[Mission 2024] Insights SECURE SYNOPSIS: 24 June 2023 – INSIGHTSIAS

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NOTE: Please remember that following ‘answers’ are NOT ‘model answers’. They are NOT synopsis too if we go by definition of the term. What we are providing is content that both meets demand of the question and at the same

Answer the following questions in 150 words:

General Studies – 1

 

1. Child labour continues to persist in India due to several interrelated factors. Universal social protection can play a crucial role in combating child labour in India. Examine.

Reference: Down to Earth

Introduction

Child labour typically means the employment of children in any manual work with or without payment. It is a deep rooted social ill in India. As per the 2011 Census, in the age group 5-14 years, 10.1 million of 259.6 million constituted working children. The true extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on child labour is yet to be measured but all indications show that it would be significant as children are unable to attend school and parents are unable to find work. However, not all the factors that contribute to child labour were created by the pandemic; most of them were pre-existing and have been exposed or amplified by it.

The United Nations observes June 12 each year as the ‘World Day Against Child Labour’ to bring attention to the evil practices of child labour across the world. The theme of this year’s labour day is “Week of Action against Child Labour” with an objective to raise awareness about child Labour and to make a pledge to end it.

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Factors behind continuance of child labour in India

  • Poverty
    • The main reason for child labour is poverty.
    • Poverty forces families to push their children to work for a living.
  • Lack of educational resources
    • There are instances where children are deprived of their fundamental right to education.
    • There are areas with no proper facilities of education.
    • Lack of affordable school for poor children leaves them illiterate and helpless which push them into the trap of child labour.
  • Social and economic backwardness
    • Due to illiteracy, many times parents are not aware of various information and schemes for child education.
    • Lack of education, illiteracy and lack of awareness of their rights have encouraged child labour.
    • Also, uneducated parents do not know about the impact of child labour on their children.
  • Disease or Disability
    • In many families, due to disease or disability, there is no earning, and the child’s wages are the sole means of family’s sustenance.
  • Poor compliance of laws
    • In the absence of proper compliance of the laws, child labour is continuing.
    • It can be prohibited only by strict adherence to the related laws.
  • Lure of cheap labour
    • Some shopkeepers, companies and factory owners employ children so that they have to pay less to them.
    • With the development of globalization, privatization, and consumerist culture, the need for cheap labour and its linkage with economic needs of poor families have encouraged child labour.
  • Discrimination between boys and girls
    • Even today some believe that girls are weaker and there is no equal comparison between boys and girls.
    • Considering girls weaker than boys deprives them of school and education.
    • In labourer families, girls are found to be engaged in labour along with their parents.

Does universal social protection help end the menace of child labour

  • By reducing family poverty risks and vulnerability, supporting livelihoods and school enrolment amongst other things, government social protection systems are essential in the fight to eradicate and prevent child labour.
  • The good news is that in recent years many countries have significantly improved social protection coverage, by strengthening their social protection systems, and establishing effective social protection floors.
  • However, global coverage is still too low: as of 2020, less than half of the global population were effectively covered by at least one social protection benefit, leaving more than four billion people wholly unprotected.
  • Social protection coverage varies widely by region, broadly aligned with income levels.
  • Measures to reduce the income insecurity of adults, including unemployment protection, employment guarantee schemes, disability benefits, maternity benefits and social pensions, also contribute to mitigating vulnerability for poor households, and can contribute to preventing and reducing child labour.
  • Within any broader social security system, building a national social protection floor is particularly relevant to addressing vulnerabilities associated with child labour.
  • Social protection floors provide a set of basic social security guarantees, including a basic level of income security throughout the life cycle and access to essential health care.
  • These basic guarantees, in turn, are essential in addressing the multifaceted economic and social vulnerabilities which give rise to and perpetuate child labour.
  • Where children and their families enjoy basic income security and access to essential health care, and where the necessary education and other services are in place, child labour can be effectively prevented.

Conclusion

Eliminating child labour is firmly placed within Goal 8 of the SDGs. A stronger nexus between the discourse on SDGs and the discourse on eliminating child labour can take the advantage of complementarities and synergies of a wide range of actors engaged in both areas of work. The fight against child labour is not just the responsibility of one, it is the responsibility of all. Social protection instruments can play an important role in reducing child labour by mitigating poverty and economic vulnerabilities and enhancing poor families’ resilience.

 

2. Yoga helps us to improve our physical health, mental health, and spiritual well-being. Discuss.

Reference: The Hindu

Introduction

Yoga is an ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice that originated in India. The word ‘yoga’ derives from Sanskrit and means to join or to unite, symbolizing the union of body and consciousness. Today it is practiced in various forms around the world and continues to grow in popularity. Recognizing its universal appeal, on 11 December 2014, the United Nations proclaimed 21 June as International Yoga Day. June 21, which is the Summer Solstice, is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and has special significance in many parts of the world. International Yoga Day aims to raise awareness worldwide of the many benefits of practicing yoga. The theme for 2023 is “Yoga for Vasudhaiva kutumbakam”.

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The dire situation after COVID-19

  • The post-Covid world faces several dilemmas.
  • The rising tide of parochialism threatens to engulf humanity while depression, anxiety and innumerable physical and mental diseases have affected the well-being of people around the world.
  • The World Health Organisation estimates that nearly 280 million people are suffering from depression.

 

Role of Yoga in furthering humanity in the post-Covid world

Physically:

  • Yoga is also commonly understood as a therapy or exercise system for health and fitness. While physical and mental health are natural consequences of yoga, the goal of yoga is more far-reaching.
  • Yoga is about harmonizing oneself with the universe. It is the technology of aligning individual geometry with the cosmic, to achieve the highest level of perception and harmony.
  • Yoga does not adhere to any particular religion, belief system or community; it has always been approached as a technology for inner wellbeing.
  • Anyone who practices yoga with involvement can reap its benefits, irrespective of one’s faith, ethnicity or culture.

