General Studies Paper 2

• Context: Recently, there were allegations of sexual harassment against higher authorities by some women sportspersons.

What are the reasons behind sexual harassment of women at workplace?

• Sexual harassment at the workplace, is both direct and structural. The enabling environment for reporting direct violence has shown a gradual improvement.
• But, indirect violence remains poorly addressed. It is embedded deep in our social and economic structures. It is more visible in the employment imbalance prevalent between men and women.
• More men at the workplace feel entitled to take undue advantage of the historical fact that the society is still patriarchal and women occupy a few of the higher positions.
• The number of women in leadership positions is not enough to generate confidence in the female subordinates. Women in lower positions feel reluctant to air their grievances.
• The Periodic Labour Force Survey for 2020-21shows that the participation of women in the total labour force was 25.1% in 2020-21. It is still much less when compared to men.
• There is absence of an enabling and safe working environment. Most women do not complain of sexual harassment. The current redress mechanism is either non-existent or ineffective.
• Women are more vulnerable to exploitation by their employer due to the fear of job insecurity. Which makes them vulnerable to sexual favour by employers.
• Whenever allegations of sexual harassment are levelled against superior authorities, the enquiry is not done properly. Instead, an accused either resorts to multiple litigation to stall the due process or attempts to bring disrepute to the victim.

Way forward:

• It is the responsibility of the employer to provide a safe work environment.
• Theshort-term goals may include providing the requisite women-friendly infrastructure, the
• constitution of internal complaint committees, and the spreading of awareness about the law and procedure of grievance redress.
• Medium-term goals may include the increase of female participation in the labour force,
• improvement of tooth-to-tail ratio, and providing incentives to prevent drop-outs such as paid maternity leave.
• In the long-run,it is essential to address the deep-rooted structural and cultural violence against women.
• There is a need to develop the mindset of treating men and women as equals at an early stage of character formation during childhood. Parents should respect each other and treat their girl and boy child on a par in all respects.

General Studies Paper 3

• Context: Recently, there are large cracks appearing on the Badrinath highway. From Joshimath, to the river city of Karanprayag, to the eastern edges of Himachal, the disturbing shifts and slides of the ground pose big questions for the protection of the Himalayan ecosystem.

WHAT IS THE PRESENT STATE OF ECOLOGICAL DAMAGE IN INDIA?

• The past century has seen the disappearance of almost a third of the country’s forest cover; many tree, plant and insect species are extinct or headed in that direction.
• Millions of hectares of grassland and sanctuaries are encroached upon by either the local population or excessive tourism and commerce. For example, Mumbai’s mangroves and Deodar forests all across Himachal was destroyed for making roads  and apartment blocks respectively.
• Moreover, forests are cleared regularly for industrial parks, mining, commercial plantations and grazing. Further, the tree cover of 10 million hectares is destroyed every year.
• There is no institutional policy or active manpower push to contain the destruction and reverse ecological damage.
• The damage inflicted is so pervasive and complete, in many cases, it is irreversible and may take many decades to repair.

What are the major reasons for ecological damage in India?

• This is due to two environmentally destructive strategies, excess and instant gratification. For example, the fragile ecology of the Garhwal Himalayas is under tremendous stress due to
• a)Hydroelectric projects, increased traffic and construction activities which led to a breach in the carrying capacity of the Uttarakhand hills,
• b) Constructing a four-lane highway in the Himalayan region. Though four-lane highways seem like a major advance, such a development strategy is neither economically sound nor ecologically tenable.

How do other countries conserve ecology?

• Bhutan’s ‘high value, low volume’ tourism strategy: The country charges foreign tourists a sustainable development feeof around $200 per person per night. Indian visitors also have to pay Rs 1,200 per day.
• Central and South American countries:
• Costa Rica’s Blue Flag Ecology Programme:The country accounts for 4% of the world’s biodiversity and relies on tourism for 10.3% of its GDP. A strict set of environmental criteria is laid down under the programme. Under it, all local stakeholders in the tourism industry work together to attain the coveted Blue Flag tag.
• Chile: The tourism industry is allowed to operate only in sustainable ways within protected areas. Tourism stakeholders are then held accountable for any breaches in these agreements.

What should be done to protect the Himalayan ecosystem?

