General Studies Paper-2 

Context: 10 Years of Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act has been completed.

About the Act

• The Act came into effect on May 1, 2014, marking a significant milestone after nearly four decades of legal jurisprudence and the tireless efforts of street vendor movements across India.
• It aimed to ‘protect’ and ‘regulate’ street vending in cities, with State-level rules and schemes, and execution by Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) through by-laws, planning, and regulation.

Feature

• The Act clearly delineates the roles and responsibilities of both vendors and various levels of government.
• It recognises the positive urban role of vendors and the need for livelihood protection.
• It commits to accommodating all ‘existing’ vendors in vending zones and issuing vending certificates.
• The Act establishes a participatory governance structure through Town Vending Committees (TVCs) and mandates that street vendor representatives must constitute 40% of TVC members, with a sub-representation of 33% of women street vendors.
• These committees are tasked with ensuring the inclusion of all existing vendors in vending zones.
• The Act outlines mechanisms for addressing grievances and disputes, proposing the establishment of a Grievance Redressal Committee chaired by a civil judge or judicial magistrate.
• Its provisions set a crucial precedent for inclusive and participatory approaches to address street vending needs in cities, at least in theory.

Need of the law

• Street vendors, estimated to constitute 2.5% of any city’s population, play multifaceted roles in city life.
• Local vegetable sellers and food vendors are essential providers of daily services. Vending offers many migrants and the urban poor a source of modest yet consistent income.
• The vendors also make city life affordable for others by providing vital links in the food, nutrition, and goods distribution chain at reasonable prices.
• Street vendors are also integral to Indian culture — imagine Mumbai without its vada pav or Chennai without its roadside dosai. The law was enacted to acknowledge this reality.

Broad Challenges

• The Act has faced three broad challenges.
  • At the administrative level, there has been a noticeable increase in harassment and evictions of street vendors, despite the Act’s emphasis on their protection and regulation.
  • This is often due to an outdated bureaucratic mindset that views vendors as illegal entities to be cleared.
  • There is also a pervasive lack of awareness and sensitisation about the Act among state authorities, the wider public, and vendors themselves.
  • TVCs often remain under the control of local city authorities, with limited influence from street vendor representatives. And the representation of women vendors in TVCs is mostly tokenistic.
  • At the governance level, existing urban governance mechanisms are often weak.
• The Act does not integrate well with the framework established by the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act for urban governance.
  • ULBs lack sufficient powers and capacities.
  • Schemes like the Smart Cities Mission, laden with resources and pushed through as policy priorities from the top-down, mostly focus on infrastructure development and ignore the provisions of the Act for the inclusion of street vendors in city planning.
• At the societal level, the prevailing image of the ‘world class city tends to be exclusionary.
  • It marginalises and stigmatises street vendors as obstacles to urban development instead of acknowledging them as legitimate contributors to the urban economy.
  • These challenges are reflected in city designs, urban policies, and public perceptions of neighbourhoods.
• The Act now faces new challenges such as the impact of climate change on vendors, a surge in the number of vendors, competition from e-commerce, and reduced incomes.

Way Forward

• While the Act is progressive and detailed, its implementation requires support, possibly (and ironically) necessitating top-down direction and management starting from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
• This needs to be decentralised over time to ensure effectiveness in addressing the diverse needs and contexts of street vendors nationwide.
  • PM SVANidhi, a micro-credit facility for street vendors, has been a positive example in that direction.
• There is a strong need to decentralise interventions, enhance the capacities of ULBs to plan for street vending in cities, and move away from high-handed department-led actions to actual deliberative processes at the TVC level.
• Urban schemes, city planning guidelines, and policies need to be amended to include street vending.
• The Act’s broad welfare provisions must be used creatively to meet the emerging needs of street vendors.
• The sub-component on street vendors in the National Urban Livelihood Mission needs to take cognisance of the changed realities and facilitate innovative measures for addressing needs.

General Studies Paper-3 

Context: According to the 2024 Data Breach Investigations Report by Verizon Business, India is one of the key countries affected by phishing attacks.

