Society & Social justice

All (4049)Current Affairs (4038)Mains Practice (126)Mains PYQs by Subjects (40)

Drones to women self-help groups

Context: Recently, Union Cabinet approved a scheme as part of PM Modi's 'lakhpati didi' initiative under which the central government will provide drones to as many as 15,000 Women's Self-Help Groups over the next four years. The scheme would have a financial outlay of ₹1,261 crore for two years beginning 2024-25.

Highlights of this scheme are:

Coordinated Approach: The scheme approves holistic interventions by converging the resources and efforts of Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW), Department of Rural development (DoRD) and Department of Fertilizers (DoF), Women SHGs and Lead Fertilizer Companies (LFCs).
Objective: It is envisaged that the approved initiatives under the scheme will provide sustainable business and livelihood support to 15,000 SHGs and they would be able to earn additional income of at least Rs.One lakh per annum.
Identification of SHGs: The self-help groups would be identified from the total 89 lakh SHGs formed under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana. The appropriate clusters where usage of drones is economically feasible will be identified following which the SHGs will be selected for providing drones. The SHGs would be able to provide those drones as rental services to farmers for agricultural uses.
Financial assistance : It will be provided by the Centre to each SHG at 80 per cent of the cost of drone, including accessories/ancillary charges but up to a maximum of ₹8 lakh. As one drone costs around ₹10 lakh, the government has allowed SHGs to take loan from banks under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) at lower interest rate since the Centre bears 3 per cent interest costs through subsidy.
Training of Human Resource: The representatives of women SHGs, qualified and elected by the State Rural Livelihood Mission (SRLM) and lead fertilizer companies (LFCs) will have to undertake a 15-day training that includes 5-day mandatory drone pilot training and 10 days on nutrient and pesticide application.

Members of the SHGs with inclination to take up repairs of electrical goods, fitting and mechanical works will be selected by the SRLM and LFC and will be trained as drone technician/assistant. The government guidelines have also made LFCs to act as a link between drone suppliers and SHGs in purchase of drones as well as their repair and maintenance.

Key Role Played by Drones:

The drone services are envisaged to be used by the farmers for Nano fertilizer and pesticide applications. Drones will improve efficiency in spraying fertilisers and pesticides which will help to improve agriculture efficiency, enhance crop yield and reduced cost of operation for the benefit of farmers.

Odisha govt allows ST people to sell their land to non-tribals

Context: The Odisha government has permitted Scheduled Tribe (ST) individuals to sell their land to non-tribals and mortgage it for non-agricultural purposes under the Odisha Scheduled Areas Transfer of Immovable Property (by STs) Regulation (OSATIP), 1956. However, the implementation of this legislation has currently been put on hold.

Other amended provision of the OSATIP

The ST people, will have to obtain written permission from the sub-collector to sell their land. If the sub-collector does not grant permission for transfer, sell or mortgage of such land, then the person can appeal to the respective district collector within six months, whose decision will be final in this regard.
The permission for transferring land from tribals to non-tribals was granted with a rider that after such a transfer, the tribal seller or mortgagor should not be landless or homestead-less.
The OSATIP includes strict provisions that not only prohibit the transfer of tribal lands but also criminalise any forced alienation. Additionally, it delineates mechanisms for eviction and the restoration of tribal land.

Tribal population in India

As per the Census 2011, the tribal population constitutes about 8.9% of the total population in India.
As of the 2011 Census, the tribal population in the Odisha comprising 22.85% of the total State population. Odisha is home to 62 distinct tribes, including 13 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups. Some of the PVTGs such as Bonda, Dongria Kondh and Kutia Kondh.
- It ranks as the third-largest concentration of tribal population, trailing behind Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Advantages of this amendment:

Allowing the sale of land to non-tribals can foster social integration and harmony between different communities. It may break down traditional barriers and create a more inclusive and diverse society.
Selling land could provide tribal communities with immediate financial resources as significant economic disparities persist in Scheduled Areas, capital can be invested in income-generating activities, education, healthcare, and other avenues that contribute to economic empowerment.
Access to funds from land sales might enable tribal individuals to explore alternative livelihood options beyond agriculture, can contribute to economic resilience and reduce dependency on a single source of income.
Increased economic activity resulting from land sales could attract investments and contribute to the development of infrastructure in tribal areas, include roads, schools, healthcare facilities, and other essential social services.
The infusion of capital into tribal communities can lead to an improved standard of living.
In some cases, non-tribal buyers might bring advanced agricultural practices and technologies to tribal lands, potentially leading to increased productivity and improved farming methods.