• Cap pilgrimage count: Many countries around the globe cap pilgrim and tourist numbers. Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district administration has indicated there may be a cap on pilgrims. The government should implement this without hesitation.
• Greening of the denuded sections of the landscape: This includes replanting along with multiple ecological plans to encourage bees, butterflies and birds, besides a wider variety of regional plants and trees.
• Focus on all species: A calibrated study of varied animal and insect species is required to create a balanced ecosystem within forests.
• In forest and rural areas, hyenas, wild hens, boar, foxes, deer, wolves and other animal species need to be nurtured; they have been grossly neglected, due to excessive focus on tigers, lions and cheetahs.
• Promote deliberate underdevelopment in ecologically-sensitive regions: The rewilding of India must be closely tied to de-populating certain overburdened areas of the country.  But that should be accompanied by a clear policy on areas available for tourism, limited tourism, and no-go areas.
• Find middle ground: India, wild like remote Africa, or India overbuilt like Las Vegas, it will take some serious steps to find a middle ground.

General Studies Paper 2

• Context: Recently, Union Finance Minister made it clear that the Centre will not consider demands for “special category status” for any state as the 14^th Finance commission has clearly said no special status can be given.
• This comes as a blow to states like Odisha, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh which have been pushing for it for some years now.

What is Special Category Status (SCS)?

• SCS is a classification given by the Centre to assist development of states that face geographical and socio-economic disadvantages.
• Constitution does not make a provision for SCS and this classification was later done on the recommendations of the Fifth Finance Commission in 1969.
• Status was first accorded to Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and Nagaland in 1969.
• SCS for plan assistance was granted in the past by the National Development Council of the erstwhile Planning Commission.
• Eleven States including Assam, Nagaland, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Uttarakhand and Telangana have been accorded the special category state status.
  • Telangana, the newest State of India, was accorded the status as it was carved out of another state Andhra Pradesh.
• The 14^thFinance Commission has done away with the ‘special category status‘ for states, except for the Northeastern and three hill states.
  • It suggested to fill the resource gap of such states through tax devolution by increasing it to 42% from 32%.
• SCS is different from Special status which imparts enhanced legislative and political rights, while SCS deals with only economic and financial aspects.
  • For instance, J&K used to have Special status before Article 370 was repealed.
• Parameters (Based on Gadgil Formula):
  • Hilly Terrain;
  • Low Population Density and/or Sizeable Share of Tribal Population;
  • Strategic Location along Borders with Neighbouring Countries;
  • Economic and Infrastructure Backwardness; and
  • Nonviable Nature of State finances.

What are the Benefits of Special Category Status?

• The Centre pays 90% of the funds required in a centrally-sponsored scheme to special category status states as against 60% or 75% in case of other states, while the remaining funds are provided by the state governments.
• Unspent money in a financial year does not lapse and is carried forward.
• Significant concessions are provided to these states in excise and customs duties, income tax and corporate tax.
• 30% of the Centre’s Gross Budget goes to Special Category states.

What are the Concerns regarding Special Category Status?

• It causes Increased burden on Central Finances.
• Also, giving special status to a state leads to demands from other states too. For instance, demands from Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Bihar.

Conclusion

• As suggested by 14^thFinance commission, tax devolution to states has been increased to 42% and the same has been continued by 15th FC (41%)  too to fill the resource gap without extending SCS.

General Studies Paper 3

• Context: Since its release, ChatGPT has received a lot of attention. While, the users are marvelling at its ‘human-like’ responses, technology experts are debating the potential applications and concerns associated with Generative AI (Artificial IntellIgence). Generative AI has the potential to revolutionise almost every field of human activity. However, the possibility of misuse of the technology and loss of skilled and semi-skilled jobs has prompted calls for more cautious approach in the development of the Generative AI.

WHAT IS GENERATIVE AI?

• Generative AI uses Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning algorithms to enable machines to generate new content (machine generated). Systems use previously created content, such as text, audio, video, images, and code. The term ‘Generative’ refers to the ability of the models to learn how to create new data rather than simply recognising it. For example, a generative model may learn how to generate images that resemble faces given a set of parameters (such as the eyes, hair, or skin colour etc.). The content (text, image etc.) generated by AI is so ‘authentic’, that it is difficult to distinguish whether the content has been generated by human or computer.