Key Findings

• The espionage attacks dominate Asia-Pacific’s (APAC) cyber security landscape, including that of India.
• Some 25% of APAC cyberattacks are motivated by espionage, significantly greater than the 6% and 4% in Europe and North America, respectively.
• System intrusion, social engineering, and basic web application attacks represent 95% of breaches in APAC.
  • The most common types of data compromised are credentials (69%), internal (37%), and secrets (24%).

What is a Phishing Attack?

• Phishing is a type of cyberattack which attempts to steal sensitive information, typically in the form of usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, bank account information or other important data in order to utilize or sell the stolen information.
• By pretending as a reputable source with an enticing request, an attacker lures in the victim in order to trick them.

Reasons for phishing attacks

• The report mentioned that In 2023, 15 percent of breaches involve a third party, including data custodians, third-party software vulnerabilities, and other direct or indirect supply chain issues.
• About 68 percent of breaches, whether they include a third party or not, involve a non-malicious human element, which refers to a person making an error or falling prey to a social engineering attack.

Steps taken by Government

• Information Technology Act, 2000: Section 43, 66, 70, and 74 of the IT Act, 2000 deal with hacking and cyber crimes.
• Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) issues alerts and advisories regarding latest cyber threats/vulnerabilities and countermeasures to protect computers and networks on a regular basis.
• National Cyber Coordination Centre (NCCC) has been set up to generate necessary situational awareness of existing and potential cyber security threats and enable timely information sharing for proactive, preventive and protective actions by individual entities.
• Cyber Swachhta Kendra (Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre) has been launched for detection of malicious programs and provides free tools to remove the same.
• Bharat National Cyber Security Exercise 2023: Bharat NCX will help strategic leaders to better understand cyber threats, assess readiness, and develop skills for cyber crisis management and cooperation.
• Chakshu Facility: It is a newly introduced feature on the Sanchar Saathi portal that encourages citizens to proactively report suspected fraudulent communications received via call, SMS, or WhatsApp.

Concluding Remarks

• India is one of the key countries affected by phishing attacks, where employees often click on malicious links or attachments, often leading to severe financial losses.
• However, there’s a silver lining as reporting practices have improved, with 20 percent of users now identifying and reporting phishing during simulation tests.

General Studies Paper -2

Context: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar underlined the need for reformation in the Indian Arbitration system.

About

• He highlighted that the process has become very complex.
  • Award (by arbitration court), objection to award, appeals, and then invocation of Article 136 of the constitution is followed by review and Curative petitions, which has become the norm.
  • Therefore, he stressed the need for streamlining to enhance efficiency.
• Article 136 deals with Special leave to appeal by the Supreme Court.
  • Article 136 allows citizens to file so-called special leave petitions (SLPs) to appeal before the Supreme Court against any “judgement, decree, determination, sentence or order in any cause or matter passed or made by any court or tribunal in the territory of India”.
  • It is up to the apex court to decide whether it wants to hear an appeal or not.

Arbitration Mechanism in India

• Arbitration is a quasi-judicial process of settlement of disputes between Trading Member, Investor, Clearing Member, Authorised Person, Listed Company etc.
• Arbitration aims at quicker legal resolution for the disputes.
• The Arbitration and Conciliation Act 1996 has been modelled on lines of the UNCITRAL (United Nations Commission on International Trade Law) framework of laws.
• Arbitration Agreement: Parties can agree to resolve their disputes through arbitration either before or after a dispute arises.
• Arbitral Tribunal: The arbitral tribunal, comprised of one or more arbitrators, is appointed by the parties or as per the procedure agreed upon by them.
  • The decision on the dispute is mostly binding on the parties.
  • Generally, there is no right to appeal an arbitrator’s decision.
• Arbitration Proceedings: The Arbitration Act provides a framework for conducting arbitration proceedings, including the appointment of arbitrators, the conduct of hearings, submission of evidence, and issuance of the final arbitral award.
• Enforcement: The Act empowers arbitral tribunals to grant interim measures to preserve the rights of parties, pending the final resolution of the dispute.
  • Arbitral awards, once granted, are enforceable in the same manner as court judgments.
• Institutional and Ad Hoc Arbitration: Arbitration in India can be conducted through institutional arbitration bodies like the Indian Council of Arbitration (ICA), International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), or through ad hoc arbitration where parties directly appoint arbitrators.
• Amendment in 2019: In 2019, further amendments were made to the Arbitration Act to streamline the arbitration process, expedite proceedings, and reduce the scope of interference by courts.