Challenges posed by this amendment:

Land is often deeply tied to the cultural and social identity of tribal communities. Allowing the sale of tribal land to non-tribals may result in the erosion of traditional practices and ways of life.
The incursion of the market economy into tribal areas may lead to the risk of economic exploitation, wherein non-tribals with more resources could take advantage of the situation, potentially leading to the dispossession of tribal communities from their valuable lands.
If tribal communities sell their land and are unable to manage the funds effectively, there is a risk of displacement and migration, might lose their connection to their ancestral land.
Tribal communities often have a symbiotic relationship with their land, practicing sustainable and traditional methods of agriculture. If non-tribals exploit the land for commercial purposes, it could lead to environmental degradation.
Allowing the sale of tribal land to non-tribals might lead to social tensions and conflicts between different communities, could have broader implications for the social harmony of the region.
Tribal lands often contain valuable natural resources. If non-tribals exploit these resources without proper regulation, it could lead to depletion, affecting not only the tribal communities but also the overall ecosystem.
The proposed amendment could potentially altering the demographic landscape of Scheduled Areas. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, which carried out the random study, found that land held by tribals in Odisha had decreased by 12% in the decade between 2005-06 and 2015-16.
The terms ‘landless’ or ‘homestead-less’ were not clearly defined. This lack of clarity could potentially allow a tribal individual to sell all of their land while retaining a small token piece, thus avoiding classification as landless.

Way forward

It is crucial to conduct a thorough social impact assessment such as such as displacement, cultural impact, to understand the potential consequences on the tribal communities.
The government should develop a comprehensive land use planning strategy like zoning regulations and restrictions on certain types of development to ensure that the land sold by tribal communities is used in a manner that benefits both the tribal and non-tribal populations.
Engaging in meaningful consultation with tribal communities is essential. The government should involve tribal representatives in the decision-making process, ensuring that their perspectives, concerns, and aspirations are taken into account.
Conducting awareness campaigns access about alternative livelihood opportunities and educational programs like providing financial literacy programs, skill development initiatives, to ensure that tribal communities are well-informed about the implications of selling their land.
Formation of self-help groups, seed- banks, and various other institutions should be encouraged in the tribal areas to fulfil short term credit needs which in turn can be helpful for tribes to prevent mortgages and alienation of land.

Generic Medicines approved for Rare Diseases

Context: Health Ministry has made available generic drugs to support the care and treatment of four ailments: Tyrosinemia-Type 1, Gaucher’s Disease, Wilson’s Disease, and the Dravet-Lennox Gastaut Syndrome.

About Rare Diseases:

It is a debilitating lifelong disease or disorder that occurs infrequently in the human population.
WHO defines rare disease with a prevalence of 1 or less, per 1000 population.
There is no universally accepted definition of rare diseases India accept that a disease prevalence of less than 100 patients per 100,000 people is categorized as a rare disease.
A rare disease, also referred to as an orphan disease, is a health condition that affects a small number of people compared to the general population.
These diseases can be genetic or acquired.
Some examples of rare diseases include Huntington's disease, cystic fibrosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Haemophilia, Thalassemia, Sickle-cell Anaemia, Cystic Fibrosis, auto-immune diseases and others types of muscular dystrophy.
Due to the limited number of affected individuals, research and development for treatments may be insufficient, and patients may face difficulties in obtaining a timely and accurate diagnosis. The rarity of these diseases often makes it challenging to conduct clinical trials, gather data, and develop effective treatments.

Tyrosinemia-Type 1: It is a rare autosomal recessive genetic metabolic disorder characterized by lack of the enzyme fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase (FAH) which is needed for the final break down of the amino acid tyrosine.

Failure to properly break down tyrosine leads to abnormal accumulation of tyrosine and its metabolites in the liver, potentially resulting in severe liver disease.
Tyrosine may also accumulate in the kidneys and central nervous system.

Gaucher’s Disease: Characterized by the accumulation of a fatty substance called glucocerebroside in various organs, particularly the spleen, liver, and bone marrow. This accumulation occurs due to a deficiency of an enzyme called.