APPLICATIONS OF GENERATIVE AI:

• The applications of Generative AI are wide and still evolving.
• Motion Picture Industry: Applications of Generative Artificial Intelligence in the movie industry is wide. It can utilized to alter the background/landscape according to the need (rather than wait for required conditions to exist e.g., a movie scene requiring cloudy weather can be shot under any weather conditions, and the background can be altered later on using AI). Images or videos of Actors at various ages are also possible with Generative AI technology. By using face synthesis and voice cloning, artist’s/actor’s original voice can be matched with a lip-sync. This will also help in archiving artefacts after restoration for future references.
• Search Engine Services: Generative Artificial Intelligence has the capability to take search engine services to the next level, e.g., Text to Image translation may be utilized to provide search results. It can also be used to produce realistic photographs from textual descriptions of objects like birds and flowers.
• Security Services: Generative Artificial Intelligence can create front-on photos from photos taken at different angles and vice versa for face verification or face identification systems. Such systems can be deployed at airports, international border check-points etc.
• Healthcare: Semantic-Image-to-Photo Translation can convert inputs that are semantic images or sketches to photo-realistic images e.g., if X-ray or any CT scan images can be converted to real images, diagnosis can be much more accurate.
• Advertising: Generative AI can create new advertisements based on existing ones, making it easier for companies to reach new audiences.
• Location Services: This involves converting satellite images to map views. This can be a huge step towards venturing into unexplored geographic locations.
• The possible applications of Generative AI are still being explored and can expand considerably as the technology evolves further. It can expand to fields like education, content creation, banking among others.

BENEFITS OF GENERATIVE AI:

• Increased efficiency: generative artificial intelligence can be used to automate tasks that would otherwise require manual Labor. This can help businesses save time and money, as well as increase efficiency e.g., it can be used to generate images and videos quickly and accurately, which can be used in marketing campaigns or other projects.
• Improved Quality: Generative Artificial Intelligence can help improve the quality of content generated. It can be used to create high-quality images and videos that are more visually appealing than those created manually. Additionally, it can be used to generate text that is more accurate and relevant than text created by humans.
• Faster Results: Generative Artificial Intelligence can help businesses get results faster than they would with manual labor. It can create images and videos in a fraction of the time it would take a human to do the same task. This can help businesses get their projects done at a much faster rate.
• Cost Savings: By automating tasks, businesses can reduce their labor costs and save money. Additionally, it can help businesses reduce costs associated with creating content, such as images and videos.
• Improved Decision Making: By using Generative AI, businesses can generate data that can be used to make better decisions e.g., it can be used to generate data that can be used to make decisions about marketing campaigns or product development. Applications in the medical field can help in better diagnosis.
• Increased Creativity: Businesses can generate new ideas and concepts that can be used to create new products or services.
• Improved Customer Experience: Businesses can generate content that is more accurate and relevant to their customers. This can help businesses create a better customer experience and increase customer satisfaction.

CONCERNS ASSOCIATED WITH GENERATIVE AI:

• Accuracy: Despite the advancements, the Generative AI technology is not fool proof and produce erroneous content. The Machine Learning Algorithms depend on the quality of the input data. Erroneous or inaccurate data can generate inaccurate results.
• Increase Biases: Generative Artificial Intelligence systems can perpetuate and amplify existing biases. If the models are trained on biased, non-inclusive data, they will generate biased outputs, such as offensive or discriminatory language, demeaning and degrading imagery, and prejudicial content. A rights-group in the US pointed out the example of an AI-based generative imagery programme showing images of only white men for the prompt ‘CEO’.
• Malicious Purposes: Generative AI systems can create content for malicious purposes, such as deepfakes, disinformation, and propaganda. It can also generate offensive or inappropriate content. Nefarious actors may use AI-generated media to manipulate people and influence public opinion. It can be misused by enemy States, or non-State actors to destabilise domestic peace by spreading misinformation.
• Low Quality Output: It may also produce low-quality and less accurate information, specifically in the context of complex engineering and medical diagnosis.
• Concern over Data Privacy: Data privacy issues can arise from using generative AI in different industries, such as healthcare, since it involves collecting private information about individuals.
• Limitations in Creativity: AI uses past data as a template for future work. It means that the output produced by Generative AI is usually based on something that has already happened rather than anything genuinely creative. In short, AI systems lack creativity, originality and human ingenuity. AI Systems cannot generate new ideas by themselves, they can only make associations based on the data fed into them by humans.
• Issues Related to Copyright: It can be challenging to determine who is responsible for the content generated by a Generative AI system. The acquisition and consent model around the training data and intellectual property issues make it difficult to hold anyone accountable for any harm resulting from its use. In addition, there are concerns related to use of copyrighted content to train AI systems. The work derived from such content can have copyright implications. Getty Images has sued Stable Diffusion in the London High Court, accusing them of using its images illegally.
• Risk of Unemployment: Although it is too early to make certain judgements, there is a risk that generative AI could contribute to unemployment in certain fields. This could happen if generative AI automates tasks or processes previously performed by humans, leading to the displacement of human workers.
• Environmental Concerns: AI systems require a lot of computing power. This has implications for environments, in terms of energy consumed in operating AI systems. An analyst pointed out that training a transformer model just once with 213 million parameters can emit carbon emissions equivalent to 125 air-flights between New York and Beijing. GPT3 has 175 billion parameters, so its emissions would have been much larger.