Need for the Arbitration Mechanism

• Overburdened Judiciary: Arbitration provides an alternative mechanism for resolving disputes efficiently and expeditiously, thereby relieving the burden on the courts.
• Promotion of Business and Investment: A robust arbitration framework is essential for fostering a conducive business environment and attracting foreign investment.
• International Trade and Commerce: Arbitration offers a neutral and internationally recognized forum for resolving cross-border disputes, providing certainty and predictability to parties engaged in international transactions.
• Confidentiality and Privacy: Arbitration proceedings are generally confidential, allowing parties to maintain the privacy of their disputes and sensitive business information.
• Specialized Expertise: Arbitration allows parties to choose arbitrators with expertise in the relevant subject matter or industry, ensuring that disputes are resolved by professionals who understand the complexities and nuances of the issues involved.

Challenges

• Judicial Interference: Courts often entertain challenges to arbitral awards on grounds that go beyond those permitted under the law, leading to delays and undermining the finality of arbitral awards.
• Delays and Backlogs: Factors contributing to delays include procedural complexities, frequent adjournments, and challenges in enforcing procedural timelines.
• Lack of Specialized Arbitrators: Despite efforts to promote arbitration, there is a shortage of qualified and experienced arbitrators, particularly those with expertise in specialized fields.
• Costs and Accessibility: The costs associated with arbitrators’ fees, legal representation, and administrative expenses deter parties from opting for arbitration, particularly in low-value disputes.
• Confidentiality Concerns: Despite provisions for confidentiality in arbitration proceedings, concerns persist regarding the disclosure of sensitive information and the potential for breaches of confidentiality.
• Institutional Infrastructure: While there are several arbitral institutions in India, the institutional infrastructure for arbitration remains underdeveloped compared to other jurisdictions.

Way Ahead

• Reforms aimed at streamlining procedures, enhancing judicial support, promoting arbitration education and training, and strengthening institutional infrastructure can contribute to the growth and development of the arbitration mechanism in India.

General Studies Paper -2

Context: Election Commission of India (ECI) issued  notices over Model Code of Conduct (MCC) violation complaints against top leaders of the country .

Model Code of Conduct (MCC)

• It is a set of guidelines published by the Election Commission of India (EC) for political parties and candidates to set standards of conduct during the election campaign and polling.
• It also explains how parties can lodge complaints to the EC observers in case of dispute and instructs how the Ministers of the parties in power must conduct themselves when the MCC is in force.
• In 2019, a new addition regarding election manifestos was added, instructing parties to not issue promises which were ‘repugnant to the ideals of the Constitution’.
• The MCC is not a statutory document – not enforceable by any laws passed by the Parliament .
  • Violating many of its guidelines may not attract punitive action.
    • However ,several actions are listed as ‘electoral offences’ and ‘corrupt practices’ under the Indian Penal Code (now known as Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita) and the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
    • These actions will attract appropriate punishment as per these laws.

Features

• The MCC comes into force immediately when the election schedule is announced by the Election Commission and remains in operation till the election process is complete, i.e. results are announced.
• It is applicable to all elections to the Lok Sabha, State Assemblies. It is also applicable for State Legislative Council elections from Local Bodies, and Graduates’ and Teachers’ Constituencies.
• It is enforced throughout India in case of General elections, and the State up for polls in case of Legislative Assembly elections.
• All organisations, committees, corporations, commissions (for e.g. Transport authorities, Jal boards) funded wholly or partially by the Centre or State are bound by the MCC.
• While listed political parties and candidates are bound to follow the MCC, even non-political organisations which hold campaigns favouring a political party or candidate are bound to follow specific guidelines mentioned by the EC.