Psychologically:

  • Yoga asana’s and spirituality transcends religious, regional and virtually all forms of barriers.
  • It helps to seek humanity in diversity – responsible consumerism (SDG 12) with social well-being.
  • The concept of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” is inherently linked with sustainable life style which is a major component of Yoga.
  • Yoga can not only help us improve our mental health but also help us perform our duty while maintaining equanimity under all circumstances.
  • Yoga can also spark creativity, which can, in turn, enhance one’s self-esteem and improve focus.

Emotionally:

  • Yoga can yield emotional health benefits because it’s an exercise that works both the body and the mind.
  • Yoga practice comprises not just movement, but dynamic movements tied to breath.
  • Focusing on body postures can shift attention away from negative thinking.
  • Yoga’s deep breathing and meditation practices help foster an inner shift from to-do lists, kids and spouse’s needs, financial concerns, and relationship struggles to something a little bit bigger than the issues you face.
  • Yoga helps relieve stress and declutters the mind, helping you to become more focused.
  • Research shows yoga can benefit people with depression and schizophrenia, according to a review published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry.
  • A study titled “Coping with coronavirus anxiety” by Harvard Medical School highlighted how yoga and meditation can help one stay calm in an increasingly tense environment.
  • Yoga helps in elevating the levels of a chemical called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) which is associated with better mood and decreased anxiety.
  • Researchers around the world agree that yoga therapies play a key role in improving the quality of life by significantly reducing symptoms linked to depression, boosting immunity, improving cardiovascular functioning, and enhancing sleep patterns.

Conclusion

Yoga, an ancient practice and meditation, has become increasingly popular in today’s busy society. For many people, yoga provides a retreat from their chaotic and busy lives. Yoga is more than a physical activity. In the words of one of its most famous practitioners, the late B. K. S. Iyengar, “Yoga cultivates the ways of maintaining a balanced attitude in day-to-day life and endows skill in the performance of one’s actions.”

Extra information: History of Yoga:

  • Though Yoga was being practiced in the pre-Vedic period, the great Sage Maharshi Patanjali systematized and codified the then existing practices of Yoga, its meaning and its related knowledge through his Yoga Sutras.
  • Sage Patanjali’s treatise on raja yoga, the Yoga Sutras, says Yoga comprises of yama, niyama, asana, pranayam, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi.
  • The phallic symbols and seals of idols of mother Goddess of Indus Valley Civilization are suggestive of Tantra Yoga.
  • Presence of Yoga is available in folk traditions, Indus valley civilization, Vedic and Upanishadic heritage, Buddhist and Jain traditions, Darshanas, epics of Mahabharat and Ramayana, theistic traditions of Shaivas, Vaishnavas, and Tantric traditions.
  • Sun was given highest importance during the Vedic period. The practice of ‘Surya namaskara’ may have been invented later due to this influence.

General Studies – 2

 

3. A wider connection with the Indian diaspora would be a major benefit for India. It would boost the economy, attract foreign investment, and promote soft power. Analyse.

Reference: Indian Express , Insights on India

Introduction

The Indian diaspora has grown and become more influential in the past 2 decades. India now has the world’s largest diaspora, a new study on international migration by the United Nations has reported. More than 30 million persons of Indian origin live abroad, a number greater than the combined populations of Zimbabwe and Kuwait. 285 people of Indian origin in various positions of leadership such as Heads of state and governments, senators, state leaders and members of parliaments.

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The swiftly growing diaspora is an asset to India. The common perception of NRIs and Diaspora is that they are a product of brain-drain, migrants due to better life conditions in developed countries etc. However, in reality they are a boon to India. Their presence length and breadth varies across the countries of the world.

  • High Achievers:
    • From Google CEO Sundar Pichai to Nobel laurete scientist Har Gobind Khorana and Microsoft CEO Sathya Nadella to world’s one among the leading music conductors Zubin Mehta, the list of NRIs and their contribution to the world goes endlessly.
  • Influential Positions:
    • A diaspora estimated at over 30 million people fills mainstream roles and responsibilities in their adopted countries, helping shape the destiny of these countries.
    • The President of Singapore, Governor-General of New Zealand and prime ministers of Mauritius and Trinidad and Tobago were all of Indian descent.
  • Pressure groups:
    • When people of Indian origin are held in high esteem, respect for and understanding of the country go up.
    • The influential Indian diaspora affects not just the popular attitude, but also government policies in countries where they live, to the benefit of India.
    • India benefits tremendously through these people in luring large multinational companies as well as entrepreneurial ventures.
    • Example: lobbying for the US-India Civilian Nuclear Agreement Bill in 2008
  • Entrepreneurs across globe:
    • Between 1995 and 2005, over a quarter of immigrant-founded engineering and IT companies in the United States were started by Indians, according to a study by Duke University and the University of California.
    • And Indian expats owned an estimated 35 per cent of the country’s hotels. About 800 companies are owned by Indians in the UK.
    • These help in providing jobs and livelihoods to many people across world.
  • Remittances:
    • A World Bank report released last year said, India was the largest remittance-receiving country in the world, with an estimated $69 billion in 2015.
  • Soft Power:
    • The spread of Yoga, Ayurveda, Indian spiritualism, Bollywood, Indian cuisine across the world has made India famous.
    • It has even led to revival of many lost relationships with many countries.
    • Example: Central Asian countries like Kazakhstan and Middle Eastern countries.
  • Humanitarian Assistance:
    • There are many instances where diaspora has stood up for their Indian kins in times of disaster.
    • Example: during the recent Kerala floods, immense help in the form of men, material and money from diaspora was given. Indian diaspora residing in China’s Shanghai has contributed Rs. 32.13 lakh to the Chief Minister’s distress relief fund for Kerala floods.

Asset in Disguise

  • The Diaspora population bring technical and domain expertise to domestic start-ups and often act as angel investors.
  • Diaspora Indian faculty abroad volunteer time and resources to help faculty on Indian campuses improve the quality of education — as in the case of member institutions of the Indo Universal Collaboration of Engineering Education.
  • This was reflected in advancing projects whether through government arrangements or private commercial deals related to Make in India, Skill India, Digital India, Start Up India as well as those aimed at improving our infrastructure and transportation links and fostering all round sustainable development in urban or energy sectors.
  • The diaspora can step up and act as Indian ‘ambassadors’, as it is insufficient and ineffective for a country or its missions abroad to rely only on press releases to change public opinion.
  • The diaspora can provide the requisite strategic impulse, which makes it all the more important to unlock their potential.