WAY FORWARD:

• First, to address bias and fairness, researchers can use techniques such as de-biasing and fair representation learning, which can help to remove biases present in the training data.
• Second, Researchers can also use techniques such as counterfactual data generation, which can help to generate more diverse and representative training
• Third, there is need to add rigour and responsibility to developing AI technology, develop and enforce ethical guidelines, conduct regular audits for fairness, identify and address biases, and protect privacy and security.
• Fourth, there is need to add adequate policy, regulation, awareness, and education guardrails to develop and use Generative AI services ethically and responsibly. China has proposed a policy for the same. Some measures include requirement for the users of Generative AI to ensure that any doctored content using the technology is explicitly labelled and can be traced back to its source. The regulation also mandates people using the technology to edit someone’s image or voice, to notify and take the consent of the person in question.
• Fifth, Intellectual property law must find a way to protect artists from copies that erode the value of their original work, but at the same time encourage them to continue to be inspired by others. The US Copyright Office has already declared that AI generated art is not entitled to intellectual property protection as it lacks the ‘nexus between the human mind and creative expression’, which is necessary to invoke copyright protection.

CONCLUSION

• The Generative AI is a revolutionary technological development. However, as is the case with every new technology, it has several associated concerns. A pragmatic approach is necessary that can minimize the negative impacts of technology. A cooperation at a global level will be required to establish the norms and standards, as well as checking misuse of the technology that can transcend national boundaries.

General Studies Paper 3

• Context: The world is preparing itself for an energy transition from fossil fuel to green energy.
• Around 133 countries have pledged to a “net-zero carbon emissions Most govts, corporates and civic entities have also shown determination to “phase down” and eventually phase out fossil fuels from their energy basket.
• However, world is still highly dependent on fossil fuels. The natural gas and oil prices have also been turbulent in the past year due to demand supply mismatches and geopolitics.

What should be the factors that need to be considered while designing policies for green transition?  

• Any future energy policy would have to overcome a paradox b/w the aim for a clean energy system and the wide availability of fossil fuel resource.
• Long and expensive:Fossil fuel-based economic system will have to be redesigned and, in parts, rebuilt for clean energy to achieve scale.
• This will take decades and also require massive capital infusion.
• No country or multilateral institution can finance this transition individually. The world will have to collaborate otherwise the financing deficit will push back the transition even further.
• Fossil fuels will dominate the energy basket during this transition phase and their prices will be determined by the factors of demand, supply and geopolitics.
• OPEC plus will have a huge influence in the market. Countries which have huge resources of petroleum like Saudi Arabia, the Gulf nations, Iraq, Russia, etc will gain greater control over the petroleum market as private companies move beyond fossils under pressure from shareholders and regulators.
• Geology of the minerals and metals required for clean energy is skewed towards the geology of petroleum reserves: The Democratic Republic of Congo controls, for instance, more than 50% of the global supply of cobalt; Australia holds a comparably large share of the lithium market; and China bestrides the mining, processing and refining of rare earth
• This inequity in terms of resource availability will create new centres of energy power.
• National self-interest and short-term political ambition will be the defining determinant of future energy supply relations: Though US and China are into a Cold War and may even fall into the “Thucydides trap”. However, they are still coordinating on the energy front.
• Example:A few weeks ago, the two countries decided to coordinate the release of oil stocks from their strategic reserves to cool off the oil market.