Concern

• The political environment in the country has sharpened, blunting the efficacy of the MCC.
• Instances of violations are rising, becoming rampant and rabid.
• Political leaders are deploying their prestige, firepower and demagoguery like never before and finding ingenious ways to remain in the shadow zone between the letter and the spirit of MCC.
• Money has replaced muscle; technology has provided a shining armour.
• MCC has not clearly spelt out the consequences of defaults, thus diluting its deterrent effect.
  • Delayed responses dilute the impact of penalties and diminish public confidence in the credibility of the EC.

Conclusion and Way Forward

• The MCC draws its strength and sanctity from the strict, prompt and non-discriminatory enforcement by EC, there is a need to remodel it by imposing more reasonable restrictions in a non-discriminatory manner.
• This is essential to restore a certain degree of decorum and discipline in public discourse.
• It is necessary to specify punitive measures in a fair, transparent and predictable manner, especially with respect to serious violations such as hate speech invoking communal and caste feelings to secure votes, offering inducements for garnering votes, using foul, filthy and abusive language against political opponents, indulging in political propaganda by invoking, praising, questioning or criticising the Indian armed forces, etc.
  • Such violations should attract severe consequences that could be graded and made known publicly.
• A list of all cases of reported violations should be compiled, a statement of their disposal/pendency should be displayed on the EC website and a database needs to be created for public information.
• The time has come for MCC to initiate punitive action against political parties if its functionaries or star campaigners are involved in proven cases of MCC violation.
  • This action could be a fine and/or action under The Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, if warranted.

General Studies Paper -3

Context: Energy and climate ministers from the G7 group of industrialized nations have agreed to phase out by 2035 the use of coal power where the emissions have not been captured.

About

• The non-governmental organization had called for the G7 to set an earlier 2030 phaseout date for power generation by coal, and a 2035 deadline for gas-fired supplies.
• Together the G7 makes up around 38 percent of the global economy and was responsible for 21 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions in 2021.

Coal Sector in India

• Coal Reserves: India has significant coal reserves, and it is one of the world’s largest coal producers.
  • The major coal fields in India are located in the eastern states of Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal, as well as in central states like Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
• Coal Production: India is among the top 3 leading coal producers globally. The Coal India Limited (CIL) is the state-owned coal mining company and the largest government-owned-coal-producer in the world.
• Coal Consumption: The power demand in India is surging. In 2022, the requirement grew about 8 – 9%.
  • Industrial and commercial activity are among the biggest consumers of energy in the country.
• Import and Export: Despite being a significant coal producer, India has also been importing coal to meet the growing demand.
  • This is due to issues such as transportation challenges and the need for specific types of coal for certain industries.

Concerns in phasing Out of Coal Power Plants

• Currently, out of the total energy produced in the country, only 22% is from renewable sources. Fossil fuels, mainly coal, still provide 75% of India’s power supply.
• Dependency on Natural Factors: Energy sources like solar and wind are variable as they rely on natural factors like sunlight, wind and water availability.
  • To ensure a steady supply, India has to heavily invest in battery storage.
• Concerns in Hydropower Projects: Numerous hydropower projects are under construction or in the planning stages in the Himalayan region.
• But they have come under fire as the projects have caused ecological damage and raised concerns about the potential conflicts over water resources in the area.
• Nuclear Energy: The country’s plans to generate energy with the help of nuclear power plants have not really taken off.
  • During 2021-22, the plants produced about 3.15% of the total electricity generated in India.
• Infrastructure Development: The transition to renewable energy requires significant infrastructure development.
  • The speed and scale of this infrastructure development can be a challenge for a country as large and diverse as India.
• Grid Integration: Integrating renewable energy into the existing power grid is a complex task.
  • The grid must be flexible and capable of handling fluctuations in supply.