Conclusion

In recent times, the government has laid a strong foundation by making diplomacy people-centric with government’s constant interaction with the Indian diaspora. The Indian diaspora is the bridge between their nation and India where they can grow simultaneously for betterment of their citizens. The diaspora can provide the requisite strategic impulse, which makes it all the more important to unlock their potential.

 

General Studies – 3

 

4. Despite economic growth, job opportunities have not expanded at a satisfactory rate, resulting in a high unemployment rate and a lack of adequate livelihood options for the population. What strategies are needed to address the above-mentioned issue?

Reference: Indian Express , Insights on India

Introduction

India’s unemployment rate rose to 8.30% in December 2022, the highest in 16 months, from 8.00% in the November 2022, data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) showed. The urban unemployment rate rose to 10.09% in December 2022 from 8.96% in the November 2022, while the rural unemployment rate slipped to 7.44% from 7.55%, the data showed.

In a jobless growth economy, unemployment remains stubbornly high even as the economy grows. This tends to happen when a relatively large number of people have lost their jobs, and the ensuing recovery is insufficient to absorb the unemployed, under-employed, and those first entering the workforce. Jobless growth of the Indian economy is a “5C” problem: a Complicated Condition Created by Combinations of Causes.

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 Causes of unemployment in India

  • Jobless growth: There is mounting concern that future growth could turn out to be jobless due to de-industrialization, de-globalization, the fourth industrial revolution and technological progress. As per the NSSO Periodic Labour Force Survey 2017-18, India’s labour force participation rate for the age-group 15-59 years is around 53%, that is, around half of the working age population is jobless.
  • Asymmetric demography:The growth in the working-age ratio is likely to be concentrated in some of India’s poorest states and the demographic dividend will be fully realized only if India is able to create gainful employment opportunities for this working-age population.
  • Lack of skills:Most of the new jobs that will be created in the future will be highly skilled and lack of skill in Indian workforce is a major challenge. India may not be able to take advantage of the opportunities, due to a low human capital base and lack of skills.
  • Low human development parameters:India ranks 130 out of 189 countries in UNDP’s Human Development Index, which is alarming. Therefore, health and education parameters need to be improved substantially to make the Indian workforce efficient and skilled.
  • Informal nature of economy in Indiais another hurdle in reaping the benefits of demographic transition in India.

Public sector employment as a remedy: Critical analysis

  • The latest data showed that there were 86 lakh vacant jobsamong all central government civilian posts as of March 2020.
  • The government recently announcedAgnipath scheme for youth as a contract employment of four years.
  • But even this measure would be ameliorative in the real economy that continues to remain distressed, a consequence ofeffects of the pandemic in the last few years.
  • The country cannot afford to squander more years in its race to reap the benefits of its demographic dividend, and the push to provide jobs for those seeking to enter the labour force, even if belated, will help ease matters for the medium term.
  • Real jobs in manufacturing, industries, MSME’s are the key to reaping demographic dividend. Skill development will also help in youth getting jobs in high paying services sector.

Measure needed and way forward

  • Building human capital:Investing in people through healthcare, quality education, jobs and skills helps build human capital, which is key to supporting economic growth, ending extreme poverty, and creating a more inclusive society.
  • Skill developmentto increase employability of young population. India’s labour force needs to be empowered with the right skills for the modern economy. Government has established the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) with the overall target of skilling/ up skilling 500 million people in India by 2022..
  • Education:Enhancing educational levels by properly investing in primary, secondary and higher education. India, which has almost 41% of population below the age of 20 years, can reap the demographic dividend only if with a better education system. Also, academic-industry collaboration is necessary to synchronise modern industry demands and learning levels in academics.
    • Establishment of Higher Education Finance Agency (HEFA)is a welcome step in this direction.
  • Health:Improvement in healthcare infrastructure would ensure higher number of productive days for young labourforce, thus increasing the productivity of the economy.
    • Success of schemes like Ayushman Bharatand National Health Protection scheme (NHPS) is necessary. Also nutrition level in women and children needs special care with effective implementation of Integrated Child Development (ICDS) programme.
  • Job Creation:The nation needs to create ten million jobs per year to absorb the addition of young people into the workforce. Promoting businesses’ interests and entrepreneurship would help in job creation to provide employment to the large labourforce.
    • India’s improved ranking in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Indexis a good sign.
    • Schemes like Start-up Indiaand Make in India , if implemented properly, would bring the desired result in the near future.
  • Urbanisation:The large young and working population in the years to come will migrate to urban areas within their own and other States, leading to rapid and large-scale increase in urban population. How these migrating people can have access to basic amenities, health and social services in urban areas need to be the focus of urban policy planning.
    • Schemes such as Smart City Mission andAMRUT needs to be effectively and carefully implemented.

 Conclusion

India is on the right side of demographic transition that provides golden opportunity for its rapid socio-economic development, if policymakers align the developmental policies with this demographic shift.

To reap the demographic dividend, proper investment in human capital is needed by focussing on education, skill development and healthcare facilities.

Value-addition

Steps taken by government in recent times

  • Dedicated Shram Suvidha Portal:That would allot Labor Identification Number (LIN) to units and allow them to file online compliance for 16 out of 44 labor laws.
  • Random Inspection Scheme:To eliminate human discretion in selection of units for Inspection, and uploading of Inspection Reports within 72 hours of inspection mandatory.
  • Universal Account Number:Enables 4.17 crore employees to have their Provident Fund account portable, hassle-free and universally accessible.
  • Apprentice Protsahan Yojana:Government will support manufacturing units mainly and other establishments by reimbursing 50% of the stipend paid to apprentices during first two years of their training.
  • Revamped Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana:Introducing a Smart Card for the workers in the unorganized sector seeded with details of two more social security schemes.
  • The National Career Service is being implemented as a mission mode project to provide various job-related services information on skills development courses, internships etc

 

5. Analyse the multifaceted threats posed by bots in today’s digital landscape and discuss comprehensive strategies to counter their detrimental impact.