Way forward:

• India must maintain and nurture its relations with its traditional suppliers of oil and gas. It must not assume that their role in the energy market will diminish.
• It should accelerate the build-up of the storage capacity for oil and gas; the former to hold strategic oil reserves, the latter to store gas for conversion to blue hydrogen.
• It must create a facilitative ecosystem for the search and development of the minerals and metals required for clean energy.
• A single point executive should be appointed which would act as a point of coordination for multiple stakeholders (governments, regulators, farmers) involved in this process and to develop common rules and standards.
• India should create a “clean energy Aatmanirbhar supply chain”
• It should also ensure that green transition must not lead to import dependency on raw minerals and manufactured inputs, especially from China.

General Studies Paper 3

• Context: Legal MSP is an illogical, expensive and inefficient policy instrument. Unless farmers move rapidly towards high-value agriculture, there is not much scope to achieve better incomes for smallholders in an economically efficient and sustainable way.

What is the actual reach of MSP regime?

• If one uses the Census and National Accounts data,
• The percentage of farmers benefiting from MSP comes around to be6%
• The value of Agri-produce benefiting from the MSP regime comes down to just 2%.
• The reach of MSP, both in terms of agri-Households or the value of agri-produce, is not more than 9%.

Why legalising MSP is economically illogical?

• MSP distorts the basic logic of the supply-demand mechanism,slows down the process of diversification, and is economically a very expensive and inefficient policy instrument.
• For instance: Procurement at MSP has spread to many other states, most notably in Chhattisgarh and Telangana for paddy, and Madhya Pradesh for wheat. This is taken as a success story. However, the point which is missed here is that most of these farmers also benefit from highly subsidised PDS. This is irrational and economically inefficient. Paddy is first bought from small and marginal subsistence farmers at MSP, and then same is given back to them after incurring 40% higher costs on top of MSP during the process of procurement, stocking and distribution.

Way forward:

• Providing direct income support: It is much better to directly support small and marginal farmers with an income policy or through a diversification package towards high-value agriculture. This support can be on a per hectare basis, tilted towards small and marginal holders, which can be directly transferred to farmers’ accounts without distorting markets or cropping patterns.
• For instance, the PM-KISAN policy of giving Rs 6,000 into the accounts of agri-HHs can be refined and scaled up, by linking it with adopting farming practices that are environmentally sustainable.
• The government’s focus needs to be directed towards
• The development of efficient value chains
• Forming of commodity-specific farmer producer organisations (fpos)
• Equipping them to assay, grade, and package their products
• Incentivise the private sector to invest in logistics, storage, cold chain, processing.

General Studies Paper 2

• Context: India’s foreign policy in 2021 followed a style of openness and readiness to deal with friends and foes alike. From selective alignment, India moved to universal engagement, even to the extent of convening meetings with antagonists.

About India’s foreign policy in 2021

• Relations with the US and its allies: India took active engagements with the U.S. and went beyond familiarization with the new government to increased commitment to Quad and acceptance of AUKUS  and formation of the ‘western Quad with the U.S., Israel and the UAE.
• Relations with Russia: Major agreements were signed with Russia, despite the American threat of CAATSA  against S-400 missiles and the Russian inclination to align with China in the days to come.
• Relations with China: The relations with China met with limited success. China is confident that the growing hard power — economic and military — gives it the luxury to dispense with diplomatic niceties. Hence,
• China has not shown willingness to disengage in Ladakh and withdraw to the previous positions behind the Line of Actual Control, 2. Recently, changed the names of various places in Arunachal Pradesh, 3. Building villages on the unpopulated border with India, 4. Trying to create a wedge between India and its close Himalayan neighbours — Nepal and Bhutan, 5. Seeking to undermine Indian influence in the Maldives and Sri Lanka and, more broadly, in the Indian Ocean.
• Taliban in Afghanistan: American notion of bringing in some civility to the Taliban in Kabul has failed. Now it is a high priority for India to face a Pakistan-China-Taliban axis with some support from Russia and Iran.
• Relations with Myanmar: In 2021, the Foreign Secretary visited Myanmar to engage the military junta at a time when Aung San Suu Kyi and other opposition leaders are in prison.
• Climate Change: India decided to stand out of the line on the matter of net-zero emission target  years but succumbed to the pressure to commit more to promote renewable energy and phasing down coal.
• United Nations: India took the presidency of the UN Security Council in August 2021 and provided significant contributions. But, India showed less interest in the demand for United Nations reform in 2021.
• Other issues: India has been charged as “India only a part-democracy” received less Indian interest. As for Indian democracy, the Prime Minister’s assertion that India is the “ mother of democracy went uncontested at the political level.