Steps Taken by Government for Transition to Renewable Energy Sources

• India aims to reach 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030, about three times the current capacity of about 180 GW.
• National Solar Mission (NSM): It was launched in 2010, it has set ambitious targets for solar capacity installation, including grid-connected and off-grid solar power projects.
• Green Energy Corridors: The Green Energy Corridor project focuses on enhancing the transmission infrastructure to facilitate the integration of renewable energy into the national grid.
• Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO): This requires power distribution companies and large electricity consumers to procure a certain percentage of their power from renewable sources, encouraging the demand for renewable energy.
• Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM): It includes the installation of solar pumps, solarization of existing grid-connected agricultural pumps, and the establishment of solar power plants on barren or fallow land.
• International Solar Alliance (ISA): India played a key role in establishing the International Solar Alliance, a coalition of solar-resource-rich countries to address their energy needs through the promotion of solar energy.

Concluding Remark

• The agreement marks a significant step in the direction indicated last year by the COP28 United Nations climate summit for a transition away from fossil fuels, of which coal is the most polluting.
• It helps accelerate the shift of investments from coal to clean technology in particular in Japan and more broadly in the whole Asian coal economy, including China and India.

General Studies Paper -3

Context: According to the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), From 1950-2020, the Indian Ocean had become warmer by 1.2°C and climate models expect it to heat up a further 1.7°C–3.8°C from 2020–2100.

Key Highlights

• Marine heatwaves: Marine heatwaves are expected to increase tenfold from the current average of 20 days per year to 220–250 days per year. The tropical Indian Ocean will likely be in a “near-permanent heatwave state.
  • It causes habitat destruction through coral bleaching, seagrass loss and the degradation of kelp forests, adversely affecting the fisheries sector.
• The heat content of the Indian Ocean, when measured from surface to a depth of 2,000 meters, is currently increasing at the rate of 4.5 zetta-joules per decade, and is predicted to increase at a rate of 16–22 zetta-joules per decade in the future.
  • Joule is a unit of energy and one zetta-joule is equal to one billion-trillion joules (10^21).
• Thermal expansion: Rising heat content causes the volume of water to increase, called the thermal expansion of water.
  • It is responsible for more than half of the sea-level rise in the Indian Ocean -larger than the changes arising from glacier and sea-ice melting.
• The frequency of extreme dipole events is predicted to increase by 66% whereas the frequency of moderate events is to decrease by 52% by the end of the 21st century.

Consequences of extreme heating

• It has significant repercussions for the southwest monsoon season, which provides about 70 per cent of India’s annual rainfall.
• The warming could also lead to more frequent and intense extreme weather events, such as tropical cyclones and floods, as well as a rise in sea levels due to thermal expansion.
• The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), is also expected to change due to the warming of the Indian Ocean.
  • In the positive phase of the IOD, when the western parts of the Indian Ocean are warmer than the eastern parts, monsoon rainfall generally increases across many regions in India and the rest of South Asia.
  • In the negative phase, when the western parts of the ocean are cooler than the eastern parts, less than normal rainfall is observed during the post-monsoon period in northwestern India.
• The pH levels of the ocean’s waters are projected to decrease from about 8.1 currently to 7.7 by the end of the century.
  • Changes in pH may be detrimental since many marine organisms are sensitive to the change in ocean acidity.

Way Ahead

• Addressing the impending challenges in the Indian Ocean demands a multifaceted approach. Reducing GHG emissions and building climate-resilient infrastructure are the most effective strategies to mitigate the current and future impacts of warming.
• Conserving marine ecosystems through sustainable practices and improving forecasting capabilities can strengthen the region’s resilience to extreme weather events.

General Studies Paper -3

Context: The Environment Ministry issued further guidelines on its Green Credit Programme (GCP), two months after it had prescribed rules governing the first initiative, afforestation.

• Modifying the rules will prioritise the restoration of ecosystems over mere planting of trees.

About Green Credit Programme

• The Green Credit Programme was announced by the Environment Ministry in October 2023
  • It is an initiative within the governments Lifestyle for Environment or LIFE movement.
• The GCP programme presents itself as an “innovative, market-based mechanism” to incentivise “voluntary actions” for environmental conservation.
• Its goal is to lay an emphasis on sustainability, reduce waste and improve the natural environment.
• Under this, individuals, organisations and companies — public and private — would be encouraged to invest in sectors ranging from afforestation, water conservation, stemming air-pollution, waste management, mangrove conservation and in return be eligible to receive ‘green credits.’
• An autonomous body of the Ministry, the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), is in charge of administering the programme. They will define methodologies to calculate ‘green credits’ that result from the activities prescribed.
  • They will also manage a trading platform whereby such credits could be traded.