This causes these organs to enlarge and can affect their function. The fatty substances also can build up in bone tissue, weakening the bone and increasing the risk of fractures.

Wilson’s Disease: Also known as hepatolenticular degeneration, is a rare genetic disorder characterized by the accumulation of copper in various organs of the body, particularly the liver, brain, and cornea.

Dravet-Lennox Gastaut Syndrome: These are two distinct types of epileptic syndromes.

Dravet syndrome, also known as severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy (SMEI), is a rare and severe form of epilepsy that typically begins in the first year of life.
Lennox-Gastaut syndrome is a severe form of childhood-onset epilepsy characterized by multiple types of seizures and cognitive impairment.

Rare diseases in India

As per National Consortium for Research and Development on Therapeutic for Rare Diseases, approximately 450 rare diseases have been identified and reported in India however, 80% of all rare disease patients are affected by approximately 350 rare diseases.
With an estimated burden of about 80 to 96 million cases reported annually in India.
Moreover, 70-80% of rare diseases are of genetic nature, and thus are asymptomatic, but will appear in the person’s lifetime.
In India, there are between 7000 - 8000 rare diseases, but less than 5% have therapies available to treat them.

Government Interventions

National Policy for Rare Diseases, 2021 aims at lowering the incidence and prevalence of rare diseases based on an integrated and comprehensive preventive strategy encompassing awareness generation, premarital, post-marital, pre-conception and post-conception screening and counselling programs.
Production Linked Incentive Scheme 2.0 for Pharmaceuticals, with an outlay of INR 15000 Crore providing financial stimulus to orphan drugs development under Category 1 of pharmaceutical goods in the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme.
The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation(CDSCO) has made provisions for fast-track processing of applications for rare diseases drugs for drug trials and experimental therapies and have exempted the application fee of potential drug candidates.
Genomics for Understanding Rare Diseases: India Alliance Network (GUaRDIAN), a non-profit clinical genomics research network, has established a network of clinicians and scientists for largest clinical genomics research networks in India.
Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), established an Indian Genetic Disease Database (IGDD) for keeps track of mutations in the causal genes for genetic diseases common in India and provides valuable insights to physicians and researchers.

SC calls for collaborative efforts to bring children into the adoption pool

Context: The Supreme Court has recently given various directions to facilitate and expedite the legal adoption of parentless and abandoned children in childcare institutions across India. This marks an important step in providing a family environment to vulnerable children.

Adoption Regulations in India

The legal framework governing adoptions in India includes Acts like Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, that uphold child rights.

It provides a framework for in-country and inter-country adoption, covering aspects like eligibility norms, procedural safeguards, agencies involved, etc.

Adoption Process in India

Readiness Assessment: Prospective parents wishing to adopt are counselled and evaluated based on eligibility criteria spanning income, parenting capacity, motivation, etc.
Matching via Referral: Caseworkers facilitate compatibility assessment between waiting families and adoption referral profiles of children needing homes, considering individual care needs.
Fostering Period: Following referral acceptance, prospective families undergo a fostering period typically spanning a few meetings, building rapport with the child while observing indications of bonding, acceptance, etc.
Legal Formalisation: Based on successful adaptation progress during fostering, legal formalities around custody transfer, birth certificate, etc. are completed, often requiring court ratification before the child is officially welcomed into the adoptive family.
Post-adoption Support: Follow-up support continues to span integration monitoring and counselling access to ensure the child's holistic development within a caring, stable family environment.

Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA)

CARA serves as a central body that streamlines and monitors care standards across adoptions as per mandate in the JJ Act.
CARA regulations stipulate guidelines on eligibility criteria, referral, matching, and post-adoption protocols.
It primarily facilitates adoptions of orphaned, abandoned, or surrendered children through recognised agencies.

Domestic vs Inter-Country Adoptions

Indian families are preferred for placements, and NRI, OCI, and PIO cardholders also get priority compared to foreign nationals during referrals.
Inter-country adoptions require additional clearances from a central authority and immigration formalities for Child visas, etc. Both adoption types follow the same screening and counselling protocols.