How to address the challenges in India’s foreign policy in 2021?

• The extraordinary efforts made by India have not been fruitful in Afghanistan and  Among them, China remains the most important national security task for India in 2022 and beyond. To redress the power imbalance with China, India has to
• Along with diplomatic relations, India has to rush the military modernisation and strategic coordination with its Quad partners, 2. At the economic level, India will need to move rapidly to end its isolation in the global trade domain, 3. India has to stay out of a China-dominated Asia-wide free trade agreement, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), 4. Negotiate bilateral free trade agreements with strategic partners like the United Kingdom, Australia, UAE, and Israel.

General Studies Paper 2

• Context:  There is vast scope for improvement in the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY). POSHAN Abhiyan and PMMVY are India’s initiatives to fulfill its commitment towards the Sustainable Development Goal of improving maternal health. However, targets can be achieved only if we revisit the design and implementation of this scheme.

What are the issues?

• Unchanged targets: The target of the scheme has remained unchanged over the years.
• The estimated eligible population of pregnant and lactating mothers in India was 128.7 lakh for 2017-18 according to the Centre for Policy Research 2019-20). The target set by the Government was 51.70 lakh beneficiaries. This is only 40% of the eligible population.
• Fall in enrollment and disbursements:  In 2020-21, more than 50% of registered beneficiaries did not receive all three installments and there was a 9% drop in enrollment under the scheme.
• This is according to the data provided by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) in response to a parliamentary question.
• Reduced Budget allocation: Budget allocation for the PMMVY has also been reduced as it has been clubbed under SAMARTHYA along with multiple other schemes such as Beti Bachao Beti Padhao.
• The overall budget of SAMARTHYA is ₹2,522 crore, which is nearly equivalent to the budget of PMMVY alone in the previous financial years.
• State-level schemes: States such as Odisha, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu, respectively, implemented State-specific schemes for maternity benefits.
• For example, MAMATA (2011) in Odisha, the KCR Kit (2017) in Telangana, and the Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy Maternity Benefit Scheme (MRMBS) in Tamil Nadu.
• States’ schemes had relatively increased coverage and higher maternity benefits. For instance, Odisha’s MAMATA, has been offering a conditional cash transfer of ₹5,000 as maternity benefit for up to two live births for more than a decade now. It has led to better performance of this scheme, in comparison to PMMVY Scheme.

What are the suggestions for improvements in PMMVY?

• Extend the maternity benefit under the PMMVY to the second live birth, similar to its predecessor, the Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana. This would be more imperative for women in the unorganized sector, who are more vulnerable to economic shocks and nutrition loss for all childbirths.
• Increase the maternity benefit amount:The current entitlement of ₹5,000 provided over one-year amounts to one month’s wage loss (as per the MGNREGA wage rate of ₹202).
• The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 mandates 12 weeks of maternity leave for women with two or more children. Thus, pregnant and lactating mothers should receive 12 weeks of wage compensation amounting to ₹15,000.
• Address the implementation gaps that lead to reduced coverage. These gaps stem from a lack of awareness within targeted beneficiaries and process level challenges.
• A simplification of the process can result in increased registration of beneficiaries. Further, the current registration form requires a mother and child protection (MPC) card, husband’s Aadhaar card, bank passbook, and registration form for each of the three installments. This results in delayed, rejected or pending applications.