Reference: The Hindu

Introduction

On June 12, reports came out which alleged that a Telegram bot had access to and was presenting the identification numbers of the documents submitted for vaccination purposes which includes Aadhaar, PAN card, and even passport numbers of individuals. In a similar incident, in 2021, a bot on the platform was found selling phone numbers pulled from Facebook. Security researchers reportedly found a network of deep fake bots on the platform that were generating non-consensual images of people submitted by users, some of which involved children.

Bots are computer programs that act as agents of a user or another computer program. Bots on Telegram are small applications that run entirely within the platform and can be designed to support any kind of task or service.

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What are bots?

  • Simply put, internet bots are software applications that are designed to automate many tedious and mundane tasks online. They’ve become an integral part of what makes the internet tick and are used by many internet applications and tools.
  • For example, internet search engines like Google rely on bots that crawl through web content in order to index information. Bots go through millions of web pages’ text to find and index terms that these pages contain. So, when a user searches for a particular term, the search engine will know which pages contain that particular information.
  • Travel aggregators use bots to continuously check and gather information on flight details and hotel room availabilities so that they can display the most up-to-date information for users. This means that users no longer need to check different websites individually. The aggregators’ bots consolidate all of the information, allowing the service to display the data all at once.

 

Multifaceted threats posed by bots

  • User data theft: Bots may collect user data, including personal information and chat history and users should read the terms of service and privacy policy to understand how individual bots handle user data.
  • Distribution of malicious content: Bots can also be created by threat actors to contain malicious content, such as links to phishing websites or malware. Threat actors can also distribute bots to scam users, promising rewards or discounts on purchases to lure users into sharing their personal data.
  • Security and fraud: Some bots could have security vulnerabilities that can be used by threat actors to compromise the security of users. Introducing a bot to a secure Telegram chat could also downgrade the level of encryption as they may not be using Telegram’s encryption protocol, which works by scrambling and making it illegible while in transit.
    • Eg: Stealing credit card details, account takeover etc. Further, 15% of all login attempts in the past 12 months, across all industries, were classified as account takeover. Cybercriminals use bad bots to facilitate credential stuffing and brute force attacks, as automation can cycle through credentials quickly until successful.
  • Distributed attacks: Proxies give bots easy access to millions of IP addresses to abuse. As soon as one IP address is blocked, bots can shift to another one. Attacks from 100 distinct IP addresses are less likely to be caught in filters than 100 attacks from one IP address.
  • e-commerce: E-commerce websites, mobile apps, and APIs have always been targeted by bots—particularly scrapers and scalpers.
    • Bot problems are even worse on sites with limited-edition products like sneakers, GPUs, and certain game consoles.
    • Scraping and scalping attacks can consume significant bandwidth, pull your IT team away from other important issues, and make it much harder for your human customers to shop for the merchandise they want.

Countering bots

  • Identifying the problem: Organizations must be proactive in dealing with bad bots. This starts with recognizing and identifying the problem. IT teams can assess if their networks are being attacked by bots by taking a look at their web analytics and review their traffic.
    • Spikes in bandwidth consumption and log-in attempts can be signs of increased bot activities. Traffic from unusual countries of origin can also hint at bad bots probing a site for vulnerabilities. Checking IP addresses and geolocations of traffic sources can reveal potential bot activity.
  • Deploying strict access controls: Multi-factor authentication requires users to provide additional credentials such as one-time-passwords (OTP). These can be implemented to deter bot attacks such as credential stuffing. Using identity and access management (IAM) also allows administrators to strictly define which resources within their network can be accessed by specific user accounts. This way, in the event that a bot “cracks” the credentials of one account, its access to the network is still limited (thereby minimizing the potential damage).
  • Monitoring activity: It’s important to constantly monitor and test the behavior of all security measures that are put in place. Misconfiguration or faulty implementation does happen. As such, checks like penetration tests and attack simulations should be performed routinely to verify if the measures work as intended. Adopting even the most expensive tools and solutions would only lead to waste if they are improperly configured.

 

Conclusion

Site owners should pay close attention to their traffic considering how malicious bots continue to run rampant. Left unchecked, bad bot traffic can evolve from a nuisance to something more serious such as a full-on cyber attack in no time. Knowing how to mitigate bad bot traffic can help to safeguard your infrastructure and create a more secure internet for everyone.

Value addition

Bad bots and their uses

  • Web scraping — Hackers can steal web content by crawling websites and copying their entire contents. Fake or fraudulent sites can use the stolen content to appear legitimate and trick visitors.
  • Data harvesting — Aside from stealing entire websites’ content, bots are also used to harvest specific data such as personal, financial, and contact information that can be found online.
  • Price scraping — Product prices can also be scraped from ecommerce websites so that they can be used by companies to undercut their competitors.
  • Brute-force logins and credential stuffing — Malicious bots interact with pages containing log-in forms and attempt to gain access to sites by trying out different username and password combinations.
  • Digital ad fraud — Hackers can game pay-per-click (PPP) advertising systems by using bots to “click” on ads on a page. Unscrupulous site owners can earn from these fraudulent clicks.
  • Spam — Bot can also automatically interact with forms and buttons on websites and social media pages to leave phony comments or false product reviews.
  • Distributed denial-of-service attacks — Malicious bots can be used to overwhelm a network or server with immense amounts of traffic. Once the allotted resources are used, sites and applications supported or hosted by the network will become inaccessible to legitimate users.

 

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

General Studies – 1

 

6. It is important to note that the positive and negative effects of globalization are not evenly distributed. Some countries have benefited more from globalization than others. Critically analyse the effects of globalization on India.

Reference: Live Mint , Insights on India

Introduction

Globalization is an international platform for maintaining evenness in the living mode of the people all over the world. Globalization is the resultant of the interchange of worldly views, opinions and the various aspects of the culture everywhere around the world. The impact of globalization on Indian and rural life has a tremendous influence which is both positive as well as negative. The Indian urban and rural life is viewed as the two faces of the same coin. They are mutually interdependent and both have a greater impact of globalization.