Institutional Framework

Specialised Adoption Agencies (SAAs) facilitate legal adoptions with CARA oversight and adherence to regulations and timeframes while protecting child rights. Various SAA models exist-

Government agencies like State Adoption Resource Agencies
Voluntary or private institutions recognised by CARA
Public sector agencies like the Central Social Welfare Board

District Child Protection Units serve as local implementing bodies for welfare schemes and drive the creation of vital village-level child protection structures like Foster Care Committees.

Recent Supreme Court directions

Bi-Monthly Drives: The court has ordered bi-monthly drives starting December 2023 for District Child Protection Units to trace orphaned, abandoned, and surrendered children across all childcare institutions.

A special focus will be on children with unfit parents or uncertain legal status.

Identifying Children with Unfit Guardians: The court defines an “unfit guardian.” This term applies to several types of people.

They may neglect or refuse to care for a child.
Some may use drugs or alcohol.
Others might have abused or neglected the child, including those with criminal records.
It covers people who need care for themselves.
Finally, it includes those with mental health issues.

Reporting to Authorities: It has mandated collating adoption data and forwarding it to the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) under the WCD ministry by January 2024.

CARA shall facilitate suitable family placement for these children. The court also emphasised teamwork between districts and departments.

These directions translate into binding obligations across states to locate adoptable children, determine eligibility, maintain updated records and ensure CARA linkage under the oversight of dedicated cadres like child protection officers, special juvenile police units, etc.

Challenges

Despite robust frameworks, adoption processes encounter multiple challenges:

Tedious Legal Formalities: Exhaustive paperwork and court procedures often lead to attrition of prospective parents in the adoption process pipeline. Streamlining legal aspects is vital.
Shortage of babies/young children: A high demand-supply skew exists for healthy infants/toddlers amid prevalent societal prejudices.
- Most adoptable children tend to be older and have moderate special needs. Addressing mindset issues is crucial.
Infrastructure Constraints: Resource limitations and staff shortcomings affect monitoring capacity for post-adoption follow-ups by agencies as existing personnel juggle varied work portfolios.
Lack of Awareness: Limited adoption literacy among the public, including myths linking infertility or sociocultural barriers, affects uptake. Sensitisation outreach must be boosted.

Way-forward

Address Legal Complexities: Simplify procedures, digitise records to expedite processing while retaining safeguards, and make court processes child-friendly avoiding intimidating environments. Set time-bound frameworks at each step.
Expand System Capacities: Build state/district level formal networks of foster families and kinship caregivers through sensitization to accommodate younger or special needs children until permanent families are identified. Set up more Specialised Adoption Agencies.
Enhance Monitoring: Quality enhancement mechanisms for Child Care Institutions, including mandatory licensing and annual grading on indicators like resource availability and child protection norms compliance, are critical.
- Robust post-adoption tracking systems are also needed.
Awareness Drives: Grassroots campaigns involving local leaders, prominent adoptive parents, etc. can accentuate community awareness of adoption opportunities and address stigma barriers currently deterring prospects.

MGNREGS & Social Audit

Context: Out of the 34 States and union territories only six have completed social audit of works done under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in more than 50% of gram panchayats.

More about findings

Other than Kerala the only States to cross the 50% mark are Bihar (64.4%), Gujarat (58.8%), Jammu and Kashmir (64.1%), Odisha (60.42%) and Uttar Pradesh (54.97%).
Only three States have covered 40% or more villages Telangana (40.5%), Himachal Pradesh (45.32%) and Andhra Pradesh (49.7%).
The numbers are really low in Madhya Pradesh (1.73%), Mizoram (17.5%) Chhattisgarh (25.06%), and Rajasthan (34.74%).
Kerala is the only State to cover 100% gram panchayats.

About social audit

It is a way of measuring, understanding, reporting & ultimately improving an organization’s social & ethical performance i.e. it serves as an instrument for the measurement of social accountability of an organization.
It is a process which allows end users to scrutinize the impact of developmental programs.
It helps to narrow gaps between vision/goal and reality, between efficiency and effectiveness. It is a technique to understand, measure, verify, report on and to improve the social performance of the organization.
The concept gained significance after the 73rd Amendment of the Constitution.

