Studies – 3

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Topic: changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth.

6. Compare and contrast the Remission of Duties or Taxes on Export Products’ (RoDTEP) scheme and Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS). Do you think RoDTEP can boost exports and increase competitiveness of Indian goods globally? Comment. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Reference: The Hindu

Why the question:

In a major move aimed at boosting exports and offering relief to exporters, the government has notified the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) scheme scheme guidelines and rates.

Key Demand of the question:

To compare and contrast RoDTEP and MEIS as well as to comment on the potential of RoDTEP in boosting exports.

Directive word: 

Compare and contrast – provide for a detailed comparison of the two types, their features that are similar as well as different. One must provide for detailed assessment of the two.

Comment– here we have to express our knowledge and understanding of the issue and form an overall opinion thereupon.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Begin by mentioning the aims and objectives of RoDTEP scheme which replaced the MEIS.

Body:

You can draw a table to compare RoDTEP and MEIS. You can use parameters such as nature of incentives offered, WTO Compliance, Incentive Percentage, Mode of Issuance and Transferability.

Next, mention how RoDTEP will support domestic industry and make it more competitive in the international markets. Export centric industries will be reformed and introduced to better mechanisms so as to boost exports, generate employment and contribute to the overall economy.

Also, mention some concerns with the RoDTEP scheme – Rate of tax reimbursement, pandemic related bottlenecks and leveraging on future opportunities etc. Suggest steps to address these concerns.

Conclusion:

Summarise how if properly executed RoDTEP can achieve ambitious target of achieving $1 trillion in exports by 2025.

Introduction

The Indian government has announced a WTO-compliant scheme called Remission of Duties or Taxes On Export Product (RoDTEP) which replaced MEIS starting 1 January, 2021. The finance ministry had set up a committee under the chairmanship of former commerce and home secretary GK Pillai to finalise the rates under RoDTEP that will allow reimbursement of all embedded taxes including local levies paid on inputs by exporters.

However, after much delay of 8 months the Government recently notified the rules and rates based on which exporters can claim rebates on taxes paid on their outbound cargo.

Body:

Merchandise Exports from India scheme (MEIS):

MEIS was introduced in the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) for the period 2015-2020. The MEIS was launched as an incentive scheme for the export of goods. The rewards are given by way of duty credit scrips to exporters. The MEIS is notified by the DGFT (Directorate General of Foreign Trade) and implemented by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

• MEIS replaced the various export incentive schemes which gave different types of duty credit scrips namely, Focus Market Scheme (FMS), Focus Product Scheme (FPS), Vishesh Krishi Gramin Udyog Yojana (VKGUY), Market Linked Focus Product Scheme (MLFPS) and Agri Infrastructure incentive scheme.
• MEIS intended to incentivise exports of goods manufactured in India or produced in India. The incentives are for goods widely exported from India, industries producing or manufacturing such goods with a view to making Indian exports competitive. The MEIS covers goods notified for the purpose of the scheme.
• The incentives under the schemes are calculated as a percentage, which is 2%, 3% or 5% of the realised FOB (free-on-board) value exports in free foreign exchange or FOB value of exports as per shipping bills in free foreign exchange. The incentives are allotted through a MEIS duty credit scrip. The ‘free foreign exchange’ will include foreign exchange earned through international credit cards and other instruments allowed by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• The duty credit scrips can be utilised to pay customs duties on import of inputs or goods, safeguard duty, anti-dumping duty and any other customs duty under FTP 2015-20. The scrips can also be transferred as well as used for importing goods against them.
• Exporters can request for a split of the duty credit scrip with a condition of each scrip valuing to at least Rs 5 lakh. The request can also be made after the issue of scrip, with the same port of registration as applicable for the original scrip. However, the procedure is applicable only in respect of EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) enabled ports. In the case of non-EDI ports, a duty credit scrip cannot be split after it is issued.
• The scheme provides the flexibility of import and payment to exporters and has removed many structural inefficiencies of the earlier incentive schemes.