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Impact of globalization on Indian rural society

  • Positives:
    • Commercialization of agriculture: There is an increased trend of commercialization from sustenance farming. This has been successful only with farmers having large tracts of lands.
    • Expansion of agro-industries: Increased crop yield has led to development of agro-processing industries which help in adding value to the products and increasing their shelf life. E.g.; Tomato Ketchup, Potato chips etc.
    • Wider use of information, communication and technologies: Agricultural extension techniques like Kisan TV, sms about weather conditions has helped farmers plan better. Initiatives like e-Nam have helped farmers get better prices in certain areas.
    • Increased Mechanization, better inputs: Mechanization like use of tractors, harvesters, tillers has eased the job. High yield variety seeds, fertilizers have given better yield as seen during Green Revolution
    • Socio-economic development: With telemedicine and teleeducation, people are able to access the health and education facilities at the remotest areas. Adult literacy has helped in fighting for their rights.
    • MSMEs: There has been a rise of MSMEs with women entrepreneurs heading it.
  • Negatives:
    • Changes in Land-Use patterns
    • Internal labour migration: Labour migration  to  cities from  rural  areas  in  search  of  employment  was  a  common phenomenon.  This  was  for  various  reasons  especially  for luxurious  life,  handsome  salary  and  for  numerous  job opportunities
    • Increasing privatization of resources: Rural population is still    suffering    from    unemployment    as    rural    labour    is    mostly    uneducated and unskilled.  Machines and latest technologies   have   reduced   the   number   of manpower a lot
    • Loss of jobs and Displacement: due to mechanization, women are the worst sufferers. When big-ticket projects like Dams, Roads, and Mining come up, people are displaced making them internal refugees.
    • Increased inequality: Regional and sectional disparity due to only a few reaping the benefits.
    • No Behavioural changes: Open defecation still present, caste discriminations are still prevalent.

Impact of globalization on Indian urban society

Positives:

  • Increased Urbanization: It has been estimated that by 2050 more than 50% of India’s population will live in cities. The boom of services sector and city centric job creation has led to increasing rural to urban migration.
  • Increased job opportunities: due to inflow of MNCs, FDIs, people have a wide choice of job opportunities provided they have the requisite skills. Startups like Ola, Swiggy etc. have revolutionized the Gig-Economy. Development of Industries have also provided with jobs.
  • Higher Per capita income: employees are paid well albeit lesser than the global pay levels.
  • Enhanced lifestyle: due to higher PCI and wide array of facilities available from which the consumer can choose. It has raised the quality of life of many.
  • Better infrastructure: In terms of education, health, transport available to people. This has in turn enhanced the agglomeration of economies leading to industrial belts, IT parks, SEZ, CEZ etc.
  • Rapid Digitization: for faster and ease of connectivity, most of the services are digitized. This also increases the awareness of citizens in terms of rights, happenings around world etc. On the Governmental side, there is more accountability and transparency and faster delivery of services.

Negatives:

  • Family Structure: The increasing migration coupled with financial independence has led to the breaking of joint families into nuclear ones. The western influence of individualism has led to an aspirational generation of youth. Concepts of national identity, family, job and tradition are changing rapidly and significantly.
  • Marriage Values: Similarly, marriages have also lost their values. It is very much evident from the increasing number of divorce cases and the extra-marital affairs reported every now and then.
  • McDonaldization: A term denoting the increasing rationalization of the routine tasks of everyday life. It becomes manifested when a culture adopts the characteristics of a fast-food restaurant. McDonaldization is a reconceptualization of rationalization, or moving from traditional to rational modes of thought, and scientific management.
  • Walmartization: A term referring to profound transformations in regional and global economies through the sheer size, influence, and power of the big-box department store WalMart. It can be seen with the rise of big businesses which have nearly killed the small traditional businesses in our society.
  • Rise in Lifestyle diseases: due to reduced physical activity, increased habits of liquor and smoking etc.
  • Urban Sprawl: Increasing slums, unplanned urbanizations are on the rise which is a ticking time-bomb.

Conclusion

It is difficult to say that the impact of globalization has been totally positive or totally negative. It has been both. Each impact mentioned above can be seen as both positive as well as negative. However, it becomes a point of concern when, an overwhelming impact of globalization can be observed on the Indian rural and urban society.

General Studies – 2

 


7. Local body elections play a crucial role in the democratic governance of India. However, these elections are plagued by several issues that hinder their effectiveness and inclusivity. In light of this, critically examine the challenges faced during local body elections in India and propose comprehensive strategies to address them.

Reference: The Hindu

Introduction

Local Self Government is the management of local affairs by such local bodies who have been elected by the local people. The local self-Government includes both rural and urban government. It is the third level of the government. There are 2 types of local government in operation – panchayatas in rural areas and Municipalities in urban areas.

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Local body elections plagued by issues

  • Lack of voter awareness: Many citizens, especially in rural areas, lack awareness about the importance of local body elections, the roles and responsibilities of local representatives, and the impact of their votes. This leads to low voter turnout and undermines the democratic process.
  • Political violence: Local body elections often suffer from significant political interference, with political parties attempting to influence the outcomes by promoting their candidates or engaging in unethical practices. This can result in unfair competition and undermine the principles of free and fair elections.
    • Eg: In West Bengal Opposition parties have not been able to file nominations in about 50 of the 341 blocks of the State amid reports of the intimidation of candidates.
  • Money power and corruption: Local body elections in India are notorious for the influence of money power. Candidates, especially those backed by major political parties, often engage in bribery and other corrupt practices to secure votes. This marginalizes genuine candidates who lack financial resources and hampers the representation of the people’s true choice.
  • Caste and identity politics: Local body elections frequently witness the exploitation of caste and identity-based divisions. Candidates often leverage these divisions to secure votes along caste or religious lines, leading to polarization and a distortion of the democratic process. This undermines the focus on development and governance issues.
  • Inadequate infrastructure and logistics: Elections require substantial infrastructure and logistical support, such as polling booths, ballot papers, electronic voting machines, and adequate security measures. In many cases, these arrangements are inadequate or poorly managed, leading to confusion, delays, and voter disenfranchisement.
    • Eg: The State government and the SEC do not have enough resources at their disposal to conduct the mammoth exercise across the State on a single day
  • Women’s underrepresentation: Local body elections often witness low representation of women candidates and elected representatives. Despite reservation quotas for women, there are challenges in implementing them effectively, and deep-rooted patriarchal norms and social barriers still limit women’s participation and influence in local governance.
    • Pati Panchayat is rampant all over India where women are only the mouthpiece of their male counterparts.
  • Lack of accountability: Once elected, local body representatives may lack mechanisms for accountability to their constituents. This can result in poor governance, corruption, and neglect of local issues. Inadequate oversight and monitoring mechanisms exacerbate this problem.
    • The elected candidates are often illiterate and there is no substantial outcome.