MGNREGA and Social Audit

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act provides for a central role to ‘Social Audits’ as a means of continuous public vigilance.
Section 17 of the MGNREGA act says the gram sabha “shall monitor the execution of works”. Each State has social audit units which are supposed to work independent of the implementing authorities.
The auditing standards laid down by the Comptroller and Auditor General, every Social Audit Unit is entitled to funds equivalent to 0.5% of the MGNREGA expenditure incurred by the State in the previous year.
- The audit involves quality checks of infrastructure created under the MGNREGA, financial misappropriation in wages, and checking for any procedural deviations.
A process is to be conducted in every Gram Panchayat (GP) at least once in six months, involving a mandatory review of all aspects.
Rule 4 of Audit of Schemes Rules, 2011 stipulates that each State Government shall identify or establish an independent organization, “Social Audit Unit” (SAU) to facilitate conduct of the Social Audit of MGNREGS works.
- This Social Audit Unit may be either a Society or a Directorate, independent of the implementing departments/agencies.
- The work may also be outsourced to an outside agency, preferably an NGO which is not involved in the planning and implementation of the Scheme but possesses adequate experience of having worked in rights and entitlement-based programmes.

SATHEE (Self-Assessment Test and Help for Entrance Exams)

Context: The Ministry of Education (MoE) asks all States to encourage aspirants to utilise the newly launched portal for JEE and NEET exam preparation SATHEE (Self-Assessment Test and Help for Entrance Exams).

About SATHEE

Launched by: The Ministry of Education (MoE) and IIT-Kanpur.
Launched in: 2023
Spearheaded by: Ministry of Education .
Aim: To help students gain access to training and coaching for competitive examinations for free.
Features: It has launched a 45-day crash course for aspirants to test their level of preparation.
- It hosts live and recorded lectures, expertly designed curriculum, and doubt-clearing sessions [for students] to brush up their knowledge.
- The interactive programme is currently open for coaching help for JEE and NEET but intends to provide lectures and live courses on all National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) syllabus topics.
- It uses of an indigenously-developed AI programme called Prutor, which was developed through IIT-Kanpur.
- The initiative is in line with the National Education Policy, with the goal to provide inclusive, high quality education even to remote parts of the country.
- Currently, digital learning material is available in four languages English, Hindi, Odia, and Telugu, plan to extend it to other regional languages of India.
- SATHEE mitras(friends) to increase rural coverage of students appearing for entrance tests, including the JEE and NEET.
- Also provide parents reports to measure what students know and are able to do in relation to the NCERT XI and XII and also JEE standards.

AGNI Initiative of CCRAS

Context: CCRAS under Ministry of Ayush has launched AGNI Initiative to promote innovations by Ayurveda Practitioners.

About AGNI Initiative

AGNI stands for Ayurveda Gyan Naipunya Initiative (AGNI).
It has been launched by Central Council for Research in Ayurveda Sciences (CCRAS) under Ministry of Ayush.
This initiative aims to promote research for mainstreaming the pragmatic Ayurveda practices through scientific validation and evidence based appraisal.
Under the initiative, CCRAS will document and publish the reported medical practices and therapeutic regimens for education and academic purposes in consultation with NCISM (National Commission for Indian System of Medicine).
Objective of AGNI Scheme:
- Provide a platform for Ayurveda practitioners to report their innovative practices and experiences in various disease conditions along with promoting the culture of evidence based practice among Ayurveda Practitioners.
- Promote culture of reporting evidence based practice among Ayurveda Practitioners.
- Undertake research for mainstreaming pragmatic through scientific validation and evidence based appraisal.
- Research studies may be taken up by CCRAS on the reported medical practices for mainstreaming and scientific validation by developing research proposals in collaboration with Ayurveda Practitioners and other relevant institutes/organisations.

About CCRAS

Central Council for Research in Ayurveda Sciences (CCRAS) is an apex research organisation body committed to undertaking, coordinating, formulating, development and promotion of research on scientific lines in Ayurveda.
It is under the Ministry of Ayush.
To boost scientific research through Ayurveda colleges and hospitals, CCRAS has initiated:
- SPARK Program: Studentship Program for Ayurveda Research Ken (SPARK) for undergraduate scholars
- PG-STAR Program: Scheme for Training in Ayurveda Research for PG Scholars
- SMART Program: Scope for Mainstreaming Ayurveda in Training Professionals (SMART) Program for teachers.

National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO)

Context: According to the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO), four out of five organ recipients in India between 1995 and 2021 were men.

About NOTTO

It is a National level organisation set up under Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
It functions as an apex organisation for activities related to procurement, allotment and distribution of organs in the country.
It has two divisions: (a) National Human Organ and Tissue Removal and Storage Network; (b) National Biomaterial Centre.