General Studies Paper 1

• Context: Population growth is a function of fertility and life expectancy. India had about 1.38 billion (138 crore) people in 2020. Two recent studies estimate the country’s population to peak at 1. 5-1. 6 billion somewhere between 2040 and 2048.
• India’s population has been on a decline,and several figures point in this direction.
• Every year since 2003 the number of live births has been falling consistently.
• Fertility rate(average number of children born to a woman) came down to 2 – well below the world average in 2019.
• It took only 14 years for the fertility rate to fall by 50% (from 3 to 2) in India, whereas in Bangladesh – globally acclaimed for birth control – a similar fall took 17 years.

Reasons:

• Percentage of women marrying before the age of 18 has fallen by half in the past 15 years.
• Women participation in key family decisions have shot up from 37% to 89% in the past decade and a half.
• Urbanisation is another family size suppressor. In rural areas a child is a resource, a free labour to work on farms and tend to livestock. But in a city a child is a liability till adulthood.
• The higher cost of raising children also prevents middle and upper middle classes from having a big family.

What can be the new set of challenges that can emerge due to this declining population trend? 

• Compared to other countries with the same fertility rate, India’s infant mortality rate is higher and life expectancy is lower. That means the coming fall in population could turn into a collapse.
• India is also home to the highest number of underweight and stunted children.
• The peak of India’s demographic dividend is already behind The prospect of India ageing before prospering to the levels of Western countries is real.
• It’s this fear that has caused China to abandon its draconian single child policy and encourage its youth to have more kids. India could be in a much worse situation than China as the productivity level in China are much higher than India.

Can this trend be reversed? 

• Policy persuasion does not help in convincing people to go for smaller or no families.
• The immediate task for India is to save more children at birth and ensure that they grow into healthy and educated adults.

General Studies Paper 2

• Context: Hearing a case related to the Maharashtra crisis in 2022 and whether a speaker facing a notice for his removal can disqualify MLAs in his assembly, the Supreme Court (SC)  on February 15, 2023 maintained that Speakers should be the first authority to decide on
• Earlier in 2016, the SC in the Nabam Rebia case had held that a Speaker or Deputy Speaker facing notice of removal cannot decide disqualification proceedings against legislators.

What are the Debates over Discretion of the Speaker’s Role?

• For the past three years, the All India Presiding Officer’s Conference,chaired by  Lok Sabha Speaker,  has been reviewing the Speaker’s role as envisaged in the 10th Schedule of the Constitution that deals with disqualification of MPs and MLAs.
• The focus of the discussions is to secure the legislative speaker’s dignity in this matter.Many presiding officers have expressed views that their role should be limited and other mechanisms must evolve to decide cases of defection.
• One proposal being discussed is to leave the issue of disqualification to the respective political parties as they give tickets to the MLAs.
• During a Speaker’s Conference in Dehradun in 2021,several participants voiced their concerns and pointed out loopholes that often cast a shadow on the speaker’s role.

What is the 10^th Schedule of the Indian Constitution?

• About:
  • The Tenth Schedule of the Indian Constitution,also known as the Anti-Defection Law,   was added by the 52^nd Amendment in 1985.
    • It was a response to the toppling of multiple state governments by party-hopping MLAs after the general elections of 1967.
  • It lays down the provisions related to disqualification of members of Parliament (MPs) and State Legislatures on grounds of defection.
• Exception:
  • It allows a group of MP/MLAs to join (i.e., merge with)another political party without inviting the penalty for defection.
    • And it does not penalise political parties for encouraging or accepting defecting legislators.
  • As per the 1985 Act, a ‘defection’ by one-third of the elected members of a political party was considered a ‘merger’.
  • But the 91st Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003,changed this and now at least two-thirds of the members of a party must be in Favour of a “merger” for it to have validity in the eyes of the law.
• Discretion:
  • The decision on questions as to disqualification on ground of defection are referred to the Chairman or the Speaker of such House, which is subject to ‘Judicial review’.
  • However, the law does not provide a time frame within which the presiding officer has to decide a defection case.
• Grounds for Defection:
  • If an elected member voluntarily gives up his membership of a political party.
  • If he/she votes or abstains from voting in such House contrary to any direction issued by his political party.
  • If any independently elected member joins any political party.
  • If any nominated member joins any political party after the expiry of six months.

Conclusion

• The role of the Speaker in defection cases is crucial for ensuring the stability and integrity of the government and the democratic system. It is also important to note that the Speaker has to act in a fair and impartial manner while deciding such cases, and the decisions should be guided by the principles of natural justice and the provisions of the Constitution.