Remission of Duties or Taxes on Export Products scheme (RoDTEP):

                RoDTEP is a new scheme to replace the existing MEIS scheme for exports of goods from India,  which aims to reimburse the taxes and duties incurred by exporters such as local taxes, coal cess, mandi tax, electricity duties and fuel used for transportation, which are not getting exempted or refunded under any other existing scheme. The rebate would be claimed as a percentage of the Freight On Board (FOB) value of exports.

The Indian government has recently approved this scheme and will be notified in a phased manner and accordingly Items will be shifted from existing scheme MEIS to RoDTEP with proper monitoring &audit mechanism.

This scheme will incentivise exporters at an estimated cost of Rs. 50,000croreto the exchequer.

Objectives of RoDTEP scheme:

• To boost exports Scheme for enhancing Exports to International Markets.
• To make Indian exports cost competitive and create a level playing field for Indian exporters in International market.
• To give a boost to employment generation in various sectors.
• It aims to boost dwindling outward shipments

Features of RoDTEP:

• Presently only 30% of total actual indirect taxes incurred by the exporters are refunded through existing MEIS scheme.
• Under the WTO rules, certain duties like state taxes on power, oil, water, and education cess are allowed to be refunded.
• In this backdrop, RoDTEP scheme framed in accordance with WTO guidelines which reimburses the taxes/ duties/ levies, at the central, state and local level, which are currently not being refunded under any other mechanism, but which are incurred in the process of manufacture and distribution of exported products and the following taxes will be refunded through this scheme.
• Taxes include VAT, Central excise duties on fuel used for transportation, electrical duties, which are not getting exempted or refunded under any other existing mechanism.
• Earlier incentives are provided in the form of transferable Scrips, but this new scheme aims at creating an Electronic credit ledger in the customs system which enables digital refund to exporters, duties and taxes levied at the centre, state and local levels.

Key differences between MEIS and RoDTEP: 

Similarities between MEIS and RoDTEP:

• Both the schemes aim to boost exports by way of providing rewards and incentives.
• Both the schemes help to offset infrastructural inefficiencies and associated costs involved in exporting goods which are manufactured in India, including products manufactured by the MSME Sector.
• Both MEIS and RoDTEP seek to free up working capital of exporters.
• Both will be issued in the form of transferable scrips.

Impact of RoDTEP on exporters:

• At present, GST and import/customs duties for inputs required to manufacture exported products are either exempted or refunded. However, certain taxes/duties/levies are outside GST, and are not refunded for exports.
• The sequence of introduction of the scheme across sectors, prioritisation of the sectors to be covered, degree of benefit to be given on various items within the rates set by the committee will be decided and notified by the department of commerce. MEIS benefits would be discontinued on such tariff line/item for which benefit under RoDTEP Scheme is announced.
• The RoDTEP Scheme aims to refund all those taxes and levies which are presently disallowed, for example:
• Central & state taxes on the fuel (Petrol, Diesel, CNG, PNG, and coal cess, etc.) used for transportation of export products
• The duty levied by the state on electricity used for manufacturing
• Mandi tax levied by APMCs
• Toll tax & stamp duty on the import-export documentation
• Tax assessment is set to become fully automatic for exporters.
• Exporters will enjoy lower rates of interest on capital loans, higher insurance cover, financial incentives on exports
• Increased loan availability for exporters and provision of credit at reduced interest rates to MSMEs
• The Ministry of Finance will be working towards reducing the clearance time at airports and ports decrease delays in exports. Exporters will be able to monitor the clearance status real-time via a digital platform.

Conclusion:

                Implementation of the scheme would make India a WTO-compliant exporter in the international market and the process that is promised by GOI seems to be a simpler and more transparent one for exporters, improving efficiencies in collection of refunds as well. However, the question of applicable rates remains open as of now, which may well form the crux of exporters’ concerns about the change and that is needed to be addressed. Then only the exporters can accrue true benefits from the scheme.