National Human Organ and Tissue Removal and Storage Network

It functions as apex centre for all India activities of coordination and networking for procurement and distribution of organs and Tissues and registry of organs and tissues donation and transplantation in the country.
This has been mandated as per the Transplantation of Human Organs (Amendment) Act 2011.

National Biomaterial Centre/ National Tissue Bank

The main thrust & objective of establishing the centre is to fill up the gap between ‘Demand’ and ‘Supply’ as well as ‘Quality Assurance’ in the availability of various tissues.
The Transplantation of Human Organs (Amendment) Act 2011 has included the component of tissue donation and registration of tissue Banks.

Women & Judiciary

Context: A study of over 4 lakh FIRs in Haryana has found that not only are cases of violence against women, in which women are the primary complainants, less likely to be registered and more likely to be dismissed in court or result in acquittals. This is attributed to the limited presence of women in the legal process.

Key findings of the study

The study matched over 2.5 lakh FIRs with judicial records found on the e-courts website and found that women’s complaints are less likely to go from the police station to the judiciary.
There are fewer convictions about 5% for women and 17.9% for male complainants.
The study also found that women complaining of violence (VAW cases) wait longer at the police station before an FIR can be registered. While this wait has been pegged at 7 hours for all complainants, for women complaining of violence, the wait is 9 hours.
The study also found that on an average, women take more time to register an FIR.

Women’s participation in judiciary

At global level: According to the International Bar Association, women lawyers make up 51% of the profession but only occupy 32% of senior roles. In the judiciary, women make up 43% of all judges and hold 26% of all senior positions.
In India: According to India Justice Report (IJR) 2022, women make up approximately 35% of the total number of judges at the district court level, and around 13 at the high court level.

Importance of Women in the judiciary

Female judges often bring a heightened sensitivity to gender-related cases, including those involving domestic violence, sexual harassment, and discrimination. Their presence can lead to fairer and more informed decisions in such cases.
Women judges serve as role models for aspiring female lawyers and judges. They inspire and encourage more women to pursue legal careers and work towards breaking down gender barriers in the profession.
Bringing different perspectives and diverse reasoning on the bench creates greater public trust and confidence because it is more reflective of the composition of society
Women judges bring their unique life experiences and perspectives to the table. It integrates varied social contexts and experiences that need to be included, recognized and, most importantly, valued.

Reason for low participation of women in Judiciary

Gender bias and stereotypes: Deep-rooted gender bias and stereotypes persist in many societies, which can influence perceptions of women's abilities and roles. These biases may lead to skepticism about women's competence and suitability for judicial roles.
Lack of representation: When there are few women in leadership positions within the judiciary, it can be discouraging for women considering such careers. The absence of role models can make it difficult for women to envision themselves succeeding in these roles.
Gendered division of labor: Cultural and societal expectations often place a heavier burden on women for caregiving and domestic responsibilities. This can make it challenging for women to pursue demanding legal careers.
Discrimination and harassment: Some women in the legal profession may experience discrimination and sexual harassment, which can create a hostile work environment and deter them from pursuing judicial careers.
Gender-blind policies: Policies fail to consider the unique challenges women face, such as work-life balance, and implicit bias in hiring and promotion, that do not provide the necessary support, training, and resources to address these issues, resulting in the underrepresentation of women in the judiciary.
Lack of Women's Reservation: While some states like Telangana, and Odisha etc. have implemented reservation policies to promote women's representation in the lower judiciary, there is no such provision in the High Courts and Supreme Court.
Inadequate judicial infrastructure: Like the absence of restroom facilities, and the lack of childcare services, overcrowded and cramped small courtrooms serves as a hindrance to women.

Recommendations

Provide women lawyers with the tools and support they need to succeed in leadership roles, including:
- creating a positive work environment
- investing in measures directed at redistributing their care roles
- taking steps to dispel common myths and stereotypes based on grounds of sex, gender, and race
Create formal processes and mechanisms to eliminate discrimination, violence, and harassment in the world of work such as:
- conducting audits to identify the prevalence of sexism and gendered violence and its risk factors
- introducing legal protections and measures to support victims of domestic violence at work
- creating formal reporting mechanisms
- preventing reprisals against those who report such incidents

Global Tuberculosis Report 2023

Context: Tuberculosis (TB) remains the world’s second leading cause of death from a single infectious agent, and global TB targets have either been missed or remain. The net reduction from 2015 to 2022 was 8.7%, far from the WHO End TB Strategy milestone of a 50% reduction by 2025 according to WHO’s Global TB Report 2023.