Developments

• In February 2024 , the Ministry prescribed the rules governing the first of these initiatives — afforestation.
• Broadly, companies, organisations and individuals could offer to pay for afforestation projects in specific tracts of degraded forest and wasteland.
• The actual tree planting would be carried out by the State forest departments.
• Two years after planting and following an evaluation by the ICFRE, each such planted tree could be worth one ‘green credit.’
• Those who are successful in fulfilling the criteria will be given an estimate of the costs involved in afforestation.

Challenges

• The scientific rationale behind assigning ‘credits’ based on the quantity of trees is unclear.
• There is criticism that these initiatives may be used to circumvent existing laws, particularly those that deal with forest conservation.
• There is a risk of ‘Permanence’ of carbon credits, which means that an individual or a farmer may cut the trees after getting payment for the carbon credit, or the trees may be burned in a fire or attacked by pests, or the trees may not grow at the rate required, given the degraded or poor fertility status of soils and erratic rainfall.
• The activities may or may not lead to real, measurable environmental benefits, particularly carbon sequestration benefits, contributing to the mitigation of climate change.

Conclusion and Way Forward

• Operationalization of GCP on a large scale requires the establishment of institutional arrangements, for which the government has selected the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) as the nodal agency, with a steering committee and a technical committee.
• Successful implementation requires developing a rigorous methodology to measure, verify, and report environmental benefits.
• GCP is a market-based mechanism, which means there must be demand for the green credits, such as tonnes of carbon sequestered through tree planting.
• More importantly, there must be an attractive price for the green carbon credits.
• The programme was currently in a “pilot project” mode and questions such as how shrubs and grasses could be quantified in terms of green credits were still being worked out.

General Studies Paper -3

Context

• Article unveils critical Insights into Elderly Care in India.

About

• The world’s population is living longer and growing older.
• Embracing and planning for this massive demographic transition is one of the greatest social challenges of the 21st century.

Data Analysis

• India is moving towards a future where the elderly will make up a significant proportion of society, primarily due to advances in health care and increased life expectancy.
• The current elderly population of 153 million (aged 60 and above) is expected to reach a staggering 347 million by 2050.
• According to Census 2011, India has 104 million older people (60+years), constituting 8.6% of total population.
  • Amongst the elderly (60+), females outnumber males.

Concerns and Challenges

• Social-cultural mindsets and norms that label the elderly as a “burden”, elderly abuse, as well as a lack of comprehensive safety nets increase the vulnerability of older individuals manifold.
• Households with smaller families and a growing number of older people, who may suffer from chronic illness
• Care for seniors at home is a growing concern as it oscillates between social care and health care.
  • Care practices at home are not well-defined and standardised.
  • There are no specific grievance redressal mechanisms for either the users or the caregivers.
• Impact on women: Poverty is inherently gendered in old age when older women are more likely to be widowed, living alone, with no income and with fewer assets of their own, and fully dependent on family for support.
• The ageing population could turn out to mean serious economic trouble unless India manages to grow its economy at a rapid pace in the coming decades.

Steps of India

• The Government of India has made positive strides with its forward looking and inclusive policies, programmes, and schemes such as the National Programme for Health Care of the Elderly (NPHCE),
  • The National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP), the Maintenance and Welfare of Senior Citizens Act, 2007 and the (Amendment) Bill, Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana’ (AVYAY), and Elderline–a national helpline, among others.
  • It was also a frontrunner in addressing the concerns of the elderly through its National Policy on Older Persons (NPOP) in 1999, three years before the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (MIPPA).
  • The National Programme for Health Care of Elderly and Health and Wellness Centres under the Ayushman Bharat programme provide dedicated healthcare to elderly at primary health care settings.