 

 

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General Studies – 4

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Topic:  ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions;

7. The Uttar Pradesh’s draft bill on Population (Control, Stabilisation and Welfare) has flawed notions of carrot and stick and is non-empathetic towards persons with disability. Analyse the ethical issues in it. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Tough

Why the question:

The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Abstract Thursdays’ in Mission-2022 Secure.

Key Demand of the question:

To highlight the intent and method adopted by the draft bill and the ethical issues surrounding it.

Directive word: 

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

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Start by mentioning about the proposed two child policy in the draft bill and having two child, being a qualifier to get access to government schemes and subsidies.

Body:

Mention the issues surrounding the bill such as possibility of sudden high births, as young couples would try to have two babies in succession and get a sterilisation certificate as soon as possible. Bring out the ethicality of the incentives that are offered to adherence to the policy and ‘punishment’ in terms of disqualification etc for non-compliance.

Further, if couples have a child that is disabled, then they are entitled to a third child. This notion simply treats the disabled child as a no-child as per the draft bill. This is against the tenet of the rights of persons with disability as laid down in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Ethical issues such as compromise on the dignity and equal opportunities in society arises etc.

Conclusion:

Need for an attitudinal change towards population control rather than coercive one.

Introduction

The government of Uttar Pradesh released a “Population Policy” recently, in which the government stated its intention to bring the gross fertility rate in the State down from the existing 2.7 to 2.1 by 2026. To stabilize the population, the government is considering the enactment of a new piece of legislation.

Body

Ethical repercussions of the law:

• Degrades value of human life:
  • Any population control mechanism degrades the value of human life and is therefore, morally unacceptable.
  • According to this policy, advocates of population control instrumentalize human beings as just another metric for dealing with problems like resource limitation and land use.
  • By instrumentalizing human beings, developing countries infringe on each individual’s derivative moral right to an open future, which stems from a human right to liberty.
• Against right to reproductive freedom and privacy:
  • In Suchita Srivastava & Anr vs Chandigarh Administration (2009), the Court found that a woman’s freedom to make reproductive decisions is an integral facet of the right to personal liberty guaranteed by Article 21.
  • It has bearing on reproductive rights of women. Also the effects are already evident in villages of states like Haryana and Punjab, leading to an unethical thriving bride business.
• Against right to equality:
  • In a state like Uttar Pradesh, where patriarchy and misogyny are common and treatment of women is not commonplace, the Bill can have disastrous consequences on women and their personal health.
  • In such a society it will not be wrong to assume the majority burden will be borne by women to undergo sterilization operations risking her life.
  • The objectives of the bill is not being realized by incentivizing sterilization and in fact it is in violation of Article 14 of the Indian Constitution.
• Against international obligations:
  • India is committed to its obligations under international law, including the principles contained in the International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action, 1994.
  • Foremost in those principles was a pledge from nations that they wouldlook beyond demographic targets and focus instead on guaranteeing a right to reproductive freedom.
• Promotes patriarchy:
  • Patriarchy driven preference for a male child is an important driver of higher fertility rates.
  • Restricting to two child policy, is believed to have had an adverse effect on the sex ratio of the population through practices such as female foeticide etc.
  • It would lead to unethical abortion practices and pre-natal sex determination.
• Affects vulnerable sections of society:
  • A population control policy is not only a gross violation of fundamental human rights but will also have the maximum impact on the poorest, weakest and most marginalized sections of a country. It could have long-term, irreversible consequences”.

Conclusion

It is a common/old belief that sometimes using coercive ways to control something or get the desired objective can turn out to be completely ineffective in achieving that objective. So can be the case in Uttar Pradesh, here it would also violate the basic human rights of the citizens. It would in fact also lead to an increase in corruptive practices in our country along with the increasing amount of redtapism and paperwork. The carrot and stick approach to population control doesn’t really seem like an appropriate solution to the problem.

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