Key findings of the report

In 2022, the global number of new TB diagnoses reached 7.5 million, marking the highest figure since the World Health Organization (WHO) initiated its global TB monitoring efforts in 1995. This exceeded the pre-COVID baseline and the previous historical peak of 7.1 million cases in 2019, showing a significant increase from the 5.8 million cases reported in 2020 and 6.4 million in 2021.
India, Indonesia and the Philippines, which collectively accounted for nearly 60% of the reduction in the number of people newly diagnosed with TB in 2020 and 2021, recovered to above 2019 levels in 2022.
TB caused an estimated 1.30 million deaths in 2022, again almost back to the level of 2019. COVID-related disruptions are estimated to have resulted in almost half a million excess deaths from TB in the three years 2020–2022.
Treatment success rates have improved to 88% for people treated for drug-susceptible TB and 63% for people with Multidrug- and rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (MDR/RR-TB).
The net reduction in the global number of deaths caused by TB from 2015 to 2022 was 19%, far from the WHO.
Thirty high TB burden countries accounted for 87% of the world’s TB cases in 2022 and two-thirds of the global total was in eight countries: India (27%), Indonesia (10%), China (7.1%), the Philippines (7.0%), Pakistan (5.7%), Nigeria (4.5%), Bangladesh (3.6%) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (3.0%).
In 2022, 55% of people who developed TB were men, 33% were women and 12% were children (aged 0–14 years).

About global tuberculosis (TB) report

WHO has published a global tuberculosis (TB) report every year since 1997.
The report provides a comprehensive and up-to-date assessment of the TB epidemic, and of progress in prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the disease at global, regional and country levels.

About Tuberculosis

It is an airborne communicable disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Typically the bacteria grow in the body where oxygen and blood are in high amounts. As a result, 80% of TB cases are pulmonary which infect the lungs and 20% of cases are extra-pulmonary which infect the brain, uterus, stomach, mouth, kidneys and bones.
Mode of transmission: Airborne- through coughing, sneezing or spitting.
High-risk groups: People weak immunity like those infected with HIV, Under-nutrition, Diabetes, Smoking and Alcohol consumption.

What is APAAR ID, One Nation One Student?

Context: Several state governments requested schools to seek parental consent for the creation of a new student identity card known as the Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR).

About APAAR ID

Under the initiative, each student would get a lifelong APAAR ID, making it easy for the learners, schools, and governments to track academic progress like literacy rates, dropout rates from pre-primary education to higher education.
Every individual will have a unique APAAR ID, which will be linked to the Academic Bank Credit (ABC), which is a digital storehouse that contains information of the credits earned by students throughout their learning journey.
With the APAAR ID, students would be able to store all their certificates and credits, whether they come from formal education or informal learning.
It is part of the 'One Nation, One Student ID' initiative outlined in the National Education Policy of 2020.
Registration for creating APAAR ID is voluntary, not mandatory.

Working of APAAR ID

To sign up for APAAR, students will have to provide basic information such as name, age, date of birth, gender, and a photograph. This information will be verified using their Aadhar number.
Students will need to sign a consent form, and they can choose to either accept or decline sharing their Aadhar number and demographic information with the Ministry of Education for creating the APAAR ID.
For minors, parents will have to sign the consent form, allowing the Ministry to use the student’s Aadhar number for authentication with UIDAI.
If the student changes schools, whether within the state or to another state, all her data in the ABC gets transferred to her new school just by sharing the APAAR ID, no need to provide physical documents or transfer certificates.
It would also serve as a gateway to Digilocker, a digital system where students can store their important documents and achievements, making it easier to access and use them in the future for, say, pursuing higher education or finding a job.

Significance of APAAR ID

Aims to reduce fraud and duplicate educational certificates by providing a single, trusted reference for educational institutions. Only first party sources that issue certificates will be allowed to deposit credits into the system, ensuring authenticity.
Also to make education hassle-free and reduce the need for students to carry physical documents.