 

Strategies to address the issues

  • Increasing voter awareness through civic education and outreach programs.
  • Strengthening regulatory bodies to curb political interference and ensure fair elections.
  • Implementing effective measures to reduce money power and corruption, such as transparent campaign financing and stricter enforcement of election expenditure limits.
  • Promoting social inclusion and discouraging identity-based politics through public discourse and awareness campaigns.
  • Enhancing infrastructure and logistical arrangements to ensure smooth and efficient elections.
  • Encouraging greater participation of women through affirmative action, awareness campaigns, and capacity-building programs.
  • Establishing robust mechanisms for monitoring and holding local body representatives accountable for their actions and performance.

Conclusion

It is important for government bodies, civil society organizations, and citizens to collaborate in addressing these challenges and strengthening the democratic fabric of local body elections in India.

Value Addition

  • Rural Local Governments:
    • Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) is a system of rural local self-government in India.
    • PRI was constitutionalized through the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 to build democracy at the grass roots level and was entrusted with the task of rural development in the country.
      • This act has added a new Part-IX to the Constitution of India. This part is entitled as ‘The Panchayats’ and consists of provisions from Articles 243 to 243 O.
      • In addition, the act has also added a new Eleventh Schedule to the Constitution. This schedule contains 29 functional items of the panchayats. It deals with Article 243-G.
    • In its present form and structure PRI has completed 30 years of existence. However, a lot remains to be done in order to further decentralization and strengthen democracy at the grass root level.
  • Urban Local Governments:
    • Urban Local Governments were established with the purpose of democratic decentralisation.
    • There are eight types of urban local governments in India – Municipal Corporation, Municipality, Notified Area Committee, Town Area Committee, Cantonment Board, township, port trust, special purpose agency.
    • At the Central level the subject of ‘urban local government’ is dealt with by the following three Ministries.
      • The Ministry of Urban Development was created as a separate ministry in 1985 (now Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs).
      • Ministry of Defense in the case of cantonment boards.
      • Ministry of Home Affairs in the case of Union Territories.
    • The 74th Amendment Act pertaining to urban local government was passed during the regime of P.V. Narsimha Rao’s government in 1992. It came into force on 1st June, 1993.
      • Added Part IX -A and consists of provisions from articles 243-P to 243-ZG.
      • Added 12th Schedule to the Constitution. It contains 18 functional items of Municipalities and deals with Article 243 W.

 

8. India and the United States share certain common interests and have been strategic partners in various areas. However, it is important to recognize that their interests may not always align perfectly. Analyse.

Reference: The Hindu

Introduction

India USA have seen ascendance of relationship in the 21st century, which was crystalised by 2008 India Nuclear Civil Nuclear Agreement. Various factors, including LPG reforms, rise of China, increasing influence of Indian community in USA are the factors behind this. Also, the shared values of democracy, rule of law, human rights, religious freedom bind the countries together.

The Prime Minister of India is on an official state visit to the USA, where he will lead the 9th International Day of Yoga celebrations from the auspices of UN Headquarters in New York.

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India and USA relations aligned with each other

  • Security: Combat terrorism and weapons of mass destruction Protect global commons like sea routes and sea lanes of communication.
    • Eg: India has mentioned Taiwan issue in public for the first time while USA has been passing through South China sea and Taiwan straits to protect freedom of navigation in high seas.
  • Global cooperation: International Cooperation through platforms like UN, ASEAN, G-20, IMF, Quad. Quad security dialogue has been initiated to reign in China’s dominance in the region.
  •  Defence cooperation: Defence agreements Iike LEMOA, COMCASA, Industrial Security Agreement and BECA; Bilateral military exercises like Yudh Abhyaas, Vajra prahar, etc have been taking place every year.
  • Space cooperation: Indo-US science and technology cooperation agreement; Joint Microwave remote sensing satellite named NISAR.
  • Diaspora and people to people ties: Strength of Indian diaspora in US is around 4.5 million which is around 1% of its population. Indian diaspora is a source and agent of soft power, an effective public diplomacy tool and is acknowledged for its work ethos, discipline, non-interference and peaceful living with the locals.

Divergences and friction areas

  • Tariffs war: Since 2018 both countries were engaged in tariffs war. E.g. In 2018, the US imposed additional tariffs of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminium imports from various countries, including India. India’s refusal to remove the 20% tariffs on ICT products caused the trade deal between India and USA to delay which remains still pending.
  • WTO disputes: India USA are involved in WTO disputes on issues like, Capping prices of medical devices by India, greater Indian market access for American agriculture and dairy products etc.
  •  IPR: India is also on U.S.’s “Priority Watch List” which identifies countries posing challenges to American intellectual property rights. Also, The US wants India to strengthen patent regulations, and to ease the limitations American companies investing in India face.
  • USA tensions with Iran, Russia: Putting unilateral curbs on Russian and Iranian imports into India through CAATSA would impinge on India’s relations with Iran, Russia, both relations in which India has strong stakes.
  • Divergence of interests in Afghanistan: In the backdrop of Afghan Peace deal, U.S. left Afghanistan. Decades of work was scrapped as Taliban took over and freedom of people and the developmental work India did is hampered.

Conclusion

Despite the differences in some areas, the upward trajectory in India USA relations indicates a sense of greater nuance to the need for institutionalisation of bilateral ties — towards not only graduating the bilateral dynamic away from over-dependence on chemistry between the top political leadership, but also design frameworks in a manner that maximise convergences between the two countries.