Conclusion and Way Forward

• India still stands at a pivotal crossroads– facing an ageing population that demands a comprehensive framework of care, new institutions, services, and support dedicated to the evolving needs of the elderly
• As India ages, it is imperative to ensure that elderly population has access to the care and support they need to live healthy, dignified, and fulfilling lives.
• India can redefine the narrative from one of demographic challenge to demographic resilience, inclusivity and growth.
  • To achieve this, India must chart a transformative multi-pronged path with supportive institutions such as the private sector, academia, civil society
• There is a need for a comprehensive policy on home-based care, incorporating aspects such as a registry of providers of such services; ensuring transparency and accountability; establishing grievance redressal mechanisms; and insurance coverage, among others.
  • The policy should particularly cater to the more vulnerable and dependent older single women so that they can live respectable and independent lives.
• This is precisely the right moment for India to not only focus on reaping the benefits of Demographic Dividend through its hefty youth population but to also embrace the concept of “Silver Dividend”.
• To achieve this, India must chart a transformative multi-pronged path with supportive institutions such as the private sector, academia, civil society, media.

General Studies Paper -2

Context: The Supreme Court upheld the electronic voting machine (EVM) system of polling and refused a plea to revive paper ballots.

Supreme Court Judgement

• The court refused to hand over paper slips from Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) units to electors to take a leisurely look before inserting them into the ballot boxes.
• It also declined to direct the cross-verification of 100% EVMs and VVPATs across the country.
  • Currently, only five percent of EVM-VVPAT counts are randomly verified in any given Assembly constituency.
• It also directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to “seal and secure” the Symbol Loading Unit (SLU) for 45 days after the declaration of election results.
  • Currently, only the three components of the EVM — the ballot unit, control unit, and VVPAT — are stored for 45 days after the results.
• The court has allowed candidates to check the one-time programmable software in the BU (Ballot Unit), CU (Control Unit), and VVPAT for tampering, in case of any doubts regarding the result.
  • This verification involves inspecting the burnt memory/ microcontrollers of these three components.

What are Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs)?

• It is a device used to electronically record and count votes cast in elections.
• EVMs were first used in 1982 in the Assembly constituency of Paravur in Kerala in 50 out of 123 booths.
• EVM has two parts, it consists of a ‘control unit’ and a ‘balloting unit’, connected by a 5-meter cable.
• The control unit is with the Election Commission-appointed polling officer and it is the brain of the EVM.
• The balloting unit is in the voting compartment into which the voter enters to cast the vote in secret by pressing the button against the name and symbol of the candidate of her choice.
  • The balloting unit is turned on only after the polling officer presses the ‘Ballot’ button on it.

Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT)

• A VVPAT is intended as an independent verification system for voting machines designed to allow voters to verify that their vote was cast correctly.
• It contains the name of the candidate (for whom vote has been cast) and symbol of the party/individual candidate.
• When a vote is cast, the VVPAT machine, which is attached to the ballot unit (BU) of the EVM, prints out a slip of paper with the voter’s choice indicated on it.
  • Though it remains behind glass, the printed slip is visible for seven seconds so the voter can see that the vote has been recorded correctly, before it falls into a box underneath.
• The idea of the VVPAT machine first emerged in 2010. However it was used for the first time in the Noksen Assembly constituency of Nagaland in 2013.
  • The Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961 were amended in 2013 to allow for a printer with a drop box to be attached to the EVM.
• From 2017, 100% of VVPATs began to be used in polls, and the 2019 Lok Sabha elections became the first general election to have 100% of EVMs being attached to VVPATs.

What is a Symbol Loading Unit (SLU) ?

• The SLU is used to load the symbols of the candidates onto the VVPAT.
• Candidate-setting happens at any time from five to two days before voting at a seat. After loading the symbols onto the VVPAT, the SLU is of no relevance to the actual voting process.
• Once the symbol-loading is complete, the SLUs are handed over to the concerned district election officer for safekeeping. They remain in the officer’s custody until the day after voting.

Conclusion

• Overall, while the VVPAT system in India represents a significant step towards enhancing transparency and accountability in elections, it continues to face criticism and scrutiny regarding its effectiveness, cost, and implementation challenges.
• However, “blind distrust” of an institution or a system breeds unwarranted skepticism and impedes progress.
• Addressing these concerns requires efforts to improve the reliability, accessibility, and public acceptance of the VVPAT system.