The changing geopolitics, and increased Chinese aggression necessitates closer cooperation between India USA. Thus, the relationship is two-sided. Just as India benefited from US inputs during Doklam and recent India China standoff, the US has benefited from Indian defence spending.

General Studies – 3

 

9. By investing in necessary infrastructure, the food processing industry in India can meet the growing demand for processed food items, create employment opportunities, contribute to economic growth, and ensure the availability of safe and nutritious food options for the expanding urban and young population. Examine.

Reference: Insights on India

Introduction

Food processing generally includes the basic preparation of foods, the alteration of a food product (usually raw) into another form (as in making preserves from fruit), and preservation and packaging techniques. Food processing typically takes harvested crops or animal products and uses these to produce long shelf-life food products.

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Scope of FPIs

  • India is the world’s second largest producer of fruits & vegetables after China but hardly 2% of the produce is processed.
  • India is among the top 5 countries in the production of coffee, tobacco, spices, seeds etc. With such a huge raw material base, we can easily become the leading supplier of food items in the world.
  • In spite of a large production base, the level of processing is low (less than 10%). Approximately 2% of fruits and vegetables, 8% marine, 35% milk, 6% poultry are processed. Lack of adequate processable varieties continues to pose a significant challenge to this sector.
  • Economic Survey 2020: During the last 6 years ending 2017-18, Food Processing Industries sector has been growing at an average annual growth rate of around 5.06 per cent.

Significance of the food processing industries:

The Food Processing Industry (FPI) is of enormous significance as it provides vital linkages and synergies that it promotes between the two pillars of the economy, i.e. agriculture and industry.

  • Employment Opportunities:Food processing industries can absorb a major share of workers from the agriculture sector, who face disguised unemployment. It can lead to better productivity and GDP growth.
  • Doubling of farmers’ income: With contract farming, farmers can get better technological inputs from industries as well. There is income security and proportionate value for produce. They are also protected against price shocks.
  • Crop-diversification:Food processing will require different types of inputs thus creating an incentive for the farmer to grow and diversify crops.
  • Farmer Beneficiaries:The SAMPADA scheme is estimated to benefit about 37 lakh farmers and generate about 6 lakh direct/ indirect employment (ES 2020 data).
  • Curbing Distress Migration:Provides employment in rural areas, hence reduces migration from rural to urban. Resolves issues of urbanization.
  • Prevents Wastage: Nearly one-third of the food that is produced each year goes uneaten, costing the global economy over $940 billion as per report by World Resources Institute (WRI)
    • India is biggest producer of numerous fruits and vegetable. Most of these are perishable and have very low shelf life. This is the major reason for high percentage of wastage. Their shelf life can be increased through food processing.
  • Value Addition: Products such as tomato sauce, roasted nuts, de-hydrated fruits are in high demand.
  • Reduce malnutrition:Processed foods when fortified with vitamins and minerals can reduce the nutritional gap in the population.
  • Boosts Trade and Earns Foreign exchange:It is an important source of foreign exchange. For e.g. Indian Basmati rice is in great demand in Middle Eastern countries.
  • Make in India: Food processing is one of the six superstar sectors under the GoI’s, Make in India initiative and has the potential to transform India as a leading food processing destination of the World.
  • Curbing Food Inflation:Processing increases the shelf life of the food thus keeping supplies in tune with the demand thereby controlling food-inflation.
    • For e.g. Frozen peas/ corn are available throughout the year.
    • Similarly, canned onions under Operation Greens can achieve price stability.

Challenges facing food processing industry in India

  • Demand of processed food is mainly restricted to urban areas of India.
  • Major problems are listed below:
    • Small and dispersed marketable surplus due to fragmented holdings
    • Low farm productivity due to lack of mechanization,
    • High seasonality of raw materials
    • Perishability and lack of proper intermediation (supply chain) result in lack of availability of raw material.
    • This in turn, impedes food processing and its exports.
  • More than 30% of the produce from farm gate is lost due to inadequate cold chain infrastructure.
  • The NITI Aayog cited a study that estimated annual post-harvest losses close to Rs 90,000 crore.
  • Lack of all-weather roads and connectivity make supply erratic.
  • The food processing industry has a high concentration of unorganised segments, representing almost 75% across all product categories. Thus, causes the inefficiencies in the existing production system.
  • Further, most processing in India can be classified as primary processing, which has lower value-addition compared to secondary processing.
  • Due to this, despite India being one of the largest producers of agricultural commodities in the world, agricultural exports as a share of GDP are fairly low in India relative to the rest of the world.

Solutions to address the challenges

  • The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) is implementing PMKSY (Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana). The objective of PMKSY is to supplement agriculture, modernize processing and decrease agri-waste.
    • Mega Food Parks.
    • Integrated Cold Chain, Value Addition and Preservation Infrastructure.
    • Creation/Expansion of Food Processing/Preservation Capacities.
    • Infrastructure for Agro Processing Clusters.
    • Scheme for Creation of Backward and Forward Linkages.
  • Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy: FDI up to 100%, under the automatic route is allowed in food processing industries.
  • Agri Export Zones: To give thrust to export of agro products, new concept of Agri Export Zones was brought in 2001. APEDA has been nominated as the Nodal Agency to coordinate the efforts
    • cluster approach of identifying the potential products;
    • the geographical region in which these products are grown;
    • Adopting an end-to-end approach of integrating the entire process right from the stage of production till it reaches the market (farm to market).

Conclusion

Food processing has a promising future, provided adequate government support is there. Food is the biggest expense for an urban Indian household. About 35 % of the total consumption expenditure of households is generally spent on food. As mentioned, food processing has numerous advantages which are specific to Indian context. It has the capacity to lift millions out of undernutrition. Government has its work cut out to develop industry in a way which takes care of small scale industry along with attracting big ticket domestic and foreign investments.

 

10. What is semiconductor fabrication? With a well-planned strategy, India can make significant strides toward achieving self-reliance in semiconductor manufacturing, bolstering its scientific capabilities, and enhancing its strategic position in the global technology landscape. Analyse.

Reference: The Hindu , Insights on India

Introduction

Semiconductor device fabrication is the process used to manufacture semiconductor devices, typically integrated circuits (ICs) such as computer processors, microcontrollers, and memory chips (such as NAND flash and DRAM) that are present in everyday electrical and electronic devices. It is a multiple-step photolithographic and physio-chemical process (with steps such as thermal oxidation, thin-film deposition, ion-implantation, etching) during which electronic circuits are gradually created on a wafer, typically made of pure single-crystal semiconducting mate.

India’s ambition of manufacturing semiconductor chips appears to be taking longer to materialize.

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Background

  • Three entities(Vedanta-Foxconn, international consortium ISMC and Singapore-based IGSS Ventures) that had applied to build the chips are facing hurdles in setting up their manufacturing plants in India.
  • The Centre, which expects its semiconductor market to be worth $63 billion by 2026, had received three proposals to set up a fab (fabrication/production) in the country.

 

Challenges

  • For one, the level of fiscal support currently envisioned is minuscule when one considers the scale of investments typically required to set up manufacturing capacities in the various sub sectors of the semiconductor industry.
  • A semiconductor fabrication facility, or fab, can cost multiples of a billion dollars to set up even on a relatively small scale and lagging by a generation or two behind the latest in technology.
  • Even granting that India’s Production Linked Incentive scheme intends to give only 50% of the cost of setting up at least two greenfield semiconductor fabs by way of fiscal support, not much of the current scheme outlay of approximately $10 billion is likely to be left to support other elements including display fabs, packaging and testing facilities, and chip design centres.
  • Chip fabs are also very thirsty units requiring millions of litres of clean water and extremely stable power supply.
  • India has a decent chip design talent but it never built up chip fab capacity. The ISRO and the DRDO have their respective fab foundries but they are primarily for their own requirements and also not as sophisticated as the latest in the world.
  • It may be best if the new mission focuses fiscal support, for now, on other parts of the chip-making chain including design, where surely India already has considerable talent and experience.

Way Forward

  • Given the long gestation periods and rapid technology changes, India must out-strategize on design and functionality as the end product will be out only after three-four years from the moment work begins, by which point the prevailing chip shortage would have been resolved, while technology would have advanced further.
  • Apart from incentivising more FDI in electronics to deepen our supply chains through incentive schemes, we need to focus on encouraging Indian manufacturers and start-ups to enter and master complex R&D and manufacturing verticals.
  • We can then ensure that valuable Intellectual Property is created and owned by Indian companies.
  • The semiconductor industry is changing fast as new-age technologies require innovation at the design, material, and process levels.
  • Indian engineers have contributed immensely to this area in multinational companies. We must encourage them to set up their design start-ups with handsome government grants and tax incentives.
  • Premier research institutions such as the Indian Institute of Science should also be asked to work aggressively on R&D in chip designing and manufacturing.
  • Further, the government must focus on emerging technologies like LiDAR and Phased Array in which incumbents do not have a disproportionate advantage and the entry barrier is low.
  • By working aggressively in new cutting-edge technologies, India can ensure that it becomes Aatmanirbhar.
  • India needs to push for a Quad Supply Chain Resilience Fund to immunise the supply chain from geopolitical and geographic risks
  • India and Taiwan have started negotiations for a free-trade agreement and setting up a semiconductor manufacturing hub in an Indian city, signalling their resolve to further expand the two-way economic engagement.

Conclusion

The program will usher in a new era in electronics manufacturing by providing a globally competitive incentive package to companies in semiconductors and display manufacturing as well as design. The program will promote higher domestic value addition in electronics manufacturing and will contribute significantly to achieving a USD 1 Trillion digital economy and a USD 5 Trillion GDP by 2025. This shall pave the way for India’s technological leadership in these areas of strategic importance and economic self-reliance.

Value addition

Government initiatives in this regard

The Union Cabinet’s decision to set aside ₹76,000 crore for supporting the development of a ‘semiconductors and display manufacturing ecosystem’ is a belated but welcome acknowledgment of the strategic significance of integrated circuits, or chips, to a modern economy.

  • India Semiconductor Mission:
    • In order to drive the long-term strategies for developing a sustainable semiconductors and display ecosystem, aspecialised and independent India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) will be set up.
    • ISM will beled by global experts in the semiconductor and display industry. It will act as the nodal agency for efficient and smooth implementation of the schemes on Semiconductors and Display ecosystem.
  • Production Linked Incentives:
    • Incentive support to the tune of Rs.55,392 crore (7.5 billion USD) has been approved under PLIfor Largest Scale Electronics Manufacturing, PLI for IT Hardware, SPECS Scheme and Modified Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMC 2.0) Scheme.
    • In addition, PLI incentives to the quantum of Rs.98,000 crore (USD 13 billion) is approved for alliedsectors comprising ACC battery, auto components, telecom & networking products, solar PV modules and white goods.
  • Semiconductor Fabs and Display Fabs:
    • It would provide fiscal support of up to 50% of the project costfor setting up semiconductor and display fabrication units.
    • The Union government will work with the States to set up high-tech clusters with the required infrastructuresuch as land and semiconductor-grade water.
  • Semi-conductor Laboratory (SCL):
    • MeitY will take requisite steps for modernization and commercialization of Semi-conductor Laboratory (SCL).
    • MeitY will explore the possibility for the Joint Venture of SCL with a commercial fab partnerto modernise the brownfield fab facility.
  • Compound Semiconductors:
    • It will support fiscal support of 30% of capital expenditure to approved units.
    • At Least 15 such unitsof Compound Semiconductors and Semiconductor Packaging are expected to be established with Government support under this scheme.
  • Semiconductor Design Companies:
    • TheDesign Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme shall extend product design linked incentive of up to 50% of eligible expenditure and product deployment linked incentive of 6% – 4% on net sales for five years.
    • Support will be provided to 100 domestic companiesof semiconductor design for Integrated Circuits (ICs), Chipsets, System on Chips (SoCs), Systems & IP Cores and semiconductor linked design.

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