General Studies Paper -2

Context: Germany has granted a licence to India to purchase small arms from German companies.

About India-Germany Relations

• Diplomatic: Germany is one of India’s most important partners in Europe.
  • India was also among the first countries to establish diplomatic ties with the Federal Republic of Germany after the Second World War.
• Strategic Partnership: India and Germany have a ‘Strategic Partnership’ since May 2000, which has been further strengthened with the launch of Intergovernmental Consultations (IGC) in 2011 at the level of Heads of Government which allows for a comprehensive review of cooperation and identification of new areas of engagement.
• High-level Engagements : There are regular high-level contacts between India and Germany. PM and Chancellor meet regularly for bilateral meetings and on the sidelines of multilateral meetings
  • India is among a select group of countries with which Germany has such a dialogue mechanism.
• Multilateral Cooperation : Germany and India support each other on UNSC reforms within the framework of the G4.
  • Germany joined the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) in February 2020 and participated in the first Governing Council meeting in March 2020.
  • In April 2021, the German Federal Cabinet approved the signing of the amended framework agreement of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), confirming Germany’s accession
• Economic & Commercial Relations : Germany is currently the 12th largest trading partner for India in 2022-23.
  • It was India’s 11th largest trading partner in 2021-22 and 7th largest trading partner in 2020-21.
  • India constitutes about 1% of Germany’s total foreign trade in 2022.
  • Major Indian exports to Germany include electrical products and automobiles/auto components, textile and garments, chemicals, pharma, metal/metal products, food/beverages and tobacco and leather/leather goods.
  • Major exports to India include machinery automobiles/auto components, chemicals, data processing equipment, and electric equipment
• Germany is the 9th largest foreign direct investor in India (8th largest in 2021-22) with a cumulative FDI in India of US$ 14.1 bn. from April 2000 to March 2023.
• Bilateral Cooperation : Important bilateral agreements between India and Germany are the Agreement on Avoidance of Double Taxation (DTAA), which came into force in 1996, and the Comprehensive Agreement on Social Security, which entered into force from May 2017
  • The Indo-German Energy Forum (IGEF) has been promoting cooperation in the priority areas of energy security, energy efficiency, renewable energy, investment in energy projects and collaborations in R&D, taking into account the environmental challenges of sustainable development.
• Science & Technology : Bilateral Science and Technology cooperation is implemented under an Inter Governmental Agreement on ‘Cooperation in Scientific Research and Technological Development’ signed in 1974
  • The IndoGerman Committee on S&T, established in 1994 coordinates the implementation and reviews joint activities.
• Culture : The longstanding cultural relations between India and Germany are strengthened by the cultural and intellectual exchanges between the two countries. The study of Indian literature, especially Vedas and Upanishads, and also translation of famous works from Sanskrit to German language significantly contributed to the better understanding of India.
  • The visit of Nobel Laureate Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore to Germany in 1921, 1926 and 1930 bridged cultural and intellectual exchange between India and Germany, further supported by established networks in socio-cultural fields.
• Indian Diaspora : There are around 2.20 lakh (December 2022) Indian passport holders and Indian-origin people in Germany.
  • There has been a significant in the number of qualified and highly skilled Indian professionals in the fields of IT, banking, finance, etc
• Defence: Germany has significantly simplified the licensing requirements for the sale of military equipment to India.
  • Germany granted a small arms licence to India. which is a huge exception.
    • Germany for some time has had a bar on the sale of small arms to third countries with the exception of European Union member states, NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) countries and NATO-equivalent countries (Australia, Japan, New Zealand and Switzerland).
  • The German government has also eased the approval process for defence purchases by India.
  • India has an inventory of MP5 submachine guns manufactured by Heckler & Koch.
  • Germany has also approved the offer of a tank engine and propulsion system for India’s indigenous light tank project.
  • In August 2024, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is scheduled to hold the multilateral exercise Tarang Shakti, in which the German Air Force would be joining other countries like the U.K, France, and